20. Miles

TWENTY

MILES

Celina stared at me. The look on her face was one of stunned disbelief. I couldn't blame her. I'd dumped so much on her in the last two minutes, and it barely scratched the surface. I hadn't even mentioned the attempt on mine and Harley's lives, April's kidnapping, or the warehouse fire and the deaths of Ryland and Emily. If she didn't at least partially believe what I'd already said, there was no way she would be ready for everything else.

Finally, Celina put a hand to her forehead, like she was holding back a headache. "Miles, are you being serious?"

"Everything I've told you is God's honest truth. I swear it on my life."

"So…shifters are real?"

I nodded. "I can show you, but I'm scared it might be too much for you."

Celina startled me by laughing. A real laugh, not one that sounded like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown or panic attack. I stared at her, dumbfounded, as she got herself under control. She wiped tears from her eyes and caught her breath.

"Miles, you've seen the books I've written. If there is proof that my overactive imagination got something right, then I'll accept it. Anything to prove I'm not a delusional hermit. Show me the proof, and I'll believe anything."

I'd hoped she'd be open, but I'd kind of planned on a lot more discussion. Promises, explanations, arguments, accusations—the whole shebang. This easy acceptance threw me off balance. I took a step toward her, wanting to make sure she truly understood what she was saying.

"You're right. I've seen the books you've written. All I can tell you is that reality isn't the same as fantasy. Seeing it, might make you…I don't know…go into shock? Pass out? Have a heart attack? I'm not sure. I want you to be safe."

"True. My brain might go into overload seeing something as unbelievable as this, but I need to see it. I have to. If you want me to ever believe you, it's got to be now, in front of me, so my own two eyes can see it."

My wolf was pacing, ready to pounce out into the world and show Celina. It was desperate to come out, but I held it back. I wanted to show her my wolf, but I didn't want things to move too fast. I still wasn't sure she truly understood what was about to happen.

"Listen, before I do this, you have to totally understand what's getting ready to happen and that you aren't in any danger. I don't want you to run away when you see." My heart still wasn't sure she wouldn't. A pervasive fear still simmered deep in my soul that she'd think I was a monster. She seemed to be taking things in stride, but nothing could fully quell my fears of rejection. It was causing my heart to go haywire.

"It's okay, Miles," Celina whispered. "Show me."

Shifting had always been a pleasant release for me, like cracking my knuckles or falling onto a soft bed after a hard day. This moment was anything but relaxing. Instead of feeling like I was about to do something fun, I had the sensation of standing inside an airplane, getting ready to skydive for the first time.

I growled and clamped my teeth down on the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood, then called on the wolf to come out. I fell down to all fours as my skin disappeared under a coat of fur, my lips elongating until they formed a canine maw, my fingers morphing into claws. When I was done, I looked up at Celina to see what she thought.

Her eyes couldn't have gotten any wider if she tried. I could hear her mumbling under her breath. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit…"

Her left hand shot up to her right cheek, and she pinched it hard. "Ow, fuck! I'm not dreaming? This is really real?"

I didn't approach her. There was still a possibility of spooking her. Instead, I sat like a well-mannered family dog. I didn't enjoy that mental comparison, but it was all I could think of. I shook my shaggy head to answer her question about it being a dream. She still looked like she was on the verge of going into shock. I was worried it really had been too much for her. I forced myself not to shift back yet.

Eventually, Celina stepped forward. Cautiously, she took a few steps and knelt in front of me. Her fingers, gentle and slow, slipped into the fur of my chest and caressed me.

"Is this okay? Touching you, I mean?" I nodded, and a look of wonder appeared on her face as she ran her hands through my coat. "I can't believe this is real. It's…" She chuckled. "It's like I'm living inside one of my books. This is literally my biggest fantasy. Ever since I was a kid, I'd have all these big imaginary adventures, and all I ever wanted was for them to come to life. Now look."

I gave a happy rumble and nuzzled my face against hers. She laughed and slid a hand across the top of my head. I licked the side of her face, and she erupted into giggles.

"Does it hurt when you change? I don't have a high pain tolerance. If I end up doing this one day, I don't want to be in pain."

Her words slammed into me, igniting a hopeful spark inside me. She was insinuating that she would not only accept everything I'd told her, but that she might also accept me as her mate. I licked her again as she hugged my neck.

"I know what it's like to have people leave because you're a little weird. This is just a different kind of weird. I'm not going to abandon you because of this."

I couldn't help it anymore, so I shifted back to my human form. Celina yelped in surprise as my wolf fur became human flesh. Before she even realized what I'd done, I had her wrapped in my arms and was kissing her, intensely and possessively. I dominated her mouth with my lips and tongue. Instead of pulling away from my intensity, she clutched me and melted into the kiss, becoming one with me. My hands slipped across her hips and stomach. Celina's fingers slid down my back and down to my hips and thighs. Things were getting hot. If we didn't stop now, we'd hit a point of no return.

I pulled away, gasping for air, and pressed my forehead against hers. "We gotta stop. Otherwise, I'm going to lose control, and I don't want your first time to be in the grass of a field. It sounds romantic in theory, but I have a feeling it would be uncomfortable and itchy."

Celina laughed softly. "You're probably right." She sounded tired and worn out. "I think the shock of everything is catching up to me anyway. I need a nap or something."

I could see in her face that she was right. She'd been through, heard, and seen a lot in only a couple hours. Her mind and body were ready to collapse from emotional and mental exhaustion.

"Let's go. Come on." I slid an arm under her legs and another under her back, lifting her into my arms.

She nestled her head in the crook of my neck as I carried her back to my truck. She was asleep before we even got there. I got her into the passenger seat and buckled without waking her up. I stood there and gazed at her. The serene expression on her face told me she was peaceful and at ease. I grabbed a hooded sweatshirt from the backseat and rolled it into a make-shift pillow to cushion her head for the ride home.

The whole way back, I kept looking over at her. It amazed me that she'd understood. Not only understood, but seemed excited and happy about it. Looking at things from her point of view, I could somewhat understand it. All the fairytales and stories that were so fantastic and unbelievable had become real. In one day, all the things that used to be dreams to her were now reality. Looking at it that way, I probably would have been pretty ecstatic, too. But because I lived in the world of the paranormal it was sometimes hard to see it from a human's perspective.

We got back home, and I looked up the stairs at the window of Celina's apartment. I needed to put her to bed, but the idea of her being away from me for very long was unfathomable, especially after the package Felicity had sent. Instead, I picked her up and walked her up the stairs to my apartment.

I settled her into my bed and pulled her shoes off, then I curled up next to her. Her gentle breathing made me smile, and I slipped away into a much-needed nap. All I could do was hope that, when she woke up, she didn't have any second thoughts about being with me.