The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  “He doesn’t matter anymore,” Nova said. He didn’t dare say Kal’s name, but he knew it was him she was thinking of while she was destroying the flowers. “He’s locked up, Mara. He’s not going to get out. None of that shit you had to do during the Trial was real. None of it. Do you hear me, Amara Townsend?” he asked, pulling her to him. “None of it was real. It was only in your head.”

  “Yeah, well, in my head or not, it still sucks,” she grumbled darkly. “And I still hate him for all of it.”

  Nova closed his eyes. “I know, baby. I know you do. But it wasn’t real. And Amara, look at me.” Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped her face to look at him. “You did what you had to do. You did it to get away. To come find me. There is nothing wrong with that, do you hear me? Nothing.”

  She stared at him for what felt like ages, before finally giving in with a sigh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll take your word for it, anyway. Maybe I just need to sleep.”

  A slow smile crept across Nova’s lips. “Nope. What you need is a long, hot, bubble bath. Some candles, maybe some wine.” He nipped her ear lobe with his teeth. “Maybe me.”

  Despite herself, Amara laughed. It was strained, to be sure, but it was still a laugh. Nova considered that progress. “Come on,” he said, and let her inside. He would come back for the note and flowers later.

  Hours later, when Amara was finally asleep, Nova slipped out of bed and hastily tugged his clothes on before padding through the house. As quietly as he could, he opened the back door and stepped out into the night. The air was crisp and cool, and he welcomed the wildness midnight brought. It was one of the things he loved most about being a shifter; the way he could slip his skin to become a beast, to become part of the world that enveloped him instead of just living in it.

  Amara’s house was bordered by a fence and a wall of arborvitae on one side, and a low stone wall that looked out into a field on the other. Beyond the field, a mere hundred yards or so, was the forest. Nova reached the wall and stared out into the trees. Pursing his lips, he let out a low whistle. And then he waited.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Within minutes, Nate came loping out of the woods, his dark hair slick with sweat and he wore nothing but a pair of skin-tight biking shorts. It wouldn’t surprise Nova a bit to learn the younger man had just shifted back to human form. It was much easier to guard someone when all of your wolf senses were active and you weren’t hampered by your human form.

  “I came as soon as I heard,” Nate told him, his chest heaving.

  “Report,” Nova ordered with a nod.

  Nate shook his head. “Nothing here to report, sir. As ordered, we were following Amara. No one was here during the day. No one saw him leave the roses.”

  “Could you get a scent off of them?”

  “No. They’d been there too long by the time you guys got home, and then Amara…well, you saw what she did. Is she okay?” His concern was so genuine, Nova thought. He tried not to be jealous as his territorial wolf senses pushed to the surface. Amara had made an impact on more than just him, he knew. Half the Pack adored her. The other half may not have been her biggest fans—being human and all—but they did respect her. So of course, Nate was worried about her.

  He must just be on edge, Nova decided. What with all this stalker business, the Trials, and the bullshit that happened with Kal that night, it was no wonder he was beginning to suspect everyone. But if he started distrusting his own pack, the very men he commanded and patrolled with, then he was really in trouble.

  “Yeah,” he told Nate, “she’s okay. She’s sleeping.”

  “I bet she’s really freaked.”

  Nova frowned, slightly baffled. “You know, I thought she would be. I think she’s irritated and a little unnerved, but I’m pretty sure it’s the Trials that are getting to her more than anything else.”

  Nate’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? I figured those would be cake. You two are such a great couple.”

  “You know as well as I do that those Trials are designed to test the very heart of your character. Why on earth would you assume they would be easy?”

  Nate bowed his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect. It’s just, I don’t know…no one ever talks about what happens in the Trials. I didn’t realize they were so…hard.” He shrugged his apology.

  Sighing, Nova clapped his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Look, I think I’m going to make a lap or two around the house, see if I can catch a scent or something. Stay close to the house, yeah?” When Nate nodded, Nova took off at a jog toward the woods. When he reached the edge of the tree line and he was sure he was out of sight, he stripped off his clothes and stashed them behind a rock.

