Page 48 of Cupcake

“One that I don’t agree with but go ahead.”

“Yeah, so my mama always told me that I would make her beautiful grandbabies.”

“Lion shifters are big on having large prides,” Dean said.

“Yes.”

“I did my research when I realized we were mates. I wanted to know the best way to approach you.”

That admission made Logan smile.

“The problem was that I would never give her grandbabies,” Logan admitted.

“Because you’re gay,” Dean finished for him.

“Yep. I didn’t tell my family until they really started to push. I thought it would be easier if I told my mama first.”

“She didn’t take it well?”

“She did not,” Logan said. “She screamed and smacked me over and over until my dad heard and came running. He dragged me out of the house by my hair.”

Dean growled.

Logan held his hand up. He needed to get all of this out now. “He beat me for a little bit before he told me to run. To go. He said that if I was still there in the morning, the entire pride would hunt me down.”

He couldn’t help when tears welled in his eyes. The memories still hurt.

“Baby—”

Logan shook his head. “Let me tell you,” he begged.

“Okay, tell me.” Dean’s face was tense and his hands were balled.

“I shifted. I didn’t know what else to do. I was so unprepared. I’d never been off the pride land in my life. I was even home-schooled. When I shifted and left the pride lands, that was when I connected with my lion side. The bond clicked into place and my lion side was intent on keeping us safe.”

Dean closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. “How long.” He swallowed hard. “How long where you on your own?”

“Years,” Logan admitted. “I stayed in my lion form for years. My lion took care of me. Hunted for food. Slept when we could find shelter.”

“Baby, I am so sorry.”

“We bathed in rivers, but I couldn’t ever get clean. With all the fur. The dirt. And rivers are cold.”

“That’s why you like to be clean. Why you need to shower.”

“Hot showers.”

“I will make sure hot showers are forever in our future.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m proud of you,” Dean said. He kissed Logan gently again. “You survived. That should prove to you that you’re not dumb.”

“My lion is brave, fierce, and he saved us.”

“You are your lion, baby,” Dean told him. “Yes, you came from two souls, but you are your lion. He’s brave and smart and a fighter because you are.”

Logan smiled. It was nice that his mate thought that. “I wandered across the country. Just moving so no one ever saw a lion where one shouldn’t be. Until one day when I stumbled into Axel’s territory here. He came out into the woods and invited me into his home. Into the family.”

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