A Dragon for December (Wiccan-Were-Bear Book 11)

by R. E. Butler

  Tosh rolled over with a groan and stared at the ceiling. His dragon stretched and rolled under his skin, and he had the urge to shift and go hunting. His dreams had been strange and unsettling. He’d been wandering in the dark and searching for someone or something, and there had been a sense of urgency that had woken him up more than once. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he saw that it was near dawn. His body ached, and he felt as though he hadn’t rested at all because he’d woken up so frequently.

  Sitting up, he cracked his neck and groaned. He could shift and go hunting, which his dragon urged, but he really didn’t have the time. He had meetings all day, along with a dinner at the home of a newly mated couple. Promising his snarling dragon that they would make time to go hunting soon, he rose and trudged to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He couldn’t recall having such a bad night in a long time. It reminded him of when he’d been ready to shift for the first time at four, when his aching bones and the prowling dragon in his mind had kept him from resting well. This was different, though. He was anxious in a way he couldn’t explain.

  Shoving his wayward thoughts to the back of his mind, he prepared for the day. He was the prince of his nest, and he couldn’t put his people on hold because his dragon was being pissy and he hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest. There was no “clocking out” for him like humans who worked regular jobs. He was the leader of his people, and that was an around-the-clock job. He wouldn’t trade it for anything, but right now he’d give his right fang for a nap.

  His dragon growled in agreement.

  Chapter 3

  Deci blinked at the bright light as she trudged into the kitchen.

  “Morning, sleepy head,” Alli said, humming happily as she made breakfast.

  Deci murmured a response, entirely uninterested in having a conversation before the sun completely rose for the day. “Not a morning person” didn’t even begin to describe her.

  Alli set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Deci and then a cup of coffee. Deci inhaled the scent of the brew, her bear rumbling in agreement that coffee was just what they needed.

  “You okay, hon?” Alli asked as she sat at the small table.

  Deci yawned as she fixed her coffee with milk and sugar. “I didn’t sleep well.”

  “Did the bed bother you? The mattress is pretty firm.”

  “I don’t think it was the bed. I kept waking up and feeling like I should be out searching for something. It was weird.”

  Alli hummed. “That’s strange. The new moon is tonight. Is that important to your kind?”

  “You’re thinking of wolves and the full moon.”

  “I know it’s not the full moon and that you’re not a wolf, but some of the shifter groups have different rituals during the month.”

  “We don’t have to shift and hunt at any particular time.” After taking a slow sip of her coffee, she put down the mug and rubbed her temple.

  Alli frowned. “Can I do anything to help?”

  “I’m sure it’ll be better tonight.”

  “Good.” She smiled and turned her attention to her plate.

  While Deci ate, Alli talked about her plans for the day and their joint plans for the evening.

  “I wanted my friend Arissa to come over tonight to meet you, but she’s busy with her mate. They’re looking for a place away from the club, like a vacation home. Since he doesn’t go out in the daytime, they have to do their house hunting at night.”

  “That would suck.”

  “I don’t know. She gets to live forever. Not being able to get a tan seems like a good trade-off for eternity with a sexy guy.”

  Deci snorted. “You’re already immortal.”

  Fallen angels kept their immortality even when they chose to lose their wings.

  “I know, but I’m single. Unlike vampires, I can’t turn my mate immortal like myself, so I’d outlive even a shifter’s long life.”

  “You’d still get a lot of good years with him, though. There’s a mated couple in my sister’s den who’ve been together for more than a thousand years.”

  Alli made a face. “I hope he cleans up after himself. Can you imagine picking up some guy’s dirty shorts for a thousand years?”

  “Maybe you don’t mind when he’s your truemate.”

  “I think I’d always mind.”

  After breakfast, Deci helped Alli clean the apartment, and then they went to see a movie.

  When they returned home, Alli said, “Are you ready to go dancing?”

