by Julia Mills
Never in all her years had she been affected by anyone in such a way, especially not a man. It wasn’t as if she’d never dated before, but it had always been more for convenience than anything else, or because her nagging sisters had pressured her into it. Holly had explained over and over that because she was a Christmas Angel the whole ‘finding a mate thing’ was different for her than for them, but they’d still insisted she date every eligible angel from the Pearly Gates to Cloud Nine. Of course, none of those men had tickled her wings. She knew her mate was already out there somewhere, and as soon as she finished her final mission she would be free to find him. It would help if she knew exactly what her mission was, but she was learning patience, a virtue the angel most definitely did not possess.
If only I could speak to Heaven...
“It makes no sense that I can’t get through to at least my sisters.” Holly muttered to herself. “And now I have a man in my cave. A very tempting man who is most definitely not an angel.”
Holly shook her head, praying for her sanity to return. It wouldn’t help her cause to be distracted by the sexy shifter. Her mate was an angel. That was just the way it was. The way it has always been. From all the stories she’d been told by all the Elders for her entire life, Holly knew her mate would be an amazing Christmas Angel who’d also completed his final mission. He would be tall and handsome, loyal and trustworthy, loving to a fault…a match for her in every way.
She remembered the story her mother, the only other female Christmas Angel in their entire family, had told her about meeting her father…
“Oh, Holly, it was magical. I’d just finished my final mission and returned to Heaven. The Elder Angels approved me to go on my ‘mate quest’ and I was rushing back to the home I shared with my sisters. I’d just turned the corner and BAM! I ran right into him.
Tingles raced through my body where my fingertips touched his broad, muscled, chest. My tummy did flip-flops and my heart beat so hard I thought it might burst. I was immediately a nervous mess. I could only stutter as I raised my head to apologize. That one look was all it took. Your father’s mesmerizing, hazel eyes captivated me. The golden highlights seemed to dance in the midday sun. His pupils dilated and his chest heaved. I knew immediately he felt our connection.
He smiled a sly, knowing smile that made me blush. I have no idea how long we stood staring at one another before he spoke. The low timber of his voice seemed to reach inside me. I could barely catch a breath. It was love at first sight…kismet…Fate. We had many wonderful years together and best of all, I have you and your sisters to remind me of his love until we meet again.”
Holly treasured that story, even more so now that her parents had passed. It reminded her of the amazing love true mates share and gave her hope for her own future. Hope that was turning to frustration with each day she was unable to reach Heaven, her superior, or her sisters.
Asher, Lead Christmas Angel, had been adamant that she leave right away. He’d assured her she would receive her orders once she’d arrived. He’d told her to be patient and find shelter. It was a definite detour from standard operating procedures but nonetheless, Holly had obeyed his orders. She’d flown directly to the coordinates she’d been given, secured the cave, made sure she had everything she needed, and then she’d waited.
By day three without word from home, the angel grew anxious. She’d called out to Asher, but her request went unanswered. It was as if it reverberated back, making Holly unsure if the archangel even heard her call. That’s the way it had been for almost a week now, and to say her patience was waning was an understatement.
Earlier, she’d been at the highest peak, repeatedly calling out to her Commander and her sisters…to no avail. There was no way they would be ignoring her. It had to be that something or someone was blocking her transmissions. She’d even felt a mysterious presence, most definitely magical, not really good or evil, but neutral. Using her powers, she attempted to touch its soul but found it unresponsive, dormant, as if it was deciding whether to grow into the Light or the Dark.
After attempting several different forms of communication with the cryptic entity, Holly decided to try again tomorrow and headed for her cave. The entire walk back she tried to figure out what she’d felt and think of where it might be hiding. By the time she reached the mouth of her cave, the wind was howling and the snow made it hard for her to see. Thankfully, cold weather was only an inconvenience for Christmas Angels, but it did add to the frustration of a fruitless day. And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, her temporary abode had been invaded by a blasted interloper.
A hot as the fires of ‘you know where’ interloper…
Holly smiled at her own silliness then looked down at the man at her feet. She felt bad that the glow of her shield had rendered him unconscious. Any other time she would have dialed it back, but the feelings this particular shifter invoked within her had taken her by surprise and she’d simply forgotten. At least until he crumbled in a heap at her feet. Then she’d hurried over to make sure he was all right.
Looking down at his tanned skin, the angel wondered how in the world he kept such color in these freezing temperatures. It then occurred to her that he wasn’t from the mountain; only waiting just like her. Holly used her powers to make sure her invader hadn’t hurt himself in his fall, but for some reason the need to touch him was a living being inside her. Kneeling beside his head, her hand hovered over his forehead. She desperately wanted to touch him but her hand just hung in the air.
Get over yourself, Holly girl. Just make sure the man is all right. God knows he’s not gonna bite. He is unconscious after all.
Exasperated, and more than a little embarrassed by her own actions, Holly lowered her hand. The heat she felt rising from his skin even before touching him was a bit disconcerting, but nothing she really worried about. The others shifters she’d encountered in her travels had also ran hot. It seemed to be a trait among their kind. She wondered again exactly what type of shifter he was just as her fingertips brushed his forehead.
A bolt of electricity nearly knocked her on her butt. She found it difficult to draw her next breath. Her heart beat so loudly it drowned out all other sounds, but worse than that, her traitorous body was immediately excited at the prospect of peeling back the long johns the shifter was wearing and touching every inch of what she knew was an incredible body.
