Sasha's Lion (6 page)

 
She gave her
mum a big hug. “
Thanks,
Mum. I don’t know what I’d do
without you.”

Her mother kissed her cheek. “I hope you never have
to find out. And no matter what age you are I hope you know you can always come
and talk to me.”

Sasha squeezed her mum tighter, and her phone
buzzed.

“You going to talk to whoever that is, or you going
to stay and think things over some more?”

Sasha checked her phone to see it was her dance
friends. They were checking seeing if she was going out with them, and if so, did
she want one of them to come and pick her up. “It’s my dancing friends. They want
me to come out with them tonight.”

“You should go. Get out of the house and have some
fun. You just turned eighteen, go.” Her mum got off the bed and left her room.
She paused at the door. “Please call me if you decide to stay at a friend’s.
Love you, and be as safe as you can.”

****

Savron fell to his bed exhausted, but he knew he’d
never sleep.
 
He hadn’t slept in weeks,
not since he found out that Sasha was his mate, and he’d shown her what he was.
Tonight it had taken its toll when a vampire attacked, and he’d gotten sloppy. The
vampire had gotten a hold of him and ripped into his throat. It’d hurt like a
motherfucker, but there was nothing he could do now except lie still and heal.

He drifted in and out of consciousness until he
heard Britney.

“I don’t care if she’s human and one of my best
friends. I’m going to kill that bitch.”

He groaned and sat up. “It’s not her fault, Brit.
Don’t blame her. What we told and showed her was a lot to take in. Sasha hasn’t
grown up knowing about it all like you have.”

His sister huffed and went to his bathroom. She came
back with a wet cloth and cleaned his wound. “How long have you been like this?”

“Last night. What time is it now?”

She sighed. “It’s late in the afternoon.”

He nodded and must have drifted off again because he
woke to the sound of Britney’s phone. When she answered she became very quiet,
and he strained to hear what was being said.

“
Don’tza
hangs up on me.
Hearz
me out.”
His heart lurched as he heard Sasha’s voice on the other end.

“I can’t talk right now. I’ll come by your house
when I finish here,” whispered Britney.

“I’m
notz
at homes. I’m
out
partzing
with me
friendz
.”

“Where are you? Are you at a club or a nightclub?”

“
Umzs
, let’s me asks.”

 
Savron heard loud
music and Sasha yell in her slurred voice.
“
Wheress
arss
wess
?”

“The Lucky
One” on Big Street.
Savron the name heard yelled. He
cringed and sat up. Savron couldn’t leave her there. That was a known
leprechaun stop, and those things were vicious.

Sasha talked drunkenly as he got up and got dressed.

“Looks, I
knowz
the last
couples of
daysed
, argh, weeks, I’ve
beens
really selfish,
butz
what
you showed
mez
and
toldza
was a lot me take in. I
justs
wants to says
fanks
for being my
friendz
, and I
hopez
you can
forgivezz
mess for being me
absorbeds
.”

Britney sighed. “It was a lot to show and put on
you.”

Sasha’s voice was softer as she said, “
Canz
you
pleasess
gives me Savron’s
number? I’d
likes
to
talkz
to
hiz
.”

Grabbing the phone from his sister, he muttered, “Hello.”

“
Savronz
?”

“Yes. How about I come and get you and we can talk?”

“
Coolzs
.
I
waits
for
youz
.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in fifteen minutes. Stay close
to your friends?”

“
Oksy
doksy
.
Brings the Brits ‘
cos
there’s some really
cutz
mans.
Onze
promised to grant
allz
my
wishhsss
, and
Iza
fink he glows.”

He turned to Britney and chucked his phone mouthing “call
Carl and Tyler. Get them to meet us.” She nodded, and out loud he said to Sasha,
“Gorgeous, I need you to stay away from him. Can you?”

“
Surezz
,
but
therzz
morez
than
ones.”

Crap
.
Just wanted he needed when he was healing from a vampire bite, a bunch of
leprechauns.

“Well if you can, stay away from all of them and
your friends, too. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, and I’ll take you
anywhere you want to go.”

“
Reallyyyy
?”

“Yes. Just stay away from the men.”

With that he hung up and left his house, Britney
already ahead of him.
“Call Dad as well.
I have a
feeling we’re going to need back-up.”

****

The nightclub was packed at this time. Savron walked
in with his brothers, his father, Britney, and Mac and his father, Robert.
 

His dad had pulled Britney aside before they walked
in and said, “Go get Sasha and keep her safe. If you can get her out of here
that would be a big help, one less distraction for us, and it will keep Savron
from going to her and not helping us.”

Britney had nodded and was now walking over to
Sasha.

Savron let his lion out, and he led him straight to
a very drunk Sasha in a barely there outfit. Leprechauns were eyeing her and
her friends. Britney rushed over to Sasha, and she let out a drunken squeal of
delight and hugged his sister.

Sasha spotted him and the rest of them just as the
leprechauns got a whiff of what had found them. The glamour dropped from their
disguise, and screams started as women and men ran as the wrinkled pus-covered
creatures attacked the people in front of them ripping them apart with their
long sharp claws and teeth.

