Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Winter Wolves, Merry Bears, and Holiday Spirits

by J. K Harper

  “No hunting here!” he yelled, pressing both hands against the door.

  Dennison looked around and lowered his voice to make sure the guest hunters didn’t hear him. “We were following some doves and…”

  “I’ve never seen a dove with a tail. Have you?” He leaned in closer and gripped the doorframe until his knuckles turned white. “No fucking hunting allowed in Mistletoe Hollow.”

  One of the young hunters sensed something was wrong and called out from his open window. “Are we out of bounds?”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” Bobby said as he walked to the second truck.

  “So … the whole population control thing—”

  “Complete bullshit.”

  “I thought so.”

  “You’re about three mountain ridges away from the dove hunting area.”

  “Shit. I thought our guide knew the area. We’re so sorry.”

  “How about I grab a few fishing poles for you guys and you abandon the hunting altogether? You can just enjoy the beautiful scenery instead.”

  The hunters looked at each other for only a second. “Yes!” they shouted.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  He whistled as he passed by Dennison and made his way to the car.

  “Can we come out now?” the boys whispered from their hiding spots.

  “Yes, it’s safe. Stay on this side of the tent and collect a pile of twigs for a fire. We’re going to cook some hot dogs.”

  “Hot dogs!”

  They happily scampered off in search of kindling while he grabbed two poles from the back of his SUV. He tried not to glance in Leah’s direction, but couldn’t resist a subtle wink. Bobby wanted to beat the shit out of Dennison and personally escort the trucks out of the area, but he wanted to show restraint in front of the boys and get back to Leah as soon as possible.

  “I recommend catch and release once you’ve hooked enough for dinner,” Bobby said as he placed the two poles in the truck bed. “Just leave these at our campsite when you're done."

  He stopped in front of Dennison and nodded at the second truck. “Looks like your hunting trip just became a fishing trip. I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”

  Dennison grumbled under his breath as he watched Bobby walk away. You would look great with a hammer sticking out of your fucking head. Can’t watch me forever.

  Bobby felt the stranger’s eyes on his back and turned to face the trucks as they reversed and turned around. Keep staring, motherfucker. He waved and blew Dennison a kiss for good measure.

  Leah laughed as she watched him. She felt a wave of relief wash over her despite the occasional prick from the branches as she repositioned herself. Saved by a human. Unbelievable.

  Bobby was often mistaken for a shifter due to his size and muscle strength. He was, in fact, 100% human. His mix of German and Spaniard DNA gave him a perfect physique and beautiful, olive skin. His soulful, brown eyes made women want to fling their panties at him, but he was too nice to play the field. He grew up on the poor side of Oak Grove in a section called Birdland. With names like Hummingbird Lane and Oriole Court, you would expect a peaceful neighborhood lined with white picket fences. It was a cruel joke. Bobby survived childhood in a rundown apartment complex full of gang members and drug dealers. It was all his mother could afford with her low-level clerical job. His father left when Bobby was three, never to be heard from again.

  Nature became a surrogate parent. He would ride his bike over the bridge that separated Oak Grove from the mountains and valleys and hike until his heels bled. Sometimes exhaustion forced him to curl up at the base of a tree for a nap. That’s when he finally met a few shifters from Mistletoe Hollow. The weather had turned during one of his naps and they feared the ill-prepared hiker would get frostbite. A few of the wolves had curled up next to him for warmth. They could have left it at that, but the wolves felt this young man could be trusted. They had been watching and protecting him for months. He was easy to track as he whistled everywhere he went. Although his song was always joyful, they sensed his sadness and knew he needed a pack of his own.

  Bobby wasn’t surprised when the shifters revealed themselves. It may have been his youth or the indescribable connection he felt to the forest, but he always assumed there were people lucky enough to literally be "one" with nature. He was a little stunned, albeit delighted, to learn an entire town was full of them. Bobby soon became an honorary member, spending every weekend with his adopted family. With their encouragement, he became an expert survivalist in both the ways of the forest and the street rules of Birdland. The Zen-like patience allowed him to navigate his way through high school and onto Sierra University. He returned to Oak Grove High School as a much-beloved science teacher and encouraged his mother to begin the prerequisites for nursing school. Life was good for them, but he never forgot where he came from.

