Page 2 of Marked By The Grouchy Grizzly

“I was immediately taken,” the bear shifter says. “I knew I needed to have her.”

“Awwww,” Victoria says, clasping her hands together with a dreamy look in her jade-green eyes. I know she’s been waiting for her own mate to come along. Somehow the wait doesn’t bother her bear like it bothers mine. Her bear doesn’t keep her up all night, pacing and growling and snarling in her ear. Her bear doesn’t demand that she go out and search for her mate every waking second. Her bear isn’t making her life a living hell.

I try to tune them out as I continue working on the tattoo. This is going to be a two-day job. Minimum. Luckily, my time with these lovebears is almost up. Next week me will have to figure out a way to deal with them.

“I’m so in love with him,” the girl says, looking up at her mate with hearts in her eyes. She keeps moving and I have to pull the tattoo gun away. “I never thought I’d ever be this lucky. It feels like my soul is complete.”

“Stop talking,” I snarl. It comes out a little more aggressive than I had planned.

And of course, since my luck is pure dog shit today, it’s right as Magnus comes in from the back.

“Don’t fucking talk to her like that,” her beast of a mate snarls back. His body flexes as he sits up, hands squeezing into fists.

My grizzly bear growls inside, urging me to let him out. There’s nothing he’d like more than to get into a fight right now.

“When she talks, she moves,” I snap back at him. “You want her bear tattoo to be cross-eyed?”

“You want a black eye?” he says, standing up so fast his stool rolls away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Magnus says, rushing over, trying to calm everyone down. “Julian didn’t mean any harm, did you, Julian?”

“No,” I grunt as I dip the tattoo needle into the ink cap. “It’s just hard to work when she’s constantly moving.”

“Sorry about him,” Magnus whispers to the heaving brute. “He’s having a hard time waiting for his mate to arrive. You know how it is.”

The shifter’s shoulders are heaving up and down as he turns to me. His face softens a little when he sees how pathetically mateless I am.

“I don’t like the way he’s talking to her,” he says, but there’s less bite in his voice. He shakes his hands out as he walks over to get the stool. “He needs to learn some manners.”

I’ve heard that before.

“Maybe this is a good place to stop for the day,” Victoria says, pulling out the large appointment book. “When can we schedule you in for the next session? Maybe in three weeks to give time for your skin to heal? How’s Tuesday, June 17th?”

I keep busy with my tools as the newlymates get up and head to the front desk to speak with Victoria. I can feel Magnus’ eyes on me. He keeps shaking his head and I know I’m about to get an older brother lecture as soon as those two leave.

As soon as the door closes, he laces into me.

“Are you trying to shut us down?” Magnus says, crossing his arms over his massive chest. He’s larger than me, but I’m sure I could take him. I’m way more fierce. He wouldn’t standa chance. “How many one-star reviews have we gotten because of your shitty attitude?”

“We’re booked solid for the month,” I say, shaking my head. “So, what’s the fucking problem?”

We’re lucky we’re all so talented. People don’t mind dealing with a grouchy attitude for an afternoon if it means they get a work of art on their body.

“The fucking problem is,” Magnus says, raising his voice, “is that we’re running a goddamn business and we have to stay professional.”

“I was being professional,” I say. “She kept talking. I can’t work with her constantly moving. You know that’s annoying.”

“I thought they were sweet,” Victoria says, putting some final touches on the tattoo for her next appointment.

“And you were no help,” I say, shooting her a dirty look. “You know how my grizzlylovesto hear about new mates.”

“She’ll come soon enough, Julian,” she says with a shrug. “Just stay patient.”

I hold back a growl. She has no goddamn idea how hard it is for me. How merciless my bear can get.

“You have to be nicer,” Magnus says, standing over me. “Or, you’re fired.”

I laugh. “You can’t fire me.”

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