The Lion’s Bunny (Hillslane Academy #3)

Chapter 1

My sister Myve was driving me crazy.

She’d insisted she was fine. She was anything but. Hans, her fated mate, was a jerk, yes, but instead of facing him and talking shit out, she apparently thought I should be the one she spoke to instead.

“I mean he still pushed Harpy,” Myve continued, making me sigh with resignation.

I guessed that meant my lovely afternoon of lazing in the sun wasn’t happening.

My lion form enjoyed these warm afternoons and I hadn’t shifted for two days.

“But I guess Nym’s right, it could just be instincts that drove him. ”

I hummed, not really knowing what to tell her.

I was the calm and collected one of us, the one who rarely got angry and raised my voice.

Unless a teacher talked to my mate like he was a moron.

I’d seen red then. My mate was a dragon shifter named Damon.

Even if he hadn’t claimed me as his yet, I knew it to be true.

For whatever reason, he was holding back so I respected his wishes.

My cousin Nym was also a dragon shifter and had been almost feral as he waited for his mate Harpy to accept him.

I doubted Damon would be able to resist me for long.

I wasn’t a patient man, but when it came to my mate, I would be.

“I mean,” Myve continued. “It’s not like I’m perfect myself.” I snorted at that, making her scowl. Her eyes then widened as they spotted something behind me. I turned and watched as a black dragon came swooping down from the sky, heading straight for me.

It seemed my mate was done waiting. I smirked as his claws grabbed me, hauling me into the air. I gave Myve a wide grin as I was taken away. She was cackling and waving her arms as we gained altitude. Damon was heading for the mountain in the distance. The only mountain on the island.

I was chosen as a student at Hillslane Academy, the best school for shifters to attend.

While here, we couldn’t leave and were forced to stay for the two years it lasted.

We were also assured that our fated mates were here and that we would mate with them.

It was that assurance that made it easier to stay away from Damon.

Now, he’d made his move and I wasn’t about to stay away any longer.

He would be mine before the day ended, I would make sure of that.

Damon landed on the other end of the mountain, hiding us away from the academy and everyone around us. He carefully removed his claws from around my middle, sniffing my neck and nuzzling into me like he was a big cat.

“Hi there, handsome,” I purred, stroking his head and snout.

He was a huge dragon, even bigger than my cousin Nym’s dragon form.

Damon was obsidian black, the most beautiful dragon there was.

I wasn’t biased thinking that. It was simply the truth.

“You ready to claim me?” I asked, looking into his piercing lilac eyes.

In his human form, Damon was blonde, but his eye color was the same.

He was such a gorgeous man, and he was mine.

Damon purred, pleased by my attention on him.

I just kept petting him, wanting him to know I wasn’t at all mad that he forced me here.

He then made a whining noise that turned into a low growl before he shifted into his human form.

Damon looked at me with wide fearful eyes, his mouth opening and closing.

“Hi,” I said again, offering him a wicked smile.

He blushed, averting his gaze. “I-I’m sorry,” he whispered, then shifted again.

I blinked at the white bunny by my feet before it scurried away.

I carefully chased after Damon in his second form.

He was so damn cute! Pure white with pink ears and nose.

The most precious thing I’d ever seen in my life.

I had no idea why he ran away though, so I tried not to chase him too fast. I saw his tiny little bunny butt disappear into a little hole against the mountain side, a bush with flowers was next to it, hiding it from view.

The area had soft grass and some short trees scattered around. It was cozy and private, and likely the place Damon came when he needed a break from everything. I slid down onto the grass, my back against the mountain wall. I was right next to the little hole where Damon hid from me.

“Are you afraid of me, little bunny?” I asked, my tone soft.

Damon and I didn’t know each other, but I knew he wasn’t always in control of his dragon.

He’d hit Nym once during class. They were both shifted and were competing to see who was the fastest. I knew Damon had apologized to my cousin and they’d started a friendship after.

Sadly, Nym didn’t have a lot of time now that he had Harpy, so I doubted he and Damon were close.

I’d refrained from asking Nym, mostly because I wanted to get to know Damon myself. He was mine, after all.

There was no sound from the hole, so I just kept talking. “You know, I knew you were mine ever since I saw you shift for the first time. I tried to keep my distance because I felt like you might need that, but now?” I let out a low chuckle. “Now you’re never getting rid of me ever again.”

