Chapter Ten

As soon as they stepped into Becky's house, Alex shouted, "Mom!"

Slater would have preferred to ring the doorbell, but if he got into trouble for just walking in, he was blaming…himself, because he'd just followed right behind his mate.

Which he would always do.

Becky rushed into the living room, her eyes wide. "Thank god you're here, Slater!"

"What's wrong, Mom?" Alex asked, trailing behind them as Becky dragged Slater along.

"It's Mitzy!" she cried. "My poor baby!"

Slater had no idea who Mitzy was or why she needed his help. The first thing that popped into his mind was that she needed him in a deputy capacity.

"There!" Becky gestured at a sofa on her sunporch. It took Slater a second to figure out what she was trying to show him.

"A cat?" It was the chubbiest housecat he'd ever seen. The white fur blended in perfectly with the white sofa, rendering it nearly invisible except for its scent and those piercing green eyes that seemed to materialize in all that whiteness.

"You have a tiger," she stated firmly.

" That does not qualify as a tiger, Mom!" Alex gestured dramatically to the couch, clearly fighting a smile. "And he only brushes and feeds his tiger. You act like he's a veterinarian."

Slater made a mental note to have a talk with his mate about the night he'd been passed out and in his tiger form. He had a feeling something more had gone on at his house than drinking coffee.

Becky shook her finger at her son. "Don't you dare throw that back at me, kitty boom."

Alex looked horrified as he stared at his mom.

"Kitty boom?" Slater raised an eyebrow at the strange nickname.

Becky turned to him and explained, "When he was little, we had this cat that—"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'll never throw anything at you for the rest of your life." Alex grabbed her hands pleadingly. "Do you forgive me? That stays between us, right?"

Oh, Slater was definitely finding out.

She drummed her pink, manicured fingernail against her bottom lip, deep in thought. Her son stood beside her looking like he could faint at any moment. "Take me to lunch and we have a deal."

Alex let out a groan. "I already told you I no longer work at the gas station. I'm broke right now until I find another job."

No, his mate wasn't. Alex didn't have to work another day in his very long life if he didn't want to. Slater would gladly take care of him. He would love the chance to pamper his mate.

Slater grinned mischievously. "Becky?"

She glanced up at him with the same Nordic blue eyes as her son's. "Yes?"

"If you explain that reference to me, I'll take you to any restaurant of your choice."

Her face lit up with excitement as she replied, "Oh my! There's this new place I've been wanting to try, but it's too expensive. They supposedly have the best steaks."

"It's a deal," Slater agreed with a smile.

"No!" Alex's eyes were so wide they almost took up his entire face.

"We used to have this cat—"

"I'm kidding." Slater chuckled. His mate had been embarrassed enough. If any humiliation was going to happen to Alex, it would be of his own doing, not by someone else's.

"About the lunch?"

"I would never revoke my offer to enjoy a delicious meal with you and your son." Slater placed a hand over his heart, relieved to see Alex visibly relax.

"I admit I had my doubts about you, Slater," Becky began. "Leaving my son alone with your exotic pet... But now I see that you truly care about him."

"With all my heart." He looked directly at his mate, enamored with that pretty cupid-pink blush. She hadn't a clue how deeply Slater cared for Alex. He was Slater's everything—his heart, his very breath, and his future.

"I'm so glad my son found someone who's over the moon for him." Becky smiled warmly.

"Over the universe." Slater winked at his mate.

"All right, enough with making my son blush. What should we do about Mitzy? She seems to have lost her energy and is always lying around now. It's not like her." Becky frowned as she stared at the cat.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm not a cat whisperer. Maybe a trip to the vet would help."

Alex tried to contain his laughter, but his eyes were giving it away.

"Alex petted and talked to your tiger when it was passed out," Becky pointed out. "Regardless of my warning to stay away from a dangerous animal, he sat with the tiger for a while before we had coffee. He was talking to the dang thing like it was his tiger."

Another punch to the heart. That's why he loved his mate so much. Despite being terrified, Alex had comforted Slater's tiger.

In more ways than one.

"I'll try." Slater shrugged. "I'm more of a big cat kind of guy, but let's see what's wrong with this furball."

He just hoped she didn't start looking at him as her personal vet, or god forbid, recommend him to her friends. Slater really didn't know anything about domestic cats, but for his mate's mom, he would give this a shot.

