Carloth began bellowing the moment he realised that Rasson was in no condition to control his family. “What is going on here?”
Lee was sipping some lemonade that her mother had provided, and she stood to greet her would-be suitor. “Rasson had a discipline problem, but the Aflais are fine.”
Carloth scowled. “You! What is your name again?”
She smiled. “It does not matter. You won’t use it again.”
“The hell I won’t. I paid for you fair and square.”
The women flinched, but Lee smiled. “There is no such thing as slavery in this country, Carloth. You have no right to me.”
Carloth snarled and came toward her, the four men he brought as back up followed him, and Lee knew there intent was not going to be to take her quietly.
Apparently, that was what Jim and the others had been waiting for.
While three tigers, two lions and a number of other shifters were tackling the men, Lee calmly retrieved her hair spike and her wedding ring.
The pride leaders were held on their knees while Norman gave them the facts of life. As lions, they fell under his auspices. He objected to their behaviour, and while he was speaking to them, his men were currently removing their wives and children to safe homes in the lion-shifter community.
Jim grinned as three lion males entered the garden area and nodded to their Pride Master.
Lee walked up to her husband and stroked his chest. “I get the feeling that Norman has had this planned for a while.”
“Since Ystine and he were in a position of power. He couldn’t save her siblings, but he can save some of her cousins from the life they cannot escape from.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I have to say, watching you fight was quite a turn on.”
“Oh, Jim. My breathing is a turn on for you.” She patted his arms but shifted her ass against the erection that was pressing against her.
“Yes, it is, but seeing you in action made it hard for me to watch. I wanted to help, but I wanted to watch you destroy him. Does that make me a bad person?”
She turned in his arms to face him. “It makes you James Barnes, my husband. I take him as he comes.”
He chuckled and pressed his lips to her neck. She sighed and tilted her head in surrender.
A feminine voice spoke next to them. “I am assuming that this is the
we
.”
Lee blushed and slid her hand into Jim’s hair to pull his head from her neck. “James, this is my mother, Ariil Aflai. Mom, this is my husband.”
Ariil squealed and hugged them both before she did a little happy dance in place.
Lee snickered. She knew that dance. She did that dance when no one was looking.
Norman and Ystine came toward them, both unashamedly naked. “Thank you for this opportunity, Leandiir.”
“You are welcome, Pride Master.” She smiled. “This is my mother, Ariil Aflai. Mom, this is—”
“Norman, and this is my wife, Ystine. We have a placement for you, but we were out of lion families and the only volunteers were tigers. Is that an issue?”
Ariil smiled. “No. Anywhere different is good. I have gathered all the documents that the children and the sister wives will need. We are good to leave this place.”
Ystine smiled and took her by the arm. “Emerson Barnes is a good man, and his daughter Emma lives with him. They will be hosting you while you get back on your feet.”
Ariil was escorted over to Emerson, and as they shook hands, Lee could see the electricity between them. She looked up at Jim, “If they get married, that will make us brother and sister.”
He shook his head. “Nope. We were married first. It would have been creepy if we hadn’t, but we did, so whatever they do doesn’t count.”
She chuckled. “Is that your idea of putting your fingers in your ears and closing your eyes?”
“Yes.”
“Well done.” She laughed as he pinched her butt through the gown.
The Pride Master’s men hauled off her father, and in two hours from the moment that they were transported, the garden was empty with the exception of Tobias.
“Are you two ready to return to the Crossroads?”
Lee nodded. “I am. I never want to see this place again.”
Jim agreed. “I am eager to get home.”
Tobias closed his eyes, and when he opened them, there was a bright flash and Lee and Jim were standing in the Meditation Centre.
“Did we just do what I think we just did?”
“We handed your father over to the Pride Master after you clawed the hell out of him. You freed your family, and they are being given new starts with more conventional lion families. What happens next is up to them.”
Tony walked up and handed Jim a piece of fabric.
Without saying a word, Jim put the fabric around his hips.
