Sought By The Lion: Lionhaeme (Beyond the Planes Book 2)

by Tara Gill

  The sight of the books soon distracted her from her line of thought. The Archive Keeper had discreetly moved to the large counter at the far back where he was setting out his things in anticipation of the day’s work. She lost herself among the bookshelves, making a note of the books that caught her interest. After examining a few categories, the smell of food called to her and she sat to eat with an Ann Radcliffe novel in hand. Before long, she was lost in the book and didn’t even notice when the tray before her vanished.

  But she did notice when she was tossed on top of a broad male shoulder. “Barghurr,” she laughed, exasperated, slowly getting used to his rough physical affection. “You could have just asked me to walk with you,” she scolded as he carried her upstairs.

  Mahdi cast his gaze away from them as they passed him, ignoring them as if they weren’t there.

  “Where is the fun in that?” Barghurr replied. Once upstairs in a plush bedroom, he tossed her down on the high, bouncy bed covered in a creamy, velvety material. Surprised at his casual handling of her, Mia blinked up at him and saw that he was shirtless and barefooted. His hair was now loose and at shoulder-length and Barghurr looked breathtakingly handsome and dashing, like a pirate.

  Her breath caught in awe that someone so charismatic was now hers. “Why aren’t you wearing your coat or shoes?” she whispered, licking dry lips.

  “This is how males dress here. It’s easier to shift,” he said casually.

  Shift? So, they did own another form. “But the Archive Keeper was dressed formally,” she protested.

  “Oh, Mahdi is strange. He says the hair falls in his face while he is reading, and he prefers to dress like an archaic bookkeeper,” he said in dismissive tones. “But none of the other males hold with that. You’ll see. Wearing too many clothes in a climate like ours can soon get stifling.”

  “I suppose.” Her gaze ran over his muscled, flat chest and she bit her lip.

  He noticed her stare and his eyes burned into hers. “I think you like my outfit, mate. I like yours too.” Bracing both arms on either side of her, he leaned over her on the bed, nuzzling her bite-mark.

  “Oh.” Her hips arched at the unexpected and intense jolt of sensation. Her knees went lax, and her woman’s channel spasmed, hungry for him.

  When she raised tentative hands to touch him, he moved away and stood, hands on hips. His erection jutted out of the front of his pants. “Come to me, Mia mine. I need your mouth. I need you to take care of your mate,” he crooned huskily.

  She sat up. “Oh…of course.” Mama had said it was a wife’s duty to tend to her husband in such matters though Mia had no experience with taking the initiative in intimacy. Still, she wanted to give Barghurr pleasure and it had nothing to do with duty. Maybe he could guide her how best to proceed.

  “What should I do?” she asked, feeling nervous and heated. He held out a hand, and she stepped forward, placing her hand in his.

  “Follow my instructions.” With tender hands, he helped her lie on her back on the cream-coloured chaise in the sitting area. He adjusted her head and neck on the cushioned support and asked, “Are you comfortable, love?”

  “I am.” While she couldn’t turn much, the chaise supported her with ease.

  Reaching underneath, he twisted a knob. The support below her head tilted. He placed his hand beneath her head and gently lowered her until her chin pointed straight up and her head hung off the edge of the chaise.

  “Barghurr…” Her voice wavered.

  “It will be all right. On Earth, in many civilizations, there are many devices for the pleasure of men and women. We have our own. This is one such piece to help females pleasure their mates orally. Will you pleasure me with your mouth, Mia mine?” Barghurr removed his trousers and stroked his stiff cock with lazy hands. As he stepped closer, her focused on his shaft and she remembered the pleasure he’d gifted her yesterday.

  “I will.” She touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip, her mouth-watering as his musky aroma reached her. “But I don’t know how.”

  “I’ll show you.” Carefully he rubbed the tip of his cock, which was slick with liquid over her lips, so they were coated in his seed. “Taste me,” he breathed in a guttural voice.

  Her small pink tongue came out, licked over her lips and went back in to savour his taste. Barghurr groaned as she swallowed him.

