Sasha's Lion (4 page)

He almost choked on a fry as she finished. “You’re
going back to Australia?”

She shrugged and pushed her half-eaten food away.
“Probably.
I came because I knew my mum wouldn’t make the
move without me. I always planned to go back once she settled in.”

“What could I do to help you change your mind and
stay?”

She winked. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something.
So, enough about me.
What do you do for a living? Britney
said you help your father run his clubs.”

“Yes. We also have a … protection business that I do
a lot of work for. It keeps most of my nights busy.”

“Your sister never mentioned that.”

 
He pushed his
empty plate away. “It’s a private business. The clients don’t want it getting
out.”

Savron stood and held out his hand. It was time to
take her home so she could get ready for her big birthday bash.

He dropped her home and rang his parents telling
them he wouldn’t come tonight. He’d learned today that he could only spend a short
time alone with Sasha or he’d claim her. Going to her party tonight would be
too much. All that it would take for him to throw her over his shoulder and
take her home and make her his was for a man to touch her, or dance with her
and lust after her.

He told his parents he needed to think and that he’d
see them through the week.

****

Britney picked her up in a limo with a couple of
friends, and they loved it as they drove into the city of Vegas. Sasha looked
around her at all the bright lights and action. She’d been in the city a
hundred times before, but tonight it looked to Sasha like a whole new world.
Brighter and more colorful, it almost felt alive.

They passed huge hotels and fancy waterfalls until
they stopped in front of a place that looked like a massive two-storey
warehouse. Lights flashed out the front saying, “Shifts Night Club”, and a long
line of people waited out the front to get in. The limo driver opened their
door and helped them each out.

Britney hooked her arm through hers and walked right
by the waiting people and into the club. Sasha stared speechless at the inside
of the club. It had light blue walls and flashing neon lights. Purple balloons
covered the ceiling, and at the end of a huge dance floor a band was setting
up. On the walls and hanging from the roof were posters of her and “Happy Birthday,
Sasha!” signs.

“Oh, my God.
Britney, this is awesome.”

Britney beamed at her and dragged her around,
showing her everything.

Sasha met her mum, Melody, and Steven in the VIP
area with Britney’s parents. She hugged them all, thanking them for the party.

“It’s going to be quite the hit. I should be
thanking you,” said Britney’s father. “I have people who weren’t invited paying
big money to be the one of the hundred or so extra we let in. The bands you
have playing have been a big draw.”

Sasha just bet they would be. She had no idea how
Britney had got the bands to play. She eyed her friend, who winked at her.

“Dad, I think it’s time to get the party started.
Tell them at the door to let the invited guests in first.”

Britney’s father nodded and talked into a mobile,
and Britney dragged her away and down the stairs to meet her guests.

A couple of hours later she’d meet all the people
Britney had invited. Sasha was now talking with some of her drama friends,
Jess,
Zeck
, and Travis, when the main band started.
Everyone screamed and rushed to the stage.

Britney seemed to come out of nowhere and pull her
to the stage. They fought to get to the front until suddenly Savron was at her
side pushing people out of the way.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Sasha heard Britney
mumble.

Savron shrugged his broad shoulders. “I couldn’t
stay away.”

They made it to the front, and Savron stood at her
back, a solid unmoving force against the crazy crowd behind him. After a couple
of songs his arms came around her, and she eased back into his hold enjoying
the safety and comfort of his touch. When the band finished she turned around
and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him in thanks, but as soon as her mouth
touched his, her body came to life, and she ran her fingers through his hair
gripping him to her as he devoured her. His hands came to rest on her
arse
, and he ground his erection against her. Groaning, she
pulled away as the second band started up and cheers went up around them.

The rest of the night he became her protector, and
she’d didn’t have to wait for drinks as he got them for her. At 11:00 they
brought out a massive blue and white three tier cake with an eighteen candle on
the top.

Savron disappeared as her friends sang happy
birthday, and she blew out the candle. Sasha’s friends all hugged her, and she
danced the rest of the night away. Before she left for home she asked Britney
where Savron had gone.

“He went to work.” Britney smiled, and they left in
the limo.

****

The rest of her week was busy as she caught up on
dance practice she missed. Tuesday and Wednesday Savron had driven her to dance
class. He hadn’t said much, and he only gave her pecks on the cheek or brushed
his lips over hers, nothing like the kiss on Saturday or her party night. Sasha
felt like she was getting mixed signals.

Britney invited her over Thursday night, which was
games night in her family. Savron came in late with takeout and was her partner
in crime on the games. By the end of the night, Sasha thought she’d needed a
rest from the Pride family. Something didn’t feel right, and Savron ran hot one
minute and seemed cold the next. She needed to sort things out.

****

Savron had had the week from hell. He was happy the
colder weather was bringing out the vampires early so he could hunt longer,
because he was having a hell of a time not throwing Sasha over his shoulder and
taking her back to his house and claiming her. The more time he spent with her
the more he liked her. She was easy to get on with and happy to stay at home
with his family and talk or play games.

Last night had been game night. They did it every
Thursday before they went out to rid the world of the nightmare creatures and
run their clubs. Sasha had fit right in with his family laughing, teasing, and
fighting. They’d been paired together for Pictionary. They’d almost won, but
his mom and dad took them out, keeping their undefeated status.

Being that close to her and not being able to do
what he wanted had driven him crazy. This morning his mom had come into work
saying she was late because she had given the girls a ride to school, as
Sasha’s mother needed the car. He’d offered to pick them up, but she told him
not to bother as Mac drove them home when Sasha didn’t have the car.

