Page 109 of Season of the Witch (Claws Clause 2)

Well, he did tell her that he had worked up an appetite.

“I think he’s getting a snack.”

; “Can you ping him? I’m not sure how your bonds work, but Colt needs to know something’s heading straight for his territory.”

Julian. Her blood ran cold.

“But it’s still daytime,” Shea argued. “Sun doesn’t go down for another hour at least.”

Dodge nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry. It ain’t a vamp.”

Then who?

She found her half of the bond, sensing it deep in her chest, and gave it a soft tug.

Sometimes she could almost swear she could hear him and she guessed that, once they were bonded a little longer, she might eventually be able to contact him the way she did her Nana. For now, she hoped that this was enough.

Within seconds, Colton came jogging into the living room, a plate with a half-eaten roast beef sub clasped in his grasp. “You called, my mate?”

She gestured at Dodge. “Not me. Him.”

Colton quirked his eyebrow. “Dodge? What’s up, man?”

“You got company.”

The ceramic plate shattered in Colton’s hand as he flexed his fingers, claws slipping out in a hurry.

Shea could sense the heat as the jagged edge sliced into his palm. Before she could even send some of her healing down the bond to Colton, his shifter regeneration kicked in.

Colton scowled, looking way more annoyed that he’d lost control and lost his half-eaten sub more than anything else. “What do you mean company?” he demanded.

“Looks like your pretty mate, but it’s a fella. Skinny guy. Black curls, a twitchy look about him. Give it a few and you would’ve picked up on him heading your way. No doubt he’s coming to see you two.”

In almost the same breath, Colton and Shea said, “Hudson.”

The wolf shifter growled. “What’s he doing, coming here? No one’s been able to track him down for a while now and he’s gonna show up at my house like nothing’s wrong? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Shea closed the lid on Colton’s laptop, setting it to the side. She stood up. “I want to talk to him.”

“Shea, no—”

She perched her hands on her hips. “He’s my brother. I’m not asking you, Colton. He’s family. Let me talk to him.”

Colton struggled with it for a second before firming his jaw. He nodded. “Alright. But my wolf still has it out for him, family or no. I have to stay back. I’ll go back to the kitchen, okay? But you can get me at any time. He asks you for something you don’t want to do, you call me. I’ll be right there for you.”

Huh. That was easier than she expected.

It warmed—and, okay, still kind of shocked—Shea to know that that was her life now. Colton Wolfe was her mate. No matter what, she wasn’t alone anymore.

Rising up on her tiptoes, she gave her unsuspecting wolf a sweet kiss. “Love you.”

“Yeah. Love you, too, my mate. Now make this quick. I don’t know how long I can keep my wolf back if your brother plans on bringing trouble with him.”

Shea was almost a hundred percent positive that, for whatever reason he had to hunt her down, Hudson was definitely bringing trouble to their doorstep. That didn’t stop her from waiting anxiously until she heard the frantic knock coming from the front door.

Taking a deep breath, she threw open the door.