  “I think I need to rest. My bear is acting up and has been since last night,” Deci said, rolling her neck. “You should go out and have fun. I don’t want you to stay home because of me. It’s not like I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m here for two weeks.”

  “If you’re sure?” Alli asked, her brows drawn together in concern.

  “I am. I’m just going to crash and hope that whatever is bugging my bear calms down overnight. I probably just need a good night’s sleep.”

  “Or to get laid.”

  “Sex doesn’t solve everything.”

  “It doesn’t hurt either. Unless you’re doing it wrong.”

  “Go. Have fun. Be safe.” Deci kissed Alli on the cheek and went into the spare bedroom. She flopped down on the bed and ordered her bear to let her rest. She was sure that sleep was what she needed, no matter how enticing the idea of tumbling on the sheets with a male was to her bear.

  * * *

  Deci woke with a start, her claws extended and her fangs sliding from her gums. Her body was on fire, her skin tingling and damp with perspiration. The comforter shredded as she rolled to her knees, and her claws dug into the fabric for purchase. Her bear rolled under her skin, and she cried out, holding onto her humanity by a thread. The need to be in her bear form consumed her.

  Her hands trembled as she lifted her tablet from the nightstand, and using her knuckles since her claws wouldn’t recede, she opened an app with a local map. She hastily located a wooded area and calculated the distance. It was too far for her to walk, and she knew she wouldn’t last in her human form if she tried. The last thing she wanted to do was freak out anyone in her bear shift. Not bothering to dress, she grabbed her car keys from her purse and raced out of Alli’s apartment to her car. Remembering the directions she’d seen on the app, she tried her best to calm herself and her bear as she drove as swiftly as she could, mindful of her claws as she curled her hands around the steering wheel. Her vision was hazy, and her head throbbed as her body flamed with sensation. The closer she got to the woods, the more anxious her bear grew.

  She pulled her car onto a grassy area next to the edge of the woods and turned off the engine. Placing the keys underneath the seat, she climbed from the car and inhaled deeply. She thought her bear might be placated being so close to the woods, but instead her bear pushed harder, and Deci lost the ability to hold onto her human body. Her shift exploded within her, and she shouted in pain as her bear forced her to shift far faster than she ever had before.

  Her mind went blank, and her vision darkened as she fell to the ground, panting for breath. The coldness helped to cool her down, and she rubbed her snout in the snow as she closed her eyes, letting the cold seep into her flesh. She was more at home in the woods than anywhere else.

  Giving herself a few moments to recuperate from her fast shift, she lumbered to her feet and lifted her head. Inhaling deeply, she sorted through the scents and couldn’t smell any other predators. She wished she’d asked Alli if there were any territorial shifters in the area who wouldn’t want her hunting in their woods, but she hadn’t expected to need to shift. She didn’t scent wolves, who could be real dicks about their territories, and she was aware that the bear den in the area was quite far from where she was. Deciding she would just remain vigilant, she entered the woods, scenting for prey and wondering why her beast was acting so nuts.

  She hadn’t ever had her shift forced on her since she was too young to control it. Polar bears shifted at age f
ourteen, and it was hard for them to control their beasts at that age. Several times in her youth she had unexpectedly shifted, usually because she was overly emotional.

  Scenting deer, she turned in the direction and moved swiftly and quietly through the woods until she found the trail they’d left behind. She followed the small herd to a stream and watched through the trees as a large buck bent its head to drink from the water while does followed his example. Deci eased forward, her bear excited about the prospect of having fresh deer.

  Drawing as close as she could and still remain covered, Deci tensed and then rushed from the woods, barreling into the herd and swiping at the buck. The buck bellowed in alarm, skidding on the snowy bank as her claws sank into his flank. He jerked his head toward her, and a sharply pointed antler nearly took her eye. The buck escaped, bleeding from the claw marks on his side as he raced into the woods.

