by Deanna Chase
“As far as I could tell. Everyone else was playing at it, but they were all human.”
“What happened?!” Lorelei asked, sitting up. “Where did Scott go?”
“Don’t you remember?” I asked.
She shook her head and winced. “Ow! Why does my head hurt?”
“You hit your head on the wall,” Gus said.
“Do you remember anything?” I asked.
“I came out here with Scott, and he was telling me how he had never felt this way about anyone before, and we started kissing and then… that’s all I remember. Then everything just… goes black.”
“He had to leave to take care of something,” Gus lied. “We were about to go back to the Ball, when you tripped.”
“Oh… what did he have to take care of?” Lorelei asked.
“I… don’t remember,” Gus said. “I was more worried about you.”
I looked at the clock tower over by the train station. “We’d better get back in, if we’re going. It’s after eleven.”
Lorelei paused at the Coke can. “Can you believe this? Why would someone just leave their trash on the ground?”
I swooped it up before she could grab it. It was burning hot to the touch. “I’ll take care of it,” I said, trying not to let her see the pain in my face. The minute she turned her back to me, I pulled a piece of fabric out of Gus’s fake boobage and wound it around the can.
“Well, if we’re going back to the party, we may as well get a move on,” Lorelei said. “I want to get there before they do the tree.”
6
Back up on the second floor, Christmas music was playing and the dance floor was full of couples. Some dancing, some kissing, some just talking. In the middle of the dance floor was a large tree, with lit candles nestled into candleholders on the branches. Next to the tree was a card table with red plastic hearts, strips of paper and red pens.
“Is it just me,” I muttered, “or does that look like a fire hazard about to go up?” I put my hand on my wand. I wondered if I could use it to stop a fire, if the need arose.
“I’m sure there’s a fire extinguisher nearby,” Gus said.
Karen LeMao blew her whistle again.
Gus grimaced. “I swear, I’m going to shove that whistle right up her chimney.”
“All right, Beasts and Beauties. It’s time for the Yule tree. Come and get a heart, a piece of paper, and a pen. Write your love wish on the paper, put it inside the heart, and hang it on the tree. Who knows ladies, if you and your Beast have the same yearning for each other, the spirit of Yule may just make your wish come true.”
There were a lot of giggles as people scribbled on the strips of paper. After Gus filled out his wish and placed it on the tree, I handed him the still warm can, and walked up to the table, next to Lorelei. I peeked over at what she was writing. I wish… my true love will come to me tonight and let nothing stand in his way.
That seemed like a pretty good wish. “I hope you don’t mind,” I told her, “but I’m copying your wish.”
She sighed. “I had such high hopes for tonight, and I ended up with nothing.”
“Don’t lose heart,” I said, as we put our hearts on the tree. “The night is still young.”
Once all the hearts were hung on the tree, we all gathered around it in a large circle. Karen and her helpers, Tery and Kathy, passed out full cups of hot mulled sangria cooked with currents and almonds and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. We all drank and sang Christmas carols.
Suddenly, I heard a clock chime.
“As the chime counts down to midnight,” Karen LeMao said, “Throw your wishes to the winds, and let Fate play her hand.”
People started counting along with the clock.
I couldn’t help it. When the last chime of midnight hit, I aimed my wand at the tree and zapped it, helping all those wishes go out into the ether, with a little extra oomph.
All the candles on the tree blew out at the same time.
Karen LeMao screamed. “Oh my gosh! What’s going on?”
Gus had set our demon can down on the table so he could drink the mulled wine, and now the can started shaking. Smoke came pouring out of the edges of the soda topper.
“Is that some kind of bomb?! Clear the floor!” Karen hollered, as people ran for the front doors. Karen pushed her way through the screaming crowd to the front, where she struggled to unlock the door.
Lorelei, Gus and I were frozen in place.
The can built up so much pressure, it exploded upward, the lid flying off. Within minutes, Krampus was standing before us and he was pissed.
I looked around. Everyone else had left. We were alone with the Christmas demon.
He looked at me and growled, his eyes red with fury.
“Scott?” a small voice asked. “Is that you?”
Krampus stopped short, struggling between wanting to chomp me and his feelings for that small voice.
“Scott? Are you okay?” The voice belonged to Lorelei.
I watched as the beast changed his focus from an all-consuming rage to one of concern. As waves of love and compassion washed over him, the beast form left and he turned into Scott.
“Lorelei,” he pulled her close to him, lightly kissing her. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No, silly. They wouldn’t hurt me. Gus is my brother. But Scott… what are you?”
He sighed and dropped his arms. He looked down at his feet. “I am… Krampus.” He looked up into her eyes, taking her hands in his. “Most of the year, I’m Scott. I’m a normal guy. But from December 5th to January 7th, I become Krampus. I’ve tried not to, but I can’t stop it. I thought I had it under control, but when I thought they might have hurt you… it just came out.”
