by M. L. Briers
Caleb’s arms went around her body. One hand palmed her neck and head, and the other locked her against him when he palmed her lower back.
As death grips went – it was a damn fine one.
His lips were soft when they came down on hers. Soft didn’t mean not demanding, and she got the feeling that he was a very, very, demanding lover…
His tongue pressed against the seam of her lips and she wanted to deny him – or maybe she didn’t – everything was so overwhelming – so fluid – like rolling in the deep and just letting those waves take you, and yet, it didn’t matter much what her mind said because her body was going to overrule it anyway.
Rachel wasn’t sorry that it did, because boy could he kiss.
She felt everything.
Every twitch of his fingers.
Every movement of his muscles as he locked her against the length of him and her hands were pressed against those hard ridges of his abs, those muscles moving beneath her touch.
Every hard press of his erection – even though two layers of clothing – his and hers – and it was practically drumming something of a heady beat against her stomach.
The moment that her toes curled inside of her boots – she knew that she was a goner.
~
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~
While Shaun knew that both of his brothers were off in privacy wooing their mates, he was standing at the doorway to the living room watching his mate and sister gushing over the damn Christmas tree with its flashing fairy lights that felt as if they were mocking him and giving him something of a minor headache.
Oh how he’d love to have five minutes alone with Santa!
He folded his arms across his chest and propped up the doorframe with his shoulder as they cooed over glittering baubles and something feathery, while he tried to work out a way to get his mate alone.
His brother might have been right earlier when he’d said that it was time to find his sister a mate. Shame that mates didn’t come along when you wished for them, or grown on snow covered trees – of the non Christmas variety - because he kind of wished for one for her now.
Harsh, and he knew that he should probably have been grateful that someone was getting on so well with his mate – even if it wasn’t him, but he couldn’t help thinking that both of his brothers would probably be mated before him.
While it wasn’t a competition – it kind of was.
“My brother doesn’t care much for Christmas…” Dani said and his ears pricked up. He grumbled inwardly. “But I think he’s finally warming to the idea…” Dani turned teasing eyes on him and he snapped to attention when his mate did the same.
“Toasty.” He replied, trying to keep a smile on his face when all he wanted to do was face plant a snowbank and growl at the top of his lungs.
“Maybe he should make a nice hot chocolate for you that you can drink in front of the fireplace.” Dani shot him a glare, and he got it then – his little sister was trying to help him woo his mate for him… like he needed the damn help!
It would be more helpful if she skulked off to her bedroom and gave them some space.
He was an alpha. He could woo his mate, damn it.
“I love a hot chocolate in front of the fire.” Nessie grinned – she got it too. The she-wolf was a starry eyed matchmaker of the very worst kind…
But on the bright side, she’d never say no to hot chocolate. Just like she’d never say no in getting some space from her mate.
“I can do that.” Shaun kept his voice even when all he wanted to do was growl at the indignity of his little sister thinking that he needed help in wooing his mate, and from a teen queen as well.
He turned on his feet to leave…
“I’ll have one too.” Dani said with a chuckle in her voice. “Although I like to drink mine curled up in bed.” She added, letting him off the hook, and telling him in her own way that she was going to give them a little space.
Shaun brightened. It seemed that he was going to get rid of his sister and her meddling after all and all it would cost him was the price of making her one hot chocolate.
He could live with that.
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~
Ned strolled into the kitchen and eyed Shaun at the counter.
He’d come downstairs in search of a drink and snacks for him and his mate and hadn’t expected anyone to be about.
“Errand boy.” Shaun noted his appearance without even turning his head.
“Says the man making hot chocolate.” Ned snorted a chuckle as his brother’s shoulders went back and the alpha growled a little. “Don’t tell me, Dani’s idea.”
“Wasn’t a bad one. It seems that my mate likes hot chocolate – who’d have thought it, and her not a pup?” He grunted.
When he shot a look at Ned the beta was hesitating on the inside of the doorway…
“Maybe I should offer my mate chocolate – hot or cold…?” He thought on it.
“What were you going to give her?”
“Wine.” Ned shrugged and Shaun grunted. Grapes were for eating – beer and Scotch were for drinking. “I know, right?”
“Did she ask for wine?”
“She said she liked it.” Ned shrugged.
“Take both. Females like choices – although she probably won’t be able to make up her mind.” Shaun shrugged. “Chocolate is soothing, wine is loosening, but I’ve never met a female yet that didn’t like chocolate, usually they eat it though.” He grunted again.
“Both is good.” Ned nodded. “Don’t suppose you wanna make an extra one of those – while you’re hogging the kettle and all?”
Shaun added a roll of his eyes to the grunt this time.
“You want me to draw you a diagram of how to woo your mate while I’m at it?” He grumbled.
“My mate is in our bedroom – your mate is looking at Christmas decorations…” Ned stuck out his chest. “I think I’m doing just fine.”
