Lion Conquers All by Krystal Shannan

34

AARAV

Something changed.

He could feel her…more.

Aarav shoved his foot on the accelerator. He was close. Connie’s house was only a mile away now. He slowed for the turn onto her street and then again for her driveway. He barely shoved the car into park before he was out and running for the front door.

He turned the key and stepped inside.

A lioness.

She had shifted.

She was gorgeous.

His mate was standing on the couch. Pillows were on the floor. Blankets were everywhere. A lamp had been knocked over and there was glass from the broken bulb across half the room.

A smile attempted to curve the corners of his mouth, but he kept his face flat on purpose. She was worried and anxious and obviously having difficulty navigating with a very large, long body, and a tail.

“Shuarra.” He kept his voice soft. His eyes tracked through the kitchen. His note was crumpled on the floor and coffee was all over the window above the sink and dripping down the front of the counters.

Not everything had been positive for her this morning.

She made a low roar in her chest and looked at the glass on the floor. Then laid down on the couch and buried her face in the cushions.

“I can take care of that. It’s just a light bulb. It can be fixed.”

He went to her pantry, grabbed her broom and dustpan and swept up everything. She mostly kept her face hidden, but every so often he caught her watching him around her paw or the arm of the couch.

Aarav walked into the living room and squatted at the end of the couch where her head was once again shoved into the cushions to hide from view.

“You know I can still see you, right?”

The lioness chuffed out a heavy breath like she was annoyed. He couldn’t stop the smile that time. She wasn’t mad at him. Perhaps she had been. She had crushed the letter he’d left for her. But right now, she was embarrassed and anxious with a little thread of curiosity peeking through the emotional storm flowing through their bond.

“Can you shift, shuarra? I would very much like to speak with you. I have been going mad this past week with worry. You’ve been like the princess in that movie Naomi likes so much, the Sleeping Beauty lady. Except that my kiss wouldn’t wake you.”

Connie lifted her large head and laid her massive chin on the arm of the couch. She had the same large canine tusks he did, but not quite as big. The lines of her face were smoother and more streamlined. Her fur was the color of dry grass, a beautiful light, almost white-blonde. Her eyes were gold and brown and sparkled with the soul magick that now lived inside her.

“Think of yourself as a person. She will let you go.”

A few moments later Connie appeared. Aarav internally groaned at the sight of his naked mate. The curve of her breasts. The pink of her nipples. The swoop of her hips. But it was the lustful look in her gaze that completely did him in and hardened his cock to the point of pain.

“Thank you for cleaning up. I was worried I would hurt her if I stepped on the glass.”

He moved and sat on the couch next to her.

She didn’t flinch or move away from him. Both very positive. But she crossed her arms and curled into a tight ball while also eyeing the stack of throw blankets he’d made on the coffee table.

He grabbed a blanket and draped it over her body, only slightly sad that he couldn’t bathe in her naked beauty, but her comfort was more important.

Connie’s shredded clothes had been in the kitchen, and he’d thrown those into the trashcan. Later, he’d give her his charm so that wouldn’t happen to her again. He was perfectly capable of coping with undressing before shifting.

“She’s tougher than she looks, but I’m sure she appreciated your concern.”

He held out a hand and waited. Please touch me. He hoped beyond everything that she would. He would do whatever she asked, stay away, stay near, anything, but he wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t hope that she still wanted him as much as he wanted her.

She slipped an arm free from the blanket and tentatively placed her hand into his.

He put his other hand over hers and stroked her soft skin.

“Tell me. Please.”

She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t relax either. But he couldn’t leave this conversation for later. He needed to know what she was thinking and feeling beyond what he could decipher from their soul bond.

“I woke up normal. I smelled terrible. And my room smelled terrible.”

“Your sense of smell has changed drastically.”

She nodded and kept going. “I showered and then realized that my scars are all gone. How is that possible? Did the magick-benders do that? Did you ask them to while I was asleep?”

“No. I wouldn’t have done that. I wouldn’t have done anything without your knowledge and permission. I—”

“I believe you. I just needed to know if it was all connected to the marking bite or not.”

