by M. L. Briers
“You were saying?” Caleb chuckled…
“Mary’s always been awkward in the staying on her feet category. I on the other hand, have perfect balance.”
Famous last words, as she ignored his hand and dropped to her boot clad feet on the snow, one foot went right and the other went left, and her eyes snapped wide as her hands shot out and snatched at his jacket…
His arm was already wrapped around her body, helping her to still her feet, and keeping her upright. He grunted a chuckle down at her as her wide eyes snapped up to meet his.
“You were saying?” He asked again with a small chuckle.
Rachel huffed in annoyance.
“I guess I tempted fate.” She shrugged.
“I guess fate likes to win.” Caleb offered back, but those words meant so much more to her than just lost footing in the snow.
He was her fate, and she’d planned to run… now look where she was, a relative winter wonderland with his house dripping in Christmas, snow all deep and crisp and even, and no escaping her mate…
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“I’ve got you.” Ned breathed out the words against her neck as he stabilised Mary’s feet and brought her body up against his for the extra stability that it afforded her.
“I noticed.” She giggled.
“That was a great interpretation of the running man by the way.” He teased and heard her giggle again.
He liked the sound of her soft laughter. Everyone he knew was loud, but she was different, almost mouse like to his wolf…
He guessed opposites really did attract.
“It’s these slippers!” She protested and saw the smirk on his lips and the amusement in his chocolate brown eyes. “Yeah, ok. It’s me…” She shrugged again. “And the slippers.” She muttered.
A moment later and he was sweeping her up into his arms. She gasped in the cold night air and clung around his neck for dear life.
“You can never be too careful.” His grin was so damn sexy that it made her heart race twice as fast as being swept up had achieved, and that was saying something…
“Or too pregnant.” She said.
“Excuse me?” Ned swallowed down hard at her words.
He’d been stalking towards the cabin with her, but he’d almost tripped right over his own feet at her words.
“Do you want children?” Mary asked – her brain had shot off in a completely different direction.
“Like right this minute?” Ned looked confused.
“I think it takes a little longer than that.” Mary giggled…
“Sure.” Ned didn’t know what to say. Sure, he wanted pups, who didn’t? But she’d totally thrown him with her questions.
“Good to know.” Mary offered back, and Ned frowned, replaying the conversation over in his mind to try to find out how it had led down that path… he still couldn’t see it.
“Do you want pups?” He asked, wondering if that’s why she’d brought it up, because she didn’t want pups of her own. That would be a sad day for him, but if that was what she wanted then he could content himself with his siblings offspring.
“Sure… wait… pups? Are we actually talking about little people or a dog?” She frowned and his mouth opened but nothing came out…
CHAPTER TWENTY
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“Slow…” Nessie bit down on her words and flicked a sheepish look at the alpha behind the wheel. “Sorry.” She muttered. She knew his big old ears would pick up that word, but she wasn’t about to scream it from the roof tops – although, deafening him might be a bonus to ever having to say it aloud again.
He shot her a quick grin.
“Eyes on the damn road.” She growled out, and they both turned their heads just in time to see the hulk of a man who stepped right out in front of them…
Shaun pulled on the steering wheel to miss him the best that he could, but there was a definite thud before they went spinning again…
“Oh, crap – really?” Nessie ground out through clenched teeth as the car turned – almost on a penny…
Her hands slammed up against the roof and she groaned long and hard at the irony of that moment.
When they finally came to a stop; she kept her eyes straight ahead, it felt as if her eyeballs were spinning in their sockets… and she growled a good honest she-demon type growl…
Shaun was more than impressed at that sound, as was his beast.
“You ok?” He demanded and watched as her top lip twitched and her nose wrinkled up.
“I’m getting used to it.” She bit out dryly.
“My damn turn to say sorry.” Shaun growled out. He went to turn in his seat, but she slapped the palm of her hand practically in his face.
“Not a good time.” She bit out.
“I think I might have clipped that idiot…”
“Idiot.” She bit out and offered him a death glare.
Shaun wasn’t certain, she could have just been echoing his words, but he thought she was more than likely talking about him.
“I’ll go check.” He made a speedy retreat out of the car door and into the lightly falling snow… “Ahhh, crap.” He growled, as his eyes scanned the whiteout and it wasn’t hard to find the huge figure of the man lying to the side of the road…
“I hit… something…” The hulk said, and Shaun started towards him on fast feet.
“Yeah, me.” Shaun muttered practically under his breath…
“Oh, sorry about that…”
Shaun stopped dead in his tracks and scented the air… The guy shouldn’t have been able to hear him, but the fact that he scented fur in the air that wasn’t his own, gave him pause to get closer…
“You ok?” Shaun bit out…
“Had a little tooooo much to celebrate… nope, make that commisssserrate…” The man growled. “Hell, I don’t know… my leg hurts.”
