The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  Tom nodded and began recalling the events from the day. Savannah couldn’t bear to look at anyone as he spelled out how she’d gone to Lucas behind their backs, been a part of his pack the entire time, and how Tom had nearly died because of her actions.

  But then her heart swelled when he spoke of her protecting him. She nearly started to cry all over again when she heard the pride and happiness in his voice as he recounted how she agreed to stay with them in the pack. There was no sense of betrayal, no familiar distrust. There was only love, and Tom, and the promise of their entire lives before them as she proved that no one and nothing would come between them again.

  “I could have killed him,” Tom finished, a flash of anger burning on his face. “But I didn’t think it my place.”

  Nick shook his head with a small approving smile. “That was the right decision. If we kill him at the first chance we get, we’re no better than he is. Good work.” The smile fell. “But I get the feeling that this is far from over.”

  “I agree,” Dan added, a look of guilt crossing his own face. “It appears we’ve made things even more complicated for you guys.”

  Nick nodded. “Maybe so, but it didn’t come without its advantages.” He looked to Savannah. “We’ve gained another bear from it all.” Looking back to Dan, a small smile played on his lips. “Maybe two?”

  Dan looked from Nick, to Tom, then to Jo, and finally to Savannah. Savannah saw the conflict on his face. It wasn’t at whether he should stay or not, but whether or not an ex-bear of the Northern Wind would truly find a place in this new pack of peace? Savannah recalled the hurt, darkness, and turmoil that the Northern Wind was surrounded by, shuddering. She felt the same way.

  A look of understanding passed between her and Dan, and he smiled. They may not know if they’d fit in, but the happiness and tranquility here made it definitely worth a try.

  He turned to Nick. “Definitely two.” Jo clapped her hands excitedly. And Tom gave Savannah a small celebratory kiss on the lips.

  Nick grinned at the news. “That’s good to hear. Though I supposed we’re big enough that we’ll need a proper name,” he pondered.

  “Wait, you’re telling me that ‘The Best Damn Pack In the World’ wasn’t our proper name?” Tom joked, making Jo groan.

  “Literally no one called us that,” Nick rebutted. “Not even you.”

  Tom shrugged, holding Savannah close. “We could start.”

  “Heavens, no,” Jo protested, rolling her eyes at the thought.

  “The Southern Wind!” Dan quipped, grinning at the glare Tom shot him.

  “You’re banned from future name suggestions, Limpy,” Tom growled.

  “Oh, you’re one to talk,” Jo muttered.

  Tom scoffed. “My name was way bet—”

  “Mountain Haven?”

  Everyone in the room turned to Savannah, embarrassment welling up in her chest almost immediately.

  Finally, Nick gave a small nod. “It feels right.”

  “I think it suits us,” Jo agreed with an affirmative nod.

  “Sounds like something you’d read in a comic book,” Dan quipped with a grin. “I like it!”

  Tom smiled down on her, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “It’s amazing, just like you.”

  “Mountain Haven,” Nick murmured, the others nodding their approval as a new sense of purpose filled the room.

  Lucas had been made to retreat once more. His bears were suddenly learning that there was something better out there than him. It wouldn’t be long before he grew desperate in his efforts to rid himself of the alpha pack — The Mountain Haven pack.

  He would return, his wrath more deadly and dangerous than ever before, but they’d be ready. Now, with Savannah and Dan in the pack, they were stronger than ever before. And this time, nothing was going to break them apart.

  Loved by the Alpha Bear

  Alpha Bears Book 3

  Emilia Hartley

  Chapter One

  “Good morning!” Dan greeted loudly in the otherwise quiet mechanic’s office.

  Nick groaned, reaching for his second cup of coffee. “Why are you always so damned cheerful in the morning?”

  He really didn’t know. Maybe it was because, for the first time in a while, he wasn’t confined to a role of brutish bodyguard or ruthless second-in-command. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt free. Dan shrugged. “Can’t help it.”

  Nick grumbled. “Try.”

