When a Beta Roars (14 page)

It seemed arrangements had already been made with the motel because Hayder produced a keycard and let them into a room on the ground floor.

He didn’t set her down until he’d kicked the door closed, but even then, he kept his arms loosely looped around her.

“Hop into bed, and I’ll tuck you in,” he murmured.

Bed? No way. She wasn’t that tired anymore, not now that they’d finally gotten somewhere private, with a bathroom. “I need a hot shower.”

She didn’t bother to extend him an invite. She trusted her striptease as she sashayed toward the only door in the room would prove enticement enough. It was.

As she was bent over the tub, turning on the faucet and triggering the pin to get the showerhead going, he came up behind her.

Naked.

Very naked, and aroused.

His hands burned the skin of her hips where he placed them. The molten length of his shaft pressed against the crease of her buttocks. When she straightened, she leaned back into him, loving the solid strength of his chest at her back, the soft brush of his lips across the top of her head, the sensual slide of his hands across her stomach.

“Now that we’re alone, am I allowed to admit I was scared?” His words surprised her.

“You? Scared? Of what? You clearly outmatched those men.”

He spun her in his arms. “Bah. I wasn’t scared of those fools. I was scared for you. When I realized they had you…” He cupped her chin in his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek. “I don’t know if I could handle losing you.”

His admission triggered one of her own. “I don’t think I could handle losing you either. I’ve become a little fond of you.”

“Only a little?” he teased.

An impish smiled curled her lips. “What was I thinking using the term little? Nothing about you is little.” She curled her hands around his length and squeezed it.

He sucked in a breath. “And to think I thought you were shy.”

“Not shy. Just hiding. But I’m done with that. Say hello to the new, bolder me.” The new bolder her tugged him by the dick until he clambered into the shower with her. The warm water sluiced their skin, rinsing them, but even better, it made him slick.

She craned on her tiptoes for a kiss, meshing her lips to his in a hot fusion of passion while her hand gripped and stroked his erection.

Their tongues dueled for dominance, and while no clear winner emerged, it left them both aroused and panting.

His hands cupped her bottom, his callused thumbs stroking the skin and sending jolts of awareness zinging through her. But this time wasn’t going to be just about her.

For a selfish lion, Hayder had given quite a bit of himself to her. He gave her pleasure. He gave her understanding. He helped her find her true self. The real Arabella. Now she wanted to give something back.

She dropped to her knees and brought herself eye level with his shaft.

He groaned even before she brought her mouth close. “Baby, what are you doing?”

She answered by taking the rounded head of his cock into her mouth and sucking. A nice long suck. A tremor went through him, and his fingers threaded through her damp hair.

She took him deeper, suctioning his length, reveling in the steel-wrapped-in-velvet skin. Everything about Hayder was strong. Including his desire for her.

Guess what, though, her need was just as powerful.

She spent a few minutes on her knees, pleasuring him with her mouth, bringing him to the edge, feeling him pulse in her mouth. When he got too close, she stopped, drew back, and blew on him, soft puffs of air that still made him shudder.

As she worked his long cock, her hands kneaded his sac, massaging it and rolling it through her fingers until he growled in warning, “Baby.”

I think I’ve tortured him, tortured us both, enough.

She stood and meshed her mouth to his, even as his hands spanned her waist and he hoisted her. Against the cool tile wall he leaned her, the fever of her skin not quelled at all but, rather, enhanced.

He drew his hips back, far enough that the head of his cock nudged at her sex. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she drew him to her and, in doing so, sheathed him into her body.

He let out a long sigh as his molten length sank deep, and she couldn’t help but make a sound herself, a rumble of pleasure as her channel tightened around him.

Together, they rocked and ground their hips together, not quite thrusting, but who needed a hard pounding when he could swirl and push and grind against her? Whatever the motion, the angle and his length meant delicious friction within, a tapping of a spot she’d thought myth.

She clawed at his shoulders as the tension within her built. And built. All her muscles tightened, especially her sex. The quiver of her channel proved too much for him.

He groaned as he shoved as deep as he could and held himself there, held himself within her as his hot seed spilled. The pulsing of his cock was enough to trigger her own orgasm.

She cried out his name as she came. “Hayder.”

He groaned, and as she pulsated around his shaft, he withdrew and slammed back. In and out. In and out, drawing out her orgasm and building it again at the same time.

However, it was his whispered, “Mine,” just before he clamped his teeth on the soft flesh of her shoulder that made her come again—and while in the throes, she bit him back.

Claimed.

Joined.

