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A Werewolf Kind of Christmas
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A Werewolf Kind of Christmas
A Holiday Short Story
A.L. Kessler
Copyright © 2018 A.L. Kessler
Cover Mia Bishop
All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe reproduced without the author's permission.
Happy holidays to my readers. No matter what you celebrate enjoy your time with your family and friends.
Snow drifted down against the windshield as they drove through the mountain pass. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she said she wanted to get away for the holidays. Her father's words came into her mind.
"Erin, it is your duty, to merge the packs and the keep peace, you must see if the fates have mated you and the pack leader. And may fate have mercy on them if not."
Her pack was starting to grow larger and needed more territory, and the Monarch pack was fierce and didn't want to give up any of theirs. However, if there were a mate amongst the pack, the alpha would consider merging, and if not, then there would be a war over territory. As the daughter of the alpha, she was the first choice for this mating. Her father had made it clear what would happen if she came back without the mating mark. She sighed and settled back into her seat and watched as the snow stacked up on the side of the road. The plows had done a good job keeping the roads cleared and making the travel a bit easier, but when driver pulled off on a snow-packed road, and she held her breath. There was no telling if they were going to make it to the house that was supposedly at the end of this road.
She held tight to the door as the car slid to the side a little bit.
"Hold on, Erin. It's just an icy road. It shouldn't be too much further." The driver's voice broke through Erin's thoughts.
Of course not, but it didn't take a long drive over icy roads to cause an accident, just one tiny slide and they could go spinning into a tree, and werewolf or not, there was always the possibility of dying in a horrible car accident. After an hour of crawling across the ice, the huge house finally came into view.
A clearing came into view ahead of them, and the house stood out against the snowy backdrop of the mountain. The gray clouds made the red house stand out in a bright spot of color. Brick siding covered the three-story house, and she could see a big glass door on the balcony jutting out of the second level.
The front door was deep forest green with an evergreen wreath on it. She curled up her lips in disgust. Just another way to show how the alpha was better than the rest of the pack. "Pretty big house for just the alpha."
Her driver chuckled. "It's not just him, some of the pack lives here as well."
Well, at least that way if there was no attraction, she could have her own room, maybe even her own floor. She kept her thoughts to herself as they pulled up to the house and the car rolled to a stop. She got out and carefully stepped on the ice and moved around the car to get her suitcase.
The front door opened, and a man walked out. She paused in her actions. A red-tinted five o'clock shadow that matched the wavy hair on his head covered his square jaw. He flashed her a smile that she swore could melt the ice around her, and his hazel eyes shined. She found herself wondering if the rest of him looked just as wonderful under the bulk of his winter jacket, jeans, and snow boots.
He walked up to her and adjusted the red scarf around her neck. "Ah, lass, you're going to freeze out here. Head inside and warm up by the fire."
The slight Scottish accent was enough to warm her up and leave her panties wet. She nodded and headed toward the house, trying not to slip on the ice. If she did end up staying, the first thing she was going to invest in was winter boots. She looked over her shoulder to see him grabbing her bag from the trunk and talking to the driver.
She stepped onto the deep-brown tile of the entryway and noted the line of shoes sitting there. She kicked her shoes off and then walked further in on the gray carpet. The entryway led to a huge open living room. A leather couch and two recliners sat around a wall-mounted tv, and below that were shelves of DVDs and video games. At the far end of the room was a wood fireplace with flames dancing, warming the room.
She heard the door close and turned around. The man who'd gotten her bag set it down and then took off his boots. He met her gaze and smiled.
He took off his coat and opened a closet that blended in seamlessly with the entryway wall.
His dark blue sweater made his eyes look more blue than hazel, and it clung to his arms, letting her know that he was strong.
"Here, lass, let me have your jacket."
She slipped off the fleece jacket and the scarf and handed them to him. "Thank you. I'm Erin Heyn, I'm here to meet Tristan Kerr, alpha of the Monarch pack."
He let out one of the sexiest chuckles she'd ever heard, and for a moment she found herself wishing that she could spend the holidays with the wolf in front of her instead of some cold-hearted alpha.
"I know exactly who you are. Erin Heyn, daughter of Chris Heyn, alpha of Ridge Pass Pack. As alpha, I welcome you to the Monarch Pack territory."
She couldn't help but smile. "You came out yourself to get my bags, as alpha?"
"Well yeah, it's kind of the gentleman-y thing to do." He motioned to the fire. "Come, warm up."
They walked to the fire together and sat down. "Why does that surprise you?"
"My father would have just sent someone else out is all." She sat on the floor in front of the fire and watched the flames. She was hoping this was going to work out. Hoping for the mark, if she was honest with herself. Even though it wasn't her idea, it was probably the only way she was ever going to get away from her pack.
"Most of the pack that's here for the holidays are out shopping before the storm gets too bad." He sat down next to her. "Before we even think about taking this further, I want to know something."