“It was. They said the magick was difficult for you and painful because of all your past injuries. Reylean magick heals us constantly. Keeps our cells younger, and stronger, and powerful. Scars form if we have devastating injuries, but eventually they fade completely. They are rarely permanent.”

“I remember feeling pain before I fell asleep. It was terrible.”

“I’m so sorry. Dyna and Mira put you into a sort of coma so that you would be more comfortable while the magick worked. It was the only thing they said they could do to mitigate your pain.”

“It did. I don’t remember pain after we….I don’t remember anything. I woke up thinking it had only been one day.” She squeezed his hand. “I was so hurt and angry when I read your note, but I’m glad you left it. And as scary as all these things are and being alone, I am glad you weren’t here. I needed that time in my own head.”

“I meant what I said in the letter. I—”

Her other arm came out of the blanket, and she put her fingers against his lips. He kissed them and couldn’t help but let his gaze caress over her bared shoulder.

“I believe you. I forgive you. Whatever you need to hear from me. You have it. Once I knew you hadn’t known… That all of this was a twist of fate no one could’ve seen coming, I knew I could survive this too. I could figure out how to live as a Reylean. I have you and the Tribe at my back. I don’t want to be without you or away from you or separated from you in any way. I will be happy, but only as long as I have you.”

Air rushed from his lungs like a tidal wave of relief, taking all his worry and anxiety and fear with it. She forgave him. She didn’t blame him. She still wanted him.

Nothing else in this life mattered but her.

He closed his fingers around her hand and pulled her closer, settling her on his lap, her bare legs straddling his hips. The blanket had completely fallen away, and she was glorious and beautiful and he couldn’t not kiss her in this moment.

She didn’t move.

Didn’t give any indication that she wasn’t okay with the direction he was leading her. Her brown eyes sparkled with gold and lust and challenge.

He cupped her face and pulled her closer, brushing his lips across hers, testing her response, giving her every opportunity to pull away. Every chance to change her mind. He should be taking this slower, but it wasn’t happening.

She didn’t pull away or hesitate and instead made the most beautiful needy noises in her throat. And he liked them.

A lot.

Aarav cradled her head. Locked his fingers into her hair, but again she whimpered and moaned and encouraged his behavior.

He pulled her firmly to his mouth, needing more pressure. More of her taste.

Her tongue slipped into his mouth.

He tried to slow the demanding need simmering inside him, but the kiss was rapidly escalating to an out-of-control level.

More. Mine. His beast growled inside his head.

Connie grabbed hold of his uniform and flattened her body to his, eliminating as much space as possible between them. Her thighs clenched tight around his hips and he could smell her arousal heavy in the air.

Any second he’d have her underneath him on the couch.

“I need to be inside you.”

“Do it,” she said. “Please.” She lifted her hips, and he shoved his pants down freeing his rock-hard erection. He leaned forward capturing a nipple in his mouth.

She arched her back, leaning into his mouth.

He switched to the other breast, releasing it moments later with a pop. Then stroked between her legs, pleased to see an expression of pleasure bloom across her face.

“Mmmhmm,” she hummed, her head lolling back.

His hands locked around her waist, and he pushed her down slowly, filling her inch-by-fucking-amazing-inch.

Her muscled clamped around him and she came with a high-pitched explosive cry.

Once she was breathing steadily again, he coaxed her into an up-and-down rhythm, guiding her hips to ride his cock. Their pace grew frantic until they were both groaning and grinding and then came again, but this time together.

Connie collapsed limply against his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder. He could hear and feel her heart racing.

They were both panting hard.

“I’m not done.”

“Good,” she said, a hint of humor and challenge lacing her playful tone.

Aarav wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled up his pants, and carried her to the bedroom. He dropped her in the center and then quickly stripped out of everything. A moment later he was on top and fucking her again.

“Aarav,” she moaned his name.

He’d never get enough of her. Ever. She felt so good. So right. So perfect.

Using his fingers between them, he pinched and manipulated her clit until she came again. But neither of them had any intention of ending there. She clung to him like he was the air she needed to breathe. Her hips rocked against his, begging for more.

