The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Hunter’s beast was overjoyed that his little mate felt their connection.
Yes.
It would make wooing that much easier. And he really wanted to get it right. He had no idea asking Uncle Uzzi to find his mate would lead to this kind of mind leveling certainty that nothing would ever be the same again.
All he wanted was to gather her in his arms and rub his scent all over her body. To mark her, claim her, make sure everyone knew who she belonged to.
He wanted to tear the clothes from her body and bury himself balls deep in her wet heat. And yes, she was wet. Fuck yeah. He’d caught the scent of her arousal earlier and it almost sent him crashing to his knees.
As Uncle Uzzi said his goodbyes, Hunter walked over to her. Careful not to upset or frighten his lovely Nari.
She was so small compared to him. He frowned, hoping she wasn’t too put off by his appearance. She was so beautiful and petite.
Hunter was a big fucking guy. Six-foot six-inches and two hundred ninety-five pounds of pure, hard muscle. With his shaved head and intense stare, he knew he scared the shit out of most guys.
Purrfect for the Pride Neta. Not so great when you were trying to seduce a woman into being your mate.
Fucking hell.
Hunter needed her to agree to stay with him forever. Once he gave her his claiming bite, there was no telling if it would awaken an animal within her or not.
Fuck, he hadn’t thought of that. It was exceedingly rare, but Pride members still whispered about it. They referred to the process as the Puspa.
It occurred when a Tiger Shifter took a normal or human as a mate. During the claiming, that was Shifter speak for sex with some biting and scratching, the Shifter sometimes woke the animal within the normal.
It did not happen with every mate. In fact, it was highly unusual, almost unheard of for a mate to experience the Puspa in this day and age.
Hunter didn’t give a fuck. Normal or Shifter, he wanted her and only her. Elissa Phoenix, delicate female, curvy temptress, was everything he ever wanted.
And he didn’t know a thing about her, he thought with a laugh. Didn’t matter. She was his. Elissa was it for him.
Every cell in his body thrummed with the knowledge that in front of him was the only woman who would ever occupy that special place in his life. She was the only other person in the world who mattered. At least until she had his cubs.
Cubs.
Now it was his turn to swallow hard. The image of her swollen with his young had him growing even harder in his too tight jeans, if that was even possible.
Slow it down.
Even if they were blessed enough to experience the Puspa, she wasn’t a Shifter now. She was a normal, and he needed to explain some things to her.
Fuck.
It had been so long since he’d been out in the normal world. He didn’t know where to start. Now that he was in charge of Maverick Development, he spent more time in the office than out with the crews. A change he didn’t relish.
Until now.
It would give him more time with his Nari, and it would allow him to make the necessary adjustments within the Pride. Things he’d been putting off. Like setting Blake straight. But first things first.
“So, Elissa, I believe Uncle Uzzi is right. I believe you are my mate,” he stated slowly.
He figured it was best to lead with the truth. He had no intention of lying to her. He could never do that.
Not ever.
Hunter had been waiting for his entire life for this moment, whether he knew it or not. He would always treat her well. She was precious.
Purrfect.
Mine.
Elissa swallowed.
Hard.
“Mate? Well, um,” she said idiotically.
“Uncle Uzzi mentioned that might be a possibility when he drove me here,” Elissa finished her thoughts in a husky voice she hardly recognized as hers.
“Here,” Hunter said, handing her the fluffy white towel some young man brought him.
She’d noticed the guy earlier as he’d followed Hunter into the room. One look from Hunter, and the male had run off to grab the freshly dried towel before returning with it. He’d held it out to his Neta, without looking directly at him.
Neta, she thought, mulling the word over. It sounded foreign when she first heard it from Mr. Stregovich, but now it seemed to fit the man standing before her.
The other male was no more than twenty. A baby really, but he was already stunningly handsome like all the men she’d seen so far. He smiled shyly and waved, backing off quickly when Hunter glared at him.
