Miss Claus Under The Mistletoe

by J. L. Hendricks

  Chapter 16

  Mandy

  I kept playing Jax’s question over and over in my head on the way home. Did I want him to stay? Or did I want him to go home and never come back?

  I knew the answer to the last question, I wanted to see him again. It was all so confusing. Did I really like Jax? Or was it all just because he came after me? He didn’t exactly rescue me, but he helped me to break out of our cell. Then he fought Alexandru and kept him busy while we waited for my pack to arrive.

  One thing I knew for sure, without him in that prison I would have been carted away before Santa could catch up to me. So, in a way, Jax did save me.

  When we arrived at my house, there were quite a few wolves inside. Rock and Mikey, Jr. were both inside, as well as my parents and the twins. Not to mention Rock and Mikey’s parents were standing by my dad. The place was packed.

  All eyes leveled on me when I walked in.

  “Mandy!” My mom yelled and ran to me. “Are you alright? Your sister told me what happened. Let me look at you.”

  My mom pushed me back a little so she could take in my form and make sure I wasn’t still injured.

  “You’re sister did a great job healing you. How is your wolf? Is she alright?” Dad asked.

  “Yes, she’s just fine. A little miffed she wasn’t able to defeat the dragons on her own. Next time, she’s going to be a bit more prepared. I’ve decided to spend as much time training as possible now that I’m home. One on one I’m still great, but when it comes to fighting against several attackers, I need more work. I also need to know how to defeat a dragon. What are their weaknesses?” I chewed my lip contemplating how best to take down the monsters.

  “I could show you. If you like.” Jax offered.

  I had forgotten he was behind me when I saw the house full of family.

  “Mom, dad. This is Jax, the dragon who helped me.”

  “Jax, these are my parents, Chris and Isabella Kringle.” I motioned between my parents and Jax wondering what they all thought of each other.

  If I mated outside of my pack, my parents would visit, a lot. Especially once I had pups, or hatchlings if my mate was a dragon.

  Part of me knew it was inevitable, mating with a dragon. The other part of me refused to accept it. Ultimately, it was up to me.

  “Where are the twins?” I asked my mom.

  She looked between me and Jax, “We have decided the twins need extra protection. As long as dragons are able to enter our village the girls are somewhere else. I refuse to let them be taken against their will, too.”

  “Smart. I agree.” It would work as long as no one knew where my sisters were located. Too bad I missed them already.

  “Um, I should probably tell you I invited Jax to stay here until Christmas. His father wants us together and I agreed to at least spend time getting to know him better.” Frowning, I wasn’t sure what my pack would think.

  I doubted Santa would kick Jax out. I knew Rock wouldn’t be happy.

  “I think that’s a great idea. We can all get to know him better, dear.” My mother patted my shoulder and smiled as she looked between Jax and me.

  Was she for this union? Or just being nice?

  “Jax, you should stay with us. It will give us time to talk.” My dad, the previous Santa, could be intense. I did not envy Jax.

  Jax’s eyes widened, “Thank you, sir. That’s very generous. I was thinking I would just stay in the cave outside the town limits.”

  I chuckled. “Jax, when my father offers you a place to stay, it’s polite to accept his offer. Besides, I doubt the young pups would appreciate sharing the cave with a dragon. Most the young pack members hang out there in the evenings and on weekends after training.”

  “There is a campout planned for this weekend. No adults allowed.” Lizzie commented.

  “Why no adults?” Jax asked.

  “It’s a chance for our young adults to learn independence and prove they can take care of themselves in a protected environment. I think it might be better if Beth and Bella didn’t go this time.” I suggested.

  I was worried Alexandru, or some of his followers, might get to the twins. No one had informed me yet what happened to all of them. Every time I thought about those dragons, a chill crept up my spine.

  “Jax, what happened to Alexandru and his pack?” I questioned.

  “They have been dealt with. You won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.” I wondered why he wasn’t answering my question.

  “Their punishment was pretty severe. They have been banned from all packs for the next ten years. In effect, they are all on their own now.”

  “What? That isn’t punishment! It’s just giving them what they wanted anyway! They had already pulled away from you guys. How is this punishment? How is this going to keep them from coming after me or my sisters?” I was livid.

  “We aren’t a social species, but we do need the other dragons to survive. They will be forced to find a mountain and caves where none of our clans claim territory. There will be no females for them to mate with, at least within the dragon community. Once their ten years are up, most clans will continue to shun them. It’s almost as bad as jail for a human.” Jax explained.

  “Not cool. When were you going to tell me I was still in danger? That my sisters were?” I knew Alexandru wouldn’t sit back for long. He would come after us again.

  “They won’t come after you. Boltair and the others felt horrible about your injuries. They recognized the only reason you are still alive is because your sister is Mrs. Claus and has the gift of healing. None of them will help Alexandru if he goes after anyone. An alpha isn’t an alpha if he doesn’t have any followers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the group is fighting amongst themselves for supremacy. That alone will keep them all very busy for a long time.” Jax didn’t understand evil.

  Alexandru was evil. The rest of his pack may not have been, but he was. I would have to mate fast. My sisters would need to find mates as soon as they were of age as well. That was the only way to ensure we stayed safe. Well, unless someone did something about Alexandru.

