Let's Scrooge

by R. L. Caulder

  One last long drink from Van and the brush of Lach’s thumb was all it took to send me tumbling into a chasm of mindless, weightless bliss.

  “Give her a minute,” Van said, Lach’s fingers pulling out of me on his command, and I felt myself being lifted and carried to the bed, the soft sheets caressing me when I was put back down. “Can I fuck you?” The question cleared my mind, and I let out a whimper at the thought, knowing it wasn’t directed at me. This was the first time they’d hinted at taking their relationship further, and the idea both made me incredibly happy for them and also insanely turned on.

  “Yes, but only if you bite me,” Lach said, his voice full of nerves.

  “We can wait,” Van promised, but Lach shut him up with a kiss.

  “No,” he demanded, a growl nearly overpowering that single word, and that was all the permission Van needed, speeding away and coming back in mere moments, lube in hand.

  “Fuck our girl, Lach. Let me take care of you,” Van said, and Lachlan crawled over me immediately, settling between my thighs. I opened my legs for him, and he slammed roughly inside, so turned on he’d restraint, and I fucking loved it.

  He fucked me hard until we both heard the pop of the lube being opened, then a look of determination crossed his face and his mouth descended to mine. The only sign that Van was finger fucking him was a moment of hesitation and a gasp before he forced himself to relax. I nibbled at his lip and scratched my nails soothingly over his shoulders to calm him further.

  “Breathe for me, sweetheart,” Van said, his other hand coming up to tease Lach’s hair, one of his favorite things.

  With that, we both stilled, Lachlan leaning over me as Evander entered him. I continued to distract him until he let out a sigh, now comfortable with the feeling.

  “Fuck me,” Lach begged, and Evander slammed his hips into him, sending Lach deeper inside of me. With each thrust, Van dictated how hard and fast we fucked, our vampire lover in complete control of us both.

  “Gods, you feel fucking amazing,” Van breathed right before I felt him shift our speed, and the moan Lachlan let out was porn-worthy.

  “Fuck, this is so hot,” I rasped, wrapping my legs around Lach, who was speaking in gibberish. His breathless, nonsensical mumblings only increased when I caught Van’s fangs glinting in the soft Christmas lights, sinking into Lachlan’s skin half a moment later. As I watched Lachlan lose control and Van drink from him, I reached down and circled my fingers over my clit, my cries mixing with Lach’s until I came, hard. My vision blurred and muscles tensed, pussy pulsing around Lachlan.

  “Come with her,” Van said as he pulled away, his tongue flicking over the puncture marks and sealing them before he picked up his pace. I yelped, so sensitive the unexpected move was nearly too much as Lachlan gripped my hips and came. Van must have followed right behind because barely a minute later, they were both slumped over me, catching their breath. After a few moments, Van flopped on the bed next to us, Lachlan letting out a hiss before doing the same. Time passed, but we couldn’t find it in us to move.

  “Shit, we better get back before they start missing us,” Lach said, and Van and I laughed before we started cleaning up and getting dressed again.

  “I’m positive we’re past that, but sure, let’s get back,” Van teased, kissing his cheek and heading for the bathroom. I bit back a smile, loving how easy things were between us all. This really was the best thing we could have done for Christmas.

  Chapter 4

  December 25th

  Early Morning

  Lennox

  Snow was falling steadily as we trekked our way through the streets toward Marley’s house. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but we’d promised to be there, presents in hand, before Cole woke up.

  “It’s kind of magical out here,” I whispered. It felt too serene to speak at a normal volume.

  “I love this place,” Tristan said with a dreamy sigh, coming up behind me and wrapping his arm around me. My eyes darted to Lachlan, a hopeful gleam in his eyes as he studied us, but he quickly blinked it away when he saw me watching him.

  Calev lumbered behind us with several armloads of gifts, having insisted on carrying them himself. He’d become protective of Cole, and he’d even taken to reminding me when it was time to call every week. Not that I really needed the reminder, but it was heartwarming that he cared so much. So when we’d tried to divvy up the gifts, he took them all and told us to lead the way.

