The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 57: Chapter 57

“Excuse me, Neta? Can I speak with you?”
Reg knocked on Hunter’s office door. The Maverick Pride was smaller than most Shifter Groups, especially the Wolf Packs who seemed to breed like rabbits in Reg’s opinion. But they had something special there in Maverick Point and he knew it. Fuck, he still could not believe he had almost fucked it up.
The Maverick Pride House was not only where the Neta and Nari lived and spent much of their time, but it was a place that all the Tigers within the Pride could access.
The private dwelling of the Alpha family, and the members of the Tiger Guard who lived there, were not open for tours, of course. But it was understood that this was a haven for them all.
Hunter prided himself on his easy accessibility to his Pride, and though Reg was still feeling his way, he knew the Neta would welcome his questions. Reg waited until the powerful Alpha Tiger’s voice boomed from inside.
“Come in, Reg,” he called, scenting Reg from inside.
Sitting behind his desk with his mate perched on his lap, Hunter looked Reg in the eye until the younger man looked away. The man’s naturally dominant Tiger demanded submission from every single Tiger in his Pride. Reg was no fool. He would never challenge his Neta. He averted his gaze and bared his throat in a sign of willing submission to the man’s power and rank.
In the wild, tigers were solitary creatures, but in the Shifter world, being alone usually meant being unstable. Shifters needed social bonds. That was why Tiger Prides, Wolf Packs, Rabbit Fluffles, Bear Clans, and more existed. Plus all the groups for supernatural creatures other than Shifters. Like Witch Covens and Fairy Circles.
Humans ignored or pretended not to notice the paranormal world, but that mattered very little either way. Shifters, like other supes, existed. In fact, they thrived right alongside normals. Keeping the secret was tantamount. It was the single most important rule in the supernatural handbook.
Normals could not handle knowing supernaturals existed without trying to harness and take power they could not possibly understand. Anyway, supes were much better at policing their own than with interference from outsiders.
Reg understood the importance of having a strong leader and a good Pride. He couldn’t have picked a better man than Hunter Maverick as Neta. On two legs, the man was as strong as any beast, and as for in his fur, well, Hunter’s Tiger was almost half again the size of the next largest one in the Pride.
All that power and strength still wasn’t enough to rule a group of Shifters whose instincts ran high when it came to aggression, fighting, mating, all the above.
Hunter was a fantastic Neta because along with all of his great strength came a tremendous amount of patience and compassion for his Pride mates. They were lucky to have him, and Reg knew it.
“Sit down.” Hunter nodded, holding his cherished mate in his arms.
“Hello, Reg,” Elissa said, smiling sweetly.
She looked as if she had just been thoroughly kissed, but Reg was careful not to gaze too long. Not that he wanted too. While happy for them, it had all the ick factor of catching his parents making out.
So gross.
And the cause for some heavy talks with his guidance counselor in high school after he’d caught Mom riding Dad like a rodeo cowgirl on more than one occasion. Why he was always the one to walk in on them and not Robbie, his brother, he didn’t fucking know. Just his luck, he supposed.
“Um, hey,” Reg began, not noticing the third person in the room until the old Witch turned his electric blue gaze on him.
Magic hummed in the air, but Reg was careful not to react. Uncle Uzzi was the last person he wanted to rub wrong, especially when an idea hit him. That sly old Witch had sent him for that haircut. He must have known all along his mate was waiting for him there.
“Well, Reginald Cray, that is an improvement.”
“Uncle Uzzi,” he said, Tiger peeking through his eyes to survey the elderly Witch.
“Your haircut. It suits you, Reg,” Uncle Uzzi smiled broadly from his perch on one of the large wing chairs to the side of Hunter’s desk.
“Oh, yeah, thanks, Uncle Uzzi.”
“Of course,” the sly old man said, looking down at his fingernails after buffing them on his white sweater. “So, tell me, did anything interesting happen while you were there?”
Uncle Uzzi asked innocently enough, but Reg noticed the mated Alpha couple trying hard not to smile. He knew it! This was all a plot. He should feel angry, pissed, something. But he couldn’t. Fact was, Reg was so deeply pleased, he could only smile in response.
“So, you know already,” Reg told the room at large.
“Well? Are you going to be a bore, or will you confirm our suspicions about you and a certain new salon owner?” Uncle Uzzi let out an exasperated sigh.
“I can see there is no point in denying it,” he smiled and addressed all three of them. “Gretchen is my fated mate, and I have a date with her tonight.”
