Shifters in the Snow

by Jacqueline Sweet

  “Katie, I’m in this for the long haul, and I want you here, with me. Please say you’ll stay? I need you to stay. I don’t think I’d be able to last without you.”

  My head was whirling with the possibility; I was sure I could easily transfer to another hospital, or pick up shifts at a nearby clinic. Or better yet, be the resident doctor right here on the mountain. A lumber mill would no doubt bring a few cuts and scrapes in from time to time… wouldn’t it?

  Could I give up everything in my city life for Noah?

  There was no doubting it, my mind was made up.

  “Hell yes! Let’s do it!” I said and flung myself back into Noah’s arms, never to leave them again.

  * * *

  Want more bear shifters? Click on the link below to continue reading more Scarfell Mountain stories!

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  Jingle Bell Howl

  by Misha Carver

  Chapter 1

  Laney

  “I don’t care. I’m going,” I said as I continued packing my things.

  “Laney you take off every Christmas. It’s about time you spent the holidays here with us,” my dad said as he stared at me.

  “Everyone else is going. Why should I be any different?”

  “I’m sick and tired of you thinking you should be able to do whatever the hell you want. You need to do what you’re told.”

  “Look, dad, I’m twenty years old. It’s time you stopped telling me what to do. I mean, I’m old enough to do what I want and this Christmas I want to go skiing in the mountains with my friends.”

  “What your mother and I would like is to have you here for Christmas dinner.”

  I stopped packing and turned around to look at him. I could tell he really wanted me to be there, but I wanted to spend the holidays with my friends. Everybody else got to go away, and I wanted to too. It didn’t seem fair that I should have to be stuck at home with my parents when all of my friends were having fun skiing.

  “But dad, it’s so boring here. I want to go live it up while I’m still young.”

  “Well, you’re not going and that’s final.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” I said as I started packing again.

  “Oh yes I can,” my father said as he grabbed my suitcase and threw it onto the floor.

  I was fuming as I grabbed my suitcase and put it back up on my bed. I started grabbing my clothes and throwing them back into it in a heap. He threw it onto the ground again and I grabbed it and started filling it again. We repeated the process several more times before I finally turned around.

  “Look, you need to stop,” I said. “I’m going whether you like it or not.”

  I could tell that he was at his wits end when the vein on his neck started throbbing. He stormed out of the room and I could hear him and my mother arguing in the kitchen. I didn’t bother listening and continued packing until I was finally ready to go.

  I grabbed my bags, threw on my coat and boots and headed towards the door, ready to make my getaway. Of course, my parents were standing there waiting for me.

  “I’m going and you can’t stop me,” I said as I tried to walk on by them.

  “Suit yourself,” my father said, “but don’t expect any money from us for your trip.”

  “I don’t need your money,” I said as I pushed my way past them.

  “How will you get by with no money?” my mother asked. “It’s not like you have any of your own.”

  They obviously forgot that my father gave me a credit card on my eighteenth birthday, and I wasn’t about to remind them. They were paying for my trip, whether they liked it or not. I stormed past them and got into my car.

  As they stood on the doorstep watching me, I put the key in the ignition and went to start it up. As hard as I tried the ignition wouldn’t roll over. I felt humiliated as I tried again and again while they stood there staring.

  I put my palms flat on the steering wheel and stared at the snow-covered driveway as I gathered my thoughts. I realized I had no other choice but to go back into the house and devise another plan to get away. Reluctantly, I unfastened my seatbelt and opened the car door before I stepped back out into the driveway.

  “That was a short trip,” my father laughed.

  “Yeah, well, don’t count your chickens,” I said as I stormed past them and went back to my bedroom.

  I sat in there thinking about what I was going to do. I wasn’t about to miss the ski trip for the world. Spending the holidays with my parents was a hell I wasn’t about to go through. There was no way that I was going to be stuck there with them if I could help it.

  About an hour later, my parents left for dinner. When I heard them leave I looked out the window and saw them pull out in my father’s car. I sat there still feeling depressed for a few moments before I realized that my mother may have left her keys behind.

  When I looked at the key rack, I saw my mother’s keys sitting there just waiting for me. It was perfect. I was going to get to go on my little vacation anyway. I grabbed them and went outside and moved my bags from my trunk to my mother’s.

  Bidding the empty house goodbye, I jumped in the car, started the ignition, and took off. As I started out on the highway, I smiled from ear to ear and let out a loud shriek. I was on my way to my exciting holiday at the Snowflake Ski Villa after all. I could hardly wait to get there and join my friends.

  Chapter 2

  Nate

  “Any special plans for the holidays,” Elizabeth my secretary asked as she handed me a stack of files.

  “Just going up to my cabin in the woods to celebrate the holidays by myself.” I took the files from her and opened the first one while she stood there and stared at me.

