Page 27 of Purrfectly Kissed

“Yes, Neta,” he answered.

“Uncle Uzzi is gifted, my friend. He helped me find my fated mate, and I really am hoping you will listen to his advice. I noticed your unease as of late. Allowing Uncle Uzzi to help you will ease your Bear. You know, fated mates give Shifters an anchor to their human side, as well as undeniable strength through their common matebond. It’s not a bad deal,” Hunter replied casually.

Brayden could not agree more. It was a myth to some. A dream for most. And a reality to precious few.

Was Jessica his fated mate and was he throwing away the only opportunity he would ever have at happiness?

“So, what did Uzzi say to you today? Did he set you up with someone?” Hunter asked.

“Um, sort of,” Brayden replied.

Fuck. He forgot about this part of it for a moment. Jessica was Hunter’s sister, and as the Pride Neta, he deserved to hear it from Brayden’s lips. His Bear demanded it. Brayden could not pretend with his animal, or this man.

Only the truth would suffice.

“Well, did he set you up? Did you go out with her? Who is it, dude?”

“Um, yes, I went on a lunch date.”

“That’s great, bro. Who’s the lucky girl?”

Hunter was grinning at him, but Brayden did not let his guard down. The man was the only Tiger in the Pack who could give Brayden’s Bear a run for his money, and though he had no wish to grapple with the beast. He was about to drop a pretty big fucking bomb on the guy’s head. Best to be prepared.

Standing up, Brayden braced himself as he leveled a stare at his Neta before promptly baring his throat and averting his gaze.

“The truth, Neta, is this,” Brayden began, clearing his throat.

“Jessica is my fated mate.”

Rrrrooooaaaaarrrrrrrr.

ChapterTen

Jessica walked slowly among the aisles of her small boutique.Jessica’s Closetwas a dream come true for her. Her first real taste of independence after leaving the Pride House.

Of course, Hunter meant well, but her older brother could not help his dominant personality. He was the Neta. Born to rule. And well, she wasn’t one to take orders so politely.

She loved her little shop. Catering to a small town meant facing a lot of challenges. At first, her brother didn’t think her business would survive, but she’d easily proven him wrong. It was all about knowing your customers.

That and her aptitude for technology had helped her a great deal. She had an online storefront where she got a lot of out-of-town, even international, traffic. The fact was, she provided for a specific clientele.

Plus sized women were unfairly categorized in the fashion world. Larger-sized clothing was deemed unattractive, as were the women who wore it. It often meant older styled clothing, ugly prints, cheap fabrics, and terrible cuts.

But not atJessica’s Closet.

Being a big girl her entire life meant she’d had two options. Either adjust to the hideous clothes available to her in their small town or look for something better. She chose the latter.

What a wonderful choice that turned out to be! She hummed to herself as she ran the vacuum over the hardwood floor and let her thoughts wander. Combined with the noise the machine made, she didn’t hear the bells over the front door jingle.

“Jessica! There you are. My, this store is just divine,” Uzzi Stregovich walked inside the boutique.

The older man was carrying a few wrapped packages, his blue eyes twinkling as he looked around and his magic seemed to wrap around him like a cozy blanket. He wore a gray wool suit and a yellow scarf with a red rose pinned to his pocket. Of course, appearing out of the blue as he had, the male Witch scared a yelp out of Jessica, who turned off the vacuum with a flick of a switch.

“Uncle Uzzi? What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you, of course,” he said, handing her a box of delicious smelling pastries from the nearbyCookie Shop.

“Do you have time for tea?”

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