BK 4 - Chapter 5 - Acceptance
Jayce looked at Lisa, trying to process what she had said. He was her mate. How did that work? He didn't know anything about being a werelion, but he couldn't imagine being with anyone else. From the minute he saw her across the courtyard, something was calling to him, telling him they were meant to be together.
"What do you mean I'm your mate?" He asked anxiously.
"It means that you and I are supposed to be together. The sparks we feel when we touch. The attraction and pull we have toward each other are all part of the mate bond. It means we were made for each other. I know this is a lot to process, and I don't expect you to accept me and all of this right away. I just wanted you to know the truth before we went any further." Lisa bit her lip nervously while she sat back down to give him a minute to process what she had said. She was expecting him to ask her to leave so he could have time to think or tell her he didn't want any part of it, but he didn't. Instead, he walked over to where she was sitting, squatted down so he was at eye level with her, and smiled.
"So that means I'm yours and your mine. Are we soulmates? Is it like that?" Jayce took both of her hands in his just to feel that tingling that made his pulse race. Would it always feel like that when they touched? He hoped so.
"Yes, it's like soulmates. When two mates find each other, it's supposed to feel like they've found their other half. Please don't rush into anything you're not ready for. I don't want you to have any regrets later on. We've only known each other for a few hours, and I've pretty much turned your world upside down. Do you want me to leave?" Lisa felt tears stinging her eyes. Why was she feeling like he was going to send her away? Maybe he wouldn't want to be her mate. Jayce wiped the tears off her cheeks, sat on the floor, and pulled her into his lap.
"What makes you think I want you to leave? Yes, you've opened my eyes to what has probably been staring me in the face my entire life, but that's not a bad thing. Lisa, when I saw you this afternoon, I didn't really need help finding the main office; I just needed a reason to talk to you. As soon as you walked out of the library, everything else in the world faded away, and all I saw was you. For someone like me who has never had anyone want me my entire life, it means the world to know that fate had someone as special as you waiting for me. Finding you made me realize that when I was holding that gun that day, the voice in my head stopped me so I could be with you. Now I have a question for you. Do you want me as your mate?" Jayce asked hopefully. Was it possible that he endured all the bad because there was a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel named Lisa?
"Of course, I want you. I've waited my entire life for you. Shifters aren't like humans. We typically don't have sex or relationships with anyone until we find our mate. It feels like we're cheating on our mates if we're with someone else. So that's why I've never kissed anyone, been on a date or anything, all because I was waiting for you." Lisa beamed at him when she saw his radiant smile. All of her dreams were coming true. She turned in his lap so she was straddling him, and they were face to face.
"If you accept me as your mate, that means I will mark you, and you'll turn into a werelion. Do you want that?" She asked.
"Do I want to be a werelion and turn into a large lion? Who wouldn't want that? Does that mean we can change into our lions, run through the forest, climb mountains, and do other cool things?" Jayce asked excitedly. Lisa couldn't help laughing. She'd never seen anyone so excited to be changed into a shifter.
"Yes. There are other perks too. Even in your human form, you'll be able to see better, run faster, be stronger, and heal quicker. If I were to injure myself, I would be healed in hours rather than days." Lisa continued to giggle while his eyes got bigger and bigger.
"Seriously, is there anyone who wouldn't want all that?" Jayce asked in disbelief. To have all those benefits and, best of all, to be with your soulmate for the rest of your life. Why would anyone turn that down?
"There are some who don't want this life. Or other shifters who reject their fated mate for another. When that happens, the mate who gets rejected feels an immense amount of pain. It's like their heart is being ripped from their chest. Some don't survive. Others are given a second chance, mate, but the pain from the rejection will always haunt them." Lisa said sadly. Jayce realized that was why she was scared he wouldn't want her. She was afraid of the pain of rejection. He leaned forward, putting his forehead against hers.
"You don't have to worry about that, sweetheart. I would never reject you. I may not have known anything about shifters and mate bonds, but I always knew that when I found the one woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I would do anything to keep her. Knowing that you want me as much as I want you makes me want to cry with happiness." Jayce began to kiss her lightly, but when she wrapped herself around him, the kiss got deeper. Lisa ran her hands under his shirt, feeling his warm, smooth skin against her palms. Jayce moaned in pleasure. Her touch awoke something in him he never knew was sleeping. When they pulled apart, they were both breathless.
"Let me finish our dinner, and then we have a lot more to talk about." Jayce kissed her again before standing up with Lisa in his arms.
"I'm going to text my brother and Breanne to let them know I'm eating here so they don't wait on me." Lisa grabbed her phone while Jayce went to the kitchen to finish dinner.
"Does your brother know I'm your mate?" He asked.
"Yeah. That's why he wanted to talk to me upstairs. When he saw us holding hands, he asked me what I was doing because he knew I was saving myself for my mate. He hasn't found his mate yet, either. I had hoped Breanne was his mate so I could tell her about shifters, but she's not." Lisa answered while sending a text to Alex and Breanne. She watched Jayce as he took out the chicken, adding it to the steamed broccoli, noodles, and sauce.
"What are your plans this summer?" He asked.
"Typically, I go home to Sacramento and help out at the group homes. Do you have plans?" She asked. She knew she wanted to be wherever he was.
"No. I figured I'd find a part-time job or something while I waited for the Fall semester to start. Do you think your family would mind an extra set of hands to help out? If you don't mind me tagging along, I would like to go to Sacramento with you." Jayce said hopefully. He knew there was no way he could spend a whole summer away from her. He also wanted to check out the group homes. From what Lisa had told him, they sounded phenomenal. Her family must have big hearts to want to help so many.
"I think they would love for you to come. I will warn you, my family is a mixed-up bunch of everything. We have lions, tigers, bears, wolves, vampires, witches, and more. They're pretty protective of me no matter how often I tell them they don't need to be." Lisa spoke fondly of her family, and he could see the light in her eyes talking about them.
"I can't wait to meet them. I wish I had a large caring family." Jayce said as Lisa walked over and put her arms around him.
"You do now. Many people in my family have lived through traumas. My Grandma Cat has a background similar to yours. That's why she started the group home. My Aunt Kitty, Grandma Janel, and Aunt Mindy also had bad things in their past. We have others who were rescued when Alex and I were that may not be related by blood, but they're still part of our family. Breanne has no family either, and she's made herself comfortable in ours like she's been there all along. My family is incredible and will welcome you with open arms." Lisa kissed him when she saw the tears pooling in his eyes.
"How did I make it through life without you? I can't imagine spending another second without you by my side." Jayce asked, holding her to him.
"You never have to imagine it because I'm not going anywhere." Lisa pulled him down for another deep kiss. When he lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist. She decided she needed to send another text to Alex and Breanne because she wasn't going home tonight.
