by T. F. Walsh
“Daddy! Daddy, don’t!”
Just hearing her panicked voice rattled me at the core. Discomfort spread throughout my chest, as if I’d drunk twenty cups of coffee.
“Daan, please.” My insides constricted. My hand reached for my baby.
He hauled her as if she were no more than a sack of potatoes. My angel.
Daan’s head jerked toward me, his expression a reprimanding grimace as if this were my fault.
That exact moment, Vincent launched at Daan and hooked an arm around his neck, throwing him sideways.
Tianna dropped from his grasp and collapsed onto her back, her startled cries breaking my heart. I rushed toward her.
“You’re mine.” Anger engulfed Vincent’s tone as he fisted Daan’s coat beneath his chin and towed him through the snow on his back. My ex’s legs kicked for leverage as they disappeared around a corner.
I scooped Tianna into my arms, lifting her off the ground, covering her with kisses. “Baby, are you hurt?” I checked her face and neck. No scratches. I hugged her again; unsure I could ever release her.
“Don’t worry, Mommy. I just tripped.”
I placed her on the ground and took her icy fingers in mine. “You’re so brave and also freezing.” I reached into the pocket of her jacket with shaky hands and plucked out the gloves I always stashed in there. “Let’s put these on.”
“Mommy, where did the elf take Daddy?”
Tianna was too young to understand her father’s actions or how close to danger she had come, but my little angel didn’t need to have those things in her head. Even if the horror jabbed my insides, I’d keep her protected. I studied the corner where the pair had vanished and listened to the distinctive grunt of a person having the air punched out of them. Voices echoed, but I didn’t need to hear them. And not letting Tianna witness her dad getting hurt was priority. Even if the bastard deserved worse.
“They’ll be back. They’re talking. We’ve got to get you home and into warmer clothes.” I hoped Vincent’s presence would put Daan in his place and scare him enough to back away.
“The washing machine must have shrunk the elf’s clothes like that time you shrank my sweater. But why are you dressed like an elf, Mommy?”
I smirked and crouched low, brushing her hair behind her ears, staring into blue eyes resembling her dad’s. “Just trying on a costume for Christmas, that’s all.” Too close. I’d stood on the razor’s edge of losing my little girl, and tears filled my eyes, but I quickly wiped them before Tianna noticed.
“Do I get an elf’s costume too?”
I laughed, glancing at myself, surprised I’d find anything funny at that moment. “For sure.”
The sharp crunch of snow drew my attention upward.
Daan stumbled out from behind the building, wiping his swollen and bloody lip. The top button of his shirt was gone, the collar sat askew across his collarbone, and he walked with a slight limp. The bruise beneath his left eye glowed several shades of red and purple. The whole time I’d known Daan, no one had ever stood up to him, so seeing him deflated was a long overdue relief. Though part of me wished he’d had a few broken bones too. While satisfaction washed through me at seeing him knocked down a peg, would Daan return with double ferocity once Vincent left Susi?
Vincent emerged and tugged on his green shirt that kept creeping up his flat stomach. He offered me a nod, the kind that said he’d dealt with the problem . . . But why did my stomach remain knotted? Would Vincent’s threats really keep Daan in check?
Vincent approached Tianna and lowered himself on bent knees to appear less intimidating. “Hey, Tianna, I’m Vincent. A friend of your mom’s. She’s told me a lot about you.” The way his voice softened made me smile. He was comfortable around kids for sure.
She glanced at me, and I nodded, smiling.
“Anyway,” Vincent said. “It’s my first time here. And I was wondering if you’d show me which candy you recommend for someone with a sweet tooth.”
“Are you sure?” Tianna tilted her head to the side, studying Vincent. “You should use the money for new clothes.”
Vincent chuckled. “I’ll do that.” He stood and offered her his hand. “Shall we?”
“Mommy, can I?”
“Tianna.” Daan’s response perished when Vincent stared in his direction.
“You and Vincent go,” I said. “We’ll be right behind you. Daddy and I have to talk.” That earlier uneasiness heightened as I dreaded this chat, but I had to stop running away. I had to give Tianna a good life, which I couldn’t do if I kept looking over my shoulder for Daan to find us. That meant trusting that Vincent had done enough to scare off Daan and coming clean with the alpha of Susi about my problems. He might be able to help.
