Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
After setting the brush on the bed, I grab her hips and lift her to settle her on her bottom. Squatting down in front of her, I prod at the wound. “Nothing hurts, Little love?”
She shakes her head. “No. It just feels sort of tight. That’s all. Is it normal for me to heal this quickly?”
I set my hands on her knees and meet her gaze. “To be honest, I’m not sure. It seems fast to me, but it’s been a long time since I was around an injured mated human female, so I don’t recall how long it should take to heal. When a lion shifter is injured, we heal very quickly. Our bodies are amazingly resilient. But humans… I’m not sure.”
“You said there are twelve of you here in the mountains?”
“Yes.”
“Where did you come from? Don’t you have families?”
“Yes, Little love. We came from a faraway land. We broke off from our larger pride and traveled for a year before we settled here. It’s been three years since we arrived.”
“Why did you leave?”
“There was no hope of any of us ever finding a mate in that location. The human population had moved away from the area. Our elders were all mated and established. Many of them were getting on in years and had no interest in relocating. Those of us who were younger decided to make the split and move to parts unknown in search of hope.”
“Did you have parents there?”
“Yes, Little love. They were sad to see me go, but they understood.”
“Do you call them?”
I shake my head. “No. When a pride splits, it’s very unusual for the two factions to stay in touch. We made a decision to make our own way in life and won’t turn back.”
“That’s sad.” Her face droops.
“I suppose, but that’s not how we think about it. Our focus has been on setting up a life, one in which we’re capable of finding and providing for mates.”
“Do any of the others have mates?”
“No, Little love. You are the first to join my pride.”
“But it’s been three years…”
“Yes, Brea, but that’s life. It was expected. Our business is booming. Fate has a way of providing what we need at the exact right time. Though I was stunned when I saw you for the first time, I wasn’t really surprised. The timing feels right. I’m sure now that I’ve claimed you, the others will begin to feel restless and seek out mates in the coming months.”
“I’ve never met a shifter before,” she tells me.
“Or perhaps you have, but you didn’t know it.”
She cocks her head to one side as she ponders my suggestion. “I guess that could be true. But are all shifters as large as you?”
I chuckle. “Some are. Not all. A few years ago I met some wolf and bear shifters. Though they were large, most of them were not as big as my brothers.”
“Wow. Wolves and bears… That must have been strange.”
“We wandered through their territory by accident. They were scared out of their minds that we meant them harm. Eventually I reassured them they were safe from us, and we moved on from their territory.”
“What if one of you mates with another species?”
“It would never happen. We’re not wired to be drawn to them. Lion shifters need human mates.”
Her eyes narrow again. She’s so cute when she’s thinking hard. I know she has questions, and I’ll answer all of them.
“Why don’t you marry lion shifters?”
“There aren’t any. There haven’t been female lion shifters for over a century. Male lion shifters mate with human females.” I remain squatted in front of her. With my hands on her knees, I can feel her pulse and ensure that she’s not stressed. It helps that I’m letting her look down at me.
“And…” She licks her lips. I know what she’s going to ask, but I wait for her to voice her thoughts. “Do you have babies?” she whispers.
“Yes, Little love.” I give her knees a squeeze. “You and I will have offspring. The females will be human. The males will be lion cub shifters.”
Her breath hitches as she lifts a hand to her throat. Her pulse finally picks up. It’s expected. “I’m not ready to have babies. I’ve never even considered having kids. I never even thought I would meet a man I could rely on enough to date him let alone get married.”
I smile warmly at her. “You can rely on me, Little love,” I say gently. “Always. And I promise I won’t get you pregnant before you’re ready. We’ll make that sort of decision together. As for marriage, it’s not something lion shifters are concerned about. The fact that I claimed you by biting you binds us together for life. No certificate is needed. Sometimes we marry our mates simply because the surrounding human society finds it more acceptable. If marriage is something that will make you feel better, we’ll do it.”