Wanted By The Alpha Lion (Heroes of Shifter Creek 2) (3 page)

“Tell me,” Cassie insisted, sitting on Gowon’s lap on the porch step, preferring the fresh air outside to the stifling heat within the house. “Tell me what it feels like to be a lion.”

              There were other things she wanted him to tell her, like who put the curse on him, but she thought she’d start small and work her way up.

              “Exhilarating. Natural. Powerful,” he answered. “The world comes alive.”

              “I read a few interesting facts about lions. Did you know that a lion’s roar can be heard five miles away? And that lionesses are better hunters?”

              Gowon laughed. “All true. You know what else is true?”

              “What?” she asked, enjoying the way he lit up when she was near.

              In answer, he took her hand and led her away from the house. “I haven’t shown you what lies beneath the rock,” he alluded, leading her towards a rocky formation in the distance.

              “You know my weak spot – scientific curiosity,” she said happily.

              They hiked just under an hour, Gowon intentional in his stride. He knew exactly where he was leading her. Cassie let him, excited to see what lay beyond. Or, in this case, below.

              They stopped outside a cave. The mouth was tiny, but upon squeezing through, Cassie was rewarded with the beauty of a giant cavern, dark if not for the hundreds of candles that illuminated the sandstone.

              “You did this?” Cassie was touched he would go through such lengths.

              Gowon wrapped his arms around her and she sank into his touch. Never before had she felt so protected, so safe.

              “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “You told me that white lions are a gift from the Sun God, but you are the real gift, Cassie.”

              “I love you too,” she said, realizing how true it was. She couldn’t say it was love at first sight. It was only over the past weeks that she had gotten to know Gowon – their long talks on the porch, making love on the open plain –that she fell in love with him. But she was in love, irreversibly and eternally so.

              His hold on her tightened. She could practically feel him smiling behind her. And then he lifted her into his arms, his alpha strength well capable of handling her big, beautiful body. She knew the look in his eye – man or lion, it was the same. A hunger to feel flesh on flesh.

              Then the lights went out, casting them into almost darkness.

              Cassie had been wrong. The candles hadn’t been the only source of light in the cavern. A thin stream poured in through the mouth of the cave, casting shadows around them.

              Next to her, Gowon growled from deep within, a roar ready to rip across the cave.

              “Run,” he demanded. “Back into the light.”

              Cassie didn’t move. She was afraid, watching as a shadow begin to take the shape of a person, but she wasn’t frozen in fear. She refused to leave without him. It was obvious to her that he planned to stay and fight.

              “Let me help you destroy him,” she implored. “Then we can break the affliction.”

              “Her,” Gowon corrected. “The alpha of the Shadow Pride is a her.”

              Oh. Cassie hadn’t expected that, but it didn’t change her resolve.“Then let’s destroy her.”

              “It wouldn’t matter–”

              Before he could say more, Cassie felt herself lifted into the air and dropped back down – hard. Her body in agony, she lay on the cold stone, conscious long enough to see Gowon transform into a lion and hear his kingly roar before everything went black.

***

Chapter Six

              “Good morning,” Sammi hummed brightly across the bed from her, the sunlight radiant against her pale blonde hair. “I’m glad you’re finally awake.”

              Cassie’s head felt like it had housed a firework display. The pain was explosive, but not more than her worry over Gowon.“Where is he?” she asked.

              “He’s okay. He’s on patrol roaming the range.”

              “As a lion?”

              Sammi’s look told her everything.

              Cassie leaned her head back against her bed. “He can’t shift.”

              “Unfortunately,” Sammi responded. “The affliction remains. He was able to shift from a human into a lion, but once again, he’s stuck in his lion form.”

             
And once again, we are divided
, Cassie thought. “It’s all my fault,” she said out loud. “I should have ran.”

              “That’s one thing you both have in common – you like to blame yourself. Gowon’s out there doing the same.”

              “How can you tell?”

              “I can read my brother well, especially when he’s in lion form. So what happened?”

              “We were attacked by the Shadow Pride, in a cave Gowon brought me to. I think there was more than one. We were preoccupied with one shadow when another attacked.”

              Sammi looked sad but said nothing.

              “If only we could reach the alpha of the Shadow Pride when she’s not traveling as a shadow,” Cassie calculated. “Then we could lift the affliction.”

              “It wasn’t Kalisha, the alpha, who put the affliction on Gowon,” Sammi confessed with a reluctant sigh. “It was Kafele.”

              Cassie was confused. “But why would Kafele...”