Forever.

But she wasn’t afraid of commitment. Not afraid to live. Not anymore. Not ever again.

It was a week after the whole wolf challenge fiasco, and the pride had made its way back home where a celebration ensued. They celebrated victory. They toasted their beta’s new claimed status. They fist pumped Arabella’s victory over the wolves.

Poor Arabella, though, didn’t get to keep her alpha status for long. The Lycan Council, rather than face the embarrassment of having a woman lead a pack, disbanded it and sent its member off to merge with other groups.

Not that Arabella cared because, as she claimed, “There’s better shopping around here.”

The attacks on her stopped after the battle, and to ensure they wouldn’t resume, Hayder made it known that he’d not only claimed her sweet ass—in every position, room, and way possible—but that she’d also written a will leaving her entire fortune, in the case of her demise, to a charity that helped battered women rebuild their lives.

However, these precautions didn’t mean Hayder wasn’t vigilant. He’d found something precious in Arabella, and he never wanted to see it come to harm.

As Arabella towel dried her hair, Hayder grabbed his body spray and spritzed. Head to toe.

Achoo
!
Achoo
!
Achoo
!
Achoo
!

On and on she went while Hayder stared at his spray then her. When she finally stopped, red eyed, with a towel pressed to her face, he couldn’t wait to tell her the news.

“Baby, you’re not allergic to me. Well, you are, but not really. It’s the body spray!” Shaking the bottle, he grinned.

She glared.

He grinned wider and totally didn’t flinch when she growled and punched him. Any show of spirit was cause for celebration. As she stalked from the bathroom, he admired beauty of her heart-shaped ass before tossing the spray into the trashcan. He’d have to switch to a different brand and get all his stuff washed because he’d wager traces of his signature scent clung to the fabric in his place.

But he’d do it, and soon too. Anything for his baby.

He delayed following Arabella, jumping into the shower so he could scrub the offending scent from his skin. When he emerged, wet and squeaky clean, he went looking for her.

Utterly naked and gorgeous, she sat on a stool eating some crispy bacon from a breakfast tray sent up from the pride’s kitchen.

Before he could steal a piece, she growled. “Don’t touch my bacon.”

“Or else?”

She spun on the stool, fast and smooth. In a single heartbeat, she had her hand clamped around his dick.

This was promising.

“If you eat my bacon, I won’t use you for dessert.” She gave him a squeeze.

“But if I eat it, you’ll punish me. And since you’re naked, and I’m naked…” He waggled his brows.

She laughed, a free and pure sound that never failed to enchant him. He hoped to hear it a lot in the future, and he looked forward to seeing more of the teasing in her eyes and the smirk on her lips.

Arabella had found her wolf, and her pride. She’d also discovered one other important thing. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“Of course you are. Which is why you’re going to marry me and live happily ever after.”

“Did it ever occur to you to ask instead of tell me?”

“No.” Asking meant giving her a chance to say no, and he’d already booked them a honeymoon on a tropical beach—a topless one,
rawr
!

“If we’re going to get married—”

“What do you mean if?” he protested. “We’re already mated.”

“Yes, but marriage is a legal and binding contract, which means we should have some ground rules.”

“Are you dictating to me, baby?”

“I am totally”—she stroked her hand back and forth on his shaft—“dick-tating to you. Are you listening?”

Uh. What? Dammit. He tried to focus. “Listening and obeying. Your wish is my command.” Maybe she’d wish for some oral. He loved to lap at her cream.

“Rule one. Don’t touch my bacon. Or chocolate. Or basically anything I’m eating or might want to eat.”

“Hold on, does this mean I can’t masturbate anymore? Because we both know you like eating that.”

How he loved her red cheeks. “Hayder!” And the shocked tone. Even better, he smelled her arousal.

“So was that a yes or a no on the whole touching myself thing?”

Her answer was a growl as she pounced on him. He caught her with ease but still allowed himself to stumble back until his legs hit the couch. He dropped down onto it, with her on his lap. Straddling him.

He reached to brush her dark hair back, his gaze caught by the serious expression in hers.

“I’ll give you my heart and soul for whatever thought is running through your head.” Screw a penny. Go big or go home.

“I was thinking how much my life has changed.”

“For the better of course.”

She laughed. “Of course. As if your ego would allow for anything else.”

“I’d do anything for you, baby.” Including walking away from the fight for pack alpha so that she could realize she didn’t need him or anyone else to win her battles.

“I know you would. Oh, what the hell, I’ll marry you. And I’ll even share my bacon because you know what? I love you.”