  Chuckling, Dan made his way over to the coffeemaker to pour himself a mug, though he didn’t really need it. It had been a few weeks since he’d accepted the offer to join Tom and Nick in their pack, Forest Haven. He’d been settling nicely into his new routine with them, but they hadn’t quite gotten used to this new side of him yet. They were always slow-going and a bit grumpy, whereas Dan was always cheerful and ready to take on the day early. He knew it was different from the Dan they knew, so he didn’t hold it against them. Savannah seemed to mind less, though she was also quiet in the mornings.

  Jo was the only one who seemed to understand his love of the mornings; the way the sun began to spread its fingers across the forest trees as it overtook Woodhaven always seemed to take her breath away. Despite being human, Dan could appreciate just how bearlike she seemed at times.

  Tom meandered out of the back room, running a hand through sleep-ruffled hair that he hadn’t bothered to tend to.

  “Good morning, Tom” Dan chirped with a grin.

  “Hmph,” Tom grunted, shaking himself all over. “I liked you better when you hated us.”

  Dan chuckled, not the least bit offended. Life at the mechanic shop had started tough for him, but he quickly picked up on Tom’s humor and was surprised to notice that it resembled his own. It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to hit it off nicely. It also helped that they were practically roommates, though the shop did seem a bit cramped at times.

  Nick stood from where he was leaning over the office desk, indicating toward his brother. “Good, you’re finally awake. Got time to chat?”

  Tom stifled a yawn. “Sure, I guess.”

  Nick nodded. “Dan, you can lend an ear too; it’s nothing secret.”

  Nodding his understanding, Dan made his way over to a nearby office chair with his steaming mug of coffee. He wondered what was so important that Nick had decided to talk about first thing in the morning. Had Lucas been spotted recently?

  “So I’ve been wondering,” Nick began. “How do you two feel about your current living arrangement?”

  Living arrangement? The question perplexed Dan. This wasn’t even on the same plane of thinking as a potential attack from the Northern Wind. He and Tom exchanged a look.

  “Fine,” Tom answered. “I mean, it’s okay, I guess.”

  “Okay?” Nick repeated. “You don’t get the feeling that it might be a bit small for you two and Savannah sometimes?”

  Dan shrugged. “Well yeah. I guess it does. And things can get pretty awkward at times, too.”

  “Yeah, it might feel pretty cramped,” Tom chimed in. “But that’s to be expected with three adults living here. Savannah and I might be mated but Dan deserves to have a place to live just as much as we do.”

  Dan allowed himself a moment of genuine surprise at Tom’s consideration, giving a nod of gratitude to the alpha bear. He hadn’t really said it in words, but Dan always assumed that Tom might secretly want to shoulder him out of the shop to live on his own. He was newly mated after all, but had no time to enjoy the partnership with Dan hovering around all of the time. Dan was happy to see that this wasn’t the case. Hiding a smile, Dan couldn’t help but add another mental tally mark to the list of ways in which Forest Haven was so much different to that of the Northern Wind. Everyone was so sympathetic here; where Lucas would dominate everyone with fear and absolution. Dan counted himself a lucky bear to finally be free of that tyranny.

  “Well, that’s mighty thoughtful of you, brother, but I think I might have a s
olution that could help satisfy all parties,” Nick replied with a smile. “What if we built you and Savannah a place to call your own?”

  Tom frowned, and Dan could see the telltale skepticism that always dominated his features before any other emotion. “Our own place?”

  “Sure, why not?” Nick answered. “There are a few acres of land a ways south of the shop that we’re free to use, and it just seems right for our newest mated pair to have a place of their own like Jo and I do, don’t you think?”

  “I suppose so,” Tom murmured. “It makes sense I guess, but where would we find the time? We’re on the lookout for Northern Wind activity from sunrise to sunset. That’s way more important than some house.”

  “Lucas has been down and out for weeks. This is the best time to at least get started.” Nick leaned forward on the desk. “Look, we can’t let Lucas hinder us anymore. This is what he wants, to stop us from growing, expanding, becoming greater than anything he could ever handle.

