Page 35 of Purrfectly Bound

Ten

Before they’d showered, separately to his great disappointment, Lance had ordered Chinese food. The delivery person left it on the porch, while he dressed, and he was now spreading the feast out on the dining table in the cabin.

He hoped like hell he’d managed to get something she liked. Nerves assailed him. He was not used to having to work hard for female attention, but Annalia was so much more than anything he was used to.

He fidgeted with the wrapper on one of the seven egg rolls he’d ordered. Fuck it, he growled and ripped the paper. He did the same to all seven, putting them on a plate.

Shit. Did that look messy? He was a fucking wreck here, and this was only dinner. How was he going to get through the rest of the evening if feeding her made him shake like a fucking cub?

“Hi,” her voice soothed the tension that’d built inside of him.

Lance faced his mate. She was all pink and warm from her shower. Their run through the woods had been incredible. She took to her Tigress as if she’d been born one, and in a way she had. Created by the universe itself to be his fated mate, she was beyond his wildest imaginings.

Wrapped up in his bathrobe, Anna padded forward, and Lance almost swallowed his tongue. Her cherry chocolate scent was intoxicating, as was her expression. So open, so kind. Her damp curls corkscrewed around her face and fuck he was glad he’d thrown on a pair of sweatpants. Not that they hid his erection, but at least he didn’t have to worry about it while he fed her.

“You ordered food?”

“Yeah, I thought you might be hungry.”

“I am starving,” she returned, and pride shot through him. He was happy to take care of her needs.

“The Shift takes a lot out of you,” he started, “I am so sorry Annalia that I didn’t have a chance to explain-”

“I know,” she said, “and you will get the chance,” Annalia sat down across from him, and handed him a plate.

Those words meant everything to him, and he was grateful. So fucking grateful, he damn near cried. She was giving him a chance here. Now all he had to do was not fuck it up.

Lance accepted the plate from her, following her lead as she opened cartons and added some food to her dish. Everything she picked up, she offered him first. The gesture touched him, her consideration really. Generosity seemed to come naturally to her.

“This is good. Is it from a local place?”

“Uh, yeah,” he nodded, trying hard to swallow the lump of nerves in his throat, “Annalia, I-”

“Look, big guy, I know we have a lot to discuss, but let’s enjoy this first, okay?”

“Alright,” he nodded, “Drink? I have beer, wine, soda, mineral water?”

“Can I have mineral water?”

“Sure,” he got up to grab the glass bottle along with two glasses.

Before long, Lance forgot why he was nervous at all. She was easy to be with, and that caused him to wonder. Maybe his parents had it wrong, and mates could live in harmony together.

“So, about Tigers? Your family? I hardly know anything about you,” she said.

“Well, my father left when I was still a cub, but Mom is still in my life,” he explained, “She moved to South Carolina some years ago, but I talk to her every week.”

“That must have been hard on you. The, splitting up,” she said, and he felt her sympathy warm him.

“They were not true mates, and it was better that way. To stop my young Tiger from becoming too antisocial, my mother enlisted Hunter, he’s our Pride Neta, to help.”

Those were troubled times, but he’d dealt with his struggles and earned his place in the Pride house with blood, sweat, and tears. He was loyal to Hunter Maverick and the Pride. Couldn’t fathom a time when they didn’t come first, except now she was first.

“You mentioned you’re a guard? What does that mean?”

“Well, the way Tiger Prides work is we have a leader, an alpha that we call the Neta. His mate is the Nari, and together they lead the group-”

“Wait, Tiger Shifter groups are called Prides? Like Lions?”

---