China (Tails Book Six)

By R.E. Butler

Lioness China Taylor loves to cook and paint, but not necessarily in that order. What she’d really love is to find her heart-match, the one male on the planet meant for her. If he would freaking show up already. When she overhears that the pride match-maker matched her with an alpha lion from another pride, she’s both wary and curious. The male in question has threatened to bring war to her pride if her bestie doesn’t mate him. So what on earth does it all mean?

Ozzen “Oz” Krane isn’t interested in pride politics or the war his alpha is planning. What he’s interested in is his fledgling furniture company. When a beautiful lioness from the Kentucky pride shows up to confront his alpha, he knows she’s his heart-match and his perspective shifts and he finds himself willing to kill to keep her safe.

When his pride is thrown into chaos because of his choice, Oz has to work quickly to keep China—and himself—safe. He’s never had to fight for his life, or anyone else’s, but he’ll do anything to keep China by his side forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E. Butler
• Release date: Nov 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463886649

R.E. Butler

A Midwesterner by birth, R.E. spent much of her childhood rewriting her favorite books to include herself as the main character. Later, she graduated on to writing her own books after "retiring" from her day job as a secretary to become a stay-at-home mom.When not playing with her kids, wrestling her dogs out the door, or cooking dinner for her family, you'll find her typing furiously and growling obscenities to the characters on the screen.Her best-selling series Wiccan-Were-Bear, The Necklace Chronicles, Hyena Heat, Wilde Creek, Were-Zoo, Arctic Shifters, Norlanian Brides, Saber Chronicles, and Ashland Pride are available now.

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China (Tails Book Six)

By R. E. Butler

Table of Contents

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

Excerpt from Zane (Were Zoo Book One)

Books by R. E. Butler

About the Author

Copyright

Chapter One

China Taylor sat back and inspected her work. She’d glazed some plain white plates to give to her bestie Demi as a mating gift. Demi’s favorite colors were gold and teal, and the glittery gold and metallic teal paints made the plates look spectacular.

Should’ve gotten some cups too, she said to herself.

She knew Demi would love the plates. The two were forever giving each other handmade gifts. For her birthday last year, Demi had learned to crochet and made a set of purple potholders, which China used all the time.

Demi had recently mated two male grizzly bears who’d come to Kedrick to audition for the house band at Tails. China was a waitress at Tails, which was owned by the alpha and his right-hand male. She didn’t mind waitressing, but she wished she could make a living with painting. Or cooking.

Her phone buzzed. She set the final plate on the drying rack and picked it up.

Hey Zeke, she answered.

What’s doing girl? her cousin asked.

Getting crafty. What’s up with you?

I was going to order lunch at the diner and take it to Mom and Dad’s, and I thought I’d invite you along. Interested?

She loved her cousin and his parents. Her whole family was really close. I’d love that. Thanks.

Awesome. Could you pick up the to-go bag?

She snorted. Are you serious? Did you only invite me so I’d pick up the food?

How rude! I love you dearly and would never use you to run errands for me.

That’s a lie right from the devil, man.

Fine. It occurred to me that it would be on the way for you and out of the way for me. Sue me for being clever.

That’s a dick move, you know.

Ouch. I’ll order you a piece of cake as a peace offering.

Now that I like. Make it chocolate. And also I want the chicken salad croissant.

No problem. See you in a bit.

Bye.

She cleaned up the mess, washed the paint off her fingers, and changed from her ratty paint clothes to jeans and a short-sleeved top.

She headed into downtown Kedrick to the diner. Kedrick was a mostly lion-shifter town and her family had been in the pride for generations. Her parents were mate-matched, which meant they’d gone to see a match-maker to get set up. They wanted her to get mate-matched, but she was one hundred percent not interested. She believed in waiting for her heart-match, the one guy on the planet who was meant to be hers. Her lion would recognize him on sight.

It didn’t matter whether her heart-match was a lion, another type of shifter, or a human. She only cared that he was a good person. And it wouldn’t hurt if he was sexy too.

Her parents didn’t give her a hard time about being unmated too often, but sometimes she felt like they didn’t approve. She knew she’d find her Mr. Right at some point, and fate could not be rushed. The bitch took her sweet time.

She parked in front of the diner and headed inside. There was someone checking out at the register, so she looked around and saw Demi, Demi’s father, and her two mates sitting at a table, their heads together as they talked quietly. She walked over to say hello and froze when her name came up.

So you’re on their side? Demi asked, throwing up her hands. You want me to tell China to potentially put herself in danger to save me from either sacrificing myself or potentially sacrificing my mates? That’s the height of selfishness.

