“Why didn’t you tell me you felt this way?” Dad asked.
“Because you just keep telling me that I’m pride, even though you know it’s a lie.”
“We’re still your friends,” Brandon whispered, “No matter what happens in the future I’ll always be your friend.”
“And I’ll always be your pet rabbit,” I snarled as I turned my sorrow into anger.
“I told you I was sorry for that,” Brandon said.
“It doesn’t make it any less true, does it?”
He jerked his head back at my harsh question and then turned left, his nostrils flaring. “Someone’s here.”
Dad turned and snarled loudly as three men jumped on top of him. Brandon and Paul each grabbed one and fought with them as Dad fought with the third. I opened my mouth and screamed as loudly as I could, the one call to battle that every lion would follow, next to my Dad’s roar.
“Hello, Darling,” Bob said from behind me. I spun and stepped on my bad ankle, gasping in pain. He frowned. “You’re hurt? How bad?”
What the hell was he doing acting like it didn’t matter that his friends were fighting and asking about my leg. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked angrily.
He picked me up and I tried to punch him and get away, but he squashed me to his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get your foot fixed.”
“Over my dead body,” Mark said as he punched Bob in the back of the head. Bob dropped me as he fell forward and Brandon caught me before I fell. “Get her out of here!” Mark yelled as Bob stood up and snarled at Mark.
Brandon took off without hesitation. Dad’s body jerked a few times and then he stood two feet taller with the head of a lion as he took a half-shift. He roared loudly and more of our pride ran into the area just as more Minters entered.
Brandon ran as fast as he could, cradling me against his chest. “I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.” He dashed into Dad’s house and set me down in the living room, which had no windows and only one entrance, the best place defensively to hide.
“What the hell is going on?” Sarah asked as she stepped out into the living room in her bathrobe.
“Minters are attacking, they tried to take her again,” Brandon said.
Sarah looked at me and asked, “Why are you in pain?”
I blushed in embarrassment. “I tripped on a root and broke my ankle.”
She smiled and said, “Brandon, protect her. I’m going to go outside and see if I can get in a fight or two before it’s over.”
I sank down on to the couch and Brandon kept his eyes forward as he stood in the center of the room, between the doorway and me. “Do you want to talk?” he asked.
“Nothing to talk about,” I said. “The people I view as my family are out there fighting for their lives and I’m stuck inside and have to have a babysitter or the wolf pack will steal your precious bunny away.”
“Stop saying that,” he said angrily.
“Why? It’s true and you know it.”
I heard my Dad roar and exhaled in relief. The battle was over and we had won. For now at least. Brandon walked over to me and took off my shoe. “How are you feeling?”
“Sad. Alone. In pain.”
He tossed my shoe aside and sat down on the couch next to me. “You’re not alone.”
“Perhaps not physically, but none of you understand how I feel and soon I’ll be going back to school and you will be staying here and then I will be alone.” I hadn’t wanted to sound whiny, but the last part came out sounding pathetic.
“Why would I stay here?” he asked as he got down on the floor and examined my foot.
“You can’t lie to me, Brandon. I see how happy you are with the pride. I give you some relief, but you miss them. You can’t go another school year away from them.”
Dad walked in and knelt beside Brandon. “I’m going to have to set it. Brandon, held her upper body down please.”
Brandon stood up and then sat down on my lap and leaned against me, grabbing the back of the couch with his arms so that he was pinning me against it. “Ready.”
Dad laughed and said, “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it works. Ready, Victoria?”
I nodded my head and buried my face against Brandon’s shoulder so I wouldn’t watch. “It’ll be over in a minute,” Brandon whispered. “I’m right here and it’ll be alright.”
I inhaled his musky scent and relaxed. Dad pushed on my ankle and I screamed in pain. Brandon pushed against me as I tried to move and I bit into his shoulder to stop from screaming as Dad aligned my bones. Brandon grunted in pain, but continued holding me down.
“Done,” Dad said as he released my leg.
My ankle was throbbing in pain, but I could feel my body already healing itself. Brandon pulled back and I opened my mouth, releasing his shoulder. I gasped in shock when I tasted blood in my mouth. “Oh my god. Brandon, I’m sorry.”
He smiled. “It’s alright. You’re teeth aren’t that sharp.”
“Did anyone get hurt?” I asked Dad to change the subject. I did not want to discuss how I had just bitten him. What was wrong with me?
He shook his head. “Not on our side anyways.”
“That kid got away again,” said Mark angrily as he walked inside. His eyes were still gold which meant he was pissed that his prey had escaped. He looked at my swollen ankle and then at the bite mark on Brandon’s shoulder. “What did I miss?”
Dad smiled. “Nothing. Alright, we are going to have to double up patrols. They want Victoria and I am not going to let them have her without a fight. If they want a war, they’ve got one now. I want to know how the hell they are getting into our territory too.”
My leg stopped hurting and I felt tingling as the ligaments and muscles reattached themselves. “Can I go swimming if Brandon goes with me?” I asked.
