Marisa Chenery - To Lovea Cougar

Blaise walked into the dining room for breakfast and found his mother, his brother Taylor and Taylor’s mate Aspen already there, eating. Blaise took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Taylor and Aspen, then filled a plate with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon and a couple slices of toast.

“Good thing I told Taylor to leave you some,” Aspen said as she motioned to Blaise’s filled plate with her fork. “Plus, it’s a good thing you came down when you did. Taylor was about to eat your share.”

“Then I guess I have you to thank for getting something to eat this morning.” Blaise smiled at Aspen and winked. “Are you sure you’re mated to the right brother?”

Taylor let out a low cat growl. “Blaise, it was funny the first few times you asked Aspen that, but now it’s getting on my nerves.”

Blaise laughed. “I know. That’s why I do it.”

“God, you can be a pain in the ass.”

“Now, boys,” their mother said with a smile.

“No bickering at the table. Aspen and I would like to enjoy our food without listening to the two of you go at each other, even if it’s only in fun.”

Blaise chewed, then swallowed a big mouthful of eggs. “I promise to behave. Since it’s Saturday and Taylor doesn’t have to go to work at the family corporation, what are the plans for the day?”

“Tonight Aspen’s parents are coming over for dinner so I expect you to be here,” his mother said.

Unlike Blaise and the rest of his family, who were cougar shifters, Aspen was human, and the first to be a mate to one of their kind. Taylor and Aspen had only been mated a couple of months and this was the first time her parents were coming over to their daughter’s new home.

Even though as a rule cougar shifters made sure to keep their existence unknown from humans and werewolves, it’d been decided that Aspen’s parents could be told the truth about them. Blaise’s father, who was the head of their family group, had grudgingly agreed to it after his mate wouldn’t take no for an answer. It wasn’t the first time his mother had gotten her way on a major decision.

“Will Dad be coming down to eat with us?”

Blaise asked.

His mother shook her head, a look of worry flitting across her face. “No. He’s too weak to even manage that. And in some ways it’s better that he stays in our room.”

His father was very ill, which shouldn’t have been possible. Cougar shifters didn’t get sick—

ever. His dad had become ill eight months before and had been wasting away, getting sicker with each month that passed. His cousin Caleb, who was a doctor, couldn’t do anything to make Blaise’s father better, no matter what he tried.

Even though it wasn’t spoken about much, everyone was worried his dad would eventually die from this mysterious illness. If he did, that would make Taylor the new head of their family group.

Blaise nodded. “Yeah, I can see that.”

His father had made it no secret that he wasn’t exactly pleased that Taylor, his firstborn and heir, had a human for a mate. Most of the older members of their family group thought humans were beneath them. The idea that one had been accepted into their ranks had outraged more than a few. Even though his father didn’t exactly approve, he’d stood up for Taylor, but that didn’t mean he’d go out of his way to be nice to Aspen’s parents.

“It’s better,” Taylor said. “If Dad made any rude comments I’d have to put him in his place. It wouldn’t make for a nice evening.”

Blaise chuckled to himself. Taylor no longer put up with any bullshit from their father. After being banished from their family group for four years over an incident with a werewolf that had revealed Taylor as a cougar shifter, his brother had come back a stronger man who thought for himself. Taylor hated all the archaic laws just as much as Blaise did. Whenever Taylor became the head of their family group, there would be a lot of changes happening that the older members would hate.

“I’ll make sure I come back in plenty of time for supper,” Blaise said.

“I thought you wanted to make plans with Taylor and Aspen?” his mom replied.

“Since they weren’t very forthcoming with any, I’m figuring they’d rather spend the day together without me being the third wheel. In that case, I’m going to do a little hunting.”

“Hunting?”

His mother gave hima questioning look.

Taylor shook his head. “He means he’s going to harass some poor human women until he can convince one of them to go out with him.”

Their mom smiled. “Oh good. I must say I like the idea of having another human female for a daughter.” She gave Aspen a smile. “I’m rather fond of the one I have now.”

“Don’t encourage him, Mom,” Taylor said.

“Human women everywhere will thank you if you didn’t.” Aspen chuckled at her mate’s remark.

Blaise gave his brother an exaggerated scowl, playing the part of being insulted when that was the furthest thing from the truth. He’d missed having Taylor around to swap mock insults with and loved every minute of it now that he could.

“That hurt, brother mine,” Blaise said.

“You’ll get over it.”

Their mother cleared her throat. “Before this goes any further, Blaise, are you going to visit your father before you go out?”

He nodded. “I planned on it. I figured I’d wait until Caleb is close to done examining him. I want to hear the results.”

“Caleb should be here in a half hour or so.”

His mother emptied her coffee mug, then pushed back her chair. “I’ll go keep your father company until your cousin gets here.” She stood and walked out of the room.

“Now that it’s only the three of us,” Taylor said to Blaise, “as for tonight, you’d better behave.”

“ Moi not behave? I’m always on good behavior.” He snickered at the look Taylor sent him that said he didn’t agree with that at all.

Aspen chuckled. “What my mate is trying to say is, no shifting to cat form while my parents are here. They’re not used to being around cougar shifters as I am now.” She stopped Blaise before he could say anything. “And don’t deny there’s a chance you’d do just that. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve surprised me in that form.”

Blaise gave Aspen an innocent look. “I only did it so you wouldn’t jump every time you see one of us shift.”

“Sneaking up behind me late at night in a dark hallway didn’t help with that at all, and you know it.”

“So I got a little inventive.” And he’d stopped doing that once Taylor surprised Blaise by sneaking up on him and jumping his ass while in cougar form as well.

“Just try to act normal. Okay?” Aspen asked.

Taylor let out a bark of laughter. “Now you’re asking for something that’s impossible.”

Blaise ignored his brother’s comment, not hurt by it in the least, and finished the last of the food on his plate. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then stood and looked at Aspen. “I’ll be good. I promise. Now I’m going to go up to my room with my coffee until Caleb gets here.”

He left the room and headed upstairs. At the upper level, Blaise heard his mother’s voice coming from the master bedroom. With his sensitive hearing, he listened as she told her mate what she planned to have served for dinner that evening, and how she hoped to become close friends with Aspen’s parents.

That was his mother. She had the biggest heart. It helped her, considering the kind of mate she had. Even though his father loved her, there were times when he could get a little highhanded.