Sugar, Spice, and Shifters: A Touch of Holiday Magic

by Élianne Adams

  “Sure.” Christmas was his favorite and maybe decorating would help take his mind off everything.

  “They’re down in the basement.” She motioned him to follow her.

  Amy led the way through the foyer and into the kitchen. It was just as ornate as the rest of the house. “I bet you’ll be sad to see this place go?” he said as she opened a door at the back of the kitchen and flicked on a switch. He’d overheard they were leaving after the holidays.

  “Kendrick has a flat in Germany,” she told him. “Marcia and Declan are flying out in the morning to check it out. I’m told it’s nicer than here.”

  “Really? How is that possible?” Where the hell do they get money for places like this?

  Amy shrugged. “Each time they settled they put money back. They’ve been investing for years. Our shop here in Hawaii has done quite well. Astrid is handling the sale of it.”

  Cooper followed as Amy marched down the stairs. She said everything so matter of factly. Most people worked a lifetime and still never had this nice of a house, let alone two. Though he supposed they had worked several lifetimes for all this. Yeah. He’d have to get used to saying that.

  “So Germany, huh?” he asked. Does she even speak the language?

  “I’m hoping this trip out of the U.S. will go better than my last one,” she said wistfully as she led him to a back corner. “Here we are.”

  “So, do you guys all decorate together…or how’s that work?” he asked as he leaned against a large box.

  Amy shrugged. “I think they’ll all decorate tonight. We were probably going to order in a pizza or something.”

  “They? What about you?” He asked staring directly at her.

  “Christmas is cursed for me. I mean, I was part of a robbery and shot. If it’s this bad already I hate to see what the rest of the season holds.” She shuddered and shook her head.

  Christmas was still a few weeks away. “Come out with me tomorrow,” he offered. “We’ll have some fun and I’ll show you it’s all in your head.”

  Amy chewed her lower lip. “Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

  “No. Not until they’re done with the investigation,” he admitted. “It could be awhile, especially with the holiday.”

  “What? I thought you said everything was fine,” she gasped, her blue eyes widening as she reached out and placed her hand on his elbow. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame the local gang. I overheard some of my colleagues talking while I was there. Apparently there is some initiation going on. To become a member of the gang, you have to rob a local business—among other things.” Best not tell her everything. He didn’t want to frighten her. “Anyway, the streets should be safe tomorrow. They were planning a raid today. We can probably find out all the details on the news tonight after they arrest the idiots and put a stop to it.”

  “You probably wish you were there,” she murmured.

  Any other time he would want to be there. But right now, all he could think about was the gorgeous woman in front of him. “I’m where I want to be.” It didn’t make sense. He barely knew Amy and already she was an important part of his life. Her mesmerizing eyes flicked to his and he swallowed at the intensity in her gaze.

  She licked her lips as her ogling flitted to his mouth. Her hand slid up his elbow and cupped the back of his head. Needing no further encouragement, he tilted his face forward and captured her lips.

  Amy gasped at the contact, her tongue darting out to greet his. She tasted like a peppermint candy cane. Maybe she wasn’t as opposed to Christmas as she insisted she was. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her flush against him. She moaned at the contact and he grunted as her breasts pressed against him.

  His fingers fisted in her long strands, pulling lightly as he tried to draw her impossibly closer. There were far too many clothes between them, but he couldn’t move too fast. Not with Amy.

  She thrust her tongue against his lips and he growled, allowing her entrance. Their tongues slid against each other, moving harmoniously together. He should stop this now, before they got too carried away.

  Cooper pulled back and searched her eyes before kissing her lush lips one last time. “What do you say you let me show you around tomorrow?” he offered again.

  “Like a date?” she asked. She lifted a finger to her mouth and traced her swollen lips with it.

  “Yeah. I don’t know what this is,” he paused, pushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “But I’d like to find out.”

  Amy inhaled sharply. “Okay,” she agreed, giving him a small smile.

