Lily and the Lion by Honey Phillips

Chapter Five

Leotra dropped quietly down through the branches of the tree, seeking the prey that would emerge in the shadowed time between sunset and full dark. The animals of the day were getting ready to retreat to their burrows while the nighttime prowlers were just beginning to emerge from their dens. A flash of movement caught his attention, and he pounced on a small marsupial, biting deep into the neck for a quick kill. Some of his acquaintances, including his own father, like to draw out the kill, but he had never really seen the appeal of torturing a frightened animal.

Using his knife, he quickly skinned and cleaned his catch, wrapping the flesh in more of the kani leaves just before the light faded completely. His night sight was still more than adequate for him to find his way back to Lily, even without the soft shimmer from the many bioluminescent plants that festooned the trees. He paused on the way to draw some sap from a moni tree into another leaf. It would serve to keep them hydrated until they reached another source of water. They weren’t far from a set of springs. He had originally intended to camp there tonight, but he had noticed that Lily’s steps were faltering and decided she needed to rest.

He wasn’t surprised when he returned to the hollow and found that she was asleep. He was tempted to let her remain asleep, but she needed to eat in order to keep up her strength. For a moment, guilt washed over him. Why was he keeping her out here? He should take her back to the lodge and all the comforts he could provide.

No.He needed to find out more about why she was here first. And… out here he had her all to himself. He liked that feeling, just as he liked knowing that he was the one providing for her. Not his staff or his credits or any of the resources he normally had at his disposal—just his teeth and his claws and his knowledge of the jungle.

He crouched down and ran a gentle finger down the silken curve of her cheek. Was all her skin that soft? Or were her breasts even softer? Or the hidden place between her legs?

Her eyelids fluttered open, and with his night vision he could see the deep blue of her eyes and the way her lips curved at the sight of him.

“Leo,” she whispered. No one had ever used a shortened version of his name before, but it sounded perfect coming from those rosy lips.

He opened his mouth to tell her so, then caught himself. If he revealed how much he understood, he would be forced into having a conversation he did not yet wish to have.

“Food,” he said instead.

He saw her eyes widen as she pushed herself upright.

“I knew it. You can speak words the translator recognizes. What language are you speaking? Do you know other people who come from space? From the sky?”

Even though he didn’t think she could see him very well, he kept his face impassive.

“Food.”

Her face fell, and the feeling of guilt resurfaced. It was not an emotion he enjoyed, so he did his best to push it aside as she crawled cautiously out of the hollow and looked around.

“Ooh, it’s so pretty. Like little candles in the trees.”

He suspected she would rather not know that the bioluminescence was specifically designed to trap the prey of the flowering plants.

As she crossed her legs and leaned back against the trunk, he could see a tantalizing little patch of red fur shielding her cunt and realized she must think herself safe in the darkness. But despite the accuracy of his night vision, he suddenly wished it was full daylight so he could see every perfect little detail. His mouth watered at the thought of exploring those delicate folds.

“Uh, Leo? Did you say something about food?”

The sound of her voice finally penetrated his lustful haze.

“Yes,” he said, then winced. He was revealing more knowledge about his ability to speak and understand than he had intended.

“Yes?” She laughed. “That’s a good word. Do you know no as well?”

Her tone was light, almost teasing, but somehow she managed to sound provocative as well and all of his suspicions came rushing back.

“Food.” His voice came out rougher than he had intended as he thrust the leaf in her direction. Fuck. She had him completely off of his usual game.

She took the leaf but gave the slab of meat a dubious look. He wondered how much could she see in the dim red glow.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me what this is?” She held up her hand before he could respond. “Please just don’t say food.”

“Tigal,” he responded, unable to keep a smug note out of his voice since he was certain the name of the animal would be meaningless to her.

She huffed, muttering under her breath. “Serves me right for asking.”

Poking the slab of meat with one finger, she shuddered. “Oh, God. Please tell me this isn’t just a raw steak.”

She looked up at him as she spoke, and he noticed her small blunt teeth again. Guilt immediately washed over him. He’d been so proud of himself for hunting for her, but he hadn’t taken into consideration her natural limitations. When he reached out to take the leaf back, she surprised him by trying to hang onto it.

“No, it’s all right. I don’t mean to complain—I know I need to eat something.”

He pulled out his knife and she shrank back, but he could see her glaring at him.

“Fine. I don’t think it’s very nice to taunt a girl with food and then take it away again.”

“Cut,” he said, sighing. He was expanding his vocabulary much quicker than he wanted.

Before she could ask any more questions, he began slicing the tigal meat into paper thin strips. As soon as he was finished, he pushed the leaf back towards her. She gave him a suspicious look.

