Roar Lover Roar: BBW Shape Shifter Mail Order Bride Romance & Paranormal Erotica Part 1 (Shifter Mail-Order Romance) (2 page)

              Not only could she bear their kind, but she could rule them. She had a loving spirit, full of strength and vigor. Though she was young, she had grown up as the oldest of seven brothers and sisters. She knew how to take care of people, how to teach them to be their best. Her mother and father were kind, but didn’t have much time to give her because of their big family. She had no choice to but to grow up independent, to able to care not only for herself, but for others as well.

              Thanks to some friends in high places, he was able to get a hold of her family genealogy, tracing her lineage back to its deepest and darkest secrets. She was everything that Marcus had hoped for. They had only just met, but he already felt protective of her.

              “Stay away for now,” Marcus warned through his fangs. “I will bring her to the pride when she is ready.”

              Fighting with himself, he was finally able to calm down. His fangs and claws withdrew, slowly contorting him back to human form.

              “We will keep our distance, Marcus,” William agreed, “but we will be in the shadows. The clan is too restless to sit idly by and wait. If the Tiger’s find out we have found a female, they’ll try to take her.”

              Marcus drew in a deep breath to argue but found he couldn’t. If places were switched he would be doing the exact same thing.

              “Please, brother,” he asked in softer voice, reaching his hand out to rest it on William’s shoulder. “Help me keep her safe.”

              William nodded. “Now go to her. I will report back to the pride.”

              Marcus watched as William turned his back and shed his human form, fully transitioning from man to lion. He looked down the alley that they had used for privacy and saw they were still alone.

              “Go,” he whispered. The hotel sat away from the city, on the edges of wilderness. The alley would lead William straight into the tall grass. Lion’s weren’t native to Australia, but the plains were vast and hardly touched by man. Urban legends existed of giant cats, but no one had yet gathered proof that Marcus’ pride was here. His grandfather had moved them there for safety over fifty years ago, separating them from the other prides back in Africa. Though it was a smart move for their safety, it had turned out to be detrimental for their breed. There were very few females that carried shifter blood in Australia, putting them at a disadvantage.               His grandfather and father had always seemed to find luck despite that. But now over eight years had gone by since a female was found, and his pride was getting restless. He didn’t want to think of that now. Instead, he took a few deep breaths and turned his thoughts back to Ameera.

              The door man smiled politely at him as he approached the door. “Welcome back, sir. Do be careful when out for a stroll. There are wild animals out there.”

              Marcus nodded his head, smiling devilishly.

CHAPTER 3

              Ameera paced back and forth across her suite, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. Marcus had been gone almost twenty minutes, and she was starting to get worried. At first, she took the time to freshen up. She touched up her black cat eyeliner, gargled some mouthwash, and tugged this way and that at her short, crimson red cocktail dress. When Cindy had first put it in her suitcase she yanked it out right away.

              “I can’t wear this!” she exclaimed. “Where is it going to cover anything? I’m not small like you.”

              Cindy tossed her a sympathetic glance. “No, you’re not small. But little mama, you have amazing curves. Curves that should be celebrated, not hidden.”

              “Hey, don’t give me that,” Ameera countered. “I wear shorts. I wear tank tops. I’m not ashamed of how I look, okay? The dress just isn’t my style.” And it really wasn’t. Any day that was warmer than sixty degrees Ameera would be in her bohemian chic. Long skirts, flowy dresses, peasant tops, and bare feet anywhere that would allow it. The dress that Cindy gave her was anything but bohemian. It had capped sleeves and a low scoop neckline. The fabric hung at her knees if she stood perfectly still. But any movement would send it hiking high up on her thigh. Regardless, she tried it on, and was pleasantly surprised. The buttery fabric melded to her curves, accentuating them. The darkness of the red deepened her skin tone, making her look sun kissed and exotic. She had to admit, she really did like the way she looked in the dress.

              A knock resounded from her door, bringing her out of her thoughts. Smiling, she walked briskly back to foyer to open it. Outside stood Marcus. His eyes were still bright, holding a hunger meant only for her. Just looking at him made her nipples harden under the confines of her push up bra.

              “May I come in?” he asked, ever the gentleman.

              “Oh! Of course, yes. Please.” She moved to the side, allowing him access. He stepped into the room, holding her gaze. His hands reached out to her waist and she willingly stepped into his reach.

              “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long,” he apologized. He kicked the door shut behind him, moving his hand from her only to secure the lock.

              “Is everything alright?”

              He moved his hand back to her, slowly walking her backwards into the room.

              “Yes. An associate of mine just had a few concerns that needed ironing out. Did he scare you?”

              Ameera shook her head, placing her hands on his chest. “No. Not really. I know that it’s going to sound strange, given we just met and all, but I feel protected with you.” She blushed, realizing how silly she must sound. “I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be,” she admitted softly.

              Her words touched him, knowing they were true. When a shifter finds their mate, it’s physically impossible to lie to them. He knew she was his mate the moment he found her profile on the site. At that moment, love for her slammed into his body like a sledgehammer, cracking the ice he had packed around his heart.

