It was a whole new day.
Day—
Trying her best not to wake him, Evangeline slipped out from under his arm, creeping toward the edge of the massive king-sized bed. Inch by inch, she went at a snail’s pace, careful not to catch Maddox’s attention. A single memory—more vivid than the others—was running through her clear head. She held onto it, determined not to let it slip away.
She was so used to losing them. It was as different as it was nice to be able to call it up and keep it.
She remembered this room. She remembered that the mattress was perched on a high box spring so there was a bit of a step before her bare foot hit the floor. She grabbed the crumpled quilt that was balled up near the end of the bed. Wrapping herself up with it, like a makeshift toga, Evangeline gently tiptoed across the room. The last thing she needed was one of their neighbors getting an eyeful of her tits when she lifted the window shade.
Slowly, slowly, Evangeline tugged on the shade, wincing when the plastic jerked out of her hand, slapping into the top of the window frame as it rolled shut. Sunlight streamed in through the glass, bathing the room in a bright light that highlighted Maddox’s naked form. His legs got tangled up in a sheet sometime after he fell asleep, leaving most of him revealed.
Evangeline stopped and stared.
God, he was gorgeous.
It was the first time she’d been able to see him sleeping. With his eyes closed, his face relaxed, he seemed softer. She took this moment in time to study him without being hypnotized by his beautiful golden gaze.
She took in the cutting edge of his jaw, cheekbones as sharp as knives… the dark shadow of a stubble he could never fully shave clean. Worry lines were missing when he slept, his forehead smooth, his mouth slightly open as he snuffled and snored.
He let out a rush of air, his hand reaching out. Even in his sleep, Maddox searched for her. His fingers flexed, twitching, his body tensing when he realized that she was missing. She watched as he flared his nostrils, trying to find her scent. He exhaled softly when he assured himself that she was still close.
He didn’t need his eyes to see her when his other senses could pick up on her presence. Good. That gave Evangeline a precious few seconds to climb in the bed before her shifter mate slowly roused himself out of sleep.
His eyes were bright, the gold a burnished shade that brightened when he found her only a couple of inches away from where his palm lay flat on the sheet. He stretched, his fingertips brushing alongside the edge of her bare hip.
“Morning,” he rasped out. “Sleep well?”
“Best night in a long time.”
“Me, too,” Maddox murmured.
And then he smiled.
It was the first real smile he’d given her since he was trying to seduce her at the coffee shop. She’d been oblivious to his tactics then, though now she knew better. Looking back on it, she was kind of shocked that it hadn’t worked.
That smile? It turned him from gorgeous to drop dead sexy with the simple curve of his lips.
Evangeline had to resist the urge to roll toward him, laying her cheek against his chest. With the sheet pooled around his waist, his sculpted body was a temptation that, as his wife, she no longer had to pretend she didn’t want.
Maddox being super attractive had never been the problem. His insistence on what she knew to be false—the lengths he had gone to convince her otherwise—was what had been the biggest obstacle between them. Between that and her missing memories, the two of them were doomed at the beginning.
Then he had shown her the wedding photo. That, added to the few glimpses into the past that she managed to recover, Evangeline knew better now. He was her husband. After last night, he was her bonded mate.
It was time he knew that, too.
So, rather than touch him like she was dying to, Evangeline lifted her hand, shielding her eyes.
“Something wrong, sweetheart?”
“Kinda. The sun’s, um, really bright out today.”
“Oh. Sorry. How did— Never mind. Here, let me get the shade.”
Maddox hopped out of the bed, stalking naked across the room. Evangeline enjoyed the vision of that tight ass moving away from her so much that she almost forgot the reason why she pointed out the glare.
He reached up, tall enough to grab the shade without going up on his toes. His delicious ass went taut, the muscles on his back rippling as he yanked it down, turning the room into a dim shadow.
“Better?”
Much, but that wasn’t the point.
“Not really,” she lied. “Do… do you have an extra pair of sunglasses I can borrow?”
He frowned, as if he could sense her deception, but that didn’t stop him from trying to give her what she asked for. Maddox’s hand slapped at his hip, reaching for a pocket in a pair of jeans that were tossed somewhere in his haste to disrobe last night. It took him a second to remember that he was naked, then even longer to realize that she wasn’t asking him for a pair of shades because she actually needed them.
His mouth dropped. He hesitated, hope warring with caution, before he said, “You… you remember?”
Evangeline nodded. The giddy feeling from when she woke up? It manifested in a bubble of laughter that had Maddox crouching low, then pushing off of the carpeted floor. He landed in the bed easily, barely jostling her. She giggled, her laugh turning into more of a surprised shriek as Maddox’s arm wrapped around her, tugging her into his warm embrace.
“Angie, you remember!”
She wiggled until she was facing him. “Some… more this morning, too. I wasn’t kidding when I told you that last night. I mean, some things are more vivid than others, and I know I’m still missing a lot. That day, though? I remember that day because it was the day you told me I was your mate.”
Maddox winced. “I don’t know why I ever bother pretending to be a human. The first time, you called me out on being a shifter. This time, I barely lasted a couple of days before my wolf took control.”
