by Zoe Chant
Jonathan raised the sword higher, his eyes never leaving his enemy.
And then the wolf jumped.
Everything happened so quickly that Angel didn’t know what exactly had happened. All she knew was that all of a sudden, she was standing in the center of the room, Lola by her side, threateningly gripping the splintered leg of a chair in her hand.
Sweet, good-natured Lola was snarling.
And before her, Jonathan was kneeling on the ground, his sword still raised, pointing at the dire wolf’s throat.
Jonathan’s back was bleeding. The glass splinters on the ground must have cut him—but miraculously, none of the wolf’s teeth or claws seemed to have reached him.
There was no blood on the wolf.
The first round had gone to Jonathan. But how much longer could he hold the beast off, when he was still unable to use his own powers?
Angel’s fingers felt suddenly weak when the dire wolf’s head turned around, staring at her from his angry, yellow eyes.
His jaws parted again, another growl vibrating from deep in his chest.
Lola growled as well, so tense that Angel could feel the spaniel’s small body vibrating against her legs.
And then Lola charged, jumping straight for the dire wolf’s throat.
A moment later, Lola was flung into a corner with a loud yelp as the wolf growled in rage.
His head turned again, and Angel felt her stomach drop when the awful, yellow eyes fixated on her.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Jonathan start charging at the beast—but she knew it was too late. The dire wolf’s muscles tensed, and before Jonathan reached him, the wolf jumped straight at her.
Using all of her remaining strength and courage, she brought the splintered, wooden leg around.
And then a sound filled the room, a roar so loud it made the mansion tremble around them.
With disbelieving eyes, Angel watched as a huge paw with gleaming claws came bursting in through one window.
And the dire wolf turned and ran, making his escape through the door Jonathan had tried to barricade shut earlier. The massive body sent the broken furniture flying— and then he was gone, as suddenly as he had appeared.
Chapter Eight: Jonathan
A split second before Jonathan could use what little power remained to shift and protect Angel, he felt a wave of energy coming from outside the house.
It was a familiar sensation.
A dragon shifter was standing outside—a powerful dragon, as strong as Jonathan had been before the ice.
A heartbeat later, all hell broke loose.
With snowflakes and bits of broken plaster and glass swirling through the air, the dragon broke through a window.
And just like that, the dire wolf stopped his attack and fled.
Jonathan was racing after him, but managed only a few steps before realization caught up with him. The dire wolf was dangerous and had attacked Angel—but he couldn’t leave his mate alone with another dragon. Not when he didn’t even know whether the dragon was on the dire wolf’s side.
“Stay away from my mate,” he called out.
He saw that Angel was still holding on tightly to the weapon she’d found—a part of a destroyed chair that she held like a baseball bat.
She was still breathing heavily, her eyes wide as she stared at the huge, scaly paw with its gleaming claws that had come in through the window. But she didn’t retreat.
At Jonathan’s words, the paw retreated instead back through the window. For a moment, everything was silent.
Then the voice of a human man called out to them.
“Are you all right? I felt that something wasn’t quite right. You’re very close to my lands, you know.”
“Close, but not on them,” Jonathan retorted, the territorial dragon inside him bristling.
Jonathan fought back his dragon’s protective urges. The other dragon didn’t seem to be hostile, so it wouldn’t do to anger him.
Not now, with his mate by his side.
“And we’re all right. Mostly,” he added.
“Was that a dire wolf?” the shifter asked with a frown when he entered through the door.
Jonathan had never seen him before, but something about him felt familiar. This was the presence he’d sensed all those years ago, when he’d arrived here and found his cave.
“It was,” Jonathan said. “It’s been tracking us. This was the second time it attacked.”
The new shifter nodded slowly. For a moment, his eyes lingered on Angel. A smile tugged on his lips.
The dragon inside Jonathan began bristling possessively, but then Jonathan realized what he’d missed before.
The man was mated. There, at the heart of him, was a steady confidence, a bond as strong as diamond.
And the knowing look the stranger now gave him showed that he’d sensed the beginnings of the mate bond that was starting to form between Jonathan and Angel as well.
“What is a dire wolf?” Angel asked again, letting the splintered wood finally sink down. “And who the hell are you?”
“They’re prehistoric wolves. From thousands of years ago, when wolves were bigger and stronger. Oh, and I’m sorry for my entrance.” The man grimaced. “My mate would have words with me for the first impression I must have made. But I sensed that something was off, so I went out flying, just circling the mountains to see if I could spot anything. And then the blizzard sprung up—a blizzard that shouldn’t exist. When I came closer, I sensed that there was another dragon here. And then I realized that it wasn’t you who was causing all this trouble.”
He held out his hand to Angel, who took it cautiously. “I’m Henrik Drakeson. I’m a dragon shifter, like your friend. I’m from Snow Castle, over in Christmas Valley.”
“Oooh.” Angel dropped the splintered piece of wood. “I’ve read about it. It looks amazing.”
“You haven’t been?” Henrik asked, then turned to grip Jonathan’s own hand.