Good thing he was already sitting. She definitely stole the strength from him in that moment. Felled the mighty lion with words.

And he had fallen, hard and fast, for the brave woman who’d gone through so much and now came out of her shell, still fragile in some ways but strong as hell in others.

Together, as a team, he’d show her how to battle the demons that haunted her. They’d take on the world. As mates, they’d share a grand love and passion that would bring her happiness for the rest of their lives, and woe to anyone who dared to interfere.

We’ll tear their heads off.

Rawr
.

*

A few weeks later...

“Heads up! Or is that heads down?”

Thunk.

Either way it didn’t matter. Leo caught the Frisbee with his noggin, which, given he was in the lobby of the condo complex, didn’t impress him one bit. Some might have acted on that irritation—like gone after the Frisbee tosser and scalped her. Others would have engaged in an unladylike tussle. But as the pride’s omega, he had a certain standard to adhere to. Leo let the irritation roll off his really wide—so wide the college football coach almost cried when he wouldn’t play—shoulders.

He kept walking toward the elevator, which happened to be where the purple disc landed.

An unfamiliar scent—feline and delicious—surrounded and then brushed past him as a woman skipped past him, intent on the Frisbee. The blonde, whom he didn’t recognize, stooped over to grab the plastic disk, her cropped athletic shorts molding every curve of her made-for-gripping ass and nibble-worthy thighs.

Everything about her was big, bold, and luscious.

Yummy.
And it wasn’t just his inner beast that thought so.

Who is this delicious handful?
He didn’t recall meeting her, and he certainly wouldn’t have forgotten her.

The unknown woman straightened and faced him, and by face him, he meant almost eye to eye, which was unheard of, given he was close to seven feet. Yet this woman, with the wicked curves, must have stood at least six foot one or a touch more.

She wasn’t dainty, not by any stretch, not with the way her impressive breasts strained at her T-shirt, distorting the cartoon on it that said, Delicate Freakn’ Flower. Her indented waist was accented by the flair of her hips. The quirk of her lips matched the mirth in her eyes.

While not a man prone to strong emotion, Leo was suddenly possessed of a powerful urge to drag this woman into his arms and…do decadent things that would get even his steady heart racing.

“Well, hello there, big fellow. I don’t think we’ve met.”

Indeed they hadn’t, or he would have remembered her—and remembered to avoid her because anyone could see by the saucy tilt to her hips and the appraising look in her eye that she spelled trouble.

Leo didn’t do trouble. He preferred calm moments. Serene outings. Quiet evenings. Very quiet. A quiet she disrupted with her Frisbee antics, so he took her to task. “You’re not supposed to play Frisbee inside. It’s one of the association rules.” He’d know. He’d helped draft them. Leo liked rules, and he expected people to follow them. When any group of predators lived in close proximity, keeping hot tempers under control was important, hence his job to enforce the rules and keep the peace.

“No playing inside either?” Her lower lip jutted. “Do you know I got in trouble by a nice policeman for playing on the street? If I can’t play inside and I can’t play outside, where is a girl supposed to play?”

Upstairs, eleventh floor, condo unit 1101. His bedroom had plenty of room. Of course, the sport he pictured didn’t involve any props. Nor did it include any clothes. But telling her she could play with him naked probably wasn’t the answer she looked for. “We don’t play in the city. Not enough room. That’s what the ranch is for.”

“Ah, the farm. That place still around? Awesome.”

“You know of it?” He frowned. While not a closely guarded secret, only approved shifters were allowed on the property. “Who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I visited. That’s what happens when a girl gets banned for a few years because of a silly misunderstanding.”

Banned? Wait a second. He did know who this was. He’d heard Arik say something about a cousin on his father’s side visiting for a bit. She needed to hide out while some kind of scandal blew over. “You’re that troublemaker from out West, aren’t you?”

“Me, a troublemaker? No, that’s my sister, Teena. I’m Meena, her twin, more commonly known as catastrophe. But you can call me your mate.”

And with that, she flung herself on him and planted a big, juicy smooch on his lips.

The End…

…of Hayder and Arabella’s story, but the fun continues in A Lion’s Pride series with Leo’s story, ,
When an Omega Snaps
.

Author’s Note:

Thank you so much for reading my lion story. I had so much fun writing it as I adore furry heroes that
roar
! If you have a moment, I would love it if you left a review. To check out more of my books, please visit my website at
EveLanglais.com
or join my
mailing list
for new releases and awesome specials
.

Thank you for reading.

~ Eve Langlais