by R. E. Butler
“Why did Charli keep this place?” Mire asked.
“She and Arian come here on Christmas Eve because it’s convenient for her sister to visit. They said they moved to Canada, and they didn’t want to have to buy a place up there for her to visit,” Declan said.
“It must be hard for the humans to only be able to see their loved ones once a year, and only for a day,” Sullivan said.
“At least Charli only has her sister, Kerri. Merri has to keep the secret from both her parents,” Declan said.
A strange feeling passed over Sullivan. He looked toward the cabin, where a glow flickered from inside.
“Is someone here?” he asked, dropping his voice low.
“That’s weird. Charli said that her sister wouldn’t be here until about seven this morning, and Merri’s parents were coming after that,” Declan said.
Declan headed to the cabin, walking swiftly but silently. An overwhelming urge to shift came over Sullivan. He pulled off his suit jacket and handed it to Mire.
“What the ever-loving stars are you doing?” Mire asked.
“Shifting. There’s something in the woods, I think.”
His brows lifted. “Danger? I don’t sense anything.”
Removing his dress shirt, Sullivan handed it to Mire and then undid his trousers. “I don’t know. I just feel like I need to go into the woods.”
“Naked?”
“In my shift.”
Mire’s gaze darted around the area. The sun barely rose over the horizon, leaving most of the woods in darkness.
Declan joined them. “If there’s someone in the house, they’re in a back room. It’s all lit up but empty in the family room. Why are you naked?”
“I’m going to shift and check out the woods,” Sullivan said.
Before they could ask any other questions, he reached for his polar bear and changed. One moment he stood on two legs, and the next, his big white paws were curling into the snow as he shook out his body.
“Don’t be long,” Mire said, glancing at his watch. “The sister will be here in about forty-five minutes, and we don’t need SC having to erase memories because someone sees your furry ass.”
Chuffing a sound of agreement, Sullivan butted his head into his friends’ sides and then hurried into the woods. Dense woods surrounded the cabin, and the scents of cold earth and small animals filled his nose. Moving a few yards into the woods, he closed his eyes and lifted his snout, inhaling and sorting through the various odors. He couldn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, and he wasn’t sure what had made him feel like he needed to shift in the first place. He hadn’t been overcome by an urge to shift since he’d first learned how to shift as a teenager and had to work to stay in control when he was emotional.
A light breeze blew, rustling the high, icy branches and making them clink together. Icicles broke off and fell to the hard-packed snow, shattering on impact. A sweet scent hit his senses, and everything within him quieted. Tilting his head, he opened his eyes and inhaled again. The scent was gone, and then it was back as he turned and faced the cabin. Overcome with the desire to find out the source of the scent, he lumbered as quickly as he could back to the yard. His friends were staring at him in confusion, but he ignored them, following the scent around the cabin and into a different section of the woods. The scent was sweet and spicy like the chocolate and peppermint candy canes his grandma made to put in kids’ stockings. They were his favorite treat. And now, whatever scented of chocolate and mint was going to be his new favorite treat.
He knocked into trees in his haste, shaking loose snow and ice, and zeroed in on the scent. The sun was rising, and he knew he should be back at the cabin, shifting and dressing before any humans saw him, but he was entirely overcome with the need to find the source of the scent.
He rushed past a huge tree, his claws scrabbling on the hard ground as he turned and stopped, finding himself staring at a gorgeous woman with her arms full of pine boughs.
Her eyes widened, and she made an alarmed, squeaking sound, as if the air had been pushed out of her lungs through a whistle. The boughs and a cutting tool slipped to the ground as her whole body shook with fear.
He inhaled and found her to be the source of the enticing scent, all hot cocoa and peppermint. Moving toward her, she squeaked again, her skin paling in fear, and he remembered he was still in his polar bear form. Embarrassed that he’d made such a mistake and frightened her, he shifted back to his human form. Standing straight as he returned to his human form, he felt a connection snap between them, and his heart clenched.
She was his fated mate.
And then she promptly passed out.
He lifted her from the cold ground, cursing at himself for causing her distress, and he hurried to the cabin. The ice and snow on the ground bit into his bare feet, but because he was an arctic shifter, he wasn’t bothered by the cold as much as a human would be. His candy cane-scented mate was human, though. Her dark hair accentuated her pallor. She looked as though all the blood had been leeched from her skin, and her heart beat rapidly even though she was unconscious.
“What the hell?” Mire asked as he opened the back door of the cabin when Sullivan approached.
Sullivan stopped, his grip tightening on the female, and snarled. “Mine.”
Declan joined Mire, giving Sullivan a raised brow. “What? Did you just say ‘mine’?”
Sullivan’s fangs lengthened, and he gnashed his teeth, glancing over his shoulder to the woods. He wanted to take her back into the woods and away from the unmated males until he was able to mate and mark her properly. Shaking his head, aware that he was being unreasonable, he gritted his teeth together and said the only word that was in the forefront of his mind. “Mine.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Mire said. “We’re not going to take her from you, but she’s human and you need to get her out of the cold. I’ll prop the door open, and you carry her into the bedroom.”
