A Shifter Christmas Carol

by Jennifer Ashley

  At the bottom of the staircase, Dylan gazed up at the house above him. “Let the visitors in tonight,” he told it. “And then do what you wish.”

  He wasn’t certain the house would understand, but the ponderous chandelier that illuminated the wraparound staircase swayed. A whisper of laughter touched Dylan, then dispersed.

  Ben trundled down the stairs, a bag slung over his shoulder. “Can’t say I’m sorry to trade a meeting with bloodsuckers for beer and burgers and hot Shifter women. Shall we depart?”

  Dylan and Ben rode into Shiftertown as the sun was sinking. Dylan parked his motorcycle in the drive of his house—which was solid and intact, the windows glowing with light. He stripped off his riding gloves and strode around the house to the clearing in back.

  Ben followed, calling greetings to Shifters who were pouring from their homes, ready to light the Yule log. Shouts came back to them, filled with surprise and welcome.

  Shifters parted as Dylan headed straight for Liam, who had a box of long matches in his hand, preparing to light the log after he said the blessing. Dylan reached his son and tackled him.

  The unlit match spun from Liam’s hand as he struggled not to fall. He and Dylan turned in an unsteady dance until son and father righted each other, Liam staring at Dylan in shock.

  “Dad—”

  The startled word cut off as Dylan slammed his arms around Liam in a hard embrace.

  Liam’s voice gentled. “Dad.”

  He pulled Dylan close. The power of touch, of family, flowed through Dylan and healed his heart. The pain of the past, the horrors of the vision, began to melt away.

  Another touch on Dylan’s back, Sean. Drawn to the family huddle, he closed on Dylan from behind, joining in the comfort.

  The group staggered as Connor smacked into them, holding on with surprising strength. Shifters started to say, “Awww,” and then reach for their own mates and cubs.

  Liam loosened his hold and wiped his eyes, though Sean and Connor clung to Dylan, connecting with the man who’d carried them through disaster and peril, life and death.

  Kim was next to Liam now, Katriona in her arms. Kim’s spirit and fearlessness, and most of all, her love, had calmed Liam and made him a happy man, as well as the great leader Dylan had known he would become.

  Dylan turned to Kim and pulled her and Katriona into his embrace. Katriona reached out and patted her grandfather’s head.

  The pat was more of a smack, the little girl having Morrissey strength. Dylan chuckled and gave Katriona a kiss on the top of her head.

  Andrea was next, her healing magic coming through her warmth. Dylan pressed his cheek to hers. “Take care of them,” he whispered.

  Andrea blinked, but seemed to understand.

  Sean held baby Kenny, whom Andrea had handed off to him. The cub stared at Dylan in wolf-like satisfaction, and Dylan wondered if Kenny had truly seen him in the vision or dream, or whatever it had been.

  Kenny grinned, breaking his usual solemnity. “Gan-da!” he proclaimed, and launched himself into Dylan’s arms.

  Glory hovered behind Sean as Dylan held Kenny, his heart wrenching as he thought of his son Kenny, dead and gone. As usual, Glory hesitated to intrude, but at the same time felt the pull to Dylan’s family. Dylan reached for her and gathered her to his side.

  Glory’s eyes flickered, but she masked her surprise and slid a strong arm around him.

  “What changed your mind?” she asked. “Dylan Morrissey decided family and friends were more important than his mission? Or did you have a flat tire or something?”

  Dylan sensed Glory struggle between anger and elation. He tightened his hold on her as Andrea took Kenny from him, and he pressed a kiss to Glory’s smooth cheek.

  “Family is more important,” he told her quietly. “And I can’t do the mission alone. I won’t save all Shifters single-handedly.” He paused, letting his rare smile pull at his mouth. “No matter how much I want to.”

  “Dad admits he needs us.” Sean punched the air. “Cause for celebration.”

  “This Yule log won’t light itself.” Liam shooed them away and picked up his dropped box of matches. “The Blessings of the Goddess be upon us!” he yelled into the crowd, struck a match, and touched its flame to the first branch.

  The Shifters cheered. Connor, dancing on legs that grew longer each year, lit another. Then Sean, while Kim and Andrea held the cubs at a safe distance. Dylan moved to the log, his arm still around Glory, and held her hand while they both lit a branch.

  Glory was trembling, probably with shock that Dylan was being so affectionate. But she’d put up with a lot of his shit, and he planned to make it up to her. Remembering their love-making in his vision, those plans for making up were starting to get him hard.

  One more person to track down first. “Stay here if you want, love,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  “No, no.” Glory twined her hand through his, her grip firm. “I’m not letting you go anywhere without me.”

  “Wise.” Dylan wove through the Shifters who had started to shift, howl, sing, party.

  Ben, naturally, led a conga line. Shifters kicked feet and paws as they chanted and bounced around the Yule log and down the green. Ronan as a Kodiak bear doing the conga was something to see.

