Jezebel's Lion(31)

“Yes. But I’m a good lion. We are protectors of the human race.”

“Wolves are too, big ones. I saw Mac Fierce naked. He turned into a wolf.”

Brandon let her talk, unsure of what to say.

“His body isn’t as good as yours. You turned into a big lion.” Jezebel repeated herself like she was asking him to confirm she wasn’t crazy.

“Yes. I’m a big lion. No more watching when we change. You can watch me but no one else.”

Jezebel nodded. “You’re huge, bigger than I thought a lion would be. But so were the wolves.” Jezebel closed her eyes and held her stomach. “What were those things that attacked me and my friends?” She opened her eyes and stared blankly at him. “I knew they were wrong. I didn’t like them, but they put like a spell on my friends. Why didn’t they do that to me?”

“They can’t. I mated you. It gave you some of my magic. Being mated to a shifter means that creatures can’t control you, and usually if they smell you they will turn tail and run. But the creatures you found tonight are called boogiemen and women. They are cunning, violent creatures. The other creatures we shifters protect humans from are scared of us and know we bring death to them. Boogiemen, though, they work together with the other creatures. They want all shifters dead, because we are immune to their powers and games. We are strong enough to kill them. No other being is. They are one of the reasons we never go anywhere alone. They are pack creatures. You very rarely find them with fewer than six.”

Brandon tilted Jezebel’s face up to see if she was following everything. She was chewing on her bottom lip. “You killed two and made it look very easy.”

He stroked her head. “I’m stronger now I’m mated and even stronger with the threat close to you. I can kill two or three, but if six came at me it would be too much. They are stronger than vampires, giants, and any creature you can think of. Once their arms wrap around you it is hard to survive.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean vampires and giants?”

“Let’s get comfortable. I have a lot to tell you.” Brandon moved them back on the bed so he was against the bed headboard. He got comfortable and fixed Jezebel so she straddled him. Leaning down he kissed her lips. “Are you sure you want to know? It would be telling you everything. It’s a lot to take in.”

Again, Jezebel nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before she sighed. “Yes. I want to know everything.”

“Okay. But you have to promise you won’t interrupt until I’m finished.”

“I promise.”

Tucking her into him he breathed in her jasmine scent. “Well, I’ve told you a little about boogiemen, but there are a lot of creatures out there. Las Vegas isn’t really called Sin City for the reason you think. It called that because it is the biggest doorway in the world. There are a lot of other smaller ones, but Las Vegas has the biggest, and it lets in swarms of creatures that are from your worst nightmares. We close the doorway or stop the creatures from coming through. We don’t know where the doorway to the other worlds might be, or even if there is more than one. The creatures don’t even remember where they are.” Brandon ran his fingers through his hair. “Now the creatures we deal with the most are leprechauns. No, they are not little Irish beings with pots of gold. They are greedy and will grant you one wish, but don’t be fooled. It comes with consequences. To be granted the wishes you owe them your life. They have glamour, but mated mates can see through it. They are small, wrinkled pus-covered creatures with a mean bite and sharp nails. Trolls are much like the myth. They feel a bridge or a busy gateway is theirs, and if you don’t get their riddles or pay their toll you die. Giants are destructive creatures. Not only are they huge, but they have a—I guess you would call it a sonic boom that topples buildings and structures. Vampires, they suck the life out of you. It’s how they stay alive. When they take your blood they absorb years of your life, and, yes, they hate the sun. It will kill them. Now back to the boogiemen.” He shuddered against her. “As you saw tonight they are breathtakingly beautiful. It is how they entrance you first. If you ever see one again back away slowly, try not to draw any attention to yourself, and get far away them. Boogiemen or women, I think are the worst. They can control your mind and get you to do terrible things. They can’t do it to you, but tonight they could have turned your friends on you. They also have the same powers as vampires in taking your life, but unlike vampires they can keep you alive for years and are not killed by or scared of the sun. They’re conniving things and can even get the other creatures to work together and trap and kill shifters. Some humans call them demons, but they are not. I have met demons. They are quite decent, and I wouldn’t insult them like that by comparing them.”