He knew his friends weren’t a threat to his mate, but his beasts weren’t happy. Now he understood how Arian and Rhys had felt when they’d been faced with unmated males – even their lifelong friends – being around their mates. He watched as Mire set an empty flower pot in front of the door to prop it open, and then he turned and pushed Declan down the hall. Now that they were gone, Sullivan could think more clearly. He wouldn’t apologize for wanting to keep his mate from others.
Carrying her into the cabin, he kicked the flower pot aside so the door would shut and walked through the laundry room and down a short hall. A door was open to a bedroom, and he could scent his mate strongly in the room and suspected she’d stayed there. He tugged off her long coat and tossed it onto a nearby chair, and then laid her on the bed, grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed and stretching it over her.
After removing her gloves and then her boots, which he set on the floor, he pressed his palm to her cheek and closed his eyes, exploring the feelings that coursed through him. He was definitely in the presence of his fated mate. She was suddenly the most important person in the world to him. The fact that his shift had caused her to panic and faint was a source of embarrassment, but he vowed to make it up to her.
Her skin was returning to a non-deathly pallor. The dark green dress she wore hugged her curves. Lowering his head to her throat, he inhaled silently and growled softly at the scent. She was definitely the chocolate and peppermint scent he’d followed in the woods. It amazed him that his fated mate smelled like his favorite candy.
There was a soft gasp at his ear, and cold hands grabbed his neck. He froze, worried he’d make her pass out again and not have a chance to find out her name at the very least. But instead of pushing him away or fainting, the cold fingers slid into his hair and angled his head until her cold lips pressed to his.
His beasts rejoiced, cartwheeling in his mind at the purely decadent taste of their fated mate. He’d gotten out of bed that morning thinking something interesting might happen that day, but he never truly exp
ected to be kissing his fated mate in the human world.
Chapter 4
Kerri woke abruptly to someone’s nose against her neck. Her eyes popped open, and she was looking at the ceiling of the bedroom she’d stayed in. The natural dimness in the room caused her to wonder if the sun was rising; gentle light crept in through the unadorned window.
Mentally shaking her head at herself for thinking about sunlight and not about whoever was sniffing her throat, she lifted her hands and wrapped them around a thick neck. Definitely a man. He froze, his nose still pressed to her throat, and she had an immediate thought to push him away and scream bloody murder, but that thought swiftly fled as the urge to draw him closer overrode all else.
She slid her fingers into his short, thick hair, planning to stop at that point and ask him who he was and if he always went around sniffing random women, but instead, she tilted his head and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft, and she moaned in her throat at a strange, sweet scent that enveloped her. Her heart pounded; her body demanding she get closer to this man. Parting her lips slowly, she did a mental fist pump as their tongues touched and heat swirled through her. Strong arms slid under her, and he lifted her against him, sitting back and setting her in his lap without breaking the kiss. She could feel broad shoulders and thick muscles, and his sweet taste reminded her of hot chocolate.
Dark. Hot. Decadent.
A growl rumbled in his chest, and she shivered, excited by the strange sound, but not really understanding why she thought the sound was a good thing. Then she remembered what she’d seen in the woods, remembered what had caused her to pass out – a polar bear had come at her, big paws slapping the hard ground and golden eyes glowing. And just as she was considering running for her life, the polar bear disappeared and a man appeared. The big sexy guy, whose eyes were the same glowing gold as the bear’s, had been too much for her brain, causing everything to go dark.
The man’s hand slid into her hair and fisted it gently, pulling her away. She groaned and then blushed at the wanton sound.
“Damn, you’re addictive, candy.”
“My name isn’t candy; it’s Kerri,” she said.
A smile curled one corner of his mouth. “You taste like candy.”
“You taste like hot chocolate,” she whispered, her cheeks heating in blush.
He chuckled and tucked his finger under her chin, lifting her head until she gazed at him. “Kerri, I’m Sullivan. I’m sorry I scared you in the woods. The last thing I ever wanted to do was frighten you. Are you okay?”
“I really saw that? I didn’t have some weird delusion where a polar bear turned into a man?”
“It wasn’t a dream; it was me. I’m an arctic quad. I can shift into four different animals, including the polar bear.”
“That’s…not possible.”
“You saw it.”
She hummed. “I’ve got a good imagination.”
He snorted. “Do you, candy? Do you dream about animals changing into men all the time?”
She tilted her head and pressed her lips to his throat. Inhaling softly, she smelled the dark chocolate scent of him, and her heart felt like it was caught in a vise. Painful and wonderful at the same time. A desire to stay with him, to never leave his side, filled her so quickly that she jerked back and nearly fell off his lap. He stopped her from going too far, and he drew her back against him. It was then that she realized he was naked.
“I don’t understand.”
“When I arrived here at dawn with my friends, I had the urge to shift and go into the woods. I believe that my beasts knew you were out there in the woods and wanted to find you. You’re my fated mate. The one woman on earth perfect for me.”
She made a face. “I’m not perfect.”
“Well, you look like an angel, and you kiss like heaven, so yeah, I think you are. My gorgeous chocolate and peppermint scented mate.”
