by M. L. Briers
CHAPTER THREE
~
“Cute trick,” George bit out.
But he had magic of his own, George did exactly the same thing back to her, only at the moment that she fell, his guilty gene kicked in, and he reached out and snatched her onto his lap.
“Get off me!” Jessica hissed.
“Actually, you’re on me — doh!” George chuckled.
But there was nothing funny about the physical response that his body had when Jessica squirmed upon his lap, trying to get up, and he bit down on a groan.
“I hate you!” Jessica hissed.
“You keep telling yourself that,” George shot back, but that moment his pride felt dented.
“You’re thoughtless — and mean — and a fluffy head, big ego bully!” She threw herself forward onto her hands and knees.
George groaned at the sight of her backside that was staring him in the face. That didn’t help his little problem, or rather, a decent sized problem that was straining against his jeans.
“Could you just turn that…” He pointed to her backside as she tossed a look back over her shoulder at him. “In a different direction?”
Jessica gasped and spun across the ice on her knees, turning in his direction, and offering him something of a death glare.
“You’re disgusting!” She bit out.
“Yes, I probably am.”
George didn’t want to deny it. He didn’t want to argue with her. All he wanted to do was get up and hide his little embarrassment — decent sized embarrassment.
“You give men a bad name,” she hissed out as she tried to stand up, easier said than done when her feet slipped in two different directions on the ice.
“You gave your breasts a bad name!” He grumbled back as he tried to pull himself up from the ice.
“I really don’t want to speak to you right now, George” she grumbled.
She’d given up trying to get her feet, and she was padding across the ice on her hands and knees towards the nearest clump of snow.
“Silence is golden,” George grumbled back.
He noted the way that she was maneuvering across the snow and did the same, just in the opposite direction.
“We do this job, and then I never have to lay eyes on you,” she huffed. With her feet finally in the snow; she stood.
“Kind of hard in a community as small as ours, don’t you think?” He pushed up to his feet and eyed her with contempt.
“I’m leaving!” She yelled as she tossed up a hand in frustration at the man.
“You can’t leave we haven’t done the job yet.”
“I mean; I’m leaving to do the job, fluffy-headed idiot!” She snapped back.
“Then I’m coming with you.” He bit out. He’d rather be walking in a different direction, but he had little choice.
“Oh good, special torture,” she hissed and muttered things that he could still hear.
“You really are…” He bit down on his last words. That didn’t stop Jessica from stopping in her tracks and spinning back around to him.
“Am want?” She eyed him like a viper ready to attack.
“Let’s just do the job,” George grumbled back.
“No! Tell me. I’m what?” She demanded as she tossed her hands onto her hips, craned her neck forward, and offered him another death glare.
“I’m not speaking to you when you’re like this,” George lifted his chin, offered her something of a scathing look, that he’d learned from her, and started to walk on.
“Like this?” She bit out as she followed on behind him. “Like this — like what?” She demanded.
“Like — you.” He tossed back at her.
“I really — really — really — really…”
“Don’t like me.” George tossed back over his shoulder at her. “Surprise surprise. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“There’s a really, really big guy staring at us right now.” She lowered her voice, and that worried George — if she wasn’t shrill-like and squealing then she must be worried.
George tossed a look at her and followed her gaze. There he was. Tall, packed full of muscles, with a big, broad chest like a bear shifter, and arms like tree trunks.
George thought he could take him in a fight — if he used magic. The man was obviously a shifter, which meant they were in the right place.
“Hello!” The big man lifted his hand and waved. Better still, he smiled.
“I’m guessing the natives are friendly?” Jessica whispered as she stood beside George.
“That’s always a bonus when dealing with shifters,” George whispered back.
“Maybe, because they’re not regular shifters?”
“A shifter, is a shifter, is a shifter,” George offered back.
“Maybe, because they’re Santa’s shifters?” Jessica whispered.
“Then not exactly Santa’s shifters…”
“George, they’re reindeer. Can’t get more Santa than reindeer.”
“Elves?” George shrugged.
“Does that look like an elf to you?” Jessica snorted her contempt for him.
“I never said he was an elf,” George sighed as he rolled his eyes.
A moment later and George swallowed hard. There wasn’t just one shifter, there was a whole lot of them, and they were closing in.
“I think we might have to re-evaluate that whole friendly shifter thing,” George said.
“Now let’s not make this harder on ourselves,” the shifter said.
“George…” Jessica sounded worried, and she took a step closer to George.
“Don’t worry, Jessica, I’ve got this.”
CHAPTER FOUR
~
“You’ve got this? She huffed.
“Maybe I was a little optimistic.” George grimaced as he lifted his face from the snow and shot a look at the reindeer shifter that was sitting on his back, pinning him down.
“Gee, ya think?” she grumbled, folding her arms and eyeing the two big shifters that stood on either side of her.
“Who knew you couldn’t use magic against reindeer shifters?”