Shaun bit down on annoyance and rolled his eyes upwards towards the sky… The snow was easing – he probably could get away with leaving the shifter in the damn snow…
“Why does my leg hurt? Did I hit something?” The guy flopped over onto his back and looked up at the night sky… “Oh, snow…”
“Damn it to hell.” Shaun bit out. The man was drunker than one of his brothers on their birthday, and that was saying something.
He couldn’t, in good conscience, leave the man out there all night. Not injured and stupid… He didn’t want that on his conscience…
“Hey… how you doing?” The hulk pushed himself up on his elbow and scowled a look through his beer hazed eyes at the alpha… “You sniff like a wolf… oh…” He tried to pull himself to his backside, but only slid down again… “You wanna fight me?”
“No.” Shaun bit out.
“Good, cos my leg hurts…” He fell back against the snow and immediately started to snore…
“Oh for the love of Christmas…” Shaun shot a look back over his shoulder at the sound of his mate getting out of the car.
“You killed him?” Her voice was all squeaky squeal and the shifter sat bolt upright on the ground, his head swinging around wildly from side to side…
“I didn’t… I wouldn’t… who said that?” The hulk growled out.
“Not dead then.” Nessie bit out and Shaun sighed.
“Not yet.” Shaun grumbled.
“Hey big guy?” Nessie started towards him, and the hulk grinned and waved. He looked more than merry in his musings, considering.
Shaun turned towards her; putting himself between the shifter and his mate. She frowned up at him…
“He’s a bear.” Shaun explained, as if she was five.
“No kidding, a bear?” She over exaggerated the wide eyed look of surprise. “Gee, well I never…” Then she tossed her hands up on her hips and gave him a no nonsense look. “And you hit him with my car.”
Shaun took a deep breath in and his chest got a lot bigger. She snuck a look as he rolled his eyes, and by the time that he was looking dow
n at her again; she was looking right back up at him.
Not busted. Smooth.
“I did that.” Shaun nodded.
“And he’s hurt.” She said.
“My leg hurts.” The hulk said and Shaun grimaced. Oh, he knew what was coming…
“Tis the season.” She gave the alpha a smirk, and he dropped his head and shoulders, and groaned… with a shake of his head he waited for it… “Can we keep him?” She teased and his head shot up, his mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened.
Ok, so he hadn’t been expecting that.
“No we can’t keep him.” He growled out. “He’s a big mean bear shifter, not a Mogwai…
“Ooo, I love that Christmas movie…” She did a slight happy dance in place and got all excited, her eyes even lit up, and Shaun twisted his head on his neck and regarded her with disbelief.
“You get excited about Gremlins?” He asked and she snapped her head back on her neck and curled her top lip.
“Great Christmas movie.” She snapped back and Shaun rounded back towards the shifter with a groan on his lips and another shake of his head. His mate was… something else, he wasn’t sure what… “What?” She demanded.
“I was just wondering what planet you were from and if your kin would be stopping by to say hi anytime soon.” Shaun bit out and heard her hiss.
“My leg…” The hulk started.
“Hurts,” Shaun bit out, “yeah, we got that already.” He snapped.
“Don’t be mean. He’s injured.” Nessie said, and before Shaun could stop her, she’d sidestepped around his back and was making her way towards the man on the floor.
“No, no, no, no,” Shaun tackled her from behind, unfortunately, just as he wrapped his arm around her waist – their feet hit an icy patch in the snow that had been created by the car’s tyres…
“Yoooouuuu!” She squealed out as four feet went in four different directions… “Let go, do not take me down with…” She bit out, and felt him slip behind her, at the last second he left her go and she went pitching forwards towards the hulk…
Riley reached out and caught her in his arms. He didn’t really expect the impact, not in his drink fuddled mind, and he ended up on his back with Nessie sprawled out over the top of him…
Then there was a loud, deep, angry growl, and Nessie’s head shot around to see Shaun, up on his knees, his black eyes firing death glares at the bear shifter…
“Take your damn paws off my mate…” Shaun growled out…
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
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Everything happened just so damn fast after that.
Riley gulped and practically tossed Nessie off of his body and into a safe landing in the snow.
Shaun started towards them on fast feet… skidding out on the icy patch that sent him sailing towards Riley…
Nessie rolled over just in time to see Shaun heading down towards Riley, just the way that she had only moments earlier – when, right at the last moment, Riley swung his arm and knocked the alpha flying denying that impact…
The trouble was that he’d knocked him right towards Nessie… she gulped, and her eyes widened at the sight of the alpha coming at her…
She could have closed her eyes and kissed her backside goodbye, but instead, she lifted her hands and sent out whatever magic that she could garner inside of her…
Shaun yelped as he was blasted backwards away from her. He hit the ground on his backside with a thud… and there he was, skidding across the ice on his pride, right back to where he’d started…
“Damn…” Riley bit out, and then he tossed his head back on his neck and roared with laughter… “You two are well mated…” He roared…
Nessie groaned and dropped back against the snow. Looking up at the stars didn’t calm her racing heart any, and it only pounded louder when Shaun’s face appeared above her…
“Horror movie time.” She ground out.
