Alpha Lion: BBW Lion Shifter Paranormal Romance (14 page)

“Okay?” Dale asked her as he came up.

I will be once this is over
, Sam thought. “Just fine,” she said, smiling at him. “Everyone’s being really nice.”

“Everyone’s a little freaked out that Freddie
bit
her,” David said. “Did he do it on purpose?”

“I couldn’t say, and I was right there when it happened,” Dale said. “She was trying to get away from him, and he shifted.”

“More likely to be an accident,” Lynn said. “Freddie wouldn’t have any reason to want Sam to turn.”

“Chapman wouldn’t, you mean,” Dale said. “He wants Sam and me out, not in.”

“So you guys are like...a package deal, then?” Bruce glanced back and forth between them.

Dale put an arm around Sam’s shoulders and tugged her into his side. “Sam’s my mate,” he said.

“I thought you didn’t believe in that stuff,” Tammy said, her eyebrow arching up again.

“Turns out I was wrong,” Dale said solidly. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“Huh,” said Joyce. “You know, your father would never have said that in a million years.”

“Thank you, Joyce.” Dale gave her his almost-smile, just the overall brightening of his face. Sam realized with some startlement that she hadn’t seen it in days; Dale had been smiling broadly and brightly at her ever since they’d realized they were mates.

Even though the field was a bit windy and chilly, she felt warmed through at that.

Then a ripple went through the lions, all of them turning their heads toward the makeshift parking lot. Sam turned around slowly, already knowing what she was going to see.

Sure enough, Chapman was getting out of his silver BMW. He slammed the door, did up the button on the jacket of his expensive suit, and started through the grass toward them.

Dale moved to stand in front of Sam as he came closer, and it made her feel a little better about having to see him again. Not much, though; she just wished he would disappear from the face of the earth, so that she’d never have any chance of seeing him ever again.

Instead, he came closer and closer until he was standing face-to-face with Dale. He wasn’t looking at him, though; he was looking past him at Sam. “You got lucky today,” he said.

Dale snarled at him, a very animal sound even from his human throat. “Don’t talk to her.”

“You didn’t,” Sam said back to Chapman. “And it’s about to get even worse.”

Chapman growled and took a step forward; Dale growled back and put up his hands—and Lynn stepped between them, a hand on each of their chests.

“Save it for the circle,” she said, and pressed them apart.

They each stepped back, growling low in their chests, and Sam looked at Lynn with renewed respect.

Lynn was almost a foot shorter than both Dale and Chapman, but they both listened to her, even though they wanted nothing more than to fight each other. Sam wanted to be able to command that much respect someday.

“What time is it?” Dale asked.

“It’s three fifty-five,” Joyce said.

“Cutting it close, Chapman,” Dale said.

“Dale, enough,” said Lynn. “Take five minutes with your mate, and you can bring it all to the circle.”

Once again, Dale listened, and came over to Sam, while everyone else moved across the field toward the circle.

Dale cupped her face. “You’re worried.”

“Only a little bit,” Sam confessed. “I know you’re better than he is. I’m just afraid he has another trick up his sleeve, or that there’ll be some fluke accident.” She shook her head. “I really want to be part of this pride, and I respect your customs, but...God, this is a stupid way to decide on leadership.”

Dale laughed softly. “I know,” he said. “It is. But it’s going to work in my favor this time, and remember, Lynn and I are pretty progressive. We’re working on moving the pride into the future, and you can help us with that from now on. The way everyone was acting around you earlier—I don’t think you have to worry about being accepted.”

“You have to win this first.” Sam was a little surprised at the hint of command in her voice.

“Yes, ma’am.” Dale bent his head and kissed her softly, and then turned and strode towards the circle.

Sam watched him walk tall and proud, hugging herself around her middle, praying that everything would work out all right.

“Come on,” said a voice next to her, and she jumped. It was Lynn. “Quit worrying. You won’t be able to see anything from all the way over here.”

