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Helen wants to talk to you.”
    “Adrian, baby, if they’re mean to you, let me know. I have three brothers who like to shoot stuff. They’d go lion hunting in a minute.” She lowered her voice. “They’d also take out a difficult wolf if you don’t want to let big brother know you need some help.” Adrian laughed. “Thanks, honey. I appreciate it.”
    “Just remember we love you and no matter what stupid pact my husband made, you can always come home and we’ll figure something out.”
    “I love you too, babe. I’ll remember what you said and talk to you later.” FROM PACK TO PRIDE
    Amber Kell
    35
    “Bye.”
    “Bye.” Smiling, he disconnected the phone. Helen always cheered him up. She was such a sweetheart.
    “You’re kind of a mark ‘em and leave ‘em type, aren’t you?” a deep voice accused behind him.
    “What?” Adrian spun around and found Talan standing directly behind him.
    The big lion crossed his arms and glared down at Adrian. “You mark me as if I’m the one who’s never going to get away, then I come in here and you’re declaring your love for someone else. I thought to give you time to calm down, but I see you used that time to replace me.” Talan’s voice was getting louder with each word.
    Out of the corner of his eye, Adrian saw Dillon grab his bowl and exit the room. “For your information, that was my sister-in-law.”
    “Oh.”
    Adrian could see Talan backtracking in his mind, but he wasn’t in the mood to be forgiving.
    “And as for the marking part, it’s only a temporary mark to keep others away until we decide what we want to do. I don’t want you fucking around or other people thinking you’re available while we’re still deciding if we’re going to be mates.”
    “You think I’d do that?” Talan asked, standing tall as if he was trying to intimidate Adrian with his height.
    Being the shortest in the pack, height had no impact on intimidating Adrian. He was too used to everyone else being taller.
    “I don’t know you, that’s the point,” Adrian said, fixing Talan with his coldest look. He knew this wasn’t the time to give in if he wanted a future with the other man. A big alpha would only appreciate strength in his mate. The more time Adrian spent with Talan, the more he liked the man who looked at him with big gold eyes as if he was the finest thing he’d ever seen.
    Adrian let out a yelp as Talan lifted him up and draped him over the big lion’s shoulder. A slap on the ass brought another yell.
    “What the hell are you doing?”
    FROM PACK TO PRIDE
    Amber Kell
    36
    “Taking you back to my bed where you belong. You want to prove we’re compatible, I’m all for that plan,” Talan said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to carry a man over his shoulder. Hell, for him, maybe it was.
    “And I’m locking the fucking door,” Talan said loudly enough for everyone to hear.
    Shifters in the next county probably heard him.
    After kicking the door closed behind them and turning the lock, the large man laid Adrian gently on the mattress.
    “Why do you look so surprised?” Talan asked. He stripped off Adrian’s pants while he waited for his answer.
    “I sort of thought you’d just throw me down all manly shifter and all.” Talan shook his head before pulling off his own clothing and the rest of Adrian’s. “I might hurt you.” He gave Adrian a shy smile. “Sometimes I don’t know my own strength. I know you’re tougher than you look, but I wouldn’t take that sort of risk with my mate.”
    “Mate?”
    “We’re mates. You might not be ready to acknowledge it, but I knew as soon as I saw your picture that you were the one the Gods picked out for me and nothing is going to stand in the way of my claiming you.”
    Adrian had never thought much about the Gods picking out his mate. Wolves were more practical than predestined, for them it was all about chemistry, but if the lion wanted to think they were matched by a higher power