by Karen Lynch
Outside, the ground and trees were coated in a thick layer of snow, while fat snowflakes drifted down. Sara had hoped for a white Christmas, and she was getting her wish, plus some.
Two large black shapes bounded past the house, sending up a spray of powdered snow as they raced around like excited puppies. Hugo and Woolf stopped and stared at the road for a few seconds before they began braying loud enough for the people in Butler Falls to hear them.
Turning from the window, Sara ran to the closet by the front door and grabbed her coat and boots. I chuckled when she nearly tipped over in her haste to tug on the boots. She flashed me a wide smile, and was out the door before she’d even pulled her coat on.
I followed her along the well-beaten path by the water to the clearing near the mouth of the road. Across the lake, the door to Chris and Beth’s cabin opened and Beth stepped out, waving, before she started toward us.
As soon as Hugo and Woolf saw us, they ran circles around us. Laughing, Sara told them to go patrol and they took off around the lake. Hellhounds were bred to guard and protect, and they needed work to keep them occupied. Sara had taught them to guard the lake, and they loved going on patrol. They’d stay out there until she called them in.
When we heard the crunch of tires on gravel, Sara almost began jumping up and down in her excitement. As much as I loved having her to myself, I would never deny her this happiness. She was still coming to terms with the knowledge that she would outlive Nate and her friends, and she wanted to make every moment with them count. I wanted that for her, too.
A black SUV came into view and stopped at the clearing. Chris got out, along with Roland and Emma.
“You made it!” Sara squealed as she ran to them and practically jumped into Roland’s arms. Laughing, he hugged her back before setting her on her feet again so she could tackle Emma.
I’d seen Emma a few times since she and Roland mated, but it still amazed me how far she had come from the pale, terrified girl we’d brought home to Westhorne two years ago. In the beginning, I’d had my doubts she would recover fully from the horrors she’d suffered. But no one seeing her now would ever suspect she had such a dark past. Her face glowed with happiness as she and Sara embraced like they hadn’t seen each other in years.
Roland turned to me with a smile. “Thanks for sending the plane. You’re going to spoil us for normal travel.”
“We figured if you were coming all this way to spend Christmas with us, it was the least we could do.”
“It’s a good thing we left when we did,” Emma said. “We heard Portland is snowed in.”
“I was worried the weather would be bad in Boise, too.” Sara linked her arm through Emma’s. “I’m so glad you guys are here. I wish Peter and Shannon could have come.”
“They really wanted to.” Roland grinned at her. “You should see Pete. He’s already a basket case and they still have a month to go.”
Sara shook her head in wonder. “I still can’t believe Peter is going to be a dad. It feels like just yesterday the three of us were having sleepovers. Now look at us.”
“Now we’re just a bunch of boring old mated couples,” Chris joked.
Beth poked him in the side. “You better not be calling me boring, mister.”
He smirked at her. “Never, Dove. Especially not after this morning when you –”
She gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth. He responded by pulling her into his arms and kissing her as if they were alone.
“And that’s our cue to leave,” Sara announced. “Don’t mind those two. They’ll come up for air eventually.”
Roland laughed and went to the back of the SUV to grab their bags. I took one from him and we called goodbye to Chris and Beth as we set off toward our place.
“Damn, Nikolas.”
Roland let out a whistle as he stared at our two-story log cabin, with its massive stone chimney and tiered deck that led down to a dock on the lake. Another smaller deck on the second floor was connected to the master suite so we could enjoy the lake without leaving our bedroom.
“Wait’ll you see inside,” Sara called over her shoulder as she and Emma walked ahead of us. “I don’t know how I’m going to leave here when it’s time to go to the next job.”
“We can stay here as long as you want,” I reminded her.
After successfully establishing command centers in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, we were due for a vacation. I liked the work and I didn’t mind the travel, but Sara missed home and her pets when we were away for long stretches. I had to admit, I liked having a place to ourselves for a while.
The four of us entered the cabin, and Emma made an appreciative sound as she looked up at the high ceiling and exposed beams. Her gaze swept the wide-open space to the large kitchen that was a blend of rustic charm and modern appliances.
“This place is beautiful!”
Sara smiled widely at her. “Thanks. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
She took Emma on a tour of the place, and I showed Roland to the guest room on the first floor. We left their bags in the room and returned to the kitchen, where he went straight for the cookies.
“No burnt bottoms. She’s getting better,” he said before he popped one in his mouth.
“I heard that,” Sara called from the stairs.
Roland snickered and stole another cookie.
The girls returned and the four of us settled in the living room to catch up. Sara talked to them at least once a week, but they never ran out of things to talk about. She liked hearing about the pack and life back in New Hastings, and she told them stories about New York and Miami. I noticed she avoided any mention of vampires out of concern for Emma’s feelings. No matter what my mate did, she was always thinking of others.
Emma smiled at us. “I can’t believe we’re here. I just love everything about this place.”
