Sasha's Lion Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Hazel Gower

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-544-0

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  To my amazing husband, thanks for putting up with me. I love you more each and every day.

  A huge shout out to my best friend, Jess Buffett, who lets me bounce ideas off her and always tells it to me straight.

  A big thank you to my awesome editor, Karyn White. I really appreciate your help and advice.

  SASHA’S LION

  Sin City Shifters, 1

  Hazel Gower

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Sasha was dragged through Britney’s front door. She’d been friends with Britney since the first day she’d started school in America, and this was the first time she’d been to her house. Sasha usually hung out with her drama friends. But Britney was hard to resist, your typical cheerleader, bubbly and popular.

  When Sasha started school in September, she hadn’t known what to expect. Sure, she’d seen movies and shows, but she didn’t really trust what she saw. Sasha had seen firsthand that the movies were right. Her first day had been a shock. Sasha had been worried because it was her last year of school, and that she wouldn’t fit in as everyone would already have their own little cliques.

  She and her mum had also debated if she should go to a public or private school. In the end they had chosen private hoping that with a uniform she might not feel so out of place. Sasha hadn’t expected the acceptance and popularity she’d gotten. She’d had lots of friends in Australia, but nothing like the instant popularity she’d received here.

  Britney had been one of the first to girls to introduce herself, and then the others had followed. Sasha had never had so many people to talk to or fight to sit with her. She’d thought it would wear off, but after months passed and she was still center of attention, she stopped her worrying and just stayed to true to herself.

  She had three friends she’d met through drama, whom she’d almost instantly become best friends with: Zeck, Jess, and Travis. But Britney was determined to become a closer friend to her.

  This was the first time Sasha had been to Britney’s house. Britney had invited her many times, but Sasha had wanted to settle in and get to know everyone, to get a feel for who really liked her and she liked back.

  “Don’t worry about the noise. My brothers are home for the weekend. Tyler is a senior in college, and Carl is a freshman. Savron and Brandon work with my Dad managing the nightclubs. Tyler will be graduating this summer, and he’ll join them.” Britney pulled Sasha toward the stairs at the end of the hall.

  Nodding, unsure of what to say, she followed Britney up the stairs to her room, passing quickly by a lounge room filled with men yelling at the TV and wrestling one another. From her quick peek all four of Britney’s brothers were huge muscular men, with thick mops of blond hair and cover model looks.

  Britney was stunning, but her brothers were drool-worthy. Maybe moving to America for her last year in school wasn’t so bad.

  Sasha followed Britney into her room only to pause at the threshold. There were bright pink walls, while photos of popular bands, pompoms, and photos of her friends were scattered around the room. A queen size four-poster princess bed sat in the middle of the room against the back wall. Sasha walked in to see a walk-in wardrobe that lead into a white and cream bathroom.

  Wow, spoiled much? Sasha thought.

  “Do your brothers all live with you?”

  “Tyler and Carl do, but Savron and Brandon have their own place. I don’t know why, when they’re here ninety percent of the time.” Britney cocked her head to the side. “Although the pride does stick together.”

  “Pardon? What do you mean by pride?”

  “Argh … it’s what I call my family. I’m Britney Pride.” She smiled and walked to her closet taking off her uniform. “I hear in Australia you wear a uniform to school even if you don’t go to a private school?”

  Sasha grinned and looked at the uniform she wore. It was blue and grey with a white cotton shirt and a jacket that matched the skirt. Sasha had a shapely body, and no matter what she did it stayed that way. She’d modified the skirt she’d been given to fit her better, made it a lot shorter, and once she’d added some black tights, cute Mary Jane shoes, and left her long black hair out, she was ready for her school. She’d fit right in, and soon Britney had introduced herself and so had the rest of the school.

  “Yes. My uniform at home isn’t much different from this one. It’s a red and orange pleated skirt with a white top.”

  “Cool, so not much of a change. Sit on the bed. Get comfy.” Britney walked to the bathroom and yelled, “I still can’t get over you moving in the last year of your schooling.”

  Sasha sat on the bed moving the pillows around and dumped her backpack next to her. “Trust me, I wanted to stay. I was ready to live with my father. The thing that stopped me, though, was I knew my mother would never go without me. This is the first real relationship she’s had since my dad left over ten years ago. I’m also not planning on doing anything huge when I finish school. I want to be a childcare worker, and maybe go for my teaching grades in dancing so I can teach Latin and ballroom, and those things can be put on hold for a while. Australia has an awesome TAFE and university system, for all ages.”

  “That’s good that you cared enough for your mother to come,” Britney said as she came out in blue tracksuit pants and a white singlet.

  “If I really don’t like it here I turn eighteen in a week and a half.”

  A squeal resonated around the room. “Oh my God! P-A-R-T-Y Time.”

  As Britney finished squealing, four guys come barging into the room, only to almost slam into one another as they stopped when they saw no danger to their sister. Sasha knew she shouldn’t laugh, but the fierce look on the four brothers as they burst in ready to defend their sister was classic. She giggled as they turned glares on her, which only made her laugh harder.