  Deci wasn’t trying to be quiet anymore. She moved swiftly through the trees, following the bloody trail left behind. She wasn’t about to let her prize go. Bounding after the buck, she flashed her fangs and snarled a warning to any other creatures that might be in the woods: hands off!

  Chapter 4

  Tosh threw open the French doors of his bedroom and walked out onto the balcony. The new moon was high in the sky, the air crisp and scenting of fresh snow. His dragon roared and rolled under his skin, prickling at his spine to allow it to shift. Tosh had tried to rest, but once more had found himself unable to sleep for any length of time. An anxiety he couldn’t explain filled him. At first he wondered if he were just subconsciously worried about his uncle, but he didn’t actually think anything would come from his uncle’s meddling. Tosh had no plans to give up the throne, which had been in his family for generations, or to disrespect his father’s legacy.

  He scanned the woods surrounding his home and his beast snarled. Something was in the woods that didn’t belong there. An intruder.

  After stripping off his shorts, Tosh shifted into his dragon form and perched on the stone railing of the balcony. He breathed a sigh of relief as he took his form, stretching out his wings and letting out a deep, satisfied bellow. Lifting into the air, he circled his home and then flew toward the woods. As he entered the woods, he let his beast lead, following the feeling that something wasn’t quite right in the woods.

  He knew he could call for his guards and they would join him and hunt whatever the disturbance was, but he felt certain he needed to handle this himself. Perhaps it was nothing sinister, a stray natural predator coming to hunt. But perhaps it wasn’t as simple as that.

  A herd of deer raced by, the scent of their fear heavy on the air. He scented blood and heard the crashing sound of an animal moving hastily through the woods. An injured buck, bleeding from thick claw marks on its hindquarters rushed toward him, and Tosh grabbed it, snapping its neck by closing his jaws around its throat. He landed on the ground, the snow fluffing up around him, and laid the buck on the ground.

  An angry roar shook the trees behind him, and he turned slowly, fangs bared. A polar bear snarled at him. Tosh couldn’t have been more surprised to see a polar bear in his woods.

  The bear moved to its hind legs and snapped its jaws at Tosh. It was really angry, gesturing with its big paws to the buck lying dead at Tosh’s feet. He snorted, a billow of steam rising from his nostrils.

  The bear slowly transformed – fur receding, claws and fangs disappearing, until Tosh found himself staring at a curvy goddess worthy of worship. White-blonde hair fell past her shoulders, and her eyes were blazing with indignation.

  “Hey, asshole! That’s my buck!” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him, not seeming to mind that she was nude.

  He took the opportunity of her indignation to get a good look at her. Gorgeous wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how amazing she looked.

  He scented the air, moving closer to her. His claws dug into the snow as he walked and folded his wings against his body. He pressed his nose into her stomach, and she shrieked and pushed at his head.

  “Your nose is cold. Stop that!”

  He let his shift recede as an awareness settled over him. He was standing in the presence of his truemate.

  And she was a poacher.

  She exhaled in surprise as he regained his human form and stood before her.

  She was shorter than him by several inches, and her pale skin was luminous in the moonlight. “You’re in my territory,” Tosh said, clenching his hands to stop himself from grabbing her and finding out how soft her skin was.

  “Oh? Just who are you, anyway?”

  “I’m Tosh Okida. You can start by telling me who you are, since you’re the trespasser and the poacher.”

  Her cheeks flushed and her mouth fell open. She stared at him, seemingly unable to speak for a full minute. She straightened fully, her breasts tipped with tight nipples jutting out and begging to be touched. “My name is December Merricks. I’m not poaching. I’m hunting.”

  “Illegally.”

  She huffed. “I didn’t know it was your territory.”

  “You didn’t scent that the territory is quite clearly marked? I find that hard to believe.”

  Her eyes blazed, and she stepped close, her nipples brushing against his chest as she leaned into him. She grabbed him by the neck and drew him down to her, pressing her nose to his throat and inhaling deeply. She growled softly, and Tosh slipped his arms around her and aligned their bodies more closely.

