Jian held out his hand. I took it immediately. It was warm and large, rugged yet soft. My heart fluttered.
Then Jian paused. "Did you give DJ Muffin his dinner?"
"Er, yes?"
"Does he have water? Clean litter box? And other necessities?"
"Yes...?"
He nodded, apparently satisfied. "All right, good. Let's go."
What was that all about? If I didn't know any better, it sounded like he was making sure my cat was set up for a night alone. Which was actually super sweet, but I wasn't staying the night at Jian's place, was I?
Because I didn't know how much longer I could control myself around him.
I walked out with Jian into the cool air. Neither of us spoke. We walked in comfortable silence to the edge of the city, where the forest began. Though I was curious, I didn't ask where Jian was taking me. I trusted him completely—even when he led me inside the thick cover of the trees. Maybe he had a private log cabin or something.
But still, he didn't stop. He led me up the slope. It was farther than I'd ever been from the city. My legs got a good workout and soon I was huffing and puffing.
Jian faced me with a worried furrow in his brow. "Are you okay?"
"Fine! Just had a long day at work," I said. "Is your place nearby?"
"Hm... Not quite."
Jian stopped and glanced through the trees. We were higher now, able to look down on some short buildings, but not clear of the tallest ones. The mountain peak still towered above us.
"All right." Jian sighed. "Here we go."
I tilted my head in confusion as Jian took my hands and met my gaze seriously. What was going on?
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"Yes. I just need to be honest with you, Nikolas."
Uh oh. Full name. My heart thumped, anxious to know what he was talking about.
Jian released my hands and took a step back. All around us stood thick trees, blocking us from the rest of the world.
"I'm going to tell you what happened ten years ago," Jian said.
My eyes widened. This was it. The answer to my burning curiosity.
The reason Jian disappeared from my life for a decade.
"I'm not human, Kola," Jian said. "I am a qilin shifter."
"Oh," I said, because what the hell else was I supposed to say?
Jian continued. "Unlike others of my kind, I didn't have my first shift until I was a teenager. For a long time, my parents were worried it would never happen. But it finally did after I met you."
My eyes widened. Was I dreaming? Was this conversation real?
Jian clenched his fists at his sides. "My parents thought I shouldn't live among humans any longer. That it was bad for my qilin soul. So we moved away. Away from you."
My heart broke for the waver in Jian's voice. Telling this story was painful. I moved closer to put my hand on his arm for support. Even though it was a tender moment, I couldn't help but notice the strength of his firm bicep and be even more attracted to him, if that was even possible.
"They wouldn't let me tell you the truth back then, Kola. I couldn't tell anybody," Jian murmured.
