Niles (ManXMan, Werecat)(Book 7) COMPLETED

Chapter 35

My fingers play with Leandre's hair as his head rests in my lap. I convinced him to sit with me on the couch as he worked on Pride things. So, currently, his head is in my lap as he reads through files and once in a while will tap on an iPad to make notes for later.

My fingers run through the soft hair that he left loose today. The brown strands are extremely soft and silky and I wonder if it's natural or if he does some special treatment for it. I also wonder if his lion's fur would be just as soft or course like a wild lion would be.

"Wait," The word slips out of me before I can stop it.

"Wait for what?" Leandre asks as he looks up at me.

My cheeks burn with a blush. "That wasn't supposed to come out,"

"But it did, so what is up?" He asks as he closes the file and sets it on his lap to give me his full attention.

"I was just wondering about your lion,"

One of his perfect eyebrows lifts. "What about him?"

"You can shift into a lion, right?" It's probably a stupid question.

"Yes," He says slowly, confirming that it was, in fact, a stupid question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I've never seen one around. I was starting to think maybe you just possessed lion-like traits," I say with a shrug.

He chuckles. "No, we can shift into them. You have probably never seen one of us shifted before because we do not live at the Pride House. They shift all the time over there,"

"So," I say slowly. "You can shift too?"

He nods his head in my lap. "Yes, I can shift,"

I bite my bottom lip as I look at my fingers in his hair. "Can I see him?"

"You want to see my lion?" He asks in a voice that suggests he is surprised. I don't know why he's surprised, though. Isn't it natural to want to see his lion?

"Yeah, why not?"

"I just... I have been waiting for you to ask me that," He says as he blinks up at me.

"You have?"

"Of course," He says as he sits up, my hand falling into my lap. I'm a little disappointed about that. "I was worried you would be afraid so I was waiting for you to ask first,"

"Why would I be afraid? I've seen wolves before, how much different could you be?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "You do not meet many humans like you who have already seen inside my world. And I was not sure how you would react with me being a lion. Yes, you have seen wolves, but I am a lion,"

I smile and shake my head. "I want to see him, Leandre. Can I?"

He nods his head quickly. "Of course, Niles, any time,"

"Good, can I see him now or are you to busy?" I ask as I glance at the files and iPad in his lap.

He shakes his head as he puts the stack on the coffee table in front of us. "I am never to busy for you, Niles," He says before standing up and offering me one of his hands. "Come on,"

I grin wide as I take his offered hand and allow him to lead me through the house. He takes me out back where the temperature is just right. It's already seven something in the evening so the heat from the sun is cooling off finally. Leandre lets go of my hand once we are a few feet away from the house.

"I have to remove my clothing for it or else it will get shredded," He warns me.

I feel my cheeks heat up before I nod my head and turn around quickly. I should have known that, I already knew that from watching Ridge shift so many times in the past. God, I'm acting like I have no idea about the supernatural world. No wonder Leandre never asked me about it, I'm acting so clueless.