“You’re a Para, Maddox. I don’t ever want you to be something you’re not. Even when you stole me, I understood why you thought you had to, even when I thought you were crazy for thinking I was your mate.”
“You are my mate.”
“I know.” Evangeline slipped a hand between their bodies, caressing the bite on her shoulder. It was halfway healed; with their bond finally intact again, Maddox must have taken the pain from Evangeline, lending her his increased healing properties. Come to think of it, her ankle was feeling better, too. “Now everyone else will, too.”
Maddox eyed her closely, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of possessiveness and concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Great,” admitted Evangeline. Laughter bubbled up and out of her again. “For the first time in a long, long time, I feel great.”
It wouldn’t be easy. There was the fact that Evangeline still wasn’t completely whole, a possessive witch out there somewhere, and Maddox had technically gone against the Claws Clause by taking the subject of their mating into his own paws.
Then, of course, there was Adam.
She had to do something about Adam.
For now, she was safe and she was loved, and the man who risked everything—including his own life—because he loved her even more than that was holding her close. Evangeline ducked her head, brushing her lips over the tattoo over his left pec.
That had been the best day of his life, he told her, then the worst.
Together, they had hit the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It wouldn’t be easy, but the best things never were. She had a hard road ahead of her as she continued to recover that lost year.
But at least she would have her mate by her side. And Maddox had been right. If she never recovered their time together, that was fine. They had each other now. With the future ahead of them, they had all the time in the world to make new memories.
Better memories.
Together.
As if he thought that she was a dream he
might wake up from, Maddox was hesitant to let her out of his sight. They showered together, and while Evangeline was interested in a repeat of last night when he hoisted her up so that she wasn’t putting weight on her still tender ankle, Maddox refused. He flat-out told her that he could sense how sore she was between her legs. Angry at himself that he’d been rougher than he meant to, he swore he wouldn’t take her again until she felt better.
She couldn’t lie. As a wolf shifter, he would know. Besides, her poor pussy was aching—but it was a delicious ache.
God, she missed him. With so many of her memories slowly returning, with the knowledge that she’d been dreaming of Maddox all of this time, Evangeline finally understood that he was what had been missing all along.
She still couldn’t understand how she could have forgotten the love of her life. It made no sense to her, especially since Maddox assured her that the only reason it took him as long as it did to find her again was because he believed she was dead.
As soon as Maddox claimed her last night, the bond snapped back into place. Just like she hoped—just like she suspected—her vulnerability as Maddox gave her his claiming bite had opened her up to him. He’d been calling for her with his end of the bond since the beginning. Once Evangeline dropped her guard, tentatively reaching back, the mate bond connected. There was no going back now.
With fuzzy memories becoming clearer and clearer, she only felt relief. In the end, Maddox had told her the truth right after she woke up to the reality that he had whisked her away.
It really was her choice.
Once they were showered and dressed—Evangeline marveling with delight as she went through a wardrobe she hadn’t seen in years—Maddox insisted on leaving the house behind. It was closing in on two days since Adam threatened to return with the warrant. Just because he hadn’t yet, Maddox argued, didn’t mean he gave up.
Evangeline thought she knew Adam very well. Whether or not he knew about Maddox, that she’d actually been married when the car crashed… it didn’t matter. Adam still thought of her as his girlfriend. No way was he going to let this go.
Maddox had a point. The laws were very clear. By taking her, he broke one of the biggest ones of all. Ordinance 7304 was a human’s only assurance that they couldn’t be forced into a lifelong bond with someone because they lacked the magic to protect themselves. So what if she was ready to accept Maddox as her mate? According to the Claws Clause, he could be facing death if anyone caught them together and he admitted that he did steal her away.
It was a good thing that there was a pretty simple fix to that solution. In Para circles, the bonding license was like a “get out of jail free” card. With the notarized certificate that said that Maddox and Evangeline were bonded mates, the laws regarding unbonded mates no longer applied. She wasn’t completely human anymore—as a Para’s mate, she was technically a Para herself now—and the bonding license gave Maddox every right to use his paranormal abilities to protect his mate.
That was why a bonding license could only be given to a pair that pledged under oath that a bond existed. Laws and rights flew out the window when they got their license notarized. It meant everything, especially since bureaucratic red tape ensured that a bonding license could only be signed after the couple presented themselves in front of a Para office who could tell if they were lying.
To keep Maddox from the Cage—or worse—the first thing they needed to do was go and get their bonding license. Every Bumptown had an office onsite to take care of that, so at least they didn’t have to take a trip to the D.P.R. In and out, they could have the license by mid-afternoon if they hurried.
There was a tiny problem when it came to that, though. Because Evangeline was, well, drugged and sedated every time he moved her, first from the coffee shop to the cabin, then the cabin to their old home, Maddox didn’t know about her phobia when it came to riding in a car.
Turned out, with the memories of the crash more vivid and realler than ever, her phobia only grew worse. Just the idea of willingly climbing inside of Colton Wolfe’s truck for the hour trip to the Bumptown from Wolf’s Creek erased her euphoric mood.
In fact, it nearly caused a nervous breakdown.