I’m in danger? China said, dumbfounded.

Demi looked at China in surprise, guilt flashing across her face.

China, Demi said.

What’s going on? China put her hand up. Before you say something, like it’s not my concern or I misheard you, just remember that we’ve known each other our whole lives and we both detest lying.

Demi pursed her lips then gestured to the end of the half-circle booth. Sit down.

China sat and listened as Demi told her that Abbie, the pride match-maker, had attempted to match alpha lion Benecio with a female from her match-book. Benecio had a hard-on for Demi and refused to leave her alone, even now that she was mated.

Abbie had a vision, Demi said with a frustrated sigh. She doesn’t know what it means exactly, except that if you meet with Benecio, someone is going to die. She doesn’t know who or why, but she was really scared, and I’ve never seen her like that.

That’s disturbing, China said, drumming her fingers on the table.

Conversation stopped for a moment as the waitress appeared and set food down for everyone. Want anything? she asked China.

I’m picking up a to-go bag for Zeke, so I just need that since I’m not staying.

The waitress nodded and left. China cleared her throat. So if I meet with this Benecio asshole, someone might die?

We just don’t know, Demi said.

To be fair, Demi’s dad said, Abbie said she saw death related to Benecio and that there was something off about the match. So she’s not sure you’re his match, which is why she asked us to keep quiet about it.

Sorry, Demi said. We shouldn’t have been talking about it in public, I’m just so frustrated.

It’s okay, really. I’d rather know than there be this weird thing between us because you needed to keep it from me, China said.

You’re my best friend and I love you dearly. Demi squeezed China’s hand. I don’t want you to get hurt in anyway. I’d rather deal with Benecio on my own than involve you.

Demi’s mates—Rafe and Rhaider—both growled softly. China thought it was sweet and awesome that her bestie had two fierce mates.

I understand. I wish he’d never come to Kedrick, China said.

Don’t worry about anything, Rhaider said to China. We’re not going to let Demi get hurt. We’ll defeat him and send him packing, and it will be the end of things.

If Abbie wanted you to know, if she thought you were meant to be with Benecio, I think she would’ve contacted you, Demi said.

That’s a good point, China said. She slid from the booth and stood. Thanks for filling me in. I hope that he sees the truth that you’re mated and moves on. It’s pathetic that he’s been acting like a toddler who had a toy taken away.

Fact, Demi said. She stood and hugged her. Love you, bestie.

To the moon and back, China said.

She said goodbye to the group, then stopped at the counter and picked up the to-go bag. Her heart was in her throat as she left the diner.

What did it mean that Abbie had had a vision of China related to Benecio? And just what the hell was she supposed to do with the information? She couldn’t just leave Demi and her mates to deal with the crazy alpha lion. If she could help her bestie, then China sure as hell would.

I’ll go see Abbie, she said out loud as she started her car. First, she’d drop off the food at her aunt and uncle’s, and then she’d go to the match-maker’s. She and Abbie had some talking to do.

* * *

Abbie was in hell. Not literally, of course, but figuratively. She had no idea what to do with what she’d seen recently. Match-makers used a kind of ancient magic to match couples. She could look at a person and envision their perfect match, sometimes even seeing a little glimpse of the future for them. It wasn’t science, so sometimes the matches didn’t work out.

Shaking her head back to the matter at hand, she replayed what she’d seen when she tried to match Benecio. She’d taken one look at Benecio and seen right into his murderous soul. He had no intention of waiting for his heart-match, taking a match from her, or leaving Demi alone. He had plans to make her his, period.

But more than what she’d seen of his intentions, her magic had given her a glimpse of a bloody future involving Benecio—and to her utter surprise—China. Abbie had no clue how China was involved or who was going to die when the two met, but she knew for certain that China and Benecio were headed for disaster.

Something prickled at the back of her mind. Abbie put the coffee mug on the worn side table next to her couch and walked to the front window. Drawing back the curtain, she looked outside.

Speak of the freaking devil, she muttered.

There on the bottom step of her porch, in all her cuteness, was China herself.

Staring right at Abbie.

Shit.

Chapter Two

Ozzen Oz Krane looked at his email as he half-heartedly listened to Alpha Benecio explain his plans to disrupt a lioness’s life once more. He was one hundred percent not interested in Alpha Benecio or his backward thoughts on females making their own romantic choices. The male had taken one look at the lioness a few months earlier and decided she was going to be his, whether she liked it or not. And she most definitely did not like it. Or him. Or anything about the situation.

What the fuck are we doing here? his friend Angel said under