What am I?" she asked ..."You are mine," he answered roughly, his forehead still on hers.

I don't want you two hurt because of me."..."At least try, sweetling. Please." At her slight nod, he did what came natural and lowered his head. She gasped into his mouth, and he pressed his lips to hers. The electric shock between them only pushed him to kiss her deeper...."I think I can try if you're going to keep kissing me like that," she finally said, and he grinned.

He kissed her softly. "I think we both need time to get to know one another before we make love again. I don't want to rush things.""But mating us so we're connected for all eternity isn't rushing things?

She was the last lightning-struck without a mate, and therefore, human.

It wasn't every day that a lion shifter next in line to the throne, dealing with a possible uproar and war in his Pride, found himself a soon-to-be father with a not-so-human potential mate after he'd left her all alone because he'd been forced to hurt her. There weren't any manuals for this sort of thing....

Telling a male lion not to be a lion wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world.

He wouldn't grovel, wouldn't fall to his knees and beg forgiveness. He was the son of the Leo, the King of all lions. He would, one day soon, be the Leo and reign over his people. He couldn't fall for her more than he already had, but he could hope she could see how he felt.Because if she didn't, he wasn't sure what he would do next.

She'd been the one to push him away this time, yet it hurt just as much as it had before. The door clicked closed behind him, and she gasped out a sob, her body shaking. Why had she said what she'd said? Why had she pushed him away like that?It made no sense. The only thing she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and never let him go.And that was why she didn't do it.Because once she did, she'd never let go. And she wasn't sure she'd survive if she had to watch him leave her again.

You scared the life out of me.""Good thing cats have nine lives, then," she teased.