She just couldn’t do it. Maddox didn’t push it, either. He told her they could figure something out, and if Adam showed up before they got the license, they’d figure that out, too.
The only thing was, with more and more memories becoming clearer, Evangeline remembered Maddox. She remembered his personality, his likes, his desires. How he wore shades because he didn’t want to deal with humans judging him for his beast, even though he radiated such a dominant power, most people recognized him for what he was—a born Alpha—without such an easy clue.
She remembered his position in the pack, his former role as foreman at his father’s construction company, and how he doted on his younger brother. Maddox was loyal and he was stubborn and he was strong.
If Adam came with the might of the Grayson PD behind him, Maddox wouldn’t be carted off to the Cage that easily. He would fight for her, and one of the two men in her life would be hurt.
Evangeline could be stubborn, too. And while she might feel like throttling Adam herself, she wasn’t going to let anything happen to him until she gave him the chance to explain what he thought he was doing. Because he loved her, she had no doubt that he loved her, and with fresh memories filling her brain, Evangeline knew people did stupid things when they were in love.
Which was why she asked Maddox if he still had that baggy full of white powder.
Sugar-free sugar, her ass. Her Maddox had a sweet tooth and he’d never give up the real stuff. But she gave him credit. As an explanation for what he was doing when she nearly caught him dosing her coffee, she had to admit he thought quick.
Evangeline never thought she’d see the day that she’d gladly swallow a laced drink. But if it came down to a choice between waiting around for Adam to show up or getting the protection a bonding license would afford her mate, she knew what she had to do.
30
Maddox was getting better at figuring out how much of the drugs to use.
Just a pinch this time. A teensy tiny drop in a glass of water that Evangeline swallowed with a nervous chuckle and a, “Bottom’s up.”
It took a little bit longer for it to affect her. By the time they cleaned up breakfast, then grabbed a few changes of clothes from the musty closets—Maddox because he needed to be prepared in case he had to shift, and Evangeline because he had every intention of bringing her to the cabin for a belated honeymoon—Evangeline was starting to yawn.
Maddox stayed close to her. When she gave the sign that it was affecting her, he swooped her up in his arms, slung the duffel bag holding their clothes over his shoulder, then slipped out of the house.
It was the middle of the afternoon. He was taking a huge risk, heading out in the daylight with a noticeably sleeping Evangeline stretched out in a bridal carry. His nosy ass neighbors would call the cops in a heartbeat if they caught sight of them together. He didn’t give a shit. So long as he got to Colt’s Bumptown before Wright found him, he’d be fine. No Ant police officer would ever dare separate a bonded shifter from his mate inside of a Bumptown.
Wolf’s Creek was about a half an hour’s drive from the opposite direction. He kept to the speed limit, not wanting to catch the attention from his local police department. The boys in blue were another kind of pack; Wolf’s Creek might be an integrated community, equal parts human and Para, but the cops would partner up with Grayson PD if Wright called in a favor. Maddox’s best bet was to cross into Para territory.
Everything worked according to plan. He brought Evangeline to Colt’s house, shooing Dodge away when the phantom made an appearance to tell Maddox that Colt was out for the day. Dodge wanted to stay and say hi to Evangeline—as a phantom, he had perfect recall, and he said he was happy to tell her any number of embarrassing stories about Maddox that she might’ve forgotten—but Maddox told h
im to come back later. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he claimed her, and though she proudly wore his bite, it was going to take some time before the possessiveness dialed it back a little.
So maybe he shouldn’t have snapped his teeth at Dodge. He was such a pain in the ass, Maddox always seemed to forget he was not only dead, but transparent, too. None of his threats would work on the ghost. Didn’t stop him from trying. Eventually, Dodge grew bored with teasing Maddox and drifted back to where he came from.
Maddox waited for his mate to wake.
It only took another hour. The sedative had been enough for her to miss the entire drive over, and she seemed sheepish that it had been needed. Maddox brushed her worries aside. He was so in awe that she wanted to get the bonding license squared away enough that she willingly went under because, otherwise, her phobia regarding a car ride meant that they’d have to wait.
Maddox would do everything he could to support her in the future. He totally understood the source of her fears, and was willing to help her any way he could. Therapy? Sure. Hypnosis? Okay. Asking a witch for help? Well, the head witch had already been way overpaid by Colt. Maybe she knew someone.
And if it meant that Evangeline never could ride in a car again, then he’d fucking shift and give her a ride on his back if that’s what she wanted. She was his life. His world. And, about an hour after she woke up, groggy but happy to see him, Evangeline was his fully bonded, fully claimed mate.
No one could take her away from him—
—at least, that’s what he thought.
The Para who notarized their bonding license was a Dayborn vampire. Dayborns were a subset of the Vampire Nation; considered the “good” vampires because they didn’t need blood like their Nightwalker counterpart, Dayborns were more like Ants than other Paras. They had a few strengths—like most Paras, they could tell when someone was lying—with their most noted being an ability to walk in the sun. They had milder temperaments than the vicious Nightwalkers, mercenary witches, and growly shifters. They were also unusually efficient.
Hungry Like a Wolf (Claws Clause Book 1) Page 28
