BK 2 - Chapter 10 - You're My Mate
Aiden looked at Kitty, unsure if she was truly ready to see him shift even though she thought she was. He didn't want Harley to scare her and cause her to run out of the room screaming.
*"Kid, let me take care of it. I promise not to scare her."*
*"Just be careful, and don't come at her all lion-like."* Harley rolled his eyes at Aiden.
"Are you sure you want to see this now?" He asked Kitty.
"Yes. I want to meet Harley. When you get that far away look in your eyes, what are you doing?" She had seen him do it before.
"I'm talking to Harley. It's called mindlink. That's how we talk to each other." He understood how crazy that sounded but didn't know how else to explain it to her.
"If he is part of you, don't you have the same thoughts? So why would you need to talk to him if he knows what you're thinking?" Kitty couldn't believe the conversation she was having. Maybe she was the one who had lost her mind.
"It's complicated. We can hear each other's thoughts but also have separate conversations. We can also mindlink with other werelions that are part of our pride." She knew she must be dreaming now. There was no way he could talk to others with his mind.
"You're telling me that if someone from your family or your pride were here, you could talk to them through your mind? Am I on an episode of the Twilight Zone?" Kitty didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I know it feels unreal, but I'm telling you the truth." Aiden decided not to tell her about being his mate and how that works. He would let her come to terms with him being a werelion first.
"Okay, let me meet Harley. I need to verify that I'm not in some weird dream where I'm imagining all this." Kitty sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting.
"Promise me you won't scream; he won't hurt you. Think of him as a big house cat."
*"Come on, don't take away all my masculinity."* Aiden chuckled at Harley as he prepared to shift.
"What were you and Harley talking about just then?" Kitty asked, noticing Aiden's expression.
"He told me not to take away his masculinity. He doesn't want you to think he's timid like a house cat." She couldn't hold in her laughter anymore. This was just too much for her.
"I promise not to think of him as anything other than a strong lion, just like his human." Kitty winked at Aiden, and he grinned at her.
"I have to take my clothes off to shift so they don't shred. Are you okay with that?" She bit her tongue. She was planning on getting him naked tonight anyway.
"Yes, I don't mind as long as you don't mind me looking at you because I'm not looking away." Aiden didn't know what to say to that. What if she didn't like what she saw? He would never be able to live with himself.
"Deal." He took off his shirt first. Feeling Kitty's eyes on him made him move slower than usual. He then took off his shorts, so all he had left on was his boxers. When he pulled off his last piece of clothing, his eyes met Kitty's, and she stared him up and down, making him feel exposed.
"Wow, you're quite the massive lion, aren't you?" She felt her mouth go dry, staring at the man in front of her. Aiden was like a perfect sculpture. She wanted to run her hand's over his well-defined muscles. She blushed a little when she stopped at his penis. It wasn't hard right now, but she still wondered how it would fit inside her.
"Kitty, if you keep staring like that, I'm not going to be able to shift." Aiden was pleased with her reaction but wanted to get this over with before he couldn't control himself.
"I'm just admiring the piece of artwork in front of me. I can't help if I like what I see." Kitty met his eyes, and he could see her lust in them.
"Alright, get ready to say hello to Harley."
Before Kitty could respond, where Aiden had stood was now a gigantic lion. Her first response was to scream, but she stopped herself. Harley walked over to her slowly and sat down in front of her. He laid his huge head on her lap and looked up at her with the same blue eyes as Aiden.
Kitty slowly moved her hand and rubbed his head. She giggled as he started purring and closed his eyes as she scratched him behind his ears. Harley wasn't scary, she wouldn't say it out loud, but he did remind her of a giant kitten.
She continued to stroke his head and ran her hand over his golden mane. Kitty never imagined she would be in a hotel petting a lion. He was soft, but she could feel how muscular he was under the fur. He continued to purr, and it seemed to wash away all her nervousness.
"Harley, it's nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me see you for myself. Can I see Aiden again, please? I think we have some more to talk about." Harley suddenly stood up and put his front paws on either side of her. He then started licking her face with his giant rough tongue, and she fell back on the bed laughing. When he stopped, she opened her eyes, and a very naked Aiden was leaning over her.
"Was that his idea or yours?" Kitty asked as she tried to control her breathing from him being inches from her.
"We'll just say it was mutual. Harley wanted to kiss you, and so did I." Aiden leaned down and kissed her on the lips, slowly making her warm all over. She reached out and ran her hands over his bumpy abs, and he suddenly remembered that he still had no clothes on. He reluctantly pulled away and slipped his boxers on. Kitty tried to hide her disappointment.
"Okay, lion man, I believe you now about being a werelion and everything else. What does all this mean? Can you even be with me, or do you have to be with a female werelion?" She didn't want to think of him with anyone else, but she had to know if this was just temporary.
"We have fated mates. Humans sometimes call it soulmates. For us, it's different, though, because once you find the person who is your fated mate, no one else matters. Your whole world revolves around them, and you don't feel complete unless you're together." Aiden was shocked when he saw tears in Kitty's eyes.
"So when you find your mate, you'll have to leave me? I knew this was too good to be true." She felt her whole world crashing down around her. He came over and sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she cried.
"I've already found my mate. I knew the moment I saw you in the soup kitchen line. That's why I purposely touched your hand. It affects us when we touch our mate. That's how I confirmed that you, Kitty were my mate."
She dried her tears as she thought about what he had said. She was his mate. Is that why she had such strong feelings for him? How could that be possible?
"I'm not a werelion. How can I be your mate?" Kitty pulled away and looked into his eyes.
"You don't have to be a werelion. The question is, are you okay with being my mate? It entails a lot, and your life will never be the same." Aiden shifted on the bed, so they were facing each other.
"Explain it to me. Besides you being able to change into a lion and me being a human, how will anything change?" Kitty was confused about this whole mate thing and what that meant for them.
"Well, if you agree to be my mate, I will mark you. That means I will bite your neck. It's not as bad as you may think, and it only hurts for a second before the pain goes away. After I mark you, you'll begin to change. Eventually, you will be a werelion and have your own lioness." He stopped there so she could think about what he had said.
Kitty thought about becoming a werelion, which frightened her and excited her at the same time. Did she want to be a werelion and have everything change? She looked at Aiden and knew she wanted to be with him. That was one thing that was for sure.
"I want to be with you, but I'm not sure about this marking thing. Do I have to decide right now? I'm not saying no, but I need time to think about all this."
Aiden smiled at her and squeezed her hands. He was glad that she didn't say no and that she said she wanted to be with him. He would wait as long as she needed. As long as they were together, he would do whatever she wanted.
"Kitty, you can have all the time you need. I was scared you wouldn't want to be with me after all this." He pulled her over to his side and held her.
"There's no chance of me not wanting to be with you. I love you." Kitty held her breath, hoping she didn't scare him away.
"You love me?" He couldn't believe it. Aiden had been worried about saying it to her, and now she said it first.
"Yes, but I understand if you don't feel the same way." Before she could say more, he crushed her mouth with his. His kiss was aggressive like he was claiming her and making her his. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
"I love you too, Kitty." She beamed at him and pushed him back until he was lying on the bed.
"I think it's time you unwrap your present."