“How the hell were you able to get out of the can?” Gus asked.
I placed a hand on Gus’s arm. “True love. Lorelei wished for her true love to come to her, and I zapped the wishes to make them fly true and hard. So the wish negated the canning.”
Scott looked at Lorelei, stunned. “Is that true? I’m your true love? Even after you’ve seen what I become?”
Lorelei nodded, barely able to speak, tears shining in her eyes.
Scott put his arms around her and kissed her, deeply.
“I love you,” he told her, when they broke from the kiss. “I’ve been waiting for you, my entire life. I will love you with every breath I have. This I swear to you.”
“I will love you with every breath I have,” she responded. “This I swear to you.”
A swirling, sparkling light surrounded them, lifting them up off the floor a few inches, then gently setting them back down, as they continued kissing. And in a blink of an eye, they were both gone, the sparkling light carrying them off to whatever midwinter fairy realm Krampus resided in.
* * *
Gus and I used the freight elevator to get to the parking lot.
“Was that what I think it was?” Gus asked.
“I think they’re betrothed,” I said. “I told you, your sister has a lot of fairy in her.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about having Krampus as my new brother-in-law.”
I smiled. “It’s clear how much he loves her. How much they love each other. Can’t beat that.”
Outside, we could see fire trucks and ambulances racing up to the restaurant, on high alert for a potential bomb.
“Happy Yule,” Gus said, kissing the back of my hand as we skirted the action and walked to the SUV.
I sighed.
“What’s that about?”
“I guess I don’t have a true love. I made the same wish and I don’t see anyone breaking out of hell to sweep me off my feet.”
“At least one good thing came out of tonight,” Gus said and smiled. “With Krampus so occupied with my sister, children everywhere can sleep better.”
“Mara! Are you okay?!”
I stopped and looked over.
Paul was half-walking, half-running towards me, the baby in his arms.
“I heard there might be a bomb in the building. It was all over Twitter and Facebook. Oh, my God. I thought I lost you.”
He hugged me hard with one arm, the other still holding the baby. I could feel his tears on my face.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
“I thought… you didn’t want anything to do with me any more,” I said, and my voice choked up.
He bent forward holding my chin in his hand. “Just because I’m upset, or I’m not dealing with something well, doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings for you. God help me, I’ve tried to shut them down, but… I love you. And as much as I’ve tried, I can’t seem to stop. Don’t you ever scare me like this again.”
He leaned forward and kissed me, deep, like he meant to keep kissing me for the rest of my life. By the time we broke the kiss and I opened my eyes, Gus was taking the baby from Paul.
“Why don’t you two go get reacquainted,” Gus said. “I’ll take care of the munchkin.”
As I gave Gus the keys to the SUV, I could swear that the baby winked at me. I smiled and kissed Paul again. I had missed this so much. I couldn’t believe how good it felt, to have his arms around me, his lips on mine, his breath on my skin. It felt like home.
“Merry Christmas, Mara,” Paul said, kissing his way down my neck.
“Happy Yule,” I whispered back.
As he picked me up and carried me to his car in his arms, kissing me the entire way, I could swear I heard the faint sound of bells, chiming through the air.
About the Author
Christiana Miller is a novelist, screenwriter and mom who's led an unusual life. In addition to writing for General Hospital: Night Shift and General Hospital, she's had her DNA shot into space (where she's currently cohabiting in a drawer with Stephen Colbert and Stephen Hawking), she's been serenaded by Klingons, and she's been the voices of all the female warriors in Mortal Kombat II and III. If her life was a TV show, it would be a wacky dramedy filled with eccentric characters who get themselves into bizarre situations. She enjoys hanging out with her kids and writing stories with a supernatural twist.
You can visit the author's website, FaceBook or Twitter pages or be subscribed to her email list to be notified of upcoming releases, by clicking on the following links:
Christiana Miller’s Website
FaceBook Page
Twitter Account
Email Me Future Release Dates
Also by Christiana Miller
Additional books with these characters include (in order):
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie We’re In Trouble!
A Tale of Three Witches
Speed-Dating the Christmas Demon
Stand-Alone Books
The Thief Who Stole Midnight
Anthologies
Tombstones and Tiaras
Love and Other Distractions
Naughty or Nice
Every Witch Way But Wicked
For Children
Charona the Dragon
(written by A.R. Miller, edited by Christiana Miller)
Non-Fiction Book
Self-Publishing On A Shoestring: Insanely Helpful Links for Indie Authors
The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish
Kristen Painter
The Werewolf’s Christmas Wish
Kristen Painter
Copyright © 2015 Kristen Painter
All Rights Are Reserved.
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.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Summary
Bridget Merrow has almost everything a werewolf could wish for. And it’s not that her awesome family and popular business aren’t enough – she just wants someone to share it all with this Christmas. Too bad the someone she wants doesn’t want her. Or does he?