              “Because he is of the Shadow Pride. Or he was. We met after he had put the affliction on my brother. I went to kill Kalisha, his cousin and his alpha, thinking it had been her, but he stopped me. We should have fought, but we couldn’t. We instantly recognized each other as mates, a force beyond our control. I knew I couldn’t fight Kafele, nor could I find a way around him, so I left. A few nights later, he showed up here, claiming he had left his pride for me. I didn’t trust him, and he knew I likely never would, so he told me the truth about Gowon’s affliction, that it was he who used the powers of the shaman to debilitate my brother. He ordered me to kill him so that I could have my brother back. He was willing to die for my happiness, and that of my brother, but I couldn’t allow it. Gowon may be trapped in his lion form, but he is still alive. A life for a life was not just, not when Kafele was full of such regret. Over time, I did learn to trust him. And so did Gowon, even after I told him the truth.”

              In a way, it was a relief for Cassie to hear. Gowon hadn’t lied to her to protect himself. He’d done it to protect his sister.

              “If Kafele cursed Gowon, then doesn’t he know what’s happening? Does he know why the affliction was temporarily lifted?”

              “He used the power of the shaman, not his own. All he knows is that in order for the affliction to be destroyed completely, he has to be destroyed. At least, that’s what he thought. He’s as baffled as we are about the last few weeks. Obviously, when you risked your life to save Gowon from the spear, it triggered a temporary release, but not a permanent one. Why or how, we don’t know. And neither does Kafele.”

              “Are you sure?” Cassie probed.

              “Yes. I know my mate, the same way you know Gowon,” Sammi asserted, irritated. “I’ve entrusted you with this information about Kafele. Don’t use it against him. He has a temper, I admit it, but he’d die to save Gowon, to rectify his mistake. He would probably take his own life if I hadn’t made him promise never to leave me. His regret is real, especially now that his mistake is keeping Gowon from his mate.”

              Suddenly tired, Cassie turned her sore head out towards the window and onto the range. She wondered what it would be like to wander it with Gowon as his lioness...

              Almost instantly, her energy returned to her. “I know a way you can help redeem Kafele. Make me a lioness.”

              Sammi was not sold. “I won’t go against the wishes of my brother.”

              “To hell with that!” Cassie cried. “Make me a lioness. It’s my choice. That way, I can be with Gowon, no matter his form.”

              “But–”

              “No buts. Think about it – I’m already marked. They nearly killed me in the cave. At least as a lioness, I’ll be much more powerful. I know it’s possible to transform me, under the fire of Leo. When is that?”

              “Whenever the constellation Leo is in the sky. So pretty much always. You have time to think about this–”

              “No, I’ve made my decision. Redeem Kafele. Turn me into a lioness.”

              She knew Sammi wanted to object more. As the second alpha of the pride, she was not used to being told what to do, except by her brother. But there was a truth to Cassie’s argument that she knew even Sammi couldn’t deny. As a lioness, she would be stronger. And Gowon would not have to suffer a life without his mate.

              “Okay,” Sammi acquiesced. “For now, you rest. But by the end of the week, you will know the joy of feeling the earth beneath your paws.”

***

Chapter Six

Cassie

              Cassie had expected some sort of ritual, but she had not anticipated just how elaborate that ritual would be. Standing on the porch of the house, she was dressed in a white linen halter gown that, complimented with a chunky gold necklace, felt downright tribal. The outfit, she loved. The dozens of females surrounding the porch, not so much. All members of the pride, the women gloated over her, as if they were fawns and not the lionesses they were meant to be.

              “Did you have to call in the cavalry?” Cassie muttered. “I didn’t realize we needed witnesses.”

              “It’s not the full cavalry. I told the men and children to stay at home. And they’re not witnesses,” Sammi corrected. “They’re positive energy. It’s been centuries since our pride has seen the fire under Leo. We need all the encouragement we can get,” she attested, glancing up.

              Cassie followed her line of sight to the constellation of Leo. It wasn’t an obvious outline of a lion. In fact, Cassie thought it resembled a steam iron more, but there was beauty in its recognition.

              “Is that smoke I smell?” she suddenly asked, her stomach twisting in a knot. “Wait – is there actual fire involved? I thought the fire part was just symbolic, representing the stars.”

              “I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Sammi said and stepped forward, leading the pride of females away.

              Though they were all here for her, Cassie trailed behind. She knew no matter what was required of her, she would do it. She wanted to be with Gowon. But she was frightened. As frantically as her mind searched, there was nothing scientific regarding what was about to happen. It was all up to a higher power.

              Again, Cassie stopped and looked up at Leo. When her eyes dropped, Gowon stood before her.

