Six Saviors Christmas Novella

by Christmas Novella (retail) (epub)

  Dinner had been served, the dishes had been cleaned up, and he wiped down the counter for the last time. He longed to relax, and cooking usually helped him do so, but tonight, he hadn’t been able to focus. Thankfully, he’d made tacos and enchiladas, which he could do blindfolded and with his feet tied together.

  Throughout the day, he’d played Candyland with Killian and Eden, a game that she really enjoyed. Her squeals of delight as she moved her piece through the game surprised him, yet it only endeared her to him more. It almost seemed as if he had two young children, except one resided in the body of a grown woman.

  Earlier, he’d taken Benedict down to the gym, and the male’s gaze had widened at all the equipment. As Hudson showed him how to work the machines and put together the barbells, his son paid close attention, but didn’t say much. While Eden seemed to be fine expressing emotion, Benedict held his thoughts and feelings close.

  As his son lifted the barbell, pride swelled within Hudson. He’d been right. The kid was a strong and powerful.

  “When you fight these Colonists that you spoke of, do you use weapons, or is it bare-handed?”

  He grinned. “We use whatever we can. They fight dirty, and we play by their rules.”

  Benedict nodded. “And, if I were interested in joining this fight?”

  For a second, no had sat on the tip of his tongue as he tried to imagine doing his job and keeping an eye on his son. However, with the proper training, Benedict would be able to take care of himself, and they could always use a strong fighter. Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to totally commit to the idea.

  “I would train you in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. If you work hard, and I feel good about everything, then we can discuss it.”

  For the first time, a slight grin crossed his face. “When do we start?”

  Noah’s voice brought him back to the present. “Hudson, you up for some whiskey and pool?”

  Yes, the day had gone as well as could be expected, but Beverly was still MIA. He’d tried to call her a couple of times, and it had gone to voicemail. He finally realized that when she decided she would be ready to talk, she’d let him know. So, he needed something to take his mind off his problems.

  “Yeah, maybe after I get Killian to bed.”

  Blake walked in, his mood obviously vile. He said nothing, but got a glass of water, then left.

  Hudson realized Blake hadn’t been himself for a few days. Instead, he’d been quiet and brooding. He also hadn’t seen him and Sophia together. In fact, he hadn’t seen Sophia at all. She must be MIA, just like Beverly. Something had definitely happened between the two of them, and he felt pity for the male, but also commiserated with him. Both of their mates seemed to be very upset with each of them.

  He wouldn’t mind a few shots of whiskey. Maybe hanging out with Noah would take his mind off the black pit in his stomach and the ever-growing ache in his chest.

  “Yeah, I’m in.”

  An hour later, he met Noah in the Great Room, and was surprised to see Axel and Eden sitting on the couch, talking. Her cheeks seemed to be on fire, and the male reminded Hudson of a tiger ready to pounce on its prey. His protective instincts rose to the surface.

  Oh, hell no.

  That nasty son of a bitch would stay away from his daughter.

  Noah glanced over at them, and then met Hudson’s gaze with a chuckle. “Relax, man. Seriously. They’re just talking. I’ve been keeping an eye on it for the past few minutes.”

  He clenched his fists at his sides. “What are they talking about? Axel usually doesn’t have much to say.”

  “Religion. That’s it.”

  Religion?

  Maybe he’d misread the situation. He stared at them again. Perhaps Eden’s cheeks weren’t flushed with desire, but embarrassment. From what he’d gathered, she hadn’t interacted very much with anyone except Benedict in a long time.

  Axel, on the other hand, still looked ready to jump her. As he listened intently to what she said, he nodded thoughtfully, as if he hung on to her every word. Hudson didn’t believe that game for a second. He’d used the same method more than once to get into a chatty female’s pants. No one could play this player.

  “Hudson, she’s fine. We’re right here. Axel’s not going to try anything with us standing here.”

