Read Claimed By The Lion: A BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Standalone (BBW Romance, BBW Shifter Romance, BBW Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) for Free Online Page A

soon.”
                  She nodded and walked him to the door. As soon as he exited, she locked the door and rushed around the house making sure all the windows and additional doors were locked. She found a baseball bat in the kitchen (for whatever reason) and sat with it in the living room, cradling it in her arms until Jackson returned. With every noise, she jumped as if an intruder had gotten in. She counted the minutes, frozen by her fear as she waited.
                  After some time, she wondered if something had happened to him. He should’ve returned - he said he’d be right back. She waited a little longer, but he still hadn’t come back. Thoughts about his possible demise jogged around her mind. She took a deep breath and decided to look for him, just in case. She carried the bat in her hands, searching around her for any indication of where he’d gone.
                  “Jackson? Jackson, are you out here some….”
                  Before she could finish, an arm came out of nowhere and pulled her into the woods. She tried to scream, but her voice box wouldn’t vibrate.
                  “Finally, I found you,” a voice that still haunted her dreams said. “It took a long time of trailing that pretty boy of yours to finally get you alone, but now I’ve got you.”
                  Juliet didn’t need to see her assailant to know it was the man she’d been sold to. Nearby, five burly men stood with ropes and gags, seemingly ready to take her away.
                  “Is that the girl, boss?” one of the men asked.
                  “It is,” her kidnapper snickered. “We got her.”
                  She finally found her voice and screamed as loud as she could for help; unfortunately, since she had no idea where Jackson had gone, she knew her scream may not get her anywhere. It sure didn’t get her anywhere before. She dropped her bat, and she was now defenseless. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. She wouldn’t be able to get away.
                  Another bloodcurdling scream came out of nowhere. She opened her eyes to see one of the burly men being attacked by a fearsome lion. She’d never seen a lion up close before, but she again couldn’t find her voice to scream. Instead, while her kidnapper was distracted, she elbowed him in the face and ran. Yet, not far away, she tripped and twisted her ankle - she couldn’t continue running.
                  She watched as the lion attacked the men. The men were able to get away and ran for their lives - including her kidnapper - but she knew she wasn’t going to be able to escape this time. The lion turned to her and came straight toward her slowly. She felt her heart pound against her chest and prepared herself to be eaten by a lion.
                  The day had started with such promise, and now look at it: ruined. At least she wouldn’t live with the violent man who she’d been sold to.
                  She closed her eyes as the lion came close and raised his paw. She waited for the pain, but instead the paws wrapped around her in a hug. When she opened her eyes, the lion had transformed into a man. She screamed, trying to scramble away.
                  “Juliet, Juliet, it’s me,” the man said. “It’s Jackson, calm down.”
                  She opened her eyes fully and looked at him. It was Jackson. “What… what is…”
                  “I couldn’t tell you and have you leave me before we even got started. I was… afraid.”
                  “How…”
                  “It’s a family thing. My dad told me where it came from years ago, but I don’t remember now.”
                  “I can’t believe this.”
                  “I’m safe, I swear to you. I have enough consciousness