The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf Read online

  The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf

  Amy Sumida

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  More Books by Amy Sumida

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  Pronunciation Guide at the back of the book.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Godhunter Series:

  Chapter One

  Pronunciation Guide

  Glossary of Characters

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2019 Amy Sumida

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781797514802

  Legal Notice

  This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote, or paraphrase any part of the content within this book without the consent of the author or copyright owner. Legal action will be pursued if this is breached.

  More Books by Amy Sumida

  The Godhunter Series(in order)

  Godhunter

  Of Gods and Wolves

  Oathbreaker

  Marked by Death

  Green Tea and Black Death

  A Taste for Blood

  The Tainted Web

  Series Split:

  These books can be read together or separately

  Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest

  Into the Void & Out of the Darkness

  Perchance to Die

  Tracing Thunder

  Light as a Feather

  Rain or Monkeyshine

  Blood Bound

  Eye of Re

  My Soul to Take

  As the Crow Flies

  Cry Werewolf

  Pride Before a Fall

  Monsoons and Monsters

  Blessed Death

  In the Nyx of Time

  Let Sleeping Demons Lie

  (The Lion, the Witch, and the Werewolf)

  Beyond the Godhunter

  A Darker Element

  Out of the Blue

  The Twilight Court Series

  Fairy-Struck

  Pixie-Led

  Raven-Mocking

  Here there be Dragons

  Witchbane

  Elf-Shot

  Fairy Rings and Dragon Kings

  Black-Market Magic

  Etched in Stone

  —Completed Series—

  The Spellsinger Series

  The Last Lullaby

  A Symphony of Sirens

  A Harmony of Hearts

  Primeval Prelude

  A Ballad of Blood

  A Deadly Duet

  Macabre Melody

  Spectra

  Spectra: A Cynical Superhero

  A Gray Area

  Erotica

  An Unseelie Understanding

  Fairy Tales

  Happily Harem After Vol 1

  Including:

  The Four Clever Brothers

  Wild Wonderland

  Pan's Promise

  Beauty and the Beasts

  The Little Glass Slipper

  Happily Harem After Vol. 2

  Including

  White as Snow

  Awakened Beauty

  Codename: Goldilocks

  Twisted

  Historical Romance

  Enchantress

  Sign up for Amy's Newsletter and get a free gift:

  http://google.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=398603e0fc6b3876340e37356&id=3abd32edce

  And dive further into the worlds of the Godhunter, Twilight Court, and Spellsinger, at Amy's website:

  AmySumida.com

  Pronunciation Guide at the back of the book.

  Chapter One

  I stared out across my territory with a satisfied smile. My werelion husband Kirill was teaching our daughter how to stalk her prey. They were crouched in the high grass; a massive, black lion and little, golden cub. Lesya was nearly two years old; it was just a little over four months until her birthday. But with her werelion genes, she was more like a five-year-old, already running around and talking people's ears off. Speaking of birthdays, my twin sons were having one soon. Arach was planning a huge party for them in Faerie. They had matured at an accelerated rate as well and although they were only turning four, they were physically and mentally closer to nine. I often lamented the baby years I'd missed, but I consoled myself with the knowledge that I'd have them forever. Fair enough.

  Out on the grassy plain, my black lion pounced on the practice target I'd made for Lesya; a small, fake deer. He went straight for the neck to show our daughter the way to kill mercifully. I could have gone out there with them, but I wanted Kirill to have this. Lesya was more of a miracle for him than she was for me. I'm not saying that I don't love my daughter; I love her deeply, but Kirill had longed for a child and spent centuries believing that he would never have one. That was longer than I'd been alive. So, as much as it's true that there is nothing like a mother's love, Kirill's love for our daughter might just surpass it. She had literally brought him back from death before she'd even been born. I'd be jealous if I didn't love both of them so damn much.

  Behind me, my angel husband was spreading an assortment of books across my bed. Another student in our midst; one much older than little Lesya.

  “Which class should I take first?” Azrael asked me.

  I turned away from the balcony and headed back into the bedroom. It had been almost three months since I had returned from my honeymoon with Re and in that time, I'd made a few changes; the largest being an addition to the towers that bracketed my balcony and Lesya's bedroom directly above the balcony. Each tower had a new room on the bottom level; one for Re and one for Toby.

