Read His Purrfect Mate for Free Online Page A

at
him from under the brim of the hat. He hadn’t seen many people with
that particular shade of eye color before.
    “ Nice to meet you, I’m
Kees Van Canne.”
    “ Dane Sidorov.”
    Kees stared at him. Dane held the
inquisitive gaze, shoving his possessiveness of Aida back under
control.
    “ How long have you known
Aida?”
    “ A few days.” Dane longed
to demand how long Kees had known her. She was very comfortable
around Kees, and Dane wasn’t fond of that. Not at all.
    Aida’s husky laugh brought Dane’s attention
back to their conversation. They stood close, smiles present as if
sharing their own private joke. Anger raced to the surface and Dane
felt his animal stir in protectiveness and anger. Ruger and Kamau
snapped their heads to him, and Dane tamped the beast down. Their
sounds were obvious to him, but when Aida didn’t respond, he knew
she didn’t hear. The dogs fell silent the moment he was once again
in control.
    “ No problem,” Kees said.
“I should get going.” The man faced him and held out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Dane.”
    Accepting the offered hand, Dane shook it
and replied, “Likewise.”
    Kees winked at Aida, swung easily up on his
horse and tugged the brim of his hat in Aida’s direction before
riding off, disappearing from sight. Aida’s sigh brought Dane’s
gaze to her. There was a slight smile on her face. Dane forcibly
stopped himself from reaching out to her. “What was he doing here?”
he asked.
    She looked at him before turning back to the
door. “It’s what he does. Kees cares and checks up on the place.
Ruger and Kamau stayed here last time, and he checked to make sure
all was good.” She opened the door and gestured him inside. “So
he’ll keep an eye on the place when I leave now.”
    “ Nice to have good
friends.”
    Aida grinned. “I agree. Now, tell me.
Anything special you want for a meal?”
    You. Spread out
naked. “I’m a simple man. Anything is
fine.”
    “ I hardly believe you’re a
simple man, Dane Sidorov.”
    Her comment was whispered, and Dane fought
to keep the arrogant smirk hidden. He may no longer utilize his
gifts granted him by being who and what he was, but he still
retained much of the tiger even in human shape.
    He’d reached the door when he turned and
asked, “Do you mind if I use your shop?”
    She held his gaze, causing his body to cry
out for her touch, and shrugged. “Help yourself.”
    “ Thanks.”
    Dane’s jaw hurt from being clenched hard as
it was, and once alone in the shed, he raked a hand through his
hair. The beast paced within him, snarling low and fierce as it
waited for a chance to be free.
    Grabbing a piece of wood, he turned on the
table saw and got to work. As he cut, sanded, stained, and glued,
Dane ran over his situation. The most important thing was gaining
better control over the beast within him. Then, go after the man
who’d eliminated his unit.
    Aida. Longing coursed through his veins. Every inch of her called
to him. She was his mate. The one who had the power to give him the
extra strength to battle back and win against the darkness. But, in
doing so, he’d condemn her to be tied to him for the rest of his
days.
    I can’t do that.
    You must! his animal insisted.
    Dane was well aware of the
natural order. His kind found their mates and claimed them. Very
simple. But there was something wrong with him. Ever since he’d
given up—and he had so willingly—his Spiritius Sanctimonia , Pure Spirit,
to Lady Nahia Freeman, mate to his best friend Aren Van der Ness,
he’d become unbalanced. The darkness was now the stronger force
within him. And every time he gave in to his animal, he longed to
totally give himself over. So far, somehow , he’d managed to crawl out
of the pit waiting for him. Calling to him.
    He knew some shifted into
animal form to never again return to their human shape. Hell, he’d
hunted and killed some. Some had been friends even. But he’d always
known being an enforcer