Shaking his head, he let her laugh it all out of her system, but just as she started to calm down, she glanced back up at him. Apparently, the sour expression on his face tickled her, because it set her off again.
Fuck. He’d basically asked for this when he taunted the universe by saying he loved her sass. And hell, he couldn’t even get mad. In fact, it was all he could do to keep a displeased expression on his face. Her laughter was fucking infectious, and he’d let her laugh at his expense all day long, so long as she just kept laughing.
Finally winding down, she wiped tears from her eyes and pressed a sweet kiss to his mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased, but damn, the look on your face when I was saying all that was priceless.”
Letting his smile out, he hooked a hand around her neck and pulled her back to him, kissing her thoroughly, satisfaction filling him when he ended it and her eyes were dazed. “It’s okay, baby. It was worth it to hear you laugh like that.”
She smiled softly, almost shyly. “I actually do think your animal is badass, and the fact that you have one at all upped your sexy factor. Black leopards are like panthers with spots, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the best way to describe them. I wasn’t sure if you’d know what I meant. You’re sure none of this freaks you out?” he asked, still in disbelief that she accepted it so easily.
Pursing her lips, she gave it serious thought before shaking her head. “No, it really doesn’t. I think maybe if you’d come right out and said it when we met, I would have thought you’d just escaped a straitjacket and a mental hospital. Hell, maybe I still would if I hadn’t noticed your eyes and the growl. I didn’t know what you were, but I knew you were something, if that makes sense. I was prepared.”
“I was so focused on finally finding you that I wasn’t being as careful as I usually was. I guess maybe that’s a good thing though, if it made you accept me sooner.”
“Definitely a good thing. Are the other guys shifters too, or are you the only one?”
“All club members are shifters. But I promise, you’re not in any danger from them. You never were, but especially not now.”
Her eyes flickered and he thought he said too much—not that there was anything he was hiding from her now; he planned to tell her all of it, including that she was his mate—but she asked something new.
“Do you have anything, you know, extra? Like speed, strength, all that.”
He nodded, unable to keep from pressing another kiss to her lush mouth. “Speed, strength, hearing and vision. And shifters have different abilities, too.”
She perked up even more, if that was possible. “Really? What’s yours?”
“Lightning,” he replied with a smile. She arched her brow in question, and he held up his hand, focusing on the electrical currents than ran through his veins like blood.
A split second later, tiny bolts of lightning were flicking from his fingers, and he twirled them around like he was a drummer and they were his drumsticks. A gasp left Ana’s lips, and she leaned in, although she was careful not to get too close.
“That’s so damned cool,” she breathed, awe in her voice. “Can you shoot them? Like, at people?”
“Yep. Comes in handy when the club has trouble. I can harness natural lightning, too.”
“You can make your own lightning storm. That’s hot as hell. I think it might even be hot enough to make up for not having a wolf.”
The lightning instantly disappeared and he shot his hand down to tickle her ribs. Squealing, she collapsed into him with laughter. “Okay, okay! Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” Smiling at him as he moved his hand, she propped her chin on his chest. “Oh! That’s why your club name is Bolt, isn’t it? Because of the lightning.”
“Yep. A lot of us have club names because of our abilities, although some don’t.”
“Bolt makes so much sense now. I was leaning toward it being because you’re handy with mechanics or something.”
He shrugged. “I mean, I’m damned good at mechanics, but yeah, that’s not where I got my name.”
“Okay, I’m ready now.”
Brow furrowing, he eyed her in question. “Ready for what?”
“You said earlier that you finally found me, and then said the guys wouldn’t hurt me, especially not now. What does that mean? Does it have something to do with you saying you wanted to claim me earlier?”
“Caught that, did you,” he murmured, surprised. He really had been lax when it came to hiding what he really was with her. “And yeah, it does. Every shifter has a mate. That person’s perfect for them in every way. And we’ll do anything for them. We’ll protect them with our lives, make sure they never want for anything, love them more than anything, move mountains to keep them safe and happy. And once we find our mate, we claim them. It happens damned near instantly for shifters.”
Her sky-blue eyes were wide when he finished, and as he watched, they dampened with emotion. “Does that mean… You said you finally found me, and that you want to claim me. All that stuff you just said… you feel like that for me?”
Nodding, he searched her eyes for any hint of hesitation or sign that it scared her. “I do. You’re my mate, Ana. I’ve known it from damned near the moment we met. I know you might need time. I know what that fucker did to you. But believe me, he won’t be around much longer to terrorize you. I’m gonna take care of him, and I’m sorry if
