The Gift: A Christmas Novella (Mageri Series Book 6)

by Dannika Dark

  THE GIFT

  a Mageri series novella

  Dannika Dark

  Contents

  Summary

  Dear Reader

  Also By Dannika Dark:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Back Page

  Bonus

  Want More?

  Books by Dannika Dark:

  THE GIFT

  A Mageri Series Novella

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  DANNIKA DARK

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2016 Dannika Dark

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author. You must not circulate this book in any format. Thank you for respecting the rights of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Victory Editing and Red Adept. Cover design by Dannika Dark. All stock purchased.

  www.dannikadark.net

  Official Dannika Dark Newsletter

  Summary

  Despite a powerful snowstorm that has shut down the city, Silver and the Mageri crew are preparing to spend a peaceful holiday at home, surrounded by family, food, and merriment. But the party comes to an abrupt end when Logan receives an unexpected call, one that forces him to make a life-changing decision that could affect his relationship with Silver forever. Can they find the courage to weather the storm?

  Lives are at risk in this compelling and heartwarming story about the remarkable journey of love.

  Book 5.5

  Dear Reader,

  If you have not read the Mageri series, this book will make no sense. I wanted to give Mageri fans another glimpse of their favorite characters. The story takes place after the Mageri series (including Risk). Please begin with Sterling, the first book in the Mageri series.

  The journey is worth it.

  To my loyal Mageri readers: This stocking stuffer was written and wrapped with love. Thank you for allowing these characters to live on in your hearts.

  Also By Dannika Dark:

  THE MAGERI SERIES

  Sterling

  Twist

  Impulse

  Gravity

  Shine

  The Gift

  MAGERI WORLD

  Risk

  NOVELLAS

  Closer

  THE SEVEN SERIES

  Seven Years

  Six Months

  Five Weeks

  Four Days

  Three Hours

  Two Minutes

  One Second

  Winter Moon

  SEVEN WORLD

  Charming

  Chapter 1

  Silver and Logan

  Logan approached me from behind and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Silver, do you want to talk about it?”

  I shook my head, crestfallen. It was the second time that year that we’d lost a child to nefarious buyers on the black market. Logan and I weren’t able to conceive children of our own; nature had no intention of bending the rules for a Chitah and a Mage. The orphanage had turned us away, so we’d resorted to bidding for children on the black market.

  Logan Cross made me happier than any woman could dream, and I was blessed to have him as my kindred spirit. I sometimes thought back to when we first met—when I was so lost in this unimaginable new world. This dark and mysterious man who had been hired to kidnap me ended up saving my life in more ways than one. Even after years of living together, I still got butterflies when he looked at me with those beautiful amber eyes. Logan was a doting, protective lover who carried me to bed whenever I fell asleep watching TV. He cooked most of our meals, threatened any man who disrespected me, and always kept my feet warm on winter nights.

  We lived in a private building with Logan’s brothers and my Ghuardian, Justus, though they resided on separate floors. I still received Mage training from Justus, and I was surrounded by people I considered my family. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

  Except for that one thing I couldn’t give Logan.

  The one thing he said didn’t matter.

  But it did.

  Even though I couldn’t have children, it didn’t negate my desire to share the experience of parenting with him. Fate might have removed one option, but Logan was determined to pursue another. He was born to be a father. Not only was it in his DNA, but he had so much love to give—so much to teach. I wanted to see him hold a baby in his arms while it grabbed fistfuls of his blond hair, and I wanted to feel the joy of watching our child grow. I’d never dared to dream so big, but Logan made anything seem possible.

  “Female, I can scent your pain.”

  I gazed out the window at the snowfall blanketing the dark city, ignoring Logan’s reflection in the glass. “That’s the second time this year one slipped through our fingers. It’s hard enough not getting a child for my own selfish purposes, but it’s even worse to think how we failed at saving those children. God knows where they are now or who bought them.”

  He rested his chin on my head. “We can only hope there are others like us who are searching for the same reasons—who are willing to pay anything for such a privilege.”

  “I hope so,” I whispered.

  Logan wrapped his strong arms around me, and I drew in his masculine smell. “Trust in the fates, Little Raven. Don’t let our failures destroy us. I’m not going anywhere.”

  I turned around and nestled against his chest. “I know. I just didn’t think it would be this hard. Now I’m depressed all over again, and it’s almost Christmas. You might as well just leave me here and go celebrate with everyone else.”

  He rocked with laughter. “I’m hardly leaving my female alone during a festive occasion. It’s not like you to sulk.”

  I peered up at him. “You’re not the one who’s going to be cooking for seventeen people. And half of them are men who can single-handedly put an all-you-can-eat buffet out of business.”