  Then he began to change.

  His body began to contort and he dropped to all fours as his bones shifted from human to canine. His face elongated and widened into that of a wolf. His teeth became longer, sharper, and fur exploded from his skin.

  Then came his senses.

  It was as if the night exploded around him. Everything was sharper; sight, smell, taste. Even the night was brighter, despite the darkness. He could feel the air ruffling his fur, feel every twig and rock beneath his feet. And when he began to run, Nova could taste the wind whipping all around him.

  He circled the perimeter, once, twice, trying to gauge a sense of the smells that should have existed in that space so he could detect the ones that should not. He could identify the smells of Amara, Nate, himself. Even Mac’s scent was there mixed with Alec, his deputy, and Mitch. They must have been looking for clues as well, because the scents were no more than six hours old. When he had a feel for the area, he moved closer to the house. Still, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Then…there. Near the porch, beneath the bathroom window. He couldn’t tell who it had been, but someone had smelled of fear, excitement, and anger.

  Circling back, he shifted into a man once more and whistled for Nate.

  “Anything?” the young wolf asked. Nova shook his head. “Damn.”

  “Keep searching,” Nova told him. “And next time, make sure there’s someone here even when she’s not.”

  “But Nova,” Nate began timidly, “we don’t have the men.”

  Frowning, Nova considered. It was true that they were stretched pretty thin now days. But there was still one of his wolves that didn’t have a regular assignment. And he knew this particular man would be chomping at the bit to get in the game again. “Send Ian. He’s better now, cleared for duty. No sense in him just hanging around the compound if I have a job for him.”

  “Ian?” Nate asked, concerned. Ian was Nate’s best friend, had been since they were pups. “Are you sure he’s ready?”

  “Do you want to be the one to tell him you barred him from an assignment?” Nova asked with narrowed eyes.

  “No, sir.”

  “Then put him into the rotation. He’ll be on when she leaves, and when she’s home, next up can take his shift and he can go home to rest. I know he’s not quite in the form he wants to be in after last month’s attack, but it will get him out and about again.” Nova shrugged. “Everybody wins.

  “Besides,” he said darkly, staring at Amara’s window, “I won’t let anything happen to her ever again.”

  Chapter 14

  “I think you need more flowers,” Sadie said, staring down at the mock-ups of the reception laid out over the bar. “It just doesn’t seem…festive enough.”

  Amara laughed, wiping her hands on her apron. “Seriously? Festive? Sadie, it’s a wedding, not a quinceanera. It’s supposed to be elegant.”

  “No,” Sadie argued, “it’s supposed to be fun. You’re about to marry the love of your life, Mara! Don’t you want it to be memorable?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Exactly. You don’t want all your memories to be bland and white in a stuffy old church, do you? No! You want them to be bright, and fun, and full of life.”

  Wounded, Amara frowned. “You thin
k my dress is bland?”

  “You’re missing the point,” Sadie insisted, rolling her eyes.

  “I thought you loved my dress.”

  “I do. But the flowers, Amara. The flowers. Focus.” With a crooked press of lips, Sadie scanned the crowd. “Ah ha. Zoe! Come here. What do you think? Leave it be or add more color?”

  Tucking her notepad into her apron, Zoe made her way over to where they sat at the bar. She had cut her dark hair into an attractive A-line that fell just below her chin, and for once, she was wearing clothes that actually fit instead of being two sizes too small. Her three-quarter-sleeve shirt was covered in pink and white stripes, and her jean skirt actually hit her mid-calf, as opposed to just below her ass like it usually did. She looked good, Amara decided, even if there were a few extra stress lines around her eyes and she seemed more timid than usual. Not drinking to excess every night agreed with her.

  “What was the question?” she asked when she reached them. She smiled slowly at Amara, her offered a genuine smile in return. It was the first time the two had chosen to be nice to each other without Becca around in years.

