Lion's Match Read online

  Finally Caleb reached her core and inhaled her intoxicating scent. He licked his lips in anticipation and then swiped his tongue over her wet, hot pussy. Caleb growled at the taste of her and put his tongue directly into her pussy. He ate at her like a man starved, and she went wild underneath him. She rubbed herself shamelessly against his face and he loved every minute of it. She tensed against his mouth and he knew she was going to come. He raised his face from her and growled.

  “Come for me baby. I want to taste every part of you.” After Caleb’s words Eira screamed her orgasm and came down his throat. Caleb lapped up her essence until she begged him to stop.

  Caleb lay his body across hers and looked into her blissfully calm face. When Eira looked at him he smiled and she grabbed his face and kissed him.

  Eira tasted herself on his lips and moaned. She knew that the attraction had much to do with the mating instinct, but right now she didn’t care. Caleb’s cock brushed against her pussy and she held her breath. At her hesitation Caleb looked down into her beautiful eyes.

  “Baby, do you want to stop? I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to. This is your choice.” Caleb hoped that she would want to continue cementing their bond. Eira shook her head as she regarded him.

  “No. Don’t stop. Please. Take me.” She said the last bit breathlessly and grabbed on tight to his shoulders. When he hesitated, she wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs and pulled him further inside her. Then she pulled herself up to him and licked a line from his collar bone to his neck. Caleb shuddered and it made Eira feel powerful for the first time since meeting Caleb. She sunk her teeth into his neck where she stopped and he growled at her. She brought her lips to his ear and huskily gave him everything he wanted.

  “Fuck me, Cale.” Something snapped inside him at her words and he surged into her. She cried out in pain and held him back for a moment, and Caleb cursed his stupidity.

  “Baby, I’m so…” Before Caleb could continue, Eira interrupted him.

  “No. Don’t be sorry. I’m fine. Just a little surprised. It feels okay now. Move and make it feel good, Cale.”

  “All right, sweetheart.” Caleb kissed her lightly and began to move slowly out of her and back in. Eira felt a little discomfort but it was quickly replaced with pleasure. Caleb was big and he filled her completely. He started pumping with more and more vigor. Eira was sure the bed would have been slamming against the wall if it wasn’t made of solid wood. Their groans and moans of pleasure blended together, as their passion kept rising.

  Eira wrapped her legs tighter around Caleb’s body and moved with his rhythm causing him to growl at her. Eira was so aroused by the growling that she pulled herself up and sunk her teeth into his pec Eira didn’t break the skin, but her mark would still be there to remind him of their time together. Caleb roared and surged into her over and over.

  Eira knew what he wanted. What he needed. She turned her head to the side and bared her throat to him.

  “Bite me,” she moaned as her climax started to crest. Caleb snarled and under other circumstances it might have frightened her but she knew he was feeling everything she was. Caleb kissed the side of her neck and then his teeth pierced her skin. Eira screamed her pleasure as her orgasm overtook her and lasted for what seemed like forever. She was aware that Caleb had come hard and roared so loudly she thought the windows shook, but she couldn’t think beyond that.

  Caleb collapsed on top of her, and she drew enough strength from her arms to wrap them around his solid body.

  “Mmmm,” Caleb murmured as he licked the wound on her neck. “This is going to scar.” Caleb sounded proud of himself. Eira chuckled lightly.

  “I thought that was the point,” Eira said breathlessly. Caleb turned his head to look into her eyes. He looked into her shining eyes and saw her withdraw.

  “No baby. Don’t look away,” Caleb said and turned her to look at him when she would have turned away.

  “I’m fine. I’ll wake up any minute and you’ll be gone.” Eira’s voice hitched at the end like she was holding back tears and Caleb’s heart squeezed. He was about to reassure her when he realized what she had said.

