by E A Price
“What about all the screaming and the moaning…”
Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’ll just have to control yourself. Now come on, let’s unpack.”
Melanie picked up a large brown package. “What’s this?”
Hans made a grab for it, and Melanie twisted away. “It’s nothing.”
“Yeah, I can tell by your actions that’s the truth… is it a gift? For me?”
Hans’ guilty look told her it was. After Hans had railed about how ridiculous and consumer-driven Christmas was, they’d decided not to buy each other gifts. For one thing, she couldn’t even begin to think of what to buy Hans. What do you buy the man who has nothing and wants nothing? For another, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted either. If she needed or wanted something, she bought it. She wasn’t into expensive things like jewelry or perfume. She was low maintenance.
So this gift was a complete surprise.
“You can open it if you want,” said Hans awkwardly.
Melanie eagerly pushed the paper off and gasped. It was a small painting of her mother. It was beautiful, truly beautiful. Melanie had often complained she didn’t have a good photo of her mother. Sometimes she felt so disconnected from her childhood.
Hans rubbed her shoulder. “I know you miss your mom, so I thought it might be nice to have a picture of her in our home.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Rosalee did it. I gave her all the photos I could find, and she managed to put this together.” Rosalee was the female Alpha and a talented artist.
Melanie stared into her mother’s soft, brown eyes. She’d always been so joyful and full of life. “Thank you for this, it’s really, really beautiful.”
Reverentially she placed the picture on top of what had to be Acksel’s old desk. It was unlikely Hans had ever used it to do homework; it was unlikely he’d ever done any homework. She turned and gave her mate a deep, hungry kiss. Her fingers grasped at his shirt and pulled it over his head. She started fumbling with his belt buckle.
Hans ran his hands down his mate’s back. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you said…”
“I don’t care what I said; I fucking love you Hans Lucas, and I don’t care who knows it!”
*
Two hours later, the family sat round the TV, in their pajamas, watching a Christmas movie. Noa had chosen it, so it was While You Were Sleeping. Hans was in such a good mood he didn’t complain once.
The twins were flicking disgruntled glances at Hans and Melanie. There were things they could never un-hear. They couldn’t look at their brother in the same way again.
Noa and Acksel were trying not to chuckle while Ilse was looking pleased. She was determined to be a grandmother, so the more they were together...
Hans reflected that bunk beds weren’t that bad after all, and if the last two hours were anything to go by, they were kind of versatile. Melanie snuggled into his chest, curling her fingers into his pajama top. Yep, he was going to enjoy spending Christmas in bunk beds. Mine.
Delilah & Andy – Grudge Match
23rd December
Andy Harper watched, with a mixture of happiness and annoyance, as his mate was led around the dance floor by another man. Andy, a black bear shifter, had recently mated with a wolf shifter called Mac Grey. Her real name was Delilah, but only he got to call her that. Well, him and one other. The one she was dancing with…
Alright, she happened to be dancing with her brother, Adam, the Alpha of the Grey wolf pack that Delilah belonged to, and of which he had become an honorary member. Despite how irrational it was, he couldn’t help but be a bit peeved at seeing her in his arms. Okay, so yeah, maybe it was a bit sick and wrong, but he was jealous.
The sooner the song ended and Delilah came back to him, the better. Their mating was still new; they were still in the honeymoon period. But, he had a hard time imagining ever not wanting to rip her clothes off at any given moment of the day. In fact, how soon could they get away?
It was Adam’s wedding day. They were at the reception being held in the new pack recreation centre. Delilah was a bridesmaid. The long, flowing pink dress looked beautiful on her tall, slim frame. She always thought she was gangly, but to Andy she was graceful and lovely. She was a goddess to him.
Andy was sitting with other pack members, Gabe, Kira, Jolene and Jake. Gabe and Jake worked with Delilah as Sheriff’s Deputies. They were talking about their plans for Christmas, but Andy wasn’t listening, all of his attention was riveted on his mate.