Her heart skipped a beat. Take this further? Were they just going to jump right into this? She messed with the hem of her shirt. "What would you like to know?"
"That he isn't twisting your arm in this."
What could she say? She didn't have a choice in coming, but what happened if Tristan found out she was lying?
"Erin?" he prompted after a few minutes.
She wouldn't meet his gaze. "I didn't have a choice at first, but I want to be here because it gets me away from the pack and the tension there."
"The tension?"
She shook her head. "It's not important, but yes, I'm here willingly."
"And what happens if the mark shows up?" He moved his hand towards her and paused. Fate chose werewolves' mates for them. Skin to skin contact would make the mark appear if they were fated to be together. Many of them spent their lives looking for their mate, without luck. Out of all the wolves, what were the chances that if he touched her hand, she'd feel the mark appear?
She looked at the last inch of carpet between their hands. "Then I stay here, and we either learn to live with each other, or we fall in love." She moved her hand away. "This is absurd. Letting fate rule us."
"You just said you were here willingly, lass." He crossed his arms and looked over at her. "Don't you think that you should be willing to give fate a try? We aren't going to get through this whole week without touching somehow."
He was right, but there was something in her stomach that was akin to dread. "I know, but I just got here. Maybe we should get to know each other a little better first."
He laughed that sexy laugh. "What would you like to know?"
"How you run your pack, if your pack actually res
pects you or if they fear you."
He looked like she'd smacked him. "That wasn't exactly what I was expecting."
She was about to speak when the front door opened and voices could be heard talking as others took their shoes off.
"Why those?"
"Because it's what I'm trying to escape," she whispered and shook her head. "Please, I'd like to go get settled."
He stood. "Of course, I'll grab your bag and show you to your room."
She ran her hands over her face, feeling like an idiot. She couldn't make up her mind on if this was a good idea or not. But the thought that she might be tying herself to a pack that was just as bad as her current one was a sudden thought. Would she be escaping her old one just to find new problems?
Tristan waved at the people coming in, and she followed him down a hall and up the flight of stairs. They were both silent until they came to a door.
"Here's your room. I'll let you get settled. Molly is cooking dinner tonight. I'll let you know when it's ready."
She nodded and took her bag from him, being careful to avoid his hand. "Thank you."
"Of course. I'd like to talk a little bit tonight about what's on your mind."
"Yeah. I think that's only fair."
"Of course, maybe some of your questions will be answered at dinner." He stepped away. "I'll see you in a little bit."
She opened the door and pulled her bag inside. Her phone rang, and she answered it without looking at the screen, surprised that she even had service this far up the pass.
"Hello."
"Erin, is there a mark or not?" Her dad's voice came through the speaker, and she tried not to roll her eyes.
"We haven't touched yet." She looked around the huge room, the carpet was the same gray as the rest of the house, but the bedspread was a deep crimson on the king-size bed, and it overlooked wide windows that gave her a wonderful view of the forest and the front of the house. The room with the balcony was probably right next to this one, and she was willing to bet it was Tristan's room.
Her father grumbled something, and she prepared herself for a lecture. "By Christmas, Erin, you either need a to be mated with a mark, or you come home and we go to war to gain the territory."
"Why can't we look at expanding into the east? The pack is smaller and maybe more willing to merge."
"Better hunting, bigger area, things you wouldn't really understand."
Right, because she never paid attention and she was a woman. According to her father, leading the pack was a man's job. "Christmas is two days away."
"Then you better get over whatever issues you are having and touch him." He disconnected the line.
She set the phone down and turned to find an adjoining bathroom. She went in and looked at herself in the mirror. She had two days to decide what she wanted to do. If the mark didn't show up, could she leave and let her father start a war that could be very bloody? The pack would follow him into it, but only because to disobey meant death anyways.
If she didn't return home and the mark didn't appear, she'd become a rogue and could be hunted down by the pack. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. If she didn't have the mark, it could be all over. She could return home and hide while her pack started a war. After all, it wouldn't be her fault. It would be fate's.
Tristan returned downstairs to see the five pack members sitting around the living room, chatting about the small storm rolling in. This was his family, his pride and joy. Some more would show up throughout the next couple days. All the wolves who didn't have blood family to call their own would come to spend the holidays with their pack family and one stranger.
No one had liked the idea, and when Tristan had proposed it to Chris, he didn't think the other alpha would agree with it. But he had. The older alpha sent his own daughter to be tested. It would be their only chance to avoid war, as Chris said he refused to send anyone else. Tristan wasn't stupid and knew that the probabilities were against them. He didn't want to take his wolves to war. It'd be a bloody battle, but he was confident they would come out on top.
But her questions and reaction caught him off guard. She didn't have a choice in coming, but now she said she was there willingly. Then the comment about trying to escape. He had a feeling there was a lot more going on in the other pack than he thought.
