“Yeah. That’s that meal right before lunch,” Gideon quipped.
“Ha-ha, brother. You’re a comedian now, huh? Okay, funny man, what happened to you last night?”
Gideon turned his back and gulped most of the brown liquor from his glass. “What are you ta—”
“Don’t do that brother,” Gabriel interrupted. “I felt something. Was it pain? What happened?”
“I ran into my mate,” Gideon said softly without turning around.
“Mate? Seriously? Good shit, brother! Congratulations!”
Gideon took another swig and turned to face his brother. Gabriel’s brow wrinkled, and Gideon could see the question in his eyes.
“What is it?” Gabriel asked. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s a Roux,” Gideon blurted before he could lose his nerve.
Gabriel paled instantly. Gideon could feel his brother’s sadness.
Gabriel sighed. “It’s forbidden.”
“By whom?”
“This was a rule that you made!”
“Aaand, I’m gonna be the one to break it.”
“It was a mutual agreement between the pack and the Moreau line.”
Gideon slammed his glass on the bar a little harder than he intended. He poured himself another shot and knocked it back.
“Gideon, the consequences of getting involved with the Roux will—”
“Gabriel!” Gideon roared. “I’m a fucking wolf! Why are you speaking to me as if I have any control over this mating shit?”
Gideon slid the glass across the bar and left the room before Gabriel responded with something that would surely piss him off. Why his brother was behaving as if he didn’t understand his situation, Gideon didn’t know. But the one thing he did know was that, rules be damned, he was going to have Enola Roux.
CHAPTER TEN
“You’ll be back.”
Enola thought of her grandmother’s last words as she dragged her roller bag through O’Hare Airport. To visit her gran, she would be back, but she wouldn’t be entertaining her family's supernatural bullshit.
It was nearing midnight in Chicago, and she had endured a long day of travel. Since she’d changed her return flight, she had to catch a flight with two connections. She was exhausted and couldn’t think of anything better than her bed.
Enola passed through baggage claim, thankful she hadn’t checked any luggage, and exited the airport. She pulled out her phone and summoned an Uber. She inhaled the night air, grateful that it was a little chilly. Coming home to Chicago felt kind of like removing the heat blanket that was the New Orleans weather.
As Enola waited, not so patiently, for her Uber, she was suddenly cocooned in warmth. Her skin tingled, nerves on edge, and a familiar scent floated through the air. Enola took a second to enjoy the aroma before searching the area for its source. She scanned one end of the airport, then the other, but she didn’t notice anyone that was familiar. Before she could further investigate, a Toyota that was surely her Uber was pulling over in front of her. Enola rolled her bag over to the driver, and took another quick look around before hopping in the back seat.
* * * *
“I am sooo glad you’re back. I need to crash here for a couple up days.”
Enola sidestepped out of the doorway so that Crystal and her little girl, Dania, could enter. Crystal kicked off her shoes, crossed the room, and plopped down on Enola’s sofa. Enola lifted Dania onto her hips and kissed the two-year old’s fat cheek.
“I’m watching that!” Enola shouted when Crystal reached for the remote.
“Well, damn. Okay,” Crystal murmured.