  The old neighborhood had gotten worse over the years. Bobby started the Birdland Rangers with the hope of saving others with nature. He typically brought them out for spring break, but the area had experienced a mild winter with hardly any snow, so he was able to bring the young troops out for an additional excursion before Christmas.

  “Keep picking up those twigs. You’re doing a great job,” he called out as he retrieved something for Leah to wear from his tent.

  He returned to her and stood a few steps away from the bushes. “Just come out and grab it,” he whispered, holding up long underwear with built-in feet and a butt flap that attached with snaps.

  “Someone tries to kill me and you’re cracking jokes and expecting me to wear footy underwear?”

  “These were a gift from my mother, thank you very much, and I’m assuming you’re barefoot … unless panthers have taken to wearing sneakers.” He ran his hand along the underwear and held up a plastic-coated foot. “Problem solved.” He dangled the clothing in front of him. “Here, kitty kitty.”

  “You’re not seeing me naked.”

  “Well, you can’t blame me for trying.” He tossed the long underwear over the bush and turned his back while she got dressed. “Are you hurt?”

  “Just some scratches. I’ll heal.” She slid into the outfit and came out into the open. “My clothes are up on the ridge.”

  “We can go collect them after lunch.”

  “I’ll need you to be my alibi after lunch too. I’m going to rip those guys to shreds.”

  “They were tourists. I’ve never seen that guide before, though. Can’t blame them,” he said, tilting his head and squinting. “In certain light, you really do look like a dove.”

  “Tweet fucking tweet,” she said, flapping her arms.

  “I think doves make more of a cooo sound,” Bobby said as he laughed and held his arms open. “How about a proper hug?”

  Leah obliged and quickly pressed her body against his, inhaling deeply. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly.

  “I really shouldn’t be making jokes,” he said, burying his face in her hair. “I just get a little silly when I’m around you. Thank God you weren’t hurt.”

  “It’s really your fault this happened,” she said, pulling away and slapping his arm. "If you didn't smell so amazing, I would have noticed them before they started shooting."

  He lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit. “Wooo, I am a little funky.”

  “I was drunk on your funk,” she said with a shrug. “Like one-million-times-over-the-legal-limit drunk.”

  He smiled briefly before his brows furrowed and a frown took over his face.

  “What’s that look for?” she asked, taking a step back.

  “I saw you around Thanksgiving, thought I flirted well, and nothing. Same thing the time before that and the time before that. You always run off. Therefore, what you’re saying is … I should maybe never shower again and you’ll come find me. Go for the funk.”

  “Always go for the funk, but you smell pretty darn good when you’re clean too.”

  “Then why the constant
escape act?”

  Leah craned her neck to look past his broad body. “Where are your mini Rangers?”

  “Nice way to change the topic,” he said while trying his hardest not to smile. “We’ll continue this later.”

  She walked ahead of him towards the sound of the children, but was pulled back as he yanked on the butt flap of the long underwear.

  “Oh good, those buttons are nice and strong,” he said. “Just testing.”

  She turned back and swiped at his hand. “I have claws. Remember that.”

  “Meow!”

  “I sound more like prrrrrr.”

  He grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him. “I can make you purr,” he whispered in her ear. “Just give me a chance.”

  “Like you said, we’ll continue this later … possibly.”

  “I’ll be praying for a button malfunction.”

  “I don’t blame you,” she said, swishing her hips with emphasis as she walked away. Just keep walking, Leah. Ignore his scent, his delicious man musk. Lots of guys smell good. Many shifters smell good too, of course. Shifters, shifters, shifters … you need to find yourself a respectable wolf or fellow panther just like all the other Underwoods, but he smells so fucking good.

