Miss Claus and the Secret Santa: A Shifter Christmas Romance, Book 1
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Miss Claus and the Secret Santa
A Shifter Christmas Romance
Book 1
J.L. Hendricks
This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright (c) 2016 J.L. Hendricks
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.
Cover Design by Roz Marshall of Alba Covers
Edited by Rebecca Reddell
First Edition November, 2016
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016 J.L. Hendricks
Shifter Christmas Romance Series
Prequel – Santa Meets Mrs. Claus (sign up for my newsletter and get it free)
Book 1 – Miss Claus and the Secret Santa
Other books by J.L. Hendricks:
Alpha Alien Abduction Tale
Book 1 – Worlds Away
Book 2 – Worlds Collide
Book 3 – Worlds Entwined (Early 2017)
The Eclipse Series
Book 0.5 – Eclipse of the Beginning
The Original Eclipse Series
Book 1 – Eclipse of the Warrior
Book 2 – Eclipse of the Soul
Book 3 – The Eclipse of Power
Book 4 – Eclipse of the Heart
Book 5 – Age of the Eclipse
Origins of The Eclipse – A stand-alone series in the Eclipse Universe
Book 1 – The Eclipse of Time
Book 2 – TBD
Book 3 – TBD
Anthologies
The Expanding Universe (On presale now! Launches Dec 15, 2016) - Includes Worlds Revealed (Prequel to Worlds Away)
Midnight Solstice – Includes Santa Meets Mrs. Claus (Prequel to Miss Claus and the Secret Santa)
Inanna’s Circle Game Vol. 3 – Includes The Eclipse of Time
Table of Contents
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Author’s Notes
Worlds Away
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Newsletter Sign-up
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Chapter 1
This was the worst day of my life! My mother just told me I had to marry Rock! Of all people, Rock! Please, what kind of name is that? Had I been born a guy, I would have a choosing ceremony this year. Where I pick my future spouse, instead of being told who I am to marry! This just sucks! I always thought I would marry for love, not convenience.
“OW!” I felt a thump to the back of my head as I walked toward my house. I put my hand to the back of my head and felt the wet, slushy snow that was slowly making its way down my hair.
My younger sister had thrown a hard-packed snowball at me. Normally, I would have played with her. Snow fights were one of my favorite things to do around here. But not today. All I wanted to do was hide in my room and figure out a way to get away from Rock.
“Mandy, not now,” I said as I walked away.
“Why not? I thought you loved snowball fights. We could get Rock and his brothers to join us,” Mandy suggested a little too enthusiastically.
“How did you know? I just found out myself!” I huffed out as I took my knitted cap off my head and smoothed down my hair. As she mumbled, my eyes narrowed, and I tapped my foot. “I can’t hear you when you do that. Speak up.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What did you find out?” She couldn’t make eye contact so I knew she was hiding something. Her hands were behind her back, and she was slowly trying to walk away from me.
“Mandy, what are you trying to keep from me? You know I’ll find out so just tell me.” As the future Mrs. Claus, the Christmas Magic had always been strong within me. I tried not to misuse my abilities, but I could read minds when I tried hard. In case you didn’t know, my dad is Santa Claus.
“I heard Dad say that we were going away for Thanksgiving this year. He wants us all to go with him to visit the European and Russian packs for a couple weeks.”
“Really? Who all is supposed to go with us?” My jaw clenched as I wondered about this bit of news my mother left out of our talk today.
“Rock and his parents and a couple of the enforcers…”
“I KNEW IT! No wonder Mom didn’t tell me! I bet she was going to wait until the last minute to tell me.” My breathing picked up speed as I stewed over her plan to get me and Rock together. I wouldn’t do it. There was no way I was going on that trip.
“When did they say we were leaving, Mandy?” I crossed my arms over my chest as I seethed.
“Um, in like, two days?” She shrugged her shoulders and scooted away from me even more. “I thought you would like to hang out with Rock and some of the other guys. Aren’t they your best friends?”
“That doesn’t mean I want to marry them!” I blew out a heavy breath and shoved my bangs out of my eyes.
“Who said marry? We are just going with our parents to check on problem packs. That’s all. What are you talking about?” She stopped inching away from me and stood in place with a confused look on her face.
“Mom just told me I have to marry Rock in January! In two months, I have to marry a guy as stupid as a boulder! He won’t make a good Santa!” I kicked a mound of snow at my feet and turned to go inside.
Mandy put a hand on my shoulder. “He isn’t stupid as a boulder. Wait! Lizzie, Mom said you have to marry Rock? Our Beta’s son? The one I have been in love with since I could tell the difference between a boy wolf and a girl wolf?” She narrowed one eye at me and pursed her lips.
