Her Billionaire Lion: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Leo Read online

“Tonight?” The man seemed to choke.

  “Too soon? Perhaps you can tell me when you think you’ll be ready. You have the first week to initiate your challenge. Either way, you have a week to be packed and get your affairs in order. As you are concerned by Foniás, you will be permitted to stay out the Leo rule at the Isle of Proávlio tis Koláseos.” The name translated into English as Island of Limbo. The basic shacks for lodging, supplies for fishing, and a natural spring in the center of the island allowed for the rudimentary needs but no comforts. It would keep him safe but little else.

  “I could win the challenge.” Anton squared his shoulders, but his voice lacked conviction.

  “Yes, you could, but it would take a miracle. Of course, if you do win, I’m sure you are up to taking on the challenges written in the books.” He crossed the room and opened the door. “Gio, Anton here will need a gray armband.”

  The beta smirked, no doubt amused the gardener had challenged his alpha. “I can’t remember the last time a non-beta made a true challenge.”

  Heels clicking down the hallway brought him back to the present. As she appeared at the top of the stairs, in an electric-blue gown the same color as her eyes, his heart stopped. He never wanted her shoulders covered. The deep vee and high waist emphasized her full breasts. “I thought I had seen beauty. I was wrong.”

  She stopped, her eyes glistening with tears. In all the cartoons Helena forced him to sit through when she was a child, when the princess met her prince, they fell madly in love. Perhaps fairy tales did come true. He moved to the third step. On the step above, in her high heels, she stood his equal.

  “I would kiss you, but I do not wish to ruin your makeup.”

  “It’s painted on, so kiss away,” Helena said from behind Kalista.

  He glanced at his sister, his eyes tearing up. “When did you become so beautiful? You are so much like Mitéra.”

  “What is Mitéra?” Kalista asked.

  Helena’s voice caught on a hitch. “It’s Mother.”

  “She would have been so proud of you, tonight,” he said kissing Helena’s forehead. “Come on. I would be honored to have you both on my arm tonight.”

  “Well, don’t expect me to stick around too long with you old folks. I plan to dance the night away.”

  “No offense, but we old people don’t need you young ’uns hanging around, anyway.” Kalista winked at his sister. She fit into their family. She understood Helena far better than he did. “Bless her heart.”

  Once they arrived at the central ballroom building, Helena lasted on his arm for about two minutes before she caught site of her friends from other prides. Kalista whispered in her ear, and his sister nodded and hugged her before walking off with a great deal more self-control than he had expected.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “If she wants to be treated as an adult she needs to act like one.”

  “You do well with her.”

  “She is an amazing young woman, and we have a lot in common. We both lost our mothers when we were too young to remember.”

  “Do you miss your mother?”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, as if thinking about her answer. “I don’t know if you can miss a person you never knew. I miss the concept. I hate not having the memories my brothers have, and I love when they talk about her.”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to talk about those we have lost.”

  “I understand.” She placed a hand on his biceps. “Did you see how excited she got just having you tell her she resembles your mother? She hears about how amazing your parents were as leaders, but she doesn’t have any memories of the little things. She wants you to tell her what your mother enjoyed, what her laugh sounded like. Did she sing? Could she sing?”

  “I never talk about my parents, at first because it hurt too much and I was overwhelmed with taking on the role of mother and father to two little girls. Helena had just turned two and Cosima wasn’t much older.”

  “I am sure taking on the parenting role became a heavy burden.”

  He nodded. “One I never wanted but loved all the same.”

  “I haven’t met Cosima yet.”

  “She is here somewhere with her husband and their daughter. Cosima has some memories of our parents, but she didn’t want to talk, and I never thought Helena would care to. Perhaps now that Cosima is a mother she, too, would like those reminiscences.”

  “Did you take on the company when your father passed?”

  “No, I had already done so.” He gripped her shoulders. “We have to go in, and I promise I’ll answer all the questions you have now and the hundreds to come later. Don’t let anyone here walk over you tonight. Show your backbone and don’t allow any insult. They are going to test your right to be at my side.”

  “Even I don’t believe I should be at your side.”

  “That is fine, but never doubt your right.”

  “I feel like I’m about to enter the lions’ den.”

  “In a manner of speaking, you are. I don’t want you blindsided, but there are a few ex-lovers of mine here tonight. Most will be pleased at your presence, but a few hope to rekindle something this weekend.”

  “Thanks, I think.” She crinkled her nose and moved her hand from his arm to intertwine her fingers in his. “This is who I am.”

  “I adore who you are.” The door opened, and the room went silent. His people bowed, lowered their eyes in respect, and waited. “Kalosórises spíti.”

  When all eyes returned to him, he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss upon the inside of her wrist. The intimacy of the gesture proclaimed her his. As they entered the room, the chatter started, and the noise rose to a loud hum. The elders approached them first, followed by a great many betas who had served his father, and some his grandfather. He greeted them with the respect their age demanded. Kalista answered questions and stood strong at his side.

  “So I see a lot of gray bands. Any possible contenders?” Ichro, the eldest male from his family, asked.

  “I’ll know better once I have circulated through the room.” He smiled down at Kalista as she shot him a questioning glance.

