Jennifer's Lion

Jennifer White fought hard to stay awake, even though her eyes refused to cooperate. An intense drowsiness overcame her, and keeping her eyelids open became such a chore. Frustrated, she decided to bite her finger hard. A shard of pain jolted her awake, shaking her from the grip of sleepiness that wouldn’t let her go. Her eyes snapped open. Her mouth tasted of blood. She might have bitten herself too hard, but she didn’t care. She knew she had to stay alert.

If she wanted to survive...

She rolled onto her stomach and forced herself to crawl. She blinked and stared at her surroundings. The sweltering heat got to her first. Then the smell of dry grass and earth assaulted her nostrils. Her gut sank. Her heart accelerated, just like it had when she had seen the wild tribal dance last night.

Had it been last night?

Or two nights ago? She’d lost track of time.

The last thing she remembered was her fiancé, Seth, filling her with booze. She was a light drinker. One cocktail was enough to get her tipsy. She recalled she was on her fourth Martini when Seth suggested they go out for a stroll. The night was young and the moon full. It was a romantic night, Seth had said, and he didn’t want to miss the moment. She didn’t want to disappoint him, so she went along for a jeep ride; a midnight excursion under the Serengeti night sky.

After just a few minutes, everything jumbled and she couldn’t remember anything else. She must have passed out. How did she end up in this place? Had something happened to Seth?

Jen paused and sat. A chilling numbness spread into her nerve endings. Where am I? How did I get here? What is this place?

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, wanting to cry. Despite the relentless heat, she shivered. She didn’t want to believe Seth had forgotten about her and left her here. Seth loved her. He had told her many times how he couldn’t live without her.

Something terrible must have happened to him and they got separated. Had they been attacked? Was he in trouble?

Stifling a cry, Jen scrambled up to get a better view of where she was. Her knees gave up before she could fully stand. Once again, she crashed back onto the dirt ground. Her head spun.

Damn it.

Jen clutched her head as everything appeared double. She cursed her bitchy hangover. She once had a heavy hangover during her freshman year in college, but she’d never been this way before. The dizziness was so intense it almost felt as if she’d been drugged.

When she was a teenager, her appendix burst in the middle of a volleyball match and she had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. When she got out of surgery, she was extremely groggy and sleepy from the anesthesia, exactly like she felt now.

Had Seth drugged her?

She quickly brushed away her crazy suspicion. Seth would never do such a thing. He loved her. She knew he did. There must be a reasonable explanation for this.

Jen worked herself into a crawl again. Her knees and elbows grated against the dry earth, bruising her skin. She was stranded in the middle of god-knew-where and it certainly wasn’t safe for her to stay in one spot. She’d seen the big cats crawling all over this place. She had to keep moving. Look for help and get out of this grassy hell of a sweatbox.

After a few yards, Jen had to stop. She panted. The heat was unbearable. Her throat was parched and she was hungry as hell. Suddenly the surroundings turned silent. Uh-oh. Not good. Even the noisy birds had stopped chirping. Goosebumps broke out over her flesh. The hair on her nape stood. A low growl reverberated behind her.

Her heart froze in her chest.

Oh, god, no. Jen scrambled up to run. She only managed a dozen steps when her strength left her. She crashed back to the earth, placing her much too close to her living nightmare.

A giant lion appeared before her. His majestic, golden mane was gently blown by the dry, hot breeze. A golden-eyed gaze raked over her body, calculating. The lion swished his tail. Another growl erupted from his throat.

“Good kitty,” Jen whispered. She scooted backward. “Don’t eat me. I don’t taste good.”

For a moment, she thought she heard the lion chuckle. Impossible. Snorted? Nah.

Couldn’t be.

She scurried to a nearby bush as the lion inched closer, ready to pounce. Her gaze was transfixed on the lion’s huge paws. They were bigger than dinner plates. Oh, god. I’m doomed.

Jen’s eyes widened in terror when a second lion stalked out from the dense underbrush.

I’m dead. I’m freaking dead. They’re going to eat me alive.

She squealed when the first lion put his paw on her chest and sniffed and then darkness engulfed her.

* * *

Cyeon Rarh was amused. He had never met a human so frightened of his kind. She fainted the moment he had touched her. Usually, humans would scream and run first. And after they tired of running, they would beg him to spare their life before finally passing out.

Typical tourists.

It wasn’t as if Cyeon loved to eat humans or anything. He just liked toying with them. His pride, K’stal, ancient lion-shifters that had ruled over the Serengeti for centuries, never ate people for sustenance. Many K’stal members claimed humans as their mates, so the practice of eating them was forbidden. But most of them couldn’t resist chasing and scaring them off when they saw one.

Nature of the beasts.

His gaze clashed with his brother, Keto’s and his brother grinned wide in his beastly form. He looked creepy.

