Witching You a Merry Christmas

by Colbie Dunbar

  Witching You A Merry Christmas

  A Holiday Romance

  Colbie Dunbar

  Copyright © 2019 Colbie Dunbar

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Vale Valley Books

  One

  December First: Charlie

  “Oops!”

  I peered around the end of the aisle and stared, horrified, as a cardboard carton burst open, and twelve eggs leaped into the air. They giggled and kicked their tiny legs until, one by one, they smashed to the floor at the feet of Arlo, an omega mated to Hugo, the Vale Valley spell checker.

  Arlo stared at the mess and then eyed his family. “Poppy?” The little girl sitting in her stroller gazed at her omega father, her deep blue eyes open wide, and fluttered her lashes.

  “Fred?” The toad who was Poppy’s familiar jumped onto the baby’s lap and croaked.

  The omega’s gaze fell on his mate, and he closed one eye. “Hugo?”

  The powerful wizard harrumphed. “Really, Arlo? Dancing eggs?”

  Time to fess up. I willed myself forward and plastered a smile on my face. “Hello, everyone.”

  “Charlie!” Arlo grinned. “How are you?”

  Do I lie? This was Arlo’s first winter in Vale Valley and he probably hadn’t heard about my little problem leading up to Christmas. I shrugged as if it were nothing. “Well, it’s December first.”

  Hugo interrupted. “Oh, Charlie, I’d forgotten. I’m sorry.”

  Arlo frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

  “Not exactly.”

  The spell checker leaned over his mate. “Every year, beginning on December first and continuing until Christmas Eve, Charlie’s powers are…” He paused and I tensed waiting for that one word. “…off center. Lopsided. A bit crooked.” As each word spilled out of his mouth, I cringed. Please stop, Hugo.

  “Huh?” Arlo glanced from his mate to the eggs and then to me.

  “Wonky,” I muttered.

  The omega’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

  “My spells don’t work as they’re supposed to, and everywhere I go, disaster follows.” I pointed at the splattered eggs on the floor. “Like that. I didn’t cast a spell on those eggs, but my presence causes weird things to happen.”

  Hugo tapped his head. “And Charlie can’t see the future.”

  Arlo’s mouth gaped. “Oh!”

  The way Hugo described my so-called ability made it sound as if I could predict what was going to happen. I couldn’t. But I could see a few things quite clearly, and when that ‘gift’ was taken away, I stumbled through most of the month.

  I took most of December off work—using my vacation days—and rarely went outside. But this morning, the supermarket had messed up my delivery and I’d dashed in hoping chaos wasn’t nipping at my heels.

  Stepping over the mess on the floor, Arlo put an arm around me and glanced at his mate. “Isn’t there anything you can do, Hugo?”

  “Not beforehand, I’m afraid. Bedwyr’s been searching the records but hasn’t found anything.”

  Bedwyr was the head of the Vale Valley Coven, and my boss.

  “You must come for dinner tomorrow, Charlie.” Arlo kissed my forehead. “And we’ll try to cheer you up. Fred can entertain you. And remember, you can’t make an omelet without smashing eggs.” His voice petered out and I loved his lame attempt at being funny. The omega nudged Hugo, who was tapping a message on his phone.

  “Hmmm?”

  Arlo jerked his head in my direction.

  “Oh yes,” Hugo’s distracted voice boomed up and down the aisle. “Dinner. Charlie. Tomorrow. We’re making omelets. Got it.”

  Hugo’s otherworldliness almost had me sniggering, especially when Arlo rolled his eyes. But a sharp clacking of heels interrupted the conversation. Without looking up, I was aware of who was approaching.

  “Calista!” the three adults said in unison.

  Dr. Calista Pond was the administrative head at the Vale Valley Hospital. Like Hugo and me, she was part of the witching community. By her side was an omega I’d seen once outside the hospital.

  The witch greeted us and bent over the stroller. “Hello, Miss Poppy.” The baby waved a rattle at her. Calista glared at the toad. “Fred, I need a word with you about a croaking competition that woke up many of the hospital’s patients last night. Tomorrow. My office.”

  Fred gave a throaty grumble, and he and Poppy shared a glance.

  Arlo outstretched his hand to the other omega. “We haven’t met. I’m Arlo.”

  “Sorry,” Calista interrupted. “This is Miles, who’s just been appointed as my assistant.”

  But before any of us could introduce ourselves, Rosemary Vale, the community founder and former Vale Valley mayor—who was also an alpha shifter—bustled around the corner pushing a cart piled high with alcohol, cheese, olives, chocolates, crackers and nuts. “Hello everyone.”

  The alpha’s gaze fell on me, and she opened her arms and gave me a hug. “Charlie, I assumed you were hibernating as it’s December first.”

  I made a face and nodded at the mess on the floor. “I should have been.”

  Rosemary put her hands on her hips. “Hugo? Calista? Have you forgotten your manners?” She pointed at the broken eggs. “Help Charlie clean this up, please.”