  He furrowed his sexy brow. Logan’s face had the characteristics of a predator: a broad nose at the bridge, a heavy brow, a terrifying gaze, and a wide smile. “Sounds like someone’s getting her usual holiday jitters. Why should something as innocuous as dinner make you nervous? We’re family.”

  I stepped back. “Because! I have to make sure there’s enough food, time everything, do all the dishes—”

  “Alone?” he asked, shifting his stance. Strands of long blond hair obscured one eye when he tilted his head to the side.

  I’d insisted on doing Christmas dinner myself since in the past Sunny and Page had always volunteered to cook on special occasions. The least I could do was give them one holiday where they could enjoy their children and not have to slave over a hot stove.

  “There’ll be plenty of food,” Logan assured me, swaggering toward the kitchen.

  “Oh really? Because last I checked, one oven isn’t enough to feed the Cross family.” I glanced in the mirror and saw my dark hair was all scrambled up, so I reached in my pocket and retrieved a hair tie. “I’m getting up early since I’ll be coo
king all day tomorrow. The more I can get done in advance, the better. My plan is to knock out the desserts since they’ll keep for a few days anyhow. Then tomorrow night, I’ll prepare some of the side dishes. Obviously not the dressing or hot foods, except for beans. I have a slow cooker to keep those warm. Levi likes potato salad, and I’m making those homemade yeast rolls that Finn’s always begging for. We’re having turkey and ham. Hopefully that’s enough meat for everyone.”

  Logan stood barefoot, peering into the fridge. He finally decided on a bag of cheese cubes and turned around, walking me backward. “We can cater. No one will know.”

  “I’ll know.”

  He kept advancing until my back was to the wall. “Why must you do this alone? I offered to help.”

  “You don’t help; you take over.”

  His eyes were brimming with concern. “You won’t enjoy the day if you’re exhausted. I don’t like seeing my female stressed and overworked.”

  “I need this distraction,” I admitted.

  He didn’t need me to describe the pain that was squeezing my chest, an ache that always appeared during the holidays. Logan owned a map of my heart, and he knew every fracture, every river, and every canyon.

  He bent down and planted a chaste kiss on my mouth. When a purr rumbled deep in his chest, I sank into his embrace. Damn, I loved it when that man purred. Sometimes late at night when he thought I was asleep, he’d pull me tight against him and turn on his motor. There was nothing sexier. Logan Cross was six and a half feet of pure male, and he was all mine.

  I gazed up at his golden eyes rimmed in black and touched his long hair. “Mr. Cross?”

  He tilted his head to the side. “Yes?”

  “Hand over the cheese. That’s not for snacking on until Christmas.”

  He inclined his head and smiled fiendishly. “As you wish, my sweet. But only on one condition.”

  “Oh? And what’s that?”

  Logan wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me onto the counter. He wedged himself between my legs and nuzzled against my neck, sending goose pimples across my skin. The bag of cheese fell to the floor as he sensually brushed his lips along my jaw, making me blush with desire. “You may belong to the kitchen tomorrow, but tonight you’re mine.”

  Chapter 2

  Silver and Logan

  Everyone in our six-story residence had their own floor except for Sadie and Leo. When Sadie first met up with her brothers, she wanted to get to know them, so living with Leo wasn’t a bad situation. But after a while they both needed their own space. Justus was working with a builder to add an additional level for Sadie, but it was going to take time.

  Lucian lived on the first floor where the family room, gym, and study were located. He preferred less square footage, so his apartment only took up a small space on the west side. Since he was a computer whiz and did contract work, Lucian pulled his weight monitoring our security systems, fingerprint scanners, and the underground parking garage. Someone had to watch the cameras for trespassers and make sure the equipment was working properly, and it gave Justus more time to focus on his cases and raise a family.

  Finn lived on the second floor, Justus and Page above him, then Levi on the fourth, Logan and I on the fifth, and finally Leo and Sadie on the top floor. We had two levels of underground parking, and I often teased Justus that we could just convert one of those into living quarters. But Justus wasn’t about to give up real estate meant for his growing car collection. Aside from family, Justus had one passion in life: expensive vehicles.

  Justus still retained his status as my Ghuardian, and even though he no longer had any say in making decisions for me, he acted as my advisor and made sure my physical Mage training was up to par. Between that and working as an apprentice for Novis, I had my hands full. Even though my Mage powers surpassed almost everyone else’s, careers weren’t handed out on a silver platter. You had to put in your time, work hard, and build your reputation.

  And there was so much to learn in our world.

  I put another apple pie in the oven and set the timer. Logan and I had spent the previous night naked in bed. He usually slept in the nude, but last night we were doing anything but sleeping. Just remembering the feel of his mouth on my bare thigh made me lose my concentration.

