Kiss of Christmas Magic: 20 Paranormal Holiday Tales of Werewolves, Shifters, Vampires, Elves, Witches, Dragons, Fey, Ghosts, and More

by Eve Langlais

But that seal had been broken, and the bond was lost. She had a hollow place now inside her where she had never had an emptiness before, and she realized that she would carry it with her for the rest of her life.

  As she crawled across the stones of the floor to John’s side as he struggled upright, she knew it was a price that she would happily pay every day in return for having her family back. She had lost the pleasure that the doctor could give her and the eternal youth, but what she’d gained was so much more.

  “Is he truly gone?” John asked.

  Sarah helped him to his feet, and he stood a little unsteadily. She looked at him and saw everything she had ever loved in him–and more. “He is gone, my lord.”

  There was a sudden noise in the forecourt, and Sarah looked out of the door in time to see the doctor riding out of the gates on a gray horse, unmistakable even though he was wrapped in cloaks and furs all the way up to his eyes. A train of four servants traveled in his wake, the horses’ hooves stirring up clods of mud and flinging them into the air.

  Sarah hugged John tightly. The pain behind her eyes was no more, and she knew it would never return. “He is gone forever, good riddance to him. And I am yours again, if you would have me.”

  John groaned. “Oh, God, Sarah, my lady wife, how could I not? I might as well spurn my own leg as deny you.”

  “Merry Christmas, then, my lord,” Sarah said around the sudden tightness in her throat.

  He smiled, and her heart soared. “Merry Christmas, my lady. Descend to the hall with me and celebrate your deliverance with your people over the feast.”

  She smiled back. “I shall indeed. But I have just one thing I must do first.”

  And then she kissed him for a very long time.

  A Heart in Winter © Copyright 2014 V. M. Black

  All Rights Reserved

  About the Author

  V. M. Black is the author of the Aethereal Bonds series. Begin the saga with Life Blood, in which Cora seeks to save her life, but a vampire asks the ultimate price. Sign up for Aethereal Bonds Insider to get exclusive access to sneak peeks, release notifications, and more.

  Alpha’s First Christmas

  A Paranormal Shapeshifter BBW Romance

  Aubrey Rose and Molly Prince

  When Natalie discovers that the down–on–their–luck Scraptown Pack has never celebrated Christmas, she decides to do something about it! But before she can convince the pack, she needs to convince their leader, her mate, Hutch.

  Her plan is simple. Lure the big, bad alpha away to a remote cabin and then use those curves that he can’t resist to get him in the Christmas spirit. Unfortunately for Nat and Hutch, things rarely go according to plan.

  This is a continuation of Natalie and Hutch’s story from Alpha’s Last Fight and the sequel Alphas’s Last Chance

  If you’d like to know more about how they got here, be sure to pick them both up!

  Chapter One

  Natalie

  “I’m gonna kill you, Hutch!”

  I looked up just as the cub swung a wild fist at Hutch and missed, spinning out of control. Hutch glanced over at me and grinned as he grabbed the cub by his arm and set him safely back down in the center of the ring.

  “Easy there, Dax. Your front foot is too far to the side. Try it again with–ah, with a little less wind–up.”

  I giggled to myself as I watched Hutch teach the cubs how to fight properly. Their faces were full of serious concentration as they sat cross–legged on the mat, looking up at him adoringly. Hutch was normally the biggest guy in the room, but in front of the kids he looked ridiculously huge.

  I was supposed to be here helping to babysit the cubs, but they were so entranced by Hutch that the only help I gave was walking the littlest ones to the restroom every once in a while.

  A voice spoke from behind the rickety bleachers.

  “Hey, Nat! There you are!”

  “Gina!” I turned and gave her a quick hug. “What are you up to? Can I help?”

  “Ha! You bored again?” Gina asked, nodding towards the ring. “Why don’t you get up there and learn how to fight?”

  “Easy for you to say.” Gina looked like a personal trainer – she had been fighting alongside Hutch since before he was alpha of their pack, long before I met him.

