I felt my cheeks flush and really hoped no one would remember the cranky wolf shifter who threw a tantrum the moment she landed.
Jax came forward and motioned for his guards to join him. “Bella, it’s good to see you.” With a small smirk, he was the first to hug me. “These are my friends, Ian and Salvador. They will be with us all summer long. I trust you will show them as much of the Kringle hospitality as you show me each year.”
I cringed just a little before standing tall and forcing a smile. “Jax, it’s so good to see you again. Sorry about that. I still have nightmares sometimes.” I dipped my head and took in a deep breath before looking to his two friends.
Putting out my hand to Ian and Salvador, I swallowed and gave them a real smile, or at least as much of one as I possibly could. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
Ian was the shorter one, although you couldn’t really call him short. He had to be about six feet, five inches or so with long, silky black hair and a lighter complexion than his companion. He took my hand and gave it a gentle shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Bella.” Then he turned his attention to my sister, Beth.
Salvador was almost seven feet tall. Even in our group he would be considered tall. One would probably say he was handsome, with high cheekbones and long brown hair with auburn highlights that was pulled back and wrapped with a leather thong at the nape of his neck.
I almost stopped breathing when I looked into his eyes. They were green with a few flecks of golden brown around the outer edges. I had never seen eyes like his. He had a black leather jacket, an emerald green polo shirt that matched his eyes, and black jeans. His clothes looked new, like he had just come from a shopping mall. Maybe he did. I wasn’t sure what they wore when they were at home in their caves.
I gave Ian a second look and he, too, had on new clothes. He wore faded blue jeans, a blue button-down shirt, and a black leather jacket. I wondered if leather was their thing.
“Salvador, welcome to Polaris. I hope you will enjoy the games this summer.” I was in trouble. This dragon was extremely good looking. Although, if I knew my female pack mates like I thought I did, he would be very busy fighting off their attentions. Both probably would. That would most likely keep me from having to spend too much time with them, which was a good thing.
I watched as he moved to greet Beth, who openly flirted with both boys. She even batted her eyelashes at Salvador. Could she be any more obvious? This summer was going to be crazy. If the other dragons coming were half as good looking, I felt sorry for the wolf shifters who came looking for mates. They weren’t going to get much attention.
Lizzie took my arm and guided me toward the main house. “Listen up, little sister. I don’t want any more attitude from you. We are hoping the dragons and the wolves all get along. That means you have to be on your best behavior. I don’t expect the dragons to mate with anyone, but I do expect us all to become friends. One of my female descendants will have to marry into a dragon clan someday, and we can’t start this alliance off with insults and hatred.” She looked me in the eye as we turned a corner when the rest of our party was out of our sight.
“I’m sorry, Lizzie. I just thought this was … well … I thought you were going to try and get us to mate into a dragon clan to help infuse more magic into the dragons. Beth and I still have two years left of college. Neither of us are interested in mating yet.”
I screwed up my mouth before I could say anything stupid like, “There’s no way on God’s green Earth I would ever mate with a dragon.” That would get me into a lot of trouble.
Lizzie sighed. “Bella, I don’t want either of you to mate yet, either. I want you both to finish college. It’s very rare for a wolf to go to college, even rarer to finish. Most wolves your age are already mated or on their way to it. I hope you know I only want what’s best for you both. Since you will most likely mate outside of our pack, I want to make sure you are prepared for anything. Even if it means you have to work in the human world.”
My heart fluttered at the thought of working a human job. I had thought I might want to do it. Maybe I could get a job working at a ski resort or as a mountain guide somewhere. I definitely wasn’t cut out to sit in an office all day long. I needed to be outdoors, somewhere I could shift and run whenever I wanted.
Guilt washed over me, and I thought back to how I acted. I was raised better than that. “I’m sorry. I know I behaved horribly. Can you please forgive me?”
Lizzie sighed and opened the door to her house. “Of course, I can, but I’m not the one you offended. I need you to make an effort to be nice to all the dragons, not just Jax. I know you like him, but you need to realize that most of the dragons are as nice as the prince. Not too many are as horrible as the ones who kidnapped Mandy.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I will do better, I promise.”
“That’s my girl. Now, room arrangements. With so many here, we had to build a small guest house out back. Since Mandy’s pregnant, I want her and Jax to stay in here. That only leaves one guestroom left. I could have Ian and Salvador stay outside in the guest house, with you and Beth sharing the one room in here. Or, you can take the guest house. Mom and Dad are staying there as well, but it does have four bedrooms. So, you girls can each have your own room, if you like.”
I thought about it and decided I wanted to spend more time with my parents since I rarely saw them. “I think we should stay with mom and dad.”
“I thought you might say that. The boys are already set up in the main house. Meals will all be in the main dining room, but the elves did stock your kitchen in case you get hungry.” Lizzie led me to the kitchen as my stomach grumbled thinking about food.
Once everyone was in the kitchen and eating some warmed-up caribou stew and sipping hot chocolate, I asked, “So, what’s on the agenda for the rest of today?”
