Page 22 of Purrfectly Mated

Uncle Uzzi had come highly recommended from the Pride elders. His parents had known the old Witch too. It seemed a win-win to Hunter. He’d be mated as soon as the busy dating guru could spare him some time.

Purrfect.

Besides, Hunter had to focus on renewing the contracts Maverick Development had with the surrounding counties and neighboring states to go traipsing about the country looking for a suitable mate.

With Uncle Uzzi on his side, he’d have a few weeks to finish fixing what was wrong with his bids, then he could turn his attention to sifting through the candidates the matchmaker would provide. Seemed easy enough.

That was his plan, at any rate. Fuck, he thought with a groan as he stretched. Being the Neta was not an easy job. This delay with their contracts had Hunter troubled. Maverick Development would be shit out of luck without them.

The company was not just the main source of income for the Pride. It was a good place allowing Shifters, who were renowned for their physical prowess, to work out their angst with physical labor. Started by his father more than eighty years ago, it was the best damn thing for the powerful Shifters who needed to expel their surpluses of energy.

Of course, Shifter longevity required some quick thinking on their part when it came to the books. It was a good thing Lance, one of the youngest Tiger Shifters in the Pride, was such a whiz on the computer, otherwise he wasn’t sure how the Pride would maintain appearances.

Lance was responsible for making sure everyone had updated credentials, like birth certificates and licenses. Everything was carefully secured using the latestDraco Fortisfirewall system. The Dragon run company was the best in supernatural software.

Damn, he was antsy.The voices from the other room were getting heated, and his Tiger growled deep in his chest. Hunter rolled his shoulders as he stared at the mountain of forms he still had to fill out.

If things didn’t work out, they would need to find other sources of income. Tiger Shifters were notoriously reclusive. They did not play well with others, so finding outside work was the very last thing he wanted to do. As the Pride Neta, he could not let that happen.

Among the papers was yet another complaint from an employee about Blake. Seemed his Beta had been having difficulty managing his team when out on the job. They’d been accused of bullying some of their newer workers. It was the fifth time in three months Blake had started a disagreement.

Shit.

Bad enough Hunter had been forced to hire outside the Pride to level out the unevenness in the crew, but now he was thinking he had to demote his onetime best friend from foreman. Luckily, he’d found a widowed Bear Shifter from the nearby Barvale Clan a couple of months ago.

He’d been lumbering around the Pride territory when Hunter had picked up his scent. He’d sent him off with a single roar that the smart Bear took for the warning it was.

After that, the man had returned to Mount Maverick. He’d asked after Hunter, then he finally came to see him looking for work. It was an unusual thing for a Bear to be accepted into a Tiger Pride, but he was well-liked and respected by everyone far as Hunter could tell.

A perfect candidate to take on the role of foreman.

Brayden Smith was more than a decent man and Shifter. He was hardworking and tough as nails. A veritable fucking mountain. Quiet, punctual, and bigger than most of his Tigers, he’d earned a reputation for treating folks fairly.

Translation: he beat the shit out of the first few punks who thought they could take on the Black Bear and win.

Hunter grinned at the memory.

Good times.

Shifter fights were pretty common. They were a very physical group. Testing each other for dominance was inherent in their DNA. Of course, some felt fighting was beneath them, but they were a bunch of pansy asses, in Hunter’s opinion.

Brayden was of the same opinion. Quiet didn’t equal cowardly. The big Black Bear wasn’t afraid to get down in the mud with the crew and other Pride members when necessary. Whether it was for work or play or just to blow off steam.

Now Blake, on the other hand, with his lazy city habits, would never even try to do half the work the Bear took on. It was becoming more and more apparent he was simply unfit for the job Hunter had given him.

Had he not been grieving for his lost parent, he would have come to another decision. He knew that now. But Blake had insisted he was the right man for the job, and Hunter had wanted him to be. That just reminded him of one of his mother’s favorite sayings.

Sometimes all the wanting in the world doesn’t mean a thing, son. It is your actions that define you.

It seemed no matter what Hunter told his old friend, Blake simply did not listen. He was determined to use his title as Beta to order others around.

Fuck.

His Tiger snarled, the beast uneasy for some reason. Hunter had dallied long enough. The raised voices and growls coming from the other room told him whoever his guests were, Blake was not happy to see them.

Fucking great. Another mess to clean up.

ChapterSeven

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