Jazz waited until the hallway door swung closed, then glanced at Rafe. “You heal quickly?”
“Very. We’re hard to kill too. Well, Royals are. Single shifters heal quicker than humans, but they’re not as strong as a Royal. They can still die from their injuries.”
“Royals?”
“Multi-animal shifters. We’re direct descendants of the goddesses so the single shifters slapped the title ‘Royal’ on us. It stuck.”
She stared at him for a moment, then snapped her mouth closed. “Direct descendants of the goddesses? Care to clarify that?”
“A few thousand years ago, the gods created the first shifters by joining their human warriors with the souls of predators.”
“How did they do that? And why?”
“No idea how. The why is simple—they wanted stronger, more cunning, and vicious warriors.”
“For what? Battles?”
“Yes. According to the stories passed down to us from our elders, the gods used to settle their arguments by pitting their chosen warriors against each other. They’d searched the mortal world looking for the best of the best, then picked their contestants. Now, this was many, many years ago. Shifters no longer fight the gods’ battles. They’ve pretty much abandoned us, actually. On very rare occasions, they still talk to the Royals, but the single shifters haven’t heard a peep from them in a millennium.”
“The…the gods talk to you?”
Rafe grinned and stepped closer, crowding her against the sink. “No, not to me. Kade has spoken to our goddess, though.”
“Why Kade and not you?”
“He’s alpha, the head of our pride and the center of our family.” He tipped his head to the side as if searching for the right words. “He carries the spirit the first Alexander, and if Kade were to die, either one of my brothers or I would have to accept the spirit and take over the family.”
She thought of her boys and their lack of family. Who held their ancestor’s spirit? “What happens if family members are separated?”
“We would know if our leader died. The spirit would call us home, and one of us would become its new vessel.”
“Why did Kade become leader, then, and not you?”
“Because I didn’t want to kill my brother in order to rule, so I didn’t try for it.”
She gasped. “Kill him?”
“You heard me right.” He sighed. “The spirit wants the strongest vessel. We would’ve had to fight to prove our worth. Remember what I said about the gods wanting vicious warriors.”
Respect for Rafe grew with his confession. He gave up leading his family out of love for his twin.
She slipped her arms around his waist. The sensation of his strong body against hers muddled her thoughts, but she wanted to know more about the selfless man who might very well become the head of her family.
“That’s the reason your gods made the Royals, isn’t it? If one animal spirit made their warriors stronger, three would be even better?”
“No. The Royals are the result of the goddesses sleeping with those first shifters, the single shifter warriors who fought the gods’ battles.”
“That sounds like a soap opera. I bet there was cheating, lies, and betrayal involved too.”
“Probably”—he ran his hands over her back and pulled her closer—“but it’s no longer something I want to talk about.”
The look in his eyes tempted her. She hooked her finger through the belt loop of his pants. “Do you have something special in mind you want talk about?”
He pressed his lips to the spot right below her ear. “Yes. Getting inside you again.”
He kissed his way across her jaw and slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She opened to him, and he twined his tongue with hers in a confident, lazy way that left her breathless, aroused, and eager for him. The deep swipes and rolling thrusts of his tongue were wonderfully erotic.
Trapped between the counter and Rafe’s body, she had nowhere to go. The memory of being in a similar position in the apartment above her garage returned to her. He’d taken her to heaven then. It had only been a few hours ago, but it could’ve been months since she’d felt his passion. She hungered for it. Craved it. What better time to indulge in him? Her family was safe, and she had Rafe to thank for it.
She wanted to reward him for being patient and not whisking her off to destinations unknown. She was certain the bond she’d watched form between her kids and Rafe’s family wouldn’t have come as quickly if Seth and Levi had been ripped away from the only home they’d ever known.
She broke their kiss and held his face between her hands. “You are an amazing man. Do you know that, Rafe?”
“Am I now?”
She grinned at the pleased look on his face. “Yes, and I want to show you how much I appreciate you.”
His eyes glowed, and the golden brown color spread to encompass his entire eye until no white showed in his orbs. Feline eyes stared back at her. It was the first time she’d seen his eyes completely colored, but the sight of his primal side didn’t frighten her. It excited her.
She leaned closer until his eyes became the center of her world. “You’re absolutely beautiful this way.”
“What way?”
“With feline eyes.” She skimmed her fingers along his cheekbone. “It almost feels like your cats are watching me.”
“They are. No other woman has been able to accomplish what you have.”
His words rocked her, and her heart swelled. Love—that was what she felt growing inside her. She was falling in love with Rafe. Maybe she had already fallen. At the moment, she didn’t care to dissect the emotion. She only knew it made her feel good. Right.
“Take me upstairs, Rafe.” She licked her lips. “I want to worship you.”
“And I want to treasure you. Forever.” He pulled back and his golden eyes focused on hers. “You’re my heaven. The center of my world, and your kids are our blessings from the gods. Nothing is more important than you, our family.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Very.”
“We haven’t known each other long.”
“You’re my true mate.”
“But I’m human and—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “You bridged me and my cats, allowing us to live as one, not fighting each other for dominance. That’s how I know. Sometimes it can take years for lovers to figure out they’re true mates, but I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve searched for peace just as long. You’ve given it to me.”
She linked her arms around him. “That makes me feel incredibly special.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “You are. Now, let me carry you upstairs and love you. I want to fall asleep curled around you.”
She settled into his embrace and went over his words as Rafe climbed the stairs. He’d told her she was his true mate, his one.
But he hadn’t asked to join their souls.
She couldn’t help but wonder why.