“Um, okay. I guess. But I do need to get to Bratburg.”
Sailor ignored her as he pulled packages of meat, cheese, and a loaf of bread out of the refrigerator.
“What do you know of shifters?” he asked as he laid out several slices of bread.
“I now know that they’re real, and they own and run Bratburg Institute. What else should I know about shifters?”
“All shifters are male. Most of the time, their mates are female. When a shifter finds his mate, it’s an instant lifetime commitment. Once a shifter finds his other half, they tend to be very protective of their mates, especially during the courting and claiming period. Gorilla shifters take that protectiveness to an extreme. Gorillas are known to isolate themselves and their mates during the time between when they meet their mate and the time they claim them. They do this instinctively because otherwise they might kill anyone who gets too close to their mate.”
Lily frowned and nodded. “Okaaaaaay. So what does that have to do with me?”
“You are my mate.”
Sailor tensed as he waited for Lily’s response. He half expected her to either deny there was a bond between them or try to run away in fear. What he did not expect was for her to burst out laughing.
She began with a chuckle, but it was not a happy sound. It was more like the crazy lady kind of giggling he used to hear from Ilsa, the homeless woman who should have been safely ensconced in a care home instead of living out in the wild.
Not sure what else to say, he remained silent. Sooner or later, Lily would realize he was not joking.
It took another few seconds before her laughter slowly trailed off. Then she wiped away her tears and looked at him through wide eyes. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No, little flower, I’m not kidding. I am a gorilla shifter, and you are my other half. We’re at my cabin so we can get to know one another before I claim you as my mate, which is a connection that will last the rest of our lives.”
“But … but … I can’t be your mate. I’m only going to be at Bratburg for a few days.”
Lily looked so distraught that Sailor wasn’t sure what to do. The last thing he wanted was to let her go, but if being with him made her this unhappy, maybe he would have to. From now on, her safety and happiness would be his biggest priority. If she really wanted him to, he would back away and learn to live with the heartbreak of finding and losing his mate all in the same day.
That was, if he could allow her to walk away.
His gorilla side continued to demand that they claim her, mate her, and be done with it. Once they mated, she would have to stay.
Gritting his teeth and forcing himself not to give in to his animal side, Sailor turned back to the counter. Even if she refused to be his mate, he still needed to feed her before turning her over to Kodiak.
He also had questions of his own that needed to be answered. After plating their sandwiches, he cut up an apple and added slices to both plates. Carrying the plates to the table, he noticed Lily wore a faraway lost look, her eyes staring at something only she could see. When he set the plates down, she blinked and focused on him once more.
“What is involved when you claim your mate?” she asked softly, like she might be interested in staying.
Sailor studied her as he picked up half of one of his sandwiches and took a bite. He wasn’t sure whether to give her the abbreviated version or the full down-and-dirty one.
Taking a breath, he decided on the short explanation. “After a short period of getting to know one another, and once they both agree to the mating, the shifter and his mate have sex. The shifter bites his mate, taking her life essence into himself at the same time he fills her with his.”
He watched Lily closely as she thought over his simple, yet blunt, explanation.
“So if I agree to become your mate, we’d have sex; you’d bite me and drink my blood while coming inside me.”
“Blunt but yes, that’s what would happen.”
“Then what happens after that?”
“I spend the rest of my life loving you and caring for you and keeping you safe. My goal in life would then be to make sure you’re happier than you’ve ever been in your life.”
“And we would live here?” She waved her hand around the cabin.
“There are several new houses under construction closer to the Institute. We could stay here and add a room or two or moveinto one of the new houses. We’d just have to talk to Lonergan first. I’m sure he would agree with whatever you want. I know you’ll need a playroom, and having a bigger kitchen might be nice, though I usually eat in the dining hall when I’m not out on patrol.”
“A playroom?”
“Somewhere you can color and play and read books and be your Little self,” Sailor explained before a wild thought hit him. “You are Little, aren’t you?”
