by M. L. Briers
“Whatever position you prefer,” Saffy shrugged and gave her a huge, mischievous grin that annoyed Natalie more than her words.
“Just because you went paws up…”
“Paws up?” Saffy chuckled.
“Hey, bum up for all I care,” Natalie offered her a teasing smile.
She waited while Saffy’s cheeks turned a nice shade of bright red, it didn’t take more than a few seconds, especially when the alpha offered up a hungry growl.
“Oh, get a room,” Saffy snapped back.
“I had one last night — it was kind of comfy — especially as its previous occupant was asleep on the floor downstairs,” Natalie offered Jonathan a teasing smile.
“Which reminds me…” Jonathan started as he turned towards his mate and pointed his index finger at her.
Just one of Natalie’s eyebrows shot up towards her hairline, and she offered a deep snort of disapproval for where he was aiming that impotent finger.
“My finger can shoot electricity bolts at your backside — what can yours do?” Natalie sneered at the beta.
“This…” He moved his hand, wagged his finger, and her eyes followed it. His other arm snaked around her body, and he yanked her towards him. “Distract you.” Jonathan offered her a teasing grin when she brought her gaze back to his.
“Let go of me before I decide to string you up outside by your ankles with the stupid fairy lights,” Natalie warned.
“I think she means it,” Doug chuckled.
“Oh, I do.” Natalie offered her mate an evil glare.
“You don’t scare me,” Jonathan growled.
“Then you’re an idiot — because she scares the hell out of me,” Saffy chuckled.
“Two down one to go,” Tom announced as he stalked into the kitchen, sniffing the air for breakfast, and growling happily at the scent of what was cooking. “What are you waiting for?”
“What am I waiting for?” Jonathan frowned as he swept his mate up into his arms and tried to ignore the ringing in his ears when she squealed.
“I’m warning you!” Natalie shrieked.
“Does it have to be right now, wasn’t she the one cooking breakfast?” Tom asked.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Saffy offered him a mischievous grin.
“I suppose she’s gotten far enough with breakfast that the other mate can finish it,” Tom shrugged his shoulders and turned puppy dog eyes onto Saffy who balked at him.
“I can finish it,” Doug said as he puffed out his chest with pride.
“You cook?” Saffy looked impressed.
“I’m not just the alpha — and a pretty face — and your mate — and soon-to-be father of our pups…”
“Pups!” Natalie’s head snapped around on her neck, and she glared at Saffy.
“Love some,” Jonathan said with enthusiasm as he started towards the door.
“That wasn’t a bloody offer,” Natalie grumbled and tried squirming to get out of his arms, but he held her in a gentle death grip.
“I have a mind to go upstairs and discussed this in private with you,” Jonathan grinned from ear to ear.
“Yes, private,” Doug growled.
“I’m good here,” Natalie hissed back.
“So what you’re saying is; you’re good in my arms — got it.”
“That’s not what I was…” Natalie started, but the sound of Saffy chuckling like a lunatic behind her snatched her attention away, just as she was carried out of the door, and Saffy disappeared from view.
“I was talking!” Natalie grumbled.
“You go right ahead — will be upstairs soon,” Jonathan’s voice carried back into the kitchen and Saffy couldn’t stop chuckling.
~
~
~
Jonathan launched his mate from his arms towards the big double bed. He had to grimace when she twisted in the air and landed face down on the mattress with a shriek.
That, he hadn’t intended.
He stalked back toward the bedroom door, booted it closed, turned back toward the bed, and stood there with his arms folded and his back to the door.
Natalie scurried to get onto her hands and knees on the bed. She clawed at the hair that veiled her face until she could offer her mate a death glare to rival any other in the history of the world.
“I suppose you think that’s funny?” Natalie hissed.
“I do feel a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside,” Jonathan offered back. He wasn’t backing down.
“And what do you think this solves?” Natalie raised her hands and motioned around the room.
“Now I have you to myself; I want to ask you what your problem is with me,” Jonathan growled.
“Shall we start with that growl and work backward?” Natalie hissed.
She mirrored her mate stance and folded her arms. Then she tipped her head to the side and glared at him.
“That’s it?” Jonathan took a step toward her. “That’s all you’ve got — I thought you would have had a list and been able to rhyme them off one after the other by now.”
“I have a list!” She hissed, but, could she think of one thing to put on that stupid bloody list — not if her life depended on it.
“Great? Let’s hear it, don’t pull the punches…”
“Oh, don’t tempt me. Punching you on the nose right now would be heaven.”
“Well, here’s my nose,” he took a couple of steps toward her, lifted his hand, and pointed to his face. “Go for it.”
Natalie crawled on her knees to the edge of the bed. Then she climbed down, all the time feeling that heady buzz of anger within her.
She’d love to take a swing at the man — even if she might need a ladder to climb up to do it.
“You’re a bully!” The first thing that she thought of came out of her mouth.
“I have never damn well bullied you…”
“Yet.”
“That makes no sense,” he took another step toward her, and she held her ground.
Neither mate was going to back down.
