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Moving gently, but with purpose, Maddox shifted his body so that his arms were a cage around her and she was trapped.
And then he leaned in.
He nuzzled her neck the same way he had nuzzled her belly. The boneless, relaxed feeling returned and Evangeline absolutely melted back into the sheets. Maddox nipped at her earlobe, her jaw, then her bottom lip. She gasped and he took the opportu
nity to plunder her mouth, stroking her tongue with his until she was breathless and, most importantly, had no doubt how he felt about her surprise.
When she finally got her breath back, she gulped. “Well, I guess that answered that.”
Maddox’s laugh was a rush of heat against her bare skin. “I thought it might. But what about you? My human mate doesn’t howl, I get that, but she’s been so quiet lately. How do you feel about it?”
Evangeline went still.
She had been quiet, hadn’t she? So concerned with how distant he’d been lately—even if Sarah explained how her pregnancy might have changed things in some ways—Evangeline had used the excuse of heading into the mountains to keep to herself, never opening up to Maddox about what was bothering her—or what she needed.
Not anymore.
They were mates. Partners. Soon to be parents… they needed to be able to communicate.
You know what they say. No time like the present—ha, present—to start.
“I’m happy, too,” she confessed as he moved back to press his lips over the skin inches away from her belly button. “Ever since you claimed me, I’d known this was a possibility, and I’ve wanted this. I just… I needed to know you did, too.”
Lifting his head from where he was nuzzling her, Maddox scowled over at her.
If it was anyone else, the grimace on the wolf shifter’s face would’ve been enough to have her running for the window—and Evangeline knew, since she’d had reason to do just that when her memories were stolen. But not now. Not after the way his whole, weathered face lit up with love as he looked down on her moments ago.
Still, she raised her eyebrows. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
Maddox schooled his features, making his expression go blank. He moved again, stretching out beside her, wrapping her up in his arms. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
She poked him in his side, curling into him, resting her head on a pillow she made of his bicep. “No more secrets. Something’s on your mind. I want you to tell me.”
“It’s stupid.”
“Maddox, I spent the last couple of weeks convincing myself that you regretted mating me because it seemed like you’ve been avoiding me.”
“I would never do that, Ang—” he began.
She cut him off. “I know. Maybe it was the hormones making me crazy, and I know better than to doubt you, but it seemed like it. You said I was quiet. Well, you’ve been quiet, too. We’re in this together, now and forever—”
“Richard Marx,” interrupted Maddox. “Good song.”
“Mad. Be honest with me.”
“Okay,” he huffed, realizing that she wasn’t going to drop it. “Fine. But I warn you, it’s ridiculous.”
She poked him again.
Maddox’s lips twitched. It was a half-smile, and it was something. “It’s just… nothing can top the gift you’ve just given me. You think I’ve been avoiding you? Not even a little. In all honesty… I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working on your present and, yeah, there’s no way it can compare. And now I’m pissed at myself for being so preoccupied with it that I never even picked up on the fact that you’re carrying my pup. Some Alpha I’m gonna be with a weak nose like that.”
“Oh, hush,” Evangeline teased. “Your nose is fine. I talked to your mother. She actually explained that that’s kinda common for a wolf shifter who’s got a lot on his mind. You were too close to my scent to notice the gradual changes or something like that.”
“Shit.” Maddox closed his eyes for a second. “My mom knew before me? She’s never gonna let me live it down.”
That was probably true. Since Evangeline didn’t want to agree with him and make him more embarrassed, she changed the subject. “So, wait… Is that what you were doing, with all the sneaking around? Getting me a present?”
He shrugged, the movement forcing Evangeline to snuggle even closer as she shifted. “Patrolling the mountain, making sure you were safe… that was my priority. But I might’ve used any of the extra time I could find on your gift.”