“That’s not exactly true,” Troy, the shifter sitting on George said.
“Wanna tell me why I can’t get your butt off me then?” George grumbled.
“Your magic is good here, if it’s good here, if it’s not good here, then it’s not good.” He shrugged, and George shot a look at Jessica.
“Am I only one…?”
“Usually.” Jessica snapped back.”
“Huh?”
“He said; be nice, or Santa won’t let you play,” Jessica shot back.
“Oh,” George considered her words. Then he twitched his nose, blinked his eyes, and shot a large snowball right at Troy’s head with all the force he could manage. “Play – got it.” He added as Troy fell sideways.
George was on his feet in a heartbeat, but instead of Jessica following his lead, or even applauding him, she looked at him as if he’d just lot his mind.
“Oh, genius, but what about Blitzen and Donner, here?” She looked from one large shifter to the other as they took a large step towards George as one. George swallowed hard.
“Run?” he offered.
“From reindeer?” She inspected her nails instead. “You go right ahead, George.”
“Not very helpful, Jessica.”
“They fly, George, and wait – we can’t.” she shrugged.
Troy pulled himself to his feet. George groaned inwardly at the size of the man.
“Just give me a moment to bend over and kiss my backside goodbye,” George grumbled, and Troy’s shoulders lifted and fell as he sighed. George offered him a grin. He offered a grunt. “You were friendlier before…”
“You launched a giant snowball at my head?” Troy grunted.
“There is that,” George grimaced again.
Jessica’s interest was snatched by the sound of sleigh bells coming from the distance. She turned to look, and ther
e it was, a large golden sleigh, drawn by reindeer coming right for them.
“Err, George?”
“It’s Santa!” George announced, chuckling until his eyes fell on the guy in the front seat. Then he frowned, craned his head on his neck, and blinked several times. “Santa?”
“Hello, George and Jessica.” The jolly, red-cheeked, portly man with the big, white as snow, wrap-around beard waved at them.
“Oh, wow…” Jessica perked right up.
“I know what you’re thinking!” Santa called.
“I bet you bloody don’t!” George muttered.
“I’m Micholas.”
“Micholas?” George narrowed his eyes and considered it for a long moment. “Nope, not ringing any sleigh bells on my end.”
“You might have heard of my twin brother,” he offered, bringing the sleigh to a stop.
“Is he famous?” George asked with a big dollop of sarcasm in his tone.
“George!” Jessica snapped, she went to turn a glare on him, but Santa’s brother roared with laughter.
“I think a few people might have heard of him,” Micholas nodded.
“Okay, Santa mark two,” George started, but Jessica hissed at him, and he shot her a questioning look before continuing, “nice to meet you, and these guys, but, we have a job to do…”
“For the fairy godmother?” Micholas nodded.
“Right, you’ve heard of her. Good.” George was more hopeful.
“Of course, she’s jolly good fun, isn’t she?”
“Not the way I’d describe her, but, okay,” George frowned at the thought of Miriam being fun. It didn’t fit with the woman he knew.
“How is she?”
“She’s…hmm, that feels like a trick question. Let’s say in good health.” George offered back.
“George,” Jessica hissed.
“Jessica, I’m trying to have a conversation here,” George grumbled.
“Get in, get in – I’ll take you two young people to where you need to be,” Micholas offered.
“Oh,” George looked skeptical. “What about…?” he looked at Troy.
“These boys were the welcoming committee. We’re a little busy around here, you understand,” Micholas beamed him a smile.
“Okay,” George frowned, but Jessica was only too happy to climb onboard.
“Jessica,” George bit out a warning, and she snapped him a scowl.
“George, really? It’s fine.”
“That’s like asking what could go wrong,” George grumbled.
“What can go wrong?” Jessica said, and George bit down on a curse.
“Do not tempt fate,” George snapped back.
“George, you’re so…untrusting and pessimistic. It’s Santa's brother!” she huffed as she sat down. “Don’t mind him.” she offered to Micholas.
“Fine, but I’m going to enjoy telling you that I told you so,” George grumbled as he climbed up into the back of the sleigh.
“And off we go,” Micholas said.
The sleigh pitched forward, and George ended up face first in a pile of blankets on the back seat. He grumbled and groaned as he twisted his body into the seat.
“How do you know where we’re going?” Jessica asked. “Did the fairy godmother call ahead?”
“In a way, yes. She asked us to do her a little favor and lend you one of our cabins for a night or two,” Micholas informed her.
“Cabin?” Jessica frowned. “But, we’re here to put two mates together before Christmas,” she whispered just in case she was overheard.
“No, no you’re not. Not really,” Micholas whispered back.
“Huh?” George asked as he pushed forward and his face appeared between them.
“Well, you sort of are – I guess,” Micholas shrugged.
“With age comes a little bit of confusion,” George said, and Jessica shot him a glare.
“We need to find the mates,” Jessica said.
“There right here,” Micholas informed her.
“Huh?” George said again.