“Oh, Mandy, I am so sorry! I forgot for a minute how you would feel. You’re right. Yesterday, I would have said he was pretty smart. But now! Shoot, I can’t marry him.”
Glancing at Mandy, I saw tears glistening in the girl’s eyes. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “What are we going to do? Mom said I have to marry him since he is the next Beta. Because she never gave birth to a boy, I have to marry the next most
powerful wolf in the pack.”
The title of Santa always went from father to son. We have never had a generation without a male heir. Of course it would be me who broke the tradition.
If this had happened forty years ago, then Alphas and Betas all over would have fought dad for the position. But after what happened to his brother over twenty years ago, no one is allowed to challenge the sitting Santa or his heir. So now I have to marry the strongest male to take his place.
“I don’t see why you can’t be Santa. This is the 21st century after all. Women can do anything! Why not be Santa?” Mandy exclaimed.
“I have made that same argument since I was ten. Christmas Magic has even given me extra abilities. I bet it does want me to become the next Santa! These past three years, I have gone out with dad each Christmas Eve and helped. I only made one mistake in three years as an apprentice! But they won’t hear of it.” I shook my head.
Christmas Magic is what surrounds us. It protects us from the outside world finding us, and it gives Santa and his family extra powers. They aren’t always the same. However, Mrs. Claus usually has the same powers of healing, just at different levels. The powers I am experiencing are more than any other Mrs. Claus in our history, that I could find. This Magic appears to have a conscience, or at least a plan for what it wants my family to do.
“But, can’t you choose another strong male? Or the son of an Alpha from another pack?” She looked up at me wringing her hands and scrunching her brows.
“No, I tried that, too. They won’t hear of it. Dad has made his mind up. He already told Rock’s dad that we are going to be married.” The thought of marrying him was making me sick. Literally! My stomach felt like it had boulders in it rubbing up against every spot in my belly.
“Is there anything you can do?” Mandy’s face was turning a bit green to go with my stomach.
“Yes, there is one thing. On this trip help me to find an Alpha I can marry. Even if he is a bit older, I could marry someone else. Well, I at least need some attraction to him. Can you help me?” I bit my nails as she considered my request.
I turned twenty this year, which meant it was time I married. If I was honest with myself, I was ready to marry. However, I didn’t want to marry some guy who knows all of my flaws and who I used to beat up when we were pups. Sure, Rock was strong, but as pups he was a bit of a runt. Plus, I don’t feel any extra Christmas Magic coming off him. How can he be the next Santa?
Santa always has the most Christmas Magic. Since I am chock full of the Magic, my husband needs to have a serious dose. If he doesn’t naturally have it, then the Magic must choose him. Like with my mom. She was never supposed to be Santa’s wife because my dad wasn’t supposed to be Santa. When the time came, the Christmas Magic knew this, and it chose her before even my dad knew what was going on. That is what it should be like for my future husband.
“Maybe I can get close to Rock too? If he doesn’t want you, maybe he will be happy with me and then tell his dad he wants to marry me instead?”
I laughed. “Yeah, let’s try that as well. Anything to keep him away from me.” I seriously doubted Rock would go for her. She was three years younger than us, and he had always thought she was a pest and never wanted her around.
I left her outside wondering how she was going to win Rock’s heart and went inside to figure out what I was going to do. I skipped dinner that night. While Arctic Wolves had hearty appetites, we could also go quite some time without food, even in human form. Although, if I shifted and stayed as a wolf, I could last longer without food. Even a couple of days without food in human form was doable. I should know, I had done it many times while throwing temper tantrums as a kid.
As I sat in my room that night, I came up with a plan. I was going to run away if I couldn’t meet any wolves in Europe that would make a good Santa. He didn’t have to be great, just good. I doubted any would be as good as my dad anyway.
Then decided running away was childish and immature. So I researched what I could about the different packs we were going to see. Not one of the pack Alphas had single sons my age or even close enough for me to consider marrying. This looked to be tougher than I imagined.
My dad and I had a great relationship. Normally, I would talk to him about something this serious. Right now, he didn’t have the answers I was seeking. Sure, I was mad at him, but he really was a great Santa!
Once a week, during the Christmas season, he would find his way to a human mall and get dressed up as their version of Santa Claus to meet kids. He always knew their names and what they wanted for Christmas. It amazed me each and every time he did it. When my uncle died, Christmas Magic gave my dad an extra dose of power. I think it might have wanted to make sure that no one could kill him too.
