Page 62 of Purrfectly Kissed

“Let’s give them a moment,” Elissa whispered, nodding at Brayden and smiling at Jessica’s Tiger before allowing her mate to help her stand.

“How is Kylie?” Hunter asked.

The Alpha pair went to inquire after the young she-Cat, and to see about the prisoners.

“Kitten, you did good. I am so glad you are strong, but I need my mate,” he said, stroking his mate’s feline head.

He smiled at her purring and petted her soft fur with his hands.

“Yes, you were brave little she-Cat. But I need my mate’s human body now. Change for me so I can care for her, please,” he said earnestly.

A blink of an eye later, a naked and bloody Jessica lay before him. She groaned with the pain of her shift, hissing as the open bullet wound stitched itself together. She would need a day or so, but she would heal.

Thank the gods.

“Brayden,” she rasped.

“It’s okay. Don’t talk now,” he murmured, so overcome with emotion he was liable to break down in front of the whole fucking Pride.

Not that he gave a fuck. He was not ashamed of his love for her. She was everything, and without her, he would have nothing.

Careful of her injury, Brayden gathered her to him and lifted her up. Uncaring about his own nudity, he snagged a long piece of clothing from a nearby broken rack to cover her naked form. His Bear demanded he do so, needing to conceal her from so many eyes surrounding them.

“Brayden,” she sighed again, voice raspy.

He lifted her easily off the ground. But he didn’t speak. He couldn’t. Not yet. Placing her in the back seat of the truck, he got in and started driving without even talking to the Neta.

He might hear shit from him later, but he’d deal with it then. For now, the Bear needed to be alone with his mate. The drive back to the Pride House only took moments. He ignored the questioning eyes of those in residence and carried his mate to his wing of the house. To his Den.

“Brayden---”

He shook his head, silencing her before she could speak. His Bear was not fully under control. As if the reality of the whole situation just dawned on him, Brayden could not trust himself to say a single word.

Instead, he set about caring for her. Walking into the large bathroom, he balanced her on his knee as he turned on the six different shower heads that faced the center of the oversized, blue-tiled shower stall. He stood her up under the warm spray and immediately joined her.

The effect was as if they were under a waterfall and soon the room was full of steam. Jessica let her head fall back as the water sluiced over her naked body. He hated the smattering of bruises that covered her. Especially the large, painful looking welt that was her bullet wound.

Knowing all evidence of her fight would be gone by the next day did nothing to soothe his Bear. So Brayden distracted the beast. He grabbed a handful of liquid soap and began washing her body with long, slow rubs of his oversized hands.

“Feels good,” she whispered, and leaned into his touch.

Fuck, he loved her like this.

Soft and pliant in his arms. The thought of almost losing her sent his animal into a frenzied rage. He closed his eyes, allowing his beast to feel the truth of her beneath his hands. She was here, alive, and well, and his.

Brayden ignored the throbbing of his cock and set about washing the blood and scent of battle off his beautiful, brave mate.

“Brayden,” she purred his name, touching his shoulders lightly, as if to steady herself.

He would always be there to support her, to hold her up. It was his privilege, as well as his duty. Brayden’s breathing grew heavy as he added more soap and lifted his arms to shampoo her mass of hair.

Gods, he loved her hair. It was like holding fire. So beautiful and different from anything he’d ever held. He loved her peaches and cream skin that was slowly revealed after he’d washed away the blood and gore. Upon rinsing the shampoo from her hair, he added conditioner and repeated the process.

Caring for her soothed his beast. Still, he didn’t trust himself to talk. How could he explain what he was feeling to her? How could she ever know how much she meant?

“I’m sorry, mate,” she said.

“I love you.”

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