  I was a self-made man working as a district attorney. I hoped to run for office someday and follow in my late father’s footsteps. My family had a lot of expectations and I was determined to live up to them.

  I really didn’t need to because I had enough money to survive for the rest of my life. But when you live in an influential family there are certain things that are required of you.

  “Well surely you have someone to celebrate with,” she said. “If you’d like I can set another place at our table for Christmas dinner?”

  “Thanks for the offer Elizabeth, but I’ll have to decline. The holidays are a difficult time for me. I just want to go to the cabin and be by myself.”

  “Listen, I know how much you love your cabin, but nobody should be alone for the holidays,” she said as she stared at me.

  Elizabeth was such a caring person. But sometimes she was really annoying. No matter how many times you protested she would keep insisting on things. All I wanted to do was get away for a few days by myself.

  The holidays always brought back bad memories for me and I didn’t like being around other people. It seemed that my low mood always brought everyone else down. It was easier to let others enjoy a cheerful holiday season while I went off by myself.

  “Well, the offer’s always open if you change your mind,” she said as she turned and walked out the door.

  I sat there for a few minutes with my hands on my desk thinking about what she said. Maybe it was time I started celebrating the holidays. I chuckled to myself as I looked around my office at the pictures on the wall.

  As tears came to my eyes, I realized that I wasn’t ready yet. No, it was the cabin in the woods again this year. Just then the phone rang.

  “Hey Nate, you coming over for some holiday beers?” my friend Jordan asked on the other end of the phone.

  “No can do. As soon as I’m done here today I’m headed up for a much-needed vacation in the woods.”

  “Not spending the holidays with us? I thought you might want your friends around to console you and help you celebrate at this time of year by now.”

  “No, I just want to go run free by myself again this year.”

  “Suit yourself buddy,” Jordan said as he hung up the phone.


  I shook my head and sat there for a few moments. It seemed that everybody wanted me to get into the holiday spirit, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Everybody liked their green, red, and silver, but all I saw when I thought of Christmas was black.

  It was a time of sadness and trauma for me. I preferred to console myself by running wild and free. I swore if one more person asked me to spend the holidays with them, I’d let my wolf come closer to the surface and tear them apart.

  Just as I was getting into one of the files the intercom went off.

  “What is it Elizabeth?” I said.

  “There’s a meeting in the boardroom in ten minutes,” she said.

  Well, isn’t that just perfect, I thought to myself, the last day of work before Christmas and we have a meeting in the boardroom. Those things go on forever and ever and all I want to do is get out of here now. I’ll be stuck sitting there listening to some monotonous voice ramble on for hours. Even worse, I might have to talk.

  I gathered my things and went down to the boardroom. When I entered everybody was discussing holiday plans while I focused on my files and waited for the meeting to start.

  When the meeting was called to order Mr. Moore, or Lawrence rather, asked me about my Christmas plans. I explained that I didn’t have any, and that started up another conversation.

  “What’s the matter young Nate, no girlfriend to drink eggnog with you around the Christmas tree?” Jacob said.

  “First of all, I’m thirty two years old, which is hardly young. Second of all, I don’t have a woman to drink eggnog with me around the Christmas tree because I choose not to. It seems every woman I meet is only after me for my money. Every time I meet someone, it’s only a matter of two or three dates before I realize it’s not really me they like. I’m so sick and tired of that. It’s not even worth dating anymore.”

  “Maybe you need to find someone who has as much money as you do,” Laurence said.

  “Women who have as much money as I do are pretentious,” I said.

  “Well, there must be a happy medium somewhere,” Alex said as she fumbled through her files.

  “Look, what does this have to do with the meeting?” I asked as I tapped my fingers on the desk. “I just want to get out of here and get up to the cabin. I need a break from work and I need a break from everything. So can we just get on with this?”

  The room went dead silent while everybody stared at me and stared at Lawrence. He realized he crossed a boundary and looked down at his files. Then the meeting started and everything got underway.

  * * *

  The end of the day finally came, and I left the office. I grabbed my briefcase, my jacket, and headed out to my truck. My gear was already in the back and I was ready to go. I couldn’t wait to get to the cabin.

  I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the snow covered streets and trees as I drove through the winding mountains. Each mile meant that I was one step closer.

  Chapter 3

  Laney’s Father

  “Caroline where’s your car,” I said as we pulled into the driveway.

  “What do you mean, where’s my car?” she said as she looked up from filing her nails.

  “I mean your car isn’t sitting in the driveway,” I said. “It’s gone.”

  We both sat in the driveway looking at the spot where her car had sat and we both came to the same conclusion, Laney. I knew that girl was trouble. We spoiled her too much since the time she was young. Now she thought she could get away with anything she wanted to do.

  “I told you we should have sent her to military school,” I said as I stared at Caroline.