Sara leaned her head on my shoulder. “I’m glad you like it. And I hope that means I won’t have to twist your arm to get you to visit again.”
“Are you kidding? You’ll be lucky to get me to leave.”
“Stay as long as you want,” Sara said around a yawn. She let out a small laugh. “Sorry. I was up a bit too late last night wrapping presents.”
I laid an arm across her shoulders. “She’s been running around all week. And now she’s going to do nothing but relax and have fun.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Roland agreed.
The distant braying of the hellhounds heralded the arrival of a new visitor. A minute later, I heard the thump of boots on the porch, and I went to get the door. I smiled when I saw the blonde warrior, her hair covered in snow and her arms full of presents.
Jordan grinned and shoved the presents at me. “Merry Christmas!”
Twin squeals came from behind me, and I moved aside as Sara and Emma rushed past me.
“When did you get home?” Sara asked. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come.”
“Got in about an hour ago. I have to tell you it’s weird being back in my old room.”
I carried the presents to the living room and laid them under the tree. Everyone said their hellos and I decided to leave the girls to their reunion.
“Drink?” I asked Roland.
“Yeah.”
The two of us headed to the kitchen, where I handed him a beer and poured a glass of Macallan for me. Before I’d taken a sip of my drink, the door opened again and Beth burst in, followed by Chris. She hurried to the living room to join Sara and the others.
Chris poured himself a drink and raised his glass to me. “To surviving our first Christmas at the lake.”
“Surviving?”
He swung his free hand toward the living room. “You forget the last time Beth, Sara, and Jordan partied together?”
Roland laughed. “We’re in the woods, in a snowstorm, miles from the nearest town. What trouble could they get into here?”
“You had to ask that.” I picked up the bottle of Scotch and topped off m
y and Chris’s glasses. “To our survival.”
* * *
“I don’t think she’s ever looked this content,” Nate said to me a few hours later as he carved the prime rib that had been done to perfection by the Westhorne cooks.
I followed his gaze to Sara, who was placing serving bowls on the dining room table. She radiated happiness, and she was humming softly as she moved the centerpiece to make way for the food. Every now and then, her eyes would lift to take in the friends and family gathered in the living room, and a new smile would curve her mouth.
My eyes found Tristan, standing by the window talking quietly to Madeline, who looked unsure of herself for the first time. I don’t know who was more surprised when Sara had invited her mother to Christmas Eve dinner, and I hadn’t expected Madeline to accept. They’d talked a few times since they were reunited, and Sara had forgiven Madeline for the things in their past, but they weren’t close. Sara’s invitation told me she was ready to take the first step in building a new relationship with her mother. Madeline being here said she wanted that, too.
“I think you’re right,” I said, helping Nate arrange slices of meat on the serving platter he’d given us as a housewarming gift. The dish had been passed down from Sara’s great-grandmother, and Sara had cried when Nate said her father would have given it to her when she married.
I carried the platter of meat to the table and placed it where Sara told me to. I couldn’t resist giving her a quick kiss on the lips before I called to our guests.
“Dinner is served.”
Roland jumped up from the couch. “Thank God, I’m –”
A loud crash came from behind me, and the cabin shook. I spun to see something come through the kitchen window, sending glass everywhere.
My body tensed for a fight, and it took me several seconds to realize we weren’t under attack. I stared at the top of the pine tree now poking through the window above the sink.
“Don’t worry. We’ll have that patched up in no time,” I said, turning to Sara, only to find she was no longer beside me.
I scanned the room, but she was nowhere in sight. Where could she have gone that fast?
“Sara,” I called.
Nothing.
I walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Sara?”
Still nothing.
That was when it hit me.
I couldn’t feel her.
I sped to the door and opened it. On the porch lay Hugo and Woolf, and they lifted their heads when I ran outside. Seeing them there only intensified my alarm. They would never let Sara leave without following her. I looked at the clean snow beyond the porch. No one had walked there in at least an hour.
“Nikolas, what’s wrong?” Tristan said from behind me.
I stared at him as an icy knot of dread formed in my gut. “Sara’s gone.”
“What do you mean? She was just here.” He spun and looked at the room. “She has to be here.”
“I can’t feel her.”
Jumping off the porch, I circled the cabin, calling Sara’s name. Farther away, I could hear the others spreading out, calling for her, too.
Hugo and Woolf followed me and the more worried I got, the louder they whined. They knew something was wrong.
I looked at the two hellhounds. “Find Sara.”
Instantly, they transformed from tame pets to deadly beasts out to protect their master. Growls issued from their snarling mouths as they plunged into the trees. I followed them, hoping they’d pick up her scent, but after ten minutes, I split off to search on my own. I could cover ground a lot faster without them.
As I circled the lake, I had the most awful feeling of déjà vu, and I couldn’t help but remember the last time I’d searched the woods for Sara in a snowstorm.
No. This is not the same.
This whole valley was protected by Fae wards, and there was no way a vampire could get past them. It just wasn’t possible. And no one had entered the house and taken her. She’d left on her own. But why? And where was she?
