Seduced By The Lion Alpha (7 page)

Leon and I were working together to make sure I wasn’t trekking through the thicker parts of the forest, and it paid off. We were back on a path I recognized now. We were still deep inside the forest, and the underbrush rose up around us on all sides, but our footpath was largely clear. I stepped over a few raised roots and traced my steps toward the river.

“Sounds like your sketchbook would be beautiful,” said Leon. I gasped. My sketchbook and bag! I’d left them back in the forest.

As if to answer my panic, Leon swung a bag from behind him and held it up. In my effort to not stare into his dark eyes, I had completely missed that he had my bag. Quickly, I grabbed it and checked that everything was inside. My entire body relaxed.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling at Leon. He smiled back. Then his smile curved into something darker. Want filled every inch of his face. Dark, hooded eyes stared back at me, pursed lips twitched.

He pounced. This time I was ready for him. My fingers twined in his hair even as he pressed himself to me. My bag touched down on the ground as gently as I could manage before we stumbled back from one another. He laughed against my mouth and pressed hotter kisses to me. His body was more relaxed this time, and I was grateful for that.

We tumbled to the ground, and Leon leaned back on his knees to rack over my appearance with his eyes. He smirked and I propped myself up on my elbows. I raised my eyebrows at him in question, beckoning. Without a word, Leon leaned forward and pressed his lips to my again. Our mouths met in a hot kiss. His teeth tugged at my lower lip. I parted my lips and his tongue met my. Our kissing grew faster,  scorching and erratic. His hands slid up my shirt. His fingers tugged at the bottom and pulled it up. I lifted my arms and we pulled back just long enough to pull it off my head.

I grinned and drew him back down. His hands slid over my body, taking in every curve and dip once more. I wondered if he was mapping my body for future reference, or if he simply couldn’t resist touching every inch of me. Instead of thinking up an answer, I decided to rip his shirt off as well. It came off easily, and his jacket had already dropped off. Once his chest was bare, I wasted no time in running my hands all over it. My eyes roamed across the golden expanse of his skin and flicked back up to his face. His wild hair hung everywhere, and he grinned at me, eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Are you going to stare, or are you going to do something?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow and flashing a sharp, hungry grin at him. He growled, low and feral in his throat, and lunged at me. He mouth found my throat and pressed deep. His mouth skimmed my collarbone, plucked at my throat, tugged downward. His plucked my bra off like it was nothing, and dove for a nipple. His tongue swirled around the hardening nub.

With a smirk, I dug my fingers deep into his air and purred. Heat started spreading through my body. It shook and the shaking vibrated through my entire body. I moaned. It was a quiet moan, but it raced through me and left me shaking with the want to moan more. Leon hummed against my nipple and tweaked the other one with his fingers. His calloused hands rubbed the sensitive spot and set sparks of lightning through my veins. I sighed, not even bothering to hide my want and pleasure, and spread my legs a little farther.

Leon’s hands slid lower and lower, dancing on my hips. He popped the button on my jeans and pulled them down, chuckling against my throat all the while. Then my jeans were gone, snagged alongside my shoes and sent tumbling into the grass. My socks were tugged off by his teeth, and he dragged them slowly off. His teeth grazed my toes and he nibbled at them, his eyes watching my reaction. I groaned, flexing my feet at the unfamiliar sensation. It was good. Good enough that it sent little sparks up my feet and legs, trailing to my insides and leaving me jittery and warm.

I tugged Leon back up to me and kissed him hard. My hands worked with his to shove off his pants, and then we were yanking off our underclothes as well. Leon mouthed my throat a few times, his teeth grazing my skin. We scrambled against one another, our earlier patience forgotten.

He pushed one finger, then another, inside me. Instants later, they were gone and he was lining himself up. He pushed forward, pressed himself in as deep as he could, and then started thrusting. I threw back my head and moaned, moving to buck my hips toward his in an effort to find more friction, more heat. And just
more
. Lightning lit up my veins until I was sure I was glowing. Heat poured off Leon and left me sweating and sticking to the leaves below us. He thrust, deeper and faster with every push. His hand found my front and pressed the spot just above my entrance. He rocked into it as he thrust. Fire burst into my belly. Pleasure coursed through me so thickly and suddenly I lost my sight for a few seconds. I howled, almost animalistic, and threw my arms around him.

We pushed hard against one another, bodies aching in heat and want. My release built up inside me, a fire pooled in my lower belly. It poured through my body, shot to my fingertips and then exploded inside me. Pleasure ripped through my womanhood and stomach. Heat curled my toes. My vision blurred, I felt a second shot of heat around my thighs. And a set of teeth buried themselves in my neck. I screamed and tossed back my head. I smelled blood. And then we settled together on the forest floor.

CHAPTER SIX

For a little while we laid together on the ground. I felt the leaves and sticks start to dig between my shoulder blades. Eventually though, Leon climbed back to his feet, and I saw the exact moment he realized he’d bitten me. His eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and his entire body went rigid.

“I didn’t mean to.” His eyes were locked on my throat. “I swear to you, I didn’t-“ He cut himself off and shook his head. I clambered to my own feet and pressed a hand to his bicep. The heat coming off it made my hand sweat.

“It’s fine,” I told him, hoping it would calm him. “Besides,” I added, flushing. “I liked it.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Really?” I nodded. “You are beginning to sound more and more like a lioness,” he said.

I blinked. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yes, you are, it’s very interesting, actually.”

