Page 43 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
“Oh, yeah. Couldn’t hide that red hair if I tried.”
“How often does she see her father?” Mads did not like that his mate had a calf with another male, but it was a fact that he could not change or ignore. Once bonded, his body only felt attraction to hers. Humans were different in that regard. It would be petty and mean-spirited to hold his mate accountable for a bond she did not feel or even knew existed.
Didn’t mean he liked it, though.
Odessa wiggled her feet into her shoes. “He died in Afghanistan. Jamie never knew Ruby, or even knew about her.” She spoke bluntly, having delivered the same information time and time again.
“I apologize.”
“You didn’t know.” She raised one shoulder in a shrug and her gaze drifted to the ice and a red-headed child. “Ruby was a surprise but she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. My absolute favorite person in the world.”
The gold in her aura deepened and threads of blue and violet wove through. She glowed with love and Mads wished that she could witness her own breathtaking splendor.
“How about you? Any kids?”
He shook his head. “No. Impossible.”
“Hardly. Do you see all the hot moms checking you out?”
Mads looked in confusion. Parents milled around the rink, some chatted but the majority had their attention fixed on their phones.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. He only wanted Odessa’s admiration. Soon she would see she was the only one for him.
Her hand nudged his on the bench. Carefully, their fingers interlaced. His heart swelled with anticipation at the contact.
“It’s good to be home,” he said.
Chapter 12
Odessa
Ruby hit the button on the garage door opener when the car turned into the driveway.
Something was wrong.
“Stop the car.”
Mads stopped before entering the garage, frowning. The back of her neck pricked, like she was being watched.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
“Just a minute, goblin. I need to think.” Then, as an afterthought, “Can we back the car up?”
He put the car into reverse and moved down to the end of the driveway.
What was wrong? In the fading light of early evening, the house looked the way it always did, safe and cozy with the porchlight on.
“Stay here,” Mads said, springing out of the car.
Footprints in the light layer of snow led from the front steps to the garage and then around to the back of the house. He followed those, slipping around the corner.
The snow had only recently started falling and barely had enough time to coat the ground. Whoever made those footprints was still there, possibly inside the house.
All the warm, gentle feelings of a day well spent faded away, buried under the snow.
“Mommy?”
Odessa shook her head, trying to dispel the prickly unease. She was being silly. Nothing was wrong. Shepherd’s Creek was a safe community. A neighbor probably knocked on the door.