Without hesitation, Tianna grabbed Vincent’s hand and she pulled him toward the candy store. Kids were resilient and bounced back from situations that would leave me traumatized for weeks.
As soon as they were out of earshot, my ex snarled, taking a step closer. “A fuckin’ Varlac? Really, C? He threatened to take my alpha status from me. Thanks. And I thought we had a future.” His words dripped with venom, but I no longer feared him because I noticed the way he studied Vincent. Daan’s voice trembled as his brow furrowed, revealing his fear.
“Never come near us again. You’re lucky Vincent didn’t rip your head off. And Vincent will be around Susi if you decide to make any unwanted visits.” I lied, but Daan didn’t need to know.
His cold, dark eyes examined me.
Why had I ever considered this wulfkin my mate? His high cheekbones and strong expression were appealing to the eyes, no denying it, but relationships needed more than physical attraction. It wasn’t an excuse because I owned my behavior, but what tore me to shreds was that Tianna was in the middle of our mess.
With his shoulders stiff, his hooded glare stabbed me where I stood. “This little stunt hasn’t done you any favors.”
Instead of backing away or lowering my gaze, I held my ground. No more letting Daan dictate my actions or force me to continue running. If I didn’t stand up to him now, then when would I? “I’m not scared of you. Keep your distance, or Vincent will remove your status. He’s a Varlac. Everyone knows how vicious they can be.”
Daan’s posture flinched, and his hands fisted by his side, but he never struck. In the past, if I had spoken to him that way, his response would come in the form of a backhand. His gaze jumped to Vincent near the candy store, then back. He spat blood on the ground, and the growl rumbling in his throat misshaped his mouth. “Why bring a Varlac into our family business?” He snatched my wrist and squeezed so hard, the pain snaked up my arm.
I shoved my free hand into his chest and ripped away from his grasp. “Don’t ever touch me again. You’re not my family. Don’t ever show up again, or next time, Vincent will break every bone in your body.” Sure, I spoke on behalf of Vincent, but this was my chance to finally break free, and I’d exploit the hell out of my advantage of having a Varlac on my side.
Daan shook his head, and his narrowed gaze teemed with a comeback, words to put me down, but instead his gaze shot across to Vincent again. For those few seconds, he paused as if determining how to best proceed, but the lines marring his brow and his sighs were proof enough that he was backed into a corner. “Why would a Varlac hang around a tiny backwater town like Susi?”
“Because the place is his hometown. So it’s personal for him.”
Daan’s posture curled forward.
For once, my world had shifted for the better because of a chance meeting during a stormy night. Now, Tianna and I could stay in Susi, continue our life, and no longer live in fear. My hands tingled as I breathed a sigh of relief. My first reaction was to spin with Tianna in my arms.
“As her father, I have a right to be part of her life.” Rage trembled beneath his words.
“Stay away, and maybe we can arrange for you to have supervised visits with Tianna. Under my rules. Until then, if you or any of your go
ons come near us, you’ll be sorry. Understand?” I glanced behind me at Vincent. Tianna was pointing at the glass panel of the candy store. I was insane, and reckless, and unrealistic. But seeing Vincent’s protective nature with me and remembering how his wolf awakened mine brought a spark of possibility into my life. Goddess help me, but after a lifetime of no real man, no mate, no equal, I was ready to try again for love. Who knows, this time, I might luck out, except I had to stop fooling myself. Vincent wasn’t staying in Susi.
“You’ll be sorry, C.”
I lowered my voice. “You will say farewell to Tianna and leave. Never return. Then maybe, I’ll be in contact with you about an arrangement to see her in the future.”
Daan didn’t say a word, but studied me, his thick eyebrows bunching into a straight line. His mouth opened, but no words came out for a change. His breaths quickened at having to play nice. I bet it killed him, and that single thought made me want to laugh.
I didn’t give a crap about Daan anymore because I would never again run away from the devil.
