I smile at him. He’s right. I never thought about it from that perspective.
“Ready?” Daddy asks. He’s standing several yards away from me. It’s interesting that he’s wearing nothing but jeans. It’s kind of chilly out here. I suspect these bulky men do not easily get cold. Pryce and Orion are wearing jeans, work boots, and long-sleeved shirts, but they don’t have jackets on. I’m glad I’m wearing a sweatshirt.
“Yes.” I nod and sit taller, trying to be brave.
Daddy smiles at me before he closes his eyes and seems to go into his head. Sure enough, a few seconds later, there is a strange shimmer that lasts a few more seconds, and then a giant lion seems to come out of thin air and drop down onto all fours.
I gasp, so startled that I nearly fall over backward on the chair. I have to reach back with both hands to support myself. All of the air leaves my lungs.
Even though he explained what would happen, I’m still too stunned for words. He’s huge. He’s also beautiful. His thick mane is long and surrounds his face, a shade darker than the rest of him. Even his paws are enormous.
This lion could absolutely leap up onto the porch and tear me into a million pieces before I could react.
“You’re safe, Brea,” Orion says. “I promise. Would you like him to come closer? You could even pet him if you want to feel his fur.”
I stare at Navin without blinking. It’s hard to believe it’s really him. He was just here, and now a lion is in his place. I slowly sit upright, forcing myself to relax. “Okay.”
Navin inches forward, head high, taking his time.
He’s truly the most amazing animal I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t think humans ever get the chance to be this close to a lion. Not even in captivity. They can’t be trusted. But this is my mate. He has assured me he won’t hurt me.
When he reaches the porch, he plants a paw on the steps and crawls up toward me. He lowers his head when he gets close enough and brushes the top of his mane against my knees.
I’m shaking as I lift a hand and stroke his mane. It’s softer than I expected, and I end up burying my fingers in it. “He really won’t eat me?” I ask.
Orion chuckles. “No, Little one. None of us will. We’re peaceful people. Even in our lion form, we’re in control. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever go after anyone. We will defend our pride and our mates to the death if necessary, but we would never attack anyone unprovoked.”
Navin slowly lifts his giant head to look at me. He even cocks it to one side. I wonder if he sees me differently through his lion eyes.
When I slide my hand around to the front of his mane, he reaches out with his tongue and licks my fingers. I giggle. I’m not scared. He’s not going to eat me.
Eventually he backs into the clearing again, and seconds later, my mate has returned to his human form.
I’m in such awe that I’m speechless.
“Thank you,” Navin tells Orion and Pryce as they head away from the cabin. He comes to me slowly and scoops me into his arms. As we reenter the cabin, he nuzzles my neck. “What did you think?”
“I think you’re the most gorgeous animal in the world.”
Chapter Fifteen
Navin
Brea isn’t happy about it when I force her to take a nap after lunch. She’s still recovering from a near-fatal injury, I tell her. She needs to rest.
She argues that she’s a grown woman who doesn’t take naps, and I ignore her as I not only strip off her sweatshirt, socks, and pants, but also remove her panties and put a diaper on her.
Brea squirms, her brows furrowed in frustration. “I’m not going to wet the bed,” she informs me.
“Nope. You aren’t. Because if you happen to pee yourself, it will get absorbed by the diaper.”
She growls at me, but I pop a pacifier in her mouth, turn her on her side in the middle of the bed, nestle her between some pillows, and cover her with a thick blanket. She won’t be as warm as she is when she’s nesting between my legs, but she’ll be fine.
I sit next to her and stroke her hair for the three minutes it takes until she falls into a deep sleep. Not tired, my ass.
I’m smiling as I leave her asleep and step outside. This time, I’m wearing a shirt and shoes, which makes Orion chuckle.“What? You’re not going to show me your chest again this afternoon?”
I flip him off without a word. It’s fall here, and the weather is going to start turning. It will be a bit colder every day, but when we’re working outside, we rarely bundle up more than our usual clothes and maybe a jacket or sweatshirt. Some gloves to protect our hands.
