Chapter 245
Andi turned back to the dirt road. One of the things she appreciated about living in the remote Pennsylvania town of Rock Canyon was that they had their own community without worrying about too many humans in the area. Though her pride had nothing against humans, they’d rather keep to themselves.
She darted down the road toward the cabins. The cabins were far apart so it would take her a while to get through seeing each one, but she was Prima and took her job seriously. Everyone knew she had a head for keeping the pride business running smoothly. Her multiple degrees in business and accounting helped her ensure the financial stability of her pack while at the same time teaching her members how to grow their money.
Having a pride that used their skills to own small businesses and to ensure the sustainability of their small town was a big deal for them. She worked damn hard to get them all to help each other.
Her mind thought back to her years in college. She’d been so naïve.
For a while, she’d dated a human man and forced herself to be what he wanted. Docile and quiet. What a joke. Their relationship didn’t last long, but it had been impactful.
At first, his need to tell her to lose weight was somewhat off-putting. Since he was human, he didn’t know she was in extremely perfect health and her curves were something she was proud of. After a while, it seemed he’d gotten over her voluptuous body. Or so she thought.
She remembered clearly his asking her to marry him. She’d thought that was what she’d wanted, to be a wife and to be his partner, but then she’d gone out with him and seen how he’d expected her to not voice her opinion.
The fucker had told her to shut up, that her thoughts weren’t required during the conversation. When someone brought up weight, he had the gall to bring back his thoughts on her body and how much better she’d look in a smaller dress size. She’d told him if size didn’t matter when it came to his dick, then it shouldn’t matter when it came to her jeans.
There had been an awkward silence after that. It had taken all she had not to rip his neck open in front of his friends and let her lioness tear him limb from limb to assert her alpha status. She learned then that human men might not understand her kind. And she had no patience for stupid, bossy men who wanted to change her and put her down because of her body size or because she was a woman who led a group of people who depended on her. She wouldn’t allow anyone to make her think she wasn’t good enough to lead her pride.
She had to do what she needed for herself. Leaders led. Andi needed a man, yes, but more for her to have a partner in name and someone to give her the kids her lioness wanted so badly. Other than that, she could handle her pride on her own. The issue was finding a male lion her lioness wanted. She so hoped Gerri had found someone for her picky, bitchy cat.
Zigzagging her way through the trees, she inhaled her favorite scent. Spring. She needed to figure out what to do about her males losing their objectivity and starting to act like she was only a piece of…pussy.
She might have one, but that did not define her as a person. Not to mention it annoyed the shit out of her when they made it seem like she was supposed to pick one of them and let him be in charge of her pride. Good fucking luck with that one.
She’d walked what felt like forever before she started slowly going down a steep ravine off the main road.
Perhaps walking wasn’t the best way to do things, but she needed to clear her head and other than shifting, walking provided her the time, space, and peace of mind to do that. Not to mention she could dive into the trees and not be bothered for a while. Sometimes a lioness needed quiet and alone time.
She was close to Belinda’s cabin, the outline of it easily seen ahead.
Sounds of trees and bushes shaking and crunching surrounded her and forced her to stop in her tracks. The lioness pushed to the surface.
Something was very wrong. The human side told her to run while the animal side argued for her to shift.
Her instincts were usually spot on when it came to listening to her lioness, but this was her land. Whoever dared to come with any ill will, she needed to speak and make them know who was in charge.
Out of nowhere, Josh and a few of his friends slipped from between the trees. She glanced around, seeing them forming a circle around her, slowly closing in. Four men. Young. Stupid. Her pride.
“What are you doing here, Josh?”
Her voice never wavered and she met his gaze without flinching. This was her turf. She was the Prima of the pride and there was no way in fucking hell she’d let some little boy try to intimidate her. Not now, not ever.
“Miranda, you need to choose a mate,” he inhaled sharply. The action was followed by a lick of his lips. “Fuck, Andi. You’re coming into heat and I can’t take this much longer.”
Did this piece of shit really think he’d just come up on her and she’d give herself to him because he brought his friends? He was so very fucking wrong.
She gave a loud growl and curled her hands into fists.
“Josh, you better rethink coming any closer.”
He stopped for a second. She saw the lion in his eyes. His beast wanted her, no matter the cost. This wouldn’t end well for anyone. Her lioness was prepped to push out of the skin. She wanted out, and she wanted out now.
“Hurry it up,” one of his friends said. She remembered him, but his name wouldn’t come to her at that moment. “We want a cat now. You said this wouldn’t take long then we could have her.”
Those words froze the blood in her veins. The cat was barely fifteen. She stayed with her grandmother most of the time, helping care for her. How they knew she was in heat worried her more than her own skin at that moment.
“You can wait,” Josh growled. “The cat isn’t going anywhere.”
He started taking off his shirt slowly, his large muscles bulging with every movement of his arms. He was a good looking guy, but she didn’t want him. Why was it so hard for this moron to realize his getting naked was not going to make her want him either?
She especially disliked his inability to understand her words. If she said no, then it was no. Period. End of story. Josh was hardheaded and used to getting his way with women. Right now, his attention was focused on her and what he saw as his due for being the biggest lion in the pride.
Her mother used to tell her to be careful with men. Some of them just didn’t understand that a woman could make up her mind and choose not to share herself with him. That was Josh’s problem. He refused to understand. The boy had little common sense. It was sad, too, he was five years younger than Andi and had more body than brains.
Her instinct told her to go, but the alpha in her stood firm.
“Josh, go back to the main house. I have business to attend to.” She clenched her jaw and hissed. “You’re getting in my fucking way, and I’m losing patience quickly.”
He shook his head and continued stripping. The guys to either side of her moved closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed them fidgeting. Josh spoke again.
“I think you need to be convinced into seeing that taking me for a mate won’t be such a bad thing.”
The lioness in her wanted to rip his fucking face off and lick his blood off her paws. She, on the other hand, wanted to ensure Cat’s safety. The only way to do that was to run and keep them away from the young one.
She saw an opening and took it, darting to her right when the guy moved to her left, closer to the one behind her. She wasn’t stupid. She couldn’t fight all of them like this. The lioness needed out. She could kill each one-on-one, but when faced with four men in a shot, she’d be overpowered. Any man would be.