  “Wake up? You thought this was a dream?” Caleb asked, quiet and deceptively calm. Eira looked at him in confusion. Caleb cursed and rolled off of her. He threw his arm over his eyes and cursed himself for being such an idiot. He had just had the best sex of his life, with his mate. He had marked her and she had begged him to, but she thought this was a dream. Does she even want me? Caleb ran a hand down his face and turned to his mate. Eira looked lost and he couldn’t have that. Caleb grabbed her and pulled her so that she was sprawled on top of him. She made the cutest little squeak when she landed and he smiled at her. Caleb explained gently.

  Caleb framed both sides of her face with his big hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Eira, baby, this isn’t a dream. This is real. You and me together.” Eira looked surprised. She licked her lips before speaking.

  “But you hate me. You’re going to mate with Kalli,” Eira said and tears filled her eyes. Caleb lightly thumbed the falling tears away.

  “I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you, Eira. You deserve so much better. I don’t hate you. You are my mate and I will spend every moment making this up to you.” Eira was about to say something when someone started pounding on the bedroom door.

  Caleb quickly rolled her under him and growled at the door. “What?” He snarled.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but you really need to get downstairs.” It was Owen, and Caleb knew his beta wouldn’t disturb him for anything that wasn’t important. Caleb growled low at the thought of leaving his mate as they were working through things but he knew he had to. Caleb looked down into Eira’s eyes and she smiled tentatively at him.

  “It’s all right. Let’s go downstairs and see what’s wrong.” Eira tried to get up to go with him but Caleb held fast to her.

  “No. You stay here, just like you are and I will deal with this. I want you to stay here and wait for me. We have a lot to discuss.” Caleb got up and pulled his jeans on as he looked back at Eira. The bed was rumpled and so was his mate. She was uncovered from the waist up, and he watched her nipples pucker at his attention.

  Eira noticed and tried to cover herself. Before she could Caleb pulled the sheet completely away, bearing her naked body. Eira blushed and Caleb chuckled under his breath. He bent down and sucked a nipple into his mouth causing Eira to moan and arch toward him. He released her nipple and gave her a blistering kiss. His tongue mingled with hers and they both moaned. When they separated, they were both panting, and Caleb just wanted to get right back in bed with his mate. Eira laughed at the look on his face and pushed him gently away from her.

  “Go deal with them. I’ll still be here when you get back.” He grumbled under his breath but went to the door. Before he left he looked back at her. She looked happy and well sated. She smiled at him and winked. He growled at her flirting.

  “Tease,” he said lovingly, and she just laughed. Caleb forced himself to shut the door and head downstairs. This had better be good for him to leave his naked, newly claimed mate.

  Chapter Eleven

  Caleb went downstairs and saw Owen, Nico, Kalli, and a couple of Kalli’s friends, in the kitchen. He walked over to them and they all scented the air around him. Owen and Nico smiled, but Kalli got a furious look on her face.

  “How could you?” Kalli demanded, in a shrill voice that hurt Caleb’s ears. Looking at her right now, he couldn’t even imagine taking her as a mate. “Don’t you know she is just using you? She is a manipulative little slut…” Before Kalli could finish, Caleb snarled at her. She backed up in fear.

  “Do not ever speak about my mate in such a way!” Caleb took a deep breath, and talked to her more calmly. “Kalli, I’m sorry that you are hurt but she is my true mate and I will never turn my back on her.” Kalli’s look turned gleeful.

  “Actually, I think you will rethink that statement once you
hear what I found out.”

  “I’m not going to play games with you, Kalli,” Caleb said, and turned back to the stairs. Before he reached them Kalli’s words stopped him dead in his tracks.

  “You should know that your sweet little mate is a hunter.” Kalli’s words were clear and concise. She believed her statement, and Caleb went a little cold inside. Caleb turned back to them, and Kalli smirked at him.

  “How do you know this?” he asked, as he felt bile rise up in his throat. Not only did he doubt his mate but he knew that Kalli wouldn’t make such an accusation without some proof. He was hoping that this would all be a misunderstanding, when his parents and Indigo came into the room.

  “What’s going on?” Caleb’s father asked. Before Caleb could answer, Kalli did.