  The spell checker and Dr. Pond clicked their fingers and the eggs pieced themselves together and jumped back into the egg carton.

  “Wow!” All eyes flicked to Miles, whose mouth was gaping. He blushed at the attention and snapped his mouth closed.

  “New to Vale Valley, Miles?” I inquired.

  The omega nodded.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Arlo pointed out. But as the words left his mouth, Poppy levitated above the stroller. “Or not,” he whispered.

  Rosemary clapped. “I’m having a little get-together tomorrow evening. You must come. All of you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I protested. “Besides, Arlo has invited me for dinner.”

  “Come to me instead. You can have a meal at Arlo’s any day,” the alpha insisted.

  “I’ll be there, Rosemary.” Dr. Pond tapped her watch. “But I’m late for dinner so I must go.” She dashed off, leaving Miles standing awkwardly inspecting the contents of his basket.

  The former mayor’s eyes darted from me to Miles. “But you must come…”

  “…Miles,” the omega answered.

  Rosemary clapped her hands. “Perfect. See you at eight.” Pushing the cart ahead of her, she charged up the aisle and headed to the produce section. “And there’s no need to bring anything. Just yourselves,” she yelled over her shoulder.

  Everyone peered at the alpha’s retreating back.
“She’s a whirlwind,” I observed. “But I’m going to bow out. I can’t face people, especially on the second day of December.”

  “I’m going to do my best Rosemary impression and say you can’t, Charlie.” Arlo waggled his finger at me.

  I burst out laughing. “That does sound like her.” Rosemary was my next door neighbor and we knew one another well.

  “She only invited me to be polite, so I won’t go.” It was first the full sentence Miles had said. He was soft-spoken and pushed his dark-rimmed glasses up with one hand while the other gripped the supermarket basket containing a small pot of yogurt and a packet of crackers.

  I studied the omega’s light brown hair curling over his collar and the freckles dotting his nose and cheeks, but it was his hazel eyes, flecked with gold, that caught my attention.

  Arlo noted, “Rosemary’s invitations are more of a command. If you don’t appear, she’ll turn up on your doorstep to find out why. I’ll be there with Poppy.”

  Fred croaked.

  “And Fred. But Hugo will be…” He pointed upward and Miles stared at the ceiling.

  “Dead?” Miles squeaked as blood drained from his face.

  I took pity on him. Being in the Valley a short time, magic was still unfamiliar and scary. “Hugo will be at his cottage up the hill. Humans drain his powers if he’s around them for too long, though Poppy’s presence tamps it down a little.”

  “Oh.” Miles’ white knuckles gripped the basket as his eyes darted around the supermarket.

  Is he searching for an escape route? “I live next to Rosemary. Why don’t you come to my place first, and we can go to the party together? It’s easier to enter a gathering of people with someone rather than by yourself.” My voice faltered. “At least it is for me.”

  “Thank you…”

  “Charlie.”

  From the corner of my eye, I was aware of Arlo nudging his mate. But Hugo was instructing Poppy on the finer points of levitation and not paying attention.

  After giving Miles my address and waving goodbye, I wandered home, leaving a mini-path of destruction in my wake. I hurried past the lake as waves did high kicks on the surface, while outside the library, Leah’s frantic voice rose above the wind as she yelled, “Everyone duck!” Hugging my coat around me and tugging my beanie lower, I grimaced, imagining books flying off shelves.

  Hardy evergreens bowed and waved at me and Christmas lights shouted, “Watt’s up?” as I raced toward my house. Every year at this time, I half-expected the mayor to adopt a resolution stating I was banned from going outside until December 25.

  When I flung myself inside and locked the door, I rescued a lamp teetering on its side and my goldfish who was hanging on the side of its bowl as water sloshed out the top.

  But as I sank onto my couch and flicked through TV channels, my hand holding the remote froze. I’d invited Miles to my place. What was I thinking? He’d witness the insanity that was my life through most of December.

  Two

  December Second: Miles

  After everyone said their goodbyes and Charlie and I had exchanged phone numbers and he’d texted me his address, I wandered the supermarket aisles in a daze. As I was a recent Vale Valley arrival, I hadn’t met many people apart from work colleagues.

  It was pure coincidence that I was in the supermarket with my boss. We’d been discussing a new hospital policy. Dr. Pond announced she had to dash to the supermarket and asked if I’d come so we could continue talking.

  But I thought back to when she’d raced off and had nothing in her basket. That’s weird. Maybe it was a witch thing and all her purchases magically appeared at check out.

  Magic continued to mystify me. It was part terrifying and fascinating. But my heart melted at poor Charlie and whatever his problem was. Broken eggs and not wanting to go outside? I was intrigued, as I loved a good mystery. Was it something to do with winter? Perhaps he hated the lead up to Christmas and wanted to avoid the fuss. I must ask him. No, that would be rude. I’d wrangle the information from Calista.

