Read Online A Lion After My Own Heart by Cassie Wright - Free Book Online
Authors: Cassie Wright
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side of the story, or stay quiet, and have the world come to its own conclusions. That could set off riots. You're old enough to remember how things were. Do you want to return to that time?"
I'm talking completely out of my ass. I don't want to return to that time. Nobody does. And I want no part in fear-mongering. But I've met Aurion's type before. The only thing he'll respect is a show of force. And this is all I've got.
Aurion rears to his full height and crosses his arms over his chest. He glares at Blake and then looks back at me. "Ask your questions, human. I'll answer. And then by the Earth Mother, you'll leave one way or another."
I feel a wave of relief swamp through me. The other shifters are staring at me wide-eyed. I'm guessing folks don't try to stand up to Aurion much. "Why do you think Alexander is hiding his shifter nature?"
"Why?" Aurion's contempt is clear. "Because he's weak and is trying to deny what he is."
"And what's that?"
Aurion leans down so that his large face is thrust into mine. "A superior creature."
"Superior?" I don't lean back. "To what?"
"To you, little monkey. He is a werelion of my lineage, a born ruler. Yet he hides amongst you humans, pretending to be one of you. He is pathetic. A failure. I feel nothing but shame and disgust."
"Wow," I say. "You must have a whole host of 'Dad of the Year' awards back there in your cave."
Aurion's eyes narrow and I hear Blake shift nervously behind me. I actually do regret saying that. Probably not a good idea.
"Watch your tongue," whispers Aurion. "Or I will lose what little patience I have left."
"OK, OK." My mind is scrambling. "Has Alexander always denied his true nature?"
"No." Aurion straightens. "Only at the end of his teenage years, when I was preparing him for leadership. It was then that the fault in his spirit showed through, and he stopped shifting."
"And why are you shifters so superior?" I know I'm asking for trouble.
"Why?" Aurion turns to the others and laughs, and they laugh with him. He looks back to me. "We live in harmony with the planet. We don't destroy it like you humans do. We are stronger. Faster. Better lovers. More charismatic. We live longer. We never get sick. We have the intelligence of a human, and the intuition of the wild. We do not suffer from the poverty, abuse, and pollution that you humans do in your cities. We have dignity. Pride."
I nod slowly. That's actually all true. Wait. Am I supposed to defend humanity now? I think of the evils plaguing humanity across the world and decide to sidestep that responsibility. I'm not here to debate. I'm here to report. "What happened to Alexander's mother?"
"She was shot by a human when Alexander was but a cub. I will not speak of this further." Aurion's voice becomes as hard as iron.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." My voice becomes hushed. I'm getting a better idea now. A sense of how the pieces fit together. "Thank you. For talking to me."
Aurion's laughter is cruel. "You are done? Good. Blake, take her. If she's not gone within the next ten heartbeats, I shall grow very, very angry."
Blake's grip on my arm is firm, but I don't plan to fight him. Instead, I turn and together we quickly leave the clearing, heading back down the mountain. We don't speak. I'm aware of how much I pushed my luck. But now I can only think of one thing. I need to speak to Alexander.
Chapter 8
Blake introduces me to his wife Rachel when we get back to Honeycomb Hall, calling me the craziest woman he's ever met. This merely gets a skeptical look from Rachel, who's a gorgeous, curvy gal with the kind of stern, almost grandmotherly authority that might even make Aurion blink. I'm given a room in which to shower and change, and for ten long minutes I simply let the shower scald and scour away the dirt, sweat, and fear from my body.
Grabbing an extra-comfy robe from the hook, I wrap my hair in a towel and sit on the edge of the bed and grab my phone. I have to call Alexander. I have
I'm talking completely out of my ass. I don't want to return to that time. Nobody does. And I want no part in fear-mongering. But I've met Aurion's type before. The only thing he'll respect is a show of force. And this is all I've got.
Aurion rears to his full height and crosses his arms over his chest. He glares at Blake and then looks back at me. "Ask your questions, human. I'll answer. And then by the Earth Mother, you'll leave one way or another."
I feel a wave of relief swamp through me. The other shifters are staring at me wide-eyed. I'm guessing folks don't try to stand up to Aurion much. "Why do you think Alexander is hiding his shifter nature?"
"Why?" Aurion's contempt is clear. "Because he's weak and is trying to deny what he is."
"And what's that?"
Aurion leans down so that his large face is thrust into mine. "A superior creature."
"Superior?" I don't lean back. "To what?"
"To you, little monkey. He is a werelion of my lineage, a born ruler. Yet he hides amongst you humans, pretending to be one of you. He is pathetic. A failure. I feel nothing but shame and disgust."
"Wow," I say. "You must have a whole host of 'Dad of the Year' awards back there in your cave."
Aurion's eyes narrow and I hear Blake shift nervously behind me. I actually do regret saying that. Probably not a good idea.
"Watch your tongue," whispers Aurion. "Or I will lose what little patience I have left."
"OK, OK." My mind is scrambling. "Has Alexander always denied his true nature?"
"No." Aurion straightens. "Only at the end of his teenage years, when I was preparing him for leadership. It was then that the fault in his spirit showed through, and he stopped shifting."
"And why are you shifters so superior?" I know I'm asking for trouble.
"Why?" Aurion turns to the others and laughs, and they laugh with him. He looks back to me. "We live in harmony with the planet. We don't destroy it like you humans do. We are stronger. Faster. Better lovers. More charismatic. We live longer. We never get sick. We have the intelligence of a human, and the intuition of the wild. We do not suffer from the poverty, abuse, and pollution that you humans do in your cities. We have dignity. Pride."
I nod slowly. That's actually all true. Wait. Am I supposed to defend humanity now? I think of the evils plaguing humanity across the world and decide to sidestep that responsibility. I'm not here to debate. I'm here to report. "What happened to Alexander's mother?"
"She was shot by a human when Alexander was but a cub. I will not speak of this further." Aurion's voice becomes as hard as iron.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." My voice becomes hushed. I'm getting a better idea now. A sense of how the pieces fit together. "Thank you. For talking to me."
Aurion's laughter is cruel. "You are done? Good. Blake, take her. If she's not gone within the next ten heartbeats, I shall grow very, very angry."
Blake's grip on my arm is firm, but I don't plan to fight him. Instead, I turn and together we quickly leave the clearing, heading back down the mountain. We don't speak. I'm aware of how much I pushed my luck. But now I can only think of one thing. I need to speak to Alexander.
Chapter 8
Blake introduces me to his wife Rachel when we get back to Honeycomb Hall, calling me the craziest woman he's ever met. This merely gets a skeptical look from Rachel, who's a gorgeous, curvy gal with the kind of stern, almost grandmotherly authority that might even make Aurion blink. I'm given a room in which to shower and change, and for ten long minutes I simply let the shower scald and scour away the dirt, sweat, and fear from my body.
Grabbing an extra-comfy robe from the hook, I wrap my hair in a towel and sit on the edge of the bed and grab my phone. I have to call Alexander. I have
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