              He truly was a magnificent beast, with his pale fur and grey-green eyes. Before, her mind had separated his beast self from his human self. She was mesmerized by the lion but loved the man. Now, knowing what she was about to become, she loved the lion just as freely.

              “It’ll be okay,” she promised, reading the uncertainty within him. “I know what I’m doing. It’s my choice.”

              His uncertainty did not disappear, but he accepted her answer, leading her towards the fire. As they approached, Cassie could see just how big a bonfire it was. The flames extended far above the heads of the lionesses who circled it, each remaining in their human form. As Gowon entered the circle, with Cassie only a few steps behind, the lionesses parted, allowing their alpha and his mate to pass.

              She took her place next to Sammi, a tolerable distance from the heat, but close enough that she could feel just how deadly the fire was.

Sammi began the ritual. “Cassie Judd, you have chosen to become a lioness, to join the sisterhood we have long established within this pride. We accept you with our love and understanding.”Momentarily flashing a giant set of carnivorous teeth, she partially transformed, biting into her own hand so that it bled. Then she went to the fire and let the blood drop within the flames. “Our blood is your blood.”

              “Our blood is your blood,” the lionesses echoed, and they followed Sammi’s example.

              “Now it’s your turn,” Sammi said hesitantly. “You must sacrifice your blood to the fire.”

              “Okay,” Cassie acknowledged, searching around her for a sharp stick to cut her hand with.

              “No,” Sammi said, resting a hand on her shoulder, her grip an indication of the strength within. “In order to transform, you must enter the flames.”

              “Oh,” Cassie repeated, this time with far less confidence as she peered straight into the flames, feeling her face turn red with the heat. Now she understood why Sammi had been so cryptic about the ritual. If Cassie had known earlier that she had to walk into the fire, she would have been driven crazy with the fear and anticipation. “Will it hurt?”

              “I don’t know,” Sammi admitted. “You can still change your mind, Cassie. We accept you as you are. You’re Gowon’s mate. You’re already part of this pride.”

              “But I’m divided from my mate,” Cassie insisted, looking at Gowon. “We can’t speak. We can’t... touch. We are not one, not like this. This is the only way.”

              Before she lost her confidence, with her heart full of her love for Gowon, Cassie jumped straight into the flames.

***

Gowon

              It took all of Gowon’s self-will not to jump into the fire after Cassie. A pain he never knew before overtook him as he watched her sacrifice herself for him.

             
I shouldn’t have let her do this
, he thought, distressed.
I am the alpha. I say what goes. Being divided by our forms is better than being divided in death...

              The air around him was eerily quiet, the crowd focused on the woman who had disappeared into the flames.

              Unable to take much more of the wait, Gowon sprang to his feet and roared loudly, asserting his power over the pride. His self-will gave out. He was going in after her.

             
Cassie, I’m coming...
he shouted mentally, roaring again.

              Just as he was about to leap into the fire to save her, the flames shifted, snaking up to the sky and disappearing amongst the heavens. In their place, with soft embers falling around her in the night, was a lioness more beautiful than Gowon could have imagined. Her fur was not tawny but mahogany, like her hair in human form. She was a dark lion, a rare lion, rarer even than himself.

              Cassie leapt out of the fire pit and landed beside him, the earth cowering to her power. Elated, Gowon nuzzled his head against hers, showering her in his love. She purred beneath him, returning his affections. Soon, her purr turned low and seductive.

              Smiling, Gowon ran from the pride, leading his new lioness to a place all their own, where once again, they could be one.

***

Cassie

              When she woke, it was morning. And she was human once more. That didn’t concern her. She knew it would take time to learn how to shift at will. What concerned her was that Gowon was no longer by her side. She woke alone.

              Naked and worried, Cassie stood, surprised by how wobbly her human legs felt. After a night on all fours, sturdy and grounded, her two flimsy human legs seemed fragile.

              It had been exhilarating – the change. It hadn’t hurt, not that she could remember. It had happened so quickly. One minute she was human, and the next... she was something as equally magnificent. It felt completely natural to be a lioness, as if it were what nature had intended all along – for her to experience both the call of the wild and the science of humanity. But human or lion, she was always a woman. Her strength as a woman held both sides of her together, as did her love for Gowon.

              “I have to find him,” she asserted. She’d try the house first. Perhaps he had gone back to get her some clothes.

              “The new alpha queen,” a woman sang near her, a song full of venom. “Has your king abandoned you so soon?”

              Cassie watched in horror as a shadow moved towards her, transforming into a woman with jet black hair, flawless pale skin, and a ruby mouth twisted into an amused smile. Cassie could instantly see the resemblance to Kafele.