  Taking a deep breath, he nodded. He’d watch Axel closely and make sure Eden didn’t go anywhere with him. She seemed far too innocent to be tangling with a mean son of a bitch like him.

  He turned to Noah. “I think I need that whiskey now.”

  Two hours later, he’d downed seven shots. With each one, he’d told himself that this would be the magic amount to dull the pain he felt at Beverly’s absence. However, it didn’t work.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he scrutinized Axel, who now stood in the corner watching his game with Noah, sipping his drink. However, it didn’t take long for Hudson to realize that the male’s gaze kept sliding over to Eden, who sat on the couch watching television.

  He didn’t like Axel, but he also didn’t hate him. As far as Hudson was concerned, the male was a fucked up mess. He’d heard brief rumors about things that had happened to him in his childhood and made him the male he was today—quiet, brooding, and nasty. Hudson also figured that having his home blown to crap might make him a bit angry. Justice had also told him Axel could be a brutal killer when necessary, and would do anything to protect his own.

  Hudson stared him down, taking in the thick beard, the tattoo sleeve, and the deadened eyes. Yeah, the eyes always sent a shiver down his spine, and nothing scared him except the thought of Beverly not coming back.

  Axel’s gaze met his—two coal-black orbs staring at him with just a hint of white in the center. When an SR44ian turned into an evil Colonist, his soul turned black, and that became his coloring. Based on the fact that his eyes glowed black at night, Hudson figured Axel stood about two bad deeds before he turned.

  Actually, Hudson didn’t know if he could become a Colonist in his human form, although he didn’t see why not.

  All that seemed fine and good, and he was glad Axel played on their team. However, the way the male’s gaze kept bouncing over to his daughter—now that shit didn’t fly.

  The stare-down continued until Eden got up and walked over to Axel. She talked to him in low tones, and he nodded once.

  As they began walking out of the room, Hudson stepped in front of them. “You two aren’t going anywhere.”

  Eden’s gaze widened in surprise, while Axel stared at him, showing no emotion.

  “Father, what do you mean?”

  He kept his gaze trained on Axel. “I mean, you aren’t going to be alone with this male.”

  Axel didn’t flinch. “She wanted to know if I would show her how to make a cup of hot chocolate. We’re going to the kitchen.”

  The urge to beat Axel within an inch of his life itched at his fingers. “You go get the hot chocolate. My doha stays right here.”

  Axel leaned in so that he whispered in Hudson’s ear. “I think your doha is old enough to decide where she goes and with whom.”

  Hudson closed his eyes and something inside him snapped. He couldn’t hold it together anymore, especially with Axel involved. The male shouldn’t be anywhere near his daughter.

  Gripping the pool cue, he kept his tone low. “Back it up, Axel, or better yet, get the fuck out of this room.”

  Noah walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Hudson, it’s okay. It’s not a big deal.”

  He glared at Axel, who just stared at him, and that pissed him off more than anything he could have said. Game over. The fucker would be going down.

  Lunging at Axel, he swept his feet out from under him. The male fell to the floor, landing on his back, and Hudson raised his pool cue above his head, Eden’s screams sounding far away. The anger, sadness, and guilt in his soul raged within him, and in some small, sane space in his mind, he realized he probably shouldn’t be taking his issues out
on Axel, no matter how big a douchebag the guy tended to be.

  Just as he was about to lower the pool cue, Axel kicked him in the stomach, not enough to hurt him, but it sent him back a few steps. Noah stepped in front of Hudson and pushed him up against the wall while prying the pool cue out of his hand.

  Noah glared at him as he spoke, and Hudson could tell by the look on the male’s face he’d gone too far. “Axel, now would be a really good time to vacate. Eden, stay right where you are.”

  Axel got to his feet, his deadly gaze never leaving Hudson. As he took a deep breath, Hudson’s anger dissipated just a little bit. He eyed his little girl who stared at him in horror, and then guilt raged within him. By losing his temper and taking out his problems on Axel, he’d scared her.

