Christmas Box set - (Complete 1-4)

by M. L. Briers

  “Not far. I’m staying at Anita’s cabin for the night.”

  “Where’s your mom?” Evan asked, not that he needed to know, the kid was welcome in his cabin any time he chose to come.

  “She went out for the night,” Marcus grumbled back.

  The kid was thirteen going on thirty. He’d had to grow up faster when his father had taken off on him, and his mother spent her days working and her nights looking for a replacement for his father.

  “Anita knows you’re here?” Evan asked.

  “We saw your truck come home, and she said if it’s okay with you then I can spend a little while here,” Marcus shrugged.

  “Well, turn on the TV and crank up the game system, we can go a few rounds,” Evan offered.

  That seemed to perk Marcus up. Evan could do two things at once, keep an ear out for his mate’s attempted escape, and keep the kid company.

  He wasn’t about to ignore Marcus just because he’d found his mate. The kid might not have been kin to him, but he was still family.

  “Who’s that guy hanging around outside?” Marcus asked as he reached for the remote control and flicked on the TV.

  “Believe it or not, that’s the Christmas fairy,” Evan grumbled. He stalked across the room and took a seat next to Marcus.

  Luckily, Marcus’ mother was a bear shifter. His father might have been human, but that wasn’t the kid’s fault.

  Evan couldn’t believe it when the kid’s father had taken off on him. That would never have happened if the man had been a shifter.

  Family first.

  “You’re pulling my chain,” Marcus chuckled.

  That sounded good to Evan’s ears. It wasn’t like the kid had much to laugh about, and if the Christmas fairy could lighten his load — then that was all good in Evan’s book.

  “I kid you not.”

  When Marcus flicked a look of disbelief at Evan, the man raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

  “Seriously?”

  “Would I lie to you?”

  “You never have,” Marcus offered back, and that gave Evan a warm feeling deep inside.

  “And I never will.”

  “The Christmas fairy! I didn’t even know the Christmas fairy was real,” Marcus chuckled at the thought.

  “Too damn real,” Evan growled.

  “And the Christmas fairy is a guy? I thought it was supposed to be a girl.” Marcus chuckled harder.

  “Well, the jury is still out on that one — did you see his hair?” Evan chuckled.

  “I heard that!” George called from outside the front door.

  Marcus spluttered, even more, laughter as he pointed an accusing finger at Evan.

  “Oh, boy, are you in trouble now,” Marcus whispered with a grin that stretched from ear to ear and a lighter mood about him.

  “I’m quaking in my boots,” Evan offered back.

  “So, if he really is a Christmas fairy then shouldn’t we get a tree?” Marcus frowned at the thought, his eyebrows pinched together over his nose, and Evan grimaced at the thought.

  “You’re right — we should,” Evan said.

  He didn’t much like the idea, but if the kid wanted a Christmas tree, then the kid got a Christmas tree. It wasn’t like they celebrated Christmas, but still, he always got a couple of presents to give to Marcus every year — he might as well have something to put them under.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  “Whoa, who’s that babe?” Marcus said as his eyes took in Deborah, she was wearing oversized sweatpants and a sweatshirt that Evan had provided for her, but she still looked good to him. He grinned from ear to ear.

  “Babe?” Evan rolled his eyes at the kid.

  “Who’s the mini-me?” Deborah shot back, as she folded her arms across her chest, and eyed the two of them on the sofa.

  “I’m Marcus, Evan’s friend, and I’m here a lot.”

  That sounded to Evan a lot like the cub was staking his claim and marking out his territory where the female was concerned. That was okay. Luckily for Marcus, he wasn’t old enough to strike up a challenge in the heart of Evan’s bear.

  “I’m Deborah, and I’m not planning to be here much longer,” she offered back and heard a low, warning growl that rumbled from Evan’s direction.

  Marcus turned his head and offered Evan a quizzical look. If the man was trying to impress that woman, then Marcus thought that he was going the wrong way about it by growling at her.

