Page 18 of Havoc's Fox

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.”

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