  Chapter 2

  Leah couldn’t take her eyes off Bobby. She had already broken the mold by leaving the wildlife sanctuary, but a human? That would just be too much for her family to handle. In Mistletoe Hollow, however, mixing with humans was becoming more acceptable. During the prior Christmas season, a pair of grizzly brothers named Joshua and Truman hooked up with two human sisters from Oak Grove and the romances were blossoming nicely. It gave her hope that maybe she could follow along the same path, but her old beliefs were hard to shake.

  Leah and Bobby shared a kiss once. It was one of those accidentally on purpose lip connections during a game of “Suck and Blow.” Players were supposed to pass a playing card from person to person using only a light sucking motion with their mouths. Bobby made sure to stand next to her and when it came time to bring their faces together, he conveniently let the card fall from his mouth so his lips pressed softly against hers. Leah remembered freezing and melting into him, unable and unwilling to pull away. He was constantly on her mind after that.

  Bobby clapped his hands and shouted loudly, “Okay, Rangers! Stop what you’re doing. We have a special guest.”

  The boys came running, trying not to drop the twigs stacked in their arms.

  “Guys, meet Leah. Leah, meet Tyler, Diego, Wyatt, and Ruben.”

  “Why is that lady in underwear?” asked Tyler as he adjusted his glasses and moved the mop of red hair from his face.

  “Let’s try this again. Guys, meet Leah.”

  “Hi, Leah!” They smiled as they yelled their greeting.

  “Hiiiii back,” she said, waving her arm with exaggeration.

  “But why are you in long underwear?”

  Bobby crossed his arms and smiled, waiting to hear what she’d come up with. Leah said the first thing that popped into her head. “I hid my clothes so you can find them … like a treasure hunt.”

  “But why didn’t you just hide a toy or something?”

  “I’m changing your name from Tyler to But Why.”

  The other boys laughed and dropped the twigs near their feet.

  “We love treasure hunts,” said Diego.

  "I figured you did, and now we'll have something fun to do after hot dogs.”

  Leah helped them set up a fire in a sand pit that was surrounded by tree trunk benches. They selected the perfect sticks to skewer the hot dogs and keep them positioned above the flames.

  Wyatt stared at her from the other side of the pit. “We didn’t even know you were coming,” he said, tilting his head suspiciously.

  “Surprise!” she said with a swoop of her arms. “I’m an old friend of Bobby’s. He didn’t want the adults to be outnumbered.”

  “In case of bad men with guns?” Tyler asked, pushing his glasses up. “What were those guys trying to shoot? Was it something scary?”

  “I bet it was Bigfoot or a man-eating grizzly with fangs and claws,” Ruben said before growling and taking a bite out of his hot dog.”

  “Maybe it was a panther,” Bobby said, widening his eyes. “Leah is an expert at tracking them. Thank God we have her.”

  If looks could kill, Bobby wouldn’t stand a chance. Leah flashed a nasty side eye and sent the universally understood “just you wait” head nod.

  “Yes, thank God we have you,” Tyler said as he zipped his jacket up around his neck and looked around the forest with eyes as big as saucers.

  Leah scrunched up her nose and peered at him. “Wait a minute. You didn’t look scared when Ruben was talking about Bigfoot and man-eating grizzlies. Why would you be afraid of a panther? I assure you they’re really quite nice.” She looked directly at Bobby and said, “Maybe she was out looking for love…" A smile started to form on Bobby's face. "… and hasn’t found a suitable mate yet.” Bobby didn’t look disappointed as he released a low giggle. Her attempts to agitate him were amusing and only made him want her more.

  “Maybe she should try the Internet,” Tyler offered. “That’s what my foster mom does.”

  “I’m sure she tried that,” Leah said with a sigh. “But the questionnaire from eHarmony is just too long, so she probably gave up.”

  “How is this new foster mom?” Bobby asked. “Is she nice?” Tyler nodded silently. “I’m glad she let you come on this trip.”

  “It’s because you’re feeding me and she wouldn’t have to spend all the money she gets for groceries. I heard her talking on the phone. She’s not like that other house, though. There’s no hitting.” He stared at his hot dog spinning in flame as it burned.