  “Open your mouth. Wider.” As she parted her lips, he pushed his shaft inside. He rubbed his cock against her tongue, her cheek, pulled out and went back in. After a few shallow pumps, he stilled.

  “Suck me,” he ordered, fiery eyes fixed on her face. Wondering at his flushed cheeks, she closed her mouth around him and sucked. For some reason, obeying his instructions, following his orders were making her insides warm and liquid.

  His hips jerked, and he shuddered. “Goddess, that feels good!” he gasped out.

  Mia liked it too. Curious as ever, she explored the hot, silky texture of the skin, the rigid hardness beneath, the sweet-salt taste of his ejaculate—there were so many contrasting sensations in her mouth.

  “Use your tongue,” he ground out. With little licks, she explored his cockhead and the thick veins running over his shaft. She lifted her hands to hold him.

  “No hands. Keep them by your sides.”

  Mia wanted to ask why but kept her hands by her sides for now.

  “Give the tip some attention,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  She laved her tongue over his head and licked around the slit at the top.

  Barghurr was perspiring, and his pheromones were getting stronger. As they did, she became fevered, her lower belly twisting with need, she pressed her thighs together, seeking her climax.

  Slowly he pumped his cock in and out, until he reached Mia’s throat. Since her head was tilted, in this position he could go even deeper inside her. He pushed his way into her throat entrance. “When I enter your throat, it will feel strange, but I will give you time to breathe, do not fear. Inhale deep.”

  When she did, his rigid shaft slid down and pressed against her throat opening. “Swallow.”

  She looked at him wide-eyed, cheeks flushed. How was she supposed to do that when his shaft was in the way?

  He repeated. “Do as I say love, it will be all right.”

  Mia nodded and swallowed around his phallus with some difficulty. Good grief, he was now within the tight channel of her throat! She panicked, choked, but his slow murmurs, his stroking of her neck calmed her down.

  It was a strange sensation. Feeling his hand stroking her throat from outside and his shaft stroking from within her throat. She could feel his heat, his firmness deep inside of her like an intimate invasion, yet she could also breathe, and she could see the effect she had on him. He was deeply flushed, and shudders escaped him. His voice became hoarse, and his muscles were tensed as he fought for control. After a few moments, a panting Barghurr pulled out and caressed her hair with shaking fingers. “Thank you, love, for trusting me,” he said roughly. “You give me great pleasure. I want you to focus on holding me in your mouth. Let me do the work.”

  “But what if I choke?” Her chest heaved.

  He only smiled at her. “Press your nails into my thigh if you need me to pull away. But I’ll make sure you don’t choke. Trust me?”

  She nodded warily. So far, he had taken excellent care of her. “Yes,” she whispered.

  He gently pushed into her mouth again until he was all the way in. His ballsacs pressed against her nose so that she couldn’t breathe. With every thrust, he stayed longer in her throat. A little bit of saliva escaped her, and she lifted a trembling hand to wipe it away.

  He stopped her. “It is all right if you look dishevelled in the throes of passion. Trust me to see all sides of you and to still love you.”

  He loved her? What did that even mean?

  She was bemused enough by his words that she obeyed. She let him use her body, gaze locked on his face which was locked in carnal lines. As his eyes grew d
arker with lust, she found that her own body reacted. Her belly twisted, her mons became damp, and the tips of her breasts tightened into rock-hard points.

  He gritted out, “I am going to come, love. You will take my seed. All of it.”

  The next time Barghurr thrust all the way in, he started spewing down her throat with a shout. She had no choice whether to drink it down or not, as it all went directly down to her belly. Groaning he strained against her, grinding himself fully into her. Her jaw was stretched wide, her nose pressed to his balls, as his cock spasmed deep inside her throat. His testicles pressing against her nose left her with a not unpleasant musky scent in her nostrils.

  When she couldn’t bear another second without breathing, she dug her nails into the back of his thigh. With another quieter groan, Barghurr pulled away, panting. A snowy cloth appeared in his hand, and he patted it over her face, wiping remains of saliva, perspiration and seed from her face with tender hands.

