Melted By The Lion: A Paranormal Lion Shifter Romance by Amira Rain Read Free Book Online Page A

get a bit wet just to the north by the bayou, which is south of a little lake where the Renards and all their people live. You’ll never want to go there.”
    “Why not? And who are the Renards?”
    “Oh, they’re a large family of alligator shifters headed up by Emile Renard. There’s maybe a couple hundred of them, and some wives and kids, though not many, and they’re nearly all related in some way. Perhaps all their inbreeding explains the way they behave—vicious and uncivilized—as if they weren’t shifters, but complete animals a hundred percent of the time. Commander Wallace of the United Free States warned Commander Beaumont about them, but Commander Beaumont was already well aware. There are other branches of the Renard clan spread all around Louisiana, and Commander Beaumont had tussled with many of them during his wandering days. Then, when he was given Louisiana by Commander Wallace and decided to situate Beaumont City right here, he really drew the ire of Emile Renard. Commander Beaumont is still sticking to his plan, though.”
    “Which is what?”
    “Well, in a nutshell, it’s to clear the entire nation of all vicious, bloodthirsty gator shifters over a period of several decades, from the south to the north. He and his men hope to clear the first part, meaning take care of Emile and his clan, and then in future years, as our population grows, Commander Beaumont will disperse some of his men and their families to the north, to start cities and clear away gator shifters there as they go along. Anyway, all this is why you’ll never want to go to the north of the city, into bayou territory. That’s where the Renards lurk, and they will kill a non-kin person with no questions asked, just for fun. In fact, when Beaumont City was first established, we had a few losses, sadly. And at one point, not long before we all settled here, there was even a small town called Sunny’s Swamp, inhabited by all-human, non-shifter residents to the west of the Renard clan’s lake, but the Renards destroyed it one night in a raid. Didn’t leave a single soul alive. City limits here in Beaumont City are very clearly marked, though, and always guarded by members of Commander Beaumont’s pride. Just stay within the limits, and you’ll never have anything to worry about.”
    Betty went on to tell me more about Beaumont City, including describing the type of dwellings most people lived in, and that’s when I learned that moving in with her probably wouldn’t be a possibility. She said that most people, including herself, lived in very small “starter homes,” temporary dwellings until grander, more permanent homes could be finished.
    “You see, we’ve only all been here a couple of years, and when we first got here, the primary focus was on clearing the land, and building the infrastructure—roads, this hospital, the various businesses and government buildings in town, and of course, the commander-in-chief’s mansion, which was a point of pride for all of us, that the commander of our new nation be housed in a residence befitting his title right from the start. So, in the meantime, while the infrastructure was being created, we’ve all made do in our simply-constructed little homes. Now our bigger homes are finally being built. Might yet take some time, though. Oh! Speaking of time.” Betty glanced at a large clock hanging on the wall beside the TV. “Dr. Moore will be here soon to give you one final checkup, and then Commander Beaumont said he’d be here at five to take you and the other thawed young woman home. Better pack up if you have anything to pack.”
    Other than a toothbrush, a bar of soap, and a bottle of shampoo I’d been given, I didn’t have anything to pack, though I kind of wished I did. Suddenly feeling like I wanted to delay leaving the hospital as long as I could, I wished I had the kind of packing that would take hours. For some reason, I just couldn’t stand the thought of not only