  “Dude, the growl?” Marcus tossed up a shoulder and questioned him with a look.

  “That’s okay, she’s a witch,” Evan offered back before even thinking about it.

  “A witch!” Marcus tossed his head back on his neck and roared with laughter. “The Christmas fairy outside the cabin and a witch inside — don’t tell me there’s a vampire under the bed and Santa’s on the roof?” Marcus chuckled.

  “There had better not be,” Evan growled.

  “What are you doing with a witch?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, what are you doing with a witch?” Deborah shot back.

  “I found my mate,” Evan growled in annoyance at the witch, but when Marcus tossed his gamepad down on the table and pushed up to his feet, Evan shot a look at the boy.

  “I should go,” Marcus’ mood had just turned sour once more.

  “Not on my account — I’m going into the bedroom,” Deborah said, and promptly turned on her heels and walked away.

  “I should get out of here. Anita is probably wondering where I am.” Marcus thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans and started for the door.

  “Hey, Marcus, this doesn’t change anything,” Evan offered back.

  “Sure it does,” Marcus said before he pulled open the door to the cabin and stomped outside, slamming the door behind him.

  “Hey, kid,” George’s voice came through the barrier of the door. “You wanna talk Christmas?”

  “Go sit on a tree,” Marcus growled back.

  “Damn it,” Evan growled.

  He didn’t want the kid to feel like his nose was being pushed out of joint. He got what Marcus was saying – but, in his mind; it really didn’t change a thing.

  He’d be there for Marcus, no matter what. It was a promise that he’d made to the kid back in the day, and he never went back on his word.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ~

  Evan stuck his head outside the cabin door, and Jessica zapped George out of the stupor that he was in.

  “What now?” George grumbled.

  “I need…” Evan bit down on his pride. If it was for himself then there was no way in hell that he would have asked that man for a thing, but it wasn’t, it was for Marcus.

  ‘Help – go on, you can say it…’

  “Fine, sure, that…help, thingy.” Evan growled, and George perked up just a little. His interest was piqued.

  “To do what?” George didn’t exactly feel that trusting of the man that liked to punch him at every opportunity.

  Evan cleared his throat.

  “I need…” Evan grumbled and then sighed.

  ‘A tree with the works?’ Jessica decided to let the big guy off the hook.

  “Yeah,” Evan frowned. He didn’t know fairies could read minds and wasn’t much sure that he liked that idea. “But, I’m sort of stuck…”

  ‘Wooing your mate.’

  “Can you not read my mind?”

  ‘Do I look like a vampire to you? There’s only one of us around here with fangs, and it’s not me.’

  “I can,” George said.

  “Read minds?” Evan scowled.

  “Get you a tree.” George offered the shifter a quizzical look, questioning his sanity.

  “Right,” Evan growled. “Good.” He pulled back in the doorway, and when Jessica cleared her throat, he grimaced. “Err…thanks.” Then he was back inside, yanking the door quickly closed behind him.

  ‘Men,’ Jessica sighed with a small shake of her head.

&n
bsp; “Thanks,” George grumbled.

  ‘Not you…’ Jessica started to backtrack.

  “So, what you’re saying is; now I’m not even a man?” George huffed as he kicked out at another clump on the ground.

  ‘You’re the Christmas fairy, George; you’re gender neutral.’

  George opened his mouth to speak but huffed instead. Then he snapped his fingers, shifted into his fairy form and whizzed by her.

  ‘Just watch the damn mates,’ he bit out before he took off.

  ‘George…?’ She watched his aura blink in and out in the veil of snow. ‘Oh, dear.’

  ‘Maybe you should stop teasing him,’ Miriam’s clipped tones sounded close to Jessica’s ear and startled her.

  ‘Fairy Godmother, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I think we have a problem.’

  ‘We do?’ Jessica didn’t like the sound of that.