  “My wonderful, beautiful mate. I am truly fortunate. I could smell your arousal as I instructed you. You liked me telling you what to do, didn’t you?” Without waiting for an answer, he bent to kiss her, a tongue-duelling passionate kiss that lasted a minute. Then he pulled back to let her breathe in much-needed air.

  With a sigh, Barghurr scooped a winded Mia up to sit in his lap. He made to kiss her again, but she pushed him away. “I need to freshen up. I’m rather untidy. Excuse me,” she gasped out.

  Lord only knew what she looked like. Mia needed somewhere to hide after Barghurr’s statement. He can smell my arousal? And he can make out exactly how my body reacts to him? How embarrassing!

  Fleeing to the well-lit washroom adjoining the bedroom, she huffed at her reflection. She was a sweaty, crumpled mess. Brushing her hair out, she tied it back with a black satin ribbon. She splashed her face with water and stood there for a moment getting to grips with the happenings of the day, and the lessons of her body.

  Barghurr had taught her many things yesterday. But now it was the turn of her own body to teach her something new—that Mia became aroused when he dominated her body. The slick dampness on her thighs was proof enough. Her head spun as she tried to come to grips with it all. She rubbed her forehead with a trembling hand.

  Perhaps she should let this sink in. Try to think on this later.

  Another thought for another day.

  After all, this was only the first day of her mating, maybe the coming days would bring her answers, guidance. At least she hoped so.

  In the meantime, she felt utterly wrung out. She could use some rest.

  Chapter 10

  Mia sat up in the wide, canopied bed feeling refreshed after her afternoon nap. When she’d been unable to hide her yawns, Barghurr had tucked her in bed with a kiss. She squinted at the afternoon sun barely hidden by transparent curtains, feeling rather excited as he had promised to take her out and show her Lionhaeme.

  Jumping out of the bed, she entered the washroom. She felt wonderful. Mating seemed to agree with her. While she was certainly going by her instincts—which had urged her on—in agreeing to be Barghurr’s mate, so far, the mating had given her nothing but pleasure.

  She stepped towards the far wall of the washroom which held a running waterfall of a sparkling, bluish water that Barghurr had assured her was for cleansing. Lemon soap in hand, she was washing herself, when a naked male body joined her.

  She dropped the soap bar.” What…how! This is most inappropriate!” she spluttered.

  “Maybe in another faraway world,” Barghurr murmured in her ear and spun her around. “Kiss me.”

  They stared at each other as he brought his mouth down to within an inch of hers and waited for her. She breathed fast as she gazed upon his patient eyes, the smiley lion-chimera, his sensual lips. Gathering up her courage, she pressed her lips to his ever so lightly.

  At once, he took over, and the kiss turned white-hot. He lifted her up and encouraged her to wrap her limbs around him. Pressing her against the stone wall, he devoured her mouth, languorously exploring the insides, thrusting his tongue in and out of hers as if he had all the time in the world. His hand slid down her body, and he pushed his fingers into her.

  She cried out.

  “Oh, you’re so wet, Mia mine.” He captured her mouth again in a fierce kiss. With deliberate rhythm, he pumped his fingers in and out of her. As the speed and force of his thrusts accelerated, she climaxed with a shuddering wail, and Barghurr drank her moans in.

  As she rested against his shoulder, trembling and limp, he kissed her neck. Then she pushed away from him. He let her go, and she slid down to her knees.

  “What are you doing?” he asked huskily.

  She looked up. “Let me take care of you. I…liked doing this earlier. You give me so much pleasure. Please…I want to do this for you too.”

  He studied her expression and nodded slowly. Mia bent forward to kiss the tip of his cock.

  He groaned.

  *

  A while later Mia was dressed in comfortable, knee-length fawn boots and a simple white shift. She was standing in the grassy grounds behind Barghurr’s mansion. They were walking towards the forest which Barghurr was showing her today. He padded beside her, barefoot, dressed only in another pair of loose khaki pants.

  As they walked, the grass became longer—about thigh-length—and she was glad of her boots. She glanced around with interest. The grasslands were vast and resembled a colourful patchwork—from green to yellow to brown to red, there were many colors and shades in between. Beyond the waving grass, loomed tall trees with high, thick foliage which hardly let in any light. The thick forest stretched on either side without end.