  “I was just telling your alpha that his mate is a hunter.” Caleb’s mother growled, and Nico made a slight noise next to him. Caleb looked at his beta, who was looking across the room at Indigo. Indigo had gone pale and had a great shock in her eyes.

  “See?” Kalli said when she noticed the other shifter’s reaction.

  “What have you done?” Indi whispered, while looking at Kalli.

  * * * *

  Eira decided to see what was going on downstairs. Caleb had been gone a while and she thought she might be able to help. She put on a pair of her own jeans and the shirt Caleb had left. When she put it on, it smelled like him, and she took a deep breath. She could hardly believe that their entire lovemaking session was real. But it had been real. She could feel the bite on her neck and an aching between her legs. She wanted more of her big lion. She was the alpha-mate now and the clan would realize that she wasn’t going to be a silent partner. She would take care of them just like Caleb. The first thing to do was go downstairs and fix the problem, so she and her mate could go back to bed.

  “It’s not what you think.” Indi? What is Indi doing up? Eira wondered when she was on her way down the stairs. Indi sounded worried, and Eira’s senses went on alert. She stayed where she was listening to the situation. What is happening? If Indi was worried, then Eira certainly was going to hear what was going on. Had something happened with Indigo’s powers that Eira didn’t know about? Why would she not be included in a conversation regarding Indi?

  As soon as the thought crossed Eira’s mind, she went cold. In that instant she knew that this wasn’t about Indi. It was about her. Though she was terrified of what she would hear, Eira couldn’t force herself to turn away. She sat and listened as her biggest fear was realized. Now Caleb will really hate me.

  * * * *

  “Honey, calm down,” Nico said as he approached Indi, wrapping his arms around her.

  “She knows. She has known this whole time and she didn’t say anything,” Kalli accused. Nico growled at her.

  Nico spoke gently to Indi. “Be quiet, Kalli. Honey, can you tell us what is going on?”

  Indi seemed to fold in on herself, and Nico was worried she would close down on them. “I don’t want to leave.” Nico heard the quiet admission of his mate and it broke his heart.

  “You don’t have to leave. This is your home, your family now,” Nico assured her, and she looked over at the alpha. Caleb was standing in the room quiet and assessing. He nodded his head to Indigo.

  “This is your home and no one will force you to leave. However, I think it would be best if you told me what was going on.” Kalli tried to interrupt, but Caleb sliced her with a silencing look.

  “Indigo has the right to explain,” he said.

  “What about Eira? Are you going to let her explain?” Indigo asked, clearly worried for her sister.

  “Why don’t you explain for her? This doesn’t concern her yet.”

  Eira’s feelings were hurt despite her better judgement. Ouch. Well what did you expect? He would completely change just because you had sex. He already explained that he wouldn’t be swayed by her wiles. Eira overheard from the stairs. She sat down and listened to Indigo’s story about when they met as kids and everything that transpired.

  Sitting around the living room, everyone was listening to Indigo’s story.

  “When I was eight, my parents were killed by hunters. They didn’t want to kill any of us because we were worth more alive, but my parents fought until the hunters had no choice but to kill them.” Indigo stopped for a moment gathering her strength, and hoping that Eira didn’t pay for the story she was divulging. “I was too young to do anything but run and they eventually caught me. They threw me in this cage in a cold barn in the middle of nowhere. There were other shifters in cages, too, and amazingly they were all like me.” She lifted her eyes and looked at Caleb. “Besides my parents, I had never met another shifter like me. We were rare then and more so now.”

  “What kind of shifter is that?” Caleb asked gently, and Indigo took a large breath.

  “A peacock,” she said simply, and everyone gasped.

  “I thought they were myths,” Nico stated, clearly surprised.

  “No, just close to extinction,” Indigo answered.

  “Aren’t peacocks supposed to not only be able to shift and heal, but have dangerous psychic powers of some kind?” Caleb asked.

  “Yeah, she looks real psychic and real dangerous,” Kalli snorted. Suddenly a pitcher from the kitchen floated over Kalli’s head and then tipped to dump the contents.