  Noah loosened his grip a little. “Are we cool now, Hudson?”

  No, he wouldn’t be cool until Beverly came back, but he nodded anyway.

  “Good. I’m going to let go of you and step away. If you so much as flinch toward that door to go after Axel, I will take you down. Do you understand me?”

  “I got it.”

  Noah stepped back and gave him space.

  Eden stared at him a beat longer, then left the room. He made a move to go after her, but Noah grabbed his arm.

  “You stay in here, Hudson.”

  He sighed and lowered his gaze, his brain feeling as though it had been put through a blender. Nothing seemed to be going right. His actions barely made sense, even to him. He really didn’t know what Axel’s intentions had been. Maybe the male would have really shown Eden how to make hot chocolate. Or, maybe he’d jump her once they were alone.

  In the heat of the moment, Hudson had assumed the worst and frightened his doha. He wanted a relationship with her, and he realized being an overprotective ass wouldn’t be the way to do it. He also realized that all his emotions could be traced back to his mate being angry with him and shutting him out.

  “You good, now?”

  He nodded, even though he wouldn’t be okay until Beverly came back and he held her in his arms. Then, things could move into the okay zone.

  Noah sighed. “We need to get Beverly back.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  Chapter 6

  Three days before Christmas

  Hudson tidied up Killian’s room before heading to the gym. Stepping on a Lego, he cursed, then sat down on the bed waiting for the pain to subside. Killian loved his Legos, but those bastards hurt when they met bare feet.

  Lying back, he stared at the ceiling and briefly contemplated the difference between having a Lego grind into his foot and getting stabbed. Frankly, depending on where the knife entered, both levels of pain were about equal.

  He hadn’t slept well after last night’s fiasco, and he probably should find Axel and apologize, but frankly, he didn’t really care if he’d hurt the guy’s feelings—if he even had any.

  Hudson didn’t understand Axel—how the male could seem to have no emotions, and if he did show any, it would be anger. He tried to cut him some slack because, after all, his home had been blown to shit.

  However, it seemed like the emotion flowed through him, and he wanted to piss in everyone else’s cereal whenever he could. It wasn’t anything that he did or said, per se … but it just seemed to him that Axel wanted everyone as miserable as he was, and it drove Hudson crazy. The male could be toxic just by walking into a room, and he reminded Hudson of the flu—his germs spread easily.

  Most of the time, he could easily ignore Axel, but last night, it had been impossible. Even if Beverly had been around, he didn’t think he could have done it. However, that had been because of Eden’s presence. Axel was the last male he wanted to see her take an interest in, but maybe she hadn’t done that. Perhaps, they’d simply been going to make hot chocolate.

  Sighing, he hoped a workout would help improve his mood and clear his mind.

  As he stood, he caught his reflection in the mirror. He ran his hand over his square jaw and down to his wide chest. How his missed Beverly’s touch, the way she kissed him right at his pulse point in his neck that sent shivers of delight through him, how they’d stay up into late in the night talking in hushed tones. He’d found it fascinating that she had chosen to be with him. She’d always been more intelligent than he could ever hope to be, and sometimes, like now, he worried she’d realize it and leave. It would simply destroy him.

  Unfastening his ponytail, he gathered his long, black hair again and rewrapped the leather band around it. He longed to crawl back into bed, but he had obligations to fill today. People had to be fed; Killian needed him; he had to spend some more time with Benedict and Eden, and he should do something for his own well-being.

  No, there’d be no wallowing in self-pity today. Instead, he’d put one foot in front of the other, get his shoes, then head to the gym.

  As he shut Killian’s door, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Noah.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve got some good news for your sorry ass.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Beverly’s coming home today.”

  His heart leapt in his chest and he couldn’t stop the slow grin spreading across his face. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Roman said he wanted to talk to me, and Beverly wants to come back with him. They’ll be here soon.”

  Opening the door to his own quarters, he quickly picked up his clothes from last night that lay strewn on the floor. Then, he pulled off the sheets from the bed. “I need to go.”

