Taking another deep breath he thought was subtle, my slightly nervous mate nodded and put his hands in his lap. “Ready.”
He wouldn’t get any more ready than he already was, so I moved to the middle of the room and closed my eyes to give him privacy as I let the shift take over. One of the books I’d skimmed described the shift in horrifying language, like they could feel every bone changing, and it’d sounded beyond painful.
I’d spent a few slightly drunk chapters hollering at the page, calling the author names I probably should’ve apologized for.
“Wow.”
I wanted to smile at the awe in Dorian’s voice, but he caught me mid-shift and then it just didn’t look the same when I finally appeared for him again.
There would’ve been a flash of light and a swirl of magic that one pup had called a Tinkerbell tornado, but it didn’t seem to have frightened my curious mate.
No. He’d already slid off the bed by the time I sat down on all fours and was slowly inching closer.
“I thought Emeric was big when I first saw him but then I saw his paws and I realized he should’ve been bigger but you match your paws and that’s just amazing.” The only thing that stopped him from sharing every thought he had was the need to breathe, but that didn’t take him long. “You’d have to be bigger than a regular wolf, though, because your brain probably needs to be bigger, and magic just seems to make everything larger because I’m pretty sure that explains why so many kids in my classes are ridiculously tall.”
Probably.
At the very least shifter species ran larger than regular humans and he probably had at least one Bigfoot kid in his class. They were definitely oversized no matter if they were cloaking themselves in a human form or in their natural one.
I’d have to point that out at a later date, though, because he was slowly crawling around me on all fours, studying me like I was a statue in a museum.
“I never felt short until a freshman towered over me and asked me why humans were always so short. I’m not sure what he is but I just explained that genes worked in interesting waysand it was almost like magic.” Dorian’s finger barely brushed the tip of my tail before he started inching around me again. “He and the kids he was with laughed but it didn’t give me an opening to figure out what he is.”
Dorian’s slightly smart-ass responses were probably how he’d gotten hired to begin with. I was starting to think they’d all assumed he was a human in the know that just wasn’t used to talking about it or something close to that.
“I should’ve realized someone was tripping me, though. I’m usually smarter than that.” As he got back around to my front, he swallowed back whatever he’d been going to say next. “Wow. I can see you in your eyes.”
Blinking several times as I tried not to laugh, he sat back on his ass and frowned. “You know what I meant.”
Yep.
“So stop giggling.”
That had him going quiet again.
“I knew you were laughing inside.” He went back to doing his startled blinking before inching so close I could feel his breath on my muzzle. “That’s very strange. I can feel you stronger in this form.”
Mates and magic…they were both amazing and not always easy to explain.
“Can I touch you?” Cocking his head, he looked down the line of my body. “You said I could touch you when you were looking human but I should’ve asked about this part of you too.”
Nodding, I did my best to move slowly and not startle him just in case. His breath hitched but his heartbeat slowed downafter only a moment of racing. “You can understand me. Yes. I knew that and that was why I asked. I got Emeric to move his ears and tail to communicate nonverbally with me.”
He was brilliant and that was sexy as fuck…so was the way he moaned as he ran one hand over my head. “This is so amazing.”
Oh yes.
“You’re so soft but I can feel your muscles.” Inching closer again, he was pressed tight against me as he wrapped his arms around me. “You’re so big.”
I was going to be big in another place if he didn’t stop wiggling against me when he smelled so good. It wasn’t arousal but it was pleasure and happy emotions I couldn’t quite define. Pleasing my mate would always feel good to me, but I was hoping sitting would keep him from noticing that part.
“It was very good we did this privately. Yes. I need to be able to look relaxed and completely accepting, not like a kid who’s just gotten the best Christmas present ever.” Me being the best present ever had me trying not to lick him and climb all over him like an excited pup. “I’m going to look like a good partner and a confident mate.”
Had his parents told him that good partners didn’t hallucinate imaginary creatures?
Slowly lowering my chest to the ground, I took him with me and laid my head on his lap as he sat down. “Oh, this is…”
Nice or something good judging by the way he sighed and started petting my head. “You’re beautiful, Braun.”
