We collapse on the bed together and I pull her into my arms. Damn, I like this snuggle shit, or at least I like it with her. “We’ll nap before round two,” I whisper against her ear and she nods, and then snuggles in close.
236
Brenna
I blink away the sleep in my eyes—reaching out I find Dylan’s side of the bed cold to the touch. I gingerly crawl out of bed and stretch my sore muscles. Last night was incredible.
We made love and fucked all night. I really never thought there was a difference, but I learned last night that there most certainly was. I also learned that my other two partners didn’t know what they were doing.
I throw on the shirt that Dylan wore last night, bringing the material up to my nose and inhale his spicy scent. I head downstairs into the bathroom and quickly brush my teeth and then use the bathroom. After washing my hands I head out into the living space and find it empty.
I pad across the floor to the French doors that lead to the patio and step outside. The sun is barely up yet so the sky is that inky purple shade it is before the sun starts to peek out from the horizon.
It’s cold but the view is so gorgeous I can handle it for a minute. I walk toward the railing, look around and freeze. The biggest cat I’ve ever seen comes walking out of the woods and freezes when it sees me.
My heart beats wildly in my chest as it cocks its head and stares at me. What is happening right now? The cat is bigger than any I’ve ever seen before. It’s a mixture of white and grey with black spots. Its blue eyes are so bright and so beautiful. I think it’s a leopard, a leopard in Michigan?
I watch it come walking up onto the deck. It pauses at the top and then starts walking toward me.
I hold up my hands. “Umm…hi, kitty. I d-don’t think you belong here.”
It cocks his head to the side and watches me for a second before it starts walking toward me again. It’s a beautiful cat, but it would be even more beautiful if it would go back to the woods.
My back is pressed up against the railing when the cat sits on its hind legs. A shimmer appears around the cat when suddenly it’s not the cat anymore, it’s Dylan. Things begin to spin and the next thing I know is everything goes black and then nothing.
I fly up into a sitting position, my heart beating wildly in my chest. “Hey, hey, hey. You’re okay.” Dylan is sitting on the side of the bed. I crab walk to the other side of the bed and promptly fall off the other side. “Shit, are you okay?” He crawls toward me, but I hold my hands to ward him off.
“S-Stay back. W-What are you?”
Dylan moves toward me, but sits down on the side of the bed. “I’m a leopard shifter, more specifically, a snow leopard shifter.”
“Are there m-more of you?”
He nods, replying, “Yes. Each member of the MC is some sort of cat shifter. My sister is. Little Hailey and BJ are, even though they won’t be able to shift until they’re older. No one knows what we are. We have to keep that side of ourselves hidden from others.”
I don’t know what to say or what to do at this moment. A part of me is terrified, but a part of me is fascinated. If he was going to hurt me he could’ve done it when I came outside this morning.
“Why are y-you interested in me? Really?”
Dylan gets down on the floor next to me. “You’re my mate. Shifters have one person that was made just for them. When they find this person they feel a sort of magnetic pull toward them. When we were at Butch’s house, I knew it the minute you got there. I could feel you, I could smell you.”
“Smell me?” I turn to look at him and notice his eyes are that same electric blue as they are in his cat form, or whatever you call it.
“You smell like strawberries. It makes me want to eat you.” Dylan presses his nose against the skin behind my ear and inhales. “You’re fucking beautiful, you know that right? I get your shy and I’m not, but that’s okay, I like it. When you come for me you’re a goddamn angel.”
My nose burns and I fight the urge to cry because honestly that is the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me. I lay my head on his shoulder. “I feel it too, you know. Whenever I’m near you I just feel safe. Does that make sense?”
“It does. My mom was human, but she became a shifter when she mated with my dad. They even had a little mating ceremony.”
“Mating ceremony?”
He grabs my hand in his, kissing the back of it. “When, let’s say you decide you want to mate with me, I’ll fuck you, and make you come over and over. I’ll sink my teeth into your shoulder—it’ll hurt, but it’ll make you come. As soon as we’re finished I’ll hold you and take care of you as your body changes, and then you’ll shift. My ancestors used to do the mating ceremony in front of the rest of the pack, but now most of the shifters I know do it privately.”
“And then I’ll shift,” I say quietly. “This is a lot. “
“I know. I will tell you this—I’ll always take care of you, protect you, and be faithful to you.”
My stomach growls, interrupting our moment, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, let’s get you fed.”
