by P. Jameson
Mason raised an eyebrow and she realized what she’d done. Claimed Dandi.
“Your baby?”
“Yes,” Layna hissed. “Mine.”
“Ours.” Ryan’s hard voice brought her gaze to him and her heart softened at the fierce determination on his face.
She nodded. “Ours.”
“It was a perfect curse,” Nastia murmured. “These shifters were altered in a way that will change the entire werecat culture. Because… correct me if I’m wrong, sisters, but… fire can’t burn ice.”
Sunshine nodded. “That is correct.”
“And if fire can’t burn ice…”
“Then the females can’t be forced to mate against their will,” Mirena finished. “They can’t be hurt anymore.”
“Exactly.”
The whole place fell silent, the implications of what this meant burning deep in each of their hearts. Layna knew that her clan was struggling in the same way she was, with the same chain of emotions. Relief, sadness, hope, victory.
Victory.
Victory, because she’d been fighting for this her entire existence.
Tears pricked her eyes and she couldn’t pull her gaze away from her mate. Through their bond, she could feel his love… and the love for the gift they’d been given so unexpectedly.
Dandi. Their very own Christmas Miracle.
Ouachita was always magical at Christmastime, and it hadn’t failed this year either.
Chapter Thirteen
Two weeks later…
Layna stood beneath the towering pine trees that crowded in around Lake Haven Lodge. They were intricately strung with lights, as was the lodge. People from the neighboring town of Westin had gathered with their families, nursing hot cocoa and Eagan’s famous cookies, and any minute now Owyn would flip the switch to turn the lights on. Music would play and the entire place would come alive with Christmas spirit.
But best of all?
She wrapped her arms around Dandi where she was nestled in the wearable carrier. She wore the baby right there on her chest as often as she could to make up for the time she’d missed growing her inside.
Best of all, this year, she had her own little bundle of joy to hold close when the lights came on.
“And you have the baby too.” Mason’s voice came from behind her and she twisted to eye him. “Oh! You didn’t mean Ryan?” His joke fell flat with the troubled expression that haunted his eyes.
“He wasn’t the little bundle I was thinking of, no.”
Mason jammed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. “Look, Layna…” He found her gaze again. “I wanted to apologize. You know… for the way I brought Felix into your home. It wasn’t fair to blindside you like that. I knew I wouldn’t get him close enough to say what needed saying without a little subterfuge. I hope ya understand.”
Felix was healing in a cabin at the edge of the property, under constant guard. Even though the Sorcera swore he was no longer a danger to the clan, the males couldn’t be swayed. There are young to protect, Magic had boomed when Mason suggested they could slack off on guard duty for the lighting. He was still mad at the Elder for sneaking Felix in, even though he’d had a good reason for doing it. Time would tell if Mason would win back Magic’s trust. Layna was betting they’d be back to speaking normally by New Years.
Especially since Mason warned that more females would approach the Ouachitas looking for a safe haven. She knew Magic well enough to know he wouldn’t turn his back on ones who needed help. And he wasn’t completely ignoring Mason, otherwise he wouldn’t have told Renner and Ryan to have their crew build five new cabins on the property.
Layna studied Mason. She hadn’t ever seen the cat so reserved. As Sunshine said, he thrived on needling. On being right. But most of all, he thrived on helping the ones he loved. And boiled down to the nitty-gritty, that’s what he’d really done.
“Aw, you’re off the hook. Guess you weren’t ever truly on it to begin with. How could I hold a grudge when I’ve been given this for a gift?” She tilted the baby carrier so he could see Dandi’s bright eyes.
“She’s beautiful, Layna. I’m damn happy for you and Ry.”
“Yeah?” she murmured. “I’m happy too. Truly happy.”
She lowered her nose to Dandi’s soft tuft of hair and breathed her in. She was such a good baby. In the past two weeks, Layna and Ryan had settled into a rhythm with her. There had been disastrous nights, and there’d been magical ones that felt like everything was locking into place. Layna imagined it would be this way for the rest of their lives, disasters mixing with perfection. That was just living, wasn’t it? Bad days mixing in with good ones. Alone they each seemed extreme, but blended together and thrown onto the canvas of life, they made a damn pretty picture.