“Wonderful!”
“That’s great, Reg,” Hunter’s voice was the deepest, and therefore easiest to pick out.
“Um, I came here because, well, I just needed some help. I don’t know anything about her besides she’s beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, and damn, she knows her way around a straight-edged razor,” he said grinning.
“Um, gee, Reg how romantic?” Elissa said, though it sounded more like a question. “So, what do you want to know?”
“I don’t know, everything for starters, but really, I wanna know where to take her. What does she like to eat? Where is she comfortable? I want tonight to be special.”
“Oh, well, Gretchen is pretty easygoing. She likes pretty much everything,” Elissa shrugged.
“I heard her say she liked the sandwich Trigger brought them for lunch the other day,” Hunter added, shrugging.
“Yes, but what else? I don’t wanna fuc-, I mean, mess this up, Nari,” he asked, correcting his language when Hunter narrowed his teal eyes.
Shit.
Reg knew better than that. He’d come here seeking Hunter and Elissa’s advice because nothing had ever mattered this much. Not in his world. His shona was everything to him, and he wanted to show her that he cared. That he, Reg Cray, could be the man she needed. Of course, after listening to these three, he was not sure any of their advice was helpful.
“Reg, look at me,” Uncle Uzzi insisted. “Gretchen is special. You are right to be concerned about your first date and what impression you will make. But do not lose sight that this is your fated mate you are talking about here. Dinner is great, but unless you already told her, you will need to explain what being mates actually means.”
“That’s right,” Elissa added, frowning. “I can tell you from experience, it is a lot to take in.”
“I’m not sure how to do that,” Reg confessed. “And no I did not get a chance, you see, the salon was crowded. It was full of a lot of different scents, and I know I should have figured it out, but am I right in thinking she’s a full human?”
“Yes,” Elissa said, and bit her lip nervously.
Her hands were on her swollen belly with Hunter’s protectively covering them. Their love was already legend, and Reg knew in his heart that if given the opportunity, his and Gretchen’s could rival it. Fuck, he was already halfway head over heels for her.
So, what if she didn’t know a thing about Shifters? That wasn’t a big deal, right? The Nari had been human too until she’d been bitten by her true mate in a claiming ritual as old as time.
Afterwards, she’d experienced the very rare Puspa. The changing bite only occurred if the Fates permitted. Not every mate was destined for that kind of transformation.
The Puspa allowed a normal human to turn into a Shifter. No one knew how or why, but it was considered a very rare and special blessing. A symbol that the two mates were more than just fated, they were written in the stars. The universe had selected them to become stronger and their bonds proved unbreakable.
Reg had been there to witness the Nari’s Puspa, It was an exceedingly painful process to observe, and his esteem for the petite blonde had risen to new heights.
Elissa was now a Shifter like the rest of them, only she was a rare and unique White Tiger. She’d made the adjustments to Shifter life quite easily, as far as Reg could tell and Hunter was a very lucky man.
“Listen, I’m not really sure how she will take it, Reg, Gretchen doesn’t exactly believe in fairy tales,” Elissa continued, gnawing at her lip until Hunter stopped it with a short, hard kiss.
“She might not believe at first, Reg. But sometimes in life, there are challenges to be met. Not every mating is easily won, but if you are sure about this and you want her, you have to tell her,” Hunter said.
“I want her. There is no one else,” Reg confirmed.
“Good! It is important that you explain everything to her before you take any steps towards claiming her. Do you understand?”
Uncle Uzzi narrowed his eyes, and for a moment, Reg felt very much like a cub getting a scolding. His Tiger wasn’t at all happy with waiting to claim his mate, but his human side understood the need for it.
After their brief discussion, Reg headed back to his room to devise his plan. He would take her out for a good meal. Cliff’s Steakhouse served divine meals with prime organically raised beef and amazing side dishes all locally sourced. It was expensive and exclusive.
Purrfect for his one of a kind mate. Afterwards, he’d take her for a drive or a walk in the park. They could talk, maybe hold hands, and if he was really fucking lucky, he’d get to kiss her sweet, pouty lips.
His cock stiffened, and he growled deep in his throat. What was the female doing to him? Just thinking about the possibility of touching her had his Tiger scratching at his skin and his cock ready to hammer nails through wood.
He could not go to her like this, he’d attack her before she could even say hello. The thought of her calling the cops on his ass was not appealing. Reg needed to blow off some steam. Jerking off held no appeal, but a run might do it.