Shaun felt the rush of the challenge within him. He grunted again – this time in annoyance.
Nope, this wasn’t a challenge, he told himself, this was… wooing. He needed to remember that and not try to rush to the finish line.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
~
“Hold it right there…” Rachel’s breathless tones sounded sexy even to her ears. She’d pulled away from his tempting lips, but he wasn’t letting her out of his arms just yet.
“Too soon?” He asked, narrowing his eyes a little and trying to judge her mood.
She was female – it could have been one of a many.
“It’s never too soon to have great sex…” She snorted a chuckle.
“Then…?” Caleb questioned her with his eyes.
“It’s gonna be great sex, right?” She frowned and a hungry growl went through his chest as his eyes lit up with the great big, sexy grin that took his lips…
“Epic.” Caleb assured her and she chuckled again.
“And yet…” She left that one open.
Something was bugging her, gnawing deep within her psyche. She thought he might be right – it might be too soon.
She didn’t think she’d reconciled the loss of her old life with what would await her should she choose to be a mate.
Join the pack.
Move to the middle of nowhere…
“And yet?” Caleb asked, allowing her just a little space within his arms to pull back slightly from him.
“You don’t even have a coffee shop around here.” She grumbled.
“Not so. We have a café that serves coffee.” He offered back.
“Really? How many choices do they have?”
“Black – white, two.” He shrugged.
“Wow, that’s… progressive thinking.” She curled her top lip.
“I’ll buy you one of those coffee makers.” Caleb grinned. “A lack of coffee shops shouldn’t really be on the list of pros and cons for deciding the rest of your life in bliss with me, or the lonely exis
tence of never being truly fulfilled in a relationship; as you sit in a coffee house and ponder – what if.”
Rachel’s jaw sagged a little.
When you put it like that…!
“That’s… deep.” She teased.
“That’s life, sweetheart” He grinned back to the sound of her chuckle.
She hated to admit it to herself, or to him, but it was true. Shopping wasn’t exactly the most important thing in life, or, at least, it shouldn’t have been.
“You’ll get a coffee maker?” Her eyes shone with amusement.
“And I’ll even buy you some coffee pods to go with it.” He teased back.
“Wow, thoughtful.” She grinned.
“That’s me, Mr Thoughtful. Mr Wonderful. Mr…”
“Shut up and kiss me.” She didn’t need to ask twice.
~
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~
When Ned walked into the bedroom balancing a tray in one hand and a fist full of snacks in the other, Mary snapped back to attention. She’d been standing looking out at the snow covered scenery of Christmas, and alternating her thoughts between wondering what her friends were doing and debating her own situation.
It wasn’t a joint venture – she knew that – Nessie and Rachel would either become mates or they wouldn’t, and she couldn’t base her decision on what they chose to do. Although it would have been nice to have them around on pack land… forever…
She’d always envisioned Rachel going off and being with some long haired, greasy rocker type – while she’d thought Nessie a lot less adventurous than that, maybe someone who worked in a bank…?
For herself, she’d never expected to find Mr Right – or even Mr Right Now. Sure, she’d dated, but nobody really held her interest for long.
She’d imagined growing old with cats – living vicariously through her friends lives and loves and subsequent children…
Now here they all were – there witches with three shifter mates. Their Christmas holiday certainly hadn’t gone as any of them had imagined.
“I come bearing gifts.” Ned announced, and she had to admit, the sight of the wine looked tempting… but then the smell of hot chocolate caught her nose and that rush of happy childhood excitement over a hot drink rose up within her – stupid really, but she would have ripped his paw off for that drink if it wasn’t freely offered.
“Ooo, hot chocolate…” She hoped it was for her.
Ned grinned inwardly and outwardly. He’d denounced his brother’s help with wooing his mate, but the way that she purred, and the subsequent hungry look in her eyes was enough for him to think that his brother might have been onto a blinder there.
“Well, tis the season.” Ned puffed up his chest at the fact that his mate seemed happy – he could live with taking credit for that.
~
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~
Shaun had strolled into the living room carrying the hot chocolate only to find his sister alone. His eyebrows drew downwards…
“Don’t worry. I didn’t eat her.” Dani teased. As she strolled towards him and took a cup from his hand. “She went to the bathroom.”
“Sure, you didn’t run her off with your meddling?” Shaun snorted.
“Positive. She likes me, I can tell. We’re kindred Christmas spirits – live with it, or not, but from now on we’ll be doing Christmas every year.” She smirked to the sound of a small groan that rumbled through him.
“Oh – good.” He bit out dryly.
“Well, I’m off to my room. There’s only so much I can do to help you – and then you have to stand on your own two feet.” Dani teased him.
She didn’t wait for his reply – the warning growl that rumbled through the air towards her told her all that she needed to know, and she set off for the safety of her bedroom with another loud chuckle – just to stir the pot a little more.
“Females…” Shaun grumbled from behind her, and she couldn’t help the smirk on her lips.
