AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Besides, with Christmas quickly approaching, and no news from Colt, Dodge, or any of his other contacts about their hunt for Cilla or the Nightwalkers, there was no time to even think about mating. When he could be sure that not a single threat existed against his Evangeline, only then could he give in to his urges to climb on top of her and get inside of her where he belonged.
As his father told him repeatedly, there was more to being mates than just mating. No matter what, her needs had to come first—even if that meant ignoring his own.
Because his Ang was a human, her hearing was nowhere near as good as his. Locked in the bathroom, with the sounds of the shower echoing around her, this was as good a time as any for him to make the call he’d been meaning to make.
Reception was shit out on the mountain. He learned that when he’d brought Evangeline here during the few days when she was his captive instead of his mate. He couldn’t get a single bar outside of the cabin which made sense. It was pack land, and the shifters who made up their community knew how to navigate the caves, the trees, and the terrain. No trespassers would.
Why would the Alpha give them the chance to call out for backup or help?
Nope. The only spot that got any service was right inside of the cabin.
He’d have to make this quick, though. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he pressed a button. There were maybe three people that he kept on speed-dial.
His brother was one of them.
Colt answered on the third ring. “Yeah?”
“It’s me.”
“Figured when your name popped up on the screen. What’s up, Mad?”
Maddox could hear noises coming from just beyond Colt. Unless he was mistaken… “What’s going on with you? It sounds like fighting. Everything okay?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. What about you?”
When it came to sensing a lie, a shifter needed his nose and his eyes to tell when an opponent was being deceptive—neither of which he had while he was on the phone. But this was Colton, his younger brother, and Maddox had a sixth sense when it came to Colt being less than honest.
Colt was totally full of it right now. But, since he was also more than capable of handling whatever was going near him, Maddox was willing to let it go. “Just checking in. Any update on Cilla?”
“Nope. Sorry, bro. I thought I might have gotten a lead, but it didn’t pan out. I’m still working on it, though. Word is she might’ve hooked up with this gang of corpses I’m trying to flush out of town.”
Corpses. The Nightwalkers. “Fucking A. Kill two birds with one stone. Throw Cilla in a Cage and get yourself a couple of fangs. Merry Christmas to you.”
Colt’s laugh came out like a bark. “You know it. Speaking of… how’s the gift for your mate coming along?”
“The bike? Ralphie came and dropped it off the other day. I’ve got it hidden out in the trees since it’s gonna be a bitch to wrap, but it’s perfect. Just what I ordered.”
“Not that one,” Colt said. “The big one. One of the runners get my plans to you?”
They did. And, because they were Colt’s design, they were perfect—and super fucking complicated. Because of the degree of difficulty, and the fact that Colt was too busy to come and help him knock it together, it was taking longer than he’d expected to get right. He’d come up with excuse after excuse to sneak out into the woods to work on it, staying out late and waking up early, and he felt Evangeline’s loneliness through their bond like an ache that wouldn’t go away.
It would be worth it. And while his mate might be left alone for a little longer, it would all change after he gave her her gift.
“Yeah. Thanks. Got the tools, too, and they’ve been a big help.”
“If you need me to take a trip over, I might be able to fit it in. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to be there on Chris
tmas, but I could probably spare a night before then.”
“Nah. Don’t worry about it, Colt. Finish what’s on your plate and you, me, and Angie can have a Christmas get-together in the New Year. If you want, you can even bring your witch with you.”
“Don’t have a witch,” Colt retorted automatically. “But, okay. I’ll see if Shea wants to come.”
Maddox blinked, stunned. This was the first time he’d heard his brother say the raven-haired, purple-eyed witch’s name out loud instead of saying her, witch, she or you.
Before he could remark on it, though, Colt hung up the phone and he was left teasing a dial tone.
2