  Britney stared at her open-mouthed, then at her brothers. Sasha studied her brothers and noticed they were a lot bigger than she remembered seeing downstairs. The one she thought was the oldest studied her, and his eyes penetrated her to her core. Sasha would swear they flashed bright yellow. She blinked and stopped laughing, and unease seeped into her.

  “Um, I … I think I’ll go. I, ah, have a class to get ready to go to tonight.” Sasha slowly got of the bed never taking her eyes from the predator’s gaze in front of her. She grabbed her backpack and carefully moved around the men and backed out of the room. “Mum will be wondering where I am anyway. Well, I’ll … see you at school tomorrow.”

  Once out of sight from the eerie yellow eyes she ran down the stairs and straight out the door.

  ****

  Savron watched the girl scurry away, and his lion demanded he go after her, take her, and claim her. She was theirs.

  He straightened at that notion and glanced at his brothers to see them watching him and the girl. Savron turned to his sister and narrowed his eyes. “What the hell did you scream like that for with a human in the house? We thought she’d done something to you.”

  This time it was his sister who gigg
led. “Seriously, guys, she’s human. What could she do to me, a lion shifter, who is at least ten times stronger than she is? You need to stop worrying over me. Mom and Dad both knew Sasha was coming over here, and they are both cool about it.” Britney cocked her head to the side. “I have a couple of human friends, and none of them have made you react like that.”

  Sasha. His lion repeated the name over and over. Something was wrong with him. His lion wanted a human for mate, and not only that, she was still a girl. He groaned. He’d turned twenty-eight a couple of months ago. He was too old for anyone his sister’s age. Fuck, he needed to get out. Head to inner Vegas and kill some vampires and get laid, maybe not even in that order.

  “I haven’t seen her before, Britney. She was hot,” Tyler said interrupting his thoughts. Savron looked at him and growled.

  “She’s new, been in school for a couple of months now. Don’t worry about her finding out about us. She’s from Australia and has no idea that over half the school is full of shifters.” Britney ignored his growling and winked at Tyler. “She’s had quite a number of admirers.”

  Savron had heard enough. He turned and stalked out of Britney’s room, telling himself he would stay away for a while, use his own house.

  ****

  Sasha didn’t end up going dancing. She decided after imagining what she saw yesterday afternoon she should have a quiet night and go to bed. Now as she drove to school she prayed that Britney didn’t think she was a weirdo and tell everyone how strange she was.

  Sasha was actually enjoying the new school and America. She didn’t want to do anything to mess her life up. It also helped that she hadn’t seen her mum this happy in years. Steve treated her mother like a queen, and he treated her and her little sister like his own. Steve was a good man.

  She pulled into the school parking lot and walked to the gates. Britney and the rest of the cheerleaders waited out the front.

  Sasha sighed in relief when the first thing that came out of Britney’s mouth was, “We’re all excited to plan your eighteenth. My Dad said he’ll give one of his clubs for the night if you want. No alcohol of course. We have to pay for decorations and entertainment. What do you think?”

  Speechless, Sasha stared at the beaming Britney. Wow. She was serious. She calculated what she had as savings and what she knew she would get out of her mum and dad. “Okay, sounds good. I won’t have a huge budg—”

  She was cut off as six girls squealed around her.

  Chapter Two

  Sasha was eighteen today. Her mum had lent her the car, and she drove to see Britney, who’d fast become her best friend. Sasha missed her friends in Australia, but having Britney and her friends accept her and get along with them so well was nice. It was Friday afternoon, and the party they’d organized was tomorrow.

  Sasha had meet Britney’s parents last week when they got back from their holiday. They were a gorgeous couple, and Sasha could see where their children now got their cover-model looks. She’d thanked them for letting her use one of their clubs and told them what a lovely daughter they had. Britney had helped her feel less homesick.

  She pulled into the driveway of the massive two-storey home. Sasha hadn’t come by to chat. She was heading out to meet her mother for dance lessons. Well, to practice for an upcoming competition. Sasha had slacked off in her dancing lately, and her dance partner wasn’t happy.

  Grabbing the box of decorations that was left at her house and needed to be at the venue tomorrow, she eased out of the car as a BMW 4-wheel drive pulled in behind her, blocking her in. Going to the front door she knocked. The door opened, and Britney came out with a bag of chips in one hand and a can of Coke in the other.

  “Hi, birthday girl. Whatcha doing here?”

  “I have decorations that got left at my house, and I thought I’d drop them off on my way to dancing.” Bending over Sasha placed them by the door. She hugged herself as the chilly wind whipped at her. “I’m so sorry I can’t stay and bring them in and chat, but I have to go.”

  “Go. That’s fine. I know you’ve missed a lot of dancing since we started organizing this party. Have a great birthday night, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Sasha blew her a kiss and turned, took a couple of steps back to her car only to freeze at the massive chest that greeted her. She looked up into blazing yellow-gold eyes.