  “Let’s get these boxes upstairs.” He forced himself to take a step back. As much as he would love to sweep Amy off her feet and take her right here, right now, he knew he couldn’t. For starters, she deserved better, and he wanted her to be ready.

  Amy grinned, grabbing a box and sashaying ahead of him toward the stairs. He was in unchartered territory with the whole wolf thing, but with Amy here to guide him, it didn’t seem so horrible.

  — — —

  Amy glanced out the car window as the landscape whizzed past them. She had no idea where Cooper was taking them. It should bother her, but again she found that it didn’t.

  “I heard Mason and your brother are going out with you tomorrow night,” she said breaking the comfortable silence. She’d been kind of hoping he’d ask her for help with his first change, but it was probably better someone else helped him anyway.

  “Yeah. I’m not really sure what to expect,” he admitted. “I thought about asking you at first, but then realized that you had to undress to shift. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and this will give me a chance to spend some time with Caleb…and Mason.”

  “Mason’s harmless. I know he threatened you the other day.” Yeah, she’d overheard that. “But he’s just looking out for me.”

  “I figured. Caleb and I use to scare off our sisters’ dates. Since we couldn’t be the cool, overprotective, older brothers, we played the weird and obnoxious younger brothers,” he laughed out loud.

  “I bet your sisters hated you,” Amy giggled.

  “Definitely. But they all found acceptable guys—eventually.”

  “So you and Caleb are the only ones not married?” Amy wondered. She’d met Mindy—briefly, but she didn’t know much about the rest of his family.

  “Yeah. I have a niece and two nephews,” he told her.

  “Cool. I’m going to be an aunt. Mason told me the other day,” she whispered as a smile pulled at her lips. “They’re waiting to tell everyone else until Christmas.”

  “Wow, a little werewolf baby. That’s cool,” Cooper acknowledged.

  “Rhea’s ecstatic. For the longest time, she thought she’d never be a mother. Now, it’s finally coming true for her. I just hope we can settle down in Germany. It’d be nice for them not to have any worries,” she said quietly.

  Declan and Marcia had left this morning to ensure the flat and surrounding area was safe and ready for them to move in.

  “I’m sure everything will be fine,” Cooper assured. He turned to her briefly, flashing her a wide grin as he pulled off the road and onto a gravel drive. “We’re here.”

  Amy beamed as she met his gaze. Then turned to glance out the window. The drive was long and trees dotted the path. “Where are we?”

  “So you’ve never been here? Good. I like surprises,” he teased.

  Amy chuckled and leaned forward as they approached an opening. Her breath caught in her throat and tears misted her eyes. She didn’t know places like this existed. “An ice skating rink?” she whispered as she stared at the icy sheet. It was nearly empty, only a few people skated along it. Probably because school hadn’t let out for the holiday yet.

  “Yeah. I’m not quite sure the logistics of how they do it, but it’s an outdoor skating rink. And you don’t have to freeze your butt off, but we can get hot cocoa when we’re done
,” Cooper explained with a laugh.

  “I can’t believe it,” she said amazed. The car shut off and Cooper hopped out, jogging to her door and opening it. She took his hand when he offered it and let him help her out.

  “I’ve never ice skated before. Promise you’ll take it easy on me,” he teased.

  “I haven’t done this in years. We’ll both have to take it slow.” She threaded her fingers with Cooper’s and glanced around at the beautiful foliage as he led the way to the opening. Pine trees and snow surrounded the rink and someone had built a snowman at the entrance. This was too good to be true.

  Cooper paid and they got their skates before she took a tentative step onto the ice. Instinct kicked in and she quickly found her footing, skating ahead and around the rink before jumping into the air and doing a tiny twirl.

  “Wow. You didn’t tell me you figure skated,” Cooper said as he wobbled onto the ice.

  “I took a few lessons when I was younger,” she admitted. They’d stopped after her mother had remarried, but she didn’t want to think about that asshole. Right now, she wanted to enjoy her date.

