Free Serengeti Heat by Vivi Andrews

of an alternative. She shifted into her human form, straightening the kinks out of her spine that always seemed to accompany the shift, and turned to pull a sundress out of the closet and over her head. She turned back to Shana, clothed, but by no means comfortable.
    “What do you want?” she asked bluntly.
    She realized her error as soon as Shana’s eyes flared with surprise. “My, my, look who’s finally grown some teeth.” Shana let the pendant in her hands drop to spin at the end of the chain. “Are you so certain your lover will protect you, little Ava? He isn’t known for being steadfast. Trust me.”
    Ava fought not to wince visibly. It had been foolish to hope no one would know about her night with Landon and downright idiocy to think the other females vying for position with him would not respond to her implied threat to their aspirations. She should have known that Shana would come to take her down a peg. She just hadn’t expected the reminder that Landon had slept with the gorgeous redhead to sting quite so viciously.
    “No comment? Don’t tell me you’ve lost your courage already? Poor little Ava.”
    She continued to spin the pendant and Ava’s eyes flicked down, attracted by the movement, then held by recognition. It was hers. Ava had bought the green-gold stone in town less than a month ago on impulse. The setting was simple, the stone itself not particularly valuable, but Ava hadn’t been able to put it down.
    It was the exact shade of Landon’s eyes.
    Apparently, Shana had recognized the color as well, rifling through Ava’s meager jewelry box as she waited for her to return.
    “Quite pretty, this,” she remarked, too casually for Ava’s comfort. “I think I might borrow it. It would flatter me, don’t you think? Maybe I’ll wear it tonight.”
    “Tonight?”
    Shana laughed, not kindly. “Little Ava, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. Tonight is the Midsummer Hunt.” She gave a feline smile. “I know he hasn’t said anything, but speculation has been going around that the Alpha will name his mate tonight.” She held the pendant up against her throat. “I’ll look fetching standing beside him wearing this, don’t you think?”
    Ava couldn’t speak. She knew Landon hadn’t given Shana any reason to think she would be his consort, but the larger lioness’s acid-tipped words brought home the reality of the situation. She knew better than to stand up for herself and try to take back the pendant. Shana was bigger and stronger and never turned down a fight, no matter how petty.
    A wave of defeat swamped her. Ava couldn’t even keep possession of one worthless little pendant. How was she supposed to keep order in the tribe as the Alpha’s consort?
    Landon would choose another. And apparently, he would do it tonight. In time for his new mate to lead the Hunt.
    “Well, I’ll be off then,” Shana said brightly. “You don’t mind if I borrow this, do you.”
    It was not a question. Ava kept her head down, as the larger, notoriously temperamental and aggressive redhead stalked out of her home, spinning the “borrowed” stone pendant in her hands.
    After the fantasy of last night, reality’s brutality stung. Ava curled up on the floor beside her twin bed, determined not to cry.
    ***
    It was galling enough when Landon realized he didn’t know where the woman he wanted to make his mate lived. Doubly so when he had to go knocking on his little sister’s door to get directions.
    Zoe opened the door on the first knock and leaned against the frame, scraps of shredded denim dangling from one finger. “Missing something?”
    Landon felt an unfamiliar heat rushing to his face when he recognized Ava’s mangled jeans. He snatched them out of Zoe’s hand and shoved them behind his back, though that did nothing to lessen his sister’s knowing smirk. “I need you to tell me which bungalow is Ava’s.”
    Zoe shot him the look she had perfected as a toddler. The