  “Sure for now it’s just a house, but next we’ll want to recruit more bears of our own, start families of our own, become the protectors that we’d always hoped to be.”

  Nick grinned. “We’re an official pack now, the likes of which we’ve never really been before. We need to start acting like it, and that means expansion. And sure it’ll be hard work on its own, let alone coupling it with patrols and our jobs here at the shop, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “Hell, up my training and I’ll be ready to take over as a full-time mechanic in no time,” Dan chimed in, seeing his chance to aid. “Or if you need manpower for building, I know a thing or two about carpentry. My pops was a bit of a building buff when I was a cub.” He shrugged at their mildly surprised faces. “After all you both have done for me, it’s the least I can do to help, you know?”

  Dan had quite enjoyed his apprenticeship under Nick as he showed him the ins and outs of mechanic work. He found that he really had a talent for it, and it was even somewhat therapeutic to work with his hands. Even meeting Nick’s eyes now, he could see a sort of comradery kindling between them at the proffered chance of longer training sessions.

  Nick nodded. “I’d definitely appreciate any help you could give, Tom.”

  Slowly, a smile finally spread across Tom’s face. “Alright,” he murmured. “I guess we can give it a shot, then.” He pondered, Dan seeing the planning of days to come passing quickly over Tom’s face. “Nothing fancy, of course; homes like the cabin have never really been my style.”

  “What’s more your style?” Dan asked.

  “Basic,” Tom replied without missing a beat. “Utilitarian, but homely. Like… a den.”

  Dan nodded, understanding exactly what Tom meant. There was some comfort found in the thought of a cozy little nook to call your own, no frills needed.

  “If we hustle, we could probably get the foundations done this week,” Nick continued. “Dan and I can help with the hard parts before taking extended patrols while you finish up the rest.”

  “And the shop?” Tom asked.

  “We could come back in the evenings and work on all our open jobs easily enough,” Dan replied. “Then one last patrol before hitting the sack.”

  “That sounds like a good way to go about it,” Nick agreed. “Then Tom can work on getting the house done as quickly as possible, no worries.”

  “Alright,” Tom declared, voice a bit stunned. “I guess this is really happening. I appreciate the consideration guys.” He grinned with gratitude at them both. “I’ll go tell Savannah the good news.” He wandered into the back room where Savannah was still getting ready, a hopeful look on his face, the likes of which Dan had rarely seen before.

  “So, what do you think, Dan?”

  Dan turned to Nick, mildly perplexed. Tom’s new house plans hardly had much of anything to do with him. “I mean, it’s cool I guess. As always, whatever you guys need, I’m willing to help out.”

  Nick laughed. “Of course, I appreciate your help, and all, but that’s not what I mean.” He scrunched his nose a bit, working over the words in his mind before saying them out loud. “What I mean is that this schedule is gonna be pretty aggressive. That’s not to say that we can’t handle it—I’m sure we can—but Tom and Savannah will be out of here before you know it.” He shrugged. “I was wondering if you’re okay with sticking it out here at the shop long term, even if it meant living here alone.”

  Dan blinked a few times, taking in all Nick was trying to explain to him. He’d come from a pack where he barely had a hole in a log to call his own, and now, Nick was offering him an entire home? To the alphas, the shop must have seemed like a small, worn-down old building, but it was more than Dan had ever had the pleasure of knowing for a long time.

  Suddenly, the weight of it all overwhelmed him at once, and for once he couldn’t find anything overly cheery of funny to say.

  He settled for holding out his hand. “I’d be more than happy to live here, Nick,” he finally answered. “Thank you, truly.”

  “It’s definitely my pleasure,” Nick replied, gripping Dan’s outstretched hand in a firm shake with a celebratory grin. “Just think, finally a place where you can bring a girl of your own back to.” Nick chortled, sliding past Dan as he made his way outside.

  “Just be sure to wait until Tom’s shipped out for good though,” he called back. “I don’t think this poor shop could fit another person if you tried.”

