The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  He pressed the gray button in the middle of the clicker on the visor. His keen hearing could only just discern the electric hum of the gate as it swung open. He followed the road for another mile before reaching a second gate. This one had a guard station made of gray brick and covered in moss for camouflage. Rolling down his window, he grinned at the guard. He was one of the cadets who had just joined the Protectors. Young, eager, ready to serve. He reminded Nova of himself ten years ago.

  “How ya doing, Nate?” he asked the kid, tipping down his shades.

  Nate grinned back. He waggled his eyebrows. “Late night, Nova?”

  Nova smirked. If he only knew. His hip hurt just thinking about it. As the buzz sounded, the gate swung open, and Nova drove through. The houses in the village weren’t much, but they didn’t have to be. They were functional. Small, maybe, but as most of the pack preferred to spend a lot of time in wolf form, the lack of size didn’t really bother them.

  Pulling up in front of his cabin, Nova cut the engine, grateful to be home. He wanted a shower. Maybe to soak in his hot tub. He wanted fresh clothes. But most of all, he wanted a beer. He didn’t care that it was only six in the morning.

  Chapter 9

  Inside, Nova made a bee-line for the kitchen. When he opened the refrigerator door, he nearly cried. A six-pack of cold beer sat on the top shelf like a trophy just waiting to be claimed. He’d barely cracked the top when his front door burst open.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Nemoy demanded. “I came looking for you last night and you weren’t here. You weren’t on patrol. So, where were you?”

  Nova eyed his brother coolly. It was just like Nemoy to try to control his every move. “I went out. Is that allowed, Your Highness?”

  Nemoy glared at him, clearly infuriated. Somehow, Nova couldn’t find it in him to care. “Not if you were down in Strathford again!” he exclaimed. The vein pulsed at his temple. That was never a good sign. “You spend too much damn time down there with the humans, Nova. With her.”

  “As opposed to staying here and following you around like a star-struck puppy?”

  Crossing his arms across his chest, Nemoy scowled. “Very funny. Of course, I don’t expect you to follow me around like a star-struck puppy.” A slow smile crept across his lips. “An obedient puppy would be just fine.”

  Nova grabbed an empty Tupperware container and chucked it across the cabin at his brother.

  Nemoy dodged like an expert, grinning devilishly. Then his face sobered and he was all seriousness again. “I mean it, Nova. You can’t keep going down there. Strathford is already paranoid enough about wolves without you running around following that human girl. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told you to stay out of there unless you are on patrol. Why do you always insist on disobeying me?”

  “Because you’re not my father, Nemoy,” Nova said quietly. It felt like he had made that argument a hundred times since his father passed away. And still, his older brother insisted on treating him like a child. Apparently, twenty-seven wasn’t old enough to be considered a man. Taking a deep breath, Nova forced himself to remain calm. “There is no law against going into Strathford,” he told his brother. “I’m not divulging secrets to the humans. They don’t know about the Pack. All I did was go into the bar and have a few drinks.”

  Nemoy just stared at him. “The bar. In town. Where the girl from ten years ago works?”

  “Maybe.”

  “It’s not just your secret you’re risking, Nova.” Nemoy merely looked at him, judgment written all over his face. “When are you going to see that you have responsibilities as the brother of the Alpha? You have duties to the Pack. And the human girl is not involved.” Nemoy stopped. “Did you talk to her?”

  “Why does it matter?” Silence. Nova fought not to fidget. “Yes, I talked to her.” Why did he suddenly feel like he was being lectured? “I didn’t tell her anything.”

  He was beginning to get angry. He hated it when his brother treated him like that. His entire life, Nova had put the Pack first. He had fought when he was ordered, risked his life for strangers, for humans. He had given up the freedoms of being a normal kid, even a normal wolf, because he was the Alpha’s son. And not even his eldest son either. He was the second son. The one with the cool and steady head. The son that would keep the peace instead of take the bait and give in to violence. Their father had always known that Nova’s strengths lay in his ability to stay calm and talk through a situation when needed, whereas Nemoy’s had laid in being a commanding presence that many would want to follow.

