Chapter 5
Christian stepped outside onto his porch into the frigid cold night of a southern Christmas eve and looked around his front yard. He didn’t see movement of any kind, but he knew what he saw. He saw a Wolf. And that Wolf was watching him and Analise through the front picture window of his home.
“I saw you. You may as well come on out,” he said aloud.
There was no response.
He stepped off the porch and took a few steps into the yard. Looking to his right where the window was, he moved to his left, realizing maybe being seen by Analise who was inside might be the problem. “Look, there’s nothing going on here, other than best friends that have learned to lean on each other over the years. There’s no attachment other than that.”
A rustling came from the wooded area on his left, and a large white and silver Wolf stepped into view.
“I knew I saw you out here,” Christian said. He wasn’t the least little bit afraid. He was after all, a Lion shifter, himself. Besides, he grew up side by side with this Wolf.
The Wolf shimmered for a few seconds, shifting back to his human self.
“What are you doing here, Havoc?” Christian asked.
“I had to make sure she was okay.”
“You know she’s okay. This is our property. All of it, on both sides of the highway.”
Havoc took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I saw her leave. I knew she was probably coming to you. I just had to know.”
“There’s not anything between us.”
“Was once,” Havoc said.
“No, there wasn’t. Nothing but wishful thinking on my part for a very little while, but thankfully, we moved on to be the friends we are today. I’d kill for her, but not for the same reasons you would.”
Havoc nodded.
“You want to come in?”
Havoc huffed a laugh. “No, I’ve pushed her limits enough just by being here at the same time she is. I don’t want to make it worse by intruding on her time with you.”
“You’re welcome to come inside.”
“I’m just going to run for a while, then head home so Harley doesn’t wake up without me. Just do me a favor?”
“Sure,” Christian said.
“If it ever becomes anything, just treat her the way I should have.”
Christian sighed. “It’s not what you think.”
“I’ll be finishing my run now,” Havoc said. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Don’t tell her I was out here, please. I don’t want to upset her worse.”
“Alright.”
Havoc took a step back toward the trees, but Christian’s voice stopped him.
“She’s proud of you.”
Havoc stopped and looked back at Christian. “What did you say?”
“I said, she’s proud of you. She was smiling, pride all over her face talking about what an amazing father you are and how she always knew you would be. She said Harley’s a very lucky little girl to have a father like you.”
Havoc smiled. “She said that?”
“She did.”
Havoc continued to smile.
“Maybe all is not lost.”
Havoc looked at Christian, and Christian could feel the need, the desperation flowing out of him. “She’s proud of you, she admires the way you parent your daughter, the way you love her. And she’s still raw from all that happened. If she’d truly written you off, she wouldn’t be reactive one way or another. She’d just be done.”
Havoc thought about it, then nodded. “Maybe. It’s better than not reacting at all, right?”
“I think so.”
Havoc nodded and smiled again. Then he glanced at the house to make sure they weren’t watched before moving closer. “You’re being watched,” he whispered when he got so close he was almost touching Christian.
“Yeah, by you.”
Havoc shook his head, stared into Christian’s eyes, then looked pointedly off into the woods behind Christian’s house. “It’s a female. Fox, I think. No ill intent.”
Christian didn’t turn to look. He didn't want to let on that he’d been told about the female watching him.
“Keep an eye on ‘Lise if she leaves soon.”
“I’ll walk her back, or drive her back.”
“Thank you, Christian.”
Christian flashed him a quick smile, then went back into his house. He walked in making a big deal of being outside in the cold. “I hate winters, you know why? Because it’s so damn damp down here, even in winter that the cold is a wet kind of cold. It’s freaking painful to your bones.”
“He alright?” Analise asked.
“Who?”
She turned and looked at him over the back of his sofa. “Seriously?”
Christian gave up all pretense of pretending. “Yeah. He’s good. Just wanted to make sure you’re alright. He saw you take off for a run.”
“No, he just wanted to make sure we’re not doing the dirty. Is it too late to ask if we can? Right there in front of the window? It might be kind of entertaining, framed by the Christmas lights and all.”
Christian started laughing.
“So, are you up for it, huh, huh?” she teased.
“No!”
“Fine, then can I have another drink and some more olives?”
“Eating all my damn olives and drinking all my booze.”
“What are friends for?” Analise asked, winking at him.
“Apparently, just that.”
~~~
Outside the house, peering through the large floor to ceiling windows in the kitchen, a small red fox settled in to watch the male that had caught her attention earlier in the night. It was not as pleasurable a task as one would think, simply because of the woman who sat cuddled on the sofa beside the male. She hadn’t quite figured out the dynamic yet. The male who owned the house was a Lion shifter. The female inside was hybrid — partially a Fox like herself, but she also scented of Bear. She thought them a couple, but then a Wolf shifter had shown up and had words with the Lion. It appeared he considered the hybrid female his, but there was some kind of problem.
Addie jumped upon the deck off the back of the house so she could better see through the open floor plan to the living room where the couple was watching television. She lay down to watch, because she just couldn’t make herself do otherwise. She’d only been lying there for a short while before she sensed someone behind her and jumped up to defend herself.
Only the Wolf didn’t make her fight. He made no sudden movements. Instead, he walked around her and lay down next to the spot she’d been lying in before she sensed him. He heaved a great sigh and laid his head on his paws, settling in to watch them just as she’d been doing. It was clear he was watching over the female, just as she was watching over the male.