Besides, the party was winding down. Pregnant females had been led away by overprotective mates; pups had been dragged away by irritated parents, and older pack members had gone home an hour ago. People were slowly starting to drift toward their homes, and it was time they did the same.
He had been tormented all day by the sight of her looking so beautiful, and his arousal was sky high. Now it was time he did something about it.
They had met in August but hadn’t bonded until November. The path to their happily ever after had not been easy, and after much-wasted time he didn’t want to miss another moment.
Andy abruptly got to his feet, mumbling ‘excuse me’ to the other pack mates. He smiled and dodged round his ex-wife Esther and her wolf mate Felicity, before alighting on his mate and her brother.
Andy approached them. “May I cut in?” he asked with steely determination.
Even if Adam said no, he was cutting in. Adam may be her brother and her Alpha, but Andy was her mate. They had almost come to blows over this a few times. Andy disliked Adam gruffly ordering his mate around, but Delilah didn’t seem to mind. As a wolf, taking orders from the Alpha was natural. It wasn’t quite the same for bear clans; the need to live in groups, and obey the strongest male, wasn’t as deeply ingrained into their psyches as it was for wolves.
Adam cocked him a smile. Ordinarily he might have argued, but he was just too damn happy at that moment. “Course.”
Delilah kissed her brother on the cheek. “Congratulations, brother.”
“Thanks, little sis.’”
Adam happily tripped off back to his mate, Rosalee, as Andy encircled her in his arms. Delilah pressed her cheek against his hard chest. She’d always felt so goofy until she met Andy. He made her feel so small and feminine. At five foot eight she was kind of tall, but he was still just over a foot taller than her.
She was even coming round to the name Delilah. She’d hated it as a kid, and instead had gone by her middle name Mackenzie, which inevitably shortened to Mac over time. Her late mother had been disappointed that she didn’t like the name, but hadn’t argued; Delilah felt infinitely guilty for that now. Andy thought it was a lovely name, whereas he thought Mac was more suited to a middle-aged, balding trucker. She was kind of thinking of reclaiming her name.
Andy leaned down, a whisper away from her lips. “Let’s go home.”
Mac’s face lit up briefly, but then fell again. “I’d love to, but Adam…”
Andy ignored the inner growl of his bear. “The party’s winding down now.”
Delilah ummed and aahed. “I guess, but maybe I should talk to Adam…”
The bear huffed. It was always ‘Adam this’ or ‘Adam that.’ What about him? Yes, okay maybe he was a petulant child, but he wanted to be first in his mate’s affection.
Andy ground his teeth to stop himself from lashing out. “Fine, let’s go ask permission from your brother to leave.”
Delilah clucked her tongue in disapproval. “That’s not what I meant…”
“Yes it is!” he hissed.
“Don’t be like that,” she whispered furiously.
Her wolf was getting antsy. When they first got together, Andy and Adam had been a little testy with one another. But she thought things were getting better. Evidently, she was wrong.
Adam was her big brother, and her Alpha; after being the most important man in her life for so long he was a little displeased at being displaced by a bear. Wolves could
be pretty territorial. Adam went out of his way to irk Andy.
Meanwhile, Andy was irritated by the fact that she did defer to her Alpha. Andy wanted her to defer to him, and him alone. She underestimated just how possessive bears could be. It wasn’t just her though; apparently her pack mate Felicity was also undergoing a similar, difficult transition with her bear-mate Esther. Although, it probably wasn’t as bad for Felicity, given that she wasn’t the Alpha’s baby sister.
She was annoyed at Andy for making her choose between the two most important men in her life, but also sympathetic. If the roles were reversed, Delilah might feel the same way.
“I’ll wait outside,” he muttered before leaving her on the dance floor, alone.
Delilah sighed and went in search of Adam.
*
Delilah was silent all the way home. Andy flicked concerned glances her way; he tried to probe their bond, but found her firmly closed for business.
When they arrived home, she stomped up the stairs to their bedroom, without a backward glance. Andy locked up the house and followed her slowly.
