Hungry Like a Wolf (Claws Clause 1)

“I don’t remember getting here. I never would’ve come. I know there’s no way in hell I’d agree to go anywhere with a stranger, let alone end up in his bed. What… what did you do to me?”

He opened his mouth.

She wasn’t done. Her eyes widened, her bottom lip trembling. “Make me calm, you said. It was the coffee, wasn’t it? You… you drugged me? Why? Why would you do that?”

Because I had to.

You’re safe.

You’re with me.

Because I love you.

I missed you.

And I need you to remember me.

Any one of those statements would have expressed his thoughts and emotions and motivations in that very moment—except that’s not what Maddox said.

He took a deep breath, old habits leading him to pull her scent into his lungs. A lifetime of being able to control a situation by using his nose meant he was trying to pick up on strong emotions she never would confess to.

Was she angry? Sad? Scared?

One breath was all it took. If he hadn’t been locked down tight already, the punch of attraction coupled with the certainty that this woman was absolutely, undeniably his mate might have caused him to go feral. He had to have this woman and only his ironclad control kept him from joining his mate on the bed.

Instead, Maddox backed away from her, savoring her scent.

Vanilla.

For the first time since he found her again, Evangeline smelled like vanilla.

There were so many things he could have said to her. What came out of his mouth was—

“You smell… different.”

Oh, fuck. He couldn’t help it. Couldn’t stop his reaction, either. Already he felt the blood rushing to his groin. He thought the erection he got in the coffee shop was bad? Maddox was just about to sprout a third leg.

And she was glaring at him.

Well, at least she wasn’t trying to scream again.

He understood why as soon as she retorted. Reining in her fear and confusion, Evangeline was fucking pissed.

“I’m sorry,” she snapped, angrily kneading the edge of the sheet. She looked like, if she could get her hands around his throat, she’d be strangling him. “Guess it didn’t occur to me to refresh my perfume when I left the house this morning. Never expected I’d go out for a cup of coffee and end up abducted. Silly me.”

“That’s not what I meant. You smell like you now.”

She blinked up at him. Fury faded just enough for incredulousness to slip in. Evangeline looked like she thought he was nuts.

And maybe he was.

Because he was smiling.

That last comment she made? The sarcastic retort that almost seemed out of place considering he’d done just what she accused him of? Maddox had abducted her. He’d stolen her away from her home, her friends, her family, and her life, tucking her in a secluded cabin with just him.

And he was smiling because a comment like that was quintessential Evangeline.

She was spooked.