• • •
The snowmobile purred beneath me as the engine roared to life. Daan had shown us where he’d parked the vehicle near Santa’s Village, as if his actions garnered favor with me. Didn’t matter. For the first time in years, Daan didn’t consume my thoughts with retribution. No measure of payback compared to my new sense of freedom.
“Ready to head home, girls?” Vincent’s voice sang over the motor as a reminder of how much impact he’d had on my life in our short time together.
I pressed myself against his back, bathing in the heat he radiated. Considering we still wore skimpy elf costumes, I’d take warmth wherever available, and if it meant snuggling next to Vincent, well, I’d endure such a burden. I grinned and threaded my arms around his waist, grabbing Tianna’s jacket. She insisted on sitting in front for the drive back home. To my surprise, Vincent offered to show her where he had built his first tree house as a child. My eyes teared for the hundredth time today, thinking about how close I’d come to losing her.
“Can we go?” Tianna yelled through the helmet.
Vincent patted my arm. “Hold on. I’ve got Tianna. Okay?”
I nodded against his back. Sure, I could have offered to run alongside the snowmobile in my wolf form, but I’d miss out on embracing Vincent. Where had this wulfkin been my whole life? He’d swooped in at the right moment and answered my prayers like a Christmas miracle. My wishes for anything further were pure fantasy.
We wove through the woods where the trees were sparse. Each time Vincent descended into a dip, he hit the gas and Tianna squealed with excitement. My laughter was muffled in the sound of the snowmobile, but I enjoyed the moments anyway.
The headlights streamed through the morning darkness, and the snow glinted beneath their beam.
I leaned a cheek against Vincent’s back and watched the forest of birches blur as we passed them. Even saw a few startled deer that bolted in the opposite direction. A perfect moment. Me wrapped around Vincent. Tianna safe. Our future in a family pack was now secure. While a part of me danced with the idea of Vincent sharing such a life with me, I doubted he intended to live in a small town for long. His obligations were with the Varlac back in Hungary, not staying here with Tianna and me in Susi.
Close to home, Vincent slowed down and retrieved a duffel bag from beneath a downed tree and attached it to the side of the mobile. Had he dropped his bag out here last night?
By the time we reached home, my daughter was bouncing on her feet as she pulled the helmet off her head and handed it to Vincent. “Let’s do that again. Can you build me a tree house sometime?”
I climbed off the snowmobile. “Sweetie, go inside and warm up. I’ll be there soon.”
She nodded as she approached Vincent and stared at him, her head tilted. “I know you’re not a real elf, because if you were, Santa would give you a costume that fit.” She spun on her heels, skipped up the steps to the veranda, and climbed over the snow wall at the front door as if it were an everyday event.
“She’s adorable.” Vincent closed the distance between us. “Just like her mom.”
He called me adorable. I studied the sharpness of his jawline, his parted lips, and the smile in his eyes. Yeah, we’d had a wild sex romp last night under the influence of a relaxant. But today we no longer felt its effect, and his behavior this morning meant more than the attentiveness he had shown me during our night of passion. But he was still a stranger, a Varlac for that matter, and after Daan, I wasn’t ready to let myself fall for another guy until I was certain he was the one. Then why did my wolf grumble in my chest in protest?
“You’re amazing with kids,” I said. “Tianna took to you right away, and she’s not usually like that with strangers.”
“Their innocence and playfulness bring out the child in me.” His smile radiated. “I plan on having at least five or six myself one day.”
“Six kids? Wow, you’ll have your hands full.” And yet the notion of him with such a large family touched me. I could relate, and I believed him. With no sisters or brothers of my own, I’d always planned to give Tianna a sibling or two.
He shrugged. “It’s lonely as an only child.”
A light breeze swooshed strands of my hair in front of my face. “When you came to my house last night, I was ready to throw you back into the storm to freeze. Sure glad I didn’t.”
He chuckled, the soft sound curling around me. “I’m relieved you didn’t either. I owe you for taking me in.”
“And I’m indebted to you for helping me with Daan. I guess we’re even now.” More words bubbled on the forefront of my mind . . . Would he stay? Every molecule in my body hoped he would.
“Seems that way.”
