My sister’s clothes looked more like they came off the cover of an H&M Magazine with fur-lined everything. Well, maybe not everything, but her UGGs were fur topped, and her vest was faux fur. She paired it all with a light washed pair of jeans and a gray turtleneck sweater under her fur vest. Beth leaned more towards the trendy and flashy outfits while mine were a little more comfortable.
“In fact, we are here for the summer. We just have to be back to Seattle before the new term starts.” I thought for a moment, realizing that most wolves didn’t go to college. “Does your Alpha allow any of your pack to go to college?”
Arkin looked at me and smiled. I swear, his smile came straight off the cover of a toothpaste ad. His teeth were super white, and if I didn’t know better, they actually sparkled. “Actually, we do allow a couple of the smartest to attend college. The rest are allowed to attend a trade school if they want. Our pack lives close enough to human settlements that we run a few businesses and interact more with humans than any other creature.”
Beth’s eyes lit up. “Really? That is so cool! I think I want to work in the human world, but not yet sure what I want to do. I still have two years left of college, and next summer I’m going to do an internship to get an idea of what I can do.”
Brandr took Beth’s hand, and in his silky voice he replied, “Really? You could see if you can get one near us next year. We could show you around Norway or any other area if you like.”
I tried really hard to keep from squealing. Both Beth and I had wanted to travel the world and maybe even work somewhere far away for a change, but we had no clue where to go while being close enough to a friendly pack, for safety. Maybe the Norway pack would welcome us in as friends next summer. No matter what, I wanted to at least be friends with these guys.
Palo had been saying that we needed to make more of an effort to make friends with the other packs around the world. For the most part, we stuck to the North American packs, since they had always been so close to us.
In the past, we have had a lot of issues with European and Russian packs, but I thought between my family and Palo, we had cleaned up all the bad wolves. These guys were certainly friendly, and I, for one, wanted to give them a chance.
Before we could get too much more information from the new guys, I could hear a brood coming. “Great, they’re here already.” I sighed and stood up from the seat near the fire. “You should be warned that just about my entire family is here, pups included. And … well … my sister, Mandy, brought her husband, the dragon, and he has two guards with him. I hope you don’t mind dragons.” I tried to hide my dislike of the dragons. Lizzie would kill me if I was rude around new friends.
Arkin and Brandr looked at each other, but I couldn’t tell what their expressions were trying to convey. Arkin’s brows lifted, and his mouth turned down. I got the impression he wasn’t too happy, but it could have been fear or maybe even confusion. Brandr looked similar. I’d have to get to know these guys better before understanding their looks.
“Bella, Beth, are you two in here?” Mandy called as she entered the cave.
“Yup, and we made a few new friends as well,” I called out as I watched Mandy walk inside with Jax and his two goons right behind him.
Ian and Salvador quickly took their places in front of Mandy and Jax. The scowls on the dragons’ faces had me wondering if they were going to attack.
The tension between the four males was so thick I wasn’t sure even a knife could cut it.
“New friends?” Salvador asked in a clipped tone.
I huffed, “Yes, and be nice. These two wolves are from Norway.” I motioned to the two extremely handsome young men and began introductions. “Arkin and Brandr, meet my sister, Princess Mandy and her husband Prince Jax. These two are their guards, Salvador and Ian.”
The rest of my family crowded around us, and I continued to introduce everyone. My new friends did seem to be a bit overwhelmed with so many bodies in the cave. Not to mention, my little niece and nephew running around still in their pup forms. Kris, the firstborn and only six years old, and Kaylee were so cute. They were only a year apart in age, and since Palo and Lizzie were uber worried about their safety in the earlier days, they didn’t get out much until just recently.
Then there was my youngest nephew, Christopher. He was only three and still preferred his human body to his wolf skin. He also seemed to hate clothes at the moment as he was running around naked with Lizzie chasing after him trying to get him to put some clothes on. I really hoped Beth and I weren’t like that when we were little.
