“I already turned the music off. If Mad wants to play drunk idiot karaoke, he can do it in his own home.”
Maddox wondered if he should respond to the insult. Colt was the only pack member—except for their father—who got a free pass when it came to disrespecting him. Considering he was still more than half drunk and Colt wasn’t wrong in his description of his behavior, he let it go.
Besides, he needed Colt on his side. This house belonged to him, the land it sat on was Colt’s territory. And it wasn’t like he could return home.
“Can’t go back to my place.”
The edge of Colt’s jaw went hard. “Why the hell not?”
“Because I left Evangeline at my house last night. Once I cooled off and I realized I was being an ass... I couldn’t go back and face her.”
Dodge let out a short laugh. He wasn’t a shifter, was pure human before he died and became a ghost, but hell if that didn’t sound like a bark. “Holy shit. Never thought I’d see the day that the Mad Dog was actually afraid of something. And a human woman, too? Man alive, I never would’ve guessed it.”
Was he afraid? Of course he was. He’d never admit it out loud, but he was absolutely terrified. Not of Evangeline, not exactly. What she represented, though? What it would mean if his human rejected the bond that had already burrowed so deep inside of Maddox that nothing could get rid of it?
“Priscilla,” mused Colt.
Maddox stared up at his brother. Maybe he was even drunker than he thought because, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why that name popped out of Colt’s mouth.
What about Cilla? It wasn’t as if Maddox had seen or talked to her in, well, forever. Once he started to woo Evangeline, it just didn’t seem right.
His gut clenched. Another reason why he needed the bond completely finalized. Until his wolf was sure that no one could come between him and Evangeline, he only felt a mixture of repulsion and disinterest when it came to any other woman—even lifelong friends.
“What about her?”
“She’s a witch. I’m sure if you asked, she’d use her magic to dissolve your bond.”
He blinked. Did he think nothing could get rid of his bond?
That… that wasn’t quite right. There were two fool-proof ways to sever a bond. One: death. But the second way? Hiring a witch to use their powers to perform a lobotomy-like procedure that would just about erase his mate from his mind and his heart. When he didn’t remember Evangeline, it wouldn’t hurt so bad that she didn’t want him as much as he needed her.
Too bad that that could never really be an option.
“Why would anyone do that?”
Dodge faked a cough, then said in a sing-song voice, “Because she’s still in love with you.”
That wasn’t what he meant. Didn’t matter. It wasn’t like the nosy ghost was helping, either.
“Can’t you leave me alone?” Maddox growled.
Colt nodded. “Let me talk to my brother. I’ll see you later.”
With a tip of his derby and a shit-eating grin, Dodge popped out of existence again.
He didn’t go far. He couldn’t. Ever since Dodge started haunting Colt when Colt was barely twelve, the ghost was always hovering nearby. He used to explain it was because he had nothing better to do. Maddox spent years looking into it. There wasn’t much information about ghosts out there—and most of the phantoms weren’t talking—but it was obvious that a haunting was another type of bond.
It could’ve driven Colt insane. Instead, he became best friends with Dodge who, in almost every way, was his exact opposite. Which, Maddox long ago decided, was exactly why Colt got along with him.
The relationship went both ways. Colt was the only one Dodge liked—or listened to. So he was gone, only because Colt asked, but Maddox had sobered enough to realize that there was a good chance their conversation was still being overheard.
It was what it was.
Colt was watching him closely. “Should I call her for you?”
“Why would you think that’s a good idea? You don’t even like Cilla.”
“You’re right. I don’t. Never have.” And it wasn’t anything Cilla did wrong. Colt disliked witches as much as he hated every other non-shifter race. “But I’d be an idiot if I didn’t respect her magic. She’s good at what she does.”