Of Mistletoe and Mating (Claws Clause 1.50)

A couple of days later, nothing had changed.

Not really.

Not for a lack of trying on her part, either. It was just, every time she tried to have a heart to heart with Maddox, he looked at her with such adoration, she couldn’t help but convince herself that she was overreacting.

Then he’d disappear again and she’d regret staying quiet.

It snowed again, too, which, Evangeline was beginning to understand, was pretty normal for the mountains this time of year. It was so chilly, she was grateful for the space heaters on every floor and in every room of the cabin. Maddox might not feel the cold, but she sure as hell did, and it was warm and cozy inside, with or without her mate to warm her up.

The morning before, Maddox did surprise her with a Christmas tree that he cut down himself and carried it inside. He lifted it single-handedly, placing it in a tree stand that he pulled out of a closet somewhere, then left it alone so that the branches could fall.

By the next afternoon, the whole cabin smelled faintly like pine. Despite her grumpy mood, having the tree up made her smile. And that’s when Maddox walked into the front door with an armful of cardboard boxes and an impish smile on his rugged face.

“What’s all this?” Evangeline asked.

“My dad arranged for it for me. Since I didn’t want to leave this territory, one of the betas went back and got these boxes out of where Colt kept them in storage.” After setting the stack down, he popped open a couple of the boxes until he yanked out a plastic container full of shiny, glittering ornaments. “Can’t have a tree without any decorations.”

Her breath caught in her throat. A sheen of tears covered her eyes as she murmured throatily, “Oh. Maddox… that was so sweet of you.”

“You recognize them?”

Evangeline reached into the container he held out to her, lifting out a gold ornament that reflected her beaming face.

Recognize them?

Of course she did.

Back when they first met, around the time she was accepting what it meant to be a shifter’s mate, Evangeline celebrated her first Christmas with Maddox. It was right after she moved from Woodbridge to his Wolf’s Creek home to be closer to him.

A bachelor pad just crying out for a woman’s touch, Evangeline spent that whole December creating a magical holiday season that neither of them would ever forget. From the tree they cut down together to the meal she hosted for half the pack, it was one of the memories she treasured the most once Cilla’s spell was finally lifted.

She remembered the ornaments the most, though. Because Maddox was a shifter, she refused to let a single piece of silver decorate their home. Every bauble, every decoration, every strand of garland even was purposely chosen in shades of red and green and, most importantly, gold because it matched Maddox’s stunning eyes.

Just like this one.

She gave her hand a twirl, watching the ornament glitter and spin, and she smiled.

“I do. They’re perfect, babe. I love it. Thank you! I can’t wait to put them on the tree.”

“I’m glad. I know I’ve been busy, trying to track down Cilla, checking in with Colt, running border checks… I didn’t want you to think I forgot about Christmas. This time is for you and me.”

She was so touched by his gesture that she wasn’t thinking clearly. That was her only excuse for what she let slip as she marveled at the ornament in her hand.

“I know. That’s what I told my mom.”

“Your mom? You talked to your mom? You didn’t tell her where you are, did you? You’re only safe so long as no one knows where we are. Pack knows, that’s about it, and it’s really just Colt and my dad. I won’t risk you, Angie. I won’t do it.”

Evangeline set the ornament down. She didn’t want to accidentally break it; the way her hands were suddenly shaking, that was a possibility. “I didn’t tell her where we were spending the holidays, Mad. Calm down. She invited me over for Christmas and I told her we had plans. She understands.”

The scowl he was wearing actually deepened. “Invited you, right? Not us.”

“It’s not like that—”

“No? Let me guess. When your mother offered the invite, did she mention that Wright’s gonna be there, too?”

Adam Wright. Her ex… something.

“Maddox. Adam’s an old family friend. If he goes to my parents with his mother, I can’t stop it. I’m not going to be there. What does it matter?”