After five minutes of standing there alone – surrounded by mesmerising flashing lights, and with the damn cup in his hand – he thought that he’d more than given his mate enough time to do whatever she needed to do before he set off to find her.
Enroute to the downstairs bathroom, his eyes caught sight of the coat rail and the space where he’d left her jacket. He scowled as he froze in mid-step and noted that her peg was empty…
For one long moment inaction gripped him hard. His mind raced with all the possible reasons why her jacket would be missing, but when it truly came down to it – the fact that she’d left the house was enough to send his feet towards the front door…
He wrenched open the door to the outside world and caught a blast of the icy winds that had picked up. His beast growled within him at the thought of her being out there alone on a night like that…
Then he stepped outside and sniffed the frosty air, catching just the slightest essence of her scent, having his worst fears realised.
“Damn it to hell!” He growled out, yanking the door closed behind him, and stalking out into the night.
Her scent and the small footsteps in the fresh snow was all that he had to guide him, but it seemed to him that she was heading back the way that they’d come – back towards where they’d left the car, and his ears strained to see if he could hear the sound of that little toy engine of hers over the rush of the wind.
His beast was in hunt mode. Trying its damnedest to push forward within him – ready to give chase…
And this time… he wouldn’t let her get away so easily.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
~
Ernod knew that it was now or never. He suspected that the damn faerie was using her magic to try to win the bet and he wasn’t about to give up his hat and shoes so easily.
He had a plan to bring the alpha and the witch together, and whispering in her ear and triggering her guilt button had been perfectly timed with the alpha doing women’s duties in the kitchen.
Now the alpha would come looking for her. His beast would be hunting their mate, and if all went as planned… well, he’d own that Faerie wand in no time at all when he won the bet.
She was heading towards the barn to check on that drunk, stupid bear shifter, and he had the perfect opportunity to chase her off into the woods, and he was going to take it.
“Witch!” He jumped out at her and Nessie jumped backwards in surprise as if he’d just flashed his goodies at her.
She didn’t much care for Elves – Christmas helpers or not – and this man had the kind of evil grin on his lips that didn’t normally bode well, and certainly didn’t fill her with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
“Know that I will zap your backside.” Nessie warned him. It was only fair to tell it as it was because he hadn’t hurt her in any way yet.
“I eat witches like you for breakfast.” Ernod bit out, trying to sound as frightening as he could.
“I think not.” Nessie curled her lip up at the thought.
A human eating Elf – Since when?
“You doubt me, witch?” Ernod took a step closer and Nessie took a step back.
One could never be too careful, especially when dealing with elves.
Ernod lifted his hands and rubbed them together – the magic danced between his palms like electrically charged tendrils.
“Jog on, Elf.” Nessie knew that parlour trick well, she’d mastered it as a teen.
She was in no mood to play silly games. She had one thing on her mind and it was bugging her, and she wanted to make sure that the bear shifter was alright, and then she’d return to the cabin before she was missed – before the alpha started to foam at the mouth thinking that she’d ran off.
Nessie took a step to the right, and Ernod jumped in front of her like a magician doing the whole magic hands thing…
So – she zapped him.
She wasn’t proud of it, being Christmas and all, but needs must and she didn’t need a rabid wolf on her trail and this elf was
holding her up.
“That hurt.” Ernod bit out looking more than a little taken aback that she’d zapped him, and she grimaced.
“Then get out of my way.” Nessie hissed back.
“Will not.” Ernod bit out.
“Will so.” She shot back.
“You are coming with me!” Ernod took another step towards her and Nessie gasped in a breath with annoyance playing through her.
Then she lifted her hands and tossed out her magic. The Elf held out his palms and bounced that magic right back at her – just so that she knew how it felt, and boy did it sting like a witch…
Nessie wasn’t ready for the blast that came her way… She stumbled back a couple of steps, and shook off the after effects of her magic.
Then she stomped her foot in anger, set her jaw, and glared right back at him…
“That’s it – no more Miss Nice Witch…” She lifted her hands to the sound of a low rumble… more of a tear…
That was the moment that she felt the ground move under her feet.
Nessie’s head snapped down and her eyes took in the small, crooked fault line that was opening up in the earth…
Her jaw dropped open, her head snapped up, her eyes took in the stunned look on the Elf’s face, and her body froze in place…
“Oh that’s not…” Ernod watched as the ground rushed away beneath her and she went with it.
One moment she was there and the next… she shrieked… and was gone…
“Err….” Ernod looked around him.
He couldn’t take the blame for this one. He wasn’t supposed to be there in her realm, showing himself – he definitely couldn’t use magic – he was in so much damn trouble…
He clicked his fingers and blinked out of existence, just as Lucky blinked in with a nod of her head…
“Alpha!” Lucky had been trailing the alpha not the witch.
It was only when she’d felt a spike in the magic that flowed through the air did she know that the cheating little Elf was using his magic…