His backup all shifted and went after the leprechauns.
He went to Britney as Sasha’s friends freaked and ran in all directions. Sasha
tried to help but was too drunk to be much use. Savron reached them just in
time. A leprechaun
came
flying through the air and
landed with a thud in front of them. It recovered quickly getting up and grabbing
Sasha. Letting his lion take full control he ripped the creature off his
terrified mate and killed it as quickly as possible.

Savron couldn’t change back until he got Sasha to
his car so he could put clothes on. Britney grabbed her arm and yanked her to
the back exit.

“You help Dad and the others. I’ll get all the girls
out and meet you at the cars,” Britney yelled. He nodded his lion head and
turned to join the fight behind him.

****

Sasha sat in Savron’s car waiting for him to finish
his job. Britney had gotten her friends in a cab and they’d gone home.
 
The adrenaline had sobered Sasha up, and
seeing the creatures the shifters fought brought back guilt for her being
selfish.

“I’m so sorry.”

“You’ve apologized a million times, Sasha. You’re forgiven,
and this right now was not your fault. You probably saved people tonight. Leprechauns
are nasty things. They suck the life out of you and make it look like you died
of a heart attack or drug overdose. Or worse they keep you alive and feed on
you in different ways, by taking everything you hold of value.”

Sasha gulped as an image of the wrinkled, fanged,
and clawed little monsters came to her mind, along with all the tortures they
could do. “What if a leprechaun escapes and comes out here?”

Britney huffed. “I am a lion shifter. So we’re not
defenseless.”

“But I am.”

“Not for long. We’re going to teach you some moves
to help keep you safe and tell you what to look for so you know what to avoid.
Also, once Savron claims you most of the bad creatures will stay away as you’ll
smell of lion, and they keep well away from us so they can stay alive.”
 

Sasha nodded starting to feel queasy as the
adrenaline wore off and the alcohol she had drunk wanted to come back up. “Can
I crash at your place tonight?”

“No. But you can get some sleep at Savron’s house.”

Sasha pulled her phone out of her bra and typed a
message to her mum.
Staying
at friends.
Talk tomorrow.
Love you.

Two wolves and five lions strolled out of the back
exit. Sasha giggled at the sight. “How on Earth do people not notice this?” She
pointed to the animals.
 

“Oh, some will, but others will tell them they
imagined it, and they will soon convince themselves they did. A lot of people
put it down to their drinks being spiked and they’re seeing things, or others
just think they’re drunk,” Britney told her as she turned her back from the
group.

Sasha frowned wondering why Britney turned. It wasn’t
until lights swirled around some of the animals and the figures started to morph
that she realized why Britney had turned. Sasha told herself she should do the
same, but as the men turned back into tall, muscular, lick-able men, she
ignored her conscience and looked anyway.

Mac was the first to transform, and he wasn’t as
built as she remembered Savron to be, but he was still mighty fine with his
broad shoulders and his wavy brown hair. Her eyes traveled over him, and she
found the carpet matched the drapes.

Mac chuckled, and she felt heat cover her cheeks.
“I’d look your fill now. I don’t think you’ll get to ever look again.”

Mac laughed as a changing lion stepped into her
view. A combined human-animal growl directed at her. Seconds later Savron stood
naked in front of her. Sasha knew her whole face would be bright red.

Busted
.
She
chewed on her bottom lip and giggled, looking anywhere but at him.

“Eyes here.”
Savron cupped her face and made sure she focused on him. “There is nothing else
for you to see.”

She nodded, although it was hard with him holding
her face. He let her go and turned her around, opened his car door and pulled
three backpacks out. He chucked two behind him and rummaged through the other
grabbing jeans and a black shirt.
 
Sasha
watched as his muscles rippled and stretched as he pulled the shirt over him.
She licked her lips and sighed.

Britney made a choking sound beside her. “Oh gross.
I’m going to have to put up with looks like that now, aren’t I? Just remember
he’s my brother. I don’t want to hear any sickening parts about what you two
get up to, or are going to do.”
 

Sasha could hear the other people around them
chuckling, and she covered her face hiding. Savron’s arm came around her. “Shut
it, Brit. You’re embarrassing her.”

She peeked out from the comfort of Savron to see
Britney roll her eyes and wink at her. Britney then walked to the car next to them,
opened the door, and got in saying over her shoulder, “See you tomorrow.”

Sasha took an unsteady couple of steps to following
her when Savron’s arms came back around her yanking her against him. “You’re
coming with me.”
 
He lifted her up into
the four-wheel drive, set her down, and did her seat belt up. He shut the door
and walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and started the car and drove
away.

Sasha sat in the seat speechless at his highhanded
actions. “Is Britney meeting us at your house?”

“No.”

“Oh, but she said I was staying at your house.” The
motion of the car was starting to get to her, and she closed her eyes and
prayed she didn’t vomit in his car.

“You are.”

They sat in quiet for a moment or two as Sasha
didn’t know what to say, and she felt too unwell to argue with him. She
couldn’t hold down being sick anymore. “You have to pull over now.”

“Why?”

She groaned, covered her mouth, and opened her eyes.
“Please, I can’t hold it down,” she whispered through her fingers.

The car slowly pulled to the side of the road, and
she shoved the door open and fought with her seat belt to get it off. Falling
to the ground she purged herself of everything.

Feeling hands gather her hair, she moaned wishing the
ground would open up and swallow her whole. “Please leave me to die in peace.”