AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He rubbed her hand with his thumb. “My parents were mate-matched. I don’t know if they were ever happy. My dad took off when I was a kid and left me and my mom to chase another lioness. It’s not something that generally happens. Mate-matches are essentially a contract between the male and female, and they’re not easily broken. But my dad said he hated his life and believed the other female was his heart-match, so my mom didn’t fight him. She passed away a few years later. I haven’t heard from my dad since he walked out, even though my grandparents contacted him when it happened. He didn’t want anything to do with me, and the feeling is entirely mutual.”
“That’s so sad. I’m sorry you were abandoned.”
“Are your parents around?” he asked.
She shook her head. “They died in a car accident right after I finished high school.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Well, this conversation took a depressing turn,” she said.
He chuckled. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just wanted to explain how our people usually find mates, because it’s important to what’s going on between you and I.”
“Is that the heart-match thing you mentioned?”
With a nod, he cleared his throat, his eyes flashing to a shimmering gold. “I felt you before I even saw you tonight. I know it’s fast for you because you’re human, and your kind tend to date for a while and then make declarations about intentions and emotions, but that’s not how shifters work. You’re my heart-match, the one female on the planet meant to be mine.”
He wasn’t wrong – humans didn’t usually jump right into a serious relationship before they’d done much more than kiss a few times. But how else could she explain the way she was attracted to Barron? Sure he was sexy, but it was more than physical attraction. She’d been unable to keep her eyes off him even for the handful of minutes she’d been in the bar after meeting him.
Maybe animal attraction was a real thing.
ChapterThree
Barron was captivated by Mercy. She was beautiful, curved like a goddess deserving of worship, and made his cat purr uncontrollably. The only thing on his mind was making her his mate in truth – marking her and loving her – but she was human, and he didn’t want to rush her into something she didn’t fully understand.
How could he explain heart-match to her without it sounding like a pickup line? His biggest fear was that she’d think he was just a player looking for a quick lay, and while he wanted to well and truly rock her world, he wasn’t looking for a one-nighter. He wanted Mercy forever.
She rubbed her thumb on his skin, staring at their joined hands. After a moment, she lifted her sapphire gaze to him. “It sounds impossible, but it feels right. It’s like I was meant to come here and find you, even if when I say that out loud it sounds kind of crazy.”
He wanted to roar in happiness, but he tamped down the urge. No need to deafen her. “Really?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. We feel drawn to each other. You say I’m your heart-match. But what does it mean?”
He blew out a breath. “Mating for my people is like marriage. That you’re my heart-match means that there isn’t any other female for me but you. When we mate, my lion will want to mark you so that everyone will know you’re mated.”
“Mark like bite?”
He lifted his free hand and stroked the side of her neck. He could feel her pulse under his thumb. “My fangs will come out and I’ll bite you here. It’ll hurt, but I promise I’ll be gentle and distract you with pleasure. I don’t want to cause you pain, but it’s what lions do when they join with their mate the first time.”
“Join...like sex?” She bit her bottom lip, her eyes darkening.
A purr rumbled in his chest. “Yes, sweetheart. We don’t have to do anything tonight. Or any night soon. There’s no timetable for us, and since you’re new to my world, I want you to know everything about me and my kind.”
She rose onto her knees on the bench, facing him. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him, sweetly at first, but then she moaned softly and their lips parted at the same time, tongues touching and gliding together. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, the scent of her arousal blooming between them as their kiss deepened. His brain misfired, thoughts of taking his time flying out the window as her hands slid to his neck. Her nails scraped his skin and sent a riot of shivers up his spine.
She tasted amazing, like strawberries and cream. He never wanted the kiss to end, even though they weren’t in a particularly private place considering the door could open at any moment and they’d have company.
She sucked on his tongue with a throaty growl and he nearly came on the spot. His fingers flexed, and he wanted to slide them up her skirt and make her feel as amazing as she made him feel.
The kiss ended far too soon, and she brushed her thumb over his lips.
“It’s the strangest thing.”
“What is, sweetheart?” he asked, gazing up at her. Her hair was a waterfall around her face, the ends a pretty pink color. He caught a lock and wrapped it around his finger, rubbing the soft strands.
“I feel like I’ve known you forever, which sounds really clichéd in my head.” She smiled crookedly.
“It’s because even though you’re human, you know what we are to each other.”