  “Aahhhhrr!” Kalli screamed and jumped up. Then she snarled and leaped toward Indi, but Nico was faster. He stood up and pushed Kalli back down into her seat.

  “Stay away from her!” he snarled at Kalli.

  “She did that on purpose!” Kalli accused.

  “Just be glad that I have more control over it right now or I could have thrown you across the room with barely a thought,” Indi told her.

  “Enough! Let her finish.” Caleb raised his voice to interrupt all the chaos.

  All eyes turned to Indi and she continued with her story. “So this entire barn was full of peacock shifters but they couldn’t escape. For some reason none of them could use their powers, and since I was still young, I didn’t have mine yet either. A couple of them would be taken away at a time and they wouldn’t come back. After what seemed like weeks but was only a couple of days, all hell broke loose. From the barn we heard a large explosion, and the hunters running around frantically trying to find out what had happened. Then, hunters came in and set the barn on fire.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” Nico said and pulled Indi closer. She lifted her head and smiled at him.

  “It’s okay. It was terrible but it could have been worse. Some of the cages were close to where the fire started, and many didn’t make it. But then, through the smoke, I saw someone coming into the barn. It was a little girl. And when I say little, I mean it. She was a scrawny little thing with bruises all over her and matted hair. She was filthy and she didn’t look more than four or five, she was so small, from malnutrition and neglect.”

  “Eira,” Caleb said. Indigo nodded her head.

  “Yes, Eira. She came straight to me and unlocked my cage. Together, we tried to get as many open as we could. We didn’t save that many, but we did our best. Eira pulled me out of the building when I would have gone back in and died. All of the others we freed were adults but they didn’t pay any attention to us. They just fled. Then one woman saw us and offered to take me with her.”

  “But you didn’t go with her, did you?” Caleb asked. Indi shook her head and continued to meet his eyes.

  “She wouldn’t take Eira because she was not only human but had been there with the hunters. I wasn’t going to leave her there after she saved me. So, she and I left together and started over.”

  “The hunters were her family?” Caleb asked.

  “No!” Indigo was very adamant. “They might have been her blood but they were never her family. I am her family and she is mine. We were only eight years old, and if I had been on my own I would have died. Eira knew how to take care of us and that’s what she has been doing ever since.” />
  “But she has killed shifters,” Kalli butted in. Everyone waited for Indigo to answer but she didn’t.

  “Has she killed shifters, Indigo?” Caleb demanded, his voice strong and cold. Sitting on the stairs, Eira cringed at his tone and knew that she had just lost her mate. Nothing could make up for the things she had done and he wasn’t going to give her leeway in this. She didn’t need to hear the rest of the conversation to know that she needed to leave before he destroyed every dream she ever had.

  As quietly as she could, Eira went back up the stairs and into the room. She looked at the bed all mussed from their lovemaking, and turned away. Eira gathered her duffel bag and filled it with her small amount of clothes. She put on her shoes, grabbed everything from her bathroom, and closed the bag. She looked down at the shirt she wore. Caleb’s. Eira couldn’t bring herself to leave the only thing she had of Caleb’s, so she left it on and climbed out the window onto the roof. She lowered herself to the ground, got in her jeep, and drove away. No one heard her go.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Yes. Eira has killed shifters.” The room exploded with people talking, all at once showing their dissatisfaction with the situation.

  “Stop! Stop!” Indigo yelled. The furniture shook. Everyone stopped and looked at her. “Eira only killed shifters to defend me and herself. Many shifters cannot control themselves when they scent a peacock. I think it has to do with us being so rare. We put off a more alluring scent. Being kids, we didn’t know that, and when I was twelve, we found out the hard way. There was a group of them and Eira nearly died. We got away and learned to be cautious, but there were other times when there was no choice but to kill or be killed.”

  “Dammit!” Caleb cursed and started pacing.

  “Hey, any one of you would do the same thing to protect your family. It wouldn’t matter if it was against shifters or humans. You don’t get to judge her on staying alive and keeping me alive!” Indigo had stood up and was practically yelling at everyone in Eira’s defense.