“Oh, so now I’m an irrational female,” she tossed up her hands and snorted her contempt for him.
“Don’t put words in my mouth!” He growled, taking another long step toward her, almost closing the distance between them.
“I’m not dumb enough for that,” Natalie shot back.
“So I’m a dumb shifter — and you’re an angel?”
“Now who’s putting words in his mouth?” She hissed back.
Her hands went to her hips, and she craned her head forward and glared at him.
“Well, somebody has to because you aren’t making any sense,” he growled.
“I can do my own talking — thank you very much!”
“And yet, you can’t come up with a list,” Jonathan sneered.
“I can if I want to!” Natalie bit back.
“Go ahead — give it your best shot!”
Natalie did. She lifted her foot and booted him right in the shin. There was a moment when he was just glaring at her — and the next; he was hopping up and down on one foot and grasping his shin with his other hand.
“Well, you did ask,” Natalie smirked up at him.
“That’s it!” He growled.
Jonathon stomped his foot on the floor and reached for her with both hands. He yanked her hard against his body.
“Don’t you…” Too late.
Jonathan brought his lips down on hers and in a rush of heat that swept through her body — and excitement that raced after it — she melted like snow on a summer’s day.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
~
“It’s quiet…” Saffy whispered as they sat at the kitchen table. The half-eaten breakfast sat on the plate in front of her, and she couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling every few minutes as if there were answers there. “It’s a little too quiet…”
“You done with that?” Tom asked as he reached for her plate, eyeing the leftover breakfast with a hungry grin.
“It’s never quiet for long around here,” Doug chuckled.
Saffy pushed the plate toward the elder, and he snatched it up with a hearty grunt of anticipation.
“I still say it’s too quiet…”
“You think my brother killed your friend?” Doug chuckled, and Saffy pulled her head back on her neck and sneered at the alpha.
“Please, my witch can kick your beta’s backside any day of the week and on Sunday’s too.” Saffy snorted contempt for his words.
“I’d put money on the witch,” Tom offered before shoving a whole sausage in his mouth that puffed out his cheeks like a demented squirrel on a nut heist.
Saffy did a double take at the elder.
“And a Merry Christmas to one and all!” Jake announced.
He’d disappeared for a while, but now he was back with two large red sacks slung over his shoulder.
“It’s Santa Claws!” Saffy lifted her hands and clawed at the air.
“It’s something I never got to do last night with all the fun that we had around here,” Jake sneered back at her.
“You’re the secret Santa?” Doug looked horrified.
“Who’s the secret Santa?” Saffy asked.
“Me – don’t you listen?” Jake offered her a devilish grin.
“I didn’t see that one coming,” Tom growled, chewing fast.
“Okay, what’s a secret Santa?” Saffy sneered.
“A Santa that wants to remain secret,” Jake offered back.
“Are you like fond of him, or can I just go ahead and put him out of his misery?” Saffy hissed.
“I’m not fond of him,” Tom lifted his hand to vote.
“I’m not wedded to the idea of having him around,” Doug chuckled.
“You’re both off my Christmas list,” Jake sneered.
“Answer the bloody question or get zapped.” Saffy had more than enough of the vampire.
“Someone…” Doug started.
“That would be me,” Jake grinned with glee.
“Has been leaving presents for the females and pups every year…”
“Me!” Jake’s grin widened.
“And encouraging the bloody females to do Christmas,” Doug growled at the vampire.
“But, look on the bright side. The valley looks pretty, the females are happy, and you porkers get to feast. It’s a win-win.” Jake shrugged.
“And why would you do that?” Doug growled.
“Because he wants a family Christmas,” Saffy offered, and Jake snorted at the idea.
“Nooo,” he looked horrified.
“Liar, liar vampire on fire,” Saffy offered back.
“He does just happen by every year on Christmas day,” Tom noted with his mouth still stuffed.
“See!” Saffy grinned.
“Still, nooo,” Jake tossed back.
“Then why?” Saffy demanded.
“Because… it winds up the alpha, which is worth its weight in gold, and I… don’t have to cook,” he lied.
Saffy eyed the man, but his grin didn’t budge one inch. Vampires – the masters of a veiled expression. Saffy snorted, but she didn’t push it any further.
She turned her eyes up to the ceiling once more.
“Still too quiet…”
The howl that ripped through the house made her jump in her seat as everything started to shake around them. Tom chewed fast as he stared at the table top in front of him, just one side of his mouth lifted with a lopsided grin. Then he swallowed hard.
“Well, she didn’t kill him – she’s not a praying mantis by any chance, right?” he turned amused eyes on Saffy.
“Eat your damn sausage,” Saffy huffed back.
“That’s what Jonathon said…” Jake grinned.
“You’re just nasty,” Saffy sneered at the vampire.
“I can’t be nasty – I’m the secret Santa.”
~
~
~
“A little to the left… a little to the right… back just a touch…” Saffy said as the three witches stood in a line and directed their mates as they moved the huge pine tree that had come from Jake’s land into the perfect position.
