BK 5 - Chapter 33 - Rebel
Jamie looked at Cameron, trying to understand what he meant when he said he was a werelion. Was that a club or something? She wiped her mouth as a sense of dread washed over her. Was he in a cult? Did he do all this to get her to join his cult?
"What is a werelion?" She asked cautiously while glancing at the door. Did he poison her food? Were there people outside ready to take her away to wherever their cult congregated?
"I don't want you to freak out, but I can change from a human to a lion. My lion's name is Rebel." Jamie studied his face to see if he was joking. She relaxed a little, but it concerned her that he thought he could change into an enormous cat. She ate a fry while she thought about what to say.
"I don't understand." She said slowly. Cameron wondered what he should say, but Rebel decided for him as he started to purr. Jamie froze and looked at him with widened eyes.
"What's that noise?" She asked, looking around.
"That's my lion Rebel. He's purring. You can feel it." Cameron slid over next to her as Jamie sat her food on the table. He took her hand and placed it on his chest. She gasped when she felt his chest rumbling. The purring got louder. Jamie put her head against him to hear it better.
"How are you doing that?" She asked with her head still firmly against him. Cameron was afraid to breathe in case she pulled away.
"It's not me; it's Rebel. You can meet him if you'd like." He said, taking the chance to stroke her head of thick, curly hair. Jamie turned her head slightly to look up at him and suddenly sat up, feeling embarrassed that she had gotten so comfortable with him so quickly.
"I'm sorry I was practically laying on you." She said looking out the window. Cameron stroked her head again, but she wouldn't look at him.
"I wasn't complaining. Do you want to meet Rebel?" He asked as he continued to play with her hair. Jamie closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of someone touching her in such a soothing way.
"What do you have to do exactly?" She asked, keeping her eyes closed. She was beginning to think maybe she was dreaming. Was she still asleep at the shelter?
"I will remove my clothes, and then you'll see Rebel instead of me," Cameron explained. She glanced at him and smiled slightly.
"Are you just trying to get naked?" She wasn't worried about him hurting her. Jamie figured he would have done that already if he had planned to, but she wanted to see his reaction. Cameron smiled and shook his head.
"If I shift with my clothes on, they will shred, and I have no other clothes here. I can shift in the bedroom and then have Rebel come out if that would make you more comfortable." He said, running his fingers through her hair again.
"I want to see you do it. If that's okay. You know what they say. Seeing is believing." Jamie put her hand on his chest again when Rebel began purring. Cameron moved his hand from her hair to her back, rubbing her gently. She smiled when she felt the sparks running through her body.
"Does this have anything to do with why I feel those sparks when you touch me?" Jamie asked, rubbing her hand over his chest. Cameron was trying hard to control his excitement caused by her touch. She'd probably kick him out of the suite if she knew how she affected him.
"Yes, it has a lot to do with it. After you meet Rebel, I'll explain everything else, okay?" Cameron asked while rubbing her back. Jamie looked into his eyes. She couldn't explain her feelings for him but knew she didn't want them to stop. They made her feel alive and gave her hope that maybe there was something more out there than the never-ending hopelessness on the streets.
"Okay," She answered. Cameron noticed that she was beginning to look at him more and not always looking down. He wanted to kiss her but also didn't want to scare her. He slid his hand up to stroke the back of her neck and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. When he pulled away, he was worried about what her reaction would be. To his surprise, she was smiling.
"No one has ever kissed me. Not on the forehead or even on the hand like you did earlier. I left home right after I turned eighteen because my mom tried to kill me when her boyfriend touched me. She wasn't a nice person even before then. You're the first person I can remember who has shown me any kindness without expecting something in return. That means more to me than you'll ever know." Jamie couldn't believe she had said so much. She hadn't planned to, but it all just came tumbling out.
"I'm sorry your life has been so hard. I think we met for a reason, and maybe your life will begin to get better now." Cameron stroked her cheek and let his thumb rub her bottom lip. Jamie felt a yearning inside that made her heart race.
"Let me see your lion." She said, kissing his thumb. She wanted to kiss his lips but was too chicken to say it out loud. Cameron started to stand up and then stopped.
"Fuck it," He said as he grabbed Jamie's face and kissed her. She was so shocked she didn't react at first, but the intensity forced her to snap out of it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When Cameron pulled away, he put his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry. I've been wanting to do that since we met." He said.
"Don't apologize. I wanted it too, but I was scared you weren't interested in me like that." Jamie moved her hand from his neck to his cheek. He was so big and strong that he made her feel safe. She couldn't remember ever feeling safe. Cameron kissed her again softly.
"I am interested in you. I'll let you meet Rebel, and then I need to tell you what all this means." Jamie didn't quite understand, but she nodded. Cameron stood up and moved the table out of the way so he would have room to shift.