He gave her a few more seconds to recover and then flipped her over, put a pillow beneath her hips and slid in again, but this time from behind.

“Mine.” He growled into her hair and nipped at her ear. He rocked his hips, trying different angles until he found what set her off.

The noises she made drove him crazy.

Aarav put his mouth on the mate mark and bit, but not enough to break the skin again. She responded immediately, her body clamping down and coming hard around him, driving them both into another release.

When they were done. They rolled to the side and laid there next to each other for a while, the sound of their heartbeats and breathing the only thing they could hear….until the sounds of several cars pulling into the driveway made them use a little energy, but only enough to lift their heads up high enough to peek out Connie’s bedroom window.

“Dammit.” Connie collapsed back against his chest, knocking him flat on the mattress. “I had at least one more round left in me.”

Aarav laughed, a deep satisfied belly laugh, and wrapped her tight in his arms. “Excellent, then they can wait on the porch for awhile.”

“Noooooo.” Connie slithered from his grasp and hurried into the bathroom. “I’m not seeing anyone like this. I smell like—how do you live being able to smell everything so strongly?”

He joined her in the bathroom, catching her as she stepped into the shower.

“I can tell them to leave, shuarra. We don’t have to let them inside.”

Connie cocked her head to the side like the thought hadn’t even occurred to her. “Oh, well, that...I want to see them, but—”

“You clean up and get ready for round two. I’ll tell them we’ll come see everyone tonight?”

“Round two? You mean like round four or five?” She was counting on her fingers with the water from the shower running over her body. Her skin glistened and her breasts were red from his attention and swollen and he wanted to suck on them again.

“Whatever round we’re on, I’m not quitting until you beg me to stop.”

The needy whimper she gave in response made him growl.

“Be right back.” He grabbed a towel from the shelf on the wall and wrapped it around his waist. People had already knocked on the door once.

Another round of rapping started before he reached the door.

He opened it and gave them an annoyed frown. “You could’ve called.” Katherine, Knox, Ava, and Ryder stood on the porch.

“We did.” Katherine tried to push into the house, but Aarav blocked her. Knox grabbed Katherine around the waist and hauled her back.

“We’re not going to interrupt them, love.”

Katherine sputtered a little, but finally stopped.

“How is she?” Ava asked, her tone genuinely filled with concern. Ava had known Connie the longest. Aarav had heard the story of how they met. How Connie found out about the Reyleans.

“She’s doing better. Adjusting.”

“I saw you speed past the Community Center earlier and I called Katherine to see if she knew if something had happened in town. And then we figured it must’ve been Connie.”

“We tried to talk them out of coming over here.” Ryder checked his watch. “We held them off almost two hours.”

Aarav smiled at the wolf. “Thank you. The time was much appreciated. Connie does want to see you all, but not at this precise moment.”

“Dinner?” Ava asked. “The weather is nice out. We’re doing a barbecue at the cabins. Do you think she’d be up for coming? Tell her she doesn’t have to bring anything.”

“Yes.” He stepped back to close the door. “We’ll see you at dinner.”

The water had shut off in the bathroom. His mate’s break time was up and he was quite sure they both would be famished by the time dinner rolled around.

“Are they gone?” Connie called out from the bedroom.

He jogged down the hallway and stopped in her doorway.

Connie was on the bed. On her back. Her legs were spread and she was touching herself. Whatever part of his cock had not been already hard with anticipation, it was hard now.

He stalked toward the bed. “That’s mine.” He was staring at her pussy and her fingers and hearing her little moans of pleasure.

“Mmmm, yes, it is.” Her voice was sultry and daring and flirty and he loved it. She had always been confident and strong, but now it was shining out of her so much more.

“I’m the luckiest male on this planet. You know that, right?”

Her eyes went a little glassy. “But I’m the one that’s lucky. Fate gave me you. And you waited for me. No one else would’ve ever waited like you did.”

“Always, shuarra. It was never a question for me.”

“That’s why I fell in love with you even though I fought not to.”

“I fell in love with you a little more each day. And now I get to show you every day for the rest of our lives.”

“Please.” Her body shivered. Anticipation burned in her gaze.

He crawled up between her legs and delivered on his promise.