  Re wasn't about to give up his palace in Aaru, but I wanted him to have a space here where he could keep a few things for when he spent the night. The same went for Toby, who had recently built a Tu
scan-inspired villa at the base of the mountain where he used to live with his twin brother in a cave. It was a nice cave but Toby had needed his own space. So, now all of my men had a place in my home. Well, all of them who lived in the God Realm. We were becoming quite the family and a lot of it had to do with Trevor.

  Trevor had stepped back into his role as Alpha among my men with more grace than any of us had expected. He was still Trevor; my laughing, loving werewolf prince who used “dude” too often (thanks a lot, Griffin) and grinned lopsidedly. But he was also the Wolf; my sexy, savage lover and possessive husband. The Wolf had been pushed down beneath Trevor's desire to make the other men and me happy, but he had emerged recently due to some trauma we'd experienced. He'd revealed a lot to me; mainly, how Trevor had been suffering. I had promised Trevor that he would always be my first lover—my alpha mate—but I'd forgotten that promise somewhere along the way, and Trevor had allowed it because he loved me.

  The Wolf reminded me of my vow and took back his position; reestablishing his dominance in our family. He'd done it in a wild way; absconding with me to the Froekn's cabin where he drew me down into our baser desires for days. When we finally surfaced from our lusty ride, I was pregnant, and he was Alpha. As much as I'd wanted to wait awhile before I had another child, now that my son was on his way, I was overjoyed. Trevor was right; it was time for Vero to be born.

  Because of the Wolf's conquering manner—the way he swept in and took over—my other husbands and boyfriends (Re was still my fiance at the time) expected Trevor to behave like a dictator. But that wasn't the case at all. Trevor was used to the hierarchy of a pack and once he'd been reconfirmed as the head of ours—joint head with me, thank you very much—he became a confident leader who directed our family unit with expertise and compassion. Trevor had been the one to suggest the new tower rooms. He'd also been the one to encourage Azrael when he started to doubt himself.

  Azrael was going to school; the Angelic University to be exact.

  I looked over the textbooks the Principal had given Az to help him decide what courses he wanted to take. My fingertips coasted over the supple leather covers of books on human studies such as Art History, Modern Cultures, and Politics. Then there were the larger books on Angelic courses such as Guiding the Will, Generating Compassion, and The Gentle Presence.

  “What excites you?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.

  “Well, Art History, of course,” he said with a little frown.

  Even the frown looked good on him but then he'd always been irresistible to me; from the very first moment we met. With the classic face of an angel, a jawline for days, a body that just wouldn't quit, eyes that could shift from sky blue to sparkling diamond, and a pair of midnight, feathered wings, it would seem obvious why I found Azrael so damn attractive. But it was more than his outward appearance. Az had once touched my soul, and there is no connection like that. And believe me, I have some amazing bonds with my lovers; I know all about them. From Werewolf bindings to the Dragon-Sidhe blood-tasting, I had connected with my men in such profound ways that I could say with absolute certainty that I knew exactly what kind of men they were. But only Azrael had touched my soul.

  “You don't think I should take something I'm not familiar with?” Azrael asked.

  “This is purely for pleasure, Az,” I pointed out. “Learn what you want to learn and take as many classes as you like. You have nothing holding you back and no goals to reach besides the ones you set for yourself.”

  “You're right.” His smile was radiant, nearly as radiant as the Sun God who walked in.

  “Off to school, kid?” Re asked Az.

  “Choosing my classes,” Azrael said brightly. “I'm going to start with some art courses.”

  “Excellent!” Re declared. “Before you run off and gather your paints, do you think you could help me carry in a gift for our wife?”

  “A gift?” I asked.

  “Sure,” Az said at the same time.

  “It's a surprise.” Re winked at me.

  Azrael followed Re out with a shrug directed at me. Re loved giving me presents. Sometimes it was something little and sometimes large, but ever since we'd gotten married, the gifts had started coming more frequently. The other men merely shook their heads at his behavior, but it made me nervous. What was prompting the excessive giving? Did Re feel insecure? There was no reason for that; my other husbands had welcomed him into the fold with open arms. Had I done something?