Solmi, growled my agitated Mori as I reached the front of the lake with no sign of Sara.
Tristan and Chris intercepted me by the vehicles.
“Nothing?” Tristan asked, his brow creased with worry.
“No.”
“Beth and Jordan ran to the stronghold, and Roland and Madeline are searching the woods,” Chris said. “She can’t have gone far.”
My mouth suddenly went dry. “Not unless she…transported.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I was right. There was no other explanation for her disappearance. My stomach twisted. She could be anywhere in the world.
Chris and Tristan stared at me.
“You think she transported?” Chris asked. “But why?”
I dragged a hand through my wet hair. “I don’t know. Eldeorin had said her jumps are most likely triggered by emotions. I just don’t know what could have made her jump this time.”
“Maybe the crash frightened her,” Tristan suggested, and I could tell by his expression he didn’t even believe that. It took a lot more than loud noise to scare Sara.
I heard running feet and turned to see Nate coming toward us, his face a mask of worry.
“You haven’t found her?”
Before I could answer, every window in our cabin lit with a brilliant white flash. My Mori began to flutter wildly.
Sara.
I ran to the cabin and burst through the door, skidding to a stop at the sight of Sara standing in the kitchen, shivering and wet from head to toe. She looked at me with eyes that mirrored my own relief.
“Nikolas,” she said between chattering teeth.
I went to her and pulled her into my arms, feeling the cold seeping from her body. “God, Sara. You scared the hell out of me.”
“M-me too,” she stammered.
Picking her up, I looked at Chris and Tristan, who had followed me. “I’m taking her upstairs. Let everyone know she’s back.”
Without waiting for a reply, I carried Sara to our bathroom where I started the shower and quickly stripped off her wet clothes. She didn’t say much as I placed her under the hot spray and then toweled her off a few minutes later. There would be time to ask her what happened once she was warm and dry.
In our room, I helped her into dry clothes, but she insisted on drying her hair herself. When she was done, we lay together in the middle of our big bed, propped up on pillows. I pulled a warm throw over her, and she settled against me with a weary sigh.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” she said quietly.
I rubbed her arm. “What happened? Where did you go?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I know I jumped, but I didn’t mean to. I have no idea where I went. There was just woods and snow.” She shivered. “I couldn’t feel you and that scared me more than anything else.”
I hugged her tighter, not wanting her to see how much her words worried me. Was something happening to her power again to make her lose control of it this way?
“I knew walking around in the dark wouldn’t help, so I kept trying to jump back here. And then suddenly I was home.”
“Do you know what made you do it?” I asked as I ran my hand through her soft hair. “Was it the crash?”
“I don’t think so, but it happened so fast.”
I stared at the snow swirling outside the window, trying not to think of what could have happened if she hadn’t been able to bring herself back here. Even more frightening was the possibility of it happening again. It was enough for me to say the words I never thought I’d utter.
“I think you should call for Eldeorin.”
Sara leaned away to look up at me with wide eyes. “You’re serious?”
“You jumped to the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm, for no good reason. He’s the best one to explain it, and to know how to stop it from happening again.”
“I know, but you can’t stand Eldeorin.”
I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “I love you a lo
t more than I dislike him.”
She smiled and raised her face for a kiss. I happily obliged her.
“I love you, too,” she murmured against my lips.
Pulling away from me, she closed her eyes. I watched her eyelids flicker as she concentrated on reaching out to Eldeorin in the way he’d taught her. I didn’t like her having any connection to the faerie, but in this moment, I was grateful. If anyone could help her, he could.
She opened her eyes and rested her head against my shoulder again. “He’ll be here soon.”
We lay there quietly, listening to the muted sounds from the rest of the house. Tristan and Chris would have already removed the tree by now and covered the window. Knowing Nate, he’d have all the food wrapped and waiting for us to come downstairs. Sara had wanted tonight to be perfect, and I’d do my best to ensure she got her Christmas dinner after we talked to Eldeorin.
As if thinking about the faerie had summoned him, he suddenly appeared in the middle of our bedroom. He looked at the two of us on the bed and smirked.
“Well now. This is different. I’m down for a threesome, but you are the last pair I’d expected to –”
“Eldeorin!”
Sara sat up, scowling at the faerie. His grin faded and he took a step toward the bed.
“You are unwell.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Do I look that bad?”
“No, I can feel it.” He held out a hand. “I’m sensing small fluctuations in your magic. It reminds me of when you went through liannan, only not as drastic.”
The mention of Sara’s liannan sent a chill through me. Her power had grown exponentially in a matter of days, and she night have died if Eldeorin hadn’t shown up. Only an induced coma could help her body adjust to the changes in her power.
Sara sucked in a breath and moved away from me. Her fearful expression told me she was afraid of losing control of her power like she had during her liannan.
“You think her power is growing again?” I asked Eldeorin, keeping my voice level to reassure her.