  I chose a bottle of wine, even though Rosemary had said not to bring anything. At least I’d have something to do with my hands instead of them hanging limply by my side. Why had I agreed to this? I wasn’t much good at small talk, though being in a room with shifters, witches and maybe a vampire or two was exciting.

  I continued checking my phone on the way home and wondering if Charlie had canceled, secretly hoping he hadn’t. Perhaps he could be my first proper Valley friend.

  But he was a wizard. How old was he? How could my life, with its ups and downs, compare to that of a man who’d lived possibly for centuries? Or maybe he was younger than me. What would we talk about? As usual, a thousand questions whizzed though my mind.

  The following day, I tore home from work, and after showering, shaving and grabbing the wine, I headed to Charlie’s. It was snowing when I arrived, and the pretty town reminded me of a Christmas card.

  I gazed at the wizard’s little cottage. I’d never seen anything like it. Is it made of gingerbread? I was half tempted to break off a piece and find out. But I was reminded of what happened to Hansel and Gretel and decided against it. I shivered, and it wasn’t due to the temperature.

  Instead, I focused on the tiny house covered in twinkling Christmas lights with a reindeer and snowman in the front garden, both made from grape vine and draped with more lights.

  I sighed, thinking of a lone stocking hanging over my mantlepiece and a tiny Christmas tree in the front window. But as I walked up the path, and snowflakes fluttered around me, the reindeer lifted its head and winked.

  Shit! Did I imagine that? I froze, not wanting to move forward or backward. Am I going crazy? But the snowman barreled over the front yard toward me with a huge grin on his face and his hand outstretched. No. No! Noooo! I screamed, “Charlie!” and raced toward the front door.

  The snowman was gaining on me, and its icy breath on my neck had me trembling. I pictured tomorrow’s headlines. ‘Omega Dies From Frostbite’. But the front door opened and I fell head first into the wizard’s arms. “The snowman,” I blubbered as I tumbled on top of him and he slammed onto the floor. I closed my eyes, waiting for frosty fingers to claw at my shoulder, but the door banged shut.

  Charlie put his arms around me as I gulped, and my body quivered. I lifted my head and peered around the room. “Where is it?”

  “Outside.”

  “But he was going to…” What exactly? I had no idea. I’d never met a snowman.

  “He was being friendly and failing. He didn’t intend to hurt you.”

  “Perhaps you should put that on a sign outside the house,” I told him as I pushed up my glasses perched at the end of my nose.

  “I never thought of that.”

  He thinks I’m serious! “Never mind.” I was suddenly conscious of lying on top of a virtual stranger. One who had the most gorgeous green eyes and prickly stubble on his chin. And his heady scent reminded me of cloves and nutmeg.

  I was pretty sure my dick was resting on his cock. Fuck! Embarrassing! “Ummm…” I crawled off and lay on my back. “Does that sort of thing happen often in the Valley? Because if it does, I’m not sure my heart can take it.”

  Charlie got up on one elbow. “Nope. That was me. And I a-apologize.”

  “You did that? You mustn’t get many visitors if you scare the bejesus out of them.”

  “I don’t.” He nibbled his bottom lip. “It happens every year during Advent. December first through twenty-fourth. My abilities are… impaired.”

  That’s a polite way of putting it. “You mean they’re fucked!” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. That was harsh and so rude.

  But the wizard’s green eyes widened, and his jaw slackened. I hoped he wasn’t going to throw up. But instead he howled. Yeah, he bent over and freaking laughed. Tears poured down his cheeks and his chest heaved with huge shuddering spasms. It’s not that funny. Is it?

  When he
was done, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “You’re the first person who’s ever been truly honest. Most are well-meaning, like Arlo and Rosemary, and want to hug me. And then there are the ones who won’t have anything to do with me until Christmas Day.”

  “People are mean sometimes.” Like me. “I’m sorry my words were cruel.”

  He helped me to my feet. “But you told it like it is, Miles. I like that. Thank you.”

  It was then I remembered my gift for Rosemary. “I dropped a bottle of wine outside. Do you think the snowman and his buddy, the reindeer are drinking it?”

  The wizard made a face. “A drunk snowman!”

  “Not a pretty sight.”

  We peeked through the curtains but the bottle was where it had fallen, and was now covered in snowflakes. “How do we get out of here? Will the snowman hold us hostage?”

  “No. I understand it was terrifying, but he wanted to get to know you.”

  That was worse. I’d rejected an offer of friendship. “I guess his idea of being friends and mine are different.”

  “If you’d prefer to skip Rosemary’s party, I can take you home,” Charlie offered.

  “Nope. I’ve never let a snowman get the best of me and I’m not about to start.”

  He gave me an odd look. “Been chased by a lot of snowmen, have you?”

  “It was a joke, Charlie.”

  He nodded. “Okay, of course. I get it.”

  “How do you get on at work in December?” I imagined shredded paper snowfalls and colleagues tripping over drunken printers, and computers swallowing mulled wine and nibbling cookies.