Grayslake: Lion to Get Her (Alpha Lion Shifter Romance) (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Jamesburg Shifters Book 8) by Lynn Red Read Free Book Online Page A

walking path, and then when she broke into a full run, stubbed a toe and went head-over-heels on a railroad tie that separated her garden from the grassy knoll behind her house.
    Laughing out loud, which sounds very strange coming from lion lips, she tumbled, rolled in the grass, and then lay on her back, wiggling back and forth to scratch an itch. Everything was right there in that moment, in that time. She didn’t want for anything she didn’t have.
    Except for those eyes.
    They were still in front of her face, still dancing in her memory as she took off like a shot. She stumbled one more time, this hiccup happening as she flubbed a leap over an extraordinarily high ant mound. But nothing could stop her. Laney felt every shred of energy exploding through her muscles. The entire world was alive around her with birds calling, bees buzzing. Laney looked up at the sun, surprised to see it was framed on either side by a set of puffy clouds that said rain was on the day’s plan.
    She hopped up on a moss-covered tree trunk that extended out over the pond, and laid down, resting her chin on her huge paws. A deep breath filled her lung with all the scents she expected: trees, moss, earth, the cool water below, and... something that shouldn’t have been there.
    Sensing another lion’s scent—a sharp, dangerous smell that she was accustomed to, but not used to finding around these parts—Laney immediately crawled back to her feet and crouched down into a low position, ready to pounce or sprint, whichever was a better idea.
    Twisting her head from left to right gave her no clue as to where the mystery lion was, but a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach got her thinking.
    No , she thought, no way it’s him. He doesn’t know where I live. The thought gave her another squiggle of excitement thought. Why the hell would a guy like him care enough to hunt me down? Why would he want to find me? What did I ever do?
    As she thoroughly beat herself up, Laney heard a crunching sound from south of her position. In the darkness of the thicket growth, it was hard to make out anything, but opening her eyes wide to let in as much light as possible gave her a glimpse of a shape.
    It was long, muscled, powerful, and had a tail that twitched and flipped back and forth. On the end was a puff of hair, and shrouding the creature’s neck was what appeared to be a mane.
    This is a game I haven’t played in a long, long time , Laney smiled as she thought. And the last time it was over so quickly I hardly had time to enjoy it . The lion in the thicket turned his head her way and seemed to smile.
    “Is it you?” she whispered to no one in particular. “Is it really you? Why? How?” but even as she raised her doubts, she curled her lips in a smile. The huge lion in the brush opened his eyes wide enough for her to see the sparkle, the flare, of blue going on violet. He stood up, making sure to crunch a few leaves and snap a few twigs before throwing his enormous mane from side to side.
    She knew it was him. She knew it in the pit of her stomach, in the depths of her soul.
    Like all good alpha lions, he found his prey, desired it, and stalked it. Stalked her . Laney still had her doubts, but right then, right there, it didn’t matter what she thought or what she doubted. He was there, and so was she.
    Stepping out into the clearing, he froze. The muscles in his shoulders, and in his massive back, all flexed and relaxed with every breath he took. She stood on her tree trunk, watching him as he slowly stalked toward her.
    “You’ll have to catch me first!” Laney shouted, laughing as she did.
    Without answering, the massive alpha lion charged toward her. Laney crept slowly off her perch, but paused. She looked back, narrowing her eyes, almost taunting her visitor, her mysterious suitor.
    And then when he was twenty feet behind her, and charging with all his might, Laney stood up on her hind legs and knocked the tree branch she’d been