  Leah gulped as her eyes met Bobby’s. You are a good man. Bless you for taking care of them. She wanted to scoop Tyler up and hold him tight. Ninety-nine percent of foster parents were good, but it seemed as if he had experienced his share of bad apples.

  “How about story time?” Bobby suggested in an attempt to change the topic. “You pick, Tyler. What would you like to hear about?”

  “Does the panther find love?”

  Bobby leaned in with his elbows on his knees as he waited for her answer.

  Leah cleared her throat and said, “She was the most beautiful panther there ever was.”

  Bobby giggled.

  “Reaallllly, she was,” Leah continued, rolling her eyes. “She could have her pick of all the panthers from here to Naples, Florida and beyond.” She glanced at Bobby, anticipating more laughter, but he seemed to nod his head in agreement. The acknowledgment caught her off guard and caused her to lose her train of thought for a brief moment. "Um … she was out in the woods and thought she smelled someone that could be her mate … but the panther soon realized the scent was leftover hot dogs from a fading campfire.”

  The boys laughed as they held up their sticks.

  “As she crept closer to the dying flames, she noticed the sound of snoring from a nearby tent. Four Birdland Rangers were fast asleep, having wonderful dreams of fishing, hiking, and painting pet rocks. So … she decided to have them for dinner instead. The end.”

  “Nooooo!” The children wailed in unison and crossed their arms in protest.

  “You can’t end a story like that. I hate that story,” Wyatt said with a frown.

  Ruben used his hands to protect his neck and looked at Leah nervously. “I don’t want to be eaten by a panther.”

  “Great you’re going to give them nightmares,” Bobby said, trying his hardest not to laugh.

  “It’s still daylight. You will forget all about this story by bedtime. Glad I didn’t tell you about the guy with the metal hook for a hand.”

  “Whaaaat?” Diego shrieked. “Maybe we should dig a moat around the tent!”

  “She’s making it up,” Bobby said, trying to reassure them.

  “I am failing miserably at this storytelling business.
” Leah surveyed the damage, smiling at each of the wide-eyed children whose shoulders now hunched up several inches higher than before the campfire.

  "I wasn't really afraid," Ruben offered, although his cracking voice gave him away.

  “Me neither.” Wyatt held his chest out in solidarity with the older Ruben. He reached into the ice chest and skewered another hot dog. “And you won’t get our hot dogs either,” he yelled into the air around him.

  Leah looked at Bobby and mouthed “sorry” while he started poking the burning twigs. “Last call for food, guys. We can’t leave the fire burning while we do our other projects.” He made his way around the fire until he was close to Leah. “You owe me,” he whispered in her direction.

  “A hot dog? Sure. I’ll make one for you.” She reached into the ice chest and held one in her hand. “Would you like your wiener well done?” she asked with a smirk.

  He squinted his eyes at her in amusement. “You scared my Rangers. You need to make it up to me.”

  “I can’t un-scare them. What do you suggest?”

  “A date.”

  "They're a little young for me. I'm a panther, not a cougar."

  “Very funny. You know I’m referring to myself. Let’s end this silly dance. One date. Just take a chance.”

  Say yes. Just do it. Leah hesitated while fiddling with a packet of rubber bands that were inside a bag of supplies. She carefully separated her hair and created two low pigtails. “I’ll think about it,” she answered slowly. Why am I so stubborn?

  Bobby sighed and shrugged. He caught a glimpse of Tyler who seemed to be mesmerized by Leah fixing her hair. “How’s school, Tyler? Do you like your teacher?”

  “Gabby has pigtails too,” he blurted out excitedly.

  “Who’s Gabby? Is she your girlfriend?”

  “Ooooh girlfriend,” Diego teased.

  Tyler shook his head. “No, she likes Stephen because he won a lot of ribbons during sports week. He won for dodgeball, sack racing, and football catching. I don’t remember the other stuff, but he won a lot of ribbons.”

  “Did you win anything?” Bobby asked as he sat down on the log between Tyler and Leah.