  “What the hell are you wearing? When you bent over I saw everything.” His eyes flashed darker, and Sasha took a step back.

  “Sorry. I have a costume rehearsal for my dancing, and to save time I just got changed into it now. I … um … sorry for what you saw. I need you to move your car, please, so I can go.”

  He blocked her and didn’t move back to his car.

  Straightening to her full 5’4”, almost 5’5” in her dancing shoes, she flashed him a tight smile. “Please can you move your car? It’s my birthday today, and I said I’d have dinner with Mum first before I go to practice.”

  His hand came out, and his finger brushed her cheek, before moving down, lingering on her lips. She shivered at his touch and told herself she was a fool for not moving away, but the deep yellow of his eyes captured her.

  “Happy birthday. How old are you?” His fingertips left her lips and trailed down her neck.

  “Eighteen,” she croaked out.

  He groaned, and Britney, whom Sasha had completely forgotten about muttered, “Holy shit.”

  ****

  The smell had hit him as soon as he got out of the car, desert rose and freedom all rolled into one. His lion roared in his head, “Mate.” He followed the smell and found a very nice arse in the air in some killer heels. The skirt she wore covered barely anything. When she bent over he saw her black lacy j-string.

  Savron listened to what was being said, and it started to click into place when he heard birthday. When she turned he gave an inward moan.

  Great, just great. It was the hot girl from a couple of weeks ago. He told her happy birthday and asked her how old she was, groaning out loud this time when she said she was of age. Fuck.

  He took deep breaths of her intoxicating smell and knew the reason he’d been able to stay away was because she wasn’t old enough. He gently touched her face, memorizing it. He glanced up and over in time to see recognition in Britney’s eyes as she figured out what her friend was to him.

  “Mom. Dad. I think you better come out here now,” Britney yelled.

  “Is something wrong with Sasha? Is she o—” His mom stopped mid-sentence as she took the situation in. Then her eyes widened, and she said to his dad, “Darling, run up stairs and get some tracksuit pants of mine.”

  His father took off. Sasha looked around her as his family surrounded her.

  “Ah … I really need to go. I, um, have to go and meet my mum, sister, and Steve, at the restaurant for my birthday dinner.”

  His mother came to Sasha wrapping her arm around Sasha and pulling her into their house. “Come on, sweety. I think you need to come inside for a moment.”

  Britney followed his mother, and he stood still watching them enter the house as he tried to calm his lion and gather himself.

  “Holy shit, bro. You have a human for a mate,” Brandon muttered.

  Savron shot a glare at his brother. Tyler whacked him on the back.

  “Don’t stress. I wouldn’t mind her for my mate. She’s hot.”

  Fuck his brothers. So much for calming down. He turned to Tyler and snarled, “Shut the fuck up.”

  The idiot laughed. “Oh this is going to be so good. Big controlling brother has a human mate.”

  Tyler and Brandon slipped by him with huge grins on their faces.

  Carl grimaced. “What are you going to do? She’s the reason you haven’t been here much, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah, my lion went a little crazy last time I saw her. I thought I needed to get away and get laid.”

  Carl smirked. “How’d that work out for you?”

  He growled, ignored Carl, and stomped into
the house. Savron followed the desert rose into the lounge room. Sasha sat on the three seat sofa with his mother on one side and Britney on the other. She now had his mother’s tracksuit pants on, the tight sparkly dress showing over the top.

  He paused at the entrance and studied his mate. She was gorgeous, big brown eyes, dark olive skin, midnight black hair, and her body was amazing. When she’d been outside he’d appreciated the view. She was shapely, with muscular legs, hips that flared out, and a nice round ass. Top heavy with large breasts. If he had to guess, she’d be in the big E-cups. He couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face. Most shifters weren’t big in that department. Thanks to shifting and running, the female shifters were mostly flat-chested. Sasha was short. Even with high heels she wore she’d come to just below his shoulders.

  Savron had never dated a human. He hadn’t even had sex with one. The woman he was seeing now was a puma shifter. Well, he hadn’t seen her in almost two weeks, but she was the last woman he was with.

  Shit. He closed his eyes, unsure of himself for the first time in his life. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

  “I don’t know what’s going on, and I really don’t think I want to know, but I’m late, and I don’t want to worry my family any longer.” Sasha stood. “Thanks for the loan of the pants. I’ll give them back to you tomorrow. I know it was rude of me to drop this off and run, but—”

  Savron opened his eyes and looked at the reason for his unease. She looked uncomfortable. Her shoulders hunched, she played with her fingernails, and she looked anywhere but at his family. He could smell the confusion and worry as he walked closer into the room and interrupted her.

  “Sorry about the hold-up. Everyone just wanted to wish you a proper happy birthday. I thought, if it’s okay, we could come with you and meet your family and join you for dinner.”