She felt her mate come up behind her. He slid his hands over her hips, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
“How are my girls?” Ryan asked. “This asshole giving you hell?” His voice still held an edge because of what Mason had done, but she knew he was grateful to his bones for what had occurred. The proof was in their bond. The connect was three-fold now and stronger than ever.
“This guy? Eh, he’s all right. Just wanted to see the baby.”
Mason grinned and punched playfully at Ryan’s shoulder. “I’d better go find Sunshine. The lights are about to come on. Y’all don’t get too gooey with all your newfound happiness, now, ya hear?”
Ryan squeezed Layna’s hips. “Oh, just try and stop me.” He reached around her to brush his thumb across Dandi’s cheek and she gurgled her approval. “We’ve earned it. Time to enjoy it.”
“True, brother. True.” Mason muttered something she couldn’t hear as he walked off, but nothing could worry her tonight.
Over the din of the crowd, she heard Magic start the countdown. Five, four, three, two…
The place lit up and music exploded out of the speakers strategically placed around the building. Cheers rose into the night and the chatter picked back up as people danced or huddled around the firepit to talk about the upcoming holidays.
Layna smiled down at Dandi. The baby’s eyes went big, taking in the twinkling display.
Ryan chuckled. “She likes it.”
“Of course she does. She’s Ouachita. She was meant to love Christmas and all things related to it.”
He turned Layna to face him and tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “I heard you tell Mason you’re happy.”
Layna grinned. “Because I am.”
“You’re not worried about the future?”
She smoothed her palm around his neck. “Not anymore. Not since…” She bent closer to whisper. “Not since that night in your old room.”
“Yeah?” His eyes flashed hot at the memory and a shiver rolled up her spine in response.
“Yeah, Ry. You destroyed my fears that night. Fought them back like the fierce male you are. How can I worry about the future when you’ve never let me fall? Not even when we were both at our lowest.”
His hands came up to cradle her cheeks. “I’m always going to have your back, woman.”
She searched his face, glowing in the love she saw there. “I never doubted you. I only doubted myself. But I won’t make that mistake again.”
“If you do…” He lowered his mouth to brush his lips over hers so sweetly, her knees went weak. “I’ll be there to remind you who you are. Layna Blackfoot. My Layna.”
“My Ryan.”
He kissed her long and deep, owning her mouth the way he had for all these years. The way he would for the rest of their lives.
Dandi squealed and kicked in her carrier, bringing their attention down to her. Ryan cleared his throat.
“Baby’s watching.”
Layna laughed. “Our daughter does seem to like the attention on her, have you noticed?”
When he didn’t answer, she looked at him. His eyes were wide and his face held an expression of awe she’d never seen before.
“Our da
ughter,” he rasped. “You said our daughter.”
Layna smiled softly. “Yeah, it feels surreal doesn’t it? We have a daughter.” Saying it brought her so much joy she wanted to scream it from the mountain tops. She wanted to spread it around like fucking confetti for the whole world to feel. She bubbled with it, from the inside out.
“Our daughter,” Ryan said again, pulling them both close.
Tucked under his chin with their daughter between them, Layna said a quiet thanks for their Christmas miracle.
If Lake Haven could make magic like this happen for her, then she guessed it had plenty more miracles up its sleeve. So let the lost find their way here. Let the broken come. Let those who were different be welcomed with open arms.
The Ouachita clan was ready for them.
*******
Thank you so much for reading Merrily Ever After! I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like to, leave a review or drop me a message on Facebook!
Want more Christmas stories set in this world? Try All is Bright or A Mate’s Wish!
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About the Author
P. Jameson likes to spend her time daydreaming, and then rearranging those dreams into heartstring-pulling stories of trial and triumph. Paranormal is her jam, so you’re sure to find said stories full of hot alpha males of the supernatural variety. She lives next door to the great Rocky Mountains with her husband and kids, who provide her with plenty of writing fodder.
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