  “I love it too,” Van agreed through chattering teeth, taking Lach’s hand and pulling him faster. “But let’s appreciate it away from this icy cold.”

  “Not cut out for the winter, vampire?” I joked. “Heads up, Van!” When he turned back to me, I launched a fireball at him. He let out an undignified squeal before pulling Lach behind him.

  “What the hell was that? You know we have coffee to wake us up, right?!” he bit out, his eyes still wild.

  “We’re here,” Lach interrupted, shaking his head at us as he walked right up to the door and opened it. Marley had left it unlocked so we could sneak in without waking Cole up. Lach’s sister gave us a half-awake salute from the couch but didn’t move otherwise. Lach stepped toward her, but I rushed forward and held him back, gesturing for them to help Calev unload the gifts then leading them into the kitchen.

  “Let her rest,” I said quietly. “We can handle breakfast and get things ready.” Marley worked full-time at the daycare and took all responsibility for Cole. When the time came for us to buy our house and graduate, Cole would move in with us, and I fully intended to gift her an all expenses paid vacation.

  We all fell into our own tasks, and I appreciated not having to tell them what to do. It was one of the reasons we worked together so well; we all knew how to play to our own strengths. Lachlan started picking up the house and doing some general cleaning after leveling Marley with a stern look when she tried to get off the couch. Evander and Calev started assembling the bike Marley had gotten for Cole, and Aes, Tristan, and I began cooking.

  The smell of coffee, bacon, and maple syrup filled the house as the sun rose. I was in a cocoon of warmth, and I didn’t want to go back to our regular lives. Suddenly, a loud gasp had me turning just as I was filling a platter with bacon. Cole was gaping at all the presents under the tree and his house full of people.

  “Auntie Lennie!” he yelled, hurrying over to me. It was hard to imagine him as the silent, timid kid we’d met when we first came here. “Santa came!” His voice was reverent as he leaned back to see the presents better, but his stomach gave out a rumble at the same time. He wiggled to be put down, pouting at full force as if he already knew we would tell him he had to eat breakfast before diving into presents. As soon as his socked feet hit the floor, he ran to the table and watched us expectantly.

  “Feed the boy! He’s not gonna last,” Aeson said dramatically, dancing around the kitchen and grabbing a plate. I loaded it with food when he shimmied my way, his silliness making my heart feel even more full.

  “Ugh, can you guys just be around all the time?” Marley asked, eyes barely open. I snorted and grabbed her a mug out of the cabinet, one adorned with dancing pineapples. I froze with the coffee pot halfway to a pour.

  “Black, cream, sugar?” I asked, but she just blinked at me, confused.

  “She’s a robot before coffee. I got you,” Lach explained, heading for the fridge and pulling out a huge bottle of creamer. “Fill about two thirds.” I did as he asked, and he filled it to the top with a sugar cookie creamer that smelled too good to resist, so I grabbed myself a mug next.

  “When’s the potluck today?” I asked as I slid into an empty seat, taking a long pull of the sweet coffee in my mug. The warmth of the cup seeped into my hands, and I let out a contented sigh.

  “Five,” Marley said, sounding human now that she’d chugged an entire cup of her own. “Cole and I were thinking about making bite-sized pizzas if you guys want to just help here instead of trying to use the small kitchen in the sui
te.”

  “That’d be awesome since we didn’t go to the store yet,” Lach answered for us around a mouthful of French toast.

  “I need to call Dawes today too,” I said, missing my pseudo dad and his husband Calvin. It felt weird having family time without them; so quickly, they’d become more than just honorary members of our family. I was looking forward to having many more holiday get-togethers, the two of them included, once that future home became a reality.

  “I’m done!” Cole announced before flying out of his chair at a speed that could only be vampiric.

  “Did he just use my speed?” Van asked, amused.

  “Oh yes, that’s his new thing. He loves to see how many powers he can learn,” Marley said, rolling her eyes. “Got pretty pouty the day he realized he was surrounded by shifters and didn’t have many powers to mimic.”

  “You guys can chat, but I want to see this,” Calev deadpanned, getting up and leaving his food to flop down on the floor by Cole. If I swooned, well, that was unable to be helped. The sight of my gargoyle curled up under the Christmas tree with my nephew was more than my romantic heart could take.

