He wasn't far off. Loping along a few yards away, he, too was chortling with laughter at the antics of his mate. And she was his mate, body, heart, and soul. The ceremony was a tradition to satisfy their human side. His wolf needed no official sanction. What was, was. Lindy was his mate and she was beautiful. Round and fluffy with her winter coat, she was light grey with a cap of darker color that ran the length of her body. As was her human, her wolf was shorted than his, with powerful legs and a firm stride. He thought they fit together perfectly.
When she saw him, she woofed an invitation to play and he obliged. He charged her, not hard enough to hurt, but with a lift of his head at the last moment, hard enough to bowl her over. He waited, front paws outstretched, rear end and tail high in the air, to see what her reaction would be. She met him head on, but instead of tumbling into him, she leapt over him and when he turned, she caught him with a faceful of snow thrown up by her hind paws.
Shaking away the snow, he ran after her, a little surprised by her speed. He caught up with her and nudged her with his shoulder, a gentle reminder that he should take the lead. She chuffed at him and nipped at his shoulder and then took off at a ground covering run.
The she-wolf chuffed and snorted. "I am strong. I am fast. I don't run behind. I run beside." It was something she-wolf had tried to tell her human a long time ago, but her human wouldn't listen. In anger and frustration, the wolf had gone to sleep, but she was awake now and this time, she was heard. "Don't let wolf rule human. Bah! Wolf knows mate when she sees him, smells him, tests him. This male good mate. Strong. Fun. Show him we're strong and fun, too. Run beside, not behind."
Travis got Lindy's message and was delighted by it. If a wolf could say 'I told you so', that was the message his was sending now. This was the she-wolf his wolf had seen when others could not. She wasn't weak, only afraid and that could be overcome.
They ran and ran, veering off from the pack to run alone together. This was what courting and mated pairs did. They ran together. The wind was strong and the night was pitch dark. Clouds of impending snow covered the sky. Travis didn't need the stars or the moonlight to guide him. He knew when they crossed the Rabbit Creek pack boundary, but he wasn't worried. This was forest land where humans wouldn't be found in this weather. He scented no trace of man.
They played, pushing and shoving each other and rolling in the powdery snow, skirting the tall trunks of trees, playing a wolf game of hide and seek and then ran some more until they came to a small clearing where Lindy skidded to a stop.
The trees were smaller here and a short length of rotted fence told Travis that this had once been someone's homestead that had fallen back to nature. That little bit of fence was the only sign that remained. The boughs of the trees were laden with snow except for one lone fir that stood in the center of the clearing. That was the one at which Lindy cocked her head and stared.
Where snow should have been, tiny icicles hung from the branches. None of the other trees showed evidence of melt. Lindy had never been this far from pack land before and yet this crooked little fir looked familiar. She crept closer, curious and yet cautious of this forest oddity. She sniffed at the icicles hanging from one of the lower branches and jumped back, startled when some of the icicles tinkled to the ground.
She heard Travis' deep wolf-snicker behind her and she turned to him to glare her that's-not-funny look, but her gaze caught something moving through the trees and her look turned to one of alarm.
"Look! Run!"
Travis looked, but he didn't run. He curled his lip and snarled at the approaching wolves. The wind was strong and blowing into the oncoming trio and he'd had no hint of their approach. He flicked his head and chuffed at Lindy to run without him. They'd been running for most of the night, and as fast as she was, she would be tired after so long. Her body wasn't used to the demands of running on four legs.
When he was sure she was moving away, he turned to face the approaching animals. They were wolves, not wolvers. He was sure of that. They were too small and they looked ragged and hungry. He'd never heard of wolves in these parts, but the plentiful deer and the conservationist's reseeding of elk herds in these mountains were bound to bring more predators sooner or later. He'd scented no boundary markings other than Rabbit Creek and Wolf's Head, a friendly pack on the other side of the mountain, but that didn't mean there weren't others in the area.
His hackles rose as the approaching wolves began to trot. His tail dropped and he spread his forepaws a little farther apart to let them know he was ready for a fight. From what he'd heard, most wolves would back down from a wolver, instinctively recognizing the superior size, strength and intelligence. But not always. Perhaps they thought their numbers would give them the advantage or perhaps they were so hunger crazed they didn't care.
No matter. His mate was first and foremost to his human and his wolf. Her safety was his only priority. He stood his ground in the small clearing and waited as the wolves broke into a charging run.
Lindy ran a good distance before she stopped, overtaken by fear not of the attacking wolves, but of losing Travis. Her wolf snarled, ferocious at the thought.
"Beside, not behind. Your mate. Your man. Fight!"
She turned and ran back. Hearing the snarls and growls and a screech of pain spurred her to greater speed and when she entered the clearing, she charged the nearest of the three wolves surrounding her mate. She caught him in the hind quarters, sank her teeth into the meatiest part of his leg and quickly moved away. Females never fought in her parent's pack and there had never been a need in Rabbit Creek, but her wolf was blessed with the primal instinct to fight and the human Lindy withdrew and gave her wolf free reign.
Lindy fought as she never thought she could. She stood her ground beside Travis, each guarding the other's back. She snarled and lashed out viciously, keeping the two weaker wolves at bay while Travis went for the largest that appeared to be the leader. A yelp, a cry of pain and it was over. The invading wolves turned tail and ran.
Sides heaving, Travis and Lindy nuzzled each other, searching from muzzle to tail, checking for injuries and assuring themselves that the blood they smelled was not that of their mate. Only after they were sure of each other's health and safety did they sit, side by side, leaning one against the other.
