The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 165: Chapter 165

“Oooh, steak. I want a bite!”
Toni’s eyes flashed at her baby brother, who had stupidly reached over and grabbed her fork. Barely a second later, she had the idiot on his knees crying, his hand bent at an unusual angle as she ripped her fork from his slimy little clutches. Their little brawl was gaining some unwanted attention, but none of the other Lion males were about to step in.
Smart of them.
“Ah, I see sibling rivalry is alive and well,” a slightly accented voice reached her ears above the music and the rest of the ruckus.
Toni turned her head to see one of her favorite people in the world taking the seat next to hers. She mushed her brother, pushing his oversized noggin out of the way and ignoring his gasp of pain, so she could greet the older Witch with a proper hug.
“Uncle Uzzi!” she shouted happily.
“Hello, my dear! You look marvelous,” he told her, blue eyes twinkling. Uncle Uzzi looked her over, complimenting her, as any much loved honorary family member would.
“What are you doing here?” Toni said, sitting back down and cutting into her steak.
“I would not miss your mother’s bachelorette party for the world! Now, tell me, how are you? Um, besides, starving, that is?”
Toni winked and took a bite, delighting in the wonderful flavors. She was not the type of woman to ever hide her appetite. Not in public. Not for anyone.
“I was working late,” she explained, glad that she had some company now.
It was different, better, eating with a friend. The fact hit her suddenly that Toni was alone a lot. Eating by herself had become a habit quite by accident. Her late hours and the fact her sisters were finding mates left and right had left her by herself more than usual.
“I see. Too bad, isn’t it?”
“What is?” she asked, chewing carefully.
Dang it, she was hungrier than she’d thought and was already halfway through her plate.
“It doesn’t translate well, but it was something my liebling used to say to me whenever I worked late hours. She would tell me, Uzzi, you can take your work home, but you cannot take it to bed,” Uncle Uzzi replied with a chuckle, his blue eyes sparkling. “It sounds better in German, I admit.”
“I think it translates perfectly,” Toni said, with a said smile. “It’s not that I wouldn’t like to eat with someone, Uncle Uzzi. But well, I was burned once. Truth is, I think my Lioness’ mate meter is broken. She sure picked a doozy with that guy. But you know how that is.”
“I see. So, your she-Cat wanted him, then?”
“Well, she wanted anyone, I think. She was so desperate for a mate, but I was all wrong for him, Uncle Uzzi. He wanted to move too fast, and I was reluctant, and then I started thinking, if I am hesitating maybe my Lioness is wrong. Maybe we aren’t fated, and then she just shut down,” she confessed quietly.
“That must be difficult, being at odds with your inner feline.”
Uncle Uzzi sighed and offered her a small fire. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed a moment before flaring back up, and he tapped his chin.
“But you should not forget you are a Lioness, not a pussycat, Antonetta. Maybe it is time to give your feline another shot. Why not get back in the ring?”
“You mean why not try dating again?” she asked, surprised at how easy the solution came.
She shook her head, grabbed her beer, and took a long sip. The band moved on from hard rock to a slow ballad, and couples ambled slowly onto the floor. Toni watched them go. She sighed as one by one they started swaying and dancing, melting into one another.
Uncle Uzzi wasn’t wrong. She did want that for herself. Her breakup with Stefan was a year ago and she’d been alone ever since. Her sisters had left it at that. They thought she was pining for her lost love, not knowing the details.
Only Adrianna knew the truth. She happened to catch Toni during one of her and Stefan’s phone arguments. The male had been pressing her to accept his claim, and even though the lioness wanted him to be her fated mate, it did not feel right to her.
The argument had gotten ugly, and Toni was a wreck afterwards. Adrianna had helped her that night, blocking his number and changing the codes on her locks and all her passwords for safekeeping. She’d told Toni Stefan was a manipulator. Ade hated the guy, and Toni could not blame her.
If anyone made her sisters feel the way he had made her feel, Toni would kick the man’s ass. So, she wised up. Even if Toni was to blame for their failure as a couple, she did not deserve his abuse.
She pondered the old Witch in front of her. He’d been matchmaking successfully for longer than she could count, and if he said it was time, it was possible it was. Maybe a year was long enough. Maybe it was time she tried again.
“Yes. Why not try dating?” he asked.
Shivers of fear raced up her spine and her stomach rolled at the thought of meeting another Stefan. Could she handle someone like that again? So smooth and sweet at first, then menacing at the end.
He’d highlighted all her faults, made her feel ugly and inadequate, and Toni did not like that at all. No. She just couldn’t stomach that kind of thing. Not again.
