Page 48 of Little Bunny

Only he’d said it in Spanish, knowing full well that would tick off his mate.

“You don’t have to be so damn touchy.” Elijah narrowed his eyes. “I might not understand you, but I understand that tone, buster.”

He spun and started to walk away.

Matias snarled, pissed that Elijah would endanger himself by trying to find Percy on his own. “Get your ass back here, conejito!”

His mate turned and walked backward, slowly lifting his hands before flipping Matias off with both fingers.

Oh, hell no. The sheer audacity.

With a snarl, Matias went after him. Elijah’s brows shot up, then he spun and took off, triggering his wolf to chase.

Within seconds he’d curled his arms around his mate and lifted him off his feet, his wolf snarling to claim, to conquer every soft inch of their bunny once more.

Elijah threw his head back and laughed, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, his cheeks a rush of blushing red. The natural joy was Matias’s undoing. What shattered his defenses completely.

And it was the moment Matias fell even harder for the human cradled in his arms. But Matias didn’t just claim the male. He surrendered to him. And Elijah probably didn’t even realize what just happened. Totally oblivious.

“Eres tan impresionante como un amanecer y un ladrón de mi corazón, pequeño conejito.”

You are as breathtaking as a sunrise, and a thief of my heart, little bunny.

Elijah cupped his jaw, smiling softly. “I like this tone a lot better.” He scrunched his nose and slowly enunciated each word…horrendously. “Un lobo gigante y malo.”

A giant and bad wolf. Matias was pretty sure he was trying to say big, bad wolf. And his pronunciation? Tragic.

“Did I get it right?” His mate looked so goddamn hopeful.

Matias rested his forehead against Elijah’s, gazing tenderly at him. Elijah hadn’t just laughed and run, he’d anchored Matias afterward. That’s why his wolf had chosen him.

“Sí.”

Matias was so endeared by the effort that he would commit homicide if anyone so much as snickered at Elijah’s terrible Spanish.

Reluctantly, Matias set him on his feet when his phone began to ring.

It was Santiago.

He answered, switching to Spanish. “Sí.”

“Giving you a heads-up that we’re on our way back,” Santiago said. “No issues.”

Santiago had a very soft spot for Percy and would want to know what had happened. So Matias explained how the guy was missing and that he’d sent everyone to look for him.

The phone was quiet for a heartbeat, then Santiago snarled, “I’m on my way.” He hung up.

If Percy wasn’t found, Santiago was about to rip Blackthorn apart.

Just as Matias tucked his phone away, it rang again. Tito.

“Yes?” he snarled.

“We found him.”

* * * *

Elijah stepped into the dimly lit hospital room, his breath catching as he took in the sight before him. The steady beep of machines filled the quiet space, each one a stark reminder of how close Percy had come to something far worse.