BK 2 - Chapter 12 - Werelion Talk
Aiden woke up and stared at Kitty; she was still asleep, plastered against his side. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. He still couldn't believe this beautiful young woman was his mate. He loved her so much that his heart ached.
*"I know you're having a moment, but when are you going to tell her about the family's opinion of humans?"*
Aiden frowned at Harley's words. He knew he would have to tell Kitty that his family wouldn't welcome her with open arms. However, he didn't see any need to tell them that he'd found his mate. He planned to keep her away from them as long as possible.
*"I'm going to tell her. I think today we'll stay here and talk about everything. We also have to consider that Ricky and his men are still looking for her."*
"What were you and Harley talking about? You looked upset." Kitty had woken up and seen Aiden with that faraway look. She could also tell something was bothering him.
"We were talking about the rest of the werelion stuff we need to tell you. Are you okay hanging around the hotel today and talking?" He leaned down to kiss her, and she felt her body heating up.
"Yes, I have a lot of questions. I need a shower, but before that, I want to get a little dirtier." Kitty rolled him over until she was on top. She leaned over and kissed him as he reached for a condom.
They made use of a couple of condoms in bed and then another in the shower. Once they were done, Kitty put on a pair of lounging pants and a t-shirt. The fabric of the new clothes was so soft against her skin that she couldn't stop smiling. All of her other clothes had been used and lost their softness way before she ever got them.
Aiden had already ordered them breakfast, and it was waiting on the table when she walked out of the bathroom. Kitty smiled when she saw the french toast and sausage. She had told Aiden that was her favorite breakfast.
When she took the first bite, Kitty closed her eyes in bliss as she tasted the warm maple syrup and melted butter on her tongue. Aiden watched, mesmerized. If she liked french toast that much, he would get it for her every day.
"This is delicious." She took another bite, followed by a sip of apple juice.
"I'm glad you like it." He leaned over and kissed her, tasting the maple syrup in her mouth. When he pulled back, he smiled. "I wanted a taste too."
Kitty laughed as she took another bite of her food. She was trying to get her thoughts together because the whole werelion thing was weighing on the back of her mind. As they finished their breakfast and Aiden threw away their trash, they decided to sit on the balcony to talk.
There was a two-seater rocker so they could cuddle up next to each other. The sky was blue, reflecting on the wide open sea, so you couldn't tell where one began and the other ended. The air was cool, making Kitty shiver. As they sat down, both took a few minutes to enjoy the calming effects of the waves crashing on the beach below them.
"Aiden, I need you to explain this marking thing to me again. So you'll bite my neck, and then I'll get a lioness, so I'll be a werelion too. I don't understand that part. How can I all of a sudden be a werelion just from you biting me?" She leaned over to put her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her.
"When I bite you, I'll release my saliva into you. Once it mixes with your blood, the process will begin. It's not a fast process; it can take as long as a month. It all depends on the person. You'll notice changes like your vision getting better, you'll be able to move faster, and your body will be constantly warm. At some point during the progression, you'll get your lioness. You won't be able to shift at first, but she'll be able to talk to you and help you through the process." Aiden watched Kitty's face as her eyes got wider and wider.
"Wow, I thought you just bit me, and then I would start changing into a lion. You know, like in the movies? It happens instantly when the werewolf bites the human." He started laughing.
"I promise it's nothing like the movies. Harley and I will help you too. If I knew another human who had gone through the process, that would help, but I don't know any."
"How about the females in your family? Can I talk to one of them about this lioness stuff?" Kitty looked up at Aiden and saw something in his eyes. He decided it was time to tell her about his family.
"I would love for you to talk to one of them, but they're not friendly people. My family doesn't like mixing species, and if they find out that I mated with a human, they'll try to interfere. I don't want them to know about you yet." Kitty felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"Are you ashamed of me because I'm not like you?" She looked down, not wanting him to see how hurt she was. He lifted her face back up and kissed her softly.
"I could never be ashamed of you, and I'm glad you're human. Werelions aren't nice. They're snobs who think they're better than everyone else. I don't want them around you because I don't want you to get hurt." Kitty looked into his eyes and could tell he was telling her the truth.
"Okay, we'll stay away from them. How about your brother, who you said was okay? Does he have a mate that I can talk to?" She wanted another woman to discuss this with.
"I don't believe he's mated, at least, I hadn't heard that he is, but I haven't talked to him in a while. I'll try to find out. I don't want you to make any decisions until you're ready." Aiden hoped Trey wouldn't mind if he reached out to him. They were close when they were younger, but it had been almost ten years since Trey left.
"Thank you for not pressuring me. Are werelion kids born with lions? Can they shift right away?" Kitty wondered if they had kids someday, would she be giving birth to a litter of cats?
"We get our lions around the age of five. So if you and I ever had children, they would be born in human form. We typically call babies cubs. Another thing about being a werelion is we live longer than humans. It's not surprising for us to live up to two hundred years or more." Kitty thought about that and suddenly felt very young.
"We may live to be two hundred? At that point, won't we be so old it will be hard for us to move around?" She pictured herself with no teeth, walking with a cane or walker, and didn't know if she wanted to be like that for over a hundred years.
"No, we age much slower than humans, and that includes our looks. So you'll probably look about thirty or forty on your one-hundredth birthday." Kitty thought about that and felt the smile spread across her face.
"I like the sound of that. It's like the werelion fountain of youth." She thought about being with Aiden for all those years, and it eased some of her hesitations about letting him mark her.
"You can have as much time as you need to make up your mind. I don't want you to feel rushed to decide. I've given you a lot of new information these last few days, so take your time and process it all." Aiden pulled her across his lap so her feet were on the seat and her head resting against his shoulder.
"It's a lot to take in, so I appreciate the time to think. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we go, but this is good for now." Kitty snuggled closer to him, and she heard Harley purring softly. That was another thing that she would have to get used to. Hearing a grown man purr wasn't an everyday experience, but it was comforting.
"You're not going to run out on me in the middle of the night because you're with a crazy lion man, are you?" He was teasing her, but that was his biggest fear.
"I love you, and even though I have never loved anyone in my entire life, I know that's what I'm feeling. I don't feel right when I'm away from you. Does that make sense?"
"Actually, it does because I feel the same way. Some of it could be explained as the mate bond, but the mate bond doesn't make you love each other. It's more of knowing that you're supposed to be compatible and your mate is your other half. Love comes from the mate's feelings toward each other. If I mark you, the intensity between us will be even stronger."
Kitty looked toward the sea as she thought about the mate bond. She considered it lucky that werelions are able to know who they're supposed to be with. Humans sometimes spend their whole life looking for someone to make them happy.
As they sat there, both lost in their thoughts, Aiden's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to read what it said and felt the blood drain from his face. It was an alert from a news app.
"Let's go in and turn on the news." She was worried about the look on his face but didn't say anything as they walked into the room. Aiden quickly turned the television on, and Kitty felt sick as they listened to the reporter.
*"The FBI has reported that they received evidence of Ricky Giordano's involvement in over two hundred murders. However, Mr. Giordano's defense attorneys are questioning this evidence and the chain of custody. There is a plea to the anonymous person who provided the evidence to the FBI to come forward. Please call the FBI hotline at the number provided at the bottom of the screen if you have any information."*