  I couldn’t say anything about my thoughts to Jax. Rock, on the other hand, would undoubtedly be open to my thinking. As soon as Jax left to grab his belonging I would need to speak with Rock.

  Chapter 17

  Mandy

  I waited only about ten minutes after Jax left to see his father before reaching out to Rock.

  “Hey, got a minute? I want to run something past you.” I asked when I found Rock in Santa’s office going through paperwork.

  “Sure, what’s up?” Rock put aside the work and looked up at me with a warm smile.

  “First, how do feel about Jax staying here and spending time with me?” I wasn’t sure what was going through Rock’s head. We hadn’t really discussed his proposal since I returned.

  “I’m not sure. So much has happened since I proposed to you. What do you want? I will be more than happy to mate with you if you want me.” The hesitant look in Rock’s face told me all I needed to know about his feelings for me.

  “Rock, we are barely friends. Yes, we’ve grown up together, but you always ignored me as a kid. I’ve hardly been home the past four years and we have both grown, a lot. I know you are still trying to get over Chrissie.” I took his hands in mine.

  “It will take time, but your heart will heal. When it does, you don’t want to be saddled with me as your mate. You will want a chance to find someone you can love. Not be forced to mate with me only to protect me.” I pursed my lips and sighed.

  “I do love you for wanting to protect me, but it isn’t the type of love a female has for a male. It’s more like the love of a sister. Besides, someone has to mate with a dragon. They can’t wait for the twins to grow up. They need someone now. The situation is pretty dire. Their magic is waning, fast.”

  “How do you know their magic is fading? Did Jax tell you this?” Rock asked w
arily.

  “Yes, and I believe him. He didn’t have to save me from Alexandru. If all he cared about was someone mating with me then he would have left me there to rot with my captors. He risked a lot to rescue me.” Trusting Jax was something even my wolf was ready to do.

  Anything more than trust? My wolf scoffed. She wanted an arctic wolf. Not necessarily Rock, but one of our kind. It was instinctual, like breathing. The human part of me just wanted to be in love, didn’t matter what the species was.

  “So, back to my original question. What do you think about Jax staying here through Christmas?”

  “What do you mean? Am I jealous?” He asked.

  “No. What I want to know is do you think he’ll be safe here? And do you think I’ll be safe? Or the twins? I don’t trust Alexandru to stay away. Could we use Jax to protect the girls, or me?” I’d be lying if I didn’t think there was a possibility the guys in my pack would give Jax a hard time. The enforcers, especially, are going to have an issue with any dragon for a while.

  “I think his status as a prince among his kind will help him. Combined with the fact he did save you, even though you were injured. Who know what would have happened if he wasn’t with you. We may not have caught up to you, or you might not have survived a battle. I think the pack will give him space and the benefit of the doubt.” Rock had a better finger on the pulse of the enforcers, since he led them.

  “Thanks, that’s helpful.”

  “I also think we should take advantage of his presence and train with him. If he can show us how best to fight with dragons, then he will earn the respect of the pack.” Rock would give him a chance, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  “Thanks, Rock. I was hoping Jax would train with me as well. I need to be able to defend myself against dragons.”

  “I also wanted to ask you for a training schedule. I have to help Lizzie, but I also need to train.”

  The wicked grin on Rock told me he was going to enjoy training me.

  “Of course. Let’s start tomorrow morning, five am. Don’t be late, or you’ll be doing laps as a human all morning.” He laughed before walking off to see what the wonderful scent wafting in from the kitchen was.

  Ugh, what have I gotten myself into?

  ◊◊◊

  Then next morning when my alarm blared into my ears at four thirty I was wondering what I had agreed to. Rock was a sadist! He loved to make the trainees suffer. He said it put hair on their chest.

  After I dressed for a major work out I ran through the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle along with a protein bar. No big breakfasts on work out days. It would make me sick. I had no desire to puke my guts out in front of everyone after being away for so long.

  I felt as though I was going to have to prove myself all over again. Almost like I was a young pup moving up to the teen’s training group. Had I not gone away to college I would probably be assisting Rock with trainings by now, instead of feeling like I was in over my head.

  At one time I was really good with martial arts and battling against multiple aggressors. Although, we had never trained to fight dragons. Having Jax work with us was going to be new for everyone, not just me.

  I sucked in a breath and held my head high as I sauntered into the training arena. It was an outdoor venue with stadium lights bright enough to make it seem like the middle of the day. They were on in full force.

  This was the place we trained in large groups but also where we held the annual Reindeer Games. It wasn’t where reindeer competed, but Santa’s best wolves vied for the coveted role of “Rudolph.” We didn’t have a red nosed reindeer, they don’t exist. But the wolf who won this spot earned his, or her, place as Santa’s right hand for the season.

  I was five minutes early but it looked more like I was late. There had to be at least thirty wolves in human form already stretching and getting ready for the day.

  When I saw Darla, I headed her way. Growing up we had hung out a lot. She was the same age as me, but she was shorter by at least four inches. Her blonde hair was practically white and she always had a nice thing to say to anyone. Her eyes were a blue as deep as the ocean on a stormy day. In short, my human girlfriends would have loved and hated her.