"Thank you." Becky smiled gratefully at him.

Slater sat down and immediately caught Mitzy's wary gaze. She smelled his cat. He gave his tiger a nudge to help him out. His tiger took one sniff and went back to sleep. "You're no damn help," he grumbled.

Hopefully the furball didn't scratch him to hell. He picked up her and placed her on his lap. "What do you usually feed her?" he asked as he felt her weight on his legs.

"Wet cat food, tuna, baked chicken, cat treats. She also enjoys cold cuts."

Slater looked at her in disbelief. "I'd recommend cutting back on the amount of food. Perhaps her weight is contributing to her lack of energy?"

"She wasn't like this until she snuck out of the house," Becky replied. "Do you think she might have picked up something from outside?"

Mitzy put her paws on his chest and sniffed curiously at him. "You're going with me on my next run," he whispered to her. "Stop eating everything your mom gives you." A thought struck him. "Is she spayed?"

"No," Becky admitted with a frown.

"I though you got her fixed," Alex said.

"That's around the time she escaped, and then I forgot to reschedule her appointment," she explained.

Slater stroked Mitzy's back as she continued to sniff at his neck. "You gonna be a mama? Is that why you're acting this way?"

She purred and rubbed against his chest.

He grinned. "You'll make a great mom, Mitzy."

"Wait, did you just say ‘mom'?" Becky gaped at him.

"With no spay and getting out, there's a possibility she's pregnant," Slater clarified. "I'd take her to the vet for confirmation."

He really wasn't a cat whisperer, but it made sense, though he could be wrong.

She squealed and clapped her hands. "I'm gonna be a grandma!"

He hoped he wasn't wrong, because she looked too thrilled. And when his mate's mom smiled, it did Slater's heart good. She was a part of his family now, and he wanted her to be just as happy.

"That makes Alex a proud uncle."

His mate rolled his eyes but made sure his mom didn't see him.

"Oh, Mitzy!" She scooped the cat off of his chest and hugged her just as the doorbell rang. "We're going to spoil those kittens rotten!"

" Uncle Alex will get the door," Alex said, glaring at Slater.

He winked at his mate. "I guess kittens really are in your future, hummingbird."

Alex stumbled over his own feet but quickly recovered, eyes wide as the doorbell rang once again. Slater winked, amused at his mate's reaction. Alex's gaze lowered to Slater's groin, then his face erupted in a blush before he hurried away.

"I hope you're right, Slater." She ran her hand down the cat's white fur. "I've always wanted to be a grandma."

He was happy that she would have them in some form. After all, she'd raised a great son. "Has Alex always had deadly knees?"

It was a harmless question that wouldn't embarrass his mate.

She chuckled. "Yes. He's my cute little klutz, though he's mostly grown out of it."

He agreed about the "mostly" part, though Alex's knee thankfully hadn't gone anywhere near Slater's groin since the disastrous self defense lesson.

But his mate had bumped them around the house more than once since moving in with him.

His smile faltered when he noticed Alex hadn't returned yet. "Excuse me."

She looked curiously at him as she set the cat down. "You've got a look, Slater. What is it?"

"I just want to see what's taking Alex so long," he reassured her with a smile.

She glanced toward the front door, worry creeping into her expression. Slater hated seeing her happiness turn into anxiety.

He quickly made his way from the sunporch to the front door. It was slightly open, and Alex was nowhere in sight. Panic rising in his chest, Slater moved even faster. His heart felt like it was lodged in his throat. There was no way Alex would leave without telling him, especially after they drove together to his mom's house.

A bad feeling in gut, Slater nearly ripped the door off its hinge to get outside. Alex's injuries were fully healed, but Slater was making damn sure no one ever hurt his mate again.

Mike might have recovered and been shipped off overseas to live with relatives, his father disowning him, but there would always be other threats.

Slater whipped his head around and saw his mate, fists clenched and glaring at a stranger. "I don't care why you want to talk to me. My silence should have said it all."

"You're not too old to get your ass kicked," the stranger threatened. "Watch your goddamn tone with me, boy."

"Fuck. You," Alex ground out through gritted teeth.

Alex's father. William Preston.

Slater growled as he shot across the yard to the driveway. He slammed the guy against his SUV, one hand dangerously close to his throat. "Did I just hear you threaten my fucking mate?" he snarled.