I shook my head. “Yup. This is my crazy family. There are more, but they aren’t here yet. By the start of the Round Up, all of my family will be here.”
“Wow, you are lucky to have such a large family. Most wolves don’t have such a large extended family, and if they do, they’re in different packs. I understand all of you are still part of Santa’s pack, is that right? Even your grandparents?” Arkin asked.
“Yes, my grandparents and great grandparents, while technically part of this pack, don’t live nearby. Once a Santa has stepped down, he usually finds somewhere else in the world to work with children. It is really difficult for a former Santa and the current one to be together for too long. It’s inevitable they ruffle each other’s fur, and not in a good way.” I chuckled wondering if Palo and my dad ever had any fights.
“I can’t imagine what that must be like,” Brandr commented.
“What about the dragons?” Arkin asked as his eyes narrowed on Jax and Mandy. “How is it for your sister to be mated to one?”
Beth spoke up, “She loves it. Jax saved her life, a couple of times, from what I heard, and they had a connection from the moment they met. Over a short amount of time, she fell hard for him and was truly happy to mate with him. Now they are expecting their first baby soon. I can’t wait to see a baby dragon, or is it called a hatchling?” Beth giggled and shook her head. “I don’t really know the lingo yet.”
The two Norwegian wolves raised their eyebrows and pursed their lips.
“You mean she’s not having a wolf pup? Will she ever?” Brandr asked.
“We don’t really know for sure. From what the Dragon king has said, all Kringle females who mate with a dragon only have baby dragons. But, since it’s been so many generations since the last time this happened, no one knows for sure what’s going to happen.” I looked over to my pregnant sister and hoped she would one day get to have a wolf pup but doubted it would happen.
The reason she had to mate with a dragon was to help infuse more magic into the dragon bloodlines, so it only made sense she would give birth to dragons and not wolves.
Just one more reason to not like dragons.
Arkin and Brandr kept talking to us, but they couldn’t stop staring at Mandy. I wondered what they were thinking and was about to ask when Salvador walked between Mandy and the boys.
“Why do you keep staring at our princess?” The deep baritone voice of the dragon guard startled me. I wasn’t expecting him to be so gruff.
Arkin took a step back with his hands up, palms out. “I was just looking, man. Chill out. You might want to get used to it. A lot of wolves will be wondering about you dragons, and especially about the daughter of a Santa who mated with a dragon. This is all new for us.”
Brandr piped up, “Yeah, man. Especially since Mandy is pregnant with a dragon baby. It’s kind of weird. Will it hurt her?”
I hadn’t thought of that before. Could her own baby hurt her?
Jax stepped up with Ian next to him. “My wife is completely safe. Our child will not hurt his mother. And I would appreciate it if you showed a little respect for her and not stared.” Jax kept his fisted hands at his side and glared at Arkin and Brandr.
Palo must have felt the tension because he wasn’t anywhere in sight before he just showed up, getting between the wolves and dragons. “Hold up, gentlemen. No fighting or even posturing is allowed this summer. The rules clearly state anyon
e who tries to start a fight will be ejected from the Round Up.” He looked between all the males who were oozing testosterone right in front of me.
It was a bit exciting and nerve-wracking. I didn’t like anyone glaring at my sister, but I also understood what the wolves were worried about. I had a feeling this was going to be a stressful summer for all of us. I only hoped it didn’t come down to any fights.
Chapter 4
Salvador
I couldn’t believe the nerve of those boy wolves. They stood there openly staring at our Princess, and they weren’t even embarrassed at being caught. Something about them rubbed me the wrong way. I knew this summer was going to be tough, but I didn’t think the trouble would start so soon or be so obvious.
Maybe we would get lucky and no one would be secretive, we could root out any issues before they become a real problem. Those boys didn’t seem to be very smart. I’d just have to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn’t have any friends who might be more discreet in their intentions.