I hummed and nodded, smiling to myself. That led me to wonder how often lionesses were bitten during mating season, and if they did any biting back. The thought of biting Leon made me incredibly pleased, and I smiled to myself.

“We should get going,” said Leon. I agreed with him. Together we gathered up our clothes and pulled them back on. My clothes were a little worse for wear, but I still looked decent enough. If anyone asked me what had happened, I’d claim I tumbled down a hill on my walk. As I finished dressing, I was sure to grab my bag so that I wouldn’t panic again. Besides, as much as I liked Leon carrying things for me, I wasn’t prepared for him to see all my sketches. A few? Sure. But there were some in this book that were private. Like the picture of my best friend at her wedding, with the veil pulled away from her face. Or the picture of my mother cradling my sister’s first child in the hospital. Private moments that I had memorized to immortalize later. Moments I didn’t want to share with anyone else.

We headed back onto the road. My footsteps were clunky next to Leon’s gliding movements, but, as we walked, I noticed my steps were becoming lighter. I was growing accustomed to moving through the forest, and accustomed to the way Leon moved. It let me walk more lightly. I enjoyed it, slowly figuring out how to walk silently. It made me feel like a cat on the prowl. My gaze flickered to Leon at the thought. Of course, he would know. It was part of his lifestyle to walk through the forests on silent feet, and sometimes on silent paws. I smiled at the thought. My mind filled in what he had looked like as a lion. The powerful arc of his back, the flash of teeth and claws before he lunged. I could pick out most of the details and a few extras that I knew my mind had filled in. I couldn’t wait to get home so I could sketch it out and fill in the details. It was going to be glorious.

“What are you smiling about?” I pinked and looked away from his lingering gaze, realizing it might be taken as insulting to stare so openly. But, then I remembered what he had been doing for the last few hours and I felt much better about my imaginings.

“You,” I replied honestly. “I was imagining drawing you.”

“Anything specific?” asked Leon.

I stepped over a fallen log with as much grace as I could manage before I turned back toward him. “Yes. I think drawing you in mid-shift, or while you were running – either lion or human – would be absolutely stunning. Capturing the grace of such a large creature would be difficult, but I think I could manage.”

“You find me graceful?” asked Leon, with more than a touch of amusement in his voice. I nodded, a small smile spreading across my face. I did find him graceful. Every movement – from the longest of strides to the smallest of blinks – looked practiced on Leon. The slow stride of his steps as they kept pace with me were silent, no matter what the forest floor looked like. He never faltered, never second-guessed himself. More and more I was wishing I held that kind of grace, if only because I knew it would make dancing so much easier.

“Of course, you are part cat, after all,” I replied. Leon tilted his head to one side, looking thoughtful.

“True enough,” he agreed after a moment. We walked in silence for a few minutes after that, and I took the moment to imagine myself dancing with the grace Leon had in his every breath - twirling across dance floors, sashaying in beautiful dresses, and rocking from foot to foot as I was led across the dance floor. It all sounded magical and unreal. My gaze darted to Leon again. What I would not give to be part of such a world, where beauty and grace were exuded at every moment, where power and seduction lingered in every touch and gaze, and where you would never be cold again.

Leon stumbled, driving me out of my thoughts. He pressed his hand to his head and winced. The look held longer than I expected it to.

“Are you all right?” I asked, reaching out for him. He flinched back and shook his head, looking away from me.

“We must get to the city,” he murmured. “So you can be safe from me.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” I said sharply.

Leon smirked and pushed off the tree he held out to. He led me in the direction of the road. “No,” he said. “But you should be.”

And again we walked in silence. I couldn’t help but frown at Leon’s accusation and assumption. What made him think I should be afraid of him? What gave him the right to tell me what was and wasn’t in my best interests? I scowled at my feet and trudged onward. My earlier grace was forgotten, and now I simply walked because I had to. I didn’t want to leave Leon. This had been the best day of my life, but I knew I had to.

Before long we arrived at the road to the city and Leon stopped. This was the exact road I’d walked earlier today, when I had first come to the forest, but now it looked so different. Or perhaps I was viewing it through different eyes. Instead of the tall buildings rising in the distance looking powerful and majestic, all I saw were cages and walls. The forest called to me. Its scent sung praises in my nose and veins, begging me to stay. Oh, how I wanted to stay.

“It is best we part ways here,” said Leon. His voice had broken the silence once more. I turned to stare at him, frowning with all my might. “I am sorry, but it is for the best.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Leon’s eyebrows shot up and his nose wrinkled. “For what?”

“For everything,” I said. “This has been the best day of my life, and I have you to thank for it. It was thrilling and adventurous and passionate…” I trailed off, sighing. “So, thank you.”

“You’re… you’re welcome,” said Leon. His looked at his feet, frowning thoughtfully.

“Will I ever see you again?” I asked. His frown deepened and, slowly, he shook his head, closing his eyes.

“No, and it is for the best. Pride life is simply too different from the human life you are used to. We would never be able to meet up, nor would we be able to be together.” He sounded as reluctant as I felt, but I knew his words were firm. “That is simply the way it is.”

“Pride life sounds exciting,” I said, unable to help my protests. “Take me with you.”

He shook his head. “I cannot.” I could swear he was sad. He leaned in and kissed my cheek, and I felt a brief breeze. When I looked down, I saw he had snipped a piece of the excess tail off my shirt with a claw. As I watched, the claw morphed back into the nail, and he pulled away with the piece dangling from his fingertips.