1
Bridget washed the last martini glass and put it on the rack to dry. The eggnog martinis had been popular, even with the small crowd that had been in.
She dried her hands on a bar towel as she rolled her shoulders. Her vertebrae crackled like Rice Krispies. It had been a long day and she was ready for it to be over, but since her bar and grill, Howler’s, was one of the mainstays of Nocturne Falls, she was still open for business.
She checked the time. Another thirty minutes and she’d be out of here.
Every other place in town was closed except for Mummy’s, but the diner was a twenty-four seven kind of joint. She couldn’t imagine they’d get much business tonight though.
After all, it was Christmas Eve.
She wiped down the bar. The Trevors were finishing their dinner and would be leaving soon. After that, she’d close up and head over to her brother Hank’s for a fun family evening with him and his wife, Ivy; their son, Charlie; her other brother, Titus and his fiancée, Zoe; their aunt, Birdie; and of course, Ivy’s brother, Sam.
If Sam showed. Bridget had the distinct feeling he’d been avoiding her. She snorted softly at the thought of Sam. Now there was a man who defied understanding. For about two seconds, Bridget had thought there might be something between them, but ever since he’d come back from the fire academy, he’d been all business, giving her the cold shoulder. Oh, he’d been pleasant enough on the rare occasions they’d crossed paths, but nothing like the blatant flirting that had gone on between them when he’d first arrived in town.
Maybe he’d met someone else. Whatever. She didn’t care. If he didn’t like her, that was fine. Maybe she didn’t like him. One Kincaid in the family was enough anyway.
She walked into the kitchen. Juan Carlos, her cook and a mountain of man thanks to the ogre half of his family, was scraping down the grill. “Take off when you’re done. I’ll close up. There’s just the one table left anyway.”
He looked up. “You sure, boss? I can stay.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Juan Carlos. You have a wife and two kids. You shouldn’t be here as it is. And it’s snowing.”
He shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Leave you here shorthanded?”
“I appreciate you filling in for Lenny. I really do. I swear, that’s the last time I assign a new hire a delicate shift before I know they’re reliable. He’s totally fired. If he ever shows up again.”
Juan Carlos snorted. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“That makes two of us.”
Juan Carlos hung the scraper up and took off his apron. “You have a good Christmas, boss. Thanks again for the bonus.”
“You earned it. You and Marita enjoy your holiday.”
He nodded as he headed out. “Say hello to the sheriff and the chief for me.”
She smiled. “Will do.”
Hank was the sheriff and Titus was the fire chief. Between the two of them, they knew everyone in town. Or maybe it was more accurate that everyone knew them. Bridget went back to the bar and poured herself a club soda. Having them as brothers was the best. But it did tend to make the local guys less likely to ask her out. Not that she had time to date anyway.
She sighed and sipped her drink. The Trevors looked like they were ready for their check. She had just started for the register when the phone rang.
“Howler’s.”
“Bridget, I was hoping I’d catch you.”
The youngest of the Ellingham brothers had an easy-to-recognize voice. Few men could make the act of speaking a woman’s name sound like an invitation to bed. “Evening, Julian. What can I do for you?”
“You could deliver that case of Dom my grandmother ordered. She’s a little cranky it’s not here yet. You know how she likes her champagne.”
&nb
sp; “I sent Lenny over with that two days ago. It was in the same delivery as the two cases of wine and the standing rib roast.”
“The wine and the rib roast are here. The Dom Pérignon is not.”
The spot between Bridget’s eyes began to ache. “You’re sure? Maybe your grandmother moved it.” A strange thing to say, but considering that the woman was a vampire, not out of the realm of possibility that a woman of her age could lift such a thing.
Julian snorted. “Didi doesn’t do manual labor.”
“No, I suppose not.” Bridget’s stomach soured as reality set in. Lenny had screwed her more than once. “Lenny didn’t show up for his shift today either.”
“You think he stole the Dom?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I hope not.”
“I hope not too. That’s about five large in bubbles.”
“I’m aware.” She sighed. “I keep a couple of bottles on hand. I’ll gather up what I have and bring them over. I’m about to close up anyway.”
“I feel bad that you have to do this on Christmas Eve.”
“Lenny’s going to feel worse if I ever get a hold of him. I’ll be over as soon as I can.”
He made an odd sound. “Have you looked outside?”
“I know it’s snowing.”
“Yes, but have you seen the roads?”
“Not really. Are you trying to tell me my Vette isn’t going to cut it?”
“I don’t want this to turn into a rescue mission. Neither of your brothers would appreciate my stranding their sister in the middle of the Georgia hills in the name of champagne.”
“Don’t sweat it. Titus usually has a truck I can borrow for stuff like this. The firehouse isn’t far. I can walk over and pick it up as soon as I close. I’ll be up at the estate in no time.”
“All right then. We’ll see you soon. I’ll smooth things out with Didi.”