  Dylan made for a ring of trees that always seemed to flourish in the center of the common. Standing against one was a Fae. His white-blond braids reached his knees, and he wore silk robes and furs similar to the ones worn by the Fae at the New Orleans warehouse. His black eyes glittered as he watched Andrea dance, Kenny in her arms. A bottle of Guinness rested in the Fae’s long-fingered hand.

  “Fionn,” Dylan greeted him.

  “Dylan.” Fionn nodded at him, then Glory. “Thought you were off pursuing people to beat up and submit to your will.”

  “I was. That’s off. Do me a favor.”

  Fionn Cillian, a warrior Fae who’d bested many other Fae in his part of that world, didn’t do favors. But he and Dylan shared a grandson, and this counted for much. Fionn narrowed his eyes and waited for Dylan to continue.

  “Stay diligent,” Dylan said. “Fae will try to best you to get to us. There’s a ley line in New Orleans in the old warehouse district—I’ll give you the coordinates. Put a guard on it, or take over the territory behind it if you need to.”

  “Interesting.” Fionn’s eyes lit, as they always did when he thought about battling someone. “Come to my tent and tell me about it.”

  His tent lay inside Faerie, through the ley line gate that rested in this grove. The tent was luxurious, filled with every comfort, including Fae-style whisky—very potent—and amazing food Fionn dismissed as army rations.

  Glory stiffened at Dylan’s side, expecting he’d go. Without her.

  Dylan shook his head. “Tomorrow, my friend. It’s Yule. Parties to go to, gifts to give, family to be with.”

  “Very well. I will wait.” Fionn, who couldn’t move much past the grove because of all the iron around, looked wistfully at Andrea. “Maybe the party could head this way?”

  Shifters hated Fae in general, and not all of them trusted Fionn. But Dylan gave Fionn a nod. “It’s done, mate. Good night.”

  Glory stared at Dylan in amazement as he led her back toward the house, but she said not a word. She also didn’t let go of his hand.

  Dylan gestured at Ben to take the conga line toward the grove. Andrea had already started for her father, carrying Kenny, Sean in her wake. Sean had left the Sword of the Guardian in the house, the symbol of death not needed in this celebration of life.

  Dylan took Glory up the steps of their house, drew her close for an intense kiss in the shadows of the porch, and then led her inside.

  Motorcycles surrounded the empty house outside of New Orleans that Ben and Dylan had vacated that morning. The last zilithal streamed inside, joining the others in collective glee. They’d feast tonight on the blood of a Shifter and a goblin—the stupid fools.

  The fron
t door quietly closed, and just as quietly, the lock clicked. Silver moonlight brushed the old house and glittered on dark windows.

  There was silence, and then a cacophony of screaming, and then nothing.

  After a time, the door creaked open, and the house emitted a gentle burp.

  Dylan lay entwined with Glory. They’d shared a wild hour or two, their shouts and groans filling the room.

  Now they rested. Moonlight, the light of the Goddess, touched them, brushing Glory’s beautiful body, locked against Dylan’s.

  The terror of Dylan’s dream melted away. It would not happen, would never happen. The house, that devious piece of architecture, had given Dylan a Yuletide gift of the vision, explaining to him what was what.

  Dylan was willing to learn the lesson. He fought not for renown or personal satisfaction—he did so to keep his family safe and gain their freedom. He realized that he couldn’t do it alone, and only together would they prevail.

  Glory studied him with beautiful gray eyes. If she looked a little smug, she deserved it. Dylan brushed back her golden hair and kissed her.

  Outside, the revelry continued in its loud insanity. Shifters had much to celebrate, in spite of it all. The festivities shouldn’t only be for tonight, Dylan decided. Every day should be a celebration of life and family, an opportunity to hold loved ones close as long as possible.

  Including this beautiful, amazing Lupine in his arms.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Glory murmured.

  Dylan kissed her neck, then licked where he’d kissed. “I was thinking how much I loved you.”

  “Oh.”

  Dylan raised his head to find Glory watching him, a smile spreading across her face. “I love you too,” she whispered. She gave him a sly look. “Want me to show you how much?”

  “I’d never say no to that, love.” Dylan kissed her deeply.

  They wrapped themselves in each other once more, and soon the room resounded with their cries.

  Moonlight bathed them in a soft glow as their voices blended with the laughter outside and flowed into the sparkling night.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading!

  While Dylan is the protagonist in this novella, it is not his final story. He will return in a full-length novel of his own, which traces his journey to his happily ever after.

  The Shifters have come a long way since Pride Mates (Book 1, Liam and Kim’s story). I remember having the first inkling of the series while driving past a construction site. I saw several good-looking men, one older than the others, and one younger, just out of his teens. My imagination put them into one family, three generations working together.

  Then I thought—for no reason—what if they were Shifters? And the Morrissey family was born. They sprang into my head and began to act, and I wrote down what they did.