              “Kalisha,” she hissed. “The alpha of the Shadow Pride.”

              “I’m flattered you know so much about me,” she whipped, circling Cassie.

              Cassie tried to transform, knowing she was stronger as a lioness. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t sure how.

              “It’s adorable really, watching you try. I’ll show you how a real queen transforms soon enough. But first, I have a proposition. You may be a lioness, but Gowon is still afflicted. And base on rumors regarding my traitor cousin and his bleached-out mate, Gowon isn’t going to destroy the one who afflicted him anytime soon.”

              “Tell me what you want,” Cassie demanded, trying to sound like she had some authority, even though she knew she didn’t. She was new and inexperienced at being a lioness. If Kalisha transformed, she could rip Cassie apart in seconds.

              “I want peace, just like everyone else. But I want it under my reign. This is my land, Cassie. It belongs to my pride. I will reclaim it for my people.”

              “Your people are corrupt,” Cassie fired back. “You care nothing for the other prides invited onto this land by your great-grandfather.”

              “Thomas Dalkey was a fool”, Kalisha said with a smooth anger. “He cared more about his philanthropy than his own family. I want our land back.”

              “And what am I to do about it?” Cassie asked, softening her tone, realizing an angry alpha was not someone she wanted to deal with so soon.

              “You are the alpha queen now. A true lioness. While Gowon is stuck in human form, you have the authority to allow my people back onto the range. We’re coming, Cassie. One way or another. Avoid the war, while you can.”

              “Go to hell,” Cassie retorted.

              “Don’t be a fool”, Kalisha insisted, her patience thinning. Very briefly, she flashed a set of sharp, deadly claws. “Let my people back on.”

              “You’re wasting your breath,” Gowon rumbled.

Back in human form, Gowon was dressed in a deep blue thermal shirt and jeans that set off his tan and short blonde hair. In his hands was a change of clothes for Cassie, as she’d suspected. “She doesn’t have the authority. I am no longer afflicted,” he revealed.

              Momentarily forgetting the danger they were in, Cassie lit up. Was it true? Were they free? She wanted to believe it, but she knew it could be a ruse to scare off Kalisha. Gowon was clearly human, but it might only be temporary, like the last time.

              “Impossible”, Kalisha said coolly, but she didn’t seem so sure.

              “Cassie sacrificed herself to the flames for me. Kalisha, even a woman as vicious as yourself knows there are some powers that supersede a shaman.” Then to prove himself, he dropped Cassie’s clothes and transformed into a lion.

              Kalisha did the same. As lions, Gowon was by far the strongest, but there was an agility and wit to Kalisha that Cassie knew couldn’t be underestimated. She did not seem to fear Gowon as a lion, but when he immediately changed back into a man, her surprise was undeniable.

              Instead of attacking, Kalisha swiftly retreated back into her shadow form.

              “Protect that little lioness of yours,” she cooed. “There’s a war coming.”

              Then she disappeared. ***

              “So here we are,” Gowon said, standing as naked and proud as she was.

              “So here we are,” Cassie echoed, unable to take her eyes off his manhood, how it rose with power.

              “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, stepping close to her, tucking a piece of her mahogany hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to be a part of this war. You’re free. You can do as you choose. Return to the zoo. Carry on with your research.”

              “You’re right, I am free,” she said. “I’m free to choose my life, and I choose you. War and all. This isn’t the start. And it isn’t the end. My love for you, it goes beyond simple measurements like time. Or danger. It is a force in itself.”

              “The force that set me free.” Again, he smoothed her hair back, pressing closer into her. “Let me show you how much you mean to me,” he whispered with an authority that caused her core to shudder with joy.

              “Go right ahead,” she answered back before reaching forward and feeling how much his manhood wanted her. It grew within her hand, hard and urgent.

              Loving the way he moaned at her touch, she dropped slowly to her knees and took his tip into her mouth, licking it lightly, moistening it the way her core moistened when she was near him.

              He grabbed her hair and rocked gently, easing his tip around her mouth. It wasn’t all for his pleasure. She enjoyed it. It reminded her of what was to come, of what he’d be doing with that colossal manhood once she was finished – of what he’d be doing to her.

              Sucking on him, tasting his saltiness, she brought him almost to the point of coming before he pulled out.

              “Your mouth is as beautiful as your eyes,” he said, “but this is supposed to be about you.”

              Regaining control, like a true alpha, he turned her around so that she was facing away from him, then he nudged her slightly forward so that she was on all fours.

              Flashes of their previous night together as lions sent sensual chills across her body, which only heightened when he stuck his fingers inside her core, causing her to pant with pleasure.