  “You know, the people who say it’s like rollerblading are lying,” Cooper said nervously as he pushed off from the wall. He strode out a few feet before his legs flipped out from under him. Amy reached out, trying to grab him, but she was too late.

  Cooper landed on his back with a thwack. He laughed out loud as he stared up at her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked with a giggle as she crouched down.

  “It’s not nice to laugh,” he murmured jokingly as he grabbed her arm and yanked her on top of him. She landed on his chest and snickered harder. It had been too long since she’d had a good laugh. Cooper had done this; for the first time in years she felt…wonderful. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

  His hand reached up, pushing through her hair as he cupped the back of her head. She gasped as his tongue darted out and cascaded across her lips before slipping into her mouth.

  Amy sighed as she melted against him. Her hands pressed against his muscled chest and she wondered what it would feel like to run the pads of her fingers across his bare skin. She trembled as anticipation welled in her belly. If they were alone, she might be brave enough to find out. But they weren’t. Unfortunately.

  She flicked her tongue against his and relished in the way his mouth caressed hers. This is perfect. Just as the thought entered her mind, Cooper pulled back and stared at her with an intense gaze. He wanted more too. She could smell his arousal.

  “We should get back to skating,” he advised.

  Amy nodded. He was right. They were making a bit of a spectacle of themselves. She stood first and offered him her hand, carefully helping him to his feet. Cooper swayed unsteadily and she cackled again.

  “Let’s do this together,” she offered as she slid one skate forward slowly.

  “Together,” he agreed as he followed her lead.

  EIGHT

  Amy tapped her foot nervously as her eyes darted to the clock on the dashboard. Cooper sat quietly next to her. His fingers flexed and curled around the steering wheel and a fine sheen of sweat shone on his forehead. It was getting late and with this traffic they would never make it home in time.

  Two perfect days in a row and now this. Yesterday had been spectacular with the ice-skating; today Cooper had taken her to see It’s a Wonderful Life at the movie theater. She’d never admit it out loud, but she loved that movie. But with this traffic and the sun setting and full moon climbing higher, their perfect day was going to be ruined.

  “I think you should pull off up here at the wildlife reserve,” Amy said quietly as she glanced back over at Cooper.

  “Then what?” he asked as he flipped on his blinker to get over.

  “We’ll park and hike into the woods,” she explained. It was the only thing they could do at this point. He couldn’t turn into a wolf in the car on the highway.

  “Don’t they close at dark?” he groaned as he swiped his hand over his forehead.

  “Technically yes, but we aren’t going to make it home. I can talk you through your change,” she promised. She’d never helped anyone before, but she’d shifted enough times over the years that she was confident she could help.

  Cooper veered to the right as a spot opened and then sped down the berm to the exit. “I’ve never seen traffic this bad before,” he admitted.

  “It must be some accident,” she agreed as they flew up the off ramp. Cars lined the highway for miles. They’d already been sitting in this traffic for nearly three hours. The highway was the only major artery in and out of the city.

  The trees whirled by and Amy grasped onto the bar over her head as they zipped around a corner. She remembered the way her skin had crawled and itched before her first change. Even if you knew what was coming, it was still excruciating. She glanced over at Cooper. His eye twitched and he shifted in his seat for the billionth time. Even if he didn’t say anything, it was obvious he was uncomfortable.

  The car lurched as he pulled it over to the side of the road. Amy peered over at him. This wasn’t a parking spot.

  “I can’t stay in here,” he told her as he cut the ignition.

  “We can walk from here,” she offered as she hopped out. The leaves from the trees rustled as her door brushed against them. She ducked down and hurried over to Cooper. She wrapped an arm around him and escorted him into the woods.

  “Is it always like this?” Cooper breathed out as they started up an incline.

