Page 74 of Hunny and the Bear

“Well, it cost me ten grand,” Murphy explained irritably, stepping out of his office and into the hallway connected to the living room. “It’s meant to look good, not to be sat on.”

“Mission accomplished then.” Hunny popped up, sending Murphy a finger wave as both males walked over to her.

“Let’s go into my office. The chairs are more comfortable there,” Murphy commented dryly. “Cost me about a hundred dollars each, so I’m sure they’ll be right up your alley.”

Tank growled at the insult, but Hunny just rolled her eyes, trailing after the Alpha. When they were all seated inside the spacious room with the door shut, Murphy let out an aggravated sigh.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good.” Hunny leaned forward in her chair, propping her elbows on the top of Murphy’s desk. “Is it Jason? Did he get ahold of you?”

“Yes.” Murphy ran a hand down his face. “He hasn’t outright accused us of killing her, but he’s demanding his mate’s body be delivered to him as soon as possible.”

Tank’s brows furrowed. “Convenient that he wants us away from our own territory.” Tank didn’t like the idea of that one bit. The last time he’d left bear land, someone had thrown a fucking head at his front door.

“That’s what I thought too. Until we figure out who’s responsible, I don’t want any of us leaving bear territory for any length of time.”

“So what do we do then?” Hunny asked. “We can’t just leave Natasha’s body here. As much as I hated her, that’s not fair to her family.”

“I’m not interested in getting caught by the human authorities hauling a dead body around, either,” Murphy replied. “The only genuine option is to have him come here and get her.”

“Absolutely not,” Tank bit out through clenched teeth.

“You are not in charge.” Murphy’s jaw clenched, equally irate. “We’ll ensure Hunny is protected, and that only Jason and his Beta come into our territory. But it needs to be done, and it will be.”

Hunny slid her hand over Tank’s forearm and squeezed it gently as she looked at Murphy. “When will he arrive?”

“Nine a.m. tomorrow morning. He’ll bring his Beta and one other pack member, though he hasn’t specified who yet. We’re meeting them at the border of our territory and escorting them to the bear den. Mom’s got Natasha’s body at the morgue.”

“There’s a morgue on your territory?!” Hunny exclaimed.

Murphy nodded. “The clinic attached to the den has a room in the back. It’s small, but it’s equipped to handle a few dead bodies, if necessary.”

Hunny let out a small breath. “Okay, Henry and I will stay back at our cabin until he’s gone. Right?” she asked Tank, narrowing her eyes on him.

Tank grumbled his acknowledgement. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d leave his mate alone, even though he wanted nothing more than to keep tabs on Jason the entire time he was here. He’d just have to trust his brother would keep the wolf fucker in line.

Murphy leaned back in his seat, the supple leather groaning slightly with his movement. He looked away from them both, staring at a small crack on his desk for what felt like an eternity, his brows pinched, and his shoulders hunched.

“What else do you need to say?” Tank asked abruptly, breaking the silence and cocking his head to the side as Murphy’s gaze shot up to meet his. “Just spit it out.”

“The human is my mate,” Murphy announced harshly, glaring back down at the crack in his desk as if it had somehow wronged him.

Tank blinked in surprise. “What?”

“The human? Wait—Nessa?!” Hunny exclaimed, standing up abruptly. Just as quickly, she collapsed back into her seat, gaping at the Alpha. “That’s who you mean, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Murphy pinched the bridge of his nose before turning his attention to Tank’s mate. “I don’t like her.”

“You don’tlikeher?” Hunny scoffed in disbelief. She crossed her arms, pinning the Alpha with a look that brooked no argument. “That’s absurd. Nessa’s awesome.”

“A bit of a yapper,” Tank cut in, hoping to divert some of Hunny’s attention for the time being. Now that the truth was sinking in, Tank felt like a fool for not realizing it sooner. Murphy, while he hated humans, never acted out of character around them.

But with Nessa? He’d been a grumpy, insufferable dickhead. Now it made sense why. His inner bear had likely been clawing at him, demanding he claim the female right then and there, completely oblivious to all the reasons that match was unacceptable.

First, Nessa was human, so the odds of her knowing anything about the supernatural community were slim to none. Second, even if shedidknow about shifters, Murphy despised her kind. It was no wonder he’d sought every opportunity to argue with Nessa back at her teahouse. He’d likely been conflicted about what to do. Humans as true mates weren’t unheard of, but they were rare.

“You love yappers,” Hunny said indignantly, sending a haughty look in Tank’s direction.

Tank’s expression softened. “I love whenyouyap. There’s a difference.”

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