I thought about it and realized she was right. The alpha types were going to go out of their way to get our attention. This might be a fun night after all. Especially when I factored in the beefy guards and how serious they were taking their duty. It might be fun to see a few wolves trying to get to us. I knew they wouldn’t hurt us, but they would get pushy if they really wanted to talk to one of us. It could be a way to get away from this group of uptight Enforcers.
“Hmm, you might be right. Care to take a bet on how many will end up in jail tonight?” I giggled. If any of them were detained, it would only be for a few hours, at least until Beth and I were safely back home. Then the Enforcers would let them go with a warning to not get so close to us again. Which would only make them want us more.
I thought some more about it and realized it really could be a good thing for us. Having a bunch of males fighting over us would keep anyone from getting too close and trying to lay claim to one of us. If they became too aggressive, they would be ejected from the Round Up, again keeping anyone from trying to get close enough to lay claim or make one of us their mate.
“I don’t think any will get into trouble tonight, but by the end of the week, I bet there will be at least a dozen wolves put in time out.” Beth winked at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
My twin always knew how to make things light and fun. While I saw these brutes surrounding us as jailers, she saw them as our wingmen. I wondered what would happen if Beth or I started to flirt with the Enforcers. I bet Rock would have a fit. It just might be worth it to get him back for sending so many babysitters with us tonight.
“Oh, jingle bells! Is that a bacon-wrapped piece of caribou on a stick?” Mark yelled and pointed to a booth that had a line a mile long. Well, maybe not a mile, but it was seriously long.
I almost jumped in anticipation. It was exactly what I wanted. “Why don’t you wait in that line, Mark, and Beth and I will go get those elephant ears you guys were talking about. We’ll come back to your booth and we can eat desert while waiting in line for the main course.” Two booths down was the sugar concoction booth so I thought my idea was pretty good, since that line was really small.
“I’ll stay here with Mark, the rest of you guys go with twins,” Mikey, Jr. ordered.
Ugh, couldn’t we even be just a few paces away from them? Maybe I could find another line for those guys to get into. It’s going to be difficult to flirt with guys with the Enforcers breathing down our necks. Beth was right. These guys were going to smother us. We have to give the new wolves a fighting chance to catch our attention.
Sure, I wanted to talk to some new guys, but it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. I wanted to meet all the new wolves, male and female. But, I knew how Beth felt. If there happened to be a cute one, I didn’t need Big Brother to be watching or sneering.
Maybe we can find a different meat booth for them? I wonder if they have those cute meat pies here. Remember the when we had a huge gathering for Lizzie’s wedding? There were a few different booths here, but one was a meat pie. The guys seemed to like it if I remember correctly, I sent back through our bond.
Of course! Look to your right, two o’clock. It’s not far at all. If we can get at least two of them to leave, it might be easier. Beth didn’t point. She just nodded toward the place she saw.
I knew what to do.
“Ash, have you tried to those meat pies?” I pointed to the booth and looked like I was truly curious. He wouldn’t know about us eating them before. He had married into our pack recently, which made me remember that I still hadn’t met his mate yet. I wondered if she was also in Seattle watching over us.
His head swiveled in the direction I was pointing, and he shook his head. “I don’t think I have seen so many foods on a stick before.” He turned his head the other way and asked, “Was that a deep-fried Twinkie on a stick they had back there?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, and trust me when I say it’s gross.”
Beth joined in, and soon all the guys with us had screwed up faces while thinking about the sponge cake full of grease they tried before. I knew the only time I tried it was at Lizzie’s wedding. The party that year lasted a couple of weeks with wolves from all over the globe attending the wedding and then staying to socialize. It was a great year for matings as well.
While we waited in line, there were a few cute wolves who said hi, but none got too close. Even with two Enforcers watching over us, the new guys weren’t too keen on getting close. Maybe Beth had been wrong about this being a good game for the guys. I was hoping for a cat and mouse type of thing, but it just seemed more like the human boys back at college, all looks and no action.
We needed a lot of wolves to pay attention to us or none. Otherwise, there would be a chance some of them might try to get permission to mate with us. Lizzie said she wanted us to finish college, and she had better keep to that.
Once we all had our food and were heading back to our seats to eat, I finally noticed a guy worth paying attention to. He had light blonde hair, light blue eyes that were almost like ice, and perfect white teeth. I envisioned going running with his wolf and pictured a flawless wolf. Something inside of me began to swirl. I heard jingle bells in the distance, and my face heated up. Was this my mate? I had heard when you meet him you just know. Something inside of you heats up and when you kiss fireworks go off.
Wait, what was I thinking? I couldn’t even try to kiss this guy. I wanted to finish college. Then spend at least a year working at a resort somewhere in the mountains. Fate was cruel if she brought me my mate now.
“Did you hear the bells? We better hurry and get seated before they begin,” Beth said as she took my free hand to pull me faster.
“Wait, you heard the bells? They were real?” Maybe I didn’t just see my mate. Which meant I could meet him and not have to worry, but something was pulling me toward him.
I tried to catch his attention, but he wasn’t looking my way.
