Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Okay, fine. His time at the bar had been spent delaying the inevitable. But could anyone blame him? This pink-stuccoed, blue-roofed, neon sign disaster of a hotel was fucking ridiculous.
And just how the hell was he supposed to find his room if there was no number for the manager located outside the closed office? What happened to guests arriving late?
Growling with renewed anger, Alex stalked towards the glass-walled room that had the word office etched into the door.
Locked. Ugh. He really hated getting dirty. Sighing aloud, he replayed the conversation he’d had with the Neta in his head while he took off the jacket to his custom-tailored Tim Ford suit. Cuffing the sleeves of his silk shirt, he wondered if Dean would approve what he was about to do.
“Alex, you work for me. I do have that correct, right?” Dean Romero leaned back in his tall, black leather chair. The Neta pinned him with that unwavering stare of his.
He never raised his voice. The fucker didn’t have to. After all, Dean was the motherfucking Tiger King of all Manhattan. Also known as the Neta or the Alpha of the based out of New York’s most thriving metropolis.
True, he’d mellowed some since taking a bride over the Christmas holidays. But now that the Nari, his mate, was expecting the couple’s first cub, Dean was anxious as ever to please the female. Violet was a wonderful Nari, beloved by the entire Pride.
She’d been blessed by the fates with the Puspa, the gift of her own animal half, and was now the fiercest Tigress in the city. Dean was crazy about her.
As he should be, Alex’s Tiger had reminded him.
He acknowledged the fact with a resigned shake of his head. Violet was a wonderful woman. A real triple threat. She was warm-hearted, beautiful, and brilliant. The entire Pride was besotted with her.
Alex was proudly among those who’d vowed to serve the new Nari with every bit of the same loyalty, devotion, and respect he held for Dean. Violet was absolutely perfect for their Neta.
As Dean’s right-hand man and the Pride Beta, Alex Kensington was the second highest ranking Tiger Shifter in the whole damn Pride. And yet, he’d been scolded like an errant cub by his Neta only a day ago.
Grrr, his Tiger had pushed him in the confines of Dean’s office, but there was no way he’d ever challenge the man. He was simply too good.
The best, really. And Alex had no desire whatsoever to try and best him in battle. Neither did he want to rule the Pride.
He loved his job. ISP Inc was an international conglomerate made up of dozens of companies, all leaders in their industries. They dabbled in just about everything. Imports, exports, farming, beauty products, sustainable fishing, environmentally conscious power companies, leaders of the hospitality industry, computer software development, and the like.
Alex was on the board of more than two-thirds of the parent companies that made up ISP Inc. He’d been a part of Dean’s work since the man had come into his power, and together they’d tripled the old Neta’s empire.
He had degrees in business management, finance, economics, and ethics. And just for the fun of it, he held a Masters’ degree in English lit with a specialty in Shakespearean sonnets. The last made him a hit with the ladies, if he did say so himself. He thought back to his conversation with his Neta and frowned.
“It is important to Violet that I invest in her hometown, Alex,” Dean had cut off his rolling growl, and Alex finally lifted his eyes to the man.
“Okay, so we’ll donate some funds for a park or beach clean-up-”
“No, my friend,” Dean shook his head. “I am afraid my bride has requested a different sort of investment. You see, a friend of hers from high school is currently in some trouble. Here is the file,” he extended a hand holding a large manilla folder.
“The Sunset Inn? Dean, what is this?”
“Say hello to our newest acquisition,” Dean smiled.
Alex had instantly recognized it as Dean’s trademark do-not-fuck-with-me smile. He was a pretty smart guy. But in that moment, looking down at that photograph of the rundown establishment, he’d had to wonder if having sex on the regular wasn’t addling his Neta’s brain.
“I want you to personally go down, see to the finalization of the loan transfer. Then fire the manager who ran the place into the ground. And last, make it better.”
“Make it better? How? Bomb the place? It’s a fucking dump, Dean,” he growled, and shook his head.
The place was nowhere near the type of business ISP touched. What the fuck was going on with Dean?
“I guess so, Alex, fucking bomb the place then,” said Dean in a deceptively calm voice, “but when you’re done, it won’t be a dump anymore. Will it?”
