Page 17

“Actually, I think she’s pissed because when she left me to come back here when one of her cousins was attacked, I didn’t stay where she left me.

I left, trying to follow her, and ended up lying low in the water, waiting for the salt in the briny water to heal me.

Then I followed her. And when she came back to find me missing, she was afraid whoever attacked me had found me and finished the job. She was worried.”

Maverik nodded. “I can see why she’d be pissed.

When she cares, she cares deeply. She pretends she don’t, but she does.

She didn’t say anything to me, but she talked to her momma about thinking for a long time she didn’t have a mate.

Everybody else had met somebody and she hadn’t.

She’s never really had much interaction with males.

I’m guessing she found you, and you’re almost dead, and then you disappear.

She might have thought it was her one chance, but I know she thought if she’d stayed she’d have been able to protect you.

So, anyway, back to the things. You’re a good fit for Hellen.

I like you. You’re strong enough. But you got some baggage.

If it finds you, you’re bringing hell to our doors.

You’re putting her in danger. But you’re also her mate.

If you’re seriously going to be leaving, then just do it.

Go now. She don’t deserve this shit. But the shit that almost killed you can’t be ignored.

We’re going to have to handle this. If we don’t, it’s just going to keep happening, and we can’t allow this to happen anymore than you could.

And that is why I’m going to talk to our people, and set up a time for you to talk to us in detail.

Where, when, how many, habits of movement, types of vehicles, boats, etc.

We’ve got to address this. We’re going to have to tell her at some point, but she can’t bring her bosses and coworkers in on this.

They’re not shifters. We can’t risk the shifter community being discovered.

Now, as far as she goes. If you’re staying.

Stop fighting her. Win her over. But if you’re thinking you’re going to leave, do it now.

Tell us what we need to know to handle this shit, and then go on your way. ”

“No way I’m letting you clean up my mess without my input. And as far as Hellen goes, I’ll die before anybody harms her in any way. I don’t care if they’re her Alpha, a stranger or even you. Nobody’s hurting her.”

“So, you’re staying?” Maverik asked, sarcastically.

Lucien shook his head. “Fuck me. I guess I am.”

Maverik pulled off the highway into a red dirt parking lot and came to a stop.

“Good. You’ll find her in there. She’s mad, I’m sure.

Be nice, but not too nice. Brandt was right about one thing…

she’ll lean more into you if you play hard to get.

But you got some making up to do, too. So, I have no idea how to tell you to handle my daughter. Just no bullshit is all I got.”

“Gee, thanks,” Lucien said.

“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” Maverik said, smiling brightly.

“What if she hurts me?” Lucien said.

“Sleep with one eye open so you’re prepared,” he said. The corners of Maverik’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Oh, my bad. You only got one.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Lucien asked.

“Oh, yeah. Delilah called me Maverik Ass for the first whole year she knew me.”

Lucien shook his head as he opened the door to get out of the truck. “So, I’m supposed to go in there, make nice and apologize, then play hard to get.”