  Our pack. I turned the wedding ring on my finger and smiled. Scraptown already felt like home, but it seemed strange sometimes to think of this pack as my family.

  “I bet Hutch could teach you some basic moves. Right jab, left hook,” Gina said. “You’ll be a pro in no time.”

  “I don’t think I’m cut out to fight,” I said. “And the last time Hutch tried to teach me how to fight, he took one look at me in a sports bra and tackled me to the floor. All I learned from that lesson was that he sure can pin me down if he wants to.”

  “Ha!”

  “I feel like kind of a loose end here,” I admitted. “It seems like you’re always busy with pack business, and there’s not much for me to help with.”

  “That’s because I’m the best darn Sheriff in the land,” Gina said tipping an imaginary cowboy hat. “Breaking up fights and putting out lights.”

  “And you do a great job of it.”

  “And Hutch has been doing a great job teaching. I hear there’s two human kids who want to join the school.”

  “That’s exactly it, though,” I said. “Everybody has something important around here to do. Except me.”

  “You and Hutch, you’re the heart and soul of Scraptown,” Gina reassured me. “I know there was more to do when we were first moving into the lot. Now that things are settling down… ”

  “I’m a third wheel. Not even a third wheel. I’m the spare tire in the trunk that’s partially deflated from being useless.”

  Gina laughed.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Isn’t it nice to take it easy and not have to work a job for a little while?”

  “I suppose so. But I get so restless.”

  Up on the ring, Hutch was showing the cubs how to kick. He held out his palm and the cubs took turns trying to kick his hand. Some of them were so short that Hutch had to kneel down. A cub whirled a kick, narrowly missing Hutch’s head. He deftly dodged the blow and sent the kid back to try again, patting him on the back.

  “Well, after Christmas we’ll be building that extension onto the warehouse and you’ll be more than busy.”

  “Hmm.” A thought came into my head and swirled around a bit. The holidays were coming up, and nobody seemed to be doing anything to prepare. “Christmas… Gina, what does the pack normally do for Christmas?”

  “Christmas? Ah, nothing special.”

  “Really? What about a big tree for the whole pack?”

  “Nope, no tree.”

  “Do you have a present opening party for the cubs?”

  “Nah, not really.”

  “What about decorations?” I asked, a frown creasing my forehead.

  “Nope.”

  “Then what do you do?!”

  “Nat, this isn’t a big rich pack, we’re misfits and outsiders. Times have been tough, you know?”

  “Well, sure.”

  “There just isn’t much money for trees and parties and things. Hasn’t been. But hey, maybe ask Hutch about a tree. We could go out to the forest and pick a good one.”

  “Oh, that sounds fun!” I exclaimed. “Do you want to go this afternoon and do a bit of scouting?”

  “Can’t. Have a meeting with Tommy,” Gina said apologetically.

  “A meeting, or a meeting?” I asked, tilting my head and winking.

  “Hey! I’ll have you know we discuss important business for at least ten minutes before getting… ah, distracted.”

  “Hmph.” I crossed my arms.

  “Ask Hutch about it,” Gina offered. “Although you might have a hard time getting him into the Christmas spirit.”

  “I’ll accept that challenge,” I said. In my mind, the cogs were already turning.


  After Gina left I waited silently, watching my big bad mate train his up–and–coming fighters for a while, before he decided he’d had enough for the day and flashed a wicked grin in my direction.

  “Hey, Dax, why don’t you spar with Bryce for a while? I got to go… do stuff.” He patted the cub on the shoulder and pushed him towards the ring.

  “Aw Hutch, he’s twice my size. He’ll kick my ass,” the cub said.

  “Maybe you need to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fight a little dirty,” Hutch called back over his shoulder.

  I gave him an exaggerated frown. I wasn’t sure suggesting these kids should be fighting dirty was the best idea. Then again, he was an unorthodox instructor at best.

  We both turned to watch the smaller cub get into it with one of Hutch’s more promising young prospects.

