Page 36 of Her UnBearable Protector

“Of course I said it,” Salvatore clipped his words a bit, “and you should remember my words. Once this ordeal is over, I intend to make Natale mine in all ways.”

Uberto nodded in agreement, but turned a questioning eye to his brother. “She isn't now?”

Salvatore’s bear growled and Uberto struggled to hold his brother’s gaze. His own bear had turned his head aside, baring his neck to his leader. “You only need to know that I intend to join my life to hers in her traditions as well as ours.”

Nodding slowly, Uberto managed to speak. “She wore a high collar. I thought she was hiding the mark.”

Salvatore pondered the words in silence. Once Natale gave him permission, he would mark her with his bite, taste the hot rush of her blood on his tongue, and leave her with the visible evidence that she belonged to him. He longed for that moment, but it would have to wait until her show was done. He was selfish in one way, he wanted her full attention when they were joined, her mind and heart focused only on him.

“We have,” Salvatore wanted to remind his brother as well as himself, “a job to do first. My needs will wait until her show is done.”

Uberto chuffed out a breath, flaring his nostrils.

“You'd best remember that she will be your sister, Uberto. Treat her as such.”

His brother nodded. “Good, I have always wanted one,” he gave Salvatore a sly grin, “she can cook for me.”

Salvatore’s warning glare changed to an amused smirk. “You’ll go hungry then.”

The words settled in Uberto’s ears like a rock. “Truly, brother? A most inconvenient choice for your mate.”

“Inconvenient for you, ‘Berto. Perfect for me.”

Natale stood from her sewing table and looked in their direction before she took a model into the changing area.

Uberto barely waited for her to leave before he gave his brother a good natured shove. “Then what is she good for?”

Salvatore turned and nearly put his brother through the wall, a nearly feral grin of brotherly frustration on his face. “That,” he explained, “is why you don't have a mate, ‘Berto. Hold your tongue, before I remind you why I am in charge.”

Another annoyed chuff of breath. “Because you are the eldest.”

Salvatore turned to look at his brother and let his bear bleed into his eyes, turning them glassy black and allowing fur to replace the beard and mustache on his face. “Because,” his voice alone made Uberto shrink back from him, “I can tear you apart without breaking a sweat.”

He leaned back and his features returned to normal, his feral glare fading into a bemused expression.

“You are lucky blood doesn't come out of this suit.”

Chapter Eleven

Natale looked up as Uberto paced along the front wall of her apartment… again. “Can I get you something?”

He darted a glance at her, scowled, and kept moving.

Looking back down at her book, she started to read the same page again and found herself lost before she made it to the second paragraph and had to start over.

He stopped at the first window and pulled back the edge of the curtain, glaring out at the skyline. “Just how long does a walk-through take?”

She looked up and realized she was going to have to start the page over again. “Are you actually asking me, or just talking to talk?”

Her frustration faded when he closed the curtain with a snap.

When he turned his gaze to her, she felt her heartbeat slow, her breath leaking from her lungs. His eyes were dark, black with his bear, and yet it held none of the warmth when Salvatore’s eyes changed.

She didn’t think that Uberto cared much for her, but looking into the inky blackness she felt cornered. Even though she was sitting in the center of the room with lots of space around her, she knew how fast Salvatore could move, she could only assume that they were all just as fast.

Just as deadly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and she meant it. “I know you don’t want to be here, I can feel how upset you are.”

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