  No, Nova wasn’t meant to lead, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been expected to be great.

  Nemoy sighed. “Look, Nova, I get that the woman means a lot to you. I know you feel protective of her. Don’t think I never followed you on your little field trips when we were younger. I know where you go at night when you aren’t on patrol. And I purposely put you in Strathford when you are. But I need your head in the game here. I put you in control of the guard because I know you’ll always look out for the Pack. What I’m concerned about, however, is that if it comes down to choosing between that girl and your people, you’re going to choose her.”

  Nova sipped his beer, letting the cool, amber liquid slide down his throat. Would he choose her? He didn’t think so. Not really, anyway. Besides, he would have to know her first, and because of his obligations to his family, and all the laws of his people, he would never get the chance.

  “What are you going to do if the Valley Clan stage an attack, huh?” Nemoy asked.

  That brought up an interesting point. “They did attack.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said, they did attack. Or at least Kal and one of his henchmen did. Last night.” Nova resisted the urge to smirk at his brother’s expression. It was about time he got Nemoy off guard. “I wasn’t the only one at Murphy’s last night. Kal showed up. He provoked me. On purpose, probably. He tried flirting with Amara, until he recognized her.”

  Nemoy gaped at him in accusation. Like he blamed Nova for Kal’s presence in Strathford. That hadn’t been his fault. “So, what happened?” he asked, his tone sharp. It was amazing how quickly Nemoy could go from big brother to Alpha. As much as his brother annoyed him, that was one trait Nova admired.

  “He picked a fight with me in the bar,” Nova replied, his voice grave. His tone was gruff as he recalled the night before. “I reacted, and then we left. But he and Keaton followed Amara home and nearly ripped her throat out. Thankfully, I found them in time. I was able to fight them off, but it wasn’t easy.” It just took Amara with a gun. His pride was still wounded from that. He was supposed to be protecting her, damn it. Not the other way around.

  “He got me pretty good,” Nova continued, pointing at his wounds. “My shoulder, my side. He left me a pretty big gash.” And it hurt like a bitch.

  Fuming, Nemoy slammed his fist down on the island counter between them. Years of experience taught Nova not to react. Instead, he calmly took a sip of his beer. He was no stranger to his brother’s temper.

  “Why the hell do they keep crossing the border?” Nemoy raged. Irritated, he began to pace. “I told Father all those years ago, that we needed to act, not react. I told him that peace was not an option with this Alpha. Obviously, the son is not much better.”

  “Worse, maybe.”

  “Exactly. But would Father listen to me?” Nemoy asked, throwing his hands in the air. “No. Of course he wouldn’t. Instead, he spends eight years in denial, while the Valley Clan’s violations of the treaty get bolder and bolder, leaving a mess behind for me to figure out how to clean up.” It was just like Nemoy to make their father’s actions about him. Taking a deep breath, Nemoy sighed. “I’ve spent the last two years trying to fix this, Nova. But they don’t care. Kal wants revenge, and his Alpha seems keen to let him get it. I don’t know, Nova.” Nemoy scrubbed a hand over his face. “I might have to declare war.”

  Nova stared at his brother
for a second. Two. Then, without saying a word, he opened the refrigerator, took out a beer, cracked the top, and handed it to Nemoy.

  Nemoy eyed the bottle like he’d never seen it before. “It’s seven in the morning, Nova.”

  “You’re talking about war, brother. You need it.”

  Nemoy hesitated just a moment longer. Then, with a sigh, he took a long drink. Nova watched as his muscles visibly relaxed. Nothing like a cold beer to take the edge off.

  War, Nova thought, slamming his truck door and revving the engine to life. Nemoy was talking about war. Gravel flew behind him as he peeled out of his driveway and charged down the road to the gate.

  There really was no way around it. The packs had been trying to live in peace for the last decade, and so far, the only side willing to keep that peace was theirs. The Valley Clan had proven repeatedly that they weren’t interested in living side by side. They wanted domination. Last night was proof of that.