  Paper and bows went flying as Cole ripped into each gift, making his way through the giant pile in under ten minutes. My smile was so big my cheeks ached, but I didn’t care. Everything about the moment was perfect.

  The party had been going on for a few hours, our stomachs full and plenty of off-key Christmas carols sung, when Brad stood up and let out a loud roar that sent the room from chaos to silence in mere seconds.

  “I want to thank everyone for participating in our Christmas celebrations this year. We’re going to have to start making it an annual thing! I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt the pack grow this close or seen so many happy faces, and for that, I apologize. We’ll work harder to make being a pack the priority. That’s all I have planned unless someone has the ability to pull out an ice rink,” he joked, but my eyes lit up. Calev smirked, and Tristan shook his head as I stood up.

  “I can make one,” I offered with a shrug, and Brad’s eyes zeroed in on me.

  “Excuse me?” he said, laughing like I was being ridiculous.

  “Anyone got a pond?” I countered with a smirk, and he finally realized I was being serious.

  “Yeah, it’s behind Gretta’s place,” he said, sounding amused now.

  “Good, let’s go!” I chirped, jumping up and securing my coat, hat, gloves, and scarf before doing the same for Cole. Once we were bundled up, I hurried after Brad, the entire pack rushing to catch up. Excited murmurs filled the room, and I wasn’t sure if they were more excited about skating or seeing a show of magic. Either way, I was sending a silent thanks up to Dawes for making me train with an ice elemental mage last semester.

  “Ready to learn a new power, Cole?” I asked as he slid his hand into mine. I squeezed when he looked up excitedly, giving him a quick wink. We’d have to watch this kid, or he’d be getting himself into trouble with all this knowledge and power at his fingertips. I could already see the supernatural news headlines.

  Youngest student to enter the academy...

  Once we reached the front of Gretta’s, Brad led us down an alleyway and out the back side, where a perfect pond stretched in front of us. When everyone started walking closer, I held out my hands to stop them.

  “Stay back, it’s going to be really cold,” I warned, leaving Cole with Marley and heading for the edge of the icy water. Magic danced along my skin as I pulled it forward through me, letting it build and coil before I pushed the ice out of my fingertips. The pond frosted over almost immediately, and I mixed it with wind, letting an icy tornado roll over the water until the surface was solid. Once I had the initial layer frozen, I bent down and touched my hand to the surface, pushing the ice into the water and commanding it to spread until it was smooth and I was sure it was safe.

  As I stood and turned, the entire pack, minus my guys, had their mouths hanging open. I grinned at a stunned, silent Brad and waved him over.

  “Want to check it out?” I offered, and he narrowed his eyes. “I promise it’s safe.”

  He paused and studied me before nodding. “I’ll trust you.”

  Those three words meant so much to me, and after all the progress we’d made, this felt like that final breakthrough we needed to feel truly comfortable here.

  “Alright, just be safe! If you feel it getting weak, come get Lennox and she’ll fix it,” Brad called out, and everyone rushed forward. We didn’t exactly have skates, but they didn’t care. I laughed as the kids turned into their bear forms, and soon, clumsy cubs were skidding over the ice.

  “This is perfect, come on,” Tristan said, he and Aeson each taking one of my hands and pulling me onto the ice with them. It was slick enough we almost fell right then and there, but the three of us somehow managed to stay upright. After the initial baby doe style movements, we finally got the hang of it. Cole and Brad were up ahead, hand in hand, though Cole seemed to have gained control of it easier than his surrogate grandpa, Brad, who was flailing every two seconds, sending Cole into a new fit of giggles each time. Calev watched from the shore, always the protector, and Lach was clinging to Evander’s hand while our vampire used his speed to fly them over the outer edges of the frozen pond.

  “I think you’ve officially won them over,” Aeson yelled as he spun me around. The wind whistled past my ears as we moved so he had to raise his voice to even be heard.

  ‘You act like we can’t just communicate telepathically,’ Tristan joked, and both of us laughed. I actually had forgotten; these last few days had felt like an entirely different life, and without all the secrecy and danger we were used to, we just didn’t have a reason to hide our conversations from others.