Jamie couldn't take her eyes off him as he removed his shirt. When he pushed his jeans down, she followed his movements, and her face got hot. She'd never seen a naked man. Well, not willingly. She'd seen men relieving themselves on the street or the occasional man who flashed her. Those were not memories she wanted to hold on to. Seeing Cameron was a whole new experience. She wanted to touch him and feel the heat and power he radiated.
"Don't be scared when you see Rebel. He won't hurt you." Cameron said before removing his boxers. Jamie's eyes widened in surprise. The men she had seen were not that big. She dragged her eyes up to his, and her face flamed when she saw his smirk.
"I won't be scared." She said softly. Jamie stared at him, and right before her eyes, he went from a man to a lion. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Rebel began purring and slowly walked toward her. She stood up and reached her hand out to stroke his head, and his purring became louder.
"You're beautiful." She said as she ran her hand down his back and returned to his head. Jamie knew she should be scared and concerned about a man who could turn into a lion, but she wasn't either. She was excited that there was something out there that changed her view of the world.
Rebel returned to the center of the room and Cameron was again standing in front of her. He quickly put his clothes on while trying to gauge her reaction. Once he was dressed, he walked over.
"What did you think of Rebel?" He asked. Her hand was shaking as she reached out to take his.
"I think he is amazing. I can't believe there are people who can change into animals. Are there other animals?" Jamie asked, while Cameron led her over to the couch. He sat, keeping her hand in his and turning to face her.
"People can change into just about any animal you can think of. My family has lions, bears, panthers, tigers, wolves, witches, vampires, and I'm sure even more. Shifters like us have mates. We believe that there is one person that we're meant to be with. We begin searching for our mate when we turn eighteen. When we find them, we feel the mate bond. When we touch our mate, it causes sparks in both of us." He rubbed her hand, sending sparks through her body. Jamie looked at their hands and up into his eyes. Is he saying what she thinks he's saying?
"I feel sparks when we touch." She said softly.
"That's because you're my mate." Jamie couldn't move or even blink. She had no idea what it meant to be his mate, but to know that she was meant for someone and not meant to roam the streets alone her entire life made her tears fall.
"When you say I'm your mate, what does that mean?" She could barely speak as the shield she had built around herself crumbled to the ground.
"It means that if you accept me as your mate, we can be together forever." Jamie's tears blurred her eyes. All she had to do was accept him, and she would never have to be alone again. She had to ask him something before she agreed.
"What about you? Are you okay with a homeless nobody like me being your mate? I don't want you to be disappointed that you settled." Jamie never dreamt that she would have something so incredible happen to her, but the last thing she wanted was to be someone's regret. Cameron stroked her cheek and kissed her gently. When he pulled away, he smiled.
"You're not a nobody, and I'm not settling. You're the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You've been through so much, yet you trusted me enough to stay here with you. I called my mom while you were in the shower because I wanted her advice on telling you what we were. My dad was a human before he and my mom mated. I'm sure the whole family already knows about you and is anxious to meet you. Our family is very close, and they will love you." Jamie looked down at her clothes.
"I can't meet anyone. Look at me." She said, biting her lip.
"We can remedy that. Let's go shopping." Cameron said excitedly. Jamie shook her head.
"I can't let you take me shopping. I have no money, and I don't like taking handouts." She said while trying to think of how she could get at least one outfit that would be decent enough to meet his family. Despite not being around people, she was anxious to meet Cameron's family. They had to be as incredible as he was if they were so close.
"We're mates, that means we're partners. What's mine is yours. I need a few things anyway because my Grandma Valerie is turning a hundred so we're having a party for her. I would like you to come and meet everyone at her party tomorrow. Today we'll just do some shopping and get to know each other. How's that?" Jamie relaxed. She would let him buy her some clothes to meet his family and then get a job so she could pay him back.
"That sounds good." They prepared to leave. Jamie didn't want to go out in her old clothes, but Cameron said he had an idea. They went to the hotel lobby, where there was a small clothing store. He bought her a new pair of jeans, panties, a sweater, and a warm coat. As they were leaving, he looked down at her feet and noticed the holes in her shoes. Cameron pulled her back into the store and bought socks and new sneakers. Jamie kept everything he spent added up in her head so she could pay him back once she got a job. When they got into the car, she felt better.
"Meeting you today is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I promise to spend my life trying to make you as happy as you make me." Jamie kissed him. It was the first kiss she had initiated.
"You already make me happy. I know it's fast, but Jamie, I love you." She looked into his eyes, and her heart felt like it was going to explode. She had never felt love, but she knew she loved him. Nothing in this world was the way she had believed, and that included her views on love. She smiled and kissed him again.
"I love you too."
