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)
My brother took over, “But over time, humans discovered weapons, medicine, and agriculture. They outgrew their need for shifters, and became afraid of their strength. Our kind was created to protect humans, but they turned on us. They hunted us out of fear. The shifters who weren’t killed ran away into their own groups and hid their identity from the world to stay safe. Over time, we became nothing more than a legend, and then were forgotten altogether.”
Ant’s eyes were wide and watery. “Were you hunted?”
Felix shook his head. “That was before our time. We were born into hiding, and were taught to keep our species a secret.”
“But…you told me.” Ant sat up straighter and promised, “I won’t tell anyone. I never want anyone to try and hurt you. And I’ll never hurt you, either. I know you’re strong, but I like it. It doesn’t scare me; it makes me feel safe.”
I kissed our precious boy’s head. We’d just dropped a load of unbelievable information in his lap, and all he was concerned about was ensuring our safety. “Shifters are fast, strong, immune to disease, and even immortal, but-”
“Wait, what?” Ant cut me off. “You’re immortal?” It was common knowledge for us and just part of life; I wasn’t thinking how shocking it would be for him.
“We are,” I answered honestly. “Shifters were meant to rule and protect for all time, so we were granted eternal life on this earth. We can be killed, but it’s very difficult. But even immortality is not the greatest gift that shifters have.”
Ant shook his head in disbelief. “What could be better than that?”
“A mate,” Felix replied. “To thank shifters for what they’d done, the gods blessed each one with a very special gift; a human mate. Every shifter is granted a perfect match, who they are destined to love, provide for, and protect forever. We know them by scent and instinct from the moment we meet them.”
“From the moment…” Ant gasped. “That’s what you said about me. Am I…am I your mate?”
“You are, sweet baby.” It was Felix’s turn to give him a kiss. “We were matched together by the goddess Fate herself. You are everything we need and nothing can ever tear us apart. When we bond, you will inherit some of our characteristics; you’ll become immune to diseases and most importantly, take on our immortality. We can’t live without you, Ant. We are bound to you. We’ll never want anyone else, and we’ll only fall deeper and deeper in love with you. So you see, you never have to worry about us leaving or getting tired. You’re the other half of our soul and we can’t survive without you.”
His eyes nearly spun as he absorbed everything we told him. “So, we'll be together forever?”
“Forever and ever,” I assured, and my brother and I both received a rib-cracking hug.
Ant dropped his voice to an adorable whisper to ask, “So…do any of your friends know your secret?”
I chuckled, and Felix elbowed me in the side before answering, “Yes, they all do. You see, these men are our pride. Talon, Cedric, and Hunter are shifters as well, and Brandon, Asher, and Lance are their human mates. Grady is a lion too, but he hasn’t found his match just yet.”
“I hope he does soon,” Ant replied, and his sweetness made me melt.
“Me too, baby.” I thought it was also important to explain, “Cedric is a special type of shifter called an omega, which means that he is able to have children. He gave birth to Griffin just a couple of days ago, but has healed very quickly.”
“There are lots of daddies in this house,” Ant giggled, and I nodded my agreement. Nearly everyone who lived here was a daddy or Daddy in some way. After another moment of thought, our boy added, “So, you said that you can shift into a lion any time you want?” We both nodded. “Can…can I see?”
“Of course you can,” Felix smiled. “And remember; even though we are in our animal forms, we are still ourselves and in total control. You don’t have to be afraid.”
He nodded and Felix and I rose from the bed. We stepped out of our shoes and peeled off our shirts as Ant’s eyes widened. My brother explained, “We don’t want our clothes to rip when we shift.” Our mate answered only with a gulp and a lick of his lips as we removed the rest of our clothing.
But his expression changed from lust to shock as the sounds of cracking bones filled the room when our skeletons bent and reformed. Our spines curved, our skulls broadened, and our hands and feet widened into paws. Tails emerged from our backsides, and the final step of the transition was the fur that spurted over every inch of us, including our long, proud manes. Standing before our mate were two powerful lions.