“Hang on, I see someone,” I said as I pulled away and walked toward the cute guy.
Before I could reach him, he turned his head and his eyes looked right into mine. I stopped right in front of him and smiled. I could feel the presence of at least two Enforcers behind me, but I didn’t care - as long as they kept quiet.
I put my free hand out and introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Bella.”
He took my hand but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and kissed the back. “Nice to meet you, Bella. I’m Clay.”
My stomach flipped, and I knew I had to get to know this guy better. “Are you here with your pack?” Stupid question. Of course, he is.
“I just arrived and was looking for them. I don’t see anyone yet,” he answered.
“Would you like to sit with us? We have plenty of room in our box. Maybe from there you can get a better look and see where your pack is sitting, so you can meet up with them after the performance.” I sounded like a love-sick puppy, and I literally just met the guy. What was wrong with me?
“Thank you. I’d love to join you. How did you score a box down in the front? Do you know Santa or something?” He was so cute. He didn’t even know who I was. Even better.
“Or something.” I decided to play coy and see how it went. I couldn’t hide my last name from him for long.
Once we were both seated, I asked, “What pack are you from?” I was hoping to keep the conversation on him for a while. It was nice to not be known for my family. I wanted to get to know him better before he figured it out.
“I’m from a small pack in Sweden. This is actually the first time I’ve left the region.”
“Really?” I sat up straighter, thinking about all he’d missed out on. “You’ve never been to Santa’s Village before? Or even to another country?”
“I’ve been to Finland and Lapland, but that’s it. We pretty much stick to ourselves because we are so small. My grandfather started the pack a long time ago, and we just mated with those inside of our pack.
We took in a few singles who didn’t want to make the trek here for safety reasons and that was how we grew. It’s still a small pack, but my father, who’s the alpha now, thought we should come here and meet more packs. I think he wants my older brother to find a mate from a strong alpha line.” Clay chuckled and shook his head.
“What’s so funny about that? Most packs are here just for that very reason. Even larger packs need a new influx of blood every couple of generations.” I smiled and nodded my head. “I think your father was smart to come here. What about you? Are you looking for a mate this summer?”
What was I thinking, asking him that? I did not want him to think I wanted a mate.
Clay’s eyes sparkled when he looked at me, and my stomach dropped. Suddenly, I no longer wanted food. My stomach was doing summersaults when I looked at the wolf, and I doubted I could eat.
“If the right female comes along, then I wouldn’t be opposed to it. But, I’m here to meet new people and have some fun.” He leaned in closer, and I held my breath.
Surely, he wouldn’t try to kiss me here, in front of everyone. Would he?
His lips brushed against my ear, and I shivered.
“I’m also here on a secret mission. It’s my duty to win as many medals as possible for my alpha.” His warm lips pulled back, and I let lose the breath I was holding.
I looked at him, and he was chuckling. I could feel my cheeks warming and knew he was flirting with me. Looking down I began to chuckle as well.
When I looked back up, he was still staring at me and I knew I was in trouble. Bells may not have chimed when we met, but I knew if this boy ever kissed me, I would be seeing fireworks.
I had to shake that thought from my head. I wasn’t here to find a mate. I was here to have fun, for Christmas sake!
Before I could make an even bigger fool of myself, the speaker sounded, and I knew an introduction to the performance was beginning. I turned in my seat to watch as Santa came up on stage.
I felt Clay stiffen next to me and wondered what had bothered him. I was about to ask when Palo began his opening remarks.
Once the dancing troupe was finished and everyone was standing, I turned to Clay and asked, “How did you like the performance? The Lapland pack sure does know how to dance, don’t they?”
He smiled and took my hand. “It was wonderful. What do you say you show me around tonight? Help me to get my bearings?”
“What about your pack? Don’t you need to check in with them?” I did want to show him around, but it wouldn’t be just the two of us, it would be me and an entourage, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to know it yet.
He looked up into the stands, and I turned to look as well. I realized he wasn’t going to be able to find anyone in this throng of wolves and dragons. Maybe if he was a dragon, he would have been able to shift and fly above it all, but he was an Arctic Wolf Shifter. I could tell by his scent. He had the usual scent of snow and pine mixed with something all him. It was a musk of some sort, and it made my head spin.
I watched Clay as he scanned the crowd, but he didn’t seem to recognize anyone.
“My pack is small, so I think I’ll just meet up with them back at the cabin later on.” He turned his eyes back on me. “Would you care to take a run with me? I heard there’s a really great place called Jingle Bell Forest. I was told it was a place I had to see to believe.”
“Sure, but my pack won’t let me run with someone they don’t know. So, we will have an entourage.” I motioned to the Enforcers who were standing behind me and glaring at Clay.
I took a second look and realized they were really trying to intimidate the guy. I swiped at Mark’s shoulder. “Stop that. Clay’s nice. You better be on your best behavior, or I’m telling my brother.” I raised an eye at him and hoped he understood what I was saying.
Mark smirked and responded, “Which one? Santa or Jax?”
I stiffened when I heard Clay’s intake of breath behind me. Slowly, I turned around and gulped when I noticed his look of surprise.
