Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
After he was all dry, I wrapped the towel around him and scooped him into my arms. I carried him into the bedroom, and Felix and I sat on the bed, with our backs against the wall and our boy draped over our laps. We could have dressed him in some of our clothes, but he was just too damn cute in the towel. Plus, the closer he was to being naked, the better.
“Are you relaxed?” Felix asked as he began rubbing Ant’s feet.
“Definitely,” he answered, nuzzling his cheek against my chest. “Thank you for helping me forget about my troubles for a little while. I don’t want to worry about my job or house until tomorrow.”
My brother gave me a look that only I would understand. We could communicate without needing words. It was time to open up to Ant; to tell him everything about us and our relationship, and hopefully give him peace.
I nodded and Felix rose from the bed long enough to retrieve Ant’s lion, which was sitting on top of the dresser. He handed it to our boy, who eagerly snuggled it in his arms.
Felix sat down again before telling him, “You know, you don’t have to worry about that house at all.”
“Or that job,” I added, and Ant raised his head from my chest to give us a confused look.
“What do you mean?”
I replied, "We want you to share this home with us. We need to be close to you every day; it was difficult to be away from you just for a work shift, and I can't imagine what living apart would feel like."
"And as your Daddies," Felix added, "We want to care and provide for you. You never have to worry about money; we've got more than enough to make sure you're taken care of. We'd never tell you not to work; if there’s a career that makes your heart happy, we will do anything to help you achieve it. But we don’t want you to feel stuck somewhere you don’t want to be.”
Ant didn’t say anything. He just sat still on my lap, chewing his poor lip. I couldn’t stand the silence, so I asked, “How does that sound?”
“It sounds incredible,” he answered, and I could breathe again, until he added, “But…” It took everything in me to hold my tongue and give him time to gather his thoughts. “But what if you leave me? What if you get tired of me or this lifestyle and want to be free? I won’t have a place to stay or any money.”
“Oh, sweet baby.” I clutched him close to my chest, and Felix scooted in and wrapped Ant in his arms as well. Our boy’s words broke my heart; he was so used to people going in and out of his life. Nothing had ever been permanent for him, and he worried this relationship wouldn’t be either.
I looked to Felix for help. Our boy needed reassurance and he had a better way with words. “You never have to worry about that,” Felix told him. “As far as this lifestyle goes, it’s something we all need. Those needs may evolve or change over time, and that means we’ll change with them. The most important thing is to make sure you’re cared for and happy. And getting tired of you or needing freedom is just ridiculous. We love you and we always will.”
“How can you be sure?”
Felix gave Ant a warm smile and explained, “Because our relationship is very special. Your Poppa and I knew from the moment we saw you that we needed you and would love you forever. And that’s because we are a little different than most people.”
“Different?” Ant asked.
Felix nodded and pointed to the lion in Ant’s arms. “We have many similarities to your toy; we’re strong, protective, and, well…” He looked at me, and I gave him a nod of encouragement. “We’re lions; half lions, to be exact. We’re called lion shifters. We can change from human form to animal form whenever we please.”
Ant’s brows were furrowed as he looked between us. Finally, he asked, “Are we playing a game?”
“No, baby; this is real life. Our species has been around for a very long time, but most people have never heard of us. That wasn’t always the case; shifters were created by the gods to protect humans. You see, when the world was young, humans struggled to survive. They were threatened by disease, famine, and war.”
I jumped into the conversation with, “The gods loved their human creation, and wanted to protect them, so they created another race; shifters. We are stronger and faster than humans. We can’t get sick, and if we get injured, we heal very quickly. That made shifters great warriors, so the humans didn’t have to fight and dwindle their numbers. Shifters’ keen senses made them great hunters, so they helped the humans’ food source thrive.”