This one I’d love to lick all over, Keto said in mind-speak. Maybe I’ll eat her too. Not in the non-sexual way if you know what I mean.

You wish. Cyeon rolled his eyes. I saw her first.

Merde! Not fair.

I’m the alpha. Deal with it. After his brother returned from a year studying art in Paris, the showboat always gloated in an annoying French accent, making Cyeon want to smack Keto each time he did. Almost all K’stal shifters had left the Serengeti at one point in their lives, roaming the seven continents to broaden their horizons. Cyeon himself had spent a decade in the United States, studying business management, then law, in prestigious universities before he became bored and decided to return to Africa.

In the end, all K’stal shifters always came home. The call of the Serengeti felt like a siren’s song to their kind.

What are you going to do with her? Keto asked.

Bring her home.

Our home?

No, the governor’s home. Good grief. Cyeon brushed past his brother. Move over.

Keto sat. His creepy grin widened. Aha. You’re planning to keep her.

Maybe.

Maybe? You can’t take her into our abode if you don’t plan on keeping her.

Shush. Shut your trap for once. I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Why’s that?

Because she isn’t just a stray tourist. She was drugged before she was dumped.

You saw the whole thing?

Last night. I’ve waited for her to wake up. Cyeon paused and shifted into his human form. He crouched over her and caressed her cheek. The sleeping beauty was still out and she didn’t look as if she was going to come out of it anytime soon.

He examined her more closely. She was a lovely woman. Pretty face. Curvaceous figure. Lush breasts. Just his type. Her shoulder-length dark hair was matted with dry leaves and grass, and her pale skin was dirty from the earth, but she still looked breathtaking. What kind of monster could discard a beautiful woman like this in the middle of nowhere and leave her to die? He had strolled through his pack territory last night to watch the sunset, when he caught sight of a jeep that swerved quickly.

Something bulky had flown from the vehicle, landing near a watering hole. Cyeon almost couldn’t believe what he saw when he investigated.

At first, he thought the jeep had dumped a dead body. He was surprised when he found the woman still alive. He decided to wait, standing guard in case it had been a mistake. The man in the jeep might not have known he’d lost a passenger. Tourists often did unbelievably stupid shit. Twelve hours later, and still no one had come back for her. Cyeon was convinced this woman was a victim of a poorly orchestrated murder attempt. Judging by her scent, she had been drugged before she was dumped.

His gaze traveled to her hand. Her finger was crowned with an engagement ring.

Big rock, but sadly, it was a fake. His trained eye easily picked out the differences between a true diamond and a Zirconia. This woman’s fiancé must have deceived her into thinking he splurged on her with an expensive diamond ring.

You poor thing, he thought.

What did you do to deserve this?

His brother also watched her with great interest. His yellow eyes luminous.

Luscious.

She is. But keep your hands off her. She’s mine.

Ass. Keto snorted.

So? Cyeon decided it was time to move her into a cooler place. He guessed she’d be miserable in this heat. Plus, she needed to be cleaned up. He swept her into his arms and carried her into their pride abode. Keto followed him from behind in a lazy, predatory gait.

Cyeon felt as if was bringing home a precious prize.

Jen woke up to the scent of freshly brewed coffee. For a moment, she felt disoriented. First instinct, she thought she was in her apartment back in Jersey, and the nightmare she had endured for the past twenty-four hours had been nothing but a dream.

Opening her eyes, she found herself lying in a stranger’s bed with a cup of coffee waiting for her on the nightstand. She was wrong. This wasn’t a dream.

Where am I? Jen blinked. The last thing she remembered was two humongous lions about to have her as their afternoon snack. Was I saved? I’m not dead? She scrambled to sit up, grabbing the steaming cup of coffee, if for nothing else, to shake the confusion from her head. Before she had a chance to sip it, her gaze caught sight of the golden beast in the corner of the room. She screamed as the cup slipped from her hands, spilling coffee everywhere. She freaked out even more when the lion got to his feet and transformed into a man. Her scream rang to the ceiling. She quickly retreated until her back was against the wall. Her heart pounded so hard, she felt as if she was having a heart attack.

What the hell was that?

“Madam. You made such a mess,” the man chastised her. He collected the cup from the floor and wiped the spilled coffee with a bunch of tissues.

“What...w-who are you?”

He took one good look at her and smiled. “I should ask the same thing of you.

What’s your name?”

Her voice strangled in her throat. When she finally worked it out, it was merely a husk of a whisper. “This is impossible. I saw a lion. And then you. This is not happening...”

The man’s smile widened. “You’re not crazy. You never saw a shifter before?”

“Shape shifters aren’t real.”

“Is that so? Then I’m only a figment of your imagination?” He touched her arm.

She squealed.

“Relax. I won’t hurt you.”

“What...what are you going to do to me?”

“Bathe you, of course. You’re filthy.”