Savron’s lion had been edgy all day and refused to
come out when he’d needed help with a troll interrogation. So now he waited
leaning on his car for Sasha by the school car-park. Brandon stood waiting next
to him.

“I can’t believe you’re picking up your human girlfriend
and our sister up from school. Have you seen her in her uniform?”

“Yes.” Savron had. It had been the first time he’d
met her. He didn’t really remember what she was wearing as he was stressing
about the way his lion acted around her.

Brandon had a huge smirk on his face. “Have you seen
her in uniform knowing she’s your mate?”

He growled, not wanting to talk about this stupid
stuff with Brandon.

Brandon laughed. “Oh this is going to be classic.”
Then he went quiet, and Savron could feel Brandon’s eyes on him.
“Holy shit!
Sasha doesn’t know you’re here to pick her up.”

Savron ignored his brother hoping he’d drop the
subject.

“Who’s supposed to pick them up?”

Savron looked anywhere but his brother. He didn’t
want to admit to his jealousy, and he would have to if he told them who was
going to drop them home if he hadn’t been here.

Brandon went through names of friends, and then he
added, “If you won’t tell me I’ll just ask the girls.”

“Fucking hell, you’re not going to leave this alone,
are you?”

Brandon shook his head.

“Fine, Mac.”

“Mac Fierce, the werewolf alpha’s son?” Brandon
chuckled. “How did you find out?”

Savron crossed his arms over his chest not willing
to confirm anything. “Mom told me when she came in to help with some paperwork,”
he mumbled, caving and telling Brandon what he wanted.
 

The bell blared, saving him from answering more
questions. People poured out of the school.

He saw Sasha and almost came in his pants.
Crap
. Her hair was down, and she wore
only shiny pink lip-gloss, and she had a bright laughing smile on her face. The
uniform was a white shirt with buttons undone to show just enough cleavage. The
jacket that matched the tiny skirt emphasized her breasts. To top the outfit
off she wore black leather knee-high boots. Sasha was a walking fantasy come to
life.

Savron stood up straight and walked towards her. He
watched Sasha giggle at something Mac and his buddies said. Mac’s arm came
around her shoulder, and Savron snarled. People stared at him, and Mac,
Britney, Sasha and others in the group they walked with stopped.

Mac smiled at him, and the fuckwit didn’t move his
arm from around Sasha. “Hey, Pride.
You here to pick your
sister up?
You didn’t have to. I’m happy to drive her home.”

He saw Sasha try to move away from Mac, but his arm
didn’t move. Savron watched her eyes dart from him to Mac.

“No. I came to pick my mate up. Sasha.”

Mac’s arm dropped from her shoulder, and he pulled
Sasha to him and took a deep breath in of her scent. “She doesn’t smell like
you.”
 
Sasha struggled to move away from
Mac as he checked both her shoulders for the mate mark. “And there’s no mate
mark.”

A shifter circle surrounded them now to keep the
humans’ eyes and ears out.

Savron groaned, because thanks to Mac and his own
jealousy he would have to explain to Sasha everything.
 

Sasha looked at Mac now like he’d lost his marbles.
She pushed again at Mac. “I don’t know what the hell you’re going on about,
Mac, but when I want to be let go of next time, do it.”

She punched his chest and strolled away to Brandon
who stood behind him. Britney followed with a wicked smile on her face. Savron
turned to see Brandon with a huge cheeky grin on his face as Sasha placed her
hand in his and dragged him to the car.

Mac and the other shifter guys chuckled behind
him.
 
“I’m sorry, Savron.
 
I thought if she was your mate you would have
claimed her. If she was mine I would have. I forget she’s human. I wonder how
she’s going to react to learn most of her new friends are shifters.” Mac patted
his back. “I’d like to be a fly on the wall when everything settles and she
learns she’s your mate.”

Savron watched as Brandon opened his passenger door
and Sasha hopped in. Britney got in the back, and Brandon very slowly started
to walk around the driver’s side.

Savron turned back to Mac and raked his fingers
through his hair. “I’ve only known she was my mate for about a week. On her
birthday she came around, and the mate bond showed itself. I’ve been trying to
take it easy because she’s human and only just come of age.”

“You’re a bigger man than me to have not claimed
her. Your lion must be going insane,” Mac said with sympathy in his voice.

“Yes, he is. But after seeing her in her uniform I
know tomorrow no one will mistake whose she is.” He glared at Mac. “So keep
your hands to yourself.” With that he turned and walked to his car, ignoring
the laughter behind him.

Chapter
Four

 
“What just
happened, Britney? What the hell is Mac talking about, and why on earth did
your brother look ready to kill Mac?”

She shrugged. “You have been hanging out with Savron
quite a bit. He thinks you’re his girlfriend, and he saw you cuddling Mac and
wasn’t happy.”

Sasha told herself not to feel guilty. She’d done
nothing wrong. Mac had put his arm around her; she hadn’t participated.

Sasha had spent last Saturday before her party with
Savron and had had a scorching kiss at her party with him, but other than that
she’d only been with him when he dropped her at dance practice and last night. His
whole family had been there, so she hadn’t spent any one on one time. She’d had
a ball with his family though. She’d decided last night she needed a break from
the Pride family, mainly Savron and his mixed signals. Now he was acting the
jealous suitor.
Argh
.
She didn’t get him.

“What did he mean by mate? And Mac mentioned a mate
mark. What’s he talking about?”

Britney looked anywhere but at her. “I really think
Savron should tell you.”