“Okay, okay, go on.”
“So, they were playing around and then they…they became human.”
Jamie waited for his brother to start laughing and tell him he was seeing things.
“Like, they shifted or something?”
“Exactly!”
“Maybe they’re werecats…but it wasn’t even a full moon!” The fact that Keenan didn’t even think that Jamie was crazy made him love his brother even more. He just accepted what Jamie had seen without problems.
“Maybe they can shift when they want?”
“I wouldn’t know, you’re the one who reads all those paranormal romance books!”
“But those were only books, Keenan. How is it possible that shape shifters really exist?”
“I don’t know how, but it’s obviously possible. So, what did you do? Did you talk to them?”
“Are you nuts? I ran away as fast as I could and hitch-hiked!”
“You hitch-hiked? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come and got you.”
“I left everything in the tent. I ran away, it’s not like I took the time to pack my stuff—hell, I even left my wallet with my driver’s license in there!”
“Do you think they will come here? I mean, if you left your wallet there, they can find you.”
Jamie froze. He hadn’t thought about that.
“Do you think they’ll want to kill you for discovering their secret?”
“You’re not helping here, Keenan.”
Jamie stood up and started pacing in the room, praying those guys hadn’t thought about going through his stuff. Oh, who was he trying to fool? Of course they had found his address. Just then, as if to prove him right, someone knocked on the door.
* * * *
The guy who opened the door wasn’t the one who had seen them shift.
“Emm…is Jamie home?”
“Are you the cat shifters?”
Ward groaned. Of course Jamie would have had to immediately tell someone what he’d seen. What surprised him was the fact that the man in front of him didn’t question their existence or run for the hills screaming bloody murder.
“Yeah, we are. Is the guy home?” Bryce asked.
“Are you going to eat him?”
Seriously?
“Nah, it would take too long to digest.”
Ward slapped Bryce’s chest, hard.
“Ow! What did you do that for?”
“You’re not helping. We’re supposed to make them trust us, not to scare them to death.” Turning back to the man at the door, Ward asked again, “So, is Jamie here?” He was strangely worried that the man hadn’t made it home.
“Yeah, he’s here. Come on in.”
“Keenan, what the fuck?” someone yelled from inside the room while Keenan moved aside, letting Ward, Sebastian and Bryce in.
“I don’t think they want to hurt you, Jamie. And why didn’t you tell me they were hot?” Keenan asked, shrugging.
“So you think they won’t hurt me because they’re hot? Besides, since when do you find guys hot?” Jamie asked from the couch.
“Hey, I’m straight, not blind!”
Ward looked around, ignoring the weird conversation between the two men. The small apartment wasn’t a bad place to live as far as he could see, even if it was messy. Ward counted three dirty mugs on the coffee table, plus an empty bag of chips. There were clothes on the couch and the floor and on their right, he could see dirty dishes pilling high in the kitchen sink beyond the counter.
Turning his attention back to the two men, he found they were still discussing the situation. Interrupting, he kept his distance, not wanting to scare them.
“Hi, I’m Ward and these are Bryce and Sebastian,” Ward said, indicating his friends.
The guy who had opened the door presented his hand, apparently not concerned by the fact that Ward could shift into a leopard.
“I’m Keenan, Jamie’s brother. So, who’s the lion?”
Ward could see the curiosity and awe in Keenan’s eyes, and it was a nice change from the fear or disgust humans usually felt when they found out shifters really exists. Sebastian chuckled beside him before answering, “I’m the lion. Ward is a black leopard and Bryce is a cougar.”
Ward looked at Jamie, wanting to know how the man was taking this. Keenan sure didn’t seem to have a problem with shifters, but Jamie was sitting on the couch, his legs tucked against his chest, his arms hugging them. It was obvious he wasn’t as accepting as his brother.
Ward slowly made his way to the coffee table, sitting on it so that he was in front of Jamie and leaving Bryce and Sebastian to talk with Keenan.
“Don’t be scared, we’re not here to hurt you. I know this whole situation is hard to deal with, but…”
“How do you know that? Did the same thing happen to you? Did you find out shifters existed by stumbling on them in the woods?”
“Well, no, but…”
“So don’t tell me you understand me!” Jamie said angrily. “I have no idea what to think about this…about you!” He unraveled himself from his position on the couch and leaned toward Ward, his eyes blazing. “How do I know you really won’t hurt me for discovering your secret?”
Ward started to answer, but he froze when the sweetest scent he had ever smelled rushed through his nostrils. His cock immediately took notice and Ward leaned forward, grabbing Jamie before the smaller man had the time to move. Gripping Jamie’s arms, Ward moved closer to him, skimming his nose along the other man’s jaw before moving down his neck and inhaling deeply.
Mine!
The scent of cinnamon and man rushed through his nose, making him painfully hard. God, if this happened only from scenting the guy, what would happen if he kissed him or even better, fucked him? Jamie started to squirm, his hands landing on Ward’s chest as he tried to push him away, breaking the sensual spell Ward was under.
“What are you doing?”