  Chapter Two

  Dan tried to laugh but the sound hitched in his throat. Truth be told, he had started feeling a bit lonely a good while ago. He thought it was strange at first, considering just how often he was surrounded by the other members of the Forest Haven pack, but he soon realized that this was a different kind of lonely. It was a loneliness that ached in him whenever he saw Nick throw his arm around Jo, or when Tom and Savannah shared a knowing glance. It was the unspoken connection he saw in others, but never in himself.

  Following the other bears’ steads, Dan stepped outside, wandering off towards the woods. He took a deep breath of cool morning air, centering his wayward mind once more. He knew he was being ridiculous, maybe even unreasonable given the circumstances, but there was something in him that longed for a mate. Even as his bear raised its head in interest, he shook his own.

  Nick had a love, taboo as any bear could imagine, concerning mating with a human like Jo, but even Dan could see that the two were meant for each other. There was no sense questioning the how of it. Savannah was much like Dan in that she’d usurped the Northern Wind to join Forest Haven, and had managed to find her own love in the process. Dan hadn’t spoken much on it, but he hadn’t expected them to last after Tom found out the truth. Surprisingly even they persevered.

  Dan could run over the flaws of every pairing he’d ever witnessed, but it wouldn’t stop him from believing with all of his heart that he was different. He may not be human like Jo, but he felt he was something so much worse. He may have left behind a terrible pack for this new one like Savannah, but he had true blood on his hands that could never be washed away.

  Thinking back, Dan realized he’d never seen a true mating in the Northern Wind pack. Not even their leader, Lucas, had a mate to call his own. Many had died during the pack’s travels without knowing the touch of another bear, let alone the love of one. Dan had a feeling he knew the reason why.

  The Northern Wind was a vile pack, built on manipulation and fear, trapping the impressionable and making them believe that there was nothing better out there for them. Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to lie, shout, or even maim to keep his bears in line. Dan was nearly convinced that there wasn’t a compassionate bone in his ex-leader’s body, and he feared that that darkness in Lucas had seeped into every one of his followers as they blindly shadowed him into oblivion. Lucas was tainted, never to know true happiness. The Northern Wind was tainted. And Dan hadn’t escaped in time - He was tainted too.

  “Everything okay?”

  Dan jumped. He’d forgotten to scout the
area for anyone nearby, looking down to see Jo’s face smiling lightly up at him.

  Her smile grew. “It’s not often that I can surprise a shifter,” she quipped, lifting an eyebrow. “Pondering something heavy there?”

  Dan suppressed a groan, cursing his lack of instinct. He’d have to be a better bear if he was going to be on extended patrols for the next few weeks. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if someone slipped through due to his clumsy scouting.

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t expect all of my plodding around to bother anyone.”

  “Oh no, you didn’t,” Jo replied, kindly before her face fell concerned. “Is everything alright? You look a bit…” She trailed off, tilting her head a bit as she took in his features. “Miserable.”

  “I’m fine,” Dan answered, averting his gaze. “I was just thinking about… stuff.”

  “Stuff,” Jo mimicked, eyebrow rising once more. “Helpful as ever.”

  Dan couldn’t help but smile. “I’m always helpful!” he jabbed back, lightly. “I just don’t really get into all the feelings and things like other people do, so… yeah, stuff.” He shrugged. He’d established himself pretty early on in the pack as a joker of sorts, never really taking anything too seriously unless it had to do with the Northern Wind. It was different and amazing for him. He didn’t have to hate and he didn’t have to intimidate. And in all this newfound playfulness, he found that it was easier not to question things unless it shattered the illusion that he’d never done anything wrong. It felt… nice. He wasn’t ever much used to sharing his feelings with others anyway. Lucas beat that habit out of his bears very early on.

  Letting out a long sigh, Jo stared up at Dan and he could see her contemplating whether or not to press the issue further. “Well, do you at least know if Nick talked to Tom about the house?” she finally asked, changing the subject.

  Something deep within Dan unclenched in relief. “He sure did,” he responded with a nod.