  “More flowers or not?” Sadie repeated. “Amara thinks I’m crazy, but I think it could use some color.”

  Considering, Zoe shrugged. “Color couldn’t hurt,” she agreed, and Amara threw her hands in the air.

  “Fine,” Amara grumped, crossing her arms. “Add color. Add a whole freaking rainbow if you want, I don’t care.”

  Sadie smirked. “That might be too much color, sis. You don’t want to over-do it.” She grinned at Zoe. “This wedding would be a disaster without me.”

  Despite herself, Amara laughed. “You’re right. Without you, I would have probably talked Nova into running off to Vegas and eloping right about now.”

  “See? Disaster. Eloping. What a travesty.”

  Amara rolled her eyes. “Okay, drama queen. Anybody want drinks?”

  “Yes, please!”

  “Zoe?”

  “Oh, just a water, thanks.”

  Raising a brow, Amara went to work making her sister’s favorite vodka cran. “Are you sure?”

  Zoe nodded. “I don’t really drink much anymore. Lifestyle change, you know?” She shrugged. “Plus, I’m trying to see if it affects things between Mitch and me. So far, it seems to be helping.”

  Amara frowned. “Are you guys having troubles?”

  “Well, no,” Zoe said, but she wouldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s just that, you know, I don’t want him to get bored of me. Guys do that, you see.”

  “Not good guys,” Sadie insisted. “And if Mitch is just going to ‘get bored of you,’ Zo, then he’s not a good guy and you don’t need him.”

  For some reason, Sadie’s declaration made Zoe brighten. “You know what? You’re right. I will have that drink, Amara, if you don’t mind.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Okay,” Amara agreed carefully, “but just the one. I’m not on the late shift tonight.”

  “Where are you going to be?” Sadie wanted to know. She was looking at her like she and Nova might actually run off to Vegas after all. If only that were the case.

  “Nova and I have wedding plans of our own we need to discuss with his family,” Amara replied. She wrinkled her nose. Just the thought of the third Trial that night put a bad taste in her mouth. After that nightmare she had spent seducing Kal, she had no desire whatsoever to make that third and final trip into the Spirit Realm. Pack Law be damned. Real or not, the experience had left her feeling dirty and disloyal to Nova, their life with the Pack, and every dream they had of the life they would build together. It felt wrong even though he still insisted she had done what she had to do. And that it was the right thing.

  But was it really? If she managed to free Nova from whatever hell he was rotting in thanks to Trial Kal, she supposed it could have been the right thing to do. She supposed it could have been worth it. But if it wasn’t, if she never made it past that door, never made it to Nova, then she had betrayed everything she believe in, betrayed her love. And she had defiled her own soul for nothing.

  “Have you guys decided on a caterer?” Zoe asked, jarring Amara from her thoughts.

  Next to her, Sadie frowned. “A caterer? As in food? One of the most important parts of a wedding reception?” She glanced at the list. “No! No? Amara, I thought you said you were going to figure that out last week? Have you even talked to Nova about it yet?”

  “Um…”

  “Amara! Ugh!” Bunching up the papers. Sadie packed them into a nice, neat little pile. “I don’t know what to do with you. You seriously haven’t decided on a caterer yet?”

  Zoe raised a hand, eyeing Sadie carefully. “If I might? I asked you about a caterer because I was hoping you would let me handle the food for you.”

  Sadie’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. “You?”

  “You’re catering now?” Amara asked, delighted. Zoe nodded. “Wow. Good for you! Becca mentioned you were getting really good, but she never said you were going to make a business of it. That’s fantastic, Zoe.”

  Zoe’s cheeks flushed crimson. “Thank you.”