  ‘We do, but I don’t think it’s the mates, but something has pinged up on my to-do list…’

  ‘Oh, what is it?’

  ‘If I knew that then I wouldn’t be here.’

  ‘Of course, sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be sorry. Just keep an eye out for trouble.’

  ‘With George around, that’s a given.’

  ‘He kidnapped the witch, didn’t he?’ Miriam watched the young fairy grimace.

  ‘Can I plead the fifth?’

  ~

  ~

  ~

  “Foods ready, come and eat,” Evan called through the barrier of the closed bedroom door. He was kind of surprised when she, almost immediately, yanked the door open in front of him.

  She did look good, well, in his oversized clothes maybe good wasn’t the word he was looking for. But the fact that she was wearing his clothes was like a claim all on its own.

  “You want me to eat?” It wasn’t just the tone her of voice that said she was going to be awkward; it was the fact that she’d raised her eyebrows at him as well.

  “Yes.”

  “With you?” Then she put her hands on her hips and Evan might as well have bent over and kissed his backside goodbye.

  “Yes.”

  “That sounds like a dangerous proposition — I mean, I’d hate to put my hand in the way and get it bitten off.” Then she folded her arms and assumed the stroppy look.

  “Well, if anything really ugly happens just stab me with your fork,” Evan said.

  Then without waiting for her answer, he turned on his heels and started away from her.

  Evan almost tripped over his own feet when the sound of her laughter pierced the air and rattled along the walls of the corridor. That sound was worth its weight in gold.

  One side of Evan’s mouth lifted in a crooked grin, and he kept on walking, not prepared to chance his luck and turn her mood sour again. She’d either come out of the bedroom, or she wouldn’t.

  Either way; he’d managed to lighten the moment between them.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  That good mood hadn’t lasted long for her. They ate dinner in relative silence with Evan not really knowing what to say to her, and Deborah not really trying to make conversation.

  “Merry Christmas — Ho-Ho-Ho!” George called out from outside the front door.

  “Is that the Christmas, fairy guy?” Deborah turned her scowl on the closed front door as if she could see him there.

  “The one and only,” Evan snorted.

  “Why is he still here?”

  “Believe it or not, he’s doing me a favor,” Evan grumbled back.

  He hated to ask anyone for anything — he’d rather do things himself. But he couldn’t chance leaving his mate alone when she was a runner.

  When Evan pulled open the front door, there was George, a large freshly cut pine tree in one hand, bags of goodies in the other, and even a Christmas hat on his head. But it was the big beaming smile that made Evan grumble inside.

  “I come bearing…” George started, but he didn’t get a chance to finish.

  “A Christmas tree?” Deborah snorted her contempt for him. “You do Christmas, do you?” She turned a quizzical look onto Evan.

  “Not normally, no” Evan grumbled again. He hated the idea of fairy lights, glitter, and baubles anywhere near his house.

  “You let the Christmas fairy talk you into it?” Deborah snorted a chuckle.

  “It’s for Marcus,” Evan offered back, and her attitude changed completely. She even changed her stance.

  “Oh, well, that’s different,” her voice was softer, gentler, and Evan liked it.

  George cleared his throat and snatched Evan’s attention back toward him. The bear grumbled a growl within him — he’d much rather be looking at their mate then at George wearing that stupid hat.

  “Well, the tree isn’t going to decorate itself, especially not if it’s out here in my hand.” George gave Evan an expectant look

  Evan reached out and wrapped a large hand around the tree, yanked it toward him, and popped it against the inner door frame. Then he took the bags, and he offered George the kind of scrutiny that made the Christmas fairy wonder if he was sizing him up for the barbecue.

  “Is that everything?” George asked.

  “No,” Evan snapped out, before he reached out and snatched the hat off George’s head, took one long step back, and slammed the front door closed in George’s face. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome!” George chuckled.

  “So, Marcus is part human?” Deborah asked.

