I forced a smile. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” I insisted.
“Yes, I did.”
“Ok, well now might not be the time,” I said. My eyes flicked over to were Seth was comforting the pups.
“Believe me, it is the right time,” Chase argued, forcing the gift into my hands.
“Alright,” I sighed. Something electric zipped against my fingers. There was strong energy inside. When I opened it, my breath was stolen away from me. An antique pendant lay inside the box, depicting a sliver moon and a pink cat. The chain was twisted around a handmade candle.
“Wow,” I said.
“It’s it beautiful. I thought it suited you perfectly,” Chase added with a smile.
I pulled the pendant from the box, watching the chain twist around and the silver reflecting the lights. “It’s perfect,” I agreed.
Chase helped me with the clasp. The necklace stopped just above my cleavage, framing my neck and face.
“Thank you so much,” I said.
“You’re welcome, but it’s not the necklace that we need right now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Chase nodded to the boys. “The lady who sold me this necklace told me that every gift comes with a candle, and the candles will make one wish come true.”
I glanced down at the candle and then at the boys who were listening intently.
“One wish?” I asked.
“A Christmas miracle, perhaps?” Chase whispered.
Seth nodded.
“How do you know she wasn’t tricking you?” I asked.
“Pretty sure she was a witch. A real one,” Chase said, putting his hands over mine. “Can’t you feel the magic?”
I couldn’t deny that. “You’re right,” I said. I brought the candle to the living room and set it down on the floor.
Chase handed me a lighter and then sat down beside me. Seth took up the other side, and the two young shifters sat across from me.
My heart was pounding now. Here we were, promising magic to these kids on Christmas morning. If it didn’t work, how could I live it down? No. I had to believe that this was a real witch’s candle and that any wish we made would come true. I’d been robbed of this so-called Christmas magic my entire life, now was the time to start believing it in; if not for my sake, then at least for the two pups.
“Ok, everyone, do we all know what we are wishing for?” I asked, holding up the lighter.
The boys nodded.
I flicked the lighter, and the candle burst with a bright flame. The energy began to flood the room, and the scene of patchouli and vanilla reached my nose. Then, we all closed our eyes and made a wish. The cumulative power of us sitting together, wishing with all our might, made the candle burn bright and hot. The flame lept up a few feet in the air before surging back down and melting the candle into a waxy stub.
“Whoa,” Darren exclaimed.
I blinked, never seeing a spell candle up close before.
“Did it work?” Todd asked.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Chase said.
We didn’t need to wait long.
Just as Jasper and Maddox returned to the living room, the front door trembled. Someone knocked loudly in a very distinct rhythm.
All of us bolted up in unison. The boys ran to the door, swinging it open before anyone could stop them. Cold wind rushed into the house, sending a spray of snow into the front room.
I gasped.
A woman stood at the threshold with long silver-black hair. She was tall and thin, dressed in many layers and carrying a duffle bag on her back. She was pale, with dark eyes. This woman was exhausted.
“Mama!” Todd cried out. He collapsed into her, weeping.
“Darren! Todd!” The woman gasped. “It’s true. You’re here. I walked all night.”
Seth ushered her inside.
“So, you found our note?” Maddox asked as he and Seth guided her to the seat closest to the fireplace.
The woman nodded. “We’ve been traveling for weeks and got separated in the storm. Thank goodness you found my boys. That storm was the worst I’d ever seen.” She started crying. “How can I ever repay you?”
“No need,” Seth said. “It’s what my pack does. We protect our own.” His jackal eyes flashed in his otherwise human face.
My heart felt like it might burst. I clutched my pendent and excused myself, letting Jasper and Maddox fill in the pups’ mother with the rescue story.
I stepped out onto the porch, marveling at the amount of snow that had fallen last night. The sky was clear now, and the light of the sun made the white world glitter like diamonds. I took a deep breath and exhaled, my breath coming out like a cloud.
“You ok?” Chase asked.
I looked over at him. “Yeah.”
Chase put his hand on my shoulder, leaning in for a quick kiss. “So, your magic worked.”
“Did it really? If she was already on her way…”
Chase chuckled. “Whether it did or not, we still have a happy ending.”
I nodded, hugging my arms around my body and shifting from side to side as a particularly frigid gust of wind flew over the house.
“Thank you,” I said after a moment.
“For what?” Chase asked, tipping his head to the side.
I smiled. “For showing me that Christmas magic really does exist.” I kissed his cheek. “I wouldn’t have found it if you hadn’t been so adamant. Plus, you saved those boys' lives. If that doesn’t add up to a Christmas miracle, I don’t know what does.”
Chase blushed. “So, does that mean we can start celebrating more holidays?” He asked. “I have big plans for Valentine’s day.” He grinned.