The three of them looked at me in silence, no doubt shocked at my seemingly random request. Dad shrugged. “Sure, just stay at the lake, don’t go to the river.”
I nodded my head and stood up, testing out my leg. “Almost healed. Brandon, will you help me to my room?”
He picked me up, which was not what I had had in mind, and carried me there. “Why are you acting like nothing’s wrong when I can still feel your sadness? You’re acting bipolar,” he whispered.
“I want to swim in the lake while I think. The lake always helps me think,” I answered as I hobbled over to my bag with my clothes in it.
“Victoria, talk to me. I thought we were past all of this.”
“Why did you turn down Mary?” I asked as I pulled out my bathing suit.
“She’s rude to you and I don’t like that.”
“But she’s a strong lioness and probably the best possible mate for you,” I whispered.
“No she’s not,” he said without hesitation. “I don’t want her as my mate.”
“She’s beautiful,” I answered. Much more beautiful than me.
“I’ve seen prettier,” he answered quietly.
I changed clothes and then wrapped my beach towel around my body to hide my bikini from my Dad. “Supermodels and actresses don’t count,” I said.
He turned around and asked, “Are you really going swimming?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I just changed into my bathing suit so I can read a book in the living room.”
He smiled and said, “I’ll be right back.”
I stared at the spot where he had been and sighed. What was I going to do? I didn’t want to wait until I was eighteen to look for other hybrids, but Dad wasn’t going to let me do anything while I was underage and especially not with the Minters pack out to get me.
I wished I could talk to Bob without him trying to kidnap me, but that didn’t seem likely. Sarah came inside my room as a lion and sat down in front of me. She snarled and snapped her teeth at me. I rolled my eyes at her. “You know I’m right. Don’t be like Dad and try to tell me I’m wrong.” She growled and paced back and forth on the carpet
. She whined and bumped my hand with her head. “I didn’t get hurt by the Minters.” She tugged on my towel. “I’m going swimming with Brandon.”
Her eyes widened and she made what I thought was supposed to be a laughing sound, but lions are not made for that kind of sound so instead she sounded like she was choking. She stopped when Brandon walked in wearing a pair of swim trunks. I swallowed the drool in my mouth as I stared at his abdominals and sculpted upper body. Sarah growled and I shook my head to clear the hormone fog. “Um, you ready?” I asked him.
He nodded his head and reached towards me, but I backed up. “I can walk.” Sarah laughed a growling lion laugh and walked out of my room. “Shut up, Sarah!” I warned as I walked out of the room and towards the front door. My ankle was almost healed and I could put enough pressure on it to walk. “We’ll be at the lake,” I said to Mark and Dad.
“Keep an eye out in case the Minters came back. And behave,” Dad said.
I ignored him, not sure who he was talking to and not sure I really wanted to find out. Brandon walked beside me and I waved to a few of the pride members who were trotting through the forest.
Brandon looked like he was deep in thought so I stayed quiet to let him think. He had some decisions to make this summer and I didn’t want to influence him at all. Brandon and I stopped at the edge of the dock and I was suddenly embarrassed to be wearing my bikini. He smiled and ran down the dock and jumped up into the air, doing a back flip before splashing into the water. Show off. I smiled and took the towel off and set it on the dock. Brandon surfaced and stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face as I walked down the dock towards the water.
I stopped five feet from the end of the dock and then ran as fast as I could and dove into the water. The water was crisp and cool against my skin. I surfaced and inhaled a big breath of air. “I’ve missed this.” I floated on my back until I was next to Brandon and then smiled at him.
He looked down the length of my body and said, “I like your bathing suit.”
I stopped floating, letting my body sink into the water and turned away from him. “Thank you.”
He grabbed me by the waist and said, “Wasn’t there a bet we had earlier?”
“Oh no, do not throw me.”
“Too late,” Brandon said as he tossed me through the air. I sailed over the water and then into the center of the lake. He had thrown me farther than Mark ever had!
I swam back towards him and pretended I was going to hug him and then dunked his head under the water. He grabbed my arms and pulled me under with him. We both came up sputtering and smiling. I floated on my back and Brandon did the same.
“That one looks like a steak,” Brandon said as he pointed at a cloud.
“No, it’s South America.”
He groaned. “How can you think of school things at a time like this?”
“Okay, it looks like mashed potatoes then.”
He licked his lips. “Yum.”
If it hurt every time I went home from seeing the pride, then maybe my best bet was not to see the pride anymore. I could still keep in touch with Sheila and the others, but it might make my life easier if I just didn’t see them in person. Maybe I could convince a guy to like me and if I never came he would never ask to see my dad. It was my best option at the moment.
My stomach growled and I sighed. “I guess we better get back and eat.”
I started to swim back towards the dock when he grabbed me. “Victoria.”
I turned around to face him as I treaded water. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad that you’re okay and I’m sorry about the cubs.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He glared. “Stop having this pity party for yourself. You have tons of people who love you and you’re acting like no one cares about you.”
“I know that they love me, but none will ever love me,” I said in exasperation. Why did I have to keep going over this with him?