“Yeah, Ward, what are you doing? I don’t think it’s the best way to convince them that we won’t hurt them…” Bryce asked, walking to Ward and Jamie. He reached for Jamie, but before he could touch him a low growl filled the room and Ward stood up, pulling Jamie along until his mate was safely tucked against his chest.
“Mine!”
Bryce stood there, a stunned look on his face, while Jamie tried to step away without succeeding.
“Will you let me go, you big…cat!”
* * * *
Ward locked eyes with Bryce, silently warning him before releasing Jamie. Bryce held up his hands in surrender, making it clear that he wouldn’t come near Jamie again. He knew Ward’s cat would be extremely possessive and aggressive until he claimed his mate.
He looked at Sebastian, wanting to warn the lion too, but his friend was smiling at him, having clearly understood what had happened. Turning around, Ward saw Keenan and Jamie talking to each other. Ward cleared his voice to get their attention and started explaining, “So, as you found out we are shifters. We live in a pride not far away from here, guided by our Alpha. We have a lot of different cat breeds in our pride because our Alpha is pretty open and tends to accept outcasts.” Shit, this was hard. Ward had never had to explain his world to someone who didn’t know it. What should he tell them and what should he keep for later? “Anyway, there are a lot of different breeds of shifters. We live about two hundred years, we have an animal part and we have higher senses than normal humans. What else…” This felt like an information dump, and he normally wouldn’t have told this to someone who had found out about them, but he wanted Jamie to know. Ward’s mate was gaping at him, his eyes wide and his mouth a perfect o.
“Two hundred years, seriously?” Keenan asked.
“Yeah.”
“So, how old are you?”
“Seventy five.”
“Wow! You don’t look a day over thirty!”
“That’s because we age a lot slower than humans once we reach our early twenties.”
“Do you usually
explain all of this to everyone who finds out who you are?”
“No, we don’t. But we make sure that everyone knows they can’t go around and talk about us. Our existence has to remain a secret,” Bryce told Keenan.
“Okay, now you came, you explained and we understood. You can go,” Jamie told them, indicating the door.
“Geesh, you take the F out of fun, Jamie!” Keenan teased. “Anyway, why are you telling us all of this if you usually don’t?”
It was weird to see how accepting one brother was while the other…well, at least he hadn’t kicked them out, yet.
“We can’t just leave. We have to take you to our Alpha so that he can have a little chat with you. Besides, with Jamie being Ward’s mate, I’m guessing it won’t be long before you actually move in with us,” Bryce said.
* * * *
Ward groaned. He wasn’t actually planning to tell Jamie he was his mate before the man became used to being around shifters and most of all, around him.
Of course, Keenan immediately asked, “What’s a mate?”
“Oh hell no, I’m not your mate!” Jamie barked.
“Do you know what a mate is? I thought you didn’t know about shifters.”
Jamie blushed, his cheeks taking on an adorable pink color that looked so good on him. “I didn’t know about shifters, but I’ve read enough books to know what a mate is.”
Ward was surprised. Cocking his head, he asked, “What kind of books?” He was sure no one had ever written books on shifters, at least not books that had actually been distributed to humans. Maybe something on animals?
“He’s talking about romances,” Keenan said, making Jamie blush even more.
Ward chuckled. “Well, I don’t know what those books said, but I’ll be happy to explain to you what a mate is once we get to the house.”
“I suppose you won’t leave us alone until we agree to come with you and meet your Alpha?” Jamie asked, hope in his eyes.
“But I want to go, Jamie,” Keenan whined. Ward wasn’t sure he understood Keenan, but he liked the guy.
“No, we can’t leave you alone until you come with us,” Sebastian answered.
Jamie sighed, the hopeful gleam leaving his eyes. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Two
Okay, Jamie was not going to freak out. Keenan was bouncing beside him in the backseat of the car, and he didn’t understand how his brother could not be worried. They had just met paranormal creatures that shouldn’t exist, one of them was convinced Jamie was his mate, and they were going to meet the Alpha. As far as Jamie knew the guy might decide to eat them after all, and no one would know they were gone. It wasn’t like he and his brother had any other family. Their parents had died in a car crash a few years ago, Jamie’s relationship with Colin was over, and he had very few friends. His boss wasn’t expecting him until Monday, and it was still Friday night. Yeah, they were screwed.
Jamie peeked at Ward. To be honest, the guy was hot. Like, romance novel hot. About six foot four, he had black short hair that reminded Jamie of his black leopard and gray eyes that seemed to see right through Jamie. And that was only his face. His body was sleek and sensual like his cat’s, muscular but lean, a wet dream walking, and Jamie couldn’t help but think about how good Ward would look naked in his bed. His dick agreed and Jamie knew he had to stop thinking about it if he didn’t want everyone to see he had an erection. Oh god, and what if those guys were able to smell his arousal? Usually in those romances they could!
Jamie leaned his forehead against the cool window and tried to think of something else, like what would happen next. If by some miracle they made it back home, would it mean he wouldn’t see Ward again? He had to admit he did feel some kind of pull toward the shifter. Still, that didn’t mean he was ready to jump in another relationship right now. He was still trying to forget Colin, and who knew what being in a relationship with a shifter would entail?
