The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 117: Chapter 117

Getting Paulie washed and dressed in his favorite teddy bear printed footie pajamas was easy before they drove him over to the Pride House. He loved spending time with the twins and other cubs, and he loved hanging out with his Neta and Nari.
“Hey there, pal! You ready for Christmas ornament madness?” Hunter Maverick asked. The Neta answered the door and immediately earned himself a high-five from little Paulie.
“Hi Neta! Yep. I’m back. Where’s Melly and Celia?”
“They are waiting for you in the living room with some of the other cubs, and our Nari is bringing out the ornaments and paint in a few minutes. Go on now,” he instructed, and Paulie hooted excitedly.
He waved goodbye to his mother and Javi without even looking back. Pamela held Javier’s hand and sighed as she watched his little teddy bear covered butt round the corner.
“Thank you so much, Neta,” Pamela said to the Pride leader, and he smiled and nodded at her.
“You know Paulie is welcome here anytime, but if you don’t mind waiting a bit before you head to dinner, I’d like a word with Javier,” he asked and inclined his head. Javier straightened his shoulders, bowing his head slightly as he nodded and followed behind her inside the Pride House.
“Is everything okay?” Pamela asked.
“It will be fine,” Javier said, and kissed her on the forehead before going into Hunter’s office.
Pamela bit her lip and watched after the two men worriedly. She was soon called away by Elissa and to her surprise, Uncle Uzzi, who was also in the kitchen.
“Uncle Uzzi, thank you for your gingerbread cookie recipe. You know I am something of a cook, but I hate following recipes exactly, and I am afraid with baking you have to,” Elissa said, and Pamela looked at the new perfect little boy and girl shaped cookies.
Not a boob in sight. Snort.
“Yes, baking is more science than cooking which is probably why I like it,” laughed the wickedly ingenious Witch.
“Pa-mela, so glad you could make it,” Elissa said and waggled her eyebrows. Pamela groaned in response.
“What is wrong with her?” Uncle Uzzi asked Pamela.
“Please excuse Elissa, Uncle Uzzi. She thinks she’s got Javier’s accent down,” Pamela explained and rolled her eyes while Uncle Uzzi barked out a short laugh.
“No, dear, it will take more work than that to mimic his sexy South American vibrato,” Uncle Uzzi told the Nari. “Well, I see you look healthy and happy, Pamela. Tell me, how are things with little osito going?”
“There is nothing little about that man,” Elissa chimed in, and Pamela growled.
“Ooops,” Pam muttered and apologized to the Nari. She covered her mouth to get her jealous kitty under control. “Sorry about that. So, um, things are good actually. He seems very fond of Paulie.”
“And you? How does he feel about you?”
“He said he loves me,” she blurted. “That is, he said it out loud at the store yesterday, but he hasn’t repeated it again.”
Pamela’s heart squeezed, and warmth filled her. Javi loved her. She knew it in her soul. The words were nice to hear, but it was knowing how he felt that really wrecked her.
“OMG! That is so sweet,” Elissa murmured.
“Have you said those words to him?” Uncle Uzzi asked.
“No, but I think I do. I mean, I do, I love him,” Pam confessed and swallowed. “Uncle Uzzi, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, anything,” the older Witch replied, testing a gingerbread cookie with a hearty moan.
“Do you think I deserve him? Do you think after everything I’ve done, I deserve to be happy? I mean, what if I say yes and the Fates take him away from me,” she whispered.
“Oh, Pam.”
Elissa’s lip trembled and she went to Pamela’s side and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Before she knew it Uncle Uzzi was doing the same and Pamela’s face was wet with tears, she hadn’t been aware she was crying.
“Now, you listen to me, my dear. That is not how this works. The Fates match up pairs, but we choose our mates. Now, that said, I’m Javi’s honorary uncle, and since he is your fated mate, that makes me your uncle too. You are more than deserving of every bit of happiness, light, and joy you can get out of this life, you hear?”
“Yes, I hear,” she replied, laughing through her tears.
“Good, now where is he?”
“I don’t know. Hunter took him into his office,” Pamela said.
Suddenly, a loud sound like a huge crash followed by shouting and growls had the three of them rushing out of the kitchen. Pamela did not hesitate, she pushed the door open to the Neta’s office and gasped at the sight before her.
Javier was on the floor beneath an angry male. Then he was on top of the man—Lance, she identified—and he was smashing his fist repeatedly into the young Tiger’s face. Pierce was in the melee too, having Javi’s neck in a chokehold, which Brayden was trying to loosen. Hunter had just opened his mouth but turned to jump in front of the women and Uncle Uzzi, taking a protective stance.
“We better get them outside,” Uncle Uzzi said, watching the fight with more than average concern.
“We need to get them to stop!” Pamela countered.