“Maybe you just need to give it time. Maybe there will be a lion who can handle having a hybrid mate.”
I glared at him. “No lion wants a hybrid. They all want what Paul has. I saw you looking at them.”
“Of course I want that. Every lion wants that,” he said angrily.
“Which is exactly why I need to find hybrids!” I yelled.
“They could kill you!” he yelled back. “Or are you planning on going to see Bob?”
“What? Of course not.”
“You know he’ll kill you if he can,” Brandon said as he moved closer to me. “If you sneak off to find him, he will kill you.”
“It’d be easy, right Brandon? I’m so fragile and so pathetic that you keep having to save me. I bet you hate being assigned to protect me when you could be off with Mary.”
“What? I never said anything like that.”
“You didn’t have to! I know that you want a werelion mate and you spending time with me only delays that. Why don’t you just go and spend time with the pride and find one? Let Mark protect me while I’m here.”
“Maybe I will!” Brandon yelled as his control of his anger slipped and gold specks began appearing over his eyes.
“Good!” I yelled as I climbed out of the water and grabbed my towel.
“Where are you going?” he asked as he climbed out of the water.
“Away from you!” I yelled.
He growled and stomped after me. “I can’t leave you alone.”
I pushed his chest, making him stumble a couple steps backwards. “Yes you can. Go find the other young lions and start looking for a mate.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” he said as his face shifted partially.
“What are you going to do? Hurt me?” I asked as I moved closer to him, despite my fear.
“Do you realize that I have to remind myself to play nice to stop myself from hurting you?! One squeeze of my hand around the back of your neck and you would be dead! Why do you think we could never be mates?! I would always be one step closer to killing you.”
I jerked back from him and turned away in surprise and fear. “Then why don’t you stay away from me from now on. I wouldn’t want to tempt you.” I took off running and headed for the house.
“Wait!” Brandon called.
I ignored him and ran to the house and then cleared my head and thoughts as I walked in the door.
CHAPTER TEN
“Victoria, we need to talk,” said Dad from the living room in a sad tone.
My mind was still reeling from the fight with Brandon, but I shoved the feelings down, smiled and walked to him. “What’s up?” I asked. I was good at hiding my feelings most of the time.
He motioned for me to sit and I obeyed, not liking the sadness on his face. Dad rarely showed such serious emotions. A leader could not show weakness or those who wanted his position could take advantage of it. Luckily our pride wasn’t as ruthless as others and he had Mark and Sarah who would protect him should something like that happen.
Dad looked at the ground and then looked at me with the saddest face I had ever seen on him. “It’s about your mom. She was in a car crash.”
Everyone in the house stopped moving and I swore even the crickets stopped chirping. “Is she…”
“She died, honey.”
I stared at my hands in my lap and asked, “When?”
“This morning,” Dad answered. “I’m so sorry, Victoria.”
I bolted from the house, past Brandon who was walking up to the house and out into the forest. Tears blurred my eyes as I ran, but I didn’t slow down. I ran around the lake and into the forest on the other side.
My mom was dead. My last tie to humanity was gone. She was rude sometimes, but she was still my mom and I loved her. Now she was gone. I would never see her again. I would never get to tell her that I loved her and wished we could have spent more time together.
A lion watched as I ran past him, deeper into the woods. I thought it might have been Mark, but I was running too fast
to tell. My legs were stinging from the cuts from the bushes I had run through, but I didn’t care. I needed to exert energy.
Now I would have to move here with Dad. I would never be able to date a boy. I would never go to the cheerleading competitions again. I would always be watched. Never alone and yet never with anyone. My one option of happiness had just died with my mom.
I ran until the trees thinned and then disappeared as the ocean appeared. If I moved here I would have to see Paul and Sheila and their cubs. I would have to watch as Mark took a mate and then Brandon. I couldn’t handle seeing Brandon with a mate. The cliff came into view and without hesitating I leapt from the cliff, diving straight down into the ocean, being sure to keep my body in a completely straight line. The cliff was a blur of grey as I fell and then ice cold water surrounded my body. I relaxed and let the current take me down and around, disorienting me. My lungs ached for air and my body felt frozen and stiff.
Why was this happening to me? Why did my mom have to die? Why did I have to be a hybrid? Was it my fault? Did she die because of me?
Something fell into the water beside me churning the water and making bubbles, but I paid it no mind. There weren’t any sharks in this area, so it was probably a seal investigating.
My back hit the sea floor and I opened my eyes. The sun looked milky from so far under the water, like a ball of white fluid shifting with the world. If only I could shift to fit into one world or the other instead of sitting between both in limbo.
A dark shape moved across the sun and then dove at me. I felt fear a moment and then the shape grabbed me and pulled me upwards. I gasped for air as we surfaced and smacked at my savior. “What are you doing? Leave me alone!” I yelled.
My savior grabbed my arm and towed me to the beach without speaking. I closed my eyes and let whoever it was take me, no longer wanting to fight. I breathed through my aching throat and wished the sea would pull me under again. Sand slid around my body and I coughed up sea water.
Daughter of Lions Page 14