Sam smiled, relieved. “Thanks for stopping them earlier,” she said, as she followed Lynn towards the circle.

“Don’t thank me for doing my job,” Lynn said. “Sometimes alpha males can lose their brains a little bit. It’s up to us to keep them on track and taking care of business. That’s one of the alpha lioness’s most important jobs.”

“I’m not the alpha lioness, though,” Sam pointed out.

Lynn looked at her. “Not yet. But I can see what’s coming. If Freddie’s bite doesn’t change you, you’ll be going through all the rigmarole it takes to volunteer for a bite, won’t you?”

Sam hesitated, then nodded. “This is what I want.” She twisted her arm automatically to look at the cut, which was just a scabbed-over scratch by now. “Dale said it takes a long time.”

Lynn nodded. “Months at least, if it even happens. Getting a unanimous vote out of this crowd is nearly impossible, although maybe it’ll be easier once Chapman’s out of here. Assuming Dale wins, you might be able to turn his success into a successful petition.”

Sam nodded, making a mental note. “I guess this whole mess with Chapman might end up being for the best, no matter what happens. If Dale wins.”

“I’ll just be happy not to have to look at Chapman’s simpering face every again.” Sam was surprised at how vehement Lynn sounded. “Anyway, once you turn, I’ll take you on and teach you the ropes. I won’t be sorry to give up the position as pride social secretary, believe me.”

Even under the circumstances, Sam had to smile a little bit at that. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“There’s some responsibilities you’ll have to pry from my cold, dead hands,” Lynn said. “But I think you’ll do a better job at wrangling the cubs than I do. You were good with that little idiot Dawn, today.”

“Thanks,” Sam said, knowing that Lynn didn’t give out compliments lightly.

She knew all of this was still dependent on the outcome of the fight…but it was good to talk about it as though it was all assured.

Lynn nodded firmly, and then they were at the circle and they both fell silent.

Dale and Chapman were standing at opposite ends, in human form. It was a huge circle, marked out in paint on the grass; it looked like plenty of room to fight in, even for a pair of lions.

Lynn stepped over the edge and strode out to the middle of it. “It’s time,” she proclaimed loudly. “Will the challenger name himself.”

Chapman lifted his chin. “I, Alan Chapman, challenge Dale Addison for the alpha position in this pride.”

“I accept your challenge, Alan Chapman,” Dale said, loudly and clearly.

“The challenge has been witnessed,” said Lynn. “You will fight each other until one lion surrenders, leaves the circle, is killed, or remains pinned for a count of ten.” She paused, looked each of the men in the eye, and said, “Begin,” and shifted, and bounded out of the circle.

There were a series of blurs in the corner of Sam’s eye, and when she looked around, every person on the field had shifted into lion form, and she was the only human standing there.

Lynn took up position next to her, sitting on her haunches with her eyes fixed on the circle.

Dale and Chapman had both shifted, too. Dale’s lion form was branded into Sam’s memory from the night they’d met—big and golden, with a long mane and a power, muscled form. Now that there were lions all around her, she could see that Dale was noticeably the biggest of them all.

Right now, he was stalking around the edges of the circle, eyes following Chapman, who was doing the same on the other side.

Chapman wasn’t much smaller than Dale, but his mane was shorter and more brindled, alternating pale fur with a dark golden-brown. As he drew closer to where Sam and Lynn were standing, Sam could hear him growling under his breath.

Sam wished desperately that she could shift; she wanted to be with the rest of the pride in this moment, not standing alone as a human, watching her mate risk his life.

She reached out a tentative hand and put it on Lynn’s shoulder; Lynn immediately leaned into it, shifting closer, and Sam spread her fingers through Lynn’s fur and breathed a little more easily.

Suddenly, so quickly that Sam couldn’t tell which one of them moved first, Dale and Chapman leapt toward each other. They clashed in the center of the circle, both growling so deeply Sam could feel the noise vibrating her bones.