Alex stood back, arms crossed, giving the man a deadly glare.

"Get your hands off of me or I'll call the police," William said slowly.

"I am the police." Leaning down until their noses were almost touching, Slater spoke in a low and menacing tone. "I'll trade you one threat for another." A low growl rolled through his chest like thunder. "If you come near Alex or his mother again, I will personally carve your name onto a headstone." He emphasized each word slowly and deliberately. "Do we understand each other?"

He didn't stop his tiger from looking out of his eyes. Alex was theirs, and no one would ever harm him again.

William stared angrily at him. "Yes."

"No calling or visiting. No contact whatsoever." Alex continued glaring at him. "You're dead to us. Come around again and I'll make damn sure that headstone is personally delivered to you."

William stormed around the SUV and got in, slamming the door shut before he drove off. Slater had his scent now. If he smelled it again, he would let his tiger hunt.

"Ugh!" Alex stomped his foot. "He pisses me off so badly."

Slater wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. "Can I ask a favor?"

Alex rested his hands on Slater's chest. Fuck. He loved looking into those beautiful blue eyes.

"Don't face down anyone. That's what you're for," Alex said in a monotone voice.

He looked skeptically at his mate. "Are you going to grant me that favor?" He nuzzled into Alex's neck, breathing in his intoxicating dark chocolate scent.

"Only if I can see you act that deadly again." Alex chuckled and squirmed as Slater licked up his neck. "No kitten kisses. You're tickling me on purpose!"

Slater just wanted to wipe away the scowl on his mate's handsome face. "You thought I was deadly?"

He was totally fishing for compliments and ready to give them right back.

Alex leaned up and stared into Slater's eyes, so close their lips almost touched. "I'm giving credit to Mr. Deadly Kitty in there. Hi, boy."

Slater rolled his eyes as his tiger purred contentedly.

"I love you." Alex cupped Slater's face, his eyes shining like brilliant Nordic-blue gems in the sunlight.

"I love you too, hummingbird." That had been a million punches to the heart.

If they weren't standing on the street, the things Slater would do to his mate right now. "Let's go check on Mitzy."

"Your tiger better not be crushing on her." Alex laughed.

"Only you, babe."

When they entered the house, Becky was just inside the door, anxiously wringing her hands, a terrified look in her eyes. Slater hated seeing her like this.

Alex hugged her in a tight hold. "He's not coming back around."

"How can you be so sure?" She hugged him back.

"Because Slater just offered him free funeral services." Alex kissed her cheek.

"I knew I liked you." Her small arms trapped him in a hug. He was careful hugging her back since she was so tiny.

William had been too. If he hadn't been a complete asshole to his family, Slater might have felt guilty about threatening someone so small.

"Oh!" Becky released Slater so fast she nearly tumbled. Now he saw where his mate inherited his balance and coordination from. That was fine with Slater. He adored his new klutzy family.

She returned with some mail. "I have no idea why this was sent here instead of your apartment." She handed it to Alex.

His mate had put in an address change at the post office, so technically, it should have been delivered to Slater's house.

With a furrowed brow, Alex opened the letter and read it. His eyebrows shot up as his mouth dropped open in shock.

"What is it?" his mom asked anxiously. "What's going on, Alex?"

"I finally understand why William has been trying to make amends with me." He looked between them.

"Don't keep us waiting," Slater said, keeping the growl out of his tone.

"His mother named me as her beneficiary." Alex swallowed hard. I wasn't even aware she passed away. We were never close."

"That's because she refused to have a relationship with her son," Becky explained. "Your father tried to be just as controlling with her, and she wasn't having it." She glanced at the letter. "How much did she leave you?"

His mate still seemed in shock, the letter clutched tightly in his hand. "Two million dollars."

"Oh, Alex! I'm so happy for you!" She swept her son into her arms, beaming with joy.

Slater was also incredibly happy for his mate. But he'd just received something priceless in the driveway. His mate's declaration of love.

"I'm buying you a house, Mom," Alex said with the biggest smile Slater had ever seen.

Alex turned to look at him.

Slater leaned down and whispered into his mate's ear, "You can buy me a cup of coffee, hummingbird."

"As long as I get to handle your cream," he whispered right back.

THE END