The silence became awkward, and my nerves sizzled beneath my skin. Every inch of me implored that I shove them aside, sidle up to Vincent, and kiss him so hard he’d never contemplate leaving. But what could I offer him compared to a Varlac’s life?
“So”—I kicked a pile of snow at my feet—“you’ll be heading to Hungary after your break here?” Geez, could I sound any more desperate?
He nodded. “I’ll be here for a short while. Then yeah, my alpha is expecting me back.”
“Oh, nice.” No, it wasn’t pleasant in the slightest. Not after I’d discovered a wulfkin who loved kids and stared at me with so much admiration that I could drown in his gaze. Vincent did me a huge favor and helped with Daan.
“Okay, well, I need to check on Tianna.” I turned away, but Vincent caught my elbow drawing me toward him, his arms gliding around my waist. With my body pressed against him, he leaned in and kissed me, his tongue tangling with mine. I rose up on tiptoes for better reach, unable to get enough of his musky scent. Or the desire in the way his fingers pressed into my back. His wolf was a heat wave, coaxing mine to respond with whimpers. She’d never once responded this way to Daan or any wulfkin I’d dated.
Beneath Vincent’s kiss, I drifted on a cloud. When we broke apart, he smiled. “Yep. You still taste delicious. Before I return the snowmobile and let Anja know Tianna is safe, can I come in and change my clothes?”
“Yes, of course.” I backed away, yet Vincent’s tender touches, his lingering words, and his ice-melting kiss had made me forget about Anja.
“We could spend time together until I leave?” His question was barely a whisper.
“I’d like that.” I regretted my words at once, because I was just asking for my heart to be broken. “Maybe let’s see how we go. Anyway, I really can’t thank you enough for helping me with my daughter.” The surrounding awkwardness stifled my breathing. The words bubbling in my mind refused to budge for too many reasons. We hardly knew each other. Too soon, he’d leave Susi, and I didn’t want to appear desperate, drooling over him. So I had to face the truth. Nothing between us could happen. Only a few days of bliss, then we’d be back to our lives.
He stared at me for too long, studying me as if I’d said something wrong
. “You know you can trust me,” he finally said.
Before I could curb my tongue, the words fell free. “I don’t really know you, so I don’t fully trust you yet. We had a fling last night, and . . . ” My words dried up. The ones explaining how last night was incredible, how he’d leave Susi for good, how I was fooling myself thinking that spending a couple of weeks would bring me anything but hurt and regret.
His posture softened and his gaze sailed away from me, and the silence tightened around me once again.
The wind picked up, bringing with it more fresh snow. My emotions twisted, and I wasn’t sure where one began and another ended. What was I supposed to do now?
Chapter Twelve
VINCENT
“You haven’t touched your food.” Mom’s voice carried the same unyielding tone from my younger days. The one saying if I didn’t eat, I’d be forbidden to hunt. But no matter how much I pushed the diced deer meat through the cream sauce, I couldn’t take another bite.
“I’m not hungry.” Across the oak table, my parents sat and reminded me of grinning gnomes with silvery hair and red cheeks. For those few seconds, I’d walked back in time to my childhood during the festive season. The three of us enjoying breakfast. The aroma of gingerbread wafting through the house. Tinsel, walnuts, and unlit candles decorated the fresh Christmas tree at the entrance. Near the evergreen stood the family Yule goat carved out of wood. I used to ride him as a child, which explained the missing horn. Behind him, an army of wooden animals half his size, from elephants and panthers to bears, were scattered on the floor. At the age of eight, I had asked Dad to carve them for me so I could pretend they were my pack, tracking behind me as I rode the goat.
On this day, I stared out the window at the fat snowflakes, the woods that were my wonderland as a kid. They were memories I’d never give up . . . I wished every wulfkin had the chance to experience similar happy times.
Wulfkin didn’t celebrate Christmas, but the pack in Susi did. The tradition was maintained for the children since we lived so close to the North Pole. It was one of the many things I loved and missed about Susi while living in Hungary. Before pursuing my Varlac status, I’d intended to raise kids in the town. And with that, my thoughts shifted to Cacey and how content she was in a small pack, raising Tianna. What was she doing right now?