The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 185: Chapter 185

Ohmygah. Ohmygah. This is really happening. Easy girl. Breathe.
Megan sucked in a huge gulp of air as she looked in the mirror of her new bedroom. The apartment complex was older, but the walls had been freshly painted a neutral cream color. While the artist inside her winced at the blandness of it all, her inner Tiger preened at her newfound independence.
Megan Sudak had finally done it. She’d taken the first real step in claiming a life for her own. No longer would she be a doormat for her younger brother, always cleaning up after his mistakes, spending her precious time and energy on fixing whatever messes he got himself into.
She turned sideways, biting her lip as she made sure her clothes were clean and neat. She was no supermodel. Never would be. But she wanted tonight to go well. Still, Megan was not about to pretend she was anything other than herself. After all, finding a mate was really about being yourself with someone else, right?
Megan was tired of feeling awkward and alone. Maverick Point would always be her home, but she needed a change. A clean break. This was her shot at happiness, and she was going to take it. The butterflies in her stomach were flapping around something fierce.
Maybe it wasn’t too late to change her mind about the whole matchmaking thing. She’d never had any luck with men or boyfriends. She should probably just give up and stay home. She wrung her hands in front of her and narrowed her eyes. This was crazy. She was crazy. Who would want to mate someone like her?
“No one wants you, Megan. Do yourself a favor and stay home. You know I need you to take care of things here. What else do you have going for you?”
Fuck. Him.
Her Tiger snarled at the memory of Matthew’s words. Her brother was such a damn prick sometimes. Always knowing when she was at her lowest point. Such a good liar. Always piling on fake sympathy to get her to do what he wanted. And when that didn’t work, he was plain insulting. But maybe he was right in this instance.
Hell, what was she doing? She wasn’t the type of woman men went wild for. She was too tall, too big, and too forward with her thoughts and opinions. Maybe it was enough to just move to a new town and find new clients. Maybe putting herself out there to face possible rejection was a huge miscalculation.
Fuck. Come on, Megan. You’re a Tiger not a chicken. You can do this!
“Are you ready, dear?” Uncle Uzzi called from the living room of her rental.
Megan’s hands trembled as she gripped the doorknob. The infamous matchmaking Witch had emailed her directly after her meeting with the Nari of the Maverick Pride. He’d been friendly and sweet, and surprisingly, Megan had felt at ease with him.
She didn’t make friends fast, But Uncle Uzzi felt like family. And that was really saying something, considering the piece of work her brother Matthew was. Gods, he was pissed when she moved out a week ago. He’d even complained to her parents.
“Are you really going to let Meggy live so far away? What if I can’t protect her in Blue Valley, Mom, Dad? You have to tell Meggy to stay here!”
She remembered every word of the last pathetic attempt he made to manipulate her. Good thing their parents were living in Florida now, or Megan might have been persuaded to stay and take care of the ridiculous man child her brother had turned into. As if that little turd wanted or needed to protect her. More than likely he wanted her to run interference with whomever it was he owed money to these days. Or worse. He had a fight or wrestling match lined up for her.
Megan frowned. Her brother was a user, and it had taken her a very long time to see the truth. Elissa and Hunter had helped. The Nari and Neta of the Maverick Pride were working on getting Matthew on the right path. But it wasn’t her job to make sure he saw it through. He would have to make his own decisions.
“I thought you were kidding, Meg. What the fuck?” he’d growled at her, knocking the box of toiletries from her hand.
All she had to do was let her beast bleed into her eyes for her little brother to walk away. He was still cursing, but he’d left her alone to load her tiny hatchback Honda in peace. That was all she wanted. Some peace and quiet, and maybe a chance to find someone of her own.
Life in the Sudak home was always loud and noisy. Her mother used to wait on her father and brother hand and foot. Then Daddy got sick about two years ago, and she finally got him to retire to a Shifter run senior community down in Florida. Mama had friends now and activities, and there were trained professionals to help her husband with the daily stuff.
Dad was doing better now. She’d talked to both of them the day they moved in, and Megan had been surprised at the change in them. It seemed without Matthew to fret and fight over, her parents were getting along better than ever.
Good for them. But now it was her turn. Only, well, she wasn’t so sure about this. She’d bought a dress to wear but hated it as soon as she tried it on. It just wasn’t her style. So, here she was in a sheer, long-sleeved body suit, with a cropped t-shirt on top, and a pair of ripped jeans that clung to her curvy body. She had leather ankle boots on her feet with a thick silver chain wrapped around each one, and a thick belt with a big silver buckle.
“Megan?” Uncle Uzzi called again.
“Uncle Uzzi, maybe we should call it quits. I mean, there’s a reason I didn’t date back home,” she said, moving to join him.
“Well, look at you!”
“I know I should wear something fancy, but I’ve never been fond of dresses, and I hate bright colors⁠—”
“Let me stop you there, my dear. Now, are you comfortable in your clothes?”
“Um, yeah, yes, I am,” she said, biting her lip as she tried to figure out what he was going to say.
“Wunderbar! That is already a level of comfort most people never achieve.”
“I appreciate that, Uncle Uzzi, but maybe I should look at this more realistically. I’ve never had a boyfriend for longer than a couple of weeks. Matthew said men just don’t look at me that way. Maybe he’s right⁠—”
“My dear, I know how tight familial bonds can be, and forgive me for saying this, but your brother is a butt cap.”
“A what?” she asked the older Witch.
“This is a saying, ya? Butt cap. A cap that goes on top of the head, but in his case, it goes on the butt—totally useless, see?”
“Wait. Do you mean asshat?”
“This is what I mean, yes. Your brother’s opinion does not count where men are concerned. He cannot see you in this way, understand? And from what Elissa let slip, I understand his intentions may not be so pure,” Uzzi said with more tact and taste than she’d have expected.
Megan nodded. He was right. Matthew was a butt cap, er, asshat, and she would be doing herself a favor if she just shook off all his negativity. This was her chance to do something for herself for a change. And Megan really wanted that. She wanted a chance at a good, happy life. Her she-Tiger was ready for a mate.
Mate. Cubs.
Megan’s whole body burned with hunger as she imagined a family of her own. Someone to love. A baby to cradle. She had so much love to give, sometimes it felt like she’d spent forever just bottling it up and saving it. But here she was. Almost thirty and still alone. Uncle Uzzi was right. It was time.
“Now,” Uncle Uzzi said, interrupting her train of thought. “I cannot say I would ever look good wearing a Guns N’ Roses cut off t-shirt, but you look very, very good. If I may say so, you look very sexy in those clothes with that smoky eyeshadow and shiny lip gloss.”
“I do?” she asked, giggling a little at the image of the white-haired Witch wearing a GNR crop top.
“Indeed! You certainly have flair, my dear. Besides, we are going to a roadhouse run by Dire Wolves whose nomadic lifestyle meant speeding across the world on the back of custom motorcycles! I feel your style is very much en vogue at Serious Moonlight, my dear,” Uncle Uzzi replied, and Megan beamed at him.