“Are you injured?” He demanded with a growl.
“If I was then growling the hell at me isn’t going to make it better…” She hissed up at him.
“That’s not an answer.” He snapped.
“Asshole. There’s an answer.” She snapped back to the sound of Riley roaring out laughing again.
“I hate bears.” Shaun growled.
“I hate… everyone.” Nessie groaned.
“Let’s get you up out of the snow…” Shaun growled, pushing up to his feet and reaching down for her. She rolled away from him, eyeing him with suspicion…
“Why, you got something else you wanna try killing me with?” She hissed.
“I don’t want you to catch cold.” Shaun growled.
“That’s the least of my worries around you.” She snapped back.
“How long have you two been mated?” Riley asked, still sniggering…
“I’m wooing her!” Shaun growled.
“Ha!” Nessie spat out, pushing up to her knees. “Yeah!” She bit out in pure disbelief.
“It’s not going well dude.” Riley said, before he dropped his head back in the snow and started snoring again.
“Ah, geez.” Shaun growled.
“Well, don’t let me stop you.” Nessie said motioning towards the car. “We’re both right here, why don’t you just reverse over us?”
“How do humans not know that you’re a witch?” Shaun bit out.
“Oh, wow, seriously?” Nessie pushed up to her feet. “You’re gonna pay for that one.”
“No doubt.” He muttered.
“And look!” Nessie pulled herself to her full height and motioned down her body. “I’m standing up, and I did it without help…” She planted her hands on her hips like a damn challenge. “You wanna come knock me down some more?”
“Tempting, but no.” Shaun huffed.
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“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Caleb was still grinning.
While Rachel liked the sight of it, a lot, maybe more than she wanted to admit to herself, and definitely more than she wanted to admit to him – it still annoyed her so.
There he was. Mr Growly – Smiley pants. Standing there with his arm resting against the wall, like he was barring her way back out the front door – and there she was, all simmering with annoyance over his show of victory for getting her back to his lair…
“You’re going to take a shower… I hope.” Rachel wafted her hand in front of her nose and his smile was replaced by a look of shocked horror.
He dipped his head and sniffed his armpit… then he dropped that arm and folded them across his chest, as if that could keep any smell at bay…
“Maybe that can be our first activity together.” That grin was back. The man definitely thought himself charming.
“Like, you scrub my back and I’ll scrub yours?” Rachel swooped those eyelashes at him a couple of times, and that got his undivided attention.
His muscles flexed as he changed his stance and the low, deep growl that rolled through his chest made it very clear that he was hungry for something.
“Just like that.” He agreed and beamed her the sexiest smile yet, and she could practically feel the tug on her panties from there…
“Sorry – I have an aversion to… you.” Rachel shrugged just the one shoulder, and the sound of girlie sniggering caught her attention.
She turned to find the she-wolf standing there – a striking resemblance across the eyes to Caleb told her this was a sibling – those eyes spoke volumes especially when they were alive with amusement.
“Don’t you have a bush to throw Christmas up all over?” Caleb grumbled toward his sister and Dani’s grin just got wider.
“Not really – this is way more fun.” Dani offered with enthusiasm. “You found a mate. This is definitely going to be a Christmas to remember.”
“My sister – Santa’s little demon – in – waiting, and purveyor of all things obscenely Christmas around here – Dani – Rachel.” Caleb offered and both wom
en eyed each other for a long moment.
He wasn’t sure if they were going to get their claws out and do the whole territory thing, but then Dani’s grin widened…
“This is going to be so much fun. Can you make him suffer?” Dani offered with a spark of mischief in her eyes.
“As much as possible or just in general?” Rachel asked, causing Caleb to frown hard at his sister.
“I’ll leave that up to you.” Dani smirked at her brother.
“As much as possible it is.” Rachel had a matching smirk.
“See, this is what happens when females get together – they gang up on a man.” Caleb grumbled.
“Well, now that its two to three in this house, get used to it.” Dani chuckled.
“Assuming mates do mate – that would be four to three.” Rachel informed her.
“How’s that?” Dani inclined her head as if she hadn’t quite heard that.
“Shaun and Ned found their mates.” Caleb said and watched his sister’s jaw drop open in surprise…
Then she balled her fists and did a happy dance – right there in the hallway.
“Yes!” She stopped dancing and turned triumphant eyes towards her brother.
“And one of us even likes Christmas.” Rachel offered back.
“Only one?” Dani looked a little disappointed. “I’ll take one over none.” She shrugged and then beamed her brother another mischievous grin. “You’re outnumbered, sucker.” Dani giggled.
“Someone seems to have ripped the head off of one of the reindeer outside…” Jeff announced as he swanned in from the kitchen and then stopped in his tracks to scent the air… “Witch.” He groaned…
“Vampire…” Rachel was a firm believer in getting in the first shot, because with vampires there might not be a second chance – she zapped him.
Jeff bit down on the pain that shot through his body…
CHAPTER TWENTY TWHO
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