Page 27 of Shifter Mates for the Single Mom

"I doubt that she will complain."

He laughed. "No, not at all. And she's probably going to handle it better than the last time we shared a lover."

I curled my mouth into a little half-smile. "Miriam. That poor woman got too worn out to stay. Though I think we overdid it with her some."

"Foursomes every few nights will do that," he said casually.

"Indeed." I sniffed. "Bela says she wants us to stay."

That made him smile much more brightly. "Really? She already said so?"

"It is not fear of Matthias. I think she craves to land the killing blow herself. She seems… content with us." I couldn't quite find the right word in English. "It is very comfortable living here with her and her son."

"The commute to Sedona could be a little trying."

"We can have our office anywhere. Computers and telephones and cars make all this possible. Many do it."

"Yes." He took a deep breath, then nodded. "You've given me a lot of food for thought. We should ask her as a group, of course, but you need not keep your hands off of her on my account."

I felt a familiar stirring in my loins and nodded. "Thank you. Now, as for Matthias––"

It was at that moment that Madelyne rushed out of the house. The scent of fear on her hit me like a slap. Without a word, we rushed in her direction, only to see her standing with her phone in her hand.

"What is it?" Nathan demanded, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"It's Matthias. He called through another number...he knows. He knows about us."

My eyes narrowed. I could hear a man's voice shouting and cursing over the phone. Insults. Threats. My lips skinned back from my teeth.

"Give me the phone," I told her as Nathan took her in his arms to comfort her.

She handed it over. I put it to my ear.

"You absolute whore, you are mine! Mine to fuck, mine to kill––"

I let out a low, booming growl of challenge into the phone, and he immediately fell silent.

“Who are you to lay claim to this woman?” I demanded. “You skulking, lying coward. You miserable thief. You twisted maneater. Who? You should have thanked her every day for blessing you with her touch, but you are too craven and stupid to know treasure when you have it or do what is right to keep it.”

Nathan blinked. Madelyne was giving me a wide-eyed look. But neither one let out a peep of protest.

“Who is this?” Matthias demanded.

“I am Ulf Bjornsson, and my Pack and I are her protectors and more. We are here, here to stay, and here to make certain that she lives free, loves whom she chooses, and sees your corpse laid out at her feet for your crimes.”

His voice cracked with rage. “She belongs to me––”

“Nothing belongs to you, thief. You have never earned a thing. Not her love, not your wealth, not your power, nothing that you have or lay claim to.” I switched ears, taking a slow breath to keep my focus. I wanted my fangs at his throat so badly they tingled.

“How dare you speak to me this way––”

“How dare you call with threats like this when you’re not man or Tiger enough to come and take what you think you own?” I sensed Nathan tensing beside me, but he held off, giving me a chance to show my intentions. “If you want our woman, come and try to claim her. Stop sneaking around like a sniveling coward and come challenge us like a true shifter! Or are a handful of Wolves too much for you?”

“I will! I will come kill all of you!” He sounded completely unhinged. I could hear a woman’s voice shouting at him in an unknown language, but all he did was shout back at her. “And when I do, you will wish you never challenged me!”

“Men like you are all talk,” I mocked him, voice dripping with disgust. “Stop killing soft humans and pissing on trees and come! Come face us!”

The phone hung up on his scream of rage, and we were left in silence.

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