  ‘It’s been kind of nice to not need it,’ Aeson said, his amusement coming through the bond. ‘Is this a better place to tell you that I’m claiming you both tonight?’

  Tristan was caught off guard, stumbling and sending us all falling into a tangle of arms and limbs on the ice, our laughter echoing through the clearing.

  “Come on, nerds, we still have presents to exchange,” Lachlan said as the others joined us. With a grace you’d never expect a bear shifter to have, he reached out and helped me to my feet without ever losing his balance.

  Nerves tangled in my stomach at the mention of presents, but I kept a smile on my face, not wanting to set off Calev’s gargoyle. I hope they like what I got them!

  Chapter 5

  December 25th

  Evening

  Lennox

  “Gift time!” Aeson sang out as he danced out of the side bedroom and into the main room of our suite. He stopped at the Christmas tree and pulled out a stack of gifts then passed them out. One by one, the guys did the same until we all had a pile in front of us. I hadn’t even noticed the gifts accumulating under the tree, but I loved that they’d made use of it. I swear they’re all closet romantics.

  “Hang on!” I said when they started to rip them open. Everyone froze as I jumped up and went to my bag, pulling out five identical small boxes. Butterflies danced in my stomach at the thought of the present I’d had custom made for them. I passed them out, and they all looked up at me curiously, tossing aside whatever they’d been holding so they could start with my gift. “Okay, go ahead.”

  Sitting back down, I clutched a throw pillow to my chest, studying the emotions that rolled across their faces, one by one. They held the royal blue velvet ring boxes in hand and looked up at me, the weight of their gazes filled with love.

  “You all got me a ring, so I wanted to get you one too. They each have an inscription, and I have a copy,” I explained nervously, pulling out the necklace that held six rings. “Except I also have one that represents me.”

  “One heart,” Evander read.

  “One soul,” Lach added.

  “One love,” Tristan said in a whisper.

  “One life,” Aeson rasped, blinking back tears.

  “One bond,”
Calev added.

  I held up my sixth ring and read it out loud. “One family.”

  “Kitten,” Tristan choked out before launching himself at me. I giggled as he dropped kisses all over my face, soon feeling the weight of the others joining us, presents forgotten as they took turns giving me a kiss or a hug.

  “It’s perfect,” Calev whispered before holding me close, his lips teasing over my ear. “You’re perfect.”

  I thought he would put me back down, but instead he shifted me until I was straddling him, his hand tangling in my hair so he could angle my face where he wanted. The kiss deepened from sweet to demanding, making me forget all about the presents.

  “Okay, presents,” he said, just when I was about to take things to the next level. Smirking at me when I protested, he placed me on the couch next to him, laughing as I pouted openly. “Nope, presents. Plus, someone else already laid claim to you today.”

  “Fine,” I conceded, dropping back to the floor and my waiting pile of gifts.

  The room descended into a whirlwind of excited talking, ripping paper, and discarded boxes. Evander had tracked down the pair of boots I’d been eyeing for the last month, and Aeson got me some bath bombs and a gift card to my favorite makeup store. Tristan had gotten a beautiful canvas print of one of our family photos, along with one of me and Cole. There was a handmade bracelet from Lachlan that matched the pack insignia on the ring he was now wearing again. Once we’d started to patch things up with his parents, they’d sent it to him with a note asking him to forgive them and rethink his decision.

  A wave of happiness hit me, and I teared up. After the past few days, the insignia meant so much more to me. Finally, Calev bought me a pair of diamond earrings and a handmade ornament that had little items inside to represent them all. There was a feather that I knew came from his wings, a ticket stub from the first movie I’d gone to see with Tris, another pack insignia from Lach that matched my new bracelet, a gem of some kind that Aeson had infused with magic so it looked like swirling galaxies, and a tiny vial of red that I knew was Evander’s blood. To a human, the last thing would have been weird, but I was truly touched by the gesture. Vampire blood was precious and only shared with their blood bonds, and it represented so much more for Van, Lach, and me.