His handshake was firm, and there was nothing hostile in his gaze. There was wariness, as if he still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Jonathan. But that was only natural.
Dragon shifters were territorial by nature. Jonathan knew that he was too close for comfort, now that he was no longer asleep in the ice.
His own dragon bristled at his current weakness, sizing up the rival dragon. Henrik was powerful—but no more powerful than his own dragon would be, once he’d had a chance to recover from his long sleep in the ice.
He’s not our rival, Jonathan thought calmly. He’s mated. And pretty laid-back about the fact that I’ve all but intruded into his own realm.
As dragons went, Henrik seemed like a good guy. Still. Considering that there was also a dire wolf on the loose, Jonathan knew he wouldn’t be able to feel at peace until he’d recovered all of his own strength.
“Would you like to see it?” Henrik asked, his smile widening. “Snow Castle, I mean.”
His gaze returned meaningfully to the splintered window, and Jonathan grimaced.
Visiting another dragon’s home could be a fraught thing, a dance of politeness and politics. Even though Henrik didn’t seem like the sort of dragon who’d keep him walking on eggshells, instinct made him want to say no to the offer.
On the other hand, the house was half burned down, the other half boasted broken windows and snow piling up inside, and probably a broken heating system.
Which would be the least of their worries if the dire wolf returned.
Lola whined, cautiously coming forward to shove her cold nose into his palm. When he looked around, he saw that Diego was still pressed into the back corner of the room, eyeing Henrik warily.
“You can take the dogs, of course. I wouldn’t leave anyone behind without shelter in the winter, shifter or human. And my mate would love company,” Henrik added.
“All right,” Jonathan said after a moment.
To get to the bottom of what was going on with the dire wolf, they’d need allie
s. Most importantly, they’d need a place to stay where neither Angel nor the dogs would freeze to death.
And after so many years of sleeping in the ice, a part of Jonathan yearned for the warmth of a home and the joy of a real family Christmas.
“As long as we’re not intruding,” Angel said, although the relief in her voice was obvious.
Henrik laughed. “I promise, two more guests for Christmas won’t make any difference at all.”
Chapter Nine: Angel
When they landed near Snow Castle, Angel realized what Henrik had meant by that.
The castle was busy. There were people everywhere: laughing children pelted each other with snow balls, while teenagers seemed to compete with each other in building the tallest snowman. Couples strolled through the snow clutching mugs of mulled wine or hot chocolate sold by one of the wooden stalls. There was even a sleigh drawn by eight fat, tiny ponies that was taking two families for a ride.
The faint sound of a carol filled the air. Everywhere she looked, ice was sparkling, wreaths of holly decorated doors, lights were gleaming in trees, and the clear, cold air smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.
“Welcome to Snow Castle,” Henrik said, looking pleased. “We’re always busiest during winter—I hope you like Christmas, because that’s what we do here.”
“This is incredible,” Angel breathed, looking up at the huge house before them. It really looked like a castle. It even had two towers.
And there, off to the side, not too far away, someone had built a smaller castle completely from snow. A group of children was spilling from its doorway as she watched, shouting and laughing as they were pursued by a team of parents with armfuls of snowballs.
“Let’s get you settled in,” Henrik said proudly, “and then I’ll let you explore.”
***
Half an hour later, Angel was strolling along the side of a frozen lake, hand in hand with Jonathan. The dogs had curled up inside the generous suite Henrik had given them. With their heads covered beneath their fluffy tails, both Lola and Diego had made it unmistakably clear that they’d had quite enough of adventure for the day.
Which was nice, because now, for once, Angel didn’t have to worry about Diego running off or Lola getting scared. It was only her and Jonathan—and the most incredible winter wonderland spreading before them.
“I skimmed those brochures the Mitchells had lying around,” she said, “but this is—I have no words. The pictures don’t do it justice.”
“It’s beautiful,” Jonathan agreed.
He had a far-away look. Angel wondered what he was thinking.
Before them, there was a stall where guests could rent skates. Next to it, another stall sold cotton candy in all the colors of the rainbow.
“It’s not too much?” Angel asked softly, remembering all of a sudden that Jonathan had slept in the ice for ten years. These had to be more people than he’d seen in ages.
Jonathan shook his head. “No, it’s...it’s nice.” He was silent for a moment, then tightened his fingers around Angel’s. “In fact, it’s good to be reminded of what I missed out on. I missed this. I didn’t even realize—but I did.”
“Want to try?” Angel nodded towards the stall handing out skates. “I warn you, I’m probably not very good at it. It’s been ages.”
“I haven’t done that since I was a child.” Jonathan laughed softly. “Why not. Let’s give it a try.”
“Just don’t laugh when I fall over.” Angel couldn’t stop smiling as she pulled him towards the stall with her.
She didn’t even care if she ended up flat on her butt on the ice. She was too happy. The speakers playing Christmas carols, the laughing children, the smell of sugar... It all brought back memories.
Strange how much easier and brighter Christmas was when I was a child.
She’d thought it was normal that growing up meant that the holidays lost their magic. The magic was for children, anyway—not for adults whose problems wouldn’t stop just because it was snowing.
