Page 66 of Hunny and the Bear

“No need to assert your dominance, Murphy. I can be friendly with the sweet, little thing.” Jason looked over Murphy’s shoulder, winking at Nessa. She made a comically disgusted face and turned away from them all, discreetly sniffing her shirt.

Murphy’s shoulders stiffened, and his frame rippled once, as if his bear was fighting him, trying to rip its way to the surface. “I suggest you keep your eyes away from that female before I pluck them out of your goddamn head.”

Jason stiffened. “Are you threatening me?”

“About fucking time someone did.” Tank stepped up beside his brother to stare the wolf down with nothing short of disdain. As soon as he neared, Jason’s attention shifted to him. The wolf’s nostrils flared, eyes widening before they locked onto his neck. Onto the delicate mating mark Hunny had given Tank last night.

He stared at the brand, dumbfounded.

Smirking, Tank couldn’t help but ask, “See something interesting?”

Jason’s jaw clenched. Before he could say anything that Tank could use as an excuse to knock the miserable fucker out, though, another wolf hissed, “We’re losing sight of this meeting.”

“Ben’s right,” the female wolf agreed, sending both Alphas assessing looks. “Let’s just get this shit over with.”

Murphy’s eyes flickered, shifting back to their normal brown color. “Let’s all sit down.”

“That’s a great idea,” Nessa murmured. Murphy and Tank turned toward her as the wolves moved further into the teahouse, sitting down in the back corner with the other bears. She sent Murphy an odd look. “Did you just say you were going to pluck that guy’s eyes out?”

“It’s rude to eavesdrop,” he bit out.

Nessa raised a brow. “I don’t think it’s technically eavesdropping if you’re saying all of this literally in front ofme. Also, who the hell was growling?” She shook her head in confusion. “Sounded like a wild animal got in here.”

Murphy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Just … Stay here. Don’t serve tea or sandwiches, or whatever the hell you were planning.”

Nessa scoffed, propping her hands onto her hips. Her earlier fear toward him seemed to be forgotten as she glared at him. “Who’s being rude now? You can’t just tell me what to do in my shop. The sign out front doesn’t say ‘Grumpy’s Teahouse,’ does it?”

“I’ll tip you a grand,” he offered through gritted teeth.

Nessa pursed her lips, as if she had to think long and hard about her answer. In fact, the human waited so long to respond that Murphy looked like a vein would burst on his forehead. It was only when he opened his mouth to bitch about something that she cut in, smiling brightly. “Well, I can’t refuse an offer like that. I’ll add the charge to the credit card I have on file.”

“Great,” Murphy muttered, turning toward the group of people waiting.

“Hey, Murphy?” Nessa called quietly. Even though she wasn’t talking to Tank, he paid close attention as his brother turned back around, eyeing her warily. “Thank you,” she commented softly. She gestured subtly toward Jason, shuddering visibly. “For getting in his face like that. Guy gives me the creeps.”

Murphy nodded once, and then he and Tank left to join the others.

Placing himself between his brother and the wolves, Tank took a seat beside Colter, his senses on high alert as the meeting began.

“My mate is missing,” Jason announced without preamble. “She disappeared a few days ago, and one of my wolves tracked her trail to your territory.”

“None of my bears have picked up her scent while they’ve been out on patrol, otherwise they would have reported it,” Murphy answered. “Though we had a wolf enter our territory at around the same time you say your mate entered ours.”

“That had to be her,” Ben guessed, concern etched across his features. Tank eyed him warily. He seemed more worried about Natasha’s welfare than her own mate. Just who was this male to her?

“It wasn’t,” Tank responded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“And how the hell would you know that?” Jason asked sharply, sending Tank a cold, deadly look. In return, the bear shifter smiled, relaxing his stance.

“Because the night I met my mate, the stench of yours was all over her,” he replied, satisfaction creeping into his voice as Jason clenched his jaw. The Alpha was pissed that Hunny was a claimed female. Good. He wanted the fucker to know she was off limits forever. “The wolf that invaded our lands recently was someone else. Male, by the scent of it.”

Jason stared at the mating mark on Tank’s neck, a muscle jumping in his cheek. “Natasha told me about her fight with Hunny. I was sad to hear Hunny would attack my chosen mate out of jealousy.”

Tank scoffed. “Is that what your mate told you happened? We both know that’s not true. Hunny has more self-worth than to get into an altercation over some male.”

Unless that male was Tank. Then he was pretty confident his mate would wipe the floor with someone like Natasha—not that he’d ever put her into a position to find out.

“I’m notsomemale,” Jason snarled, slamming his hand down onto the table so hard the glass surface cracked. Murphy cursed under his breath as the wolf continued, “I’m Hunny’s fated—”

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