  “Some never learn. How many years now has Otto’s boy made the challenge?”

  “It’s a tradition. I think I would be disappointed if Joe hadn’t.” Leonidas chuckled.

  “I have a feeling in my gut there will be some donning the armband who hadn’t planned to after tonight.” His Aunt Mavis clicked her teeth disapprovingly.

  “It’s not right.” Agnus, the eldest of the lionesses, sat in her wheelchair drinking bourbon. “They can’t pretend to comprehend what the fates have planned. But I’ll tell you this”—she wagged a long boney finger at him—“they always have a plan. Life is cavernous and long without a mate.”

  After a few more minutes, which included some heavy teasing from the elders, they stepped away and she asked under her breath, “Gray bands?”

  “Challengers for my position in the family.”

  “And they aren’t happy I’m on your arm.”

  “Remember, it’s your right.”

  “It’s where I want to be, but why are they upset? Is it because I’m an American.”

  “Your nationality doesn’t help.” He squeezed her hand and moved from group to group. A few included men wearing the dark-gray bands and, to her credit, she treated not one of them with anything but respect. He suspected she won more points than he had lost when it came out his mate was human and American to boot.

  “Are you the only one they challenge?”

  “No, they challenge each other as well. Those fights tend to be pissing contests.”

  “Have you ever challenged anyone?”

  “Once.”

  “Just once? Bet you won beautifully.” She beamed up at him.

  Pride filled him. Every male yearned for the approval of his mate. “I did. It is why I’m in control of the family.”

  “Please don’t inflate his ego any more than necessary
or he’ll become even more unbearable to live with,” Cosima purred from behind them.

  “You’re supposed to be helping me keep her here, not scaring her off, aderfi.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek then made quick work of the introductions.

  “Fear not, brother mine. I’ve no desire to scare off the only woman who seems able to handle Helena for hours at a time.” She turned her attention to his mate. “Sorry I didn’t come over this morning to meet you. My husband has been off the island for a few weeks on business for this man.” She thumbed her brother.

  “He volunteered.”

  Cosima punched him in the arm. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Ouch.” He feigned pain as she rolled her eyes at him. “The damn man is besotted with you. I’m surprised he isn’t glued to your side. Where is he?”

  “Perhaps I wore him out, and he couldn’t get out of bed.”

  “Enough.” He threw his hands up. He had no interest in a recap of his sister’s sex life. Her human mate had already proven he could handle the lioness. “I’ll leave Kalista in your able, safe hands. Jaison is across the room being subtle in his need for my attention.”

  Jaison, one of his betas, appeared anything but subtle, and as they hadn’t spoken since he’d arrived two hours ago, he couldn’t put the other man off any longer. He placed a kiss on Kalista’s temple. “You okay alone for a few minutes?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “She’s hardly alone in my able hands.” Cosima pushed off.

  “Leaving her alone with you for any amount of time worries me,” he joked. As he approached his beta, Jaison turned and exited out the back doors to the courtyard. He scanned the room and found his second, Damen, who shrugged but headed their way. “Jaison.”

  The beta paced, his hands fisted at his side. “Are you fucking kidding me? A human.”

  A second after the sentence passed his lips, Leonidas had his hand around his trusted friend’s neck and him pinned to a tree. “Watch your mouth. If you want to challenge me, wear the band like all the others.”

  Jaison’s fingers pulled at the large hand at his throat. Damen’s tap on Leonidas’s shoulder helped loosen the pressure. “He can’t talk if you’re crushing his jugular.”

  With a shove into the tree shaking it to its roots, he stepped away, leaving his beta gasping for air and holding up one finger. Leonidas stood on guard as ten more of his betas came out of the shadows to approach. Jaison rasped with a grin, “If you will fight your most trusted man for her honor, then it is meant to be.”

  All his men stripped off their shirts and got down on one knee for their yearly oath of duty to him. Leonidas circled the group, speaking in Greek the pledge centuries old. “Do you vow to protect me and mine as if they were your own?”

  “We do,” they said in unison.

  “Do you vow to protect the omegas as you would your alpha?”

  “We do.”

  “Do you vow to protect what I hold most dear, no matter that she is human?”

  “We do.”

  “I accept your oaths.” At his words, the tattoo of the Leo constellation burned bright on their pecs, the black and gold brightening where only moments ago the marks had begun to fade. “Stand up and tell me what the hell your little performance was about?”

  “The Cancer alpha took a human for his mate, but his people later discovered they weren’t true soul mates. He wanted her and saw no other way his people would allow it. We wanted to make sure your heart spoke, not your cock.”

  “Mmmm, now this is my kind of conversation.” The sultry voice of his ex-lover Lala wafted to them from the open doorway to the courtyard. “Leo’s cock.”

  Emotions rushed Kalista. First, anger. No, not anger. Fury. But it subsided to a sense of peace. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to deal with the roller coaster of irrational emotions running through her. The calm receded almost as quickly as it came on, replaced with an overwhelming urge to gouge the eyes out of half the women in the room for no reason at all. The nagging feeling of someone moving in on her territory persisted.

