Page 74 of Kai's Hunger

A subtle nod and a delicate smile. “I am. I needed that.”

When Lily’s pretty green eyes caught mine and held, it fueled my hunger. The mating would need to happen soon. MyYucilonside was about out of patience.

I sat on the edge of the bed, keeping the covers between us. A barrier. I needed it. “I should let you sleep. The sun is nearly up and you’re exhausted.”

She grabbed my forearm, holding on tight. “I don’t want you to go. I want to know about you, Kai. About your family.”

“Okay,” I replied. We were about to delve into the depths of my shapeshifter heritage, a secret that had remained hidden from the world. From humans. Until now.

“You said you shift. I saw the claws. Does that mean you have teeth like a wolf, too?”

The fascination edging her voice gave me hope that she wasn’t going to lose her shit the minute she saw me change. With her damp hair cascading like silken threads around her face, I allowed myself a moment to appreciate her presence, her beauty. A moment to steady myself before revealing the truth about my family’s extraordinary nature.

“We do have teeth like a wolf. Bigger, though,” I began, my gaze an unyielding anchor as it locked onto hers. “Our animalistic nature is intricately woven into the fabric of our being. Fostine has a slightly smaller body and lighter fur than the rest of us. But she’s just as capable as me, as any of us. Wyatt is our alpha, our leader.”

“That’s why you all defer to him,” she concluded. “I wondered about that.”

“Father was our alpha, but he left in search of Fostine. Wyatt took his place, kept us together, kept us whole.”

She frowned. “Now that your father is back, will he resume his place?”

I had wondered that myself. “I don’t know, but that’s a problem for another day.”

“You’re right,” she waved a hand toward me. “So, are there others like you? And what about your mom? I haven’t heard you mention her.”

“There are others. Other families.” My jaw stiffened as memories surfaced. “Our mom ... the virus killed her. It swept through our kind like a plague.” I sighed, remembering it as if it were yesterday. “Only the females. The disease spread quickly. No one knew how to stop it. It took them, one by one.”

Lily’s eyes filled with sympathy, as if her heart ached for the loss of my people. “I’m so sorry, Kai.”

I took a deep breath, my grip on her hand tightening. “Fostine is the last female. We’re not sure how she survived when so many others didn’t. She’s different somehow.”

Lily’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Different? In what way?”

“We don’t know yet.” I ran a hand over my face. “She hasn’t shown any signs of illness, and she seems ... stronger. But it’s a mystery. Creeg was trying to figure it out before she left here two years ago. Now that she’s back, I assume he’ll get back to work on it.”

Lily reached out, cupping my cheek in her hand, her touch a soothing balm for my pain. “You and your family have been through so much.”

I leaned into her touch, my eyes locking onto hers. “Our very existence hinges on secrecy. My kind goes back to prehistoric times. Sharing our world with outsiders is entirely forbidden. I’m sharing it with you because you’re my mate.”

A charged silence hung in the air like a promise yet to be fulfilled. Her gaze deepened, her lean toward me indicating a growing urgency. “But we aren’t ... can’t be.”

“I knew you were mine the moment we met. It’s a scent. To a mate, it’s unmistakable. And absolutely intoxicating.”

Her face turned a pretty shade of pink at my words. “My scent. Oh, God, what do I smell like?”

“Like peaches and vanilla,” I groaned, closing my eyes tight against the need to taste her. “I crave it. Crave you.”

“Kai,” she whispered.

“When two shapeshifters unite as mates, a potent bonding ritual is invoked,” I explained, as parts of my body reacted to the idea. “It’s an intimate exchange that fortifies our connection and weaves our abilities together.”

Her eyes widened, the weight of my words sinking in as she absorbed their significance. “But I’m human. Surely that changes things.”

“It does, but we’ll navigate that when the time comes,” I assured her. “Through this bonding, the shared essence sparks a profound metamorphosis. Our abilities mesh. Your aging process is altered. A prolonged life span will be one of the benefits.”

“And I’ll be able to shift? Into an animal form?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

“Possibly, there’s a risk that you won’t be able to shift,” I continued, my voice gentle. “No human has ventured into this bonding territory. The interplay between your humanity and our shapeshifter essence is an unknown, and that unknown carries with it inherent dangers.”

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