Jamie straightened in the seat when the car neared a big iron gate, his throat going dry. This was it. His future was probably going to be decided in the next hour or so. That was, if no one ate him. The car stopped in front of a huge stone house and Jamie couldn’t help but wonder just how many shifters lived there, because it could easily house at least a good fifty of them, and didn’t that make him feel like prey? Keenan got out of the car immediately, following Bryce, and making Jamie want to grab his brother and glue him to his side. Keenan had always been too trusting. He had barely met the guys and he already acted like they were friends without even knowing what they would do to them for discovering their secret. But Keenan didn’t seem to care.
Hurrying after his brother, Jamie stepped through the door and gaped. Not only was the place huge, but it also screamed money. The floors were all polished wood, and the twin staircases in front of the door were covered in lush carpet. There was even a crystal chandelier hanging above his head. Who had a crystal chandelier in their entrance?
Jamie could see people peeking curiously from a room on their left and he scooted nearer to Ward. He might not know yet if he could trust the shifter, but at least he already knew him, and Ward hadn’t yet made a move that would indicate he wanted to hurt Jamie. Which was more than he could say about those other people. Keenan didn’t seem to have problems with them, though, and Jamie groaned as he watched his brother wave hello at them.
Jamie followed the shifters through a doorway situated between the staircases that led to a long hallway with an awful lot of doors in it, all of them closed. Sebastian stopped in front of one about midway from the doorway and knocked, waiting for an answer before opening the door and entering. Jamie followed, praying for everything to be okay. He dried his sweaty hands on the front of his jeans and saw that they were shaking. Shoving them in his jeans pockets, he hoped no one would notice how nervous he was.
The room they entered was a study. A huge man was sitting behind a wooden desk, and Jamie drew closer to Ward. The guy was intimidating, not only because he was obviously very tall, but also for the muscles that bulged under his shirt. He looked like he could squeeze Jamie to death with one hand.
“Dominic, these are Jamie and Keenan. This is Dominic, the Alpha of this pride,” Sebastian introduced them.
Keenan gave a little wave again and Jamie groaned. Didn’t his brother understand how serious this situation was? He watched as Dominic tied his long blond hair in a neat ponytail on his nape before looking at him with his amber eyes. Jamie swallowed loudly under the hard gaze of the Alpha.
“There are two of them now?”
“Well…Jamie had already told his brother what he saw in the woods when we got to his place, so we brought the two of them,” Bryce answered, not looking too sure of himself.
“Did my men explain to you what we are?” Dominic asked Jamie.
Jamie nodded quickly, not wanting to displease the shifter in front of him. He felt a hot hand on the small of his back trying to reassure him, and he leaned a little into it. He wasn’t sure what to make of Ward yet, but he somehow knew he was safe with him.
“Then I don’t have to tell you that we will protect the secret of our existence at all cost. That means that if either of you even only thinks about betraying us, we will deal with you, whatever it may cost.”
Okay, this guy was not playing around. Jamie took a shaking hand out of his pocket and blindly reached beside him until he found Ward. Grabbing the leopard’s hand, he held on for dear life as Ward squeezed back. Of course Dominic noticed it and gave a curious glance at Ward.
The leopard cleared his throat. “Turns out that Jamie is my mate,” he said with a goofy smile.
“That should make things interesting.”
The tension in the room seeped away and Jamie took a deep breath. It seemed that no one was going to eat them after all.
“What kind of cat are you?”
Jamie froze at his brother’s question to the Alpha. Was he trying to get them killed? Holding his breath, Jamie watched as one of Dominic’s br
ows rose.
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. Something big, I guess. You sure are big in your human form.”
“I’m a lion.”
“Can I see it? Jamie saw the others shift, but I haven’t!”
“Emm, Keenan, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jamie whispered. It seemed awfully intimate to ask a shifter to show them their animal form, if only because he remembered seeing that Ward and Bryce had been naked after their shift, and what a sight that had been. Keenan pouted like a kid, but lucky for him, Dominic chuckled.
“I have things to do right now, but I’m sure Sebastian will be happy to show you his lion before driving you home.”
Keenan started bouncing around the shifter as they walked out, clearly dismissed. Jamie realized he was still gripping Ward’s hand and snatched his hand back, blushing.
“How about you give Jamie the tour while Bryce and I shift for Keenan?” Sebastian asked Ward. “We’ll be on the back porch.”
Ward nodded and signaled to Jamie to follow him as he went deeper in the house, passing several doors until he stopped in front of one.
“This is my suite.”
Jamie followed him in a very masculine sitting room, all leather couches and huge TV screen.
“This is nice.”
“Thank you. Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thank you.”
The situation was becoming awkward, fast. Jamie didn’t know what to do, so he sat on the corner of one of the couches and sank in the buttery brown leather. He hadn’t realized until now how exhausted he was. The adrenaline had finally crashed down and he was feeling it. He looked as Ward sat in front of him and Jamie drank in the sight. His shoulders were broad and muscular, but not too much, making his shirt tight on his chest. God, there had to be something in the water here, because every shifter he had seen until now was hot as hell, and Ward was definitely the hottest.
“So, you wanted to know about mates?”
Whitedell Pride 1 - Jamie Page 2