  “Roger, you’re making too much of this. I’m sure she’s just gone to the store or something. Remember her car wouldn’t start before.”

  “You’re too naive. She went on that skiing trip and you know it,” I said as I pounded my fists on the steering well. “Damn that girl. She really needs to learn.”

  “Why don’t you try calling her cell phone? I’m sure she has a logical explanation for this.”

  We walked inside the house and I tried Laney’s cell, but she didn’t pick up. A little while later, the phone rang.

  “Who was that?” Caroline asked. “Was it Laney?”

  “No. It was the office. Apparently, I need to go back down there immediately,” I said.

  “I thought you guys were all done for the Christmas holidays now?” she said, with her hands on her hips. She darted her eyes around the house which was decorated up like Santa’s workshop as if she was trying to make a point to me.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll be back before you know it,” I said as I kissed her on the cheek.

  * * *

  “Sit down, Roger,” Alan said as I walked into the office.

  I knew right then from the look in his eye that I was in trouble. The sound of his voice intimidated me and I was ready to run, but there was nowhere to go. I sat there waiting for the hammer to come down.

  “What’s going on?” I said, trying to act calm.

  “We’ve been going through some of your files for the past few months. Would you mind explaining this, this, and this to me?” he said as he placed some files down in front of me on the desk.”

  As I looked at the files my blood ran cold. I knew I’d been caught, and I knew it was going to cost me my job. I had provided extremely well for my family and they were used to a certain lifestyle. Now they were going to lose it all. I had to figure out a way to bluff my way out of this one.

  I fumbled through the files pretending to be scrutinizing them line by line. After I was done, I looked up at Alan, crossed my legs, and folded my arms in front of me.

  “I can see the problems, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to explain to you?” I said.

  “Don’t even try to get away with this, Roger,” he said. “We know it was you.”

  “I can’t believe you’re saying this. I’ve been with this company for twenty five years. What makes you think I would do something like this? I can tell you one thing. It wasn’t me.”

  “One month ago, we had cameras installed in everybody’s office behind their desks. We watched all the video tapes and we know for a fact that you did it.”

  My eyes closed and I felt the blood drain from my face. They had me and I knew it. There was nowhere to run and there was nothing else I could say. I was in the hot seat and there was no way to get out of it.

  “Are you going to fire me and have me arrested at Christmas?” I asked, almost terrified.

  “Oh, you’re fired,” Alan said. “But you have more to worry about than the law. Having you arrested won’t make up for what you did. Instead, you’re going to face much more dire consequences. I’m not going after you. I’m going after the thing that is dearest to you. Now, get the hell out of here.”

  “What you mean the thing that is dearest to me?” I asked as chills ran up and down my spine.

  “You heard me, now get the hell out of here. You have five seconds before I tear you apart,” he said as he pounded his fist down on the desk.

  I knew that I better get out of there as fast as I could. I’d never seen that side of Alan before, but I’d heard rumors about his temper and I wasn’t taking any chances.

  In my car on the way home, I realized I had to keep my money safe. Thoughts of moving to a faraway city entered my mind before I realized that as long as I secured my assets he wouldn’t be able to touch them. Then I realized what he meant. The thing dearest to me was Laney.

  Oh my God, Laney, I thought to myself. She’s not at home. She’s gone on that ski trip.

  Chapter 4

  Laney

  I felt so free as I headed up into the mountains. Everything was finally perfect and I was about to have the best Christmas ever. I’d had so many setbacks heading out that my friends would already be waiting for me when I arrived.

  The good part about that was that everybody would already be settled in and ready to get something to eat when I got t
here. There wouldn’t be the hustle and bustle of getting rooms and everybody getting unpacked. I’d be able to unload my things and fill my hungry stomach right away.

  As I traveled along snow started falling gently from the sky. I admired the snowflakes as they trickled down and melted against my windshield. Everything looked so beautiful and I was really starting to get into the spirit of the season.

  As I edged closer to the villa mile by mile, the snow started coming down harder and harder. I’d driven in snowstorms before, so I wasn’t that worried. I knew that as long as I had control of my vehicle I was perfectly safe. I kept both hands on the steering wheel and continued on at a slow and steady pace.

  My cell phone went off and I knew better than to answer it, but I knew my friends were worried about me. I didn’t see the harm in taking a quick peek at the text. Sure enough, it was from my friend Tammy.

  “Almost here?”

  I knew I shouldn’t answer her and to keep both hands on the wheel. I continued on, but she kept texting me. I looked down at my cell again.

  “Laney where are you?”

  “Laney, we’re all worried.”

  As much as I knew that I needed to keep my hands on the wheel, I knew I needed to answer her because I didn’t want them to worry needlessly. I tried to find a safe spot on the shoulder of the road to pull over, but the snow was piled up so high that I couldn’t.