Page 56 of Purrfectly Mated

“I couldn’t hear what he was saying too clearly, but the Nari was not happy with whatever it was. Also, Blake was close to her, Neta, too close. He should have treated her with more respect---”

Brayden stopped, his inner Bear pushing forward as Hunter’s growl built and built until it reverberated in the room. A tiger in the wild had the ability to paralyze his prey with a low frequency infrasound that rendered its prey frozen still.

A Tiger Shifter, specifically an Alpha, could sometimes emit such a sound. Specifically, when his or her mate was threatened. Right then, Hunter’s Tiger was really pissed off.

The beast demanded the blood of any and all who threatened his precious mate, even for a second. If Brayden was telling the truth, and everything said he was, Hunter was going to have no choice but to throw down with his second.

“Get me Blake,” he commanded.

Brayden rose without saying a word and left the room to do his bidding. He appreciated the man wanting to challenge his Beta, but if Blake was out of line with his mate, that would be for him alone to rectify.

Five minutes later, Blake strolled into the room. The fucker was pretty damn arrogant to be walking in like he’d done nothing wrong, but Hunter would play his game.

For now.

“Hunter, I mean, Neta,” he said, and casually bared his throat as he took his seat to Hunter’s left.

“Speak,” Hunter commanded.

Blake shrugged, looking everywhere but at Hunter. He seemed agitated, but still, he did not challenge him directly. Hunter would have to wait for satisfaction.

“What?”

“I said go on, explain yourself.”

“What? Your bitch Bear running his mouth off?”

Blake snarled and shook his head. Sweat dotted his forehead and Hunter’s Tiger chuffed angrily.

“Dammit, Hunter, he doesn’t belong here anymore than she does! She’s a human. A fucking chubby normal, for fuck’s sake. She can’t be the Nari.”

“Watch your fucking mouth, Blake!”

“What? You can’t seriously think she will bear the future of this Pride! I mean, you fucked her, fine. Chase all the chubby chicks you want. Hell, even I can see why you’d go for that, but that doesn’t make a mating---”

Hunter let his rolling growl press deeper into the male, using a bit of his power as the most dominant of the Pride to press down on him. This fucker needed reminding why Hunter was in charge.

“Listen to me, Blake. You are here atmyleisure and as long as you can be of use to the Pride. Elissa Phoenix is my fated mate. She is the Maverick pride Nari, which makes her far more important than you or anyone else. Now, I will slaughter anyone who threatens her or our mating without a second thought. Do you understand me?”

“Hunter, all due respect, the laws say you must betruly mated, that can only mean to another Shifter-”

“She ismine,” Hunter snarled.

He allowed a little more power to seep into his voice. The weight of it must have been grueling because Blake practically fell out of the chair. His beast was barely placated when Blake finally did slink down to his knees under the force of his Neta’s displeasure.

Hunter sniffed the air, licking his lips. He scented hostility, anger, and deceit. Wasn’t that something? Maybe Brayden would have his challenge after all. If Hunter allowed Blake to live that long.

He turned to the slimy male, meeting the crafty smile on his Beta’s lips before loosening his hold on him through his powers as Neta. The door separating the kitchen from the dining room swung open, revealing Elissa.

She looked good enough to eat in her tight jeans and white tank top. A sweater was tied around her hips, and he smiled, thinking she must have gotten warm while she cooked.

He noted the way her smile faltered when she saw Blake and not Brayden by his side. Something was definitely going on. Blake practically leapt from his position on the floor to take the tray from her. Hunter used the moment to try to get a grip on his emotions.

His mate was everything good and beautiful in the world. He could not wait to really start their lives together, and he didn’t need Blake causing any disruptions.

Just imagining the way Elissa would be with their cubs made his skin itch to find out. But she would need time, but could he help it if he was impatient?

She’d probably let them crawl all over her. He grinned at the thought. So lost in his own musings he’d not been prepared for her little yelp of pain. Snarling, he jumped out of his seat when he heard it to see his Beta standing far too fucking close.

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