“For keeps this time?”

“Yes,” he growled.

Despite her obvious desire for food, she still hesitated before picking up one of the thin slices, then popping it in her mouth. He could see the changing expressions play across her face, distaste followed by surprise followed by thoughtfulness.

“This is a lot better than I expected. I had steak tartare once when Barry was feeling generous and it’s kind of like that.” She took the second slice much more readily. “It could use a little salt, but it’s really good.”

Who was Barry, and why had he been feeding Leo’s female? He found himself growling before the full impact of his thoughts struck him. She was not his female, and her past was irrelevant.

Her eyes had widened again when he growled. “Am I eating too much? Are we supposed to be sharing this?”

“No.”

The worry disappeared from her expression, followed by a surprisingly provocative smile.

“So you know that word too. Which do you like better, Leo, yes or no?”

Under other circumstances he would have had a thousand witty, flirtatious remarks at his disposal but given his choice to limit his vocabulary, he didn’t have many options. Instead, he leaned forward and stroked his finger across the exact spot on her inner thigh where he had licked her earlier.

“Yes,” he growled, then sat back.

Her little pink tongue licked at her lips again, and her scent deepened, but then she lifted her chin and gave him a challenging look.

“I prefer no.”

Clever female. Under other circumstances, he would have continued the game, but he preferred games where he knew everyone’s motivation. He still was unsure of hers.

Instead, he picked up the carcass of the tigal and settled down to enjoy his own meal. Meat in its most basic form, fresh from the hunt, had fallen out of favor on Yangu. It was still a primary component of their diet, but it was sauced, spiced, smoked, and prepared in a thousand different subtle and enticing ways. He had forgotten the sheer pleasure of consuming his prey.

A hastily drawn breath made him look up to see Lily staring at him.

“I guess table manners aren’t big in the jungle, are they?”

He nearly laughed. His etiquette teacher would have been equally appalled.

“But I guess it’s not that much worse than seeing Dave attack a pile of barbecued ribs.”

Despite her attempt to sound nonchalant, he noticed she kept her eyes averted, and he suddenly found himself annoyed. He didn’t like her comparing him to another male, and he didn’t like the fact that she found him so uncivilized. He couldn’t wait to introduce her to the twenty pieces of required silverware in a formal Tajiri meal.

No.There would be no formal meal, and he wouldn’t be introducing her to anything. As soon as he found out why she was here, he would send her back the way she had come. He was still trying to come up with some feasible explanation for her presence when she spoke again.

“That was very good. Thank you.”

To his astonishment, she had consumed all of the meat and was patting her flat stomach with a lazy, satisfied expression. Would she look like that after sex? he wondered, and his shaft immediately responded. He sternly told it to behave—which had no visible effect—and reached for the moni sap.

“Drink.”

“Ah, a new word. I wonder how many you actually know.”

She sent him a challenging look, but he ignored it, simply holding out the cup-shaped leaf containing the moni sap until she took it from him. She took a sip, then smiled and took another.

“This is delicious. Almost like coconut milk.” A yawn interrupted her words, and she gave him a sleepy smile. “I’m sorry. I haven’t slept well in… a long time.”

He couldn’t resist. “Sleep.”

She laughed, moving back into the hollow in the tree. “Just you wait. I’ll have you up to fifteen words by tomorrow.”

She curled up, put her head on her arm, and almost immediately her breathing turned slow and even. He watched her sleep, feeling unexpectedly content. He had provided for her, and now she slept under his protection. It was surprisingly rewarding.

Eventually, he tore himself away and cleaned up the remains of their meal, tossing the few remaining scraps to some of the hungry plants on an adjoining branch. He left the moni sap to ripen overnight, then crawled into the hollow with her. She stirred as he pulled her into his arms, but he made a soothing sound, his chest reverberating against her back, and she soon settled down again.

Sleep did not come as easily for him. The feel of her soft body nestled against him, her lush hips cradling the erection he was completely helpless to control, was almost unbearably tempting. The irony of the situation did not escape him. If he had remained in his lodge, he would have had no difficulty finding a female to satisfy him—but back at the lodge, he’d had no desire for a female.

Be careful what you wish for, his grandfather had always said and as usual, his grandfather had been right.

But still, nestled here in the embrace of the tree with his female in his arms, surrounded by the sounds and scents of the jungle, he couldn’t regret the impulse that had driven him away from the lodge. Tomorrow, he would find out more about this mysterious female and if his suspicions proved to be correct… His fangs glinted in the soft glow of the flowers. He was going to have a lot of fun with her.