  Noah chuckled. “Yeah, get your best duds on, clean up your quarters, and don’t forget to put new towels in the bathroom.”

  “On it.”

  He hung up as excitement coursed through him. Beverly would be home soon. Behind the happiness entered a shred of doubt. What if she were coming to get more clothing so she could leave again? And worse, what if she decided to take Killian with her?

  He tried to push the negative thinking aside as he pulled new sheets from the closet. After making the bed, he went into the bathroom and stripped down, then stepped into the shower.

  As he soaped up, tears stung his eyes at the anticipation of holding his mate again and trying to make everything right.

  Chapter 7

  Hudson paced the War Room watching the monitors for an approaching car. He’d promised Killian he’d interrupt his game of Candyland with Eden when he saw it.

  The morning had been quiet around the silo. He could see trouble still brewed between Sophia and Blake, and he still had no idea what all that could be about. Blake sulked around, and Hudson would worry about him if he hadn’t been up to his elbows in his own crap. He hoped that whatever had caused the rift between him and Sophia didn’t compromise his sobriety.

  He’d found Benedict working out in the gym with Cohen. Axel hadn’t made an appearance. Everyone else seemed to be going about their business.

  Nerves tickled his stomach as he waited. Excitement coursed through him, but that shred of doubt kept popping up in his mind.

  “You know, you’re driving me fucking crazy, right?”

  He turned, having forgotten Noah tried to work at the table. “Sorry. Just can’t wait to see her.”

  “I get it, Hudson. But staring holes through the front of the monitors isn’t going to make her get here any quicker.”

  He sighed and sat down. “What are you working on?”

  “Just looking over the notes on a profile the Phoenix P.D. had done on our Colonist, Daniel.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s good. Whoever wrote this nailed all the Colonist tendencies. A lot of work was put into this, and I kind of feel bad about it. They’re never going to catch him.”

  Hudson shrugged. “There’s nothing we can do about that, Noah.”

  “I know. They’re just wasting a lot of time and resources that could be dedicated to something else.” Noah rubbed his face and laid his head back on the chair. “I’m so tired, man.”


  Hudson chuckled. “Yeah, babies will do that to you.”

  “I’d love to have a few hours alone with Abby where we aren’t completely exhausted. It seems all we do is talk about Phoenix or take care of him.”

  “It gets easier.”

  “I sure as shit hope so.”

  Hudson glanced over at the monitor and a jolt of adrenaline went through him. “They’re here.”

  He stood and hurried over to the panel, pushing the button for the first gate, then the second. “I’ll see you later, Noah.”

  “Yup.”

  Stopping in the Great Room, he told Killian his mom had arrived back home, and the kid ran out of there like his ass had caught fire, screaming at the top of his lungs. Hudson followed him to the door, and they stepped outside just as the car pulled up.

  Beverly exited the vehicle and smiled as Killian launched himself at her. When she closed her eyes, happiness radiated from her as she gripped the boy in a bear hug, and his heart ached at the sight.

  He tentatively approached her, and after a moment, she looked at him. They stared at each other a beat as his love for her surged through him. He couldn’t stay away. Taking her and Killian in his arms, he felt so grateful to have his family intact.

  “Welcome home, Bev. We’ve missed you.”

  She kissed Killian’s forehead, then stared up at him. “I’ve missed you, as well. However, we need to have a discussion.”

  As he pulled his family close, he nodded. “I know, honey. I know.”

  Later that night when Killian slept soundly, they sat down on the overstuffed chairs and faced each other. Beverly drank a glass of wine, and he sipped a whiskey. His nerves still hummed at the thought of what she had to say, but it felt so good to be seeing his mate in the flesh. All night, he’d been stealing caresses on her arms, pulling her close for just a brief second so he could smell her shampoo, and she’d even let him get away with a very brief kiss.

  “As you can imagine, I’m very upset by this development, Hudson.”