Courting Disaster: Heat of the Moment, #2

By Kiona Willoughby

In this sizzling sequel to Noblesse Oblige, irresistible charm melds with scorching heat for a fun, furry twist on shifter fiction.

 

The lion prince, Leon, and his alley cat lover, Catra, have been enjoying a secret relationship for several months. With each deliciously hot meeting, they have grown to care for each other deeply. But their little world is shaken apart when the ailing king orders his only son to marry a captivating lioness, and Prince Leon has little choice but to comply.

 

Catra is miserable at the prospect of losing Leon to another, but heartbreak becomes the least of her worries after she learns she's pregnant–and unlikely to survive childbirth. With Leon's attentions elsewhere, she knows she cannot rely on him to support their children. Unable to bear Catra's pain, Leon makes promises he can't keep, further straining their relationship.

 

Faced with losing the regard of his father so close to his death, struggling against desire for his fiancee, and preparing for the bittersweet conclusion of Catra's pregnancy, Leon must choose between love, lust, and duty before he and Catra can forge a path to their happy ending.

 

"Courting Disaster" is the ultra-steamy sequel to "Noblesse Oblige". It is a fantasy romance of 20,000 words with a happily-for-now ending that borders on being a cliffhanger. Fans of werewolf and shifter romance, paranormal romance, alien romance, adult fairy tales, or even just cartoons in general will enjoy this one.

 

*This novella is intended for adults only.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kiona Willoughby
• Release date: Mar 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224861354

Book preview

Courting Disaster

COURTING DISASTER

A SPICY FURRY ROMANCE

KIONA WILLOUGHBY

Courting Disaster is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

First Edition

Copyright © 2016 by Kiona Willoughby

All rights reserved.

Cover art by DolphyDolphiana

dolphiana.com

Editing by Pat Dobie

lucidedit.com

ALSO BY KIONA WILLOUGHBY

The Heat of the Moment Series

Noblesse Oblige

Courting Disaster

Cat’s Cradle

The Alley Cat Queen

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank Aryn for his invaluable advice during the conceptualization of this story.

She would also like to extend her gratitude to M—you know who you are—without whom this book would not have been completed.

Thank you both.

CONTENTS

Courting Disaster

Afterword

COURTING DISASTER

Leon slipped through the crowd with his hood pulled low over his face. He was relieved the weather had begun to turn cold; wearing a dark, heavy cloak in the middle of summer had the unwanted effect of attracting attention. He didn't stick to the shadows, but he did take care to avoid bringing attention to himself, and it made his journey longer than he would have liked. When he reached the main market square, he sauntered in between stalls and paused to examine the people assembled for market day.

Time passed and he began to give up hope when his sharp eyes picked out a small white cat sidling alongside a pair of elaborately-dressed nobles. He watched her quick hands dart in and out of the nobles' bags, and he had the queer sensation of wanting to smile and sigh at the same time. He didn't approve of theft, but it was her only means of survival—or had been until Leon began seeing to her needs. She didn't, strictly speaking, need to be out here doing this, not anymore. But she was paranoid, and easily frightened, and always feared the day when Leon would grow bored with her and move on.

He followed her petite form with his eyes, then slipped back into the crowd and began trailing her. She led him through the throng and into a nearly-deserted tunnel connecting the market square to the domestic district, and then down into the winding passages and alleyways that made up the city slums. He picked up the pace and jogged after her on silent feet.

When there were no more people in sight, she came to a stop at the opening to a narrow alley. She was checking the contents of the stolen purses when he wrapped one arm around her waist and clamped his other hand over her mouth. She gave a muffled squeal and squirmed, but he was by far the stronger cat, and she couldn't do more than kick at the air and thrash her tail.

Settle, he murmured into her ear. It's me.

Catra remained stiff for a moment, then slowly relaxed in his arms. He released her mouth, but not her waist, and nipped one of her ears. She turned in his arms and snuggled up against him, resting her chin on his chest and beaming. Her sweet purr rolled smoothly from her throat. Leon, she sighed.

He hummed an affirmative and dipped his head down to claim a kiss.

When they pulled away, she was breathless, eyelashes fluttering. What are you doing out here? She asked.

His lips turned up at the corners. I wanted to see you.

She looked mildly confused, as if she were too content to bother with being properly puzzled. How did you find me?

It's market day. Where else would you be? I suppose Gael is back in the square.

He's gathering—um, herbs in the forest... She licked her lips and looked away.

Farming forbidden potion ingredients. Leon sighed inwardly. Never mind. He glanced behind himself, bent, and picked her up. Her legs parted and wrapped around his waist; she laughed softly and leaned down from her new vantage point to kiss him. He carried her into the alley, following its slight curve until he'd found them as much privacy as they were going to get. Then he pressed her back against the wall and slid one hand up her thigh, pushing her blue, fitted dress back until it bunched around her hips. He lamented her not being in heat—he liked to find her dripping through her sheer panties, as she had during her heats these last two seasons—and hooked his thumb around her underwear between her legs, pulling it aside to reveal her soft sex.

She moaned gently, her thin arms locked around his neck. He kissed her shoulder while he pushed one finger into her body, all the way to the knuckle. She was warm and soft, but not very wet—not yet. I dream of you, you know, he murmured into her ear while he thrust his finger in and out.

She squeaked and squirmed, tail thrashing. D-do you?

He breathed in her scent through parted lips, pleased to detect her growing arousal. But I find dreams to be a poor substitute. It's been so long since we last met.

We m-met last week, she managed. Her words faded into a strangled moan. "Leon, oh—"

He pulled his finger out of her body and began massaging her clit, squeezing her backside harder with his other hand. He enjoyed the sounds she began making—little moans and purrs and whimpers, interspersed with broken whispers, begging him for more. She always wanted more, more of him, and her desire was utterly intoxicating. When is your heat this season? He breathed, knowing the answer but craving it on her lips.

She struggled to form words. "H-heat? Ah—um—oh. A-ah—it, um…any d-day now."

He took in her scent again, inhaling deeply,