“You can get someone else to do this, Dean. I have other business to attend-”
“Alex,” he’d closed his eyes.
Clearly, his patience had run out, even so, Alex had to push him a bit farther, “I want you to see to the renovations personally.”
“But Dean-”
“I said,” snarled the Neta before his voice returned to its previous calm, “I want you to do it.”
“Yes, Neta,” Alex growled, baring his throat, and averted his gaze to the marble tiled floor.
Alex shook his head. There was nothing else to be done. This was his task, and he would see it through to the end. He looked at the doorknob and shook his head again.
Fucking hell. He fisted his hand and punched a hole through the glass, effectively breaking the pane just above the knob. He’d just finished breaking away the remaining glass so he could reach inside unscathed, when suddenly, he was covered in something sticky and wet.
“What the?” he growled, then stopped before the sludge could enter his mouth.
When he found the person who’d slimed him, Alex was gonna tear the dude a new one.
Grrr.
“Maggie! Maggie! I got him!” a voice overhead screamed, and his Shifter’s eyes zeroed in on the tiny young female holding an overturned container.
“Take that, you asshat!” she yelled.
Surmising that plastic cup formerly held the sticky, gooey contents that were currently soaking into his silk shirt, Alex had his culprit. He sniffed.
What the fuck? From what he picked up, the sludge staining his shirt and sticking to his hair was some diabolical mix of ink, mineral oil, and paint.
“What is going on?”
The sound of a second female had his eyes searching the shadows for the face that went with the heavenly voice.
Heavenly? WTF.
Grrr. His Tiger tensed, the beast scratching against his skin. He was chuffing so loudly Alex could hardly make out her next words.
The second female’s voice was huskier, older sounding than the first. Like fine wine, it was perfect for his palate. The notes so deep and sexy, stirred something within him. When she spoke again, it was like a sucker punch straight to his gut.
Mine.
He stilled. Fuck no. This was not happening. But the Tiger growled and hissed. The happy chuff upon first hearing the stranger replaced by an annoyed growl at his human side for doubting the beast.
Fuck that. He was not there to meet his mate, dammit.
Grrr. The Tiger did not give two shits what the man thought. That voice, the woman, was his.
“Joelle! Oh my god! Sir? I think it’s a sir, um, mister? Are you okay?”
The woman gasped. She pinched the younger female on the arm. Leaning over the railing from the balcony over the office, she asked him if he was alright, but he couldn’t even think to respond.
From what he could see, which honestly wasn’t much since he currently had one eye closed to keep out the muck, she was gorgeous. Honey-colored hair spilled over her shoulders in big, bouncy curls. Hazel eyes that seemed brown at first, but upon closer inspection were flecked with green and gold, blinked rapidly, taking in his utterly ridiculous appearance.
She wore casual clothes. Lounge pants and a tank top that showed off her ample curves. Damn. She was round in all the right places. Womanly and sumptuous, and he could hardly wait to test the softness of her skin. It was pale, but bore a trace of time spent in the sun.
“Just wait there, sir,” she said.
Alex took a deep breath. Fuck the ink and paint and slop covering him made it damn near impossible to scent her, but that voice.
Dear gods! It was husky and rich. Perfect. He was ninety-seven percent certain his beast was right. This female was his.
What would she sound like after he’d made love to her a time or twenty? He couldn’t wait to find out. His cock was already hard just imagining it.
Grrr.
Fierce whispering brought his attention back to the females, and he noted the younger one’s eyes seemed to glow in anger as she was being scolded.
Hmm. Shifter? Possibly.
That was good news. If his mate was a Shifter, then she would recognize him too. This whole thing could be done and done tonight.
Awesomesauce, he grinned, then growled, and spit out the inky paint mix.
“Oh my! Okay, sir. One second, I will be right down. Here use this,” she of the gorgeously raspy voice called down to him and tossed a fluffy white towel his way.
“Thanks,” he murmured and snatched the thing out of the air.
“Joelle, you better start explaining,” the woman was saying, and he followed the sound of her footsteps until she was standing right in front of him.
Alex wiped the gunk off his face, and the second he breathed he knew without a doubt. This woman was his mate.