Travis snarled a little and nipped at her ear, showing his displeasure that she didn't follow his orders. Lindy nipped him right back. She'd lost one mate. She wouldn't lose another, not when she had the chance to fight beside him.
As they sat and caught their breath, the sky behind the icicle tree began to lighten with the coming day. The clouds parted and the lowering moon showed fully, setting the icicles gleaming like twinkling lights. One bright star showed itself at the very top of the crooked little tree and, from where they sat, it looked as if the heavens had sent Lindy and Travis a personal Christmas tree for their enjoyment. It was vaguely reminiscent of an angel.
*****
Later, in the sparkling lights of their Christmas tree and the warmth of the blazing wood stove, they lay together on the sofa, sated from their lovemaking and snuggled together.
"You're going to like my mother," Travis told her, "Did I ever tell you about Mom and the bear?"
"You'll like my Dad," she laughed, "He has the same snarky temper when he orders Mama around."
"But she listens to him. Right?" he asked, still a little miffed that Lindy didn't.
Lindy laughed. "Oh, she listens all right and then she does what she think's best."
"Don't think it's going to be that way in this house," he warned.
"Yes, sir," she said, but from the way she said it and the pursing of her lips, Travis knew she didn't mean a word of it.
While he never would have wished for it, he was glad they'd fought together. Lindy was bolder and brighter and already more confident. It showed in her face and even in her lovemaking and she was the more beautiful for it.
He kissed her nose. "My father says when it come
s to women, you just can't win, but I think I proved him wrong when I found you. You're the best Christmas present ever."
Lindy kissed his nose back. "Does this count as our first Christmas?"
"It does for me. We'll have to see if we can find an ornament in the after Christmas sales."
"We already have one," Lindy cried, leaping up from the sofa and running to the front door, stark naked.
"Are you crazy woman?" Travis yelled for the third time, unsure of what he was getting into with this woman, but sure he was going to enjoy the hell out of it.
"Oops." Lindy ran back and grabbed his coat which was much too large and slid her feet into his big boots. "Be right back."
She returned a minute later with the wooden tree he'd carved dangling from her finger.
"We can't have that pitiful thing as our first ornament," he protested.
"We have to. Look at it, Travis. Look really hard."
He did and she was right. It was their miracle tree from the forest.
"We've been blessed, Travis. Joey's all right. You're all right. I'm all right. Together, we're all right," she said as she hung their ornament on the tree where it would be the centerpiece of all their future Christmas trees; a beacon for all the memories they would make together.
"Merry Christmas, Travis," she said as she bent to give him a soft kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Lindy," Travis said before he pulled her down beside him and kissed her back.
*****
Marshall and Lizzie were once again standing out on their front porch, their silhouettes outlined by the blue and white lights Lizzie had hung just so. The twins were tucked in bed, sleeping peacefully and the Alpha and his Mate finally had a quiet moment to themselves.
"You're going to say 'All's well that ends well', aren't you, Lizzie mine."
She laughed a little and snuggled closer to her mate. "Shakespeare does seem to cover every occasion, but no, I wasn't going to point out how I was right in the end. Travis and Lindy did that for me."
"Then what are you thinking," Marshall chuckled knowingly, "I can see those wheels turning in your head."
"I was thinking about Mary riding on her lowly donkey into Bethlehem and Joseph finding no room at the inn," she said softly. Her eyes turned misty as she looked up at him. "I'll bet she wasn't thinking about who her child was going to grow up to be when she went into labor in that smelly old stable. I'll bet she was lonely and frightened without family or friends around her to see her through."
Lizzie stood on her toes to kiss Marshall's cheek, but he turned his head to her and caught her lips. She took his hand and placed it on her flat belly.
"It makes me grateful to know that our baby will be born into the Rabbit Creek pack with so many wolvers who care about the Lindys and Travises of our world. Maggie's right." She mimicked the older woman's mountain tinted voice. "It ain't perfect, but it's as close to heaven as you're gonna find here on earth."
"That's what we're trying to preserve, you and I." He rubbed the spot where she'd placed his hand. "For us and for our pack."
"Merry Christmas, Marshall."
"Merry Christmas, Lizzie," Marshall said before he kissed her again.
#####
Whatever your beliefs may be, I want to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas, from the spirit of love and kindness that can be found in all human (and Wolver) hearts.
About the Author
Jacqueline, known as Jackie to her friends, lives in rural southern Ohio with one lovable husband, one spoiled dog and one disinterested cat. She believes coffee is a food group and always has a pot brewing. When not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in someone else's book or working in her garden. She also spends a great deal of time chasing deer and rabbits who apparently also like gardening.
Jackie loves hearing from her readers and is always willing to chat. She can be reached through her website, http://www.jacquelinerhoades.com/ or at [email protected]
Other Books by Jacqueline Rhoades
Thanks for reading Rabbit Creek Santa. If you enjoyed this book, please consider placing a short review at you site of purchase. Your kind words can do more for an author than all the paid advertisement money can buy.
Paranormal Romances by Jacqueline Rhoades
Available at Amazon.com
The Guardians Of The Race Series
Guardian's Grace
Guardian's Hope #2
Guardian's Joy #3
Guardian's Faith # 4
Alpha's Mate Series
The Alpha's Mate
The Alpha's Choice
The Alpha's Daughter
Contemporary Romances by the author
Hidden Mountain Series
Preston's Mill
Rabbit Creek Santa Page 9