White whiskers came into view but he didn’t move further than that, so I continued to talk.

“I hope you’re not angry with me for snapping at Niels.

He was just such an ass to you and I couldn’t take it anymore.

No one is allowed to ever talk to you like you’re dumb.

” I felt the anger rise within me again as I recalled how our teacher Niels had refused to acknowledge that Damon was allowed to separate his forms into two beings.

He wanted Damon to think of them as one and the same.

They weren’t. Niels was supposed to help us work with ourselves, meaning our forms, creating balance and acceptance within.

Damon had been unfortunate enough to catch his attention, making him hone in on Damon and all his insecurities.

No more. I would be there to protect him now.

A pink nose poked out and then the rest of the cute bunny head. His eyes were a dark lilac, making his eyes appear bigger and cuter. I was so done for. “Can I please pet you?” I asked, slowly showing him my hand. I didn’t want to startle him, but he looked so damn soft!

He made his way out of the hole slowly, sniffing my fingers and allowing my touch.

He was silky smooth, his ears hung low but I knew he just needed time.

Again, we didn’t know each other, but it was clear he was working through some stuff and I highly doubted it was his decision to dragon-nap me, otherwise he wouldn’t have apologized for it.

Not wanting to scare him off, I whispered, “I hope you’ll take me out for another flight; I really loved it.

” He remained close, slowly venturing into my lap.

“You fit perfectly,” I cooed. “My perfect bunny.” His ears perked up at that, his head tilting towards me.

“You are so precious, my lovely bunny. I hope you remember that.”

The sun was setting, but I refused to acknowledge it.

I was finally with my mate and I wouldn’t leave this mountain until I’d felt his lips against mine.

Damon was resting fully in my lap now, his entire body between my crossed legs, his head pillowed on my thigh as I continued to pet him.

“You’ll need to shift back soon; I want some fun with your human form as well.

” He froze under my touch, but I ignored it, my hand never faltering the stroking.

Damon batted my hand away with his head, then jumped out from my lap. I felt cold where he’d been laying, the spot now empty and sad. But then my mate shifted into his human form, sitting cross-legged in front of me, looking down at the grass between us.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“For what?” I asked.

“For forcing you here.”

I smiled softly at that. “I don’t mind you staking your claim on me. I was growing impatient myself.”

His eyes shot up, meeting mine head on, his expression one of pure surprise. “Really?”

I laughed. “If it had been up to me, we would’ve already fully mated. You have no idea how much I’ve ached to touch you.”

He blushed. “I wasn’t sure if… if you’d want to, you know, after I hit your cousin.”

Ah. “You thought I was mad at you?”

He nodded, looking back down at the grass. “I wouldn’t even blame you if you were. I expected it.”

“I grew up with Nym. I know better than most how dragon instincts can take over and control you. Trust me, I don’t blame you for it.

Was I angry when it happened, sure, but that was simply because Nym is family and I protect my family.

But you, my sweet bunny, you’re mine. You come before anyone else now. ”

His eyes met mine again, and the confusion was back. “But we barely know each other.”

I just shrugged. “You’re my mate, Damon. To me it’s that simple.”

“But why?”

I gave him a fond smile. “Because I see my whole future in your eyes, Damon. Because you’re the one I’ve waited for.

And because, no matter how hard I’ve tried to give you the space you clearly needed, I’ve longed to touch you.

” I ran my hand down his leg, feeling emboldened.

“To know what you taste like,” I whispered, still running my hand over his leg.

“To feel your heart beat against my own.”

His eyes shone a deeper lilac, his dragon right at the surface. “I’m yours,” I said, hoping he heard the words. We could date and get to know each other after mating for all I cared. We were mates, meant to be. Why the fuck should we wait?

Damon was fighting with himself, trembling under my touch, and a thought occurred to me. “Damon, do you need me to take charge? To be the one controlling how this thing between us goes?” His trembling stopped, his breathing almost relieved.

His eyes were filled with so much emotion. He nodded. “Please.”

I moved closer to him, slowly tilting his head up with my thumb caressing his bottom lip. “You’re so breathtakingly gorgeous,” I whispered before pressing my lips to his in a gentle kiss. I knew his dragon likely wouldn’t approve of that, but Damon needed our first kiss to be slow, not rushed.

His eyes flashed as we parted and I knew I was in for one hell of a claiming.