  From the Morrisseys I moved to Shifters connected with them—Spike, Ronan, Ellison, and more—and began to explore Shiftertowns in Las Vegas, North Carolina, and Montana.

  If you are new to the Shifters Unbound series, the best place to start is Pride Mates (Book 1), though each novel is a standalone, a single love story. I do my best to explain what is what as I go along, so even if you start in the middle of the series, you shouldn’t get too lost.

  There are now several communities of Shifters, and each have their own set of novels (though many cross over). I list them below for each community, in chronological order.

  Austin Shifters

  Pride Mates (Liam and Kim)

  Primal Bonds (Sean and Andrea)

  Bodyguard (Ronan and Elizabeth)

  Hard Mated (Spike and Myka)

  Lone Wolf (Ellison and Maria)

  Tiger Magic (Tiger and Carly:

  Tiger first appears in Mate Claimed, Las Vegas Shifters)

  Feral Heat (Deni and Jace.

  Jace crosses over from the Las Vegas Shifters)

  Bear Attraction (Walker and Rebecca.

  Crosses over to Kendrick’s group)

  Bad Wolf (Broderick and Joanne.

  Briefly crosses with Montana Shiftertown)

  Wild Things (Mason and Jasmine.

  Intro of haunted house and Zander)

  Tiger Striped (Tiger and Carly novella)

  A Shifter Christmas Carol

  (novella featuring Dylan)

  Las Vegas Shifters

  Wild Cat (Cassidy and Diego)

  Mate Claimed (Eric and Iona)

  Perfect Mate (Nell and Cormac)

  Wild Wolf (Graham and Misty)

  North Carolina Shifters

  Mate Bond (Bowman and Kenzie.

  Crossover with Las Vegas Shifters)

  Kendrick’s Group

  (Most cross over with Austin Shifters)

  Lion Eyes (Seamus and Bree)

  White Tiger (Kendrick and Addison)

  Red Wolf (Jaycee and Dimitri)

  Montana Shifters

  Guardian’s Mate (Zander and Rae)

  * * *

  Note: I include Zander with the Montana Shifters, because Rae is from the Montana Shiftertown, but Zander moves between all the groups. It’s his way.

  New Orleans Shifters

  Midnight Wolf (Angus and Tamsin.

  Crosses over with Austin Shifters and Zander)

  The character of Ben so far appears in Wild Wolf, Mate Bond, White Tiger, Red Wolf, and Midnight Wolf. He will also have his own book.

  Check my website

  https://www.jenniferashley.com

  for additions as I continue to explore all the Shiftertowns!

  Again, thank you for reading. I never dreamed how far the Shifters would take me, but it has been a wonderful journey!

  All my best,

  Jennifer Ashley

  Also by Jennifer Ashley

  Shifters Unbound

  Pride Mates

  Primal Bonds

  Bodyguard

  Wild Cat

  Hard Mated

  Mate Claimed

  “Perfect Mate” (novella)

  Lone Wolf

  Tiger Magic

  Feral Heat

  Wild Wolf

  Bear Attraction

  Mate Bond

  Lion Eyes

  Bad Wolf

  Wild Things

  White Tiger

  Guardian’s Mate

  Red Wolf

  Midnight Wolf

  Tiger Striped

  A Shifter Christmas Carol

  * * *

  Shifter Made ("Prequel" short story)

  Stormwalker

  (w/a Allyson James)

  Stormwalker

  Firewalker

  Shadow Walker

  “Double Hexed”

  Nightwalker

  Dreamwalker

  Dragon Bites

  Immortals Series

  by Jennifer Ashley,

  Robin Popp, and Joy Nash

  The Calling (by Jennifer Ashley)

  The Darkening (by Robin Popp)

  The Awakening (by Joy Nash)

  The Gathering (by Jennifer Ashley)

  The Redeeming (by Jennifer Ashley)

  The Crossing (by Joy Nash)

  The Haunting (by Robin Popp)

  Blood Debt (by Joy Nash)

  Wolf Hunt (by Jennifer Ashley)

  Forbidden Taste (by Jennifer Ashley)

  Riding Hard

  (Contemporary Romance)

  Adam

  Grant

  Carter

  Tyler

  Ross

  Kyle

  Ray

  Snowbound in Starlight Bend

  About the Author

  New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written more than 85 published novels and novellas in romance, urban fantasy, and mystery under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Her books have been nominated for and won Romance Writers of America's RITA (given for the best romance novels and novellas of the year), several RT BookReviews Reviewers C
hoice awards (including Best Urban Fantasy, Best Historical Mystery, and Career Achievement in Historical Romance), and Prism awards for her paranormal romances. Jennifer's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have earned starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist.

  More about Jennifer’s series can be found at

  https://www.jenniferashley.com.

  Copyright

  A Shifter Christmas Carol

  Shifters Unbound

  Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Ashley

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All Rights are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  Cover design by Kim Killion