  After throwing several punches that were easily knocked aside by the larger boy, Dax backed up, then took a run at him. At the last moment, he dropped to his knees and slid across the floor between Bryce’s legs and then…

  Oh! Oh dear! Right in the…

  Bryce toppled sideways with a groan, as every man in the room collectively winced in sympathy. Hutch grimaced and gave me an okay–maybe–that–wasn’t–the–best idea shrug before beating a hasty retreat.

  I waited until I was sure Bryce was alright before following Hutch and cornering him in the locker room.

  “Hey there, fighter man,” I said, leaning against one of the lockers. He looked up at me with an amber flame already in his eyes. A white towel was wrapped around his waist, and his whole body was glistening with sweat. I could smell the scent of his desire in the air, the bond between us already pulling me toward him.

  “Hey, sexy woman. Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

  “Maybe you’ve seen me around,” I teased. “Maybe you met me and forgot me.”

  “I couldn’t forget anyone who looks like you. And I definitely couldn’t forget anyone who feels like you.”

  In one stride, he had me pinned back against the lockers, his one free hand running down my body. I hadn’t been joking with Gina – he could hold both my wrists in one hand and keep me under control without even breaking a sweat. Now, he grinned and cupped my ass, giving it a quick squeeze.

  “Yup. I definitely remember this part of you.”

  I squealed as he pulled me in for a deep kiss. The bond between us flared up, and I let my animal side surface for a brief moment. The scent of his musk intensified tenfold, and I could hear his heart beating. Then the wolf inside me eased back and so did he, pulling away and looking into my face. His voice was a low growl that set me on fire.

  “What are you doing in the men’s locker room, little girl? You get lost?”

  “I just dropped by to see if anybody needed to get into the Christmas spirit.”

  “Is that what we’re calling it now?” Hutch said, his hand reaching between my thighs.

  “Hutch!” I swatted his arm away as he let me go, laughing.

  “Why are you here, then, pretty lady?”

  “I had an idea.”

  “She had an idea. Oh, no.”

  “This is a good one, Hutch. Really.”

  “Okay,” he said, leaning back against the lockers. “Lay it on me.”

  “Gina and I were talking, and I thought it would be a good idea if I could organize something for Christmas. So I thought, why not bring Santa Claus to Scraptown?”

  I looked at Hutch eagerly. He squinted.

  “Santa Claus?”

  “Yeah. Santa Claus!”

  “You know Santa isn’t real, right, Nat?”

  “Duh! That’s where you come in.”

  “Me?”

  Hutch had a suspicious look in his eyes. I trailed a finger down his bare chest, and I could hear him inhale sharply when I reached the edge of the towel.

  “You could be Santa,” I said. “Dress up in a suit. Hand out presents. We could get a big tree and have the cubs decorate it. It would be fun!”

  “Ehhhh, I don’t know, Nat.”

  “What?”

  “Can you get someone else to be Santa?”

  “Why?” My heart sank. “You’re the head of the pack.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s always the head of the family who’s supposed to be Santa.”

  “Really?” He grimaced, and I felt disappointment wash over me.

  “I thought it would be a great idea,” I said. “Pops always… I mean, when I was a kid… ” I bit my lip. It had only been a few months since he’d died, and thinking about spending Christmas without him made tears spring to my eyes.

  “Hey, hey,” Hutch said, pulling me into his arms for a tight hug. “Nat, I’m sorry. Hey, look, I’m just really busy dealing with all the pack stuff right now. We’re getting all the permits for this fighting school to go public, and with the renovations coming up–”

  “I know, I know,” I said, brushing the tears away. My whole body slumped. “It was a stupid idea.”

  “No, it’s great. Just we can find someone else to be Santa. I’ve got exactly one weekend free before Christmas, and I really don’t want to spend it suit shopping, you know what I mean?”

  “Sure,” I said, still dejected.

  “I just want to get away for a bit. Maybe we can lock ourselves in our trailer and get into the Christmas spirit alone, how about that?” He waggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Okay,” I said. I pursed my lips, thinking about what I could do to get some Christmas cheer into Hutch. His first sentence echoed in my ears. Get away for a bit…

  “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” Hutch asked, pressing his lips to my forehead.