  “What’s wrong, Kalista?” Cosima asked handing her a glass of champagne.

  Rubbing her forehead, she tried to shake the irrational jealousy off. “It’s nothing.”

  “Liar. Don’t lie to us even when you think we won’t understand.”

  “Your brother said the same thing.”

  “So tell me. I promise you, I won’t judge.”

  “It’s crazy.”

  “Nothing is as crazy as you might think.” Cosima touched her arm.

  “I thought I could feel the emotions Leo went through. First the terrifying anger mixed with betrayal.”

  “What made you think these were Leo’s experiences and not yours?”

  “I just knew.” They stared out the doors he had exited ten minutes before. As the silence dragged on, Kalista asked, “What are you thinking?”

  “I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

  “Fast?” She had no idea what Cosima could be talking about.

  “Usually the connection takes weeks. Sometimes it never happens. My husband and I didn’t get the connection until I became pregnant with our daughter.”

  She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “So you are a family of psychics?”

  “Call it more of a highly tuned sixth sense. Or a heightened sense of his needs. It’s normal.”

  Normal? She stared at the other woman. “Nothing about the last twenty-four hours has been normal. My uncontrollable sexual need for your brother…ah hell, did I say that out loud?”

  Cosima chuckled. “Sure as hell did. But please continue.”

  “No.” She pressed her lips together, determined not to open them again. Perhaps ever.

  “You’re adorable.” When she didn’t rise to the bait, Cosima started rattling on about the people present and how they related to her family. A far-safer conversation, in Kalista’s opinion.

  “Ah hell no,” Kalista ground out, crossing the room. She didn’t know why, but she needed to get to Leo to lay her claim.

  “What happened?” Cosima asked, fast on her heels. As they reached the open double doors, she stopped, and Cosima slammed into her back. “Oh.”

  “Who the hell is she?” Kalista demanded, unable to believe the long-legged blonde had the gall to have her arms around her man. And though Leo did his best to deflect her attention without being rude, Kalista became a lioness on the hunt. She paused, wondering why the image of a large cat came to mind.

  “What are you going to do?” Cosima asked.

  “I want to scratch her eyes out, but I’m damned well not going to make a scene.” She stepped out of view as the possessiveness increased.

  “It’s your right,” Cosima whispered.

  His voice echoed in her head, repeating the same phrase. “Damn it.”

  Scene be dammed. If the bimbo in the gold lamé dress and spiked heels to match wouldn’t back off there would be a scene. Leo met her gaze but showed no signs of guilt.

  “Get. Your. Hands. Off. My. Man.” Each word came out deliberate and slow, laden with a menace she hadn’t thought she possessed.

  “Already?” the woman said with a cheeky grin, taking a step back. “I’m impressed.”

  “Impressed by what? My ability to stand up to you?” She took Leonidas’s outstretched hand. “And I keep being told it is my right.”

  “Yes, it is. I wanted to see if you would come running.” The other woman let her gaze move from her feet to her head and stopped when her golden eyes locked with Kalista’s.

  “I did.”

  The other woman threw her head back and laughed. “And far sooner than I expected.”

  “Is this some sort of test?” She turned her ire on Leonidas, who put up his palms in an act of innocence.

  “This man is important to all of us. He deserves a strong mate at his side. I may be the first to challenge you, but don’t think I’ll be the last. You should expect far worse.�
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  “Lala, enough.” Leonidas wrapped an arm around Kalista, putting her back into contact with his front.

  “I approve,” Lala said before slinking off into the room.

  As she moved out of sight, Kalista released a pent-up breath. “What the heck was that about?”

  “I should have prepared you better,” he whispered against her ear.

  “You think?” She fought a losing battle to stay aloof in his arms.

  “I won’t consider you weak if you give in.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. Bad move with their lips inches apart. Breathless, she muttered, “Excuse me?”

  “We are connected. Any strong emotion one of us has, the other can feel. You’re fighting your desires. Every moment, they grow stronger.”

  “If I give in to my desires for you right now, you’ll end up on your back with me straddling you. I don’t think you had a sex show in mind for the entertainment tonight.”

  He growled, a deep animalistic noise she couldn’t imagine a man could make. His palm against her stomach forced her into full contact with the growing erection pressed against her back. “Fuck, woman.”

  She turned in her arms. “To hell with it.”

  She kissed him, but the man took over the second her lips touched his. Butterflies didn’t churn; they collided with each other in full swarm. One second she believed she had control, the next she gave it up. Delivered all control to him and didn’t care if she ever got it back. As she pressed her breasts hard against his chest, he moaned into her mouth, and a spike of sensuality hit her hard in the solar plexus. She struggled to breathe. If he stopped kissing her, she would fall into a puddle at his feet, begging for more.

  One second, she stood on the ground, the next, her world shifted and he carried her through the trees. “Another minute and I might have taken you right there.”

  “I would have let you,” she admitted against his neck.

  “You’re not helping.”

  The trees rushed past her with speed, making her head spin. Even in the fog of passion, her brain still functioned. No way he should be moving so fast and yet he did. He kicked opened the door to a small one-room building. He didn’t bother with the lights but moved her over to the sofa in the corner.