When An Alpha Purrs (A Lion's Pride, #1)

by Eve Langlais

A throat cleared. “Earth to Arik. Come in, boss.” With brows drawn, Arik glared at his beta. “What?” “I was asking what had your boxers in a knot.” “You know I go commando.”

“Mine? That’s an odd name?” Hayder mused aloud. “I don’t think I’ve ever come across it. Is it foreign?” “Don’t be an idiot. Her name is Kira, but I don’t want you going near her.” Because Hayder was a ladies man, and he’d hate to have to kill his beta. But he would if he had to. No touch. Mine. Oops, he might have growled that part aloud. Hayder laughed. “Holy smokes, dude. What the hell happened this morning? Yesterday you were all ‘vengeance is mine,’ and today it’s all ‘she is mine’.”

Please note that the hunk sitting across from you may cause heart palpitations, clammy hands, wet panties, and a hunger for things not meant to be eaten in public.

“So why do this? Why are you so determined to wine, dine, and screw me?”

Arik could have easily and happily killed the waiter who cleared his throat and interrupted his kiss with Kira. “Are you ready to order?” Ready to order a can of whoop ass.

“Did I prick someone’s ego?” “We’ll see who gets pricked,” he muttered ominously.

“What is wrong with you? I insult you, and you think that makes us perfect?” “But that’s just it. You are not cowed by my evident awesomeness. Your fearsome nature makes you a perfect partner for me.”

“You are supposed to be sleeping,” she protested. “Just getting comfortable,” he purred, the sound vibrating on her skin. Comfortable? How could anyone claim comfort with something hard poking at her backside?

A part of him understood he was out of control. He didn’t care. He would take her, now, in the shower. He couldn’t wait to hear her cry out. But, at the same time, he’d get clean. Pleasurable multitasking. Even Hayder couldn’t find fault with his excellent time management skills.

“What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” Tell her not to escape because she wouldn’t get far? Forbid her from contacting anyone so she wouldn’t compromise her safety? Should he tell her to not play with herself and save herself for him? Wait, that was only something women did in horror movies before the killer showed up. I should order her to think of me. On second thought, no need. As if she won’t be thinking of me.

If he hadn’t liked the guy so much, Arik would have torn open his stomach, spilled his guts, and fed him to the sewer rats. Stupid friend, first ruining his naptime and now starving the local rodent population.

“It’s always sad when a man gets shackled to a ball and chain. Next thing you know, you’ll be taking ballroom fucking dancing, calling everything ‘ours’, losing your closet to shoes, and having to watch romantic comedies instead of going to the bar with the boys.”

You made my life such a living hell I had to move. What worse could you do?” “I could have shut your pie hole with my cock.” “You would have needed more than that to keep me quiet. I’ve seen the size of your hands and feet.”

“You should be. But then again, this sign of mental deficiency isn’t your first. No one messes with my pride.” Still tethered to a chair, Kira found his choice of words odd. So this was about ego? That made no sense and didn’t explain why the men battled naked.

She didn’t imagine it. That waving and wobbling thing that grew from their butts was a tail. A dark, thick tail for the black wolf and a golden whipcord tail with a tufted tip for the lion.