“I’m…human?”
His brow arched. “Was that a question?”
She cleared her throat. “Not really, but you’re not human, are you? Not entirely.”
“Are you scared, Kerri? I don’t want you to be afraid to be with me. I would never hurt you.”
“I know. I don’t know how I know, but I do. I feel connected to you, and I can’t explain it. You’re talking about us being perfect for each other. Fated?”
“Fated mates.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and the gentle touch made her skin goose bump. “It’s the term my kind use. I need to be sure you understand something.”
He paused and she stared at him, silently urging him to continue.
“No one here can know what I am. It would be devastating to my people if the truth of what we are came out.”
“Shifters? There are more than just you?”
“A whole city of them, way up north.”
“North? How far North?”
“North Pole far.”
Okay. He’s crazy. Sexy, but nuts.
Except she had seen him shift from a big bear into a human, and there was something oddly honest about him.
“I won’t tell anyone. But…” she paused, thinking of her sister.
“I know who you’re thinking of, and she already knows about our kind.”
“My sister? Charli?”
He nodded. He gazed at her in silence, and she stared into his dark blue eyes, which were swirled with gold, and his gaze seemed to be willing her to understand. Just as the dots were being connected in her mind, she heard footsteps rushing down the hall. Charli stopped in the doorway, nearly tripping over herself in her attempt to stop.
“Let her go, Sullivan!”
Kerri’s hands tightened on Sullivan’s shoulders as he growled. “Mine.”
Her heart fluttered at the possessive tone, and she grinned shamelessly. “Not that I want to encourage you to be such a caveman, but that was really cool. I’m fine, Charli, really. If you don’t mind, my guy is naked, and I don’t want you sneaking a peek at his goodies before I have a chance.”
Charli huffed in indignation. “I’m not trying to look at his goodies.”
Arian, Charli’s husband, appeared behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her out of the doorway. In his other hand he held a pile of clothes and a pair of shoes, which he tossed in Sullivan’s direction.
“We just got word that Merri’s parents are about ten minutes away so you need to get dressed and get your beasts under control.”
“I’d be fine if people weren’t trying to take her from me.”
“She’s my sister! Geez, you quads can be such possessive nuts.” Charli peeked around Arian’s body and said, “Are you okay, Kerri?”
“I’m fine. But I’m a little pissed at you.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“When we were kids, we promised to never keep secrets from each other.”
Charli’s mouth dropped open and then tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry! I wasn’t allowed to tell you.”
Kerri immediately felt bad for saying anything as Charli started to cry. Arian growled softly and turned to her, wrapping his arms around her.
“Damn it,” Kerri muttered.
Sullivan nuzzled her neck with a soft hoot.
She looked at him and said, “That was a weird noise. What beast is that? You never told me all of them.”
His cheeks darkened, and she thought it was adorable. “My snowy owl. He…didn’t like you being upset. He’s never actually been really vocal, so that was weird for me too. I also have an arctic fox and a reindeer.”
“Next you’ll tell me that Santa is real, and the star I wished on this morning was really a Christmas wishing star and you’re my dream come true.” Things clicked together in her mind at that moment, and she inhaled sharply. “Oh my gosh, is it true? Is Santa real?”
There was a booming Ho Ho Ho from down the hallway, and Kerri’s breath caught in her throat. “No. Fricking. Way.”
Charli, rubbing at her cheeks, smiled. “
Sorry I got so emotional. Lying to you has been hell for me. It’s a relief to be able to tell you the truth.”
“I’m sorry I said I was pissed at you.”
“Forgiven, forgotten.”
“Santa is real. He’s my boss,” Sullivan said. To Charli and Arian he said, “I’m going to put my mate down and get dressed, so if you don’t want your girl playing dick-comparison, then I suggest you get back to the family room.”
Arian flipped off Sullivan. “You can talk to her later, love,” he said as he scooted Charli down the hall.
“Fine, fine,” Charli said.
Sullivan put Kerri on her feet, and she moved to the door and shut it. She turned around and leaned against it, folding her arms and watching as he picked up the clothes off the floor and shook out the black dress slacks.
“I feel like there’s like a ton more that you need to tell me,” she said.
He tugged his slacks up his muscular legs, and she decided she wasn’t going to pretend not to look at his erection, since it had been poking her in the butt ever since he’d hauled her onto his lap.
Oh, my.
He winked as he zipped the slacks. “See anything you like?”
“You know you’re hot.”
“I’m in good company.”
He slid on the white dress shirt and sat down, buttoning the cuffs first and then the shirt buttons. “I do have a lot to tell you, but we don’t have time. The wedding is going to start soon, and then I have to be back up in NPC for the Christmas Eve run.”
“NPC?”
“North Pole City. It’s a magically protected city where we all live. There are quad shifters, like me, plus shifters who can only shift into three of the four beasts, and there are elves.”
“The little dudes with the pointy shoes?”
He chuckled. “They’re human size, and the only thing that makes them look different is their pointed ears.”
“Cool.”
“My mom is an elf, and my dad is a shifter. He’s a builder.”