Jezebel's Lion by Hazel Gower Page A

Christmas
all the attention will be on the baby.”
    Travis was so sweet. Leaning up she kissed Travis’s
cheek. “You’re such a softy. Ben is lucky to have you for an uncle.”
    Travis turned red, and Zeck laughed. “Softy. Pussy. They all sound the
same to me.” Jess rolled her eyes at Zeck’s jabs to Travis. Boys .
    Travis punched Zeck, and the banter flew back and
forth.
    ****     
    Brandon was struggling. He needed to tell Jezebel
what he was. He needed her with him. He’d only survived this long because she
spent her afternoons with him. They talked and explored each other’s bodies.
Last night he hadn’t got to have his hour or so sleep with her thanks to family
games night. Last night she’d said she was spending tonight with her friends, and
he’d even received a message to remind him not to pick her up.
    The problem was he was too close to breaking point
not to see her. Brandon had been trying hard to woo her and get to know her the
best he could before he told her what he was and told her of the other part of
his life. Before he told her that there were creatures in this world that were
straight out of her worst nightmare.   
    Brandon knew Jess missed her friends, and they
weren’t happy with the time she was spending with him and neglecting them. He
thought if he picked her up from school and took her around to her friends he
would get some time with her, enough that the small time could calm his lion
and soothe his human side. He could spend the rest of his night training and
fighting. His brothers Carl and Tyler were coming hunting with him tonight.
    He stood by his car waiting eagerly to see his mate.
Brandon was at least grateful that it was Christmas, and from today Jezebel was
on a two week holiday. When he saw Jezebel he clenched his fists and took
several calming deep breaths. Jezebel stood between her two friends Travis and
Zeck laughing. She reached up and kissed Travis on the cheek. Brandon almost
went over and ripped Travis to shreds. His lion went berserk that their mate had
kissed another man. He let his senses reach out and listened to their
conversation as they got closer. Jezebel didn’t notice him, and he dared not
move for fear of what he would do.
    “I’ll take you. I love watching a horror film with
you the first time. You jump and are terrified of everything. Zeck and I were
going to go this weekend. We thought you wouldn’t have time with all the time
you’re spending with the Pride guy.”
    Jezebel sighed. “Brandon. Travis, you know his name.
You were the one who left me with him first.”
    “I regret that.” They paused at Travis’s car. “It
should have been me who had you at home with me, in my bed snuggling and being
all lovely- dovey .” Travis wiggled his eyebrows at
Jezebel, and she laughed whacking him on the chest. “I can be big and macho like
him.” Travis winked at her and pulled her to him. “Mine. You
my mate.”
    Fuming at the scene before him Brandon stepped from
around a car and yanked Jezebel out of Travis’s hold and held her against him.
    “Argh, Jess, we’ll wait in the car for you,” Zeck
said and pulled Travis with him.
    Brandon glared after Travis. He knew Travis wasn’t
joking. Jezebel might think he was, but Brandon knew better. He could smell the
lust coming of the guy towards his mate.
    “Brandon, didn’t you get my message?” Jezebel leaned
back into his hold, and her hands wrapped around his arms that were locked
around her waist. He was happy she didn’t try to get out of his hold. Right now
he needed her, her smell, the touch of her skin against his and the soothing
sound of her voice. “I’m hanging out with my friends tonight.” She turned in
his arms. “We’re having a movie night.”
    “I didn’t realize you were going straight from
school. I thought I’d get the chance to see my girl before she spent some time
with her friends.”
    “Aren’t you sick of me yet? I’ve spent some time
with you every day