Lee laughed. “Does that happen often?”
Teal peeked from around the corner, and she smiled in relief that Jim was dressed. “Often enough. We keep wraps standing by for both men and women, just in case. It keeps the streaking through the main street to a minimum.”
Lee walked up and gave Teal a hug. “Thank you.”
“For covering up Jim’s junk? Not much of a favour. It was a nice view.”
Lee snorted, “No, for showing me that you can meet someone without suspicion and make friends. I haven’t had any friends who could offer me the help you did and still look me in the eye the next day.”
Teal quickly hugged her back. “Jim is waiting. Go on, I will see you tomorrow. You have to give me a list of supplies you need for the new first aid station.”
“It’s ready?”
“The beavers work fast. So, think about an equipment list and come back after you have enjoyed a good night’s sleep. You look exhausted.”
“A fine thing to tell a bride on her wedding day.”
“I call it like I see it.” Teal winked, “It’s what friends do.”
With warmth swelling in her heart, Lee returned to Jim’s side and took his hand. “Time to go.”
Jim laughed, “Yes, Mrs. Barnes.”
She blinked. “Oh wow. I never considered that. Leandiir Barnes. I heard you before but it didn’t register.”
They were walking down the street and the Crossroads were alive with people running from the café to the bar and back again.
“What would you say to some dinner?” Jim’s stomach rumbled alarmingly.
“Yes, please. I wouldn’t want you to mistake me for your next meal.”
“That could be fun.”
“Consider me dessert, but for now, I want some fries and gravy, maybe a steak.”
“A salad?”
“Under duress, perhaps. For now, steak.”
They walked into the café and conversation stopped. Nia bustled toward a table where two males were eating, and she shooed them away. The men took one look at Lee and Jim before they got to their feet and evacuated the booth.
Lee looked at Jim and giggled. She hadn’t noticed the blood streaking his body.
Wait a minute.
She looked down and groaned. “Aw, I got blood on me.”
They passed the two males who took their plates to seats at the counter, and the men gave them polite nods.
Nia came forward with a pitcher of hot water and two white towels. “Clean up, and I will get you some water and coffee.”
“Thanks, Nia.” Lee took a towel, dipped it in the water and scrubbed at her face. Blood came off in streaks and she sighed. “I thought I got it all.”
He took the towel once she was done and started to scrub at himself. By the time Nia returned with the coffee, they were both clean and neat from the neck up.
“Congratulations, you two. It is so nice that you have made it official in both worlds. You gown is lovely, by the way.” Nia chattered at them.
They ordered, and while they waited, several of the beavers came up to offer their congratulations, including the one that she had captured earlier. “I am sorry that I…uh…did that while you were working.”
He grinned. “It was fine. You were careful, though it did scare the crap out of me at the time.”
She smiled at his acceptance of her nature.
She looked around the café and saw the smiling faces and open natures of the majority of the occupants. She was welcome here as a lion and she was welcome as Lee. When she came to that conclusion, she started to sniffle.
Jim was at her side in an instant. “What is it?”
“I was just thinking that most of the people here have been nice, welcoming and made me feel at home in my own skin. I don’t remember having felt that before.”
He held her under his arm until their food arrived. At that point, they ate in silence with only the bottles of condiments passing between them.
Nia brought them more coffee and two huge slices of cake. One had a lion made of candy, the other had a tiger.
Lee rescued the candy tiger from Jim before he got it. “I am keeping it. We can eat it later.”
Nia passed by and slid a box with one of each inside it. “I figured he would eat them now.”
Lee laughed, and when she looked at Jim, he had the tiger sticking out of his mouth. He mumbled, “What? She brought us a spare. It’s good.”
She snickered and delicately licked the head of the lion. It was white chocolate with a hint of milk chocolate mixed in.
Jim groaned. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” She licked again.
“Lick a piece of candy in a room with thirty-five men in it. Every male is watching you, and I have had enough fighting for the day.”