  “Something smells good,” he purred from behind me. “And it’s not the pie.”

  “Quit sniffing my emotions.” I slapped him playfully with a kitchen towel covered in flour. “Can you run down to Levi’s and bring the cakes up here? Something tells me he’s going to try to slice off an end and re-ice it. If he eats all the desserts, he’s going to have to deal with Justus.”

  “Why Justus?”

  “Because Rose loves sweets, and her tears are his kryptonite.”

  Logan chuckled. “I’ve already issued Levi a warning that if he puts one finger on my female’s cake, his residency here will be terminated.”

  I turned around, the red oven mitt still on my hand. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?”

  He stepped forward, his gaze piercing mine. “I’ve never made an empty threat. Brother or not, no man touches my female’s lemon cake.”

  Typical Logan.

  “Well, let’s avoid a family feud and bring them up to remove all temptation. You guys can carry everything down tomorrow morning. I think Page bought special tablecloths, so don’t put anything on the table until those are down. We need someone to get all the dishes, wine, condiments, silverware—”

  Logan pressed his finger against my lips. “Everything’s taken care of. You won’t have to lift a finger, and Little Wolf volunteered to decorate the room.”

  I arched my eyebrows. “Finn?”

  “He’s shopping with Lucian.”

  “That should be interesting.”

  Lucian was the quieter Cross brother. He was the only one with black hair, a rare and undesired trait among Chitahs. Lucian was an intellectual and more introverted than his gregarious brothers. Because of his insomnia, he was usually up at odd hours doing programming work. Between his dark hair and five-ten stature, strangers treated him differently when they found out he was a Chitah. Perhaps that’s why he got along with Finn so well. Even though Finn was a Shifter, those two had a lot in common when it came to the adversities they faced in our world.

  I tossed the oven mitt on the counter and stared at Logan’s red sneakers. “What about Justus?”

  Logan lifted my chin with the crook of his finger. “He and Simon are out buying a tree.”

  I sputtered with laughter. “Whose idea was that? These are men who don’t do Christmas. Simon’s liable to put panties and handcuffs on the tree, and Justus will probably buy the smallest one they have just to get out of there.”

  Logan lifted a box that contained icing, colorful sprinkles, and powdered sugar. “I’ll take these down to Levi’s and ice everything myself.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t argue or I’ll ice you instead,” he growled sexily.

  I wasn’t sure whether to let him go or put up a fight. If disobedience meant him licking icing off my body, then maybe I needed to go on the naughty-girl list.

  Chapter 3

  Justus and Simon

  Justus’s neck flushed with embarrassment the moment he entered the human establishment. Humans he had no problem with. It was the garish display of tinsel and twinkling lights that offended him. He beheld the Christmas decorations that stretched in every direction and shuddered at the holiday music blaring across the loudspeakers. Music was meant to be a gift to the senses, not an assault.

  Justus was a simple man, and Page shared the same taste when it came to decorating their home on the holidays. She usually set a few candles on the windowsill and mantel. When the mistletoe made an appearance, Justus insisted on putting a sprig in every doorway. That was one tradition he was determined to keep.

  Sometimes they decorated the family room with a few candles and a strand or two of lights, but they had never done any
thing this elaborate.

  This was the first year since moving into the building that everyone was going to be home for Christmas. Last year, Justus had been out of the state on assignment. Leo had gone with him since they both worked for HALO. When everyone’s schedules aligned this year, Silver insisted on cooking dinner and spending the whole day together. Justus had a good laugh about that. Silver was inept in the kitchen and didn’t work well under stress. Why she’d volunteered for such an undertaking was beyond his understanding, but Page was surreptitiously helping out on the side. She planned on making fruit and vegetable platters to snack on since none were listed on the menu posted in the family room downstairs.

  Simon waved. “Oi! Justus, this looks like a winner.” His British accent and leathers were causing a stir among the female shoppers.

  Simon strutted across the platform, comparing his height to a nine-foot silver tree.

  “Not that one,” Justus grumbled.

  “Why the bloody hell not? Seems fitting considering our hostess is named Silver.” Simon laughed like a hyena and jumped onto the next platform, his boots stomping on the wood.

  “Sir, get down from there,” a woman snapped from the customer-service counter. Her lips were so tightly pressed together that the skin around her mouth was whiter than the rest of her face.

  Some of the Christmas trees were on platforms that stretched down the center aisle toward the back of the store. To the left and right were rows upon rows of ornaments, lights, and inflatable monstrosities. Justus shook his head. This place looked like a warehouse where tinsel went to die. His ancestors would roll over in their graves if they knew they’d died nobly on battlefields so that their descendants could buy things like pink trees and singing snowmen.