  “Plans.”

  “Plans?”

  “Plans within plans.”

  “Sounds dangerous.”

  “Dangerously awesome,” I said, the idea coming together in my mind. “Just don’t make any plans for that weekend, okay, Hutch?”

  “What are we doing?”

  “I can’t tell you. It’s a secret plan. But you’ll love it. And if you’re not in the Christmas spirit by the end of the weekend, I’ll eat my stocking.”

  Chapter Two

  Hutch

  We ran.

  Nat took the lead. I had no idea where she was going, but I was happy to spend this time with her out in the wild, whatever our destination.

  There’s nothing quite like running in the middle of winter. The sweat on your flanks, the way your breath turns to steam in the crisp cold air, the crunch of your paws on frozen grass. I don’t mean a quick jaunt around the forest to get the kinks out. A proper run. Long distance, cross–country.

  It took her a while to get used to the backpack. Wolves are hunters, not beasts of burden, and we’re not really built to carry much at full speed. But we weren’t just wolves, and wherever we were going, it looked like we were going to need clothes and supplies.

  I’d offered to carry it all in my pack. But Nat insisted she carry it and got all antsy when I asked for a look inside. My girl sure liked her secrets.

  When it came to the more physical side of our nature – running, hunting, fighting, that kind of thing –Nat always claimed she wasn’t cut out to be a wolf. But she was wrong.

  She could never match me for speed, but her endurance was impressive. She was tapping into the reserves of power that allowed us to run and run and run, in a way that the world’s greatest marathon runners could only dream of.

  Occasionally, she glanced back over her shoulder to give me a catch–me–if–you–can look, but I was happy to hang back and watch my magnificent mate in full flight. I could happily watch her run all day. Although, the sight of the sweat on her flanks was giving rise to all sorts of wicked ideas.

  We’d been running for a good few hours, when she pulled up to a stop. As she shifted back into her big, beautiful and extremely naked woman form, I felt prouder than ever to call her my mate.

  I
sat back on my hind legs and gave her a howl of appreciation.

  “What do you think you’re grinning at, mister?” she teased, finally standing in human form. “Oh! Oh, oh, oh, shit! Cold, cold cold!”

  She began hopping from foot to foot, the motion doing some pretty interesting things to her chest, as I tried not to howl with laughter.

  It can be a shock, when you shift back. When you lose the fur that insulates you from the icy bite of the wind. Not to mention the pads that keep your feet from feeling just how cold the ground is.

  “Cut it out Hutch, I’m serious. I’m f… f… freezing here.”

  The cold hit me like a punch to the gut as I returned to human form. I hadn’t realized quite how much the temperature had dropped in the time we’d been travelling.

  I had a couple of tricks up my sleeve, though. I held on to a sliver of the animal inside me as I stood. Just enough to let its warmth flow through me. Just enough to make the weather more tolerable.

  “Come here, sexy,” I said. “I’ll warm you up.”

  Nat shed her backpack and came bounding towards me. Even though she was freezing, there was still a great big smile plastered across her face.

  There’s this natural high you get after a long run. Some claimed it was just endorphins doing their thing, but I liked to think it was a reaction to the peace we find in being closer to nature and, just for a while, not having to worry about all the real world bullshit that’s constantly trying to bring us down.

  Whatever it was, Nat was feeling it, and I had to brace myself for impact as she leaped into my arms, scissoring her legs around my waist.

  This, combined with the contrast of her cool flesh against my warm skin, had me feeling pretty damn horny. Maybe the endorphins were doing a number on me too.

  “Wow, you’re so hot,” she said.

  “You’re not bad yourself.”

  “No, I mean literally. You’re like a furnace. You’re not sick, are you?”

  I had to laugh as she put a hand to my forehead to check if I was okay. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had cared about my wellbeing enough to do something like that. My Mom I guess, but she was long gone.