Free Her Lion Guard - The Complete Series Box Set (BBW Shifter Romance) by Amira Rain Page A

Irma motioned them to stand, then turned and walked back toward the Cabin with the confidence of someone used to leading, “Do not forget that you are both guests here. There is no fighting in my home.”
     
         Mary-Lou watched the two men mutter embarrassed agreements and follow, a bit of pride welling up in her chest. Her mother was awesome.
     
         Except that she was not her mother, not where it counted. Mary-Lou reminded herself of that as she hurried to follow, secretly wondering if it was not too late. If she was not already too used to a home woven from metal, to friends who were half-wild inside
    .
         On the upside, Sasha proved to be as calm and composed as he first appeared. He did not rise up to Jonas’ continuous posturing; neither did he try to appease him by evading Mary-Lou. When push came to shove later that night – over seating arrangements of all things – he did the mature, logical thing and pulled Jonas aside to talk things out. Like adults. Mary-Lou was most impressed.
     
         She was less impressed when she overheard something about “mates” and “not here to steal your woman,  jeez ,” but she would take what she could get – as well as continue ignoring the fact that Jonas had somehow come to see her as his . It was not something Mary-Lou was ready to think about, not with trouble looming ahead. She chose to focus on the fact that she now knew Jonas – and Sasha’s – animal forms, and decided to pester each man accordingly.
     
         “So,” she had said to Sasha as he helped her clear the table after dinner, “You are a Snake-shifter.”
     
         “I am,” Sasha agreed. After a quick glance toward an obviously eavesdropping Jonas, he turned to face her fully. Mary-Lou smiled to see a mischievous spark in his eyes, just to yelp a moment later when a forked tongue hissed inches from her lips.
     
         “Oh my God,” Mary-Lou laughed, watching Sasha slurp back the twisting muscle back into his mouth. When the man stuck his tongue out again, it was perfectly round and human. “That was amazing! I didn’t know you guys could shift part-way,” she enthused.
     
         “Not everyone can,” Sasha said, smugness obvious in his voice, “It takes skill.” Jonas muttered a low, “Show-off,” and stalked into the den.
     
         Mary-Lou elected to ignore him. “What else can you do?” she asked Sasha instead.
     
         They spent the rest of the night talking about the physics of shifting, snake diets, and other vaguely important topics. By the end, they had even managed to drag Jonas into the discussion: The other man had some pretty strong opinions about hunting while Shifted – namely, a huge NO – which Sasha happened to share. Mary-Lou let them blabber about raw meat and associated diseases, happy to see the two get along. Even if the topic was rather stomach-turning.
     
         She did not think much of the absence of her parents and Nicholas. Not until the next morning, when all three reappeared with a grinning girl in tow.
     
         “Hi!” Cara had bounced up to Mary-Lou, smile so sunny it gave a still-sleepy Mary-Lou whiplash. “I’m Cara. You are Mary-Lou, right? Sorry I’m late, the principal of my school’s an asshole, wouldn’t let me leave. Had to fake a death in the family because of the old geezer – you know what a pain it is to get a hold of my mom long enough to get her to cover my ass? Thank goodness she happened to be between flights when he called, or I would’ve had to legitimately run away. And that would be, like, the third time. Didn’t want to get kicked out from another boarding school, you know?”
     
         Mary-Lou had blinked down at the other girl, half-full coffee mug clutched in one hand.
     
         “Ummm, yes?” she had said in the end. The girl had grinned, pink lips parting to no doubt let out another deluge of cheerful words.
     
         “Cara,” Nicholas