“And it’s back where it started,” Tom chuckled from his comfy seat beside the fire.
The three witches turned their heads in his direction, and each one lifted an eyebrow at him. He grunted.
“I’m not a child,” he growled. “Seen and not heard is not a viable option.”
“It’s a lot easier on the back than moving this damn tree around,” Doug grumbled.
It was the second Christmas that the witches had been with the pack. The first Christmas being the one that they’d met them.
Last Christmas had been eventful, Doug had decided to head that one off before it had even begun this year. The valley was still covered in Christmas lights, but they’d thought ahead and had decked out a spare cabin with its own Christmas tree, and fairy lights — for the damn fairies.
Doug wasn’t expecting any surprises.
“Don’t even get me started on bad backs,” Saffy hissed at her mate.
“Tell me about it,” Natalie grumbled as she eyed her mate with disdain.
“I said nothing,” Jonathan held his hands up in surrender. He knew better than to challenge his mate right now. “It was all the alpha.” He pointed a finger at Doug’s head as if painting a target on the man’s back.
“I would kill to see my feet,” Christie grumbled.
All three witches looked down at their large baby bumps and sighed as one.
“I miss my feet,” Saffy grimaced. She didn’t really miss her feet at all; she could kind of see them just fine when she laid down. But that wasn’t the point.
“I haven’t been able to paint my toenails myself in so long,” Natalie huffed, as she tossed a death glare at her mate.
“I just want to be able to bend at the waist,” Christie grumbled.
“Well that’s not going to happen, is it?” Rex chuckled.
All three witches zapped him.
“How long has your mate been pregnant?” Doug growled at his brother. “You still haven’t learned to keep quiet?”
“Merry Christmas ladies!” Jake announced as he bounded through the door with bags full of glittery goodies for the new Christmas tree.
All three witches turned towards the vampire and Saffy clapped her hands with glee and jumped up and down on the spot. She’d sent the vampire into town to take pictures of all the new ornaments that they had in stock. Then she’d placed her order with him and he’d gone to fetch them.
In return, he was going to get the best family Christmas of his life — or even his afterlife.
“Let me see — let me see!” Saffy jumped up and down in place and then froze with a horrified look on her face.
Jake’s eyes narrowed on the witch. The sound of Rex sniffing the air like he was looking for breakfast made Saffy grimace.
“What’s that smell?” Rex asked as he wrinkled up his nose and turned to look at Jonathan. “Did you fart — what have you eaten?”
“I did not fart,” Jonathan lifted a fist and punched him in the bicep.
“Whoops!!” Saffy grimaced harder. “And ouch!”
Doug was at her side in an instant. Unfortunately, he’s booted feet skidded on the gooey waters that had broken when Saffy had jumped up and down in delight, and he skidded on past her and ended up splat against the wall.
Roars of laughter went up from the group as the alpha rebound right back off the wall and ended up on his back on the floor. Saffy doubled over with a mixture of pain and laughter at the alpha’s expense.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
~
“Ouch!” Doug growled.
“Bloody ouch!” Saffy bit out as another pain gripped her stomach, and she dropped to her hands and knees on the floor, and she started a slow crawl towards the alpha. “I’ll give you bloody ouch! — Ouch!” Another pain gripped her.
“Shou
ld it be happening this quickly?” Natalie shot a look at Christie.
“Why are you asking me?” Christie tossed up her hands.
“You’re pregnant,” Natalie shot back.
“And what – you have wind?” Christie snorted.
“That’s a good point…” Doug growled as he turned over onto his hands and knees and ended up coming face-to-face with his mate.
“It’s not fast — ouch! I’ve been getting pains all day,” she growled like a she-wolf, and the alpha pulled his head back on his neck in surprise.
“Well, why didn’t you say something?” He growled back at her.
“Because I wanted the bloody tree up!” She growled again. “And don’t you growl at me.” She growled again.
“You’re growling at me!” Doug growled.
“I don’t growl – I zap.” Just to prove her point, she lifted her hand and zapped him.
“Feel better?” Doug growled.
“Yes — no — ouch — I hate you,” she grumbled and then she growled.
“Good to know,” Doug grinned.
That grin was like a red rag to a bull, and she zapped him again.
“Yes — I feel better,” she growled.
“Why is she growling?” Natalie asked as she nudged Christie in the arm, and Christie shrugged her shoulders.
“I have no bloody idea,” Christie shook her head in dismay.
It wasn’t the growling that Christie was worried about, it was the amount of ouching that Saffy was doing. She placed her hands on her swollen belly and grimaced.
“We need to get you to bed,” Doug growled.
It was obvious that his pup was on its way. He’d get to have his Christmas present early, and he couldn’t wait.
“Bed! It’s that bloody place that put me in this position in the first place — and you — yooouuu,” Saffy growled the last word.
“Just to be clear — she’s not going to grow fangs or anything, is she?” Natalie asked her mate has he came to stand beside her.
“She’s a witch — not a shifter — seriously?” Jonathan looked at his mate as if she’d grown another head.