  “The trees seem to cover a larger area than I first expected.”

  “The Whispering Forest stretches throughout Lionhaeme and is our largest feature, second only to our grasslands.”

  “Is it safe to enter it?” She felt a thrill at the thought of adventure.

  “You are safe anywhere when you’re with me. This forest is where I hunt for food. I thought you might like to see that?” He gave her a side-glance. “Lionesses here choose their mate based on how good a hunter and provider he is.”

  She shuddered. “See a lion hunt down some poor baby deer? I’d rather not watch that. It would be nice to see you… your lion in your natural habitat, though. But the forest appears to be a few miles away.” She looked down at her feet. “I have never walked so far in new boots, but I will try.”

  “You won’t have to.” There was a flicker of movement at the edge of her eyes and suddenly there was an enormous lion before her. Nearly six feet tall, with fur of a golden-brown, he loomed over her menacingly. She gasped, and stepped back, intimidated.

  So, this was his lion. She was so glad to meet him, but…

  “You…are bigger than I expected,” she whispered. His head was at her face level and glowing, golden eyes stared into hers unblinkingly.

  So massive, so powerful.

  His skin shone smooth, and his tail flicked as the lion leaned imperceptibly closer and sniffed her. Trying not to display her fear, she stood unmoving, even as her knees trembled. Her eyes widened as she glimpsed his fangs. His limbs were so strong that a mere swipe of his paw could separate her head from her shoulders.

  She fisted her hands until her fingers were white. It was difficult not to be scared. All this was so outside her experience.

  Stop! Barghurr will never hurt me, lion or man. He is honourable. Trust him!

  Mia concentrated on her connection to him, trying to understand what he was thinking.

  Was that a feeling of curiosity?

  Concern?

  He is worried that he intimidates me!

  “Don’t worry, I’m not scared.” She lifted a shaky hand that belied her words and touched the rich mane before pulling her hand back. She bit her lip. “I never thought you’d be so…fluffy.”

  The lion snorted.

  She huffed.

  Feeling bolder
now, she wound unhurried hands into his fur. He stood perfectly still as if not wanting to alarm her. Encouraged by this, she stroked, massaged his nape and rubbed his ears.

  He purred. The familiar sound warmed her heart.

  “You like that don’t you, big boy?” She stepped closer and let him nuzzle her neck, his warmth tugging at her.

  She was thrilled.

  Even though she liked animals, dogs and horses had always seemed terrified of her. When she and Tom secretly raised a kitten in the barn, Mama had discovered it and the kitten had vanished. She had cried for a week for Blackie.

  The lion seemed to sense her distress at her memory. He purred, edged his way closer on stealthy paws and soon he was nudging her shoulder. With a laugh, she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his rich mane, somehow more comfortable exposing her affection with the lion rather than the man. He rubbed his chin against her neck.

  “You’re marking me aren’t you, tricky lion?” He only purred more. She could sense he was pleased to have her hold him. She rubbed her face in his fur.

  This was nice.

  She’d have Barghurr change to his lion on occasion just, so she could cuddle with him.

  “You are so much more wonderful than I expected,” she said, pulling away.

  He licked a big swathe right up her face.

  “Ugh.” She wiped the wetness off. “I like you too. Now big boy, guide me. Which way do we go?”

  In reply, the lion sat down on his haunches and flicked his head to the side. She stared at him with furrowed brows. He stared back at her unblinkingly.

  She shook her head. “I do not understand lion sign language.”

  He nudged her stomach with his head, and his tail flicked her thigh. He seemed to want something from her. She concentrated on connecting with Barghurr’s thoughts. “You want me to climb you?” He nodded.

  “Oh…I will try.” With some difficulty, she managed to climb on to him and clutched his mane with anxious fingers. “All right, you may move now!”

  With that, he stood, shook his mane out and loped on. She looked about at the birds and strange plants all around her, smelled the grass and wondered at the bright day. Soon they were under the cool canopy of the forest. The contrast between the brightness out and the dim forest had her blinking.