  “So, what kind of food do you make?” Sadie asked. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

  Embarrassed to be put on the spot, Zoe shrugged. “Anything, really. But mostly, I enjoy French cuisine. Let’s see.” She tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. “We could start with appetizers of salads, baguettes, and maybe a soup. Soupe a l’oignon Gratinee is one of my specialties. The French are rather fond of roast duck, as well as Quiche au Saumon et Crevettes - quiche with shrimp and salmon - if you prefer the lighter fare. And for dessert, along with the wedding cake, of course, we could serve Mousse au Chocolat. Maybe in dainty little dishes? I don’t know. You’re probably looking for something more rustic or homey.”

  Lost in images of a delicate French meal at her wedding, Amara shook her head. “No. That sounds perfect.”

  “Really?” Sadie’s face was as excited and lit up as Zoe’s. “Great! Then you’re hired.” She looked from one woman to the other, her expression as ecstatic as a child on Christmas. “Do you do wedding cakes, too?”

  “No,” Zoe replied, “but Becca does. She’s been hoping you would ask her to make your wedding cake, Amara.”

  Amara’s jaw dropped. “That’s right, she does! How could I have forgotten that. But what we’re thinking is pretty elaborate.” She glanced down at the phone in her hand, vibrating against her palm. Nate was calling her. “Do you really think Becca could handle it?”

  “I could help her. What did you have in mind?”

  Amara let the two of them work out all the details. She knew Sadie had this one well covered. The cake design was taken from the cake their parents had at their wedding. The center was four tiers high with a satellite cake on either side. The cake itself would be decorated not in icing, but in real live flowers of varying colors and species. The three cakes, the center and the two satellite cakes, would be connected to each other by ribbons. It would be beautiful, and everything she had ever dreamed.

  Only she couldn’t concentrate on that now, because her body guard was calling her. But hey, at least she had gotten over calling him and the others on patrol watching over her, her babysitters. Amara pressed the green “Answer” button and raised the phone to her ear. “Hey, Nate,” she greeted him, unsure of what she was going to hear. “What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to check in,” he told her. “Nova should be arriving soon, and I just wanted to make sure you knew you would be protected up until he gets there and dismisses me. And that Ian is on patrol at your house, so he will be there if anyone tries anything funny. You’re safe.”

  “Wait, Ian? Isn’t he still hurt? Last time I saw him, he was hobbling around the compound. Shouldn’t he be in like, physical therapy or something? Not waiting to catch bad guys outside my house?”

  From the other end of the line, she could hear Nate chuc
kle. “You know, I asked Nova the exact same thing. But he seemed to think getting Ian back out in the thick of things was a good idea. And, I have to say, seeing how happy Ian was to hear it, I have to agree. He’s doing better. And being at your house isn’t dangerous. He’s just keeping watch. If he sees anybody, he’s still under strict orders to contact whoever’s closest rather engage with your secret admirer himself. Okay? So just relax, Amara. He’s safe. And so are you. Oh, and tell your sister she is looking good for me, will you? Mmm.”

  Laughter burst from Amara’s lips and the phone went dead in her hands. “Tell her yourself,” she muttered, rejoining her friends.

  Sadie’s gaze snapped to hers. “Everything okay?”

  “Oh yeah. Nate thinks you’re hot, by the way.”

  “He does? Really? Me?”

  “Yup. You may just get a stalker too.”

  “I would be thrilled if Nate was my secret admirer and brought me gifts all the time,” Sadie scoffed. “Although, hopefully he would branch out more than yours does. Roses can get pretty boring.”

  Amara chuckled. “I’ll be sure to mention it next time I see him.”

  “Perfect. So…” Sadie lowered her voice. “Any word on that?”

  “No. None. But he sent me more flowers last night.”

  “Seriously? Did you take them to the cops?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Nova did.”

  Throughout the entire conversation, Zoe had been watching them back and forth like she was at a tennis match. “Wait a minute. You actually have a stalker?”

  “Sshh!” Amara and Sadie said together. “Yes, I do, but so far it’s harmless. Roses on my porch, a few notes, a phone call.”

  “Don’t forget the rock he put through Nova’s windshield.”

  Zoe’s face eyes lit with alarm. “He put a rock through Nova’s windshield? Is he alright?”