Alpha Lion: BBW Lion Shifter Paranormal Romance Read Free Page A

typical corporate cutting corners. But they put you in danger by leaving you out here all night alone. The least they could do is help you take care of yourself.”
    Sam shrugged. She agreed with him, but it didn’t seem right to bitch about her employer while she was literally guarding their doorstep.
    “Listen,” Dale said. “I work at a mixed martial arts studio.”
    “ Really ?” Maybe he was a martial arts expert.
    And he’d still chosen to intimidate those guys instead of beat them up. Sam’s respect for him went up even further.
    He nodded. “Really. And listen. We have a women’s self-defense class on Thursday evenings at seven. It’s designed to help women learn to protect themselves, no fancy moves or anything, just practical techniques in case you’re attacked. Like tonight.” He put his hand on her shoulder, not gripping tightly, just a light touch. It still almost seemed like Sam could feel heat of his hand through her jacket. “Would you consider coming by this week?”
    Sam hesitated. She wanted to—she’d go just to see Dale again, she realized, let alone learning how to keep herself safe at her job—but.
    “I don’t really have the money for classes right now.” It was embarrassing to admit, but Dale already knew she couldn’t do her job, so why not tell him she was broke, too? It was the truth.
    “First class is free,” he said quickly. “And I hate the idea of you standing out here undefended every night. I’m sure we could figure something out.”
    She hesitated a little more. “Do you teach the class?”
    She thought about Dale showing her how to stand, putting his arms around her to guide her hands—but then she’d be his student, and it would probably be against the rules to—
    To what? Date? Sure, this gorgeous, buff, cultured-sounding, kung fu master shapeshifter definitely wanted to date her .
    But Dale was shaking his head. “A good friend of mine teaches it,” he said. “She’s a foot shorter than me, fifteen years older, and she still kicks my ass half the time when we spar.”
    “Really?” Sam would’ve loved to be that badass someday.
    Dale nodded. “Really. She’ll like you, I can tell.”
    Sam blushed again. “Okay,” she said, before she could talk herself out of it. “I’ll come.”
    He smiled again, and this time it was a real smile, lighting his face up. “Thank you.”
    * * *
    “Thank you,” Dale said, incredibly grateful that Sam had finally said yes. He was trying not to think about what would’ve happened if he’d picked a different route for his run this morning.
    He couldn’t get the picture of Sam struggling with those men out of his head. His lion had been growling protectively ever since he’d seen her, and the idea that he might not have come this way—
    He could not believe that this company had been so careless with Sam’s safety. Having her out here all night, alone , with no way to defend herself, was insane.
    Something occurred to him. “Do you have any way to get in touch with someone inside the building in an emergency? Do they have any protocols for that?”
    She pulled a walkie-talkie off her belt and held it up. “Supposedly with this. I use it to check in once an hour, and I always get an acknowledgement. But I tried it when those guys showed up, and nothing happened. I think the guy who runs the cameras took a break.”
    She’d called for help, and no one had been listening. Dale’s hands curled into fists, and he forced them to relax, breathing deeply. “That’s unacceptable,” he said, as calmly as he could. “You should complain.”
    But she shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. “I need this job.” She smiled, without any humor. “Remember, I’m broke.”
    She was so matter-of-fact about it. It made him want to wrap her up in his arms and tell her not to worry…which was ridiculous. He wasn’t the sort of man who whispered sweet nothings into women’s ears.
    Even if she was so beautiful it hurt.