They bit at each other, and Dale swiped at Chapman with a paw, pushing him back a few steps.
Chapman came right back, though, teeth bared, and snapped at Dale’s face.

Then they were up so close together that their manes blended, locked in too tight for Sam to see what was going on. She held her breath.

When they separated, they each had a line of blood shining brightly against their fur; Dale on his shoulder, Chapman on his cheeks. They backed up again and stalked each other some more, tails lashing.

Chapman was the next to attack; he rushed Dale, clearly hoping to push him out of the circle. Dale darted to the side, though, and Chapman had to quick-reverse to keep from running right over the painted line.

Sam bit her fist.

Dale reared up on his hind legs and came down hard as Chapman backed up. He roared as he landed, and the sound ripped through the air, echoing over the hills; Sam felt herself tearing up, though she couldn’t have said why, exactly.

Dale’s claws ripped gashes in Chapman’s side, and as Chapman shied backwards, Dale leapt on him, knocking him over. They rolled on the grass, growling and snapping.

Suddenly Dale let out a roar of pain, and Sam squeaked out an involuntary noise, and then bit down harder on her fist. Chapman had bitten down on his hind leg, and wasn’t letting go.

For a second, Sam wasn’t sure how Dale was going to get out of it, but then Dale’s teeth snapped down on Chapman’s ear, and Chapman howled and pulled back, until they were again yards apart, stalking each other.

Chapman’s ear was bloody, but Dale was limping a little. Sam wondered again how much martial arts talent
really
translated from human to lion.

Chapman seemed more confident, growling in his chest and making a few feints here and there. Dale shied back a few steps, and then another few steps, and Sam felt cold fear wash over her—what if he was really hurt? What if this was it?

Chapman feinted again, and again—and then, almost too quickly for Sam to realize what was happening, he gathered himself and pounced.

As Chapman crouched and leapt, Dale flickered to human and fell backwards. Sam leaned forward, mouth open—
what was wrong with him—

But Dale shifted back to lion instantly, now lying on his back. And in a very human-looking move, Dale propelled Chapman over, using the momentum from his own pounce.

Chapman landed awkwardly on Dale’s other side, stumbled, and fell, and Dale was on him in a flash.

Chapman flailed with his paws, but Dale’s teeth closed over his throat before he could move, and he froze. Lynn shifted to human immediately, and called out, “One. Two.”

She kept counting, and Sam watched Dale’s jaw muscles as his teeth pressed into Chapman’s throat. They twitched, surely tempted to close. But he stayed absolutely still, while Chapman’s tail lashed and Lynn kept counting. “Six. Seven.”

At, “Eight,” Chapman stopped caring about Dale’s teeth and gave an enormous heave of his body, trying to throw Dale off with all his strength. His powerful hind legs struggled, swiping at Dale’s stomach.

Dale slammed him back flat, jaw tightening, as Lynn said, “Nine.” Chapman froze.

Finally, Lynn said, “Ten.” And Dale relaxed his jaw and stepped backward.

“The challenger has lost,” Lynn announced. “Dale Addison remains alpha.” And she shifted, and suddenly the entire pride roared in unison.

Sam gasped at the sound, tears springing to her eyes with how loud it was. She could feel it in her entire body; it was impossible to think about anything but the sound.

Eventually, it died away. And then Dale paced forward, out of the circle, and shifted to human.

In a ripple across the field, everyone shifted with him, until Chapman was the only remaining lion, still lying on the ground.

A long, silent minute later, he pushed himself to his feet and shifted as well. His suit was ragged, and his hair was in messy disarray, and one of his ears was bleeding copiously.

Sam looked over to Dale, and saw that he had bloody teethmarks in his right calf. She hoped there was a good way for shapeshifters to get medical care.

“
You
,” Chapman said, and Sam realized he was talking to her.

He stalked to the edge of the circle, and took a final, deliberate step over it, and came right up to her face. “You bitch. If it weren’t for you—”