  That was the one downside of Trevor allowing the Wolf to take over and seize back the alpha reins. Discovering that Trevor had been unhappy left me wondering if the others were harboring secret resentments as well. I'd always thought that our bonds would let me know if my husbands weren't satisfied, but it seemed that I was wrong. They could hide things from me if they wanted to.

  “Surprise!” Re declared as he and Az lugged in a giant mirror.

  I blinked in shock. No wonder Re needed help. The thing was nearly twice my height. It hadn't been the weight but the awkwardness of its size that had necessitated assistance. The mirror looked old, perhaps even ancient. But that may have just been the frame. The mirror itself didn't have any of the wobbly surface qualities or black spotting an old mirror usually possessed, and they didn't even have glass mirrors in the ancient world. Unless it was a god mirror.

  I peered closer.

  The frame was hand-carved wood that had been gilded. Greek columns stood on the vertical sides; flowers wrapping around them and extending up to form a garland that was the top of the frame. The bottom was carved to look like grass. It was extremely detailed work and the gilding was pristine; pressed tightly into the carving to show every blade of grass and even the veining in the leaves. It was also enormous; large enough to show Re, Azrael, and myself together.

  “Are those narcissus flowers?” I asked Re.

  The Sun God beamed at me and nodded. We had the flowers at our wedding and they would always remind me of him. Not just because of their presence at the ceremony but also because of the laugh we'd had over them when we decided to include them in the first place. Narcissus flowers for the narcissist. It had been perfect.

  “It's beautiful,” I said.

  “Where would you like it?” Azrael asked.

  “The dressing room,” I said absently.

  Something about the mirror unsettled me.

  “Where did you get it?” I asked as I followed the men into my dressing room. “Right there; just move the other one aside. I'll make it into something else later.”

  They moved the full-length mirror that was propped against the wall in my dressing room and replaced it with Re's gift. The gold gleamed brightly despite the fact that we hadn't bothered to turn on the light when we came in. The new mirror took up twice as much space as my last one—both in width and height—and fit snugly between the built-in cabinets that bordered the clothing racks. Thank goodness I'd left space around the last mirror.

  “I found it at an auction,” Re said. “A human auction. Can you believe that? It's a god mirror.”

  “I thought it felt odd,” I murmured.

  “Yeah; there's definitely some magic in it,” Re said. “Probably something to do with appearances. Just don't go asking it to do anything until I've had more time to research it.”

  “You gave Vervain a magical mirror that you haven't researched?” Azrael asked in horror.

  “Magic needs to be activated,” Re huffed. “It's been in human hands for years and no negative incidents have been connected to it.”

  “That doesn't mean anything,” Az said. “For all you know, it could eat people and leave no trace of them behind.”

  “There are mirrors that can eat people?” I asked as my eyes widened and I backed away.

  “No; there aren't,” Re assured me with a disgruntled glance at Azrael. “This mirror is harmless unless you try to invoke something. Honestly, even if you did shout commands at it, I doubt it would work. You have to know what magic to
activate and the correct words to use to do so. You can't just throw random spells at god items and expect them to function.”

  Azrael simmered down. “Yeah; I suppose he's right.”

  “I'll be careful with it,” I promised.

  We all headed out of the dressing room. My eyes strayed to the mirror as I reached the threshold; just a quick glance. Something moved within the glass. I froze and did a double take but there was nothing there.

  “Must have been shadows playing tricks on me,” I murmured.

  Chapter Two

  Later that day, I received a text from an old friend who I haven't heard from in awhile. My life had been consumed by the God world and it had been a long time since I'd had a free moment to connect with my human friends. I'd taken to keeping in touch through text. Not because I was too much of an ass to call but simply because texting from the God Realm was easier than calling. The transfer was made through a vein of Internet that was connected to my territory and text went through fine while phone calls often ended up getting garbled.

  I felt horrible about letting my human friendships fall by the wayside, especially since my friends had been such strong supporters of mine, even after they found out about the godhunting. But, in the way of long distance relationships, several friendships had faded away. Tristan and Jackson had held on the longest but both of them had stopped texting me about six months ago. So, it was with surprise and pleasure that I read Tryst's text. He was asking if I had time for a visit, and it just so happened that I did.