“I...” Her protest died when she saw his eyes. The man had the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen. They were large and almond shaped. His irises looked golden and luminous, cat-like. His eyes were fanned with thick, dark lashes, contrasting against his golden, long hair. He was a beautiful man. An eye candy of a man like she often saw in magazines. But unlike those models, this man looked dangerous. The raw power oozing from his every pore shut down any urges for rebellion. Jen decided not to do anything stupid.

This man wasn’t completely human. Who knew what a man-lion would do if he flipped out? She’d like to keep her neck intact, in one piece, thank you very much.

Jen cautiously climbed off the bed, trembling. The man grabbed her wrist and tugged her into an adjoining room, which turned out to be a bathroom. To her surprise, the place looked very clean. A large, sunken tub graced the center of the room. All of the man’s personal belongings were arranged neatly. Even she couldn’t keep her own bathroom this tidy. She wondered if this stranger was a clean freak.

He closed the door and plugged the drain in the tub. “What’s your name?” he asked, turning the faucet on.

“Jen. Jennifer White.” Her voice sounded as timid as a mouse.

“Jennifer,” the man echoed. “My name is Cyeon. Welcome to K’stal’s humble abode.”

Cyeon. An exotic name just like the man himself. He didn’t look either old or young, making it difficult for Jen to guess his age. The man was tall, and she felt like a dwarf standing beside him. His body was well-built. Okay, he had the most impressive six-pack abs she had ever seen. Dressed only in battered jeans, she saw every inch of his rippling muscles that were encased in delicious sun-tempered skin.

Jen frowned. How did this guy maintain his clothing while he shifted from lion to man? Magic?

“Take off your clothes,” Cyeon ordered. “And get into the tub.”

“I can take a bath on my own, thank you.”

“I know, but where’s the fun in that? Come here.”

“I can’t.” Her heart raced again. “What exactly do you want from me?”

A mischievous smile hovered at the corner of his lips. His golden-eyed gaze raked over her body. “What do you think?”

A wave of vertigo almost made her faint. This gorgeous man wanted to have his way with her? Outrageous. Flattering, but outrageous. “I...I can’t. I’m engaged.”

“I know. I can see the ring on your finger.”

For a second, she was baffled. “Then you know why I can’t. I appreciate your help, but I need to get back to my fiancé.”

Cyeon laughed hard. His deep, buttery voice reverberated in the enclosed room.

“You want to go back to a man who tried to kill you? Unbelievable.”

Jen blinked. “What do you mean by that? Seth would never do such a thing.”

“Really?” His eyebrows arched, mockery in his tone. “He drugged you and dumped you out of his jeep. If I hadn’t spotted you, you would probably be dead already. All kinds of animals come to our watering hole, but none dare to drink from it when one of us is around.” Cyeon pulled her closer. “And since I’m the one who found you, it’s only fair that I claim you as mine. Finders, keepers.”

The revelation stunned her. Seth tried to kill her? No way. “You’re wrong. My fiancé is a good man. He would never hurt me.”

Cyeon cupped her face with his large hands. “Seems to me you don’t really know the man you’re going to marry, do you? Pity.” He leaned closer. “Now, take your clothes off.”

“I...” She shrank.

He sighed. “Look. I won’t force you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.

But you really need to get clean. You reek.”

As much as she hated to admit it, Cyeon was right. She reeked from sweat and dirt, and whatever else had stuck on her since that fateful night. But god, was it really necessary for him to bathe her? She was a stranger in this exotic land and she knew practically nothing about the local customs. The whole thing felt kind of weird. Back in the States, she would call someone like Cyeon a pervert. But then, he wasn’t like any man she had ever met. Man-lion. He must be wired differently than regular people.

Besides, she read somewhere that big cats loved to groom each other. Maybe Cyeon was no different.

With a satisfied growl, he unbuttoned her shirt. Her cheeks burned hot. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. Undressing in front of a man she barely knew. She had always been self-conscious about her weight, and the thought of intimacy scared her. Until Seth had come into her life, she had never properly dated or shared a bed with a man. Even then, she always asked Seth to dim the lights when they were intimate. She didn’t want anyone to see her naked in plain sight. Like what Cyeon wanted now.

Cyeon pulled off her blouse a bit impatiently. Her heart lurched to her guts. She was more nervous now than when she found out he was a man-lion. She waited to see if Cyeon was disgusted with what he saw. She was no beauty queen, and the last time she checked, size sixteen wasn’t exactly classified as sexy. Cyeon let out a soft purr. His gaze feasted on her body.

“Luscious,” he hissed. “Your lovely breasts would fit perfectly in my palms.”

Seemingly inspired by his own words, Cyeon unhooked the clasps of her bra and took it off. He cupped her breasts and squeezed them gently. Jen fought back a moan.