  Suddenly, Amara’s face flashed, unbidden, through his mind. No. She was human. Even if he wanted to, she was off limits. She was human. And yet, it was Amara’s face that he wanted to see.

  Screw Pack law. He needed a drink.

  Chapter 10

  It was, by far, one of the most awkward bar shifts Amara had ever done. Mitchell was hardly speaking to her, which during a swing shift, meant she was pretty much locked inside her own head while he stomped around making a show of his displeasure. Normally, she would have called him out on it, told him to quit acting like such a freaking baby and act his age. But today, she was just as irritated with him as he was with her, and she had no desire to make amends.

  All she could think of was Zoe from the night before, hanging off Mitch’s arm like she belonged there. Zoe’s behavior had long since stopped bothering Amara, but for some reason, when it was directed at Mitch, it made her want to slap that girl in the face.

  Mitchell was a pain in the ass, sure. Everybody knew that. He was goofy and sarcastic, brilliant but stubborn. He hadn’t heeded anyone’s advice against opening Murphy’s, and had gone on—with her help, of course—to make it a success. For a while there, he was the talk of the town; which he reminded her of every time he got the chance.

  Yet, he deserved so much better than the likes of Zoe Hamilton, who was notorious for hitting on—and hooking up with—every single man in town. He could do so much better. Why he couldn’t see that was beyond her.

  The door opened and Amara looked up, both pleased and shocked to see Nova walk in. He was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved grey thermal this time, but it still didn’t seem warm enough for the winter weather they were having. For some reason, the cold just didn’t seem to bother him. Not that she minded. With all those muscles and his brooding eyes, tall, dark, and handsome was oh, so, sexy.

  He flashed her a brilliant smile as he caught her eye and Amara forced herself to remain professional. He was just a customer. It would be inappropriate for her to push him back against the bar and rip his clothes off.

  But God, how she wanted to.

  “How are you doing today, handsome?” she asked, beaming at him. She caught Mitch’s disgusted stare from the corner of her eye, but she ignored him. She was only doing her job, after all. It wasn’t her fault that Nova was easy to flirt with. “Can I get you a drink?”

  A somewhat guilty smile spread across his lips, but he just shook his head. “No thanks,” he replied, and she nearly swooned at the rich, deep cadence of his voice. “But coffee would be great.”

  Get a grip, Amara, she chastised herself. She put on her best bartender smile as she fought to get her libido under control. Down girl.

  Handing him his coffee, she set the bowls of cream and sugar next to it before leaning forward on her elbows. “I have to admit,” she said, letting her thick brown hair fall playfully over her shoulder and around her face. “I didn’t expect to see you in here again so soon. Especially after Mitch kicked you out just last night.”

  Was it her imagination, or was he blushing?

  “Actually, that’s why I’m here,” he told her, glancing over at Mitch. The owner stared down at the glasses he was drying, but she could see a muscle twitch by his jaw. Yeah, he was still pissed. “I wanted to apologize to both of you. Kal and I…we have a long history, and it’s not a good one. That’s no excuse, I never should have lost my temper. But I’m sorry all the same.” He looked over at Mitch. “I’m sorry.” In response, Mitch gave the most imperceptible of nods. “Well,” he said, smiling at Amara, “at least I tried.”

  Amara chuckled. “Oh, don’t sweat it. He’ll come around. He always does.”

  “I hope so. Listen, about last night…”

  “It’s fine, handsome,” she assured him with the wave of her hand. “As far as fights go, I have definitely seen worse. We all have.”

  Nova smiled. “And, while I’m grateful that I didn’t make too much of a fool out of myself, that wasn’t what I was going to say.”

  “Oh.” Amara felt the heat and color flood her cheeks, but she resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. What was it about this guy that made her act like a giggling school girl? “Then what were you trying to say?”

  “Well,” he began, eyeing her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, “last night, we were rudely interrupted by Kal, and I wasn’t able to ask what I wanted to ask you.”

  Well, that was unexpected. “And what would that be?”

  “Do you have plans tonight?”

  “What?”

  “Tonight. What time do you get off?”

