Paperback novels teetered in stacks along the walls. Her bed in the corner was unmade. Family-picture collages covered the walls. Her family was huge. Foxes are pretty darn good at reproducing. Her place was lived in but strangely silent.
And that smell. It was like something died in here.
Oh, God. If something happened to Maddy...My heart thundered in my chest. Something wasn’t right.
Gabe the Ghoul padded out from the kitchen.
I covered the distance between us in two strides, grabbing him by his North Pole Community College sweatshirt. I lifted him off the floor.
“Where is she?”
“Hey!” Gabe swatted at my arm. “Put me down.”
His sweatshirt was ripped in several places. His flannel lounge pants were worn thin. His eyes were more bloodshot than usual.
“Where is she?” I struggled for calm. The sight of this ghoul in Maddy’s place made me want to tear his head off.
“Why should I tell you?” He sniffled.
“Do you really want to test me? Go ahead.” If there was anything more irritating than a lovesick ghoul, nothing came to mind. “I’m half mad with worry. The other half of me is just plain mad. And it’ll make me feel better to take out all this pent-up anger on someone. Do you want it to be you?”
Gabe flinched. “Don’t hit me again.”
I stopped. “I never hit you. What the hell is going on?”
“He hit me when he took her.” Gabe stared at the floor as he spoke.
My entire body flushed with heat, then a chill. “Who?”
Gabe blubbered, reminding me of a faucet that had sprung a leak. “I thought Max was my friend.”
“You’re sure it was Max who took her?”
He nodded.
“Where?” I said through clenched teeth.
“The succubus.” Gabe wiped his nose on his sleeve.
Fuck.I should have killed that succubus years before, when I had the chance.
“She wants Maddy because she’s pregnant.” Gabe sniffled.
“What?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you shifters have a shitty sense of smell. Both Max and I noticed she smelled different, but Max knew what it was. Apparently he’s been working with the succubus. But you knew that already, since you’ve been sleeping with her too. What a dick.”
“Hey!” I said. “That was a long time ago.” I paused. “But you’re right. It was a dick thing to do. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get Maddy back.”
I am a fucking idiot. All my fancy education and brains would be wasted if I lost Maddy. She carried my child. She was my mate. How could I have denied that for all these wasted years?If I’ve lost her...
All that mattered was protecting her and our child. Spending the rest of my life apologizing for my stupidity would not be enough penance. I had to hope she would forgive me.
But fuck, this rescue consisted of me and a lovesick ghoul with sinus problems. She deserved better than that.
And I had no snowmachine. Maddy had some hunting rifles. There was no one else around that I trusted.
“She won’t smell you if I’m around,” Gabe said.