Page 1 of Loving the Lion

CHAPTER ONE

SALLY WILDER SIGHED in appreciation as she opened the door to the hotel. She’d been driving like a bat out of hell for over two days, stopping only to eat and sleep as she tried to catch up to her runaway younger brother before he did something foolish—like get himself killed in shifter territory.

Last night, she’d pulled over at a truck stop to sleep because she’d run out of money. Teaching seventh grade in the state of Maine didn’t pay very much, and she had a huge amount of student debt to pay off. It left little for the extras in life, especially an unplanned trip to the northwestern United States. It had been one of the scariest nights of her life. Ironically, the presence of some truckers had been the only thing that had allowed her to get any shut eye. Usually, women traveling alone avoided truckers, but not her and at least not last night. She’d welcomed the burly male presence as she’d tried to sleep surrounded by the sounds of large predatory animals.

Oh, she knew she’d let her imagination get the better of her. The sounds she’d heard last night were completely normal to anyone who lived in this remote part of the United States. But there had been two things wrong with that argument at three o’clock in the morning when she’d heard the howl of the wolf and growl of some large cat. One, she didn’t live in this part of the states and two, she’d been deep in shifter country.

As she approached the front desk of the hotel, she saw other guests coming and going. Mostly women, which shouldn’t have been surprising. After all, this was deep in shifter territory. And the one thing shifters attracted were women. There was a wide range of them, Sally thought with amusement as she unbuttoned her coat and took off her gloves and stuffed them in the side pockets. Some of the women were dressed for a day of skiing while others wore outfits better suited for a day shopping on sunny Rodeo Drive. The clerk on duty smiled at her, an oily smile that made her want to shiver in disgust. She usually didn’t garner the attention of men and most days she appreciated the fact. She wished today could have been one of those days.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

“I’m, um, looking for someone.” She managed a small smile even as the man repulsed her. She had no idea how to even form her request. She’d been hoping for a friendly face behind the counter, not this man.

“What sort of someone?” He licked his lips. As he continued to stare, she tugged at the neck of her sweater as his beady eyes flickered past the column of her throat to rest on the rise of her full breasts. She pulled her thick coat closer around her. His gaze fell away from her body, and she could breathe again.

The next part of her conversation would be vital. The shifters in this part of the states had developed a multi-million dollar business taking advantage of humans’ fascination with them and the beauty of their natural surroundings. They welcomed tourists and their money anywhere they’d established an attraction or a luxury hotel like the one she was standing in. They did not, however, like any uninvited guests further up the mountains where they made their homes. And uninvited shifters were a big no-no. Nick, her brother, had left her a note saying that was exactly where he was headed. He wanted to find others like him. “I’m looking for a guide to take me into the mountains. Do you know someone?”

The man cast a quick look around before returning his gaze to her. Once again, his eyes were filled with a lust that she found disturbing. “Perhaps. You are looking for a lover?”

“No,” she firmly stated. “Something else.”

She’s read more than one story about women who traveled to shifter territory in hopes of finding true love. And those that just wanted to say they’d slept with a shifter. She, along with many women her age, had grown up on what Sally had come to believe were just fantasies propagated by the media to make the integration of another species easier. As if women didn’t have enough trouble with the male gender. Now, better looking, more aggressive males who thought they were God’s gift to womankind were thrown into the mix. In her opinion, women didn’t stand a chance at finding their happily-ever-after.

She was not here to find herself a man. Well, technically, she was here to find a man, just not a man to warm her bed. No, she was here to find her younger brother. A brother who had left what she thought was their happy-ish home in Maine two days ago.

The clerk studied her for several more minutes, making her even more uncomfortable. She wondered briefly if he was a shifter. If he was, the only animal he reminded her of was a weasel.

“I know of someone who will guide you.”

She forced another smile, willing to do anything to find her brother. Even stay in the company of this slimy snake of a man longer than she really wanted to. “Will they take me to the mountains?”

“For a price.” Again, another long, dirty appraisal of her attributes.

She took a deep breath in preparation of telling this man exactly where he could put his so-called help, knowing that she might be fucking up the only chance she had of finding her brother. If she couldn’t find anyone to take her, she’d simply go by herself.

Just then a man stepped up to the counter. Sally turned, expecting to see another hotel guest. She knew instantly that this man was not human. His hair was thick and had a slight curl that brushed the collar of the navy blue sweater he wore.

His eyes…those were definitely shifter eyes, she thought. She took a deep breath. He was a classically handsome man as most shifters were, but he was also a man a woman would turn and look at and speculate about because there was a strength about him, a masculinity that was almost overpowering.

“Are you helping our guest, Scott?” Ooh, if his eyes were enough to make a woman think about sex, his voice made her want to yank off her panties and throw them up in the air to get his attention. She chided herself and her unusual reaction.

“Yes, yes, sir. Unfortunately, we are all booked for the night.” The desk clerk cleared his throat guiltily.

“Is that so.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Yes, we have that big party checking in today.” Sally noted that he lowered his gaze when he answered. “I was suggesting that she go back down the mountain, sir.”

The man threw the desk clerk an almost angry glare. “And you would have sent her out in the storm that is approaching?”

“No, no,” he hastily assured the man.

Sally didn’t know who this stranger was, but she was glad he had stepped up when he did. She had no doubt the clerk had been about to make her an offer she would have hardily refused. She wanted her brother back home, safe and sound, but she wasn’t about to dig a hole for herself. There was no one waiting in the wings ready to rescue her.

She turned to the stranger, holding out her hand. She decided to throw all her eggs in one basket. “My name is Sally Wilder and I’m looking for my brother.”

She gasped as their palms touched, what felt like a bolt of electricity shot up her arm. Her gaze flew to his, and she saw his eyes narrow. Had he felt the same curious sensation? His hand was warm, the palm and fingers slightly rough beneath hers. A working man’s hand, she thought, wondering briefly what he did to create the calluses. His persona held too much sophistication to make her think he spent his days doing, hard, physical labor. Not that he didn’t appear capable of doing such strenuous labor. Just that he…he didn’t have to.

Too aware of the latent strength in his grip, she drew her hand away from his.