It was the Russian wolves that wanted my family exterminated. In the past twenty-three years since Uncle Kris’ death, my father and the rest of the North American packs have worked hard to make sure that the Russians who were responsible for his death were dealt with. Dad once told me that there was a faction in Europe that wanted him gone. They didn’t want to get rid of Christmas, they just wanted to rule Christmas themselves.
This trip was going to be extremely important to see if there was still an issue with the European wolves. I had to come up with some plan before we returned from this trip. While I sat alone in my room contemplating my options, of which there weren’t many, I felt a pull. Something was calling to me from the south. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but it felt like something my dad had told me about before.
When something super important was going on in the world, he would get a tug in his heart to go there. It could take a while before he knew where “there” was, but he always knew when the Magic was calling him. I wondered if it was calling me somewhere, or if I just hoped it was.
Chapter 2
The next morning both of my parents came to my room to talk to me. “Lizzy, you know we love you. But since you are the eldest, you must marry the next most powerful wolf. Rock is that man. Can you please accept this? You two have been friends since birth. I would have thought you would be happy with this decision.” My father sat next to me, while my mother sat in the chair across from me.
“Dad, it’s one thing to be friends with Rock, but marriage? I always thought I would marry for love. You did. Can’t I have that? A marriage like yours?” I stood up, walked to the window, and looked out to the forest landscape outside my bedroom window. There were spruce and pine trees outside that weren’t visible to those outside the magical dome, which protected us from the human’s spy technology.
“Honey, I want nothing more for you. But it isn’t about us. It is about the legend of Santa. If you don’t marry Rock, then who is going to be Mrs. Claus?”
“Mandy could do it. She already loves Rock. Why not let her marry him?” I turned around to see the shocked faces of my parents. “You didn’t know?” I shook my head and chuckled. “Of course not. Why would you think that Mandy could be in love with someone. She is seventeen you know. She’s not a little girl anymore.”
My mom put her hand out to silence my dad right as he was opening his mouth to say something. “Lizzie, I am well aware of all of my daughters. Mandy may be in love with Rock, but he doesn’t even know she exists. Besides, the Magic already chose you to replace me. It wouldn’t have done that if it wanted Mandy.”
I huffed because I knew she was right. The magic actually gave me extra gifts to make sure I would be Mrs. Claus. Or at least that was what everyone thought. I could calm a room like no one else.
When I was younger, there was talk about the mantle falling to Nolan and his line since he was Beta. But as soon as my powers started to develop, there was no questioning I was to be Mrs. Claus. If I used it, I could charm the pants off of anyone. No one was able to resist my charms. I just chose not to abuse that power.
Then there was the power to heal. I wasn’t as good as my mom, yet. But I did believe that one day I could surpass even her great gif
t.
A Beta was the equivalent of the vice president. If something happened to Santa, or he wasn’t around to make a judgement call, then the Beta would become the leader of the pack. Most packs only had one. We had multiple. Like a redundancy clause. We had to make sure that there was someone who could lead the pack until the heir grew up and took his rightful place.
“Alright, I get that I am to be the heir. But at least have a choosing ceremony for me. Don’t just tell me who I have to marry. That’s so barbaric.” I leaned back against the wall next to my window and looked between my two parents.
Normally, the heir has a choosing ceremony on the January 1st after he turns twenty. Then sometime later he marries the woman he has chosen to become his Mrs. Claus. As soon as she is chosen, she begins the process of training for her new role.
“Honey, it’s a done deal. The sooner you accept this the happier you will be.” My father got up, walked over, and hugged me. I returned the hug.
“How about we check out the males on this trip? If any of them turn out to have some magic in them, it might be a sign that the Christmas Magic wants another man for me. It’s possible.” I looked over to my mom with raised eyebrows, I could sense she was moving towards relenting.
My dad however, squashed that idea. “Rock has already agreed to the plan. He is ready to marry you now.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Of course he is! He will get to be the most powerful Alpha on the planet! Why would he say no?”
My mom stood up and came to me. “Dear, I think he has real feelings for you. I have always been able to see when someone’s heart is leaning towards one person, you know this.” She looked me in the eye, and I couldn’t stand the intensity of her gaze, so I turned my head.
“Yes, but what about my heart?” I whispered.
“Lizzie, it’s not about your heart. Listen to the magic. It won’t steer you wrong. You know the story about how your father and I met. I never wanted to be Mrs. Claus. But since I was the daughter of the second most powerful Alpha, it was expected that Kris would choose me. I met your dad the first night we were here, and I just knew,” she sighed and looked at my dad with such a sparkle in her eyes.