Page 75 of Hunny and the Bear

“Look,” Murphy cut in, his frustration evident in his voice. “I thought it was important to tell you both since you know the human—”

“Nessa,” Hunny corrected with a scowl.

“Right.” Murphy ran a hand down his face. “Regardless of her name, or who she is to me, I’m not going to claim her.”

This time, Tank was the one to gape at his brother in disbelief. “Are you serious, Murph?”

“Yes. It wouldn’t work. Nor do I want it to. I have no care for humans, and the thought of mating one …” He shook his head in disgust. “No. Absolutely not.”

Hunny leaned back in her seat, staring at Murphy like he was a foul-smelling stranger. “It’s not her fault she’s human, Murphy. And what happened to you a long time ago … it’s definitely not her fault, either.”

Murphy’s shot Tank a furious look. “You told her about that?”

Tank shrugged. “Hunny’s my mate. Of course, I told her.”

Seething, Murphy pushed to his feet, wandering over to an extravagant bookshelf littered with rare books written by the same humans he despised so much. But once upon a time, Murphy loved humans. He’d found them fascinating. Marvelous in just how different they were from all things supernatural. Reaching out, his brother ran his fingers gently over one book spine.

“Mating is supposed to be a joyous occasion. Whether it’s fated or chosen,” Murphy murmured, pulling the book from the shelf and opening it to a random page. His eyes roamed over the pristine, if old, paper. “As an Alpha, I’ve always known that when I found my mate, I’d likely have to work hard to ensure she wasthe perfect match for me. I need someone strong to stand by my side, someone reliable. Trustworthy.”

“Nessa is a good person,” Hunny argued, moving from her chair to stand by his side. She reached for the book in his hand, and surprisingly, the Alpha let her pluck it from his grasp. She closed it with a loud thunk, and Murphy clenched his jaw as she added, “You don’t even know her. She could literally be perfect for you. Fate seems to think so, but you aren’t even willing to give her a chance.”

“Your mate didn’t give you a chance, and now look at you. Happily mated to my brother. Things seem to have worked out for you.”

Hunny blinked at him in shock before waving the book around in exasperation. “So you want Nessa to find someone else? I figured you’d be possessive of your mate. Not disinterested.”

“He was possessive back at the teahouse,” Tank supplied helpfully from his seat, ignoring Murphy’s snarl. “He was furious when she told him one of the wolves asked her out.”

“Because she’s under my protection—as is the town. I would have felt the same way toward any human in her position,” Murphy argued through gritted teeth.

“Oh, that’s such bullcrap.” Hunny snorted. “Just ask her out on a date, or go back to her shop and feign an interest in tea. Get to know her before you cast her aside, at least.”

“I already know enough about her to know she isn’t for me,” Murphy exclaimed roughly, all but yanking the book out of Hunny’s hand. Reverently, he placed it back on the shelf, ignoring the warning growl Tank sent his way.

“What does that mean?” Tank stood, pulling Hunny to his side. “You run a background check on her?”

“Yeah,” Murphy all but snarled under his breath. “That was all I needed.”

“What the hell doesthatmean?” Hunny reiterated. “Was her credit score too low for you or something?”

“I couldn’t find anything,” Murphy exploded with exasperation. Running a hand through his hair, he took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Her identity is a sham. Nessa probably isn’t even her real name.”

Hunny shook her head slightly. “Yeah, I wondered about that. She mentioned that settling down in Montana was the safest option. It made me wonder if she was running from someone. Not that you give a shit, apparently,” she muttered under her breath.

Tank smirked despite the tense situation. Given to him by fate or not, Hunny was fucking perfect.

Murphy narrowed his eyes on Hunny, a hard edge flashing in his eyes as they turned gold for the briefest second. “Did she tell you specifically that’s why she came to Montana?”

“Well, she said—” Hunny threw her hands up in the air. “Actually, you know what? If you’re interested in why she’s here, how about you do something crazy and ask her about it?”

“You know I’m your permanent Alpha now, right? Since you’ve mated my brother, you’re bound to the same rules and laws that govern this clan as he is.” Murphy raised a brow, his voice laced heavily with irritation. “I can command you to tell me everything you know about her.”

Hunny laughed a little too loudly at that, the sound carrying a hint of mania that made even Tank feel wary. This conversation with his brother had gotten out of hand, and although his mate was a submissive shifter, he wouldn’t want his worst enemy going against her verbally, let alone Murphy. “Oh, really? Go ahead then,AlphaMurphy. Command me.”

Stiffening his shoulders, Murphy demanded, “You’ll tell me what you know about Nessa.”

Hunny narrowed her eyes as she opened her mouth. “Suck my dic—”

Tank popped his hand over Hunny’s mouth before she finished her sentence. “How about we all just calm down?”

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