Page 55 of Gavin

“Yeah, I know how you feel. I’m cautiously optimistic about the whole situation. I don’t want him or Foley to hurt any shifters, but you’re my priority. Knowing the word on the street is that he’s moved on to another target is comforting to me, even though it’s unsettling too.”

“It’s like good and bad news,” she said with a nod. “Good for us but bad for others.”

He kissed her, thankful she was in his life and safe. “The containers look good, gorgeous.”

“Thanks, your mom has been so helpful.”

“Aeryn wants us to come hang out at the club downtown this weekend. What do you think? Wanna dance with some vampires?”

“You sure we’ll be safe?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t take you there if I didn’t think it would be safe. Aeryn said we can stay in one of the apartments so we don’t have to go home in the middle of the night. I mentioned it to Midas,and he said that he wanted to talk to Mishka, the head of the coven anyway, so we’re going to caravan with some others and have plenty of people watching our backs. They’ll return for us the next night.”

“Sounds perfect. What do people wear to vampire dance clubs?”

Gavin’s mom said, “Short skirts and skin-tight tops, at least that’s what I’ve seen when we’ve been there. I’m sure Aeryn has clothes you can wear. You should send her a message.”

“That’s a great idea, I will.”

Gavin smiled at his mom and mouthedthank youto her, and she nodded with a smile. Sadie had reached out to her mom the day after she’d been abducted and her mom hadn’t answered the call. She’d sent her a text and email, letting her know about her ordeal and that she was safe now, and inviting her to their mating ceremony in July even though she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to come. Her mom hadn’t responded yet, and Sadie had been sad about it, wondering if she would hear from her or if the alpha had stepped in and said no one could talk to her, even her mom.

He knew his family wasn’t the same as the relationship she’d had with her mom, but his mom was eager to be her friend and helpful to them as they started out their mated lives together, and Sadie was eating up the attention like a sunlight-starved flower.

“I’m going to head out on my rounds,” he said giving her another kiss. He lowered his voice. “Can I see you for lunch, sweetheart?”

“Definitely.” Her eyes darkened slightly and her arousal was like a sweet perfume in the air between them.

“Until then, gorgeous.”

He said goodbye to his mom and left, even though the last thing he wanted to do was walk away from his beautiful mate.He’d see her in a couple hours and they’d celebrate the feeling of safety they had with the Witch Glass spell and the security monitors on the house, and the doors and windows that would be installed in a few days.

And they’d definitely celebrate each other because finding her was the best thing that ever happened to him. It was hard to believe that in just a couple weeks they’d be fully mated and part of the pride as a couple, when before the June full moon he’d been wondering if he’d ever find his other half.

Here she’d been on the way to find him herself, and just in time. He might have saved her when she’d been abducted, but she’d really saved him from a life without her beautiful smile and her sweet laugh and the way they just fit together. He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it, and he was glad he’d never have to.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

The July full moon came quickly but Sadie was so very ready to be Gavin’s mate. She’d messaged her mom frequently and had heard back only twice: once to say she hadn’t been able to get approval to come to the mating ceremony, and the other message had left Sadie wondering what the heck was going on in her old pack.

Hi honey. I hope you have a wonderful mating ceremony and are well on the way to building a beautiful life with your mate. Things are rough now since the alpha’s brother came to visit. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to message you going forward but I will do my best. The alpha has decided that he’ll arrange matings for several females in the pack who want to wait for their truemates. Remember Jade? She’s one of the females on the mating chopping block, so to speak. I’m worried for her. The pack gossip has the alpha planning to match her up with a male from another pack who’s…dangerous. I keep thinking you got a new life with our fallen-friend and maybe I should reach out again. I have to run. I love you with all my heart, and I hope to see you again. I’m there in spirit with you. Love, Mom.

Sadie had found the unusually long message from her mom to be disconcerting. She did remember Jade, of course, she was the rebellious daughter of the former second-in-command and a constant source of trouble for her dad because she never wanted to just toe the line and follow the rules, she wanted to follow her heart. Sadie and Jade hadn’t been close as Jade was younger, but Sadie had thought her antics were hilarious.

While Sadie had worried her mom might get involved in something that would get her in trouble with the alpha, there wasn’t anything she could do but hope that she would be okay. And if Jade happened to show up to thefallen-friend, Sadie knew she’d be okay. She’d gotten a whole new life meeting Alli and even though she missed her mom terribly and would keep reaching out no matter how little her mom was able to reach out to her, there was one thing that kept hope alive for her.

Someday, that asshole alpha would be gone and her mom would be free and they could see each other again.

In her Mom’s absence, Alli had happily stepped in as Sadie’s family and she’d loved sharing the day with her fallen angel friend as she prepped for the ceremony with the help of Gavin’s mom, Maya, and several other females, including his sister Aeryn.

She was escorted to her mate by his dad, and the ceremony, which they waited to start until after sunset so that Aeryn’s mate Merrix could attend, was so sweet. The pride was gathered in the backyard of Maya and Midas’s home, and the king of the pride presided over the mating, officially joining her and Gavin as mates and making her a full member of the pride.

When the ceremony was finished, there was a party with tons of food, and then Gavin surprised her by explaining the pride was going to hunt together and she’d finally get to hunt with her mate.

“I’m going to stick around and help watch over the little ones,” Alli said, holding Seraphina. “Have a great hunt.”

Sadie moved to leave when Alli grabbed her hand. “I’d love it if you’d consider me family now, Sadie. Whatever is going on with your mom shouldn’t mean that you don’t feel like you have family of your own. I know Gavin’s family is stepping up for you and I’m so happy for that, but until things change for your mom, you can consider me your big sister if you’d like.”

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