Maverik winked at him. “Something like that. If you’re worthy of her, you’ll figure it out. And you just might make it around here long enough to get some grandbabies after all.”

~~~

“How’s your burger?” Christian asked.

“Oh, so good!” Addie said. “I can’t believe you cooked this!”

“Hey, I have lots of talents,” Christian said, laughing as he stole another of her onion rings.

“I know you do,” Addie said. “I just didn’t think cooking was one of them.”

The front door opened and Vince walked in. “Hey! What are you doing in here? Thought you were in New Orleans.”

“I was, got the afternoon off, surprisingly. So I came to see Addie.”

“Don’t tell your mom. She’ll pout you didn’t come spend your free time with her,” Vince said.

Christian chuckled.

“Good to see you, Addie. You doing well?”

“Yes, sir. Just trying to find something to keep me busy when Christian is away.”

“Something will come up, I’m sure.”

“Yes, sir. I just need to buckle down and find something.”

“I see y’all got some food. The girls get that for you?” Vince asked.

“Nope. I did it,” Christian said.

“You came to see your girlfriend, and even cooked for her,” Vince said.

“I have to find some way to impress her. I’m not ever here. Too many others hanging around for my comfort.”

“You know not a single male catches my attention but you. They just don’t stand a chance,” Addie said, reaching across the table and curving her fingers over his.

“I think this one’s a keeper, Christian. You better lock her down,” Vince said. “I’m going to leave y’all to it and go make sure everything’s ready for tonight.”

“What’s happening tonight?” Christian asked.

“Just the usual, but a stock order came in this morning. I want to make sure everything got delivered that needed to be.”

“You need some help, Dad?” Christian asked.

“No. You enjoy your time off. If I don’t see you later, you drive safe and let me know you got home. Alright?”

“I will.”

Vince walked off, smiling to himself, so happy to see Christian happy.

He’d worried for a time about Christian getting over Analise, but Christian had stayed strong.

He concentrated on his studies and focused on his future, and now he was only a few months from completing his residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

And the little girl he chose to spend his time with, Addie, she lit him up like Analise never had.

They were meant for each other, obviously.

And the best part was that she was patient.

She knew that Christian had commitments, and she never tried to make him put her first above them.

She knew that one day he would, but if he was to have the future he wanted, he had to focus elsewhere at the moment.

Christian leaned across the table and kissed Addie. “I’ll be glad when we can do this everyday.”

“Me, too. But I can wait. No rush,” Addie said.

“I was thinking that I could look for a little larger apartment and you could come live with me in New Orleans.”

“I would love that idea, but then I’d be really alone while you’re working all the time. At least here I have my family when you’re at the hospital. And I have Emmalyn.”

Christian nodded. “I know you’re right. I just miss you so damn much when I’m across the lake. But I’d worry more if you were alone all the time.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Christian.”

Christian met her gaze and leaned across the table to kiss her again.

The sound of the door opening didn’t register with either Christian or Addie, but the comments tossed their way certainly did.

“Oh, ugh. Love. Is there anywhere that doesn’t have love and kissy kissy all over it?” Hellen grouched.

“Aren’t you lovely and pleasant today?” Christian asked.

“I’m never lovely and pleasant.”

“She’s really not, but today she’s worse,” Cristie said.

Christian laughed. “Unlucky in love?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Cristie said.

Hellen flopped into a chair at the table beside Christian and Addie’s. “You doing alright, Addie?”

“I am! Lunch with Christian always makes the day better.”

“You just say that because he’s your mate,” Hellen grumbled.

“Hell!” Christian chided.

“Oh, don’t give me that! Everybody knows it. Even she knows it! But now that you called me on it allow me to just say, mates suck!”

“You’re going to change that when you find yours,” Christian said.

“Found him. Wasn’t impressed. I’m not doing it,” Hellen said.

“I don’t know yours, but I have to agree with you at the moment. They’re not all they’re cracked up to be,” Cristie said. “And when they already care about somebody else and you inadvertently hurt the someone else just by existing... I just want to go home.”

“Hold on, I’m confused. You found your mate, too?” Christian asked.

Cristie swiveled her head toward Christian and sighed. “Remi. All my life I’ve known Remi. Never once any indication he was mine. Saw him at the wedding and there’s no doubt now.”

“Oh, no,” Addie said.

“Yep. And guess who was there to watch him almost lose his shit trying to make me notice him. Which I didn’t want to do because he was there with her and I’m not the kind to want to hurt people or be petty intentionally.

If I have to compete with someone else for your attention, I don’t need your attention,” Cristie said.

“Besides, there’s no reason to make her feel bad.

None of this is her fault. All she did was like someone, who liked her back, and now fate is mixing shit up with its dirty, heartless hand! ”

“Bailey,” Christian said. “She’s a sweetheart, too.”

“I heard she’s pretty upset,” Addie said.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know she owned the coffee shop when I went up there this morning,” Cristie said.

“It’s not your fault. She said the same thing you did basically — she shouldn’t have to compete for anyone’s attention, and you were so damn nice she couldn’t even hate you.

And she doesn’t blame you. It was him that kept staring at you,” Addie said.

“She said you made it a point to practically ignore him.”

“I feel bad enough it wouldn’t matter if she did hate me. Couldn’t be any worse,” Cristie said.

“Was she okay despite everything when you saw her, though?” Cristie asked.

“Oh, I haven’t seen her. My brother-in-law did. He’s the one that told me.”

“Oh. Who’s your brother-in-law?”

“Shaun.”

Cristie sat there thinking back trying to determine if she’d met Shaun.

“He’s a fox shifter,” Hellen said, trying to jog her memory.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Vince said from behind the bar where he dropped some boxes to the ground and started slicing them open.

“Hi, Uncle Vince,” Hellen said.

“Uncle Vince!” Cristie said, jumping up to go around the bar and give him a hug. “You need some help?”

“Hey, baby. No, I got it. Thank you, though. What about you and Hellen? Y’all looking for something to eat?”

“I would like a double, please! And onion rings, a double order also,” Hellen said.

“Hungry, huh?” he asked, chuckling.

“Yes, and irritated.”

Vince laughed.

“I’ll just take a regular with extra cheese and onion rings,” Cristie said.

“I’ll get the girls to get it going,” he said.

Cristie walked back over to the table and sat down. “You know, I think I saw a guy watching as Remi drove away from the wedding on the way to take Bailey home. That might have been Shaun.”

“It was. Though I didn’t see it, I’m sure it was. He’s always watching Bailey,” Addie said.

“Hang on. You’re telling me that Shaun is always watching Bailey? Does he like Bailey, like, like like her?” Cristie asked.

“He claims she’s just a friend, but I think he really cares about her. I think it would be more if Remi wasn’t with her, and if she returns the sentiment, of course. Just my opinion, though.”

“Even if I decide to go home without him, which I’m leaning toward ‘cause I don’t steal other women’s men. Maybe she’ll end up with Shaun and maybe she really is Shaun’s mate,” Cristie said.

“She’s crazy about Remi, though,” Addie said.

“I want to go home,” Cristie said, resting her arm on the table, then leaning over and resting her forehead on her arm.

“Can I go with you?” Hellen asked.

“Sure.”

“I would like to know when it became acceptable to just leave your damn mate alone with your family and walk out?!” a familiar, deep, gravelly voice boomed out from the still open front door.

Hellen didn’t turn around to see who it was. She knew. She did look at Cristie, though. “Big? Long black hair? One eye?”

“Yep,” Cristie said.

“Sonofabitch,” Hellen muttered.

“Hellen?” Christian asked, preparing to defend his cousin if necessary.

“It’s alright. I got this.” She stood up and turned around to face Lucien like the pain-in-the-ass he was rapidly becoming. “And you’re here why?”

“You keep asking the same damn questions. You know the answer,” Lucien said.

“Um, Hellen?” Cristie asked softly.

“Yeah?” Hellen asked, still glaring at Lucien.

“You sure you really want to run him off. I mean… look at him.”

Hellen shifted her glare to Cristie.

“Just saying. He’s hot!”

“He’s a pain-in-my-ass!” Hellen insisted.

“I don’t think I’d run him off,” Addie mumbled. “If I didn’t have Christian,” she added when Christian huffed a laugh.