His bear grumbled at him in disapproval. So maybe he wasn’t altogether happy with the situation, but he shouldn’t take it out on his mate.
Andy walked into the bedroom, trying to think about what to say to her, to make things right. He stilled as he saw her stood by the closet, clad only in a pair of white, lace panties. His eyes devoured her tall, lithe body, her long legs and her small, ripe breasts.
She disappeared into the bathroom. Andy quickly shed his clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, eagerly waiting for her. A few moments later, Delilah came out, her cheeks pink from being scrubbed clean, and her panties nowhere to be seen.
He started to stand. “Honey, I…”
Delilah came over and straddled his lap, directing his head to hers for a devastating kiss.
Finally coming up for air, he tried to apologize again, but she shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, big guy, doesn’t matter.”
Delilah reached down between them and stroked his hard member. He groaned lustfully as his bear howled happily. Bracing one hand on his shoulder, she used the other to rub the head of his cock over her sensitive nub. Delicious bolts of electricity shot through her body. She moved him to her entrance, and gradually impaled herself.
Her wolf yipped excitedly. Her wolf had been a little standoffish for a few days; the animal wouldn’t be truly happy until Delilah disclosed her little discovery to their mate. But Delilah was waiting for the right moment. The wolf, however, was thoroughly on board with what they were doing now.
Delilah rested with him fully inside for a few seconds, delighting in the feeling of fullness. Andy cupped her ass and began lifting her up and down his length. She pushed herself up and down on him, claws digging into his shoulders as she reveled in him dragging in and out of her, tightly rubbing inside her. He began pushing into her with more force, his bear roaring at him, eager to reach their climax.
Andy bent his head and sucked at the smooth orbs of her breasts. He licked and bit her nipples, making her cry out and furiously clench around him. The added tightness was too much; Andy felt his orgasm surge through him as he exploded inside his mate, triggering her climax.
Andy released her breast and cried her name as his bear bellowed. Delilah screamed her completion as her beast yapped like a puppy. Panting, and trembling, they clung to each other, riding out the shared waves of pleasure.
Andy stood up, his softening manhood slipping from her. He lay his mate down and stretched out behind her, pulling the covers over them. He kissed her bonding mark, and they drifted into sleep.
*
24th December
Andy watched as Delilah slipped into her Deputy’s uniform. Andy didn’t have to work; Bar Luna, where he was a bartender/bouncer, was going to be closed for a few days. The manager, Kim, and her five-year-old daughter were spending Christmas in Alexandria with her boyfriend, Ed.
Delilah, unfortunately, did have to work. Sadly, the Sheriff’s station never closed. Thankfully, she wasn’t working on Christmas day at least. Another Deputy, a bobcat called Deanna, had agreed to work. She supported her younger siblings and needed the money.
His bear whined. “Just five more minutes…”
Delilah chuckled. “No way, if I get back in that bed with you I doubt I’ll see daylight at all today.”
Andy smirked. “Well, that’s true.”
Delilah blew him a kiss. “See you later, big guy.”
She wiggled her ass as she sauntered away.
“Love you, honey,” he called.
“Me too.”
The door slammed; he heard her car driving away. He eased out of bed, stretching before checking the weather through the window. It was cold, but not too cold. With no work and Delilah otherwise occupied, he was at a loose end, so running as his beast would be ideal.
Andy trundled downstairs and out into the cool winter air. He didn’t bother locking the door behind him, just about the only time they ever did was when they were sleeping. Anyone would have to be mad to try and steal from a black bear and a she-wolf.
He quickly shimmered and shifted to his beast. He sighed as a feeling of freedom stole over him. Shaking out his shaggy limbs, he bounded off the porch and lumbered into the woods.
The bear roared happily. This is just what he needed; a nice run to get rid of some of his frustrations. Delilah had been a little quiet this past week; he worried it was because of his dissatisfaction with pack life. He hadn’t exactly held back on complaining.