“I don’t think so, Uncle Uzzi,” she told him. “I mean, I have a great deal of respect for you and your reputation. But I’m just not cut out to be anyone’s mate. I am married to my job.”
She tried to laugh at the end, but the truth of it was actually kind of sad. The older Witch looked at her with sympathy radiating from his face. Toni swallowed a sob. She couldn’t do this now. Not here. But Uncle Uzzi had a way with him, and the man patted her hand while she tried to get her emotions under control.
“Toni, I understand you have had disappointments in your past, but there is more to life than just work. If you allow me to look on your behalf, I think I can find what you need,” he said quietly.
Antonetta looked around, Uncle Uzzi’s hand still clasping hers, and she took in the whole bar scene. So many couples were there. Friends, relatives, people she knew from frequenting the place. They looked happy, especially those folks out there celebrating with her mother.
Did Toni really want to be alone for the rest of her life? The answer was a hard no. She wanted a mate, cubs, a family of her own someday.
Someday. Hmmpf.
That had always been her answer. But maybe someday was not good enough? Maybe someday was already here. She wasn’t getting any younger. In her thirties, single, and with no prospects in sight.
Darn it, she sounded pathetic. She gnawed her lower lip before turning to Uncle Uzzi.
“Look, I can’t make any promises right now, Uncle Uzzi. It’s just I am incredibly busy with the new marketing campaign, and my numbers still aren’t adding up,” she confessed, huffing a sigh. “Ever since the company laid off Cornelia and her cronies, things have been weird at the office.”
“I understand, dear. But what about you?” Uncle Uzzi asked before Annabeth and Hank ran over to the two of them.
“Toni, I didn’t see you arrive,” Annabeth said, giggling as her mate snuggled up behind her.
“Hey AB, how’s little Toni doing?” she said to her sister, nodding at her little niece or nephew Annabeth was growing in her womb.
Toni was so happy for her sister, and she felt terrible for the pang of jealousy that hit her as she watched Hank nuzzle his mate’s hair with pure adoration burning in his eyes. The formerly reluctant to be mated male was now the single most doting expectant father Toni had ever seen.
“How are you, Annabeth? And you, my boy?” Uzzi asked, grinning at the pair.
“Oh, we are great, Uncle Uzzi, but I have to drag this one home and tuck her in bed. She’s about dead on her feet, but she’ll never admit it,” Hank said to the Witch, who was his honorary uncle.
The Falcon Shifter kept his hands firmly on his mate’s protruding belly the entire time they chatted. After a few minutes, and one too many yawns from Annabeth, Hank swung her up in his arms, and left despite her protests.
What a love story that had been, she mused, watching after them. Toni had been with Annabeth during the whole claim the cock—cock as in bird, not phallus—hunt that went down. Her sister had well and truly fallen in love at first sight, both mating instinct and her heat kicking in to ensure the survival of their species had pushed her hard at the male.
Except Hank had other plans, and he’d tried to fight the pull of fate. It was a terrible time for her sister, which was why Toni felt completely unrepentant about the gift basket she’d helped organize once they were officially together.
The thing was ridiculous and complete with naughty X-rated toys, and her personal favorite—a gallon of sunflower seed butter with clear instructions for her sis to butter up her coochie “so the seagull gets to munching” written on neon notepaper.
Good times.
“Bye you two,” Toni called out, laughing as Annabeth bit her mate’s arm, to no avail.
The guy was relentless in the way he looked after her, and Toni thoroughly approved. Now that was good to see.
“I see that look on your face, Antonetta Golden, and I have only one thing to say. Don’t you deserve to find that same kind of happiness?”
It was a good question. A really good question. Only problem was, Toni was not sure of the answer.
Did she deserve it?
Gulp.
Grrrrr.
The crowd at Serious Moonlight was happy, an air of celebration buzzed throughout. The music was upbeat and fun. Toni was surrounded by friends and family, and yet, sadness washed over her. She never felt as alone in her whole life as she did right then.
Sad grrrr.
Her Lioness growled and chuffed, and she rubbed the space over her heart. Poor kitty. Maybe she needed a little reconnect with her beastie. Yeah, probably she did.
So, she’d had a bad experience, a relationship gone sour. Didn’t everyone have those in their rearview? People learned from mistakes, right? Learned and grew from them. Had she grown up? Maybe that was the real question.
Toni hated the self-doubt that plagued her. But when she turned back to look at Uncle Uzzi, still staring with that same question in his eyes, Toni knew she could not hide from the truth. Not anymore.
“You know something, Uncle Uzzi. I really don’t know,” she answered.