“Too late for that,” the Witch shook his head and pointed to Brayden. “Open the sliding door quick. If we don’t get Javi outside, he’s going to break through the wall⁠—”
“What the heck are you talking about, Uncle Uzzi?” Pamela asked wide-eyed while her mate snarled angrily as his features sharpened and his body began to grow.
Pierce had already changed into his Tiger and Lance was trying, but Javi had a too-tight grip on the younger man’s throat. His chest was heaving, and he was growling really fucking loudly.
“Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!” Hunter roared as he did his best to shield his mate, Pamela, and Uzzi.
Brayden had the sliding door open, and he went outside to shift into his Bear, trying to get Javi’s attention. Pamela moved to go to her mate, but Hunter grabbed her arm and pulled her back sharply. He was trying to protect her, she knew, but judging from the sound Javier just made that was not the smartest thing he could have done. Javier did not seem too thrilled about the Neta manhandling her.
“Uh oh,” Uncle Uzzi whispered.
The resounding roar that came from Javi’s ursine mouth was loud enough to shake the rafters. Pamela gasped as Pierce tackled him, catching him off guard. The Tiger managed to push him outside to meet Brayden’s Black Bear, Pierce’s Tiger, and now Lance’s Tiger.
But by the time he stopped skidding across the snow, Pamela realized it did not matter if he was facing three or thirty shifters. Javier Auberon had been hiding something from her—and the secret was out.
Her mate was a fucking giant.
“Uncle Uzzi?”
“Remember when you asked me why I called a grown ass man osito? Well, truth be told, it was an ironic nickname. Javier is special, even for a Shifter.” The infamous matchmaker nodded at the proof of his claim and Pamela stared in shocked wonder.
“Osito is not really a little Bear at all. You see, he carries a special genetic quirk, a throwback gene in his DNA. Javi is a Dire Andean Bear Shifter, dear. His Bear is a prehistoric version of his Clan’s animal.”
“OHMYGAWD! He’s fucking huge. I knew it,” Elissa shouted, and elbowed Pamela and she just nodded.
“Yes. He is big, and so beautiful, look at those facial markings,” Pamela whispered.
“Uh, Pamela, I understand seeing your mate’s animal is pretty special the first time around, but can you stop him from killing my Beta and guards?” Hunter asked, watching as Javi wiped the floor with three of the toughest Shifters she had ever met.
“Oh, shit, yeah, um, yes, I better get on that,” she said, and went outside through the unfortunately broken sliding door that led to the yard.
“Javier?” she called, and her giant mate stopped pummeling the others and turned to face her.
The Beta of the Pride and the two guards backed off but circled the perimeter, causing her anxious mate to get all growly. Pamela rolled her eyes and waved them away.
“Guys, get out of here. He won’t hurt me. Will you, big guy?” she murmured as the giant animal lumbered forward, bumping her belly with his enormous head.
She reached out and stroked his thick fur, enjoying the satisfied sound he made when she scratched his ears.
“You are so handsome, mate,” she purred softly in her throat and Javier’s Bear grunted happily.
“Mommy!”
“Paulie,” she whispered, eyes wide, she turned to stop him, but it was too late.
Her son was racing across the yard, and the little cub had vaulted himself across the snow, jumping right on Javier’s giant back. Everyone went quiet and Hunter appeared in his Tiger, the massive Cat growling quietly as everyone waited to see how the Dire Bear would react to the cub.
Pamela, however, was not surprised by his actions. She’d had no doubts about how her son would be received by Javier’s beautiful, powerful, and enormous beast. The giant creature just laid down in the snow, like an overgrown puppy, and let her cub climb all over him.
Paulie giggled and squealed as he sat on top of Javi’s shoulders, pulling his ears until they started to shrink. Soon the boy was sitting on the man, and Pamela smiled as Elissa came outside and tossed towels to the bunch of naked dudes.
“Put the sausages away, boys. There are little eyes around.”
“Elissa,” Hunter growled, squeaking when she pinched him right on the ass. Pamela giggled at the display. She wanted to be them when she grew up.
“I like your Bear,” Paulie told Javi with a wide grin.
“He likes you too,” Javier returned with real affection, making Pamela’s heart melt.
“You gonna marry us?” her cub asked.
Pamela’s cheeks burned with embarrassment at her son’s innocent inquiry. Still, she bit her lip and waited for the answer. Yes, they were mates, but that didn’t always translate into more.
She’d always dreamed of a real home, a husband, and a family of her own. Their eyes met and Javier’s glittered at her as he cocked his head, reading her like the open book she was.
Damn.
Was he going to say something? She ignored the quiet as everyone went inside, giving the trio some much needed privacy. All the while her pulse raced, and heart pounded. This was the scariest moment of Pamela’s life, and that was saying something.
Heart on the line, she waited impatiently while Javi fastened the towel tightly around his hips as fat snowflakes started to fall down on them.
“Well?” Paulie asked.
Insert impatient yowl here.
Her inner Tiger hissed and chuffed, but Pamela didn’t know what to do or say, so she remained motionless. Waiting.