He hadn’t considered the difficult position she had been put in due to his actions. Guilt washed through him. At the time, he’d assured her he had no problem and had readily joined the pack, but ever since it happened, he’d complained and made life hard for her. He needed to get over it; he needed to show her that it didn’t matter. Because, ultimately, it didn’t, as long as he was with her, nothing mattered. He could put up with anything just to have her as his mate, and the last thing he wanted was for her to regret mating with him.
He needed to suck it up, and get over it. Delilah was his; she belonged to him. And no one was ever going to take her from him…
The bear sneezed as a snowflake fell on his nose. It was starting to get a little too cold; he should turn back. He’d go home and start thinking about how he could make this the best damn Christmas she ever had.
The bear sniffed and stilled. He smelt his mate. Her sweet scent of honey buns lingered in the air. Was she here? He knew she hadn’t been out this far in over a week before today. He snarled as he scented blood.
The bear took off, following the scent. Blood pumped through his limbs as he rushed toward her. Please be okay, please be okay. He came to where the scent was strongest, wildly he looked around but there was no sign of her.
He sniffed and jogged over to a tree stump; behind it was a pile of clothes - Delilah’s clothes. He frowned; he’d never seen them before. They looked kind of old. He pawed through them, finding baggy tshirts with cartoon characters on. From photos, they looked more like her teenage wardrobe; Batgirl tshirts weren’t really her style anymore. Who would have kept these clothes?
His fur stood on end as he caught the scent of someone else. Someone familiar. He whirled round as two loud bangs resounded through the woods.
The bear staggered back as both bullets hit him in the chest, and he fell to the ground with a thump. He roared as the shooter crept closer to him.
“Fucking bear!” snarled the shooter venomously.
It was Luke, Delilah’s ex-boyfriend. The male wolf had attacked her and tried to force her into bonding, even after she had bonded with Andy.
Luke sneered at him. “Did you really think I’d let you steal my mate?”
After Luke attacked Delilah, the Alpha, and then Andy, had challenged him to a fight to the death. Luke chose to leave the pack rather than face either challenger, citing that Delilah wasn’t worth it. They had barely given the cruel wolf
a second thought, believing him long gone. Clearly they misjudged his twisted obsession for Delilah.
“You took her from me, but when you’re dead, she’ll be mine again!” Luke spat, eyes flashing.
The bear howled. This wolf would never have their mate! The bullets were stinging; he tried to work up the energy to stop the demented wolf shifter. He could see Luke’s angry red eyes, filled with hatred for the bear.
“She was always meant to be mine! I had her before you did; you took something that didn’t belong to you. And I’m going to take it back.”
The crazed wolf raised the gun again, and the bear lunged. Vaguely, the bear was aware of another bullet searing through his flesh. He ignored the white hot pain, as his claws dug into the wolf. He could only think of one thing, his mate. This male was not allowed to have her!
The wolf yelped as the huge bear charged at him. He dropped the gun and roared as he started shifting. The wolf scrambled as the bear’s claws sliced through his skin; he limped away before rounding on the bear, and leaping, jaws snapping.
The bear swiped his massive paws, as the wolf locked his sharp fangs into the bear’s shoulder. He growled in a mixture of pain and fury. Blood oozed from his wounds; the burning ache permeated his body. He felt himself slowing, and falling.
His beautiful mate flashed before him; he thought of her long black hair, her sparkling silver eyes, and the playfulness of her little wolf. No, he couldn’t give in. He couldn’t allow this monster to win. God only knows what he had planned for their mate.
Power surged through him. The bear pushed back at the smaller animal; he dug his razor sharp claws into the wolf’s skin. The wolf let go and howled in surprise. Without hesitating, the bear tore his fangs through the wolf’s throat.
The bear dropped the wolf to the ground, panting heavily. He yowled unhappily as he tried to walk away, every inch of his body screaming.
Soft flakes of snow flurried to the ground. The bear soldiered on as long as he could, thinking only of his seeing his mate again before darkness took him.
*
25th December