“Ian, why don’t you shift first? Then the prince and princess can follow you. I’ll take up the rear.” I wanted to make sure those pups, or anyone else in the area, didn’t try to get the jump on us while we were shifting.
I really couldn’t wait for more reinforcements to arrive. I had a feeling we were going to need more than just two guards at a time. At least, in the beginning. I was hopeful that once the majority of the wolves spent time around us, they would warm up to us and we could all get along.
Plus, I wasn’t opposed to meeting some of the pretty she-wolves. I wasn’t going to get a dragon for a mate, but maybe a nice wolf would fall for me this summer. I also knew I wasn’t going to get a Kringle she-wolf, but any of the other wolves would be just fine. Those Kringle girls were just too young. Besides, Bella didn’t think very highly of dragons, and Beth seemed to be interested in Ian, not that he would have noticed. Ian was too dedicated to service to notice any woman long enough to mate with them.
I shook my head as I continued to scan the area for threats.
Once everyone was ready, I shifted to my dragon form and let my wings expand. It felt so good to stretch. Staying in human form was too constricting. I could feel my wings itching to come out. Back home, I spent most of my time in my dragon form and took long flights most of the day, circling our area and checking for any sign of danger.
I also owned a security company. I split my time between Northern Canada and my king. It was only a few hours flight to go back and forth. I had a good crew who helped manage the business. Half of them were dragon shifters and the other half were bear shifters. No one messed with us. When we were in our human forms, we looked more like a group of linebackers than regular guys.
I never had to worry about someone trying to mess with my business.
For the summer, my brother was going to run the business while I helped to protect the prince and his very pregnant mate. I did wish she would stay inside more, not because I don’t want a female outside, but because she’s pregnant. With so many shifters coming to Santa’s compound, it’s going to be difficult to protect her and her unborn hatchling. I’ll be glad when we get back to the dragon court, where there are many ways to protect the royal family.
Ian, we need to look into those two yahoos we just met. When we get back, can you send a message back to the court? I’ll send a message to my brother and see what he can find.
Not only could dragons verbally speak while in dragon form, we could also communicate telepathically. Not too many people knew this about us. I knew Princess Mandy was told, and possibly Santa, but I don’t think any other wolves knew.
I agree. I want to keep a closer eye on the princess. I don’t believe those boys would do anything to her, but the way they looked at her has me worried. Maybe we should convey our concern to the prince? Ian responded.
No, I think we should do our due diligence. Should something come up, then I will mention it to him. I don’t want to worry him if there isn’t anything other than a bad feeling. However, I do think we should caution them to keep the princess inside as much as possible, since there will be so many shifters here. The place is going to be crazy. She may not be targeted, but with all the traffic, it could be difficult for her to get around safely.
I didn’t want to have to worry about the princess getting run into by overzealous pups or their moms chasing them around.
Chapter 5
Bella
“So, the dragon in the room, huh?” Beth chortled, and the rest of the cave’s inhabitants joined in helping to cut the tension.
“Alright, let’s get this out in the open. There are going to be a lot of dragons here. Some might show some interest in the female wolves, and they might not. Either way, this summer is about meeting each other and getting over our prejudices. So, why don’t all of us do everything we can to ensure a peaceful Round Up and the games will go on all summer long.” Palo looked at every one of us, including the new wolves from Norway.
Arkin and Brandr shrugged their shoulders and nodded.
“Sure thing, Santa. We were just curious. The dragons were the ones who got all up in our faces,” Arkin added.
Palo nodded and sighed. “Yes, they are very sensitive. Put yourselves in their shoes. They are on new territory and not sure of the relationships here. They know we have had our own troubles with other wolf packs.” He was smart not to call out European wolf packs.
Brandr winced. “Yeah, but I think all the bad apples have been weeded out. I haven’t heard anything negative since you took over, Santa. I think with Lizzie’s choice, you pretty much put an end to anyone having a complaint about the Kringle family hogging the title.”
