You're Kitten Me (17 page)

“No one’s taking her anywhere without me,” Braden snarled, silencing the chuckles the men shared.

“Well, now, Ares can give orders, and you can’t really argue since you’re not her mate.” Walter’s voice was matter-of-fact.

A rumble tore from her mate’s throat, the growl stretching through the room, and her wolf reacted to her mate’s anger and frustration, jumping forward and wanting to defend him. “We are mates. He made me howl. I’m sure the whole mountain heard.”

“Uh-huh.” Her daddy looked to her. “But did you pull his tail?”

Did she pull his tail?

Did she pull his tail?

The answer was no, and it pissed off Braden’s tiger. They may not have finished their mating in the forest, but they sure as hell would now. He’d tried to drag her into the woods yesterday so they could fully mate, but she’d denied him. She wanted Braden as healthy as possible. She wasn’t going to have people say she didn’t deserve him, that she only caught his tail because he was injured.

So he waited, grumbling and growling but content because she’d stayed at his side all day.

Well, it’d been forty-eight hours since he was injured. Forty-eight hours of recovery and taking it easy.

It was time.

Or soon, at least. With a sigh, Braden leaned against the railing at the base of the stairs, half listening to the low murmurs from the women upstairs. Ares came down moments later, but the ladies were still rushing around on the second floor.

He met his friend’s gaze. “Are they almost done?”

Ares shrugged. “Apparently this is some rite of passage. I have no fucking clue. They just kicked me out.”

He ran a hand through his hair—nerves making him tremble. This would be it, their one and only shot, and they were both ready to put their faith in their animals. He just hoped it wasn’t misplaced.

The tiger assured him it wasn’t.

Well, they’d see.

“It’s not like a human marriage,” he mumbled. “She doesn’t have to put fucking goop on her face and curl her hair or anything.”

The alpha shrugged again. “Yeah, well… women.”

Braden growled, his annoyance growing by the second. Sunset had long since passed and he was still waiting for Veronica. “Dammit,” he rumbled and tilted his head back, raising his voice so he could be heard. “Dammit, Veronica. We’re gonna be fucking naked. How can it take this long to get ready?”

He just wanted to be mated. That was all. His tiger rumbled its agreement. They were over this additional delay. Naked. Shift. Pull. Fuck. That’d been the original plan.

Well, they’d talked about it—a lot—first but then naked. Shift. Pull. Fuck.

Nowhere in there was “wait for hours so she could put on eyeliner perfectly while putting long ringlets in her hair.”

What the fuck were ringlets?

“Are you kidding me? You’re kidding, right?” Veronica stomped into view and glared at him. “I’m trying to look pretty. I only get mated once in my life and—”

He didn’t let her continue. His cat was already at the surface and happy to help him leap up the stairs in two jumps. Then he had her in his arms, plump curves lined up with his hard body, and he reveled in the feel of her against him.

“Baby…” She struggled and the scent of her anger burned his nose. “I just wanna mate you. I don’t give a fuck about any of this. I care about you and me in that clearing, shifted and clashing while you try to grab my tail. None of this matters. Just you and me.” He pressed his forehead against hers and rubbed their noses together. “I just wanna mate you, baby. Just you.”

He knew the very second she gave in. She slumped forward, letting him take her weight, and he held her even tighter. “I wanna mate you, too.”

“So come with me. Now. No curlers and eyeliner. No more fussing. No more trying to make it perfect. You’re gonna be there. That means it’s already perfect.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and prayed she’d give in. He knew her mother wanted to make things special, but as long as they were both present, it was already special.

Veronica reached down and twined her fingers with his, and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “Okay, but we have to make a run for it. She’ll never—”

“Ronnie? Where did you get off to? We still have to—”

Braden tightened his hold on her hand and spun, dragging her after him. “Run!”

Her tinkling laughter chased them down the hallway, her mother’s shout and Zoe’s cackle reaching them as they took one turn and the next. He slowed when they approached one of the guest rooms at the end of the hall.

“How far can you jump?” He whipped his shirt over his head and glanced back at her. “You okay with a ten-foot drop?”

“The question is,” she released him and dropped her robe, revealing that she was nude underneath. “Can you keep up, pussy?”

She giggled again, running past him and into the room. With a growl, he followed her, tugging and pushing on his jeans until he was nude as well.

Veronica threw the balcony doors open and glanced back at him. “C’mon, kitty.”

With that, her change washed over her, a full body shudder that took hardly more than a second. The speed attested to her power and control while her size told him of her strength. She was still smaller than him in shifted form, but she was close to the size of a tigress.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, gray tail wagging and tongue lolling as if to ask him to come play with her. Then she was gone, racing to the edge of the porch and she vaulted over the railing in one leap.

“Fuck,” he cursed and let his own change rush forward, the cat’s excitement making the transition even quicker than normal.

The second he landed on four paws, he jumped into action, leaping off the railing and flying through the air. He landed on the grass with a low grunt and immediately sought her scent. The animal was ready for a hunt, ready for the chase and the battle that would end with them fully mated.

Veronica switched directions the second she hit the forest, her trail veering right for twenty feet before snapping left and going deeper once more. She wasn’t quiet as she ran, wasn’t trying to hide her movements. No, it was a rapid race past trees and over bushes, his mate fighting to put space between them. Which… wasn’t how this was supposed to happen. They were supposed to head to the altar and fight atop the age-old stone.

But I’m not mating a tiger. I’m mating a wolf.

And when he questioned his tiger, the animal told him to get the fuck over it. This shit was happening
tonight
.