“Oh no,” I said in mock terror, before kissing him again.
Chase held me tightly. “Truth be told, this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” He said. “It may have been small, but I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world.”
Chase was right. He’d given me new memories of Christmas now, ones of love and joy. Life with my pack had grown even more bright. At a time when I used to be overcome by sadness, I now only felt gratitude and love.
We could hear the boys laughing through the windows. Their joy made the wintery cold around us seem not so bad.
“Merry Christmas, Chase,” I said.
“Merry Christmas, Luna.”
Enjoyed this story? Read more from Luna and the Pack in Crooked Changeling and the Woodlock’s Home for Magical Delinquents Series.
About the Author
SAMANTHA BELL is a writer, student, and self-diagnosed book hoarder. She has been living in her imagination as long as she can remember.
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A Haunting for Christmas
Tricia Schneider
About A Haunting for Christmas
Ava has called 911 countless times because of the footsteps she hears in her house, but an intruder is never found. When she tries to call for help again, her police officer brother-in-law finally shows up to check out the situation.
Jared promised he would look out for Ava after his bro
ther died, but he’s been avoiding her for months, too fearful of betraying his brother's memory with his growing feelings for her. When he hears the 911 dispatch, he knows it's up to him to help her.
Jared promises Ava he will get to the bottom of the mysterious footsteps. But can he help her without revealing that he's in love with her?
Chapter 1
“911. State your emergency.”
“He’s back again. I don’t know what to do. It’s happening again.”
“Is there someone in your house, ma’am?”
“Yes. He’s back. I hear his footsteps.”
“What is your address?”
“128 Stoyer Street. Please hurry!”
“Ma’am, are still there? Ma’am?”
A chill swept over Officer Jared Stark when he heard Ava’s address over the police cruiser’s radio.
“Based on past 911 calls to this location, the situation is classified non urgent. The owner has called repeatedly and there’s never any sign of an intruder.”
“Dispatch, I’ve got this one. I’ll check it out and advise.”
Jared pulled the cruiser to the side of the road, checked for oncoming traffic and swung the car into a U-turn. Stoyer Street was on the outskirts of Hidden Haven in a forested section not far from Stoyer Lake. He could be there within 10 minutes with no traffic.
That was 10 minutes to ponder what prompted Ava Stark to call 911 again. He’d heard his fellow officers talk about her frantic calls for help. Each time one of the officers responded, they searched the premises thoroughly only to find no sign of intruders or any possible danger. They suggested an upgrade to her security system, but Ava was a waitress at the Hidden River Diner. She didn’t have the necessary funds for an elite security system.
Guilt ate at Jared’s conscience. He’d been meaning to check on Ava sooner. Especially, when he heard about her 911 calls.
As Jesse’s brother, Jared felt responsible for Ava. He’d promised his brother he would keep her safe. Jared wasn’t doing a great job by avoiding her.
He’d reasoned to himself that his fellow officers had checked the house, and all was well. There was nothing more he could do.
Really, he used that knowledge as an excuse. Something to keep the guilt at bay.
He pulled onto Stoyer Street, drove by the lake and onto the hill where her house resided, nestled within the woods. She wasn’t far from town, but with the surrounding forest, especially at night, the area felt isolated and remote.
It didn’t take long before he pulled the police cruiser into her driveway, the snow crunching beneath the tires.
Ava stood on the porch with her arms crossed over her chest, a cardigan wrapped around her shoulders to keep warm from the winter chill. Her eyes were wide with fright as the car’s headlights shone onto the house.
She was already stepping down from the porch to meet him as he parked the vehicle and opened the door.
“Jared,” she said, her voice unusually high-pitched. “Thank God, it’s you this time.”
“Ava.” The sight of her pale face tugged at his heart. Damn, he was a jerk. He should’ve checked on her sooner.
There was no time for more words. As soon as she met him beside the car, she launched herself into his arms.
Startled, Jared froze. Her slender arms wrapped beneath his open jacket, curving around the warmth of his torso. She rested her chilled cheek against his chest, holding tight.
The strength of her embrace and the desperation emanating from her broke through the shock of feeling her petite body against him.
“How long have you been waiting outside?” He moved his arms around her, cocooning her in the warmth of his embrace. Cold from her cheek seeped through his shirt as she pressed herself against him. She was chilled through.
“I’m not sure. However long it took for you to get here.”
“Ava,” Jared whispered her name, regret stinging his heart. It had taken him too long to get here. Way too long.
He couldn’t even remember the last time they’d spoken. Weeks had turned into countless months. He’d tried to ignore the passage of time.
