Lion's Love And Honor: The Pride of Sierra Leandra (Paranormal Romance) by Meg Ripley Page B

markings? Any spots, cracks, weird paint?”
    “No!” Susanna said, her voice almost a shout. “No, I don’t know anything yet. Just that we’re trapped, and—”
    “What?” Leslie and Thomas asked together, leaning toward her on the couch.
    “A field,” she said quietly. “I can see a field in the vision. Wide and green and flat, with a yellow house way in the distance.”
    Then Thomas understood. “Our house.” They were somewhere beyond the stretch of grass beyond their backyard—somewhere near a farm, maybe even a barn. He wondered how much time they had before the vision came true, and a chill passed through him when he realized that this could be his last day on earth. He took Susanna’s hand in his and smiled.
    “What do we do now?” he asked.
    “Tell Natalie,” she said immediately. “Then go find that house.” Her vivid green eyes were resolute, grim with the determination to see this ordeal through. She was still a soldier, even if she no longer had a rank. I hope this doesn’t break you, he thought, then felt guilty for seeing her in the same way as the rest of the pride. I just can’t stand to see you unheard.
    “What if she still doesn’t believe us?” Leslie asked, voicing Thomas’ concern without realizing it. “What if she still thinks the council is coming, and that we’re safe?”
    Susanna turned to the other lioness, and the look in her eye was every bit as fierce as it had been during her days of active duty. “Then we go find the house anyway,” she said. “We still have to stop this bastard. I’m not letting him hurt my pride.”

****
    Luckily, Natalie was much more receptive with three lions insisting she listen. After they’d ridden back home, Susanna called an emergency meeting of the two leaders of the pride so they could fill them in. Charlie was on board almost immediately; apparently, he’d wondered why he hadn’t heard about a council visit from friends or family either.
    “That was an oversight,” Natalie admitted. “I should have known, and I apologize for that.”
    She was properly remorseful for silencing Susanna, and Thomas was glad to see it. The five of them were gathered in their backyard as the sun made its slow downward trek, lighting up the space underneath it in brilliant yellow and red hues. Charlie, Thomas, and Leslie stood together as Natalie apologized to a visibly uncomfortable Susanna.
    “I put my comfort in the illusion of safety above your actual feelings,” she said tearfully. “I failed you, and now there’s a human out there looking to do us real harm.”
    “You didn’t fail us,” Susanna said, her cheeks flushed and warm. Thomas wished he could take some of the attention away from her, but this needed to be done.
    “I failed you,” Natalie repeated. “I’m your matriarch; I’m supposed to protect you and help you become stronger, not make you think you’re weak and ineffective.”
    To everyone’s surprise, she dropped to her knees and hung her head in shame. Susanna stared at her, open mouthed, until she remembered the customary gesture of forgiveness and held out one shaking palm.
    Natalie pressed her face against it and burst into tears, and Charlie came behind her to help her up. Thomas knew the tears were most likely because of her pregnancy, but Susanna looked grateful all the same, though her cheeks were still a little pink with embarrassment. After she’d risen, Natalie insisted on leading the charge into the field herself, but Thomas turned her down.
    “Susanna and I are going to take point on this one,” he said, his voice sounding more confident than he felt. “These were her flashes, and it could even be a human from her bloodline.” Though I hope it isn’t, he thought. He knew it would hurt her more than anyone else if it turned out she was somehow linked to this crazy assailant.
    “I need to do this,” she said to Natalie, her green eyes burning with determination. “I kept quiet on this, and I know