Page 25 of Callum

“You get along with Anna okay?” Elliot wondered, his fork paused halfway to his mouth.

“Everyone likes Anna,” Sydney chuckled.

Callum sighed. “She’s a cool lady. She worked about as hard as me and Rafe. Most of the rest of the ladies drank tea and gossiped, but Anna was good.”

“Callum wasn’t sure at first,” Elliot told the table.

“Why?” Sydney seemed genuinely confused.

He shrugged. “It’s Thatcher’s mom, right? I didn’t know what to expect.”

Aunt Charlotte stared down at her plate, her fork still. “Sometimes, evil is bred and nurtured. Other times, no amount of good parenting can change what’s in someone’s heart.” She glanced up at Elliot. “We do our best not to show him fear, not to give him reason to feel threatened.”

Elliot nodded, but didn’t meet her gaze. “Mouth shut. Head down.”

His cousin glanced at him, gave his head a brief shake, and then returned his focus to his food.

Swallowing, Callum defused the tension with a switch in conversation. “I got a whiff of my mate today.”

His words were quiet, yet all three latched onto the alternative topic.

“You found her?” Elliot sounded shocked.

“Not yet.” Excitement overrode his nervous senses, almost making him itch. “But she’s here.”

“Where did you catch the scent?” Aunt Charlotte wondered.

“At the garden site.”

Elliot set his plate on the patio table. “Really?”

Callum sat back in his chair, resting one ankle over the other knee to keep himself from bouncing. “Rafe thinks it was probably a daughter of one of the women there today.”

Sydney leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. “Do you have a plan on how you’re going to find her?”

Callum shrugged. “Fate’s brought me this far. I figure it’ll work itself out soon.”

“What if she’s signed up for the Curusm? Will you run in it if she is?”

“No.” Callum frowned, but refused to expand on his answer. Not when his cousin had gone and signed herself up for the ritual.

No way was he running in that thing. If his mate had signed up, he’d just have to seduce her before time ran out.

She was his. He might leave it up to Fate to find her, but no other man would have the chance to imprint on her. He’d make sure of it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“You up for a few more adventures tonight?”

Callum paused while buckling his seat belt. “What do you have in mind?”

Elliot started the truck and backed out of his mother’s driveway. “I’ve got a couple more friends you should probably meet. If you end up staying for a while and need a set of wheels, they’ll be the best ones to help you find a ride.”

“Sure.”

“Besides, I could use a drink after finding out about Syd.” Elliot shook his head, but focused on the road.

Callum felt bad for him. He hadn’t been particularly thrilled when Fredrica brought Maddox around and they were fated mates. He couldn’t imagine having to worry about his little sister potentially being raped in some stupid male chest-thumping contest.

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