Her Lion Guard - The Complete Series Box Set (BBW Shifter Romance) (26 page)

“The Black Sweeps,” Jonathon nodded. “It was a terrible time. We almost lost Mary-Lou.”

“Why?” Mary-Lou gasped, “Who would do such a horrible thing?”

“The protest movement had just begun,” Irma explained. “The Old Laws were still very much in place, but opposition was rising quickly. We had powerful leaders: Intelligent men and women who spoke against inequality, social brutality, obstinate superstition. The Old Order was afraid,” the Tigress smiled, a sharp, dark thing, “They were right to be. At the pace we were going, a year more and it would have all come tumbling down.

Then the Sweeps began. Key figures on our side began to disappear – entire families. Whole clans were massacred; those who remained grew afraid, bitter – saw no purpose in living, let alone fighting for a better life.”

“How were they stopped?” Mary-Lou asked.

Irma laughed. “By their own. Shifter conservatives hired out human mercenaries, equipped them with the means to bring down their enemies and let them loose. When the job was done, when they deemed the opposition successfully subdued, the hired muscle was rounded up and publically executed for crimes against the Shifter race.”

Mary-Lou felt winded, ill to her very core. “I am guessing this is not the official story?”

“No. The official story is that our secret had been discovered by a militant group of humans who then decided to hunt us for sport.
Thankfully
, the Old Order was still strong enough to stop them, was still around to keep us safe from humans,” Irma grimaced, “
That
is what we were told to think.”

“And Wiley believed it,” Jonas growled. Mary-Lou tightened her fingers where they clutched at her mate’s, feeling his agitation rise. “He – God, he grasped at that bag of lies like a drowning man at a raft. Finally, he had someone to blame – something to fight. I tried to stop him, to make him
see,
but by then he had already met Joel.” Jonas shook his head.

“I never did learn how the two of them met,” he continued. “One day, Wiley returned home with a tall, blonde sixteen-year-old in toe, and that was that. Joel helped a lot of our kids – found them a home, work if they were old enough. I remember wondering what his angle was,” Jonas chuckled, “I am still not sure. My best bet is guilty consciousness; his parents were part of the Old Order, after all. Who knows how dirty their hands were, or how much Joel knew about it.

Whatever the case, Joel said the most conservative
bullshit
I had ever heard. Worse, Wiley actually listened to him – made
us
listen, the little ones too. I was fourteen then, Wiley was fifteen; still, I knew he was being made a fool. How could he, of all people, nod along when someone called human-borns
garbage
?” Disbelief still tinged Jonas’ voice, so many years later. Mary-Lou remembered his words to Wiley from a few weeks ago, remembered the same broken incredulity coloring blue eyes – the anger burning in a maddened black gaze.

“Harry,” she said, “Wiley’s little brother. He was human..Jonas nodded.  “I cannot forgive him,” he said. “Not Wiley, and especially not Joel. No matter what the Prince is singing now, I will always hear one tune.”

“The question is,” Irma said, “Can we afford to reject his aid?”

“What?” Katy spoke up, “You afraid the Princeling will come after us? Bah! I’d like to see him try!”

“You would not,” Irma’s voice was hard; Katy fell silent, face pink with embarrassment. Irma turned to Mary-Lou, “It is up to you, and Jonas, to decide this. Do remember, however, that your decision could affect your entire pack.”

Mary-Lou caught Jonas’ eyes, held them. Something shifted in the pained blue gaze; a moment later, Jonas nodded and turned to address their pack.

“Tomorrow, we meet with Joel as planned. If we find him sincere, we play along and accept his assistance. If not,” he trailed off, glanced toward Mary-Lou.

“If not, we drag the truth of whatever he is planning out for everyone to see.” Mary-Lou smiled. “It is difficult to pull the strings when your dolls have you tangled in them.”

Yet another sleepless night followed by a long, tense car ride. Mary-Lou rested her hand on Jonas’ thigh, squeezing gently. Jonas glanced away from the road for a moment to offer her a small smile, leg stilling its nervous jitter.

They had decided to go alone – just Mary-Lou and Jonas. The rest of the pack had left early this morning for the Cabin, passing by Emma and Ronald’s home on the way. They were to be all together, face whatever came against them as a family. It was their best bet at survival, in the face of an enemy they could not yet even see.

Jonas parked the car in front of a gray building in the center of the downtown area of their small town. Mary-Lou remembered it had been a post office once, then some kind of a department store. The gray structure had been empty for years – still seemed to be, with no sign above the main entrance or other cars parked in the large parking lot. Mary-Lou shared a look with Jonas as they walked through the glass double doors and up to a gray, metal elevator in an otherwise empty foyer.

“Fourth floor,” Jonas said. Mary-Lou nodded, steeling herself for a truly unpleasant encounter as the elevator closed around them.

The elevator doors opened again a short minute later. Fourth floor; Mary-Lou blinked, wondering if they had somehow switched buildings.

The hallway that stretched before them sparkled a pure, pearly white with the light of two heavy, crystal chandeliers. Plush, red carpet covered the floor, and several gold-framed paintings lined the walls. At the very end, two shifters in dove gray  suits stood before a large, ornate wooden door.

“Well,” Mary-Lou muttered, “This is certainly more Prince-like.” Jonas snorted something about kitsch beside her, and they made their way up to Joel’s bodyguards,  stifling laughter.

“This way, please,” one of the men offered without prompting. The other pushed the door open and led them into a brightly lit room of an even more flamboyant beauty. Mary-Lou was too stricken by the tasteless arrangement of purple settees, burgundy chaise, grandfather clocks and – was that a
piano
? – to notice the man leave.