Just a day or two ago she’d believed that a white Christmas with just the dogs for company and maybe an entire tub of ice cream was as good as it would get for her.
No magic, no excited children, no Santa. Just some peace and quiet and a rare moment to catch her breath, away from everyone who’d judge her for her failed career.
Of course, in response, fate had gone and dropped her right in the middle of what looked like Santa’s North Pole headquarters.
And there was an even greater Christmas miracle happening.
She looked at her hand in Jonathan’s, warmth rising up inside her.
Those breathless moments when they’d been skin to skin beneath the blanket still made something inside her feel tight with need. But in a way, it was even more reassuring to realize that there was more than just desire between them.
That Jonathan wanted this, too. Just spending time together.
“Ready?” he asked after they’d finished putting on the skates.
“I bet you’re a pro at this,” she couldn’t help but tease. “All this ice...”
Jonathan grinned, taking hold of her hand. Together they took the first step out onto the ice.
“I guess that’s an unfair advantage,” he admitted. “But all the affinity for ice doesn’t help if you’re unable to balance—whoa!”
They clutched at each other as their first step almost ended with them landing on the ice.
A moment later, Angel was giggling helplessly, still clinging to him, just as he was clinging to her.
“I see we’re starting on the same level after all.”
“I did say that it’s been a long time,” he said wryly. “Okay. We can do this. Want to try again?”
“Yes, please. Slowly!” She couldn’t stop laughing. “I can’t believe how much easier this was as a child.”
They managed several wobbly steps on the ice, sliding very slowly and still holding onto each other.
“There, see? You don’t just forget how to—”
Even as he spoke, Jonathan began to wobble.
A heartbeat later, they found themselves together on the ice once more, legs entangled as they clutched at each other.
Angel was still giggling. “This is embarrassing! Look at that five-year-old over there. She’s better at this than we’ll ever be.”
As if on command, the girl spun effortlessly around in perfect balance.
“Well, perhaps.” Jonathan grinned teasingly. “But there’s something to be said for making an utter fool of yourself on the ice.”
“There is?” Angel asked suspiciously.
A moment later, she found herself tugged close, Jonathan kissing her until she forgot all about the cold seeping in through her pants.
“Once you’ve hit rock bottom, you don’t need to worry anymore what anyone else will think.”
Laughing and shaking her head, Angel wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is that something you’re worried about?”
“Actually, no.” Jonathan gave her an unapologetic grin, then kissed her again.
“Oooh,” a group of teenagers said mockingly, making exaggerated kissing noises only to dissolve into giggles and hastily skate away.
Skating way more elegantly than anything she’d managed, Angel couldn’t fail to note.
Still, she was smiling when she finally got up, still clutching at Jonathan.
“They’re just jealous because they can’t fall as elegantly as I can,” she said, and then almost lost her balance again.
Her stomach was hurting from how much she’d been laughing, and she still couldn’t stop smiling. All they had to do was look at each other, and they’d start laughing all over again—only to hastily tighten their hold on each other when they fell over once more.
“This is a disgrace,” she declared happily. “You’ve picked the wrong choice, for an ice dragon.”
Jonathan shook his head, carefully releasing his hold on her shoulder to grasp her hand again.
/> “It was exactly the right choice.” He drew her fingers to his mouth to brush a kiss against her knuckles.
And a moment later, he began wobbling again.
“I’m glad,” she said fiercely when she somehow ended up in his arms once more—this time, miraculously still on their feet.
The teens were skating past them again, giggling loudly at their display, and Angel didn’t care one bit.
“One day this’ll be you,” she shouted as they zoomed past once more.
Still beaming, she then took a deep breath. “I haven’t had this much fun since—since before college, I guess. How about you?”
“Not since I was a child.” Jonathan carefully let go of her again, only holding on to her hand.
Slowly, she took a first step. Then another, and another. A moment later, they were skating across the lake hand in hand—still wobbly, but they were skating. And this time, they didn’t fall.
Half an hour later, much of the wobbliness was gone. They’d picked up a bit in speed, and they’d even figured out how to do a very slow turn together without falling over each other.
Despite the crispness of the mountain air, Angel didn’t feel the bite of the cold at all. Instead, she was warm all over from the exercise and excitement.
“That’s it. I think I’m done for today,” Jonathan finally declared.
His eyes were warm. They were still that eerie, clear color that reminded her of the glittering ice they were skating on, but his face was flushed, and he hadn’t stopped smiling.
In fact, he still looked a bit like an overgrown child, all of his former seriousness gone.
It was good to see him like this. So carefree.
Angel realized all of a sudden that she still didn’t know why he’d gone to hide in the ice. But whatever it was—right now, it looked like he’d woken up. Really woken up.
There wasn’t a part of him that wasn’t alive now.
Together, they handed back the rented skates. The woman at the stall gave them a knowing look.
“You two look like you need some hot chocolate,” she declared. “If I were you, I’d walk over to the maze. They’ve got a stall at the entrance—and this time of the day, it’s mostly quiet in there. The kids are all having a snowball fight in the snow castle outside.”