"Yo, kilt-man, what's going on in your head?" Molly asked. "You've been standing there staring at us for a few minutes now."
He shrugged. "Just a lot of things going on. Our guest has arrived. She's a bit tense, so make sure you make her feel welcome and show her what this pack is all about."
"Aye," they all cheered. None of them were Scottish, but they'd all started responding to him like that since he'd take over the pack, and it made him smile every time.
Jared laid back on the couch and smiled at Tristan. "Any news yet? Shiny mark?"
Tristan shook his head. "No, not yet, we haven't tried. She's skittish, so I don't want to force it on her at all."
"So, you two are just going to go about avoiding each other until one of you finally decides to touch the other?" Molly shook her head. "That's going to make for a great week."
"We only have until Christmas." Erin's voice came from the hallway. She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed as she surveyed the room.
Tristan would have given his left arm to know what she was thinking. "Come sit with us." He motioned to the couch. "There's no reason to stand alone."
Hesitation played across her face. She seemed to focus on Molly for a moment before going to sit down. He would make sure to ask her about it later. "What do you mean we only have until Christmas? Your father said he'd send a car for you on New Year's Day."
She shook her head. "He just called me." She tucked her feet up under her. "Wants to see if the mark appears before Christmas, and if not, he's pretty set on war."
Anger at the news fed Tristan's beast below the surface. It was the first time the wolf had stirred since Erin had arrived. He had originally assumed the threat of war was idle. Too many wolves would die in battle, and it would shrink both packs, but apparently, Chris was dead set on the territory.
"He wouldn't dare attack while you were in the territory."
To his surprise, she laughed. "You think so? I'm expendable in his mind. Just here to marry or mate off to another pack."
He knew the horror showed on his face. "Really?"
"Why would I lie about something like that?" She met his gaze. "Why do you think he sent me off so easily with the threat of war in the air?"
Molly suddenly jumped up. "Well, time for me to get cooking. Jared, want to help?"
"Sure thing." He stood and followed her to the kitchen. The other wolves dispersed as well, leaving just him and Erin.
"Your father doesn't have much respect for you then." He sat down in one of the recliners. "That's why you were talking about getting away."
She leaned on the edge of the couch and watched the fire, almost turning herself completely away from him. "Some of it, yes. I can tell you this though, if we go to war, it'll be a bloodbath. My father treats the pack as soldiers. They're taught to fight and survive."
"We're prepared to defend ourselves, but hopefully it doesn't come down to that." He held his hand out. "Let's see?"
She turned and looked at his hand. "And what happens if it doesn't show up?"
"We prepare for war, and it's up to you if you want to stay or return to your pack. I've always welcomed outsiders and rogues into this pack. It wouldn't be any different for you."
She met his gaze. "You're offering safety to the daughter of an alpha that wants to take your territory."
He shrugged a shoulder. "I'm really not one to judge where my people come from. As long as you're loyal to the pack, that's all I ask."
She started to say something, but one of the wolves came running in, and she
snapped her mouth shut.
"Tristan, one of the pups has lost their damn mind outside. None of us can get him to calm down enough to shift."
"I'll be right back." He stood and headed toward the door. "Mark, which pup is it? How long has he been out of control?"
"We were just out screwing around in the snow for an hour. He's been trying for about fifteen minutes to shift back. We were trying to get him to calm down before bringing you out. We know that you have other things on your mind."
He shook his head. "You shouldn't have to deal with the pup on your own." He grabbed his jacket and looked back at Erin who was watching him closely. "I'll be right back."
She waved a hand. "You have an alpha thing to do, so go ahead."
He thought he could see a small smile on her face as he put his boots on. He disappeared out the door and tromped through the fresh snow that was starting to accumulate on the already packed snow of the driveway. Mark led him around back where there was a full werewolf hunched down in a snow drift, snarling at two other wolves.
He knew the markings on the two wolves trying to get to the pup. "Christina and Huey, back down." He let his energy flow out. The energy that belonged to his wolf left a thrill in his body as it reached out demanding for his wolves to listen. The two backed down and trotted off to Mark's side.
Tristan met the yellow gaze of the snarling pup. Most people who would come face to face with a wolf that stood to their shoulder would back down, but this was his wolf, his pup. A wolf who had newly come into his ability. "Hey Scott, you need to calm down there, lad."
The wolf tilted his head which didn't mean much, but at least he was done snarling.
"Atta boy, why don't we work on getting you shifted back? Mark will go get a nice warm blanket for you, and we'll get you inside."
The wolf snarled at him and crouched down. Nice might not work. Tristan took a deep breath and called his own wolf to just the surface. He could feel it as a second skin rubbing up against him, and he knew when he locked eyes with Scott that his own eyes were the same yellow as the wolf in front of him.
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