“If you have had enough fighting, what do you want to do for the rest of the night?”
She licked delicately one more time before he grabbed her and hauled her out of the café and carried her toward the Open Heart.
Some things could go beyond words.
Chapter Twelve
Dira smiled from the front desk as they passed. Lee waved as Jim carried her up and back to the room they had roughed up earlier.
Pristine sheets and bedding were in place. There was no trace of the claws and blood that had marked their first time together.
“Wow, she’s good.” Lee admired the pristine nature of the room.
“She is the best and those who come and stay here pay for it.” Jim let her legs slide down his body, but he kept her held to him with one arm.
“I thought I was the best.” She draped her arms around his neck.
“I have no idea what your housekeeping skills are, but at putting yourself between the innocent and danger, you are definitely the best I have ever known.” He kissed her and the kiss deepened.
His tongue stroked along her lips and the rough texture sent shivers through her. Lee moaned and used one hand to release the cord that held her gown in place.
Once she felt the fabric of her gown loosen, she slid her hand along the edge of his wrap and tugged it loose until it dropped to the floor.
“You are getting ahead of me.”
“Girls need to start first or so I have been told.” She squealed as he lifted her and swung her onto the bed.
“It doesn’t mean to get me naked. It means I have some licking to do.” He laid her back and slid his hands up her legs until the white fabric was bunched around her waist.
She knew about oral sex but wasn’t sure what the fuss was about until he licked her. The first stroke tensed her thighs and raised her knees. When he continued, her mind cried out,
Hot, wet, ohgodohgodohgod
and a scream built in her throat.
His teeth grazed her folds, and his tongue scraped at her clit, causing her orgasm to spiral out of her in a wave of sound and power.
James moved up her body, and his cock nudged at the folds he had just teased into hypersensitivity.
Lee wrapped her leg around his back and pulled him into her. “My favourite part of being a shifter. One change and any wounds on the human body will be fixed.”
“What wounds?”
She tugged at him, trying to get him to thrust into her, and recognition ran through his features. “Oh, those wounds. Are you sure? We can take it slow.”
He moved into her with deliberate lack of speed.
Lee panted, tugged and hauled at him, trying to get him to come completely inside her.
“No hurries, we have the rest of our lives.”
“Your life will be very short if you don’t finish what you started.” She leaned up and nipped at his neck.
Her teeth sharpened when he pulled out and thrust in a little faster.
“More.”
He nuzzled at her neck and moved faster, harder, plunging and sliding into her until she was rocking with every thrust.
She licked at every inch of skin she could reach. Lee caressed his chest, dragged her nails across his nipples and down his abdomen before dragging them up his back and pulling him close.
He growled, groaned and ground his hips against her until she whimpered and gasped, her climax striking her and shaking her around him.
He pounded into her, and the friction heated her channel into another round of palpitations around his cock. James grunted, and his neck flexed as he held himself to her, his shaft jetting its contents deep within.
James sighed happily and collapsed on her, rolling so that they were side by side with his hand holding her hips to let him stay inside her.
She smiled and caressed his skin as a dreamy lassitude took her over. Her lids were heavy, and she snuggled against him, pulling his body heat into her until it rocked her into sleep.
* * * *
James looked down at his lioness and smiled, so much for myths of men falling asleep after sex. She had been through so much in her life, and yet, she trusted almost everyone she met. It was a rare quality and one that he intended to preserve.
The first aid centre would be done by the end of the week, and Lee’s three eligible half-sisters had been given a free pass to the Crossroads. If they wanted a mate, they would find one. It had taken a lot of negotiation on his part, but the Pride Master had agreed. The Aflai sisters might do better with another species to break the cycle of subservience to a male lion.
The rest of the females that had been taken from the lion compounds were to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Some might thrive in their sheltering homes and some might not. It was a wait-and-see situation.
Lee murmured and shifted closer. James closed his eyes briefly as his cock swelled inside the silken embrace of her body. None of the women he had had in his life felt this right, this perfect.