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Rafe gave him a funny look. “What’s up?”
“She’s here.” He was still looking around. Rafe’s gaze searched the area, peering at all the women.
“These are mostly already mated females. And a lot of them are my grandma’s age.”
Callum gave him a cheeky grin. “I barely caught the scent. It’s already gone.” His grin widened. “But she’s here. She’s definitely in this pack. I can feel it. I can sense her.”
Rafe’s shoulders relaxed. He continued to look at the people gathered. “Could be one of their daughters.”
“It doesn’t matter who. I’ll find her soon.”
Now he knew for sure. His gut, his mating instinct, had been right. She was nearby, and soon she’d be his.
CHAPTER SEVEN
With the gardens planted, Elliot picked Callum up, and at six o’clock sharp, they walked into Aunt Charlotte’s house. Elliot didn’t bother knocking. They both left their shoes at the door before Elliot took him on a brief tour of the main living areas. The main hallway was narrow, leading into a tiny living area on the left, with furniture straight out of an 80s Sears catalog. At the end of the hallway was a wooden staircase leading up to the bedrooms, but Elliot veered right, taking him past a small powder room and into the kitchen.
The room had a recent update, unlike the rest of the house. Grey cabinets, new hardware, modern style light fixtures. It was spacious, with a long island, complete with a granite countertop and three bar stools on the far side.
“Mom!” Elliot called from the kitchen while opening the fridge to produce two beers.
The patio screen slid open and Aunt Charlotte stepped through. She wore a knee-length floral dress, with her long brown hair in some sort of clip.
Years ago, he remembered his mother crying after receiving Aunt Charlotte’s phone call informing them that Uncle Kenneth had gone missing. For years, he’d had nightmares about what could have happened to his uncle. They’d probably never know the truth.
“Callum!”
She came closer and snatched him into a big hug. Pulling back, she held his hands while looking him over. “You’ve grown into quite the young man. You look exactly like your father.”
“Thanks.”
“How are your parents? Loving Florida?”
Callum grinned. His dad used to be the pack beta. When Drew’s father—the former alpha of their pack—retired and moved to Florida, Callum’s parents had gone with them. The two couples had become close while they had run the pack and had felt confident enough in their sons to leave it in their charge.
And now Callum had abandoned his duty to search for his mate. He reminded himself that Drew was a capable leader who had found his other half, and with Alyssa by his side, he was stronger than ever. Plus, Fredrica, Callum’s sister, was still there along with her somewhat dense but reliable mate.
“They’re enjoying it, but despite claiming they wanted a break from leadership, it sounds like they joined a country club there and have basically taken it over.”
“Sounds about right. Once a leader, always a leader.” Aunt Charlotte marched past them and yanked open the fridge. She pulled a plate of marinated steaks from the bottom and passed them to Elliot. “Can you grill these up while I make a few salads?”
“Sure thing, Mom.” Elliot took the plate, while Callum carried the beers.
On the back deck, Sydney sat scrolling through her phone and reclining against yellow cushions. When she spotted Callum, she hopped up, slid the phone into the back pocket of her denim shorts, and raced across the deck to engulf him in a hug. “Callum!”
Though he was used to his sister’s height, Sydney was even taller, coming nearly to his six-foot-one height.
Squeezing her back in a familiar hug, Callum smiled. No matter what he had to deal with here, at least he had family nearby. “Hey, cousin. Long time no see.”
“I’ll say.” Smiling widely, she headed back to the patio swing. “How have you been?”
Elliot dropped the plate of steaks on the BBQ with more force than necessary, drawing their attention. With his thick arms crossed, he leaned against the railing, glaring at his sister.
“You got something to tell me?”
Callum glanced between the two. With exaggerated patience, Sydney placed her phone on the table, and took a long drink from the beer bottle in front of her. Her gaze never left Elliot’s.
She replaced the bottle and licked her upper lip clean of the beer that had clung there. “Seems you already know.”