Palo spoke up, “Today is just about getting settled in. Tomorrow I will need help from all of you to get everything organized. The Round Up begins in three days. Over the next few days, wolves and dragons from all over the world will begin to show up. I don’t think anyone has turned down an invitation. We have all been working overtime on building more bunkhouses for all the bodies that will be here.” He smiled and looked around at all the faces.
My brother-in-law has always enjoyed large gatherings. He used to be the alpha of a small pack in Greenland that was murdered while he was away. Since then, he has wanted to be surrounded by as many wolves as possible. Now, it looked like he also wanted as many dragons around as possible.
As we finished up our stew, I heard the front door open and turned to see who was coming in. Not too many wolves would just walk into Santa’s house without knocking first.
“Rock!” Beth screamed before running into his arms. Rock was Palo’s second in command, and he was also supposed to marry Lizzie before she met Palo. Since then, the three of them have been thick as thieves. I never did understand how Palo could be best friends with his wife’s ex-fiancé, but then again, Rock and Lizzie never wanted to marry each other. Our father had arranged it.
“Hey, squirt. How ya doing? Are you excited for this Round Up?” Rock asked my twin sister.
“Yes, I can’t wait! This is going to be the best summer ever. Don’t you think?” Beth and I both looked at Rock like a big brother. Since we only had sisters, and Lizzie and Rock were best friends growing up, he kind of took on a brotherly role for us.
“Did Santa tell you…” he began before being cut off.
“Rock, how many times must I tell you to call me Palo when in my house?” Palo laughed and shook his head.
My dad had the same issue with his second in command. Rock always insisted on being so formal and respectful. I have heard him call my brother-in-law Palo when they were in the office, but it was really rare when anyone else was around.
“Sir, I think it’s best if I refer to you as Santa considering how many visitors we are going to have this summer.” Rock inclined his head to Palo.
>
I doubted I would ever call him Santa in front of other wolves, but I would probably do it in front of strangers like dragons.
Palo looked up and seemed to be considering what Rock had said. “Fine, if you feel strongly about it. But, please, when in my kitchen, call me Palo. We are best friends, after all.” He walked over to Rock and gripped his shoulder in greeting. I think for males, it was kind of like a hug. Even human men didn’t hug. They shook hands or patted each other on the back. The male species is just weird.
“What do you say we all take a run to Maker’s Rock?” I was getting antsy and needed to run freely. Even though we had the mountain ranges back in Seattle to run through, it wasn’t the same as running at home. Here, we never had to be careful or keep an eye out for humans.
“I could use a flight. May we join you?” Jax asked. He was always so polite, such a contrast to Alexandru - the dragon who kidnapped Mandy a few years back.
“Of course. Maybe I’ll fly back with you, but I could use a run before I have to stay in my human form.” Mandy kissed her mate’s cheek.
Mandy was pregnant with her first kid. Legend said that it would be a dragon, but soon she would have to stay in her human form until she gave birth to a dragonling, or whatever they called baby dragons.
I was really excited to see a baby dragon. They seemed like they would be kinda cute. No one was sure if the kid would come out as a dragon or if it would come out in its human form first. The best part about coming home this summer is that we would get to see it. Mandy was due at the end of August.
Chapter 3
Bella
The moment I shifted to my wolf form, I took off with Beth nipping at my heels. We always raced during our first shift home. I felt so free with the wind whipping through my fur and the cold air running over my tongue and teeth. To a human, I probably looked like a dog running with her tongue lolling on the side of her snout. But, I was trying to take in as much of the clean air as I possibly could.
The taste of the air inside the Arctic Circle was so pristine compared to the acidic flavor of the contaminated air surrounding Seattle and all the factories in that part of the state. Or maybe I should say it was mostly because of the car exhaust. I swear, I had never seen so much congestion on freeways before. Driving anywhere at any time of day or night took forever.
I could taste the crisp, clean air and it filled my lungs with energy. I pushed myself to go as fast as I could while watching the colors of the village as well as the different trees and shrubs go by in a blur.
My focus was on getting to Maker’s Rock first. The dragons would naturally beat us since they were flying, but I knew that Jax wouldn’t let Mandy get too far from him, so both of his guards would stick close as well. If Beth and I could get there first, we could scout the cave before anyone else arrived. Maybe even have some peace and quiet for a few minutes.
Over the past few hours, it had been nothing but chaos and loudness. The dragons were everywhere I turned. That was probably because they were all staying in the main house. If Mandy came to the guest house, where I was, to see our parents, then the dragons followed her. I swear, sometimes it seemed more like she was on house arrest than a future queen of the dragons.
She couldn’t even go outside without a guard following her. I would hate to be a princess, especially if I could never have any privacy. I just didn’t understand how Mandy seemed so happy every time I saw her. If I could ever get her alone I’d have to ask her if she really was happy or if it was just a ruse.
Yes! I said telepathically to Beth. I beat her to the cave.
I didn’t realize it was a race, Beth responded, sulking behind me.
I howled my victory while she sat there giving me her version of a wolf stink eye. Looking at her narrowed eyes didn’t give me the same feeling as when she did it while in her human form. It must be the tiny nuances in the human facial features that really spoke volumes when trying to convey words through the eyes.