“You’re the mates!” Micholas announced, and George and Jessica turned a whiter shade of pale.
“I – told – you –so,” George groaned as he tossed himself back in the seat.
CHAPTER FIVE
~
“Wait,” Jessica whispered, and George groaned. “What!” she screeched out, and George groaned louder.
“What could go wrong?” George tossed back and then muttered a stream of dark words.
“Shut up, George,” she bit out. “There’s been a mistake…”
“I don’t think so,” Micholas grinned and he had a twinkle in his eyes. Santa’s kin or not, she wanted to plant her fist in his face.
“Let me off this thing!” she screeched, pushing up in her seat. George reached out and yanked her back down.
“We’re not at the love cabin yet,” Micholas said, and George groaned again.
“Love cabin!” she screeched. “Are you insane?” she demanded. Then she turned towards George. “I think he’s insane!”
“Meh,” George shrugged.
“That’s it? Meh?” she demanded.
“Well, what do you want me to do? Rugby tackled Micholas, kick him out of the sleigh, and take off to…?”
“Yes!” she said, somewhat irate at the prospect of spending time in a cabin with George, let alone one called the love cabin.
There was no way in hell that she was George’s mate. The fairy godmother must have been having a brain fart.
“Go for it!” George offered as he waved a hand in her direction and she gave a wheezy huff as she turned back to Micholas.
“Look, there’s been a mistake, trust me, that fluffy headed numptie is not my mate,” she said with every ounce of conviction she possessed.
“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out in wooing your mate, son,” Micholas offered over his shoulder, and George grumbled another few curses.
“I heard that!” Jessica lied.
“Big ears,” George shot back. “Maybe you should be an elf.”
“Maybe you should…” she pressed her lips together and squealed in annoyance.
“Good comeback.” George sniggered.
“Why aren’t you helping me?” Jessica demanded.
“To do what?”
“Convince this Santa double that we’re not mates!” she hissed.
“Because that went so well for the witches when they tried it with us,” he sighed.
“Not the bloody point, George,” she hissed.
“No?” George shrugged again.
“No!” She turned in her seat, crossed her arms, and huffed again.
“Nice pout,” George offered and received Jessica’s middle finger in reply. “Such a lady.” George sniggered.
“Bite me!”
“Be careful what you wish for.” George chuckled.
~
~
~
“Wow,” George eyed the inside of the cabin. Everywhere he looked it was Christmas.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Micholas said with gusto.
“It’s…” George struggled for words.
“Did the elves throw up in here?” Jessica hissed at the two men as she walked by them, got to the sofa, turned on her heels, and dropped her backside down onto a cushion.
“I have to say — that they had fun decorating this cabin for you,” Micholas chuckle, it was a hearty laugh, all he needed was a ho-ho-ho, and George’s day would have been complete.
“The love cabin?” Jessica hissed.
“Oh, that’s just what we’re calling it,” Nicholas informed her. Then he turned toward George. “The fridge is full; the fire is burning, enjoy your little love nest, compliments of my brother and the fairy godmother.” He winked.
Then the man turned on his heels to leave, and George rushed to panic at the thought of being alone with Jessica’s wrath.
“Stay, have a beer, wine, mulled, anything,” George rushed out.
The sound of the man’s hearty laughter echoed through the cabin, even after he slammed the door shut behind him. Then everything fell silent — and the locks clicked on.
Jessica shot up from the sofa like a rabbit that had just spotted a wolf. Her eyes snapped from George to the door and back to George again — big, wide accusing eyes.
“George!” Jessica lifted a hand and pointed to the front door.
“Don’t look at me — I don’t have the key,” George shrugged.
“Do something, George!” Jessica demanded, she even stomped her foot.
George tried hard not to burst into laughter. The sight of his mate throwing a tantrum amused him so.
“I will be doing something about all of this,” George took a moment to consider his words. He wanted to be very careful where Jessica was concerned because, boy, could she zap.
“And?” She demanded, lifting her hands and motioning toward the door to urge him on.
“Apparently, I’ll be wooing my mate this Christmas.”
CHAPTER SIX
~
“That is not even remotely funny!” Jessica hissed, she stomped her foot again, and this time George found it kind of cute.
“Nope, no it’s not.” George folded his arms across his chest and regarded her with a small grin.
“Why are you grinning like an idiot?” Jessica demanded.
“I’m sorry my grin offends you,” George offered back.
“That’s fine, but, George, do something!” Jessica demanded again.
“Rush to panic, like you?”
“Yes!” Jessica snapped off her next word and stood there as she stared up at the ceiling and considered her words. “No,” she sounded a little more rational that time.
“Look, I’m the Christmas fairy, you’ve been the Christmas fairy — we both know how this goes,” George offered back.
“Don’t say it like that!” Jessica looked at him as if he’d just grown another head.
“Like what?”
“So damn final.”
“But, it is final. It’s the nail in the coffin...”