              His fingers wound softly around her chin, tilting her mouth up to his. “That’s because you
are
where you are supposed to be, Luv.” He crushed his lips down on hers, kissing her until they both became breathless.

~

              Marcus’ kisses were making her so dizzy, that even after he lifted his lips from hers, she still had to lean on him for support.

              He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Are you alright?”

              “Mmm,” she nodded, “It’s just no one has ever kissed me the way you do.”

              “Hmm. I like that. I like that a lot.”

              She laughed, stepping backwards. “Well good, because it’s the truth.” Pausing, she looked around the room, not sure what to do next. She had been so busy waiting for him to get to the room that she completely forgot that something was inevitably going to happen once he got there. “So, now what?”

              Marcus opened his mouth to answer, but a knock came from the door. He froze, flaring his nostrils. As if he were scenting the air. “Go to the bathroom.” It was an order, not a suggestion. His tone had changed completely, taking on an air of authority.

              “What’s going on, Marcus?” Ameera looked puzzled, and he wanted so badly to explain. But there wasn’t time.

              “Please,” he urged, grabbing her hand and leading her to the bathroom. “You’ll have to trust me. Just go in and lock the door. Don’t come out until I say so.”

He kissed her one more time before shutting her into the bathroom. Not knowing what else to do, she did as she was instructed, and locked both of the doors to the bathroom.

CHAPTER 4

              Marcus waited until he heard the bathroom locks click into place before he returned to the door. He didn’t have to look through the peephole to know that Raja stood outside with two of his men. He should have done better with hiding Ameera. Even though he paid for a secure plane, a private car, and trusted a hotel that was managed by one of his pride, there was still no way to block her scent.

              Every male shifter within two miles of wherever she was would know that she was one of the few human women who could carry their children. He hadn’t even had time to explain to her what she was, or what he was for that matter, before trouble came knocking.

              “Marcus,” Raja called, “come now, brother. Open the door. It’s not fair to keep her to yourself.”

              “She’s mine!” Marcus growled, letting the shift take over him. Dark golden fur shimmered over his skin as his bones began to bend and contort. He felt his fangs get nearly too big for his mouth before his snout elongated, making room for them. Giant claws sprang from his fingernails as his hands shifted into mammoth paws.

              Just as he finished shifting, the door flew from its hinges, splintering into thousands of tiny wooden shards. In its wake came two large black and orange striped tigers. Between the two of them stood Raja, still in human form.

              “We took out William, Marcus. You’re alone, with no back up. Give us the woman, and we won’t kill you.”

              Marcus roared loudly, shaking the entire floor. In the hallway, screams and yells were heard from concerned guests. He crouched down, ready for the fight.

              “Very well, brother, if that’s how it must be.” Raja shifted fast, transforming from the tall, dark skinned man to a larger than ordinary rare black tiger in seconds. He lunged at Marcus, fangs bared and ready to kill. The two of them crashed heavily to the floor, knocking over any furniture in their path.

              The two large cats backed away and charged again, grappling each other in a fit of claws and fangs in what seemed like an eternity. Raja was bigger, but Marcus was faster, able to curve his spine and avoid most attacks before they landed. Raja, however, was not giving up. He came at Marcus over and over again, landing in a rip of claws here, and a tear of flesh and fang there.

              Marcus didn’t land a blow very often, but when he did it was fast, and deep. Just when it seemed like Marcus would win, Raja rolled out of his way, allowing the two others to step in. By this time Marcus was wounded and out of breath. He stood on shaky paws, but refused to back down. As he readied himself for another attack, Jacob, the hotel manager ran in.

              “What the hell!” Was all he could say before one of the tigers turned on him. He jumped back, shifting in midair and landing on his back. The full force of the tiger hit him hard on the chest. With his large paws, he thrust the big cat off of him, giving himself room to twist back onto his feet. Bringing himself up, he sprang onto the cat that attacked, sinking his large fangs into the tiger’s jugular in a death grip.

              The tiger growled, but didn’t move, knowing he was in a delicate position. Marcus took that moment when both Raja and the other cat weren’t looking to attack Raja from behind, pinning him to the ground with his giant weight and sinking his teeth into the scruff of the black tiger’s neck. The only tiger not bested looked from his master to his brother, not sure what to do. Out of options, he shifted back into human form.

              He was young, barely eighteen with a strong look of fear in his blue eyes.

              “Please,” he begged, “let them go. Don’t kill them. You don’t understand, we’re dying!”

              Underneath Marcus, Raja shifted just enough so that he could use his vocal cords.

              “Silence, you idiot!” His voice was thick with fangs, but the words could still be understood. The weight of Marcus’ jaw did not let up, and Raja felt the sharpness of his fangs inch into his flesh. Having no choice, he shifted to tiger form completely to protect his neck.

              From the doorway, William walked in, holding an AK-47 at the ready. He had a bloody eye and a limp in his left leg. But he held himself up straight, aiming the gun with careful precision at Raja.