He’d tried to ignore a lot of things. Especially the way he felt about her, the way his body responded every time he was near her. The way his blood hummed with pleasure at her every smile, every laugh, every… everything.
Ava was perfect. And not to be touched.
Jared sighed and stepped back. Her arms fell away, and he stared into her wide, frightened eyes.
“What’s going on?”
She swallowed hard before speaking. “There’s someone in my house.”
His gaze flashed to the structure behind her. With the only light came from within the living room, all other windows were dark.
“Have you seen him?”
“N-not exactly,” she stammered. “But I heard his footsteps. He’s in the basement.”
“Get in the car. Stay warm,” Jared said, his hand inching to his sidearm.
She wrapped her arms over her chest again. “Be careful, Jared.”
Without another word, Jared left her side to step onto the porch and into the house.
The moment he set foot in the living room, he felt the chill in the air. Had she left a window open somewhere? Was that why she felt so cold? Or did the intruder open a window to get inside?
The living room was as he remembered it. A sofa and a recliner, a coffee table littered with magazines, two end tables with lit lamps and a flat screen TV on the far wall.
There was a fireplace where red and green stockings hung. The winter nights were chilly, but Ava rarely used the fireplace. It was more for decoration as she had a furnace in the basement to heat the house.
A small, fiber-optic Christmas tree illuminated one corner of the living room. Ava had put little effort in decorating for the holidays this year. Typically, the entire house would be lit with Christmas lights and every surface from the living room to kitchen would contain some holiday decoration. Either she only started or didn’t have the Christmas spirit to finish.
Again, that twinge of guilt surfaced. He could have helped her string the lights outside, at least. That was usually Jesse’s task.
He walked into the dining room, switching on lights as he went into the kitchen. He listened intently for sounds of an intruder, searched for any movement or signs that someone other than Ava was in the house.
There was nothing. No footsteps or sounds other than his own.
After checking to find the back door locked in the kitchen, he turned to the basement door on the other side of the refrigerator. Again, he listened for sounds of movement. Hearing nothing, he opened the basement door and flipped the switch to illuminate the stairs.
No signs of any life from where he could see down the steps, but the hairs on the back of his neck rose slightly.
Something didn’t feel right.
He drew his weapon before stepping down the stairs. If someone was down here, he didn’t want to be taken by surprise.
Cautiously, he approached the bottom of the stairs, his gaze sweeping the entire area, searching for danger or possible ambush.
As soon as he set foot on the concrete floor, he scanned the entire room but found no one lurking.
The basement had changed little since the last time he was down here. Jesse and Ava had used this area as both storage and Jesse’s workroom.
One wall was lined with boxes, mostly holiday decorations and other memorable items that neither was willing to give up. The other side of the basement was used as Jesse’s shop. A long wooden work bench sat in the middle of the area. Shelves filled with tools stood along the wall. A neatly stacked pile of unused wood leaned against one shelf.
Jared tried to ignore the unfinished rocking chair that Jesse had been attempting to construct for Ava. It had been his third attempt. He recalled joking with his brother how Ava would be an old lady by the time he had completed a properly functioning rocking chair. Just in time for retirement.
&
nbsp; He swallowed hard at the memories of his brother. Then he forced his attention back to the rest of the basement. He searched for footprints, any signs of items moved haphazardly or searched through. If someone had thought to steal something, he would expect to see boxes opened and left spilling the contents on the floor.
Nothing seemed out of place.
In fact, everything appeared untouched. As if Jesse had merely left to go get a cup of coffee or a beer before returning to finish this damn rocking chair.
Ava had moved nothing. She hadn’t packed away any of his tools. Everything remained as Jesse had left them. The only sign of the passage of time was the layer of dust coating the table and shelves.
Still, something didn’t feel right about this room. It was colder here than upstairs. Not that it alarmed him. Basements were normally cooler than the rest of the house.
But it felt frigid. Heat turned off in the winter cold. See his breath cold.
Beyond that, he couldn’t overcome the sensation of being watched. He felt a gaze upon his back. He turned, expecting to see Ava creeping down the stairs to check on him, but no one was there.
“Hello?” His voice echoed slightly in the unused basement.
He checked the door leading to the outside. It was locked.
Jared had the rest of the house to check, yet. He left the basement, locking the door behind him.
It didn’t take much time to check the upstairs. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom on the upper floor. There was a small attic crawl space at the top, which he examined as well.
No sign of anything. Except that feeling of not being alone.
The sensation was stronger once he returned to the first floor. Again, he checked each room. Nothing appeared disturbed. All the windows were locked. No one was hiding in any closets, beneath the bed, nor behind the sofa.
Curse of Christmas: A Collection of Paranormal Holiday Stories Page 50
