Free Claiming Her Mate by Jess Buffett

he didn’t know if like in the movies they lost their clothing, the material tearing into pieces.
    Relief washed through him that it wasn’t the case. Who knew he could be such a territorial bastard ?
    “Are you okay?” she whispered, pulling him into her arms.
    He winced when pain shot up through his side. “Been better. But what the hell was that?”
    Summer growled, her gaze pinning the prick that had taken a swipe at him. “That’s what I’d like to know.”
    Sean, a member of the Pride, dangled from Sage’s grip, gasping for breath. When the Alpha lowered him enough so he could answer, he began to sputter. “H-he attacked Summer.” The man’s gaze darted from Evan, to Summer, and then to Sage. “D-don’t you k-know what he d-did?”
    “What he did?” Sage shook the other man hard enough to force Sean’s eyes to roll back into his head. “Evan never attacked Summer.”
    “B-but Brad s-said—”
    “Brad attacked Summer, not Evan.” Sage brought the man’s face close to his. “He drugged her, tried to rape her. Evan was the only thing that stopped it from happening. Do you hear me?”
    Sean’s eyes widened, his mouth doing a great impression of a fish. “Brad?”
    The Alpha snarled one last time, shoving the other man backwards and to the ground. Evan slowly sat up with Summer’s help as Sage addressed the crowd that gathered. “Listen up. This was exactly why you have all been called here tonight. I have no idea how many of you Brad has gotten to, but whatever he told you was a lie.”
    Hushed voices murmured through the open air. “Last night at the Ashcroft and MacKenzie annual event, he drugged Summer with a narcotic enhanced to affect shifters. We haven’t worked out where he got a hold of it, but we are looking. If it wasn’t for Evan, I think we all know what could have happened. And before anyone says anything else, you should know...Evan is Summer’s mate.”
    “Holy shit,” someone shouted from the crowd. “Does this mean the prophesy is starting?”
    “Yeah. He is the first non-White Tiger to mate into your family, after all?” another person voiced.
    “We don’t know. And for now that isn’t what matters.” Sage waited until everyone was silent before he continued, “Brad is on the loose. All we know is that he headed straight for the border of Pine Cove Pride.” Shouts filled the night air. “Yes, I know what that means. If any of you have any problems with our neighboring Pride, or Aidan, you let me know...immediately. Understood?”
    There were resounding answers of yes, but Evan was distracted by the tingling sensation he suddenly felt in his side. “What the hell?”
    “What’s wrong?” Summer asked, reaching for his shirt. Her brows knitted together as she lifted the material. “Huh. Well at least we know the advanced healing has kicked in.”
    Her lopsided grin had his cock stirring in his pants. “Well, that’s a good thing. Because that hurt like a bitch.”
    “I’m so sorry,” the man who had attacked him said. “I honestly thought you had hurt Summer. I shouldn’t have believed Brad, but he was so convincing.”
    The man looked absolutely gutted.
    “He deceived us all, Sean.” Sage comforted the man. “You all need to be on the lookout. As much as I wish I didn’t have to, I have no choice but to call for a hunt. If anyone catches sight of Brad you are given permission to take him down by any means necessary as long as he remains alive. We need answers.”
    Evan watched silently as everyone in the Pride agreed to the Alpha’s orders.
    Damn, he was so ready for this day to be over now.
    ****
    While the wounds caused by Sean’s claws had healed, Evan’s body still throbbed by the time they arrived back at his place.
    “Dammit,” he cursed, tripping over an eager Ally who he found currently winding her way through his legs. “Would you quit it already?”
    “Hey,” Summer soothed. “She can sense something is wrong. It’s part of being