Elissa frowned. Was he mean to all kids? Sex appeal or not, she couldn’t condone bullying of any kind. He seemed to note her displeasure and closed his eyes as if trying to wrestle down his aggression.
That was nice. At least he was trying. But she’d have to watch out for that kind of behavior.
“Here, why don’t we find you something dry to wear?”
He cocked his head to the side, reminding her of the cat she used to feed outside her apartment when she was a kid.
It had belonged to the neighborhood bakery. A sly old tabby with huge orange eyes. He’d learned quickly that if he came around to Elissa’s window on Fridays during Lent, he would get the tuna fish on whole wheat she’d secretly loathed.
Her grandmother made it for her every week just before Easter, and every week, Elissa fed it to the cat instead of toting it all the way to school. She hadn’t wanted to hurt the older woman’s feelings by telling her she didn’t like it.
As far as Grandma knew, Elissa loved everything she’d ever made. And that was just fine with her.
It was so weird to think this handsome, virile man could turn into an enormous Tiger. He seemed to vibrate with energy and power. His entire demeanor was one of authority. She had to admit, it was attractive.
She wasn’t going to start this thing with a lie. Not about that. But there were a lot of things Elissa did not know or understand. She was completely new to this world.
A shiver ran through her, and Elissa realized she was feeling pretty icky in her wet clothes.
Wow.
Her date with Gianni seemed like a lifetime ago. And it was merely hours. She should really call Gretchen, but later. It was like she was in some alternate reality now and she didn’t want her time there to end.
Maybe this is my new reality, she thought to herself.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Oh, nothing,” she replied.
Elissa followed Hunter up a wide staircase to a second level of rooms. He turned right, then left. The place was large, but it was pretty straightforward. Simply decorated with highly polished wood floors and sturdy looking furniture.
No photos graced the walls, but there were what looked like hand carved figures of Tigers, Bears, and Wolves on the shelves and side tables. Tall potted trees sat near the enormous windows, and there were skylights every few feet.
She wondered how they would look on clear nights. Would the moonlight filter through and make everything seem even more Magical than it already did?
She sighed and continued to follow, taking in the clean lines and simple decor. Everything was painted in muted colors, but it was nice and neat. She liked that, appreciated it even. Suddenly, she was in what looked like an entire wing of private rooms.
His private rooms, she was certain. These were cut off from the rest of the Pride House.
Totally private.
It was apart from the others, like a townhouse, she thought. Elissa swallowed as she realized they were truly alone in this section.
Just the two of them.
Need and desire wrapped around her like a blanket. Anticipation made her shiver and tingle with each step she took. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but something was surely about to go down.
Hopefully, it would be him. She blushed at her own needy thoughts. Her sex throbbed, lips moistened, and for once in her life, she was almost tempted to make the first move.
Naughty girl.
Was she wrong? She didn’t think so. She simply couldn’t imagine Hunter Maverick, Pride Neta, taking her to his rooms unless it was so he could have his wicked way with her.
Yes, please.
She bit her lip as she pictured all the ways he could make each and every one of her fantasies come to life. Shocked at the deep, sexual attraction she felt for the stranger, what was even more odd was the way her heart seemed to stop every time his icy teal eyes found hers.
He was so unbelievably sexy. The moisture dripping between her legs was proof of that. When had a man, any man, ever gotten her so hot and ready?
He stopped in his tracks, and she almost bumped right into his back. He breathed deep and let out a long rumbling growl that seemed to send bolts of need straight to her sex.
Uh oh.
Hadn’t Uncle Uzzi warned her Shifters could scent things like desire? She better put a damper on those kinds of thoughts.
Focus on the rooms instead, she told herself.
They were quite nice. Done in cool greens and tans. It sort of reminded her of a forest. She could almost imagine his Tiger slinking through, undetected, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting bit of prey.
Ooh yes, please let it be me.