However, being in our wolf form made it possible to communicate telepathically. All wolves within our pack could chat this way if we were close to each other. We could direct our mind conversation to one wolf or several. However, Santa could talk to all of us at once, even if we weren’t close by.
I shifted back to my human form and dressed quickly with Beth following my lead. As wolf shifters, nudity wasn’t any big deal. We were used to being nude as we shifted or dressed in front of other wolves. None of them gawked or even paid us much attention. In fact, they usually turned their backs or walked away while we changed, not that we really worried about it. Most of the wolves were taught to respect us and not sneak peeks.
The dragons were different. I wasn’t comfortable shifting in front of them. We had all done it at one point or another, and none of them seemed to be interested in checking us out while we were naked, but I still didn’t feel right. Which was just one more reason I wanted to get to the rock cave first.
“Let’s go inside and get the fire started before everyone shows up. With Mandy pregnant, I’m not sure how long she’s going to be allowed to hang out before her jailers make her go back.” I snorted and then stopped when I heard twigs snap from behind the cave.
Beth looked at me, and her eyes went wide. The backside of the cave was outside of the boundaries of the magical dome that protected the area from intruders. But it shouldn’t have allowed anyone to enter the dome, unless they were friendly.
“I think I’m going to like this area. So far, the wolves all seem really nice…” The voice stopped before finishing, and a pair of bright, blue eyes looked straight at me. The male looked me up and down slowly and smiled when his eyes met mine again.
I felt invigorated and excited at the prospect of meeting new guys. “Hi.” I waved and waited for them to say something.
“Hi there,” the blue-eyed Adonis in blue jeans and a Henley t-shirt said as his friend stepped next to him.
I could sense they were wolf shifters, too. We all had the uncanny ability to sense other shifters, and as long as we understood the vibe or scent that came off the other person, we could discern what species they were.
This guy had the scent of snow mixed with pine and a light musk. All male. And very attractive. He was most likely an Arctic Wolf as well since he was wearing a t-shirt and didn’t seem cold. Plus, his blond hair kind of told me what color his coat would be. The whiter the hair, the whiter the coat.
If he had a yellowish blonde hair, then he would most likely have been an Omega, the bottom of his pack. This guy, however, had platinum blond hair which told me he was probably the son of an alpha or a beta. He had power, or he would one day.
Combine his strong aura with his high cheekbones and the sparkle in his blue eyes, and he was one handsome wolf.
“I’m Arkin, and this is my good friend, Brandr. We just arrived this morning from the Norway pack,” the Norse god-like wolf announced, and I just about drooled.
Beth stepped up next to me and put her hand out. “Hi, I’m Beth, and this is my sister, Bella. We live here. Did you come for the Round-Up?”
Arkin shook her hand and looked between the two of us. “Twins? That must mean you are the beautiful Miss Kringles we’ve heard so much about.”
Brandr walked forward and took Beth’s hand.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of Arkin. I smiled coyly, tilting my head and putting my hand out for him to shake. Instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and kissed the back. Tingles went down my spine. I had never felt such a connection with a boy before. Although, no one had ever kissed my hand before. Maybe it was a normal feeling when someone kissed your hand?
“Very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Arkin said before releasing me.
I missed his warmth the moment he let go of me.
Before I had much of a chance to worry, Brandr took my hand and lightly shook it. He gave me a roguish smile before letting me go. At least, it was what I took to be roguish. Other than movies and books, I really was
n’t too sure what a rogue was.
I had to know more about them.
“We were just about to start a fire inside Maker’s Rock. Care to join us?” I offered.
“Funny you should ask; we were just looking for some kindling to replace what we used. The fire is already going. It should be nice and toasty inside by now,” Arkin stated.
“Perfect, let’s go. I want to make sure we get good seats before the rest of my family arrive. There’s going to be a lot of wolves here in just a few minutes. I hope you aren’t shy.” I giggled. Never mind about the dragons. They would probably hang back anyway.
Beth began asking the questions we always wanted to know. “How many of your pack will be joining you here for the summer?”
“We have a dozen on this trip. Our Alpha, his mate, and two of their pups are coming along with our Beta, who is my father, my mother, and a few of the higher-ranking Omegas are all here for the summer. We might have a few come and go during the summer, depending on if they can make it or not. But Brandr and I will be here for the next two months. How about you? Will you be here for the entire Round Up?” Arkin looked at me with his final question, and it made me think the question was directed at me specifically. He didn’t seem to worry about Beth.
Could he tell us apart? We were identical after all. We were both just over six feet tall with platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and the same smile. I had a couple more freckles than Beth did since we moved to Seattle. Which is strange since the city doesn’t get much sunshine. I’m not sure how I developed freckles. We did have different styles in our clothes. Maybe that was what seemed to draw him in to me more than Beth. She was more of the girly and frilly type, while I was more down to Earth and casual.
I was wearing white-washed blue jeans, a pink and blue checked button-up shirt with a blue tank top underneath, and a tan puffy vest. I also had brand-new, calf-high Sorel snow boots. I felt like my outfit might have been on the pages of an L.L. Bean catalog.
Miss Claus and the Christmas Wedding (A Shifter Christmas Romance Book 3) Page 2