Like a Fox, Ridgeville Book 7 by Celia Kyle Page A

off. “ Gavin. ”
    Gavin growled, curling his lip and baring a
fang. “Mine. Mate.”
    His fox had taken over, the beast within
searching for the woman who belonged to him. To them.
    The bear’s eyes widened, but he backed up.
“Gavin?”
    Suddenly Elise was there, her attention
shifting from his shirt to him and back again. “You wore it! I’m so
excited.” His sister grinned and then frowned. “We should have
added ‘a lot’ to it. Or would that be false advertising? I don’t
want too much info, but we want to be accurate. Do you, you know,
do it a lot?” Elise gagged. “Never mind, even asking the question
made me throw up a little in my mouth. I take it back.”
    Gavin squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring Seno
and Elise while absorbing the essence of his mate. He inhaled, let
the scent fill his lungs, and released it in a rush. It was
stronger now, and Elise carried hints of the aroma.
    He grabbed his sister’s shoulders, leaned
down and ran his nose along Elise’s neck before pulling back.
“Where is she?”
    “Where’s who?” Elise wiggled away from
him.
    “His mate.” Seno answered her question while
Gavin fought for control.
    Close close close.
    Elise stilled. “Your mate? And I smell like
her?”
    He jerked his head in a nod.
    “Uh.” She glanced over her shoulder and then
back to him. “The only non-mated woman I’ve been around all morning
is Gina.”
    Gina. He let his mate’s name roll
through his mind, tasted it on his tongue. Gavin and Gina.
Cute. They’d name their cubs and pups Gabriel and Gemma. A big
“G” family.
    Gavin followed his sister’s gaze across the
diner, and his attention fell on the corner booth packed full of
women. He recognized Maya (the pride Prima), Carly (a rabbit),
Maddy (a lioness) and Elly (a squirrel) all sitting together. But
there was a single, gorgeous, seductive woman he didn’t
recognize.
    “She’s here?” He could smell the sudden case
of nerves that filled his little sister. “Elise?”
    She nodded. “Yeah. The brunette next to
Maddy.”
    It had to be her: the brown-haired,
hazel-eyed goddess hidden among the Ridgeville pride’s
troublemakers. He let his gaze linger on her long wavy hair, her
round face, wide eyes, pert nose, and lush mouth. The cut of her
shirt allowed him to see a hint of her abundant cleavage, and he
noticed more than one man appreciating the same view.
    Gavin growled. “Elise? I need…” He
snarled.
    “Okay, okay,” she stroked his arm and then
twined her fingers with his. “Let’s go.” A slight tug got him
moving. “No growling though. She’s had a rough time after Jenner
and all that. It’s been a year and a half, but… She doesn’t need
you being a meanie.”
    He recalled the lion who’d tormented his
sister. Jenner had been living a double life as both a depraved
member of Freedom and a Ridgeville pride member. And the man had
dated Gina through it all. His Gina.
    Even though Alistair McCain was dead,
courtesy of Ridgeville’s newest resident squirrel, Elly Karn,
Jenner was still in permanent custody by order of the Council.
    “Never. I never would. I’ll make her so
happy, sis.” The closer they got, the more he saw. The small mole
near the corner of her left eye. A tiny scar on her chin.
    Her beguiling scent grew stronger with every
step, slinking through him and wrapping around his cock like a
ghostly hand. He rapidly closed the distance between them, and then
she was there before him.
    “Gina, this is my brother, Gavin.”
    He extended his hand and she answered his
silent request, placing her fingers on his palm. The skin-on-skin
touch sent a bolt through him, a rough zing of electricity and
pleasure racing along his nerves.
    “Gavin, this is—”
    Gavin’s fangs burst from his gums,
lengthening in preparation of claiming his lioness. “Mine.”
    *
    Oh.
    Oh wow.
    Gina took a deep breath, drawing in the
scents of heavy oak, dirt, and all around deliciousness.
    This. This is what a mate smelled