  “Is it possible?” she whispered against his throat.

  “What?” He buried his face in her neck, and his beast purred in recognition. His mate smelled like sugar and snow.

  “I woke up out of my mind with the need to shift. I thought she wanted to go hunting.” Leaning back, December looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with desire. “I didn’t know I’d be hunting you.”

  “Technically,” Tosh said, his hands smoothing up her bare back, “you almost ran into me.”

  “Semantics. And you stole my buck.”

  He liked how feisty and fearless she was. He didn’t know many who would face off against a dragon the way she had.

  “Tell me, sweet bear, do you know what I am?”

  “A thief?” she asked, smiling sweetly.

  “And?”

  “Mine.”

  Their lips met, and everything inside Tosh quieted for a profound moment. He was holding his mate in his arms. She was a stranger, but at the same time he felt like he’d known her his entire life. Suddenly, a hundred years didn’t seem like all that much time to wait for his delicious smelling mate, who fit perfectly against him.

  Their tongues slid together, and he couldn’t stop the trilling purr that rumbled in his chest as his dragon pranced in his mind. She slid her hands up into his hair with a soft growl and tilted her hips. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around him. As she settled against him, his dick was trapped between their bodies, and he could feel the wet heat of her pussy as she ground against him.

  “I want to take you home,” Tosh said in between kisses across her jaw. He nibbled on the space under her ear, and she shivered.

  “Hell yes.”

  He chuckled and lifted from her, looking into her eyes and finding the connection between them – that ancient, truemate bond – strengthening.

  He glanced around the woods and set off in the direction of his home.

  “This can’t be comfortable for you,” she said, pressing her face into his throat and licking at his pulse.

  “It’s cold and snowy and you’re naked. I don’t want you walking right now.”

  “I’m a polar bear. Cold and snow are my best friends.”

  He chuckled. “Are you afraid of anything, December?”

  “Not really.” She rested her cheek on his shoulder; her fingers played in his hair. “I guess right now, I’m afraid I’m dreaming.”

  He glanced at her as he maneuvered his way through the woods. “You’re not. That would be a hell too cruel
to contemplate.”

  “Oh?”

  He nodded. “To have you right now and wake up and find out you were just my imagination? I think I’d level the city.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  His curvy goddess settled in his arms as he walked. He could have walked for hours and never grown tired of the way she fit against him, with her legs around his waist and her hands buried in his hair. She licked his throat and nibbled on his pulse, making soft growling noises in her throat that were very slowly driving him insane. Several times he considered dropping to the ground and mating her right then, but his need to treat her right, especially their first time together, rode him harder than the mating-need that stoked deep within him.

  The house came into view, and soon he swiftly climbed the steps leading to the back door. Deci lifted her head as he pushed open the sliding door and stepped into the warmth of the kitchen.

  “Holy shit, this place is freaking huge.”

  “It’s yours now.”

  She glanced at him, her brows drawn. “Are you…special to your people?”

  He set her down on the plush rug in the kitchen and rubbed her chilled arms. “I’m the prince of the nest, the leader. I took over fifteen years ago when my father was killed during a hunt. When you and I mate officially, I’ll become king and you’ll become queen.”

  Her eyes widened. “Even though I’m a bear?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me what you shift into. It only matters to me that you and I are truemates. My dragon started to go crazy last night. Why didn’t I ever feel you before?”

  “I just came into town two days ago. The school where I work closed for repairs, and my friend Alli invited me to stay with her. I slept terrible the first night here, and when I woke up tonight, my claws and fangs were out, and I could hardly control my shift.” Her hands tightened on his shoulders. “How weird is this?”

  “Pretty weird. But it also feels right, too,” he said, chuckling.

  “I should call Alli. I tore up the bed when I got up, and I don’t want her to worry.”