Lizzie was holding a mostly dressed Christopher in her arms. “Thank you, Brandr. But you should know, it was the Christmas Magic who chose Palo for me. I’m not complaining, mind you. I can’t imagine anyone else loving me like he does, but this wasn’t something we planned. I hope you all understand how it works, the eldest Kringle doesn’t choose. Christmas Magic chooses for us.” Lizzie looked to her mate with dreamy eyes, and continued, “we have a love connection that goes beyond all understanding or explanation.” She winked at her husband and then leaned down to kiss her little boy’s cheek.
My heart fluttered. I did want a family of my own, just not yet. I needed to finish college and explore a little bit. Thankfully, I had 2 nephews and a niece I could shower with love and attention, even if they were a little spoiled.
Arkin looked out the cave and watched as Mandy got onto the back of her husband in his dragon form. Once they had ridden off, he turned and looked at Palo. “Isn’t it dangerous for Mandy to fly right now?”
Palo scratched his chin a moment before answering, “I think Jax would know better than any of us, but I doubt she will be flying or shifting for much longer. They don’t plan on staying here for the entire summer. Once Mandy has to stop shifting, they will be going home and staying put until her little one is born.”
“Are you all invited to the birth?” Brandr asked.
I, for one, had no desire to be there for the big day, but I did want to go visit once she had her baby. Now that I thought about it, no one had said anything about when we could visit them.
“I think just Mandy’s parents are going. The dragons live in a fairly remote area so it’s not that easy to get there. Once they are ready to travel, I know they plan on coming here with the little one so everyone can meet him or her,” Palo answered.
I guessed that made sense, but I would most likely be back at college.
“Do you think they could time it with our Thanksgiving break from college? I would love to see Mandy’s baby.” Even if it was a dragon, it was still her baby and I loved my sister.
Lizzie answered me, “I think they were planning on being here for Christmas, if all goes well. I doubt they will come visit any earlier than that. We will have to make do with pictures until they can all travel again. It’s not as easy to fly with a baby,
from what Mandy said earlier.”
Even though it made sense, I was bummed I wouldn’t be able to see them until Christmas.
“That seems odd,” Arkin said. “I mean no disrespect, but in the wolf community, everyone is invited to see a new pup within just a few days of birth. It’s a community affair to show off a new member.”
Brandr nodded. “Yeah, but they’re dragons. So maybe for them it’s not the same. Maybe they don’t like to share their pups … or I mean baby dragons with everyone?” He shrugged and looked back outside the cave opening.
I started to feel like the dragons didn’t want us to be included in Mandy’s baby’s life. They were supposed to be friendly and claimed to want to create a closer relationship with us, but by keeping us away from Mandy and her newborn, it was just the opposite.
Jingle bells, this sucked. I wished Mandy could have her baby here. That way, everyone would know if she was alright. I could always come back here for a long weekend right after the birth if he or she was born after we went back to school.
“Maybe we can talk Mandy and Jax into staying here until he’s born?” I asked.
“Don’t you mean she’s born?” Beth stated. She and I had a bet as to what the sex of the baby would be.
Dragons rarely gave birth to girls, which was why their population was so low. My twin thought the first baby would be a girl, since Christmas Magic was involved, but I just knew the first born would be a boy. He would be the future king, so why not?
I laughed. “You better get ready to lose that bet. You know the first one will be a boy, and then they will probably have all girls after that if our family history is any indication.”
“Look at Lizzie, she had one boy, then a girl, and then a boy again. I think for Mandy it will be opposite because the dragons need more girls.” Beth smirked.
“Alright, girls, let’s not argue about the sex of the baby before we even know.” Lizzie shook her head. She may have been our big sister, but she had always been more of a mother figure to us, especially after our own mother took off to Africa. Not that I had an issue with my parents leaving. We were raised to know that would happen.
Miss Claus and the Christmas Wedding (A Shifter Christmas Romance Book 3) Page 3