Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 31591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
"What the fuck?" he shouted, and scrambled backwards on the rock until he fell off. When I lunged forward to check on him, Brandon screamed and lifted a nearby stone and tossed it, hitting me square in the forehead. I shook off the fleeting pain, but my heart squeezed when he yelled, "Talon! Talon, help! Help me! Where are you?"
Okay, this is not what I planned. I thought this would be the easiest and quickest way to introduce Brandon to my lion; that he'd know the animal was me. But all I was actually doing was scaring the shit out of my mate. Dammit. I knew I'd cock this up.
Brandon gasped as his hand slapped over his chest. "You bastard! You ate my boyfriend, didn't you?" He clocked me with another rock before breaking down into tears. "Then take me too." He curled up on the bank and sobbed, "Just do it."
I let out a roar of anguish and anger at myself, and poor Brandon quaked as he tucked his head between his knees and waited for an attack. I'd terrified my sweet man and I had to make it right.
I shifted quickly and scooped Brandon into my arms. He fought at first, kicking and slinging his fists, but settled down when I said, "It's me, sweetheart. I've got you."
"Talon! I thought I lost you!" He clung to my body as he trembled against me. "We have to get out of here! Did you see that thing?"
"Brandon, it's okay. We're safe because...I was that thing."
His face twitched in a dozen different expressions before he asked simply, "What?"
"That's what I needed to tell you; I'm a lion shifter and I have two forms. I can transition from human to animal and back. I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you'd know it was me, but I should have explained things first so that you'd be prepared."
"I…" Brandon swiped a shaking hand over his face. "Yeah, that would've been nice."
"I'm so sorry. My plans always seem to backfire. I've never told anyone before since all of my friends are shifters too and-"
"Wait, what?" Brandon's eyes were as wide as saucers. Dammit, I'm messing this up so bad. "You mean everyone at the lodge…?"
"They're my pride."
He looked at me for several long moments before insisting, "I need to sit down." I was supporting him in my arms already, but I settled him onto the flat rock again, where he stared at the creek while stroking his fingers through his hair. "I don't understand," he said finally.
I knelt before him again and was thankful when he let me take his hands in mine. It was time to explain everything. "When the world was young, humans were weak; susceptible to disease and injury, and constantly at war with each other. They risked extinction by their own hand. But the gods loved their creation and took pity on them, so they crafted a species to protect humankind; shifters."
"Shifters had great strength and were immune to human disease. They were fast to heal and nearly impossible to kill, so they made great warriors. They also had animal instincts and senses, making them born hunters. They protected and provided for humans. As a show of gratitude for saving their beloved creation, the gods gifted the species with immortality. They were meant to rule and protect the earth for all time."
"But I never even heard of them until today," Brandon spoke up. "What happened?"
"Humans evolved," I explained. "They created weapons for protection and hunting. They discovered medicine and technology which allowed them to not only survive, but to thrive. They no longer needed shifters. Generations passed and legends and fear of the species spread. Soon, shifters weren't remembered for their heroic actions, but feared because of their differences; a species that was 'human in appearance but beast at heart' couldn't be trusted."
"Humans attacked the shifters, and because the species were bound to protect humankind, they could not fight back. Many were killed, and those who survived fled to live their lives amongst their own kind and with their identities kept in secret."
"That's so sad," Brandon whispered. I squeezed his hands and caressed my thumbs across his knuckles.
"Luckily, the gods remembered what the shifters had done for them, and blessed them with another gift; a human mate. Each of our kind is granted one perfect match whom they will love, provide for, and protect for all time. This person is the other half of our soul. We recognize them instantly by instinct and scent."
"Am...am I…?" Brandon struggled to find his words, but I knew what he was asking.
"Yes, sweetheart; you're my mate." He gasped and his eyes shimmered. "I knew it the moment I caught your scent at the club. That is why I was so ashamed of my actions; I knew you would be the first and only man I would love, and I didn't want you to think less of me. That's also why I chased you; you're my world and my future, and I was afraid of losing you."