Her nipples hardened in an instant. Morsels of pleasure burst in her sex. Especially when he deliberately brushed her nipples with his fingers. Lust engulfed her in one smooth swoop.

“Very responsive. Nice,” he purred. “I love passionate women. Now let’s take the rest off.”

Her knees weakened as Cyeon unzipped her capri pants. They fell around her ankles with a soft whisper. Her cotton panties were next. Cyeon paused. His gaze glued on the juncture of her thighs.

“You shave?” he asked.

Jen swallowed hard, embarrassed beyond anything. “Hygienic reasons.”

Cyeon laughed. “I love it.” With a swift move, he captured her clit and rolled it between his fingers.

Her face burned hotter. What he did sent a shockwave of pleasure through her.

Her pussy clenched and creamed. Jen cursed silently. She had never been easily turned-on like this before. Not even when she slept with Seth. The first few times had been rough. She thought it was because she was a virgin. But no matter what Seth did to get her excited in bed, he had never gotten her into the groove.

Unlike this man.

All Cyeon needed was to touch her and she became horny like a bitch in heat.

Holy hell. What is fucking wrong with me?

Cyeon released her clit and dragged the tip of his fingers, skimming her generous curves. A jolt of electric thrill shivered from the base of her spine. The ache between her thighs intensified, almost to the point of embarrassment. She moistened luxuriously and dripped juice on her inner thighs.

“Get in the tub,” he ordered. His voice sounded huskier than before.

When Jen caught his gaze, she was surprised to see burning lust in his eyes.

Cyeon looked like he wanted to devour her in one bite. Shaking off her arousal, she swung her leg and stepped into the tub. She sat. The water came to her belly and was heated to just the right temperature. Cyeon grabbed a bar of soap, cleaning her like no one had ever done before, including her mom, when she was little. He worked meticulously, washing her hair and scrubbing every inch of her body. When he announced he was done, she was so clean she squeaked.

Cyeon rose and grabbed a towel from the cabinet. “Stand.”

Jen obeyed without a peep. She gripped the edge of the sink as Cyeon systematically dried her body. It felt weird having someone paying that kind of attention to her. And Cyeon did it so lovingly, which made it weirder. She barely knew the guy. But so far, everything he did felt just right. As if everything was meant to be.

She didn’t feel the same with Seth.

The man who attempted to murder her.

She tried to push the thoughts away to the back of her mind. She couldn’t.

Something bugged the hell out of her. Two weeks after Seth had proposed, he had wanted her to sign life insurance papers, with him as the beneficiary. Seth called it a safety net, since they were going to get married and build their future together. She signed it, since he had also taken out another policy on himself, with her as the beneficiary. Nothing fishy about that. She believed Seth was just doing the right thing.

What did she know about financial planning? Besides, she was a kindergarten teacher, and Seth was the successful banker.

Would he be willing to kill her for a five-million-dollar policy? She had seen people kill others for a lot less.

Jen clenched her teeth. The bitter reality sank into her brain. She blinked. A shard of pain lanced through her heart.

Had he planned everything from the start?

Had he, really?

When she thought of how they’d met in the first place, it did seem kind of artificial. Banking where he worked, one day out of the blue Seth approached her, and asked her for a date, as she sat in the mortgage specialist’s office, to refinance her home.

Back then, she’d nearly swooned, that a man like Seth was even interested in her. He was good-looking, soft-spoken, highly cultured, not to mention stinking rich too, since his uncle owned the bank and paid him an insane amount of money to work there. A real catch. She had been so over the moon, that during the first two months they had been together, she’d failed to realize the little things that now seemed out of place.

For one, Seth had never introduced her to his family, whom he claimed were a tight bunch. She had never even been to Seth’s home. He had practically moved in with her just after they’d slept together for the first time, telling her he was totally in love with her, and he couldn’t stand being apart from her for a moment. And, after they married, he’d move her into the family mansion.

Had it all been nothing but a lie? Was Seth really not the man he claimed to be?

As much as she hated to admit it, Cyeon was right. The more she thought, she knew nothing about Seth Richards. He could have known all of her information, because she banked with him, and vetted her as a potential target. She had clean credit, and had recently inherited a large family estate in the Alps. Since she hadn’t gotten along with her mother, and having been estranged with her side of the family for years, the inheritance had come as a surprise, making her a perfect victim for this kind of scheme.

Jen felt so stupid.

So fucking stupid.

Cyeon seemed to notice as she struggled to fight back her tears. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did I scrub too hard?”

She quickly shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Talk to me.” Cyeon turned her around and embraced her.

Her gasp stalled in her throat when her bare skin pressed against his. Her nipples grazed his chest. Warmth radiated from him.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Cyeon asked. He rubbed her back, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

She didn’t know what to say. She was bummed about Seth. And horny too, because of this man. It was all so confusing.

“Hey, talk to me.” Cyeon tugged her chin up.