  “Hey there! I thought you were in Northern Europe dating the enforcer. What brings you home?” Last I heard she was practically mated to a future leader of one of our friendly packs.

  “I came home a couple of weeks ago. We broke it off.” She twisted her mouth and huffed out a breath of cold air.

  “What happened?”

  “He told me I was expected to stay home and produce pups for the first ten years of our union.” Darla’s eyes narrowed as she stared off into the distance.

  “So he basically pulled a knuckle dragger move. I’m glad you came home. I’m surprised he waited so long to tell you this.” I knew they had been together for over three months, most couples mate within two months. She must have had some reservations for a while.

  “Yeah, well. Enough of that dingle berry. What’s this I hear of a sexy dragon who wants you? Is he really a prince?” Darla winked at me.

  “Yeah, you probably know more about him than I do. We’ll have to meet up later so you can give me the latest gossip. Have you met him?” I asked as I viewed Jax walking in with Rock.

  “This can’t be good.” I mumbled when I saw the guys laughing together.

  I didn’t expect Rock to hate Jax, but I didn’t think they’d become friends so fast.

  “Hmm, looks like Jax is fitting in already. How long before you bite the bullet and take that hunk off the market? You do know all of the single females have been throwing themselves at Jax since he first showed up. While you were a captive of the other dragons.” Darla at least had enough sense to curl her lip and growl when mentioning Alexandru and his pack.

  “No, I didn’t know that. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. He is good-looking.” I watched out of the corner of my eye as Rock, Jax, and Mickey Jr. prepared for our lesson this morning.

  Something in my chest tightened as I decided I didn’t like the other females trying to grab Jax’s attention.

  I watched with shock as several teens walked up to Jax giggling and chatting with him. One went so far as to run her fingers down his toned arm.

  “Does this mean you are interested in him?” Darla asked as we walked closer to the demonstration the guys were preparing.

  “Hm? Me? I don’t know. Why?” I couldn’t take my eyes off Jax and the girls surrounding him.

  He smiled at them all and laughed when one girl whispered something in his ear. His silver-blue eyes twinkled and my gut wrenched.

  When Jax noticed me he raised a hand and extricated himself from the girls to run toward me.

  “Mandy. Good morning.” Jax leaned in and kissed my cheek. He’d never so much as hugged me.

  Where was this coming from?

  My cheeks warmed and my stomach did a somersault. He smelled so good. His scent was a mix of a fire, brambleberry pie, and musk. Every time I saw him his natural scent seemed to change. Unless he wore cologne, which would be weird.

  “Good morning. Looks like you’ve already started to make friends.” I nodded to the girls watching us.

  Jax leaned in, “Help. I don’t know how to handle all of this attention. Would you mind if I stick close to you today?”

  Did I mind? Of course not!

  My heart fluttered at the thought of spending more time with him.

  “What? Are you afraid of a few girls?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  The look on his face when his back was to the girls was one of horror. Maybe he really didn’t know how to handle the attention of females. I thought it was odd since he was a very handsome prince. He had to get this type of attention wherever he went.

  “A few I can handle, all of the single females in town, and their mothers? No. Please don’t make me suffer through it.” He pleaded with me.

  “Alright, you can hang out with me and Da
rla. Jax, have you met my friend Darla?”

  “Yes, we met last night when I was walking back to your parent’s house. Along with your mother.” Jax swallowed and looked back to me.

  I giggled thinking about Darla attacking him out in the open. She was a bit aggressive when it came to the male species.

  “Darla, play nice. He’s my guest, keep that in mind. Maybe even spread it around town?” I raised my brows when I looked at her.

  Darla stared at Jax like he was her prey. She even licked her lips.

  “Darla!” I smacked her shoulder and pulled Jax back to where Rock watched, bent over laughing.

  “I take it you told Rock about your issue?” I nodded to our Beta.

  “Yes, he came to get me this morning and I asked him about your females. We don’t have many in our clans so this amount of attention and their aggressive behavior is all new to me.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure as soon as you shift to your dragon form the girls will not be quite as interested.” I smiled wickedly knowing it would be the opposite.

  Our females valued strength. Nothing was stronger than a dragon. Jax was in for a wild and crazy day.

  “Alright, everyone give me your attention. As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, we have a special guest. Jax is going to be here through Christmas. He’s graciously agreed to train with us and help us learn how to defend against a dragon attack. Jax, come on up here.” Rock motioned for Jax to join him.

  Jax looked to me and I nodded an encouragement. He joined Rock at the front.

  “I need a volunteer. Who wants to be the dragon’s prey?” Rock called out.

  He was purposely trying to rile Jax. I knew this was going to be a crazy day. All of the female’s hands rose high in the air, except for mine. I wanted to see what Rock did.

  “Mandy! Perfect. Why don’t you come join us?” Jax called out in a clear and powerful deep voice.

  I was supposed to be helping the girls rattle his cage, but he was already rattling mine. I felt his voice rumble up through my stomach and had to take a breath to refocus.