Mated to a Lion

Page 2

My father came over as I dropped to the ground and sighed heavily. I still needed to shift back but it was going to hurt. Dad went to one knee beside me.

"Going to shift?" I sighed again and shifted to human. I gave a whine then rolled to my back. "Are you alright?" he asks. I look over and see him staring lower at my body. I lifted up and looked. Blood coated my thighs and trailed into the grass.

"Do I look okay? Where's the doctor?" dad waved and the leopard female came over. I didn't care that I was out for everyone to see as she examined me. My mate came over his face was completely passive. Dad looked up at him.

"This was unnecessary." Darius ignored him. The doctor smiled at me and I was given a blanket to lay over me by a member of my dads pack. She looked up at Darius.

"She'll be healed in a day but I want her to be untouched for two. She's to be off her feet for the next twenty four hours." she stood glaring at him. "You ripped her badly." the shaman stepped closer.

"Did she submit willingly or did you force her to?" the shaman asked. Darius finally spoke. His voice was deeper than I remembered.

"It doesn't matter. The rules only say that she must submit."

"Forcing her is rape." my father says growling at him.

"Either way she is mine." he scooped me up from the ground and headed for his truck.

"Hey, my dads got my bag and I want to say goodbye at least."

"If you forced her, true she is yours, but she gets recompense for you hurting her." I'm sat in the truck. "Ann what do you want?"

"I want to be free but since I know that's not possible how about he names me queen." I see Darius frown.

"That's not possible you aren't a lioness."

"So what. If I'm going to be stuck to you I want the power to make it worth it." I looked at the shaman.

"It's within her rights. You have no choice." he tells Darius. I smile smugly.

"Fine. That requires us to get married not just be claimed." I nodded.

"Let me get your bags." Darius waits impatiently as dad goes to his car and gets my two suitcases. I give dad a hug and that's it. I'm off to a new life that I didn't want. I looked at the male in the back seat and smiled. He wasn't as tall as Darius' six four. He had dirty blond hair and honey eyes.

"So what's your name?"

"I'm Lio."

"Nice to meet you Lio. So does the pride know that he was doing this?"

"Yes. They already know he won you and are waiting at the main house to greet you."

"Do I get a shower and clothes first?" I ask laughing.

"Sure, they'll probably start plying you with food and all kinds of things as soon as you get there."

"So why hasn't Darius mated before this?" I ask him. He gives a glance to Darius who doesn't even bat an eye. Was he asking permission to answer that?

"He did." Lio answers me making my eyebrows fly up.

"What?" I turned to look at my new mate.

"He mated straight out of high school."

"What happened to them?" only death would have him single again.

"Alan died in childbirth. He'd fallen down the stairs at the main house. The babies died with him." Darius' jaw was clenched tight and his hands gripped the steering wheel with a vice like grip. No wonder he was such a prick. He'd lost his mate and unborn child. That would change anyone. It didn't excuse his behavior though. "I got the impression you weren't so happy that he was the one who won you." Lio says.

"Considering he's a jerk, no I'm not so happy. I wasn't too worried about him winning. As big as he is and as little stamina that Lions have I was sure that he'd get hung up on the hills and have to give up."

"He might not have the stamina to run full out for long periods but he's got the ability to go farther if he paces himself." I looked at Darius he'd relaxed again and was just watching the road.

"Is he normally this silent?" I ask Lio.

"No. He's just tired. Maybe a little grumpy since you aren't overflowing with happiness to be his mate."

"It's not all against him. I'd have been grumpy no matter who won. Though his treatment of me at the mating didn't win him points.

"The point was to win you and get you to submit. I wasn't going to give you up because your puppy wasn't happy I wasn't going all soft for her."

"Why bother? You and I haven't gotten along, ever. So why work so hard to win me?"

"Because with you comes a tie to the dogs who have a border to my lands that is almost a third of what I control. With you as mine your father will be more interested in being my ally then fighting with me."

"What have you done to secure the other two thirds of the border?"

"One side is the town which, per Were rules is neutral. Another section is secured because my beta mated their alpha's only child. By the way my beta," His second who stood beneath him in hierarchy and helped protect the pride, "is a female. She's the one who isn't going to be happy to have some dog as her queen. I won't stick up for you. If your going to be taken seriously as queen you have to put her in her place on your own." I nodded.

"Who else is on the border?"

"The last section is the one we have trouble with. It's a group of Bears who don't like me."

"Why don't they like you?"

"Because Alan was one of them and they blame me for his death." he says as he takes a turn heading for the prides main house. I knew where it was I'd visited with my father before.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I hope that you'll find some happiness in our children. No doubt after our mating during the heat I'm pregnant." he actually smiled finally.

"I've wanted family of my own since I was a boy. Children are something I'm going to enjoy having lots of." he glanced at me. "Do you have any objections to a large family?"

"I have objections to the pain of childbirth. Eventually I'll not want to do it again. I'll let you know when that happens." he nods. The main house was full of activity. I knew that the paved drive stopped here but two gravel roads headed off into surrounding woods where pride members houses were. I wasn't sure how big the pride really was. Groups kept their true numbers a closely guarded secret for the safety of pregnant ones and young.

"How many are in the pride?" I ask.

"Thirty six at the moment. We've another to arrive in about a month." Feline gestation was the same as canine for Were's. four to five months depending on the size of the litter you had.

"How many are kids?"

"Fifteen. They range in age from seventeen to six months old." Lio told me. I looked at Darius.

"Not going to tell me about them yourself?" I ask. He glances at me as he slides out of the truck.

"That's why I brought Lio. I don't like to chat. He's good at it." Lio goes around and gets my door while Darius picks me up. I'm smiled at and waved too as he carries me in. He has to stop in the hall as people crowd around.

"Alright, quiet." he shouts. They go silent and wait. "Obviously I won. This is Ann. Ann your new pride. They can introduce themselves after your bath. All of you go out back and get the grill started. It's past lunch and I'm starving. Make sure you get the cheesecakes out of the freezer or they wont' be ready in time for dinner." they all grin and chat as they head outside.

"They're friendly, despite having you as their King." he gives me a glance but doesn't say anything.