Page 61 of Purrfectly Kissed

“Change back, Brayden. I can’t examine her if you’re growling over me, and I have another patient,” he said, sounding reasonable, though Brayden could sense his anxiety.

Fucker was right, not that Brayden would admit it. Within seconds he was a man again, crouched next to his mate’s prone feline form.

“Jessica,” he said her name, touching her face with hands that shook.

If anything happened to her---

No, it didn’t bear thinking about.

“Nari, are you hurt?” Mikey asked their leader’s mate while checking Jessica’s injury.

Brayden cursed himself for not inquiring after her. Fuck. But it was all he could do to hold on to his skin while the sonovabitch who put a bullet in his mate sat crying. The Tiger was bleeding and had his mangled hands cuffed with Shifter strength resistant zip-ties behind his back on the other side of the store. He wasn’t in anywhere near enough pain, according to Brayden’s beast.

“I am fine,” Elissa replied, interrupting his thoughts.

“Jessica was so brave. She defended us. Took the brunt of their attention.”

Hunter snarled. The Neta’s hands were on his mate, worry for his sister filling his gaze.

“Easy Brayden, it’s a through and through,” Mikey declared.

The Pride healer met his stare for a beat, then turned his head. He applied clean gauze to her wound.

“Hold this here. I have to go back to Kylie,” Mikey stated, and his voice hitched a bit when he said the she-Cat’s name.

Brayden almost asked him about it, but Jessica was waking up. Thank fuck.

“Will she be okay?” Elissa asked.

“She’s bruised, but fine. The other female is worse off,” Mikey replied.

He’d adopted a neutral tone and walked to the other woman. But Brayden had his own suspicions. Still, he pushed it away. Nothing was as important as his own mate.

“She fought them off practically alone. Broke that one’s wrist before the coward over there shot her. Brayden, I am so sorry,” Elissa’s eyes filled with tears.

“She will be okay,” Hunter whispered.

Brayden recalled how the male had come running into the store. Within two steps he’d defeated two of the assholes, then he was on the floor with his mate in his arms, and his eyes raking over his sisters’ prone form.

“Jessica’s stronger than you’d think. We used to wrestle as cubs, and whenever she pinned me, I used to tell her it was because I let her, but it wasn’t true. She was always badass. Don’t worry, she will pull through,” he murmured.

“She’s been shot. These assholes put a bullet in her,” Brayden snarled, trying to keep the Bear from wanting to kill everything in sight.

His beast teetered on the edge, and he finally understood the grief others felt without their mates. Maybe this happened to Valerie without John. Her choices would never sit well with him, but the Sow had not been sane without her mate.

His Bear could understand. The beast would completely takeover without Jessica in the world, bringing pain and death to all responsible.

“Come on, kitten. Come back to me,” he whispered, trying to keep the fear from his voice as his she-Cat’s brilliant teal eyes slowly blinked.

Her animal was still a little out of it, eyes glassy from the pain of being shot, but he saw the recognition in them. He hesitated to touch her, not wanting to cause pain. Sometimes, when the animal was more in control than the human, it was best to wait and see.

Jessica chuffed and butted him with her head, clearly happy to see him. He brought his forehead down to hers, smiling when her scratchy tongue licked his cheek. Pride in his mate filled Brayden.

Elissa gasped and cried happily, telling everyone what went down. His mate was truly fearless and brave, but he swore to gods, he would tan her hide if she ever did anything like that again.

“Hey there, Jessica. You will be fine now. I order it,” he said, and Hunter’s eyes flashed with emotion.

Brayden swore he could feel his Neta’s powerful feelings for his family and Pride in his voice.

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