“You’re the twins? Santa’s little sisters?” Clay took a step back but had to stop when he bumped up against someone trying to get around our group.
“Yeah.” I twisted my lips and realized I should have been upfront about who I was.
“Isabel and Bethany. Not Bella and Beth,” he said in a monotone voice.
“We go by Bella and Beth. No one calls us by our full names. Is it a problem?” I hoped he wouldn’t be too intimidated.
“Ah, I guess not. Forgive me. I didn’t realize who you were. Now it all makes sense. The big guards around you and your sister and the best box seats in the house. I should have known.” He looked down and shook his head.
“Do you still want to go for that run?” My voice was so low I wasn’t sure he heard me over the din of the crowd.
“Um, maybe later? I should probably get back to my pack. I’m guessing they are going to wonder if I got lost.” The smile on Clay’s face was nice, but it wasn’t as big as it was earlier. “Maybe I can call on you tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’d like that. Just don’t forget, tomorrow afternoon is when the games begin. Did you want to join us for the first game?” I was actually interested in watching the sled races begin. I hoped he was, too.
“Oh, right. My family has entered that race. I’m not participating, but I do need to be there to watch it start and finish.” He looked like he was thinking for a minute before he spoke again. “Yes, if you have room, I would love to join you for the opening race.”
“Perfect. Do you want to meet up with us at the house or here?” I really hoped he would come pick me up at my house, even though it wasn’t really a date.
“How about I meet you here? I’ll probably be helping my pack get the dogs ready and all.” He shrugged.
“Alright, I’ll see you at our booth at the starting line. You won’t be able to miss it. Best seats in the house and all.” I tried to sound light and carefree, but I had a feeling my hesitation made me sound more nervous than anything at all.
“Great, see you then.” Clay smiled and filed into the crowd.
I stood there watching his retreating form and wondered if he really would show up. He had to be intimidated by who my family was. Plus, having at least six huge Enforcers glaring down at you while you spoke to Santa’s little sister, even if it was by marriage, had to be tough.
I turned and glared at the guys waiting for me. “You had better not pull that mean garbage again.” I pointed at each of them. “If you aren’t careful, you’re going to end up on Santa’s Naughty List.”
“We were doing what Santa told us, making sure you’re safe. That will keep us on his Good List.” Mikey, Jr. folded his arms across his chest. “Besides, you have no idea who that guy is. We have to check him out before you can go out with him tomorrow.”
I threw my hands in the air and shook my head. “I’m never going to have a social life with you guys being so overbearing. Just lighten up, will ya? He’s a nice guy. I have a good feeling about him.”
“Like you did with Arkin?” Mark asked.
“Ugh, I never said I had a good feeling about him. Beth had a bad feeling about them both.” I looked to my sister. “Beth, do you get a bad feeling about Clay?”
My sister looked to the guys around us before speaking. “I don’t get any feeling about the guy. I think I might need to touch him or at least talk to him before I can get a feeling about him.”
“There, see? Even Beth doesn’t have a bad feeling about the guy.” I stomped away, and everyone followed me.
On the way home, I thought about Clay and how I was going to be able to see him again. If we had two guards, he might be alright with it, but there was no way I was going to allow any more than two to accompany us if we did get to go for a run together tomorrow.
My family was really cramping my style.
Chapter 15
Salvador
I was flying over the dog sled course, checking to make sure ther
e weren’t any surprises. One of the teams competing was dragon. While I had no desire to use a dog sled since dragons didn’t need it, some of my kind thought it might be fun to compete.
Nothing seemed amiss, so I made my way back to the starting area and shifted back to human form off to the side, in a copse of trees, so as not to startle anyone. I knew the wolves were used to seeing the naked form, but I doubted they cared to watch a dragon shift.
I walked out to see a few dragons mixing it up with a few wolves.
Doren, who wasn’t known for his tact, was antagonizing a few wolves who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen. Doren and his three friends were way too old, at twenty-three, to be messing with teens.
“I don’t understand why you use dogs. You are all wolves. Why not just hook up your buddy to the harness and mush?” The stupid dragon and his buddies laughed at the poor teens whose faces were turning red.
Before I could step in and stop Doren, the lead wolf popped the insolent dragon in the nose. Doren’s hand reached up to his nose, and I noticed blood seeping through his fingers. The wolf had a nice right hook.
I stepped in as the rest of the boys standing around started to merge into one big fight. “Alright, enough.” I pushed Doren’s buddies back and looked back to the wolves. “You might want to walk away. You made your point.”
The wolf who hit Doren sneered at me and said, “If you can’t keep your monsters in line, maybe you should cage them.” Then he turned and stalked away with his friends in tow.
“Are you going to let him get away with hitting me and talking to you like that?” Doren’s voice was nasally. His nose was most likely broken.
“This time, yes. You know better than to start something. If the Enforcers had found all of you fighting, every one of you would have been kicked out for the summer, and the games haven’t even started yet. Do you really want to fly home in shame so soon?” I narrowed my eyes on each man in the group.
Miss Claus and the Christmas Wedding (A Shifter Christmas Romance Book 3) Page 9