Which meant he dug deep and sought more speed from his inner cat. The feline was happy to supply what he needed. He darted around trees in their path, leaping over larger boulders and digging his claws into the earth when he slipped on leaves. The moon’s light was obscured by the forest canopy, making it difficult to see even with his enhanced vision. It didn’t matter. He had her scent. He could follow…

Braden slid to a stop beside the creek that ran through pack lands. Had they traveled that far already? Fuck. He was staring at the slowly flowing water, so they obviously had.

He backed away from the shore and narrowed his eyes, searching the bank for proof of her next steps. The tracks ended abruptly at the water’s edge, which meant she’d entered, but where did she exit? He looked at the opposite side, hunting for paw marks and saw… none.

What the hell? Dammit, she was making him work for this.

He tilted his head back, scenting the air, but the wind was at his back, pushing her aroma farther away instead of bringing it close. Fuck. He wasn’t sure if he should go right or left, and his tiger snarled at him. The human mind had one job.

One. Job.

He growled low, frustrated and furious he’d lost her. How could he claim her if—

A massive body slammed into him, sending him rolling to the left. He allowed the momentum to carry him until he popped to his feet. He crouched low and faced his attacker, a snarl on his lips. He met his opponent’s amber-eyed gaze as she matched his rumbling growl.

Veronica had got the drop on him, but now the tiger was engaged, the animal wavering between the desire to have its tail pulled and the need for his mate to prove herself strong and quick enough to claim him.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning her and hunting for any vulnerabilities, and he saw her do the same. They both tensed, bodies ready to collide.

Braden circled left, and Veronica countered the move so they remained opposite each other. The cat already saw her as a cunning foe, but now she had to prove herself to be physically strong as well. It wouldn’t mate a weakling.

But she’s already endured so much,
he whispered to the animal.

She needs to prove herself a little more.

Sometimes he hated the beast.

It assured him the feeling was mutual.

And as he had this conversation with his animal, Veronica made the first move. She took advantage of his distraction and darted forward, teeth nipping his forearm before dancing out of reach once more. He snarled at the sting, shaking his paw as he glared harder. She just gave him a wolfen smile, her tongue lolling. She wasn’t upset by his anger in the least.

Braden ignored the cat’s instructions and rumblings now, focused entirely on testing his mate. She’d dance forward, and he would jerk out of the way. He would dart into her space, and she would bat him with her massive paw. But she didn’t go for the prize.

Didn’t she want to mate him? Veronica didn’t attempt to capture his tail with her teeth, even when she’d had the opportunity.

Frustration consumed him, anger adding to the mix. If she wasn’t going to even
try
…

The tiger took over, snatching control. It was frustrated as well and not just angry but furious. She’d claimed him like a wolf but wasn’t willing to mate the tiger in the way of the pride?

When she leaped at him, he batted her aside. When she nipped at him, he dashed out of reach. When she snarled her anger, he merely glared at her. Yeah, well, the cat was pissed too, dammit.

They went on like that, her fighting him while he merely danced out of the way. Time passed, the moon rising higher in the sky and still they were unmated. He could see her growing angrier by the second, but he saw something else as the night brightened. Her fur was damp, strands clumping together with the wetness. Was exhaustion setting in? His cat whimpered. They didn’t want her collapsing from fatigue. They were so much larger than her, so much stronger. They didn’t want their little wolf to pass out from the strain. It was ingrained in him to care for her. Even as she annoyed them. Even if she wasn’t strong enough to tug his tail.

He paused in their fight and released a questioning trill, quietly asking her if she was okay as he took a cautious step forward. He’d roar for help if she was too winded. He’d—

Braden saw nothing but a blur of gray race past him before a fierce jolt of pain raced down his spine. He snarled with the sudden ache and snapped his jaws at his attacker—at his mate. Who had her jaw clamped around his tail and laughter in her eyes. He glared harder, and she released him, giving the abused flesh a soft lick and gentle nudge.

His tiger roared with joy as the last of their mating bond snapped into place. The final bindings spun between them, and he felt the first moment when their thoughts collided and their minds connected. Emotions flowed steadily between them, ebbing and flowing, twisting, and turning as their connection solidified.

He sensed her joy, her overwhelming happiness at finally catching him. And smug. She was damned smug.

He twitched his tail away from her. “
That hurt.”

“And I’m tired, but I still got you. You’re mine now.”

“It took you long enough,”
he grumbled.

“When you can’t win through strength, win through cunning.”

“You’re saying you’re smarter than me.”
He curled his lip and bared a single fang.

“I’m not saying I’m smarter than you, baby. I’m simply saying one of us failed here, and it wasn’t me.”

Braden turned and padded closer, nuzzling her scruff. “
Pain in the ass.”

“Good thing I love you, then. And you love me.”

Yeah, he did. More than she could ever imagine. “
Yes, and I can’t wait to show you I love you again and again.”

“Race you back to the house?”

Braden didn’t spare a moment to respond. Instead, he spun and delved back into the forest. He had a mate to fuck and babies to create.

“Babies?”
Veronica screeched within his mind.

“Babies. Lots of babies
.”

“But what about all the drama with…”

Braden slid to a stop and spun to face her. “
There will always be drama, there will always be threats to the pride, and there will always be things that try and stand in our way, but baby… I’ll always love you, I’ll always protect you, and I’ll always kick anyone’s ass who tries to stand between us and what we want.”
He strode toward her and licked her muzzle. “
Always.”

When she didn’t say a word, he stepped back and was gratified when she moved toward him and stopped at his side.

Of course, that’s when Violet came storming through the brush, tongue lolling out and eyes dancing. She barked and lowered her front, ass sticking up and tail wagging.

“Are you kidding? Am I about to get cock-blocked by your sister?”

“You did say you wouldn’t let anyone stand in our way…”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “
Can you jump over her? Outrun her?”

Veronica snorted. “
Try and keep up.”

By the tone of her voice, he had a feeling he’d spend his life trying to keep up with her and he… looked forward to it.

The End

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