Okay fine, she wasn’t watching over the male, she was watching to figure out if she had a chance with the male. Because she had to find a way to get a chance with him. He was hers, and she’d accept nothing less than him, and only him.
Addie’s fox lay down beside the Wolf, who didn’t even look her way when she settled, and together, they watched until the sun began to rise, just barely giving a bit of pinking to the edges of the dark sky. Then the Wolf stood, bowed his head to her and trotted away. Addie though, she wasn’t ready to give up. She stayed where she was, waiting to see what happened when the couple sleeping on the sofa awakened.
It didn’t take long before she had the information she waited for. Even through the walls of the home, she could hear the shrill sound of someone’s phone, presumably the female’s as it rang until finally the female woke to answer it.
“What?” she said groggily into the phone. “I don’t know, what time is it?” she asked. “It’s 7:00 A. M.? Why did you wake me up at 7:00 A. M.?” The female listened for a second then she sat up and looked around herself. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m at Christian’s. I’ll be home in a second. Alright. Bye.”
She ended the call, then promptly got covered by the blanket Christian tossed over her head.
“Hey!” she complained from beneath the blanket.
“Come on. Let’s get you home.”
“I can get there on my own. It’s just across the road.”
“No, I’ll drive you. It’s cold and early, and it’s Christmas morning.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But hurry up. I’m supposed to be at my parents’ house to have breakfast with them.”
“Oh, that’s right. Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you and make you late.”
“You kidding me? If your phone hadn’t awakened us, I’d still be snoozing.”
“Aren’t you going to shower?” Analise asked.
“I’ll run you home, then come back and shower real quick.”
“That’s ridiculous. Go shower, drop me off, then go home.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, you’re the fastest shower-er I know. Five more minutes won’t matter.”
Christian laughed at her adaptation of the word shower-er, then hurried to do exactly what she said.
Less than ten minutes later they were getting into his car. “What time are you guys coming back for dinner?” Analise asked.
“About noon, I guess. Kids aren’t little anymore, so no reason to stay home so they can play with toys or anything. We’ll probably get there early.”
“I shall see you then.”
“Unless you want to come with me to my parents’ house for breakfast.”
“My parents would skin me alive. They’re probably already pissed that I didn’t sleep at home.”
“Want me to come in with you?” he asked, as he opened his passenger side door for her to get in his car.
“No. I’m good.”
He closed the door and walked around, getting in the driver’s side. He turned the ignition, then put his car in gear and drove away from his home, unable to keep himself from searching everywhere for the little fox he hoped to catch a glimpse of. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there.
The sound of his Mercedes sedan driving off the property, then crossing the road onto the neighboring property was easy enough for Addie to track. Mentally that is. She had no interest in physically tracking them. She knew what she needed to know. These two weren’t lovers, or at least didn’t seem to be. And when they’d exited the house, she’d managed to be downwind so she could get a whiff of them. They were not mated, not to each other, or anyone else.
Happy with this new bit of information, Addie considered it a night well spent as she trotted toward home, shifting just before she entered the house so she could open the door and let herself in.
“Where have you been?” Abby asked the moment she stepped through the door.
“I saw Santa Claus!” she exclaimed. “I tried to catch his reindeer, but they were just too fast!”
Abby smirked at her. “One, he’s too little to understand, and two, I’m too old to believe it. What you doing out there stalking that man all night? Do not, I repeat, do not cause us any trouble with Alpha Brandt. This is too good not to abide by all the rules, Addie.”
Addie smiled and nodded. “I know. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“About what?” Kiernan asked, from the kitchen as he made pancakes for Christmas breakfast.
Addie looked at them both, then at the toddler sitting on the floor playing with the brightly colored plastic blocks Santa had brought him. “My mate.”
“What are you talking about?” Abby asked, trying to push herself up off the sofa.
“The Lion shifter next door? He’s my mate.”
Abby finally managed to push herself up off the sofa and she and Kiernan shared a worried look.
“That’s not the worst part, though.”
“What is the worst part?” Kiernan asked.
“He just spent the night with another woman. I don’t think they’re lovers, though. They’re not mated. I think they’re just friends.”
“Can we never find anywhere that doesn’t come with complications?” Kiernan asked.
“But it’s not complicated.” Addie thought about it. “Unless you count the Wolf shifter that kept watch with me overnight. I think the female is his, or at least he wants her to be. The Lion, though, his name is Christian, and I know, I absolutely know he’s mine.”
“I’m not moving,” Abby said. “I love you. You’re my sister, and I want you with us here, but if you start screwing this up for us, I’m siding with Alpha Brandt. I’m not moving.”
“She’s right,” Kiernan said.
“I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“You’re stalking our neighbor!”
“Well, I wasn’t alone! One of their own is stalking him, too. So, maybe you could say I was protecting him.”
“Jesus, Addie. Could you just stay away from him for a little while. See what happens before you start pursuing?”
“I’m not pursuing. I’m just trying to figure out where it all stands.”
“Good. Figure it out from our yard, and try not to be too obvious please,” Kiernan asked.
“I’m not an idiot, you know. I know this is a really good chance for us. I’m not doing anything to mess it up, but if it was your mate, wouldn’t you do something?”
“Not until I knew if he was mated or not. Lions don’t have to answer the mating call. They can mate anyone they choose to mate. Just wait and watch. Let him see you, too. Maybe he’ll figure it out and you don’t have to do anything.”
Addie nodded. “You’re right.”
“Good. Have some coffee, I’m making pancakes. Let’s start this morning all over again.”