  “In about an hour.” Her brows furrowed with suspicion. “Why?”

  Amusement looked nice on him, she noted. It really lit up his eyes.

  “Can I take you to dinner tonight?” he asked, his lips twitching.

  A few feet down the bar, Mitch dropped the tray he was holding. His curse was loud, echoing around the empty room. Scowling and grumbling to himself, he disappeared to clean up his mess.

  Amara looked back at Nova, who was waiting patiently for her answer. “Um, yeah, I would like that,” she admitted, cursing the fact that she was blushing. Grabbing a napkin. She pulled the pen from her apron and jotted down her address and phone number before sliding it to him across the bar.

  Nova’s answering grin was so adorable, she thought she might melt. Everything about him was so comfortable and familiar, that it was hard to believe they had only just met. She felt as if she had been looking into those dark eyes for years.

  Damn it, she needed to stop this. She had never gotten so gushy over a guy before. Not even when she was a kid. She wasn’t about to start now.

  “Is seven o’clock okay?” Nova asked, rising from his stool to leave.

  Swallowing hard, Amara nodded. She could do this. “Seven sounds perfect.”

  “Great.” Leaning forward, Nova brushed his lips across her cheek. The sensation was electric. Amara shivered. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  By five o’clock that evening, Amara’s room looked as if a tornado had hit it. Clothes were scattered across the floor and piled on her bed. Three different dresses were draped across the back of an armchair. Her jeans were crumpled in a pile by her door. And don’t even get her started on her shoes.

  She had nothing to wear.

  Good grief, when was the last time she’d even been on a date? Eight months ago? Ten? And when was the last time she had been with a man? A year? It was far too long on both accounts.

  Now, here she was, about to go out on a date with the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

  And she couldn’t pick out a damn dress.

  “Hey, hey, hey!” a voice called down the hall. Amara recognized her little sister, Sadie’s, voice and sighed with relief. While the two sisters were wildly different, over the years, Amara had come to appreciate Sadie’s talents, and her eye for fashion.

  “Back here.” She held up a blue top up to her shoulder and studied her reflection in the mirror. It was cute, but she wanted to be
hot. She groaned. She couldn’t wear that. No way.

  “Oh, great. I wanted to tell you about that movie Mom and I—holy hell, what happened in here?” Sadie asked. Her eyes were wide as she surveyed the damage. “Did you decide to clean out your closet and forget to tell me?”

  Amara shook her head. She wanted to cry. “No. I’m going on a date, and I can’t find anything to wear.” She held her arms open to her sister. “Help me.”

  Laughing, Sadie gingerly picked her way across the room, looking at Amara as if she’d gone crazy. Maybe she had. “Who’s the guy?” she wanted to know. Sadie began picking up pieces of clothing at random and holding them up for inspection. “I’ve never seen you act like this before. And we both know you’ve never asked me for help. He must be hot.”

  “Smoking,” Amara agreed. She pointed to the jeans and tee shirt she wore. “And the best I can do is this.”

  Sadie pursed her lips, looking Amara over from head to toe. “Turn,” she instructed. Amara did. “Hair up or down?”

  Amara raised a brow. “I don’t know, Sadie! Isn’t that what I have you for?” Pulling her hair up behind her head, she stared at herself in the mirror. “Doesn’t hair up make me look, I don’t know, stuffy and formal?”

  “More like elegant and classy.” She glanced sideways at her. “You don’t want to be elegant and classy?”

  “No! I want to be hot and spicy.”

  “Ooh!” Sadie clapped her hands together in excitement. “He must be gorgeous. Who is this guy?”

  “His name is Nova. I met him at the bar last night.”

  Sadie grinned. “Mmm. He even sounds sexy. Are you going to sleep with him?” She held up a red dress. She crinkled her nose in distaste, then tossed it aside.

  Amara froze, staring at a forest green skirt. “Maybe?”

  Sadie’s squeal of excitement made them both laugh. “Wear this,” she ordered, holding up a black, slinky, slip of material. “And wear your hair down. It’ll make you look like a classy seductress.”