She did, however, notice Joel. Who could miss him, in a bright-green suit and matching deep-green shoes? The fabric likely cost more than her apartment, Mary-Lou mused.

It did not make the clothing any less silly.

“Hello!” Joel boomed, spreading his hands in a theatric gesture of welcome, “I am happy to see you found the place easily .”

“We were eager to speak with you,” Mary-Lou replied with  a thin smile. “To discuss your offer at more length.”

“Offer?” Joel pursed  his lips, handsome face scrunching in mock confusion.  Mary-Lou felt a chill go through her, felt Jonas tense at her side. “Oh, of course!” Joel snapped his fingers, as if in discovery, and smiled – a slick, ugly thing. “I am afraid I will have to withdraw that for a wee bit.”

“Why?” Jonas ground out.

Another door opened, behind where Joel postured like a mad peacock. Mary-Lou took in a sharp breath, held it – exhaled as calmly as she could.

Wiley. They should have known.

Jonas, too, seemed far from shocked. Enraged, yes; surprised – not so much.

“What is the meaning of this?” the Lion Shifter demanded. Joel – and what was he, Mary-Lou wondered. Something sneaky, cowardly, she would bet – and simply smiled wider.

“You have some unfinished business with my friend here, it seems,” the Shifter Prince purred, “And as you well know, such things must be dealt with if one wants to remain in good standing before the Law.”

“A Law  you say you want to overthrow,” Mary-Lou reminded

.

Joel tutted. “Irrelevant, as it still stands. I cannot, in good consciousness, ally myself with a man who is for all apparent purposes a
criminal
before my Court.”

“So what do you suggest?” Jonas snapped. Wiley, so far silent, stopped grinning long enough to growl, “Finish the Challenge, right here, right now. And no more magic bullshit.” He leered at Mary-Lou, managing to appear both disgusted and grudgingly impressed.

Mary-Lou shivered with anger, felt a wave of warmth and light build in her body. It would be so easy, so terrifyingly simple, to have them slit each other’s throats – to will Wiley to tear Joel’s throat out, have the Prince’s bodyguards converge on the disorientated Wolf.

She shook her head; no. That way laid madness.

“Very well,” she said instead. When three disbelieving sets of eyes focused on her, she let herself smile. “However, we demand the match be held publicly.” Wiley raised his voice, the Prince opened his mouth; Mary-Lou spoke over them, confident in her knowledge, “We have a
right
to do so. We demand it.”

A brief, angry silence followed. “Fine,” Wiley spit out. The Wolf Shifter turned on a black-booted heel and disappeared the way he had come.

“Very well, my friends!” Joel’s smile was forced, stretched all wrong on his too-pale face. Mary-Lou wondered what else, besides  alcohol, the Prince used to chase the demons of his actions from his thoughts. “The Challenge will be held tomorrow, on neutral ground. I will make the announcement, you have my word.”

“Your word, my Prince,” Mary-Lou smiled, “Is a currency of unknown value.”

They were on each other the moment the front door of their apartment closed behind them. Mary-Lou pushed Jonas against the hallway wall – Jonas allowed her to push him, to press against him as if her body could contain, dominate his. She could. She would – if he wanted her to, if she let him want it. He bent his neck and took her lips, groaned to feel her hand press against where he strained, hard and full against his jeans.

“More,” he panted, or did she? Jonas kissed her neck, bit down the soft flesh in gentle nips and pushed large hands up the back of her shirt. Mary-Lou moaned in agreement, lowered the zipper of his pants and pressed inside, pushed aside the fold of his boxers to wrap her hand around him and tug—

A moment of disorientation, of hot
nothing
. Jonas found himself pinning Mary-Lou against the wall now, pressing sucking kisses against her exposed breasts. He did not remember lifting her blouse, did not remember pushing her dress pants down her long legs. Did not care, as the next moment had him grinding up, into her, both swallowing pleasure-filled cries.

Time sped, slowed after that – a cacophony of sensation, warmth and tightness and mindless lust. Mary-Lou pulled Jonas close to her, wrapped shaking legs around her mate’s hips as he thrust, thrust,
thrust
into her – each time deeper, sweeter, more intense. An orgasm shivered through; unprepared, Mary-Lou simply hung onto Jonas and
felt
, air heavy in her chest. Jonas slowed down in response, meaning to gentle her through the fall. Mary-Lou ground down and moaned, long and sweet, and smiled to hear her mate growl – to feel him tighten large hands against the flesh of her ass and
pull,
his cock still hard and heavy within her. Mary-Lou’s next moan was a scream, and the rhythm, the pleasure, the agonizing rightness build up again.

It was a long time until dawn.

Later, Mary-Lou lay in Jonas’ arms, body wet and supple in the aftermath of pleasure and a slow, shared bath. “We should tell the others we made it back,” she murmured.

“I texted Irma,” Jonas yawned.

“You
texted
my mother to tell her you are having another match to the death in the morning?” Mary-Lou exclaimed. Jonas’ sheepish
yes
was lost beneath her giggles.

“Good to hear you call her that,” Jonas offered after a moment. Mary-Lou stilled, mirth dimming as she considered the statement.

“Well, she is,” she sighed, “and you still should not have left her a message like that! I am surprised they haven’t—”

Just at that moment, the high, cheerful tune of her mobile pierced the quiet darkness of their bedroom. Mary-Lou rolled her eyes at Jonas’ shrug and rolled over, grabbing for her phone.