  “No. Just the first time. Your body doesn’t understand what is happening,” she explained. “We need to get as deep into the trees as we can,” she grunted as Cooper sagged against her. She peeked up through an opening in the trees. The full moon would be at its peak in another thirty minutes or so.

  Cooper drew in a labored breath before he carried on. “I should let Caleb know I’m not going to make it,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Amy nodded. “We’ll stop in another few minutes. I want to get as deep in the woods as we can while you can. The pain is going to get worse and I’d rather not drag you,” she commented.

  “Let’s keep going,” he replied as they carried on.

  The hike up the hill was silent aside from Cooper’s occasional grunts. Not once did he complain. She wouldn’t hold it against him if he did. The first shift was like having your insides ripped out. It hurt like hell.

  “Here. Rest.” Amy helped him set on a rock and then pulled out her phone, typing a quick text to Mason. “I told Mason what happened.” She glanced up at the cresting moon. “It’ll be another few minutes yet,” she told him.

  Cooper leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he blew out a breath.

  Amy knelt down before him and cupped his face in her hands. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t fight it. Try to relax and take deep breaths. We should get these off.” Her fingers went to the hem of his snug tee and lifted it up. Cooper shifted, allowing her to remove the garment.

  “This is not how I imagined you undressing me,” he chuckled as he met her gaze.

  “Me either.” She nibbled her lip as she reached out, hesitating for a moment, before she skimmed her fingers across his broad chest. He’s fantastic.

  “You’ve thought about it?” Cooper asked quietly as something flickered in his gaze.

  Amy shrugged. “You’re an attractive guy,” she started dumbly. Heat swept over her cheeks and she cleared her throat. “I haven’t been with anyone since I was a stupid rebellious teen living under my mom’s roof, but for the first time I find myself wanting to know what it’d be like to be with a man,” she answered timidly. Now really wasn’t the time for this conversation.

  Cooper leaned forward and captured her lips. This kiss was rougher than the others they’d shared. It was filled with desperation and desire. His teeth grazed against her lips and his fingers kneaded her shoulders.

  Amy met his kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth as she
trailed her fingers over his chiseled chest. God, he feels so good. Better than I imagined. Her fingers danced over his belt buckle, shaking as she undid the clasp.

  Cooper’s hand wrapped around her fingers and he pulled back. “Not like this, Amy,” he growled as he blinked rapidly. “Not now.”

  Amy nodded in understanding. There wasn’t time for that anyway. Well, at least she hoped it would last longer than five minutes.

  Cooper ground his teeth and cried out as his body started to convulse. Amy glanced up. The moon was reaching its apex. It was nearly time. “Quick we have to get these off or you won’t have anything to wear home,” she warned as she tugged his sneakers off and pulled him to his feet before going back to his belt and fly.

  His fingers trembled as he took a step back and rolled his jeans down while leaving his boxers on. Amy’s eyes widened as she took in the large bulge. Wow. Her core thrummed and heat rippled through her as desire pooled in her belly. I want him.

  Cooper growled and dropped to his knees, bringing her out of her daydream.

  She crouched down next to him. “Get on your hands and knees,” she ordered.

  He did as she said without question. She drew in a deep breath and shifted away from him as a loud crackle filled the air. His back jolted and contorted unnaturally and Cooper fell forward as he cried out in pain. She took another step back. She knew Cooper would never intentionally hurt her, but he wasn’t in control of his shift. That came with more time.

  “Let it happen. Picture a wolf. Picture it’s feet and legs,” she soothed. Her eyes drifted to his feet as they twitched and broke. Fur spurted out and they jutted into paws. “Good. Keep going,” she encouraged. “Picture your torso.” She let out a relieved breath as Cooper’s wolf slowly took over until a beautiful grayish wolf crouched before her. She beamed as Cooper’s golden eyes flashed to hers. “Feel better?”

  Cooper yipped as he surveyed his new form. His eyes darted back to hers before fleeting around the trees. She smiled as he took a step forward.