  “The wrong part. The soft part. The part that doesn’t know what to do with his bear side,” Evan offered back.

  “And you’re giving him Christmas?”

  “He met the Christmas fairy,” Evan shrugged his broad shoulders, and Deborah hated to admit it, even if she wasn’t going to admit it to him, but something inside her softened a little towards Evan.

  “Well, you find something to plant it in, and I’ll help you decorate it.” She offered him a one-shoulder shrug, but Evan felt the change within her, and he didn’t think it was just wishful thinking.

  Maybe Christmas wasn’t so bad after all.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ~

  “That doesn’t go there,” Deborah chuckled at the sight of the cluster of red baubles that Evan had placed on one side of the tree.

  “Which one?”

  “Oh.” She took a sideways step closer to him and motioned to the whole cluster. “Just those eight or so.” She chuckled.

  “As you can tell — I’m not very girly about these things.” Evan dropped his chin toward his chest and grumbled.

  She chuckled again, and he liked that sound. He snatched a look at her from under his dark brown — the sun came out when she smiled.

  “Shocker,” Deborah offered as she tried really hard not to grin from ear to ear. He looked like a scolded child.

  Evan’s bear was already sitting so close to the surface that when the beast tried to push forward, Evan had to act fast to slam that cage door shut.

  The last thing that he needed was to offer her a fangy grin. He reckoned that would probably go down like a lead balloon.

  “Maybe I should just pass them to you and point?” Yep, she couldn’t stop that smile from happening. The best thing about it was, she got a smile in return.

  Or maybe that was the worst thing about it, because when the man smiled at her, her stomach pitched, rolled, dropped, somersaulted, and then flopped over with a case of the vapors.

  Damn his good looks, hard body, and growly charm.

  There were no two ways about it, Evan was getting to her — or, at least, the mating pull was getting to her. She didn’t know which one it was, but she was sure she didn’t like it — or she did like — she was confused.

  Evan’s mobile phone went off and almost made her sigh with relief. Caught under his spell, her feet had flatly refused to move away from him again, at least now he was distracted.

  With a grumbled growl, Evan pulled the phone
from his pocket and swiped it before placing it against his ear.

  “What?” He demanded in a voice that said he would much rather have sunk his fangs into whoever was calling him then have to speak to them.

  Deborah found the willpower to move away. She bent at the waist to retrieve another bubble and heard the man’s hungry growl from close behind her.

  Deborah snapped up and turned to offer him a scowl.

  “About an hour ago,” Evan growled into the phone. He had a scowl of his own on his face, and it wasn’t for her. “Don’t worry — I’ll hunt him down.”

  Evan’s words were underlined by a hearty growl, and when he cut off the call, Deborah almost expected the phone to snap in two under the pressure of his thumb.

  “Something I can help with?” Deborah asked.

  The change in Evan was obvious, she didn’t need to ask if something was wrong, it was, and from the look of him — it was bad.

  “Marcus is missing,” Evan growled and turned toward the front door. He got two steps, stopped, and turned back toward her as if she was an afterthought. “I need to go look for him — but I need you not to…”

  “I’ll go with you,” Deborah said, and Evan was already shaking his head.

  He thought that was a bad idea. He couldn’t hunt the pair of them if they were both missing, and his bear would be torn in two about which one to find first.

  Evan opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

  “This isn’t about us. Let’s just find Marcus first. My witchy powers and your nose should be able to track twice as fast.”

  Evan nodded just once and turned to the door. When he yanked it open, he found George standing there.

  “We’re going,” George said.

  “You aren’t going anywhere,” Evan growled.

  “It can’t hurt to have a couple of faeries with us,” Deborah reasoned with the man. She received something of a grunt of annoyance back.

  “Fine. Take the fairy,” Evan growled. Although, he didn’t much like that idea.

  ~

  ~

  ~

  The wind had picked up and so had the snow. Marcus had at least an hours head start on them.