Taking a deep breath, Holly knew she should stop touching the stranger. The effect he had on her was alarming and nothing she should welcome, but no matter what her brain said, her body had a mind of its own and her hand continued to stroke his cheek. The current between them calmed but continued to flow freely. It warmed her from the inside out. For the first time in her very long existence, she understood her sisters’ obsession with men.
Holly had always dismissed their infatuation with the opposite sex as something genetic, seeing as all but one of them were Angels of Love, in one form or another. She’d assumed it was just something they’d been born with and couldn’t help. Year after year, the angel had listened to her siblings swoon over one man after another, never understanding how they could feel anything more than a passing fancy for someone who was not their true mate. But now that she’d experienced an intense reaction to the man lying on her cave floor, she was beginning to understand. It really was intoxicating.
Lost in her thoughts, Holly barely heard the low groan and almost missed the slight roll of her intruder’s head. It was little more than a sigh but enough to break the spell their skin-to- skin contact had caused. The angel jumped up and backed away, not reengaging her shield but wishing for a place to hide.
What in the world is wrong with me? He’s just a man.
But Holly knew better. There was something about her trespasser that was so much more than ‘just a man’. She watched intently as he rolled to his side, sat up, and shook his head as if was trying to clear away the cobwebs from his fall. Looking around, he mumbled to himself.
“What
the…”
His words were cut off as their eyes met. Holly gasped and took a step backward. It wasn’t that she felt threatened by the stranger, on the contrary, every cell in her body was screaming for her to move closer. The little voice in the back of her mind was yelling that something monumental was happening…that Holly’s world would never be the same and on that fact, they most definitely agreed.
Goose bumps rose all over her body. She wanted with all her heart to hear his voice again. To feel the low gravely tones roll over her senses. It made her lightheaded. It made her feel…whole.
Whole? Haven’t I always been whole?
Once again, her little voice was speaking, but this time it simply chanted …life changing….life changing…life changing…
The stranger recovered more quickly than Holly, although she did note the flair of his nostrils and the way his pupils dilated so completely she still didn’t know the actual color of his eyes. Watching him stand was exhilarating.
He was agile and flexible and much taller and broader than she’d originally thought. He was a huge man but moved with a sensual grace that conjured fantasies of long, hot nights, a satisfaction she’d only ever imagined, and something so all-encompassing, it made Holly long to know him better.
Before seeing ‘her stranger’, the angel would’ve told you there was no way a man that big could be considered graceful. But she would’ve been wrong…woefully wrong. And she was ecstatic for her mistake.
My stranger? I really am losing my mind!
He never broke eye contact as he moved and neither did Holly. Something she would be eternally grateful for. They stood no more than ten feet apart, simply staring, neither moving, both content to wait. She watched as the black of his pupils was replaced by a deep brown, reminding her of rich decadent chocolate that also matched the color of his hair.
The firelight from the cavern spilt into the passageway, making his dark eyes glisten. Holly saw the man’s good nature as well as a healthy sense of humor shining in their depths. She got the feeling he was pretty much a jokester and immediately wanted to hear him laugh.
As time ticked by, the angel decided it was stupid to be standing staring at one another and was just about to speak when her stranger beat her to the punch.
“I think I might’ve invaded your territory. I found this cave and thought it was deserted.”
As he spoke Holly was helpless to do anything but listen. It was the best sound she’d ever heard. She knew she should say something…anything, but her mind was blank except for thoughts of the man before her.
Clearing his throat, he continued, but this time his tone was more questioning, almost unsure. “You do understand English, don’t you?”
Unable to do anything else, still mesmerized, Holly simply nodded.
Chuckling and grinning, which made him even more attractive, he added. “Thank the Heavens. My language skills are limited to English, a little Gaelic, and the curse words from at least twenty-other languages.”
Enamored and totally disarmed by his charm, Holly laughed aloud, immediately followed by slapping her hand over her mouth and blushing from head to toe. Her handsome stranger laughed right along and pretended not to notice her embarrassment before motioning in the direction of the fire. “Why don’t we go warm up by the fire? You’re lucky not to be frozen solid after being out in that storm with nothing more than a light cape and leather boots.”
She followed his lead, walking past him just close enough to feel his warmth but careful not to touch him again. This time she noted a distinct, spicy scent. It reminded her of burning wood and smoke. Chuckling to herself, she dismissed it as his campfire and continued over the threshold of her grotto. Holly could see he’d made himself at home. Normally, she would’ve been irritated. The angel had been teased for most of her life about being overprotective of her space. She repeatedly tried to explain that it wasn’t that she didn’t like people, it was just that she liked her solitude more…in a place of her own…alone.
Did I say alone?
But not this time. This time it felt natural, like they were supposed to be sharing, supposed to be together.
I think all this snow might just be freezing my brain.
Letting go of the breath she hadn’t realize she’d been holding, Holly sat on the opposite side of the fire from her stranger with her back to the pool of water and tried to think of something witty to say. Blessedly, he spoke first.
“I’m just here until the storm breaks and then I’ll be out of your hair. I’ve given up on getting home for Christmas but I damn sure want to be there for the New Year.”
Holly wanted to tell him there was no rush, he could stay as long as he liked. As of matter of fact, she was just about to offer him assistance with getting home when he added, “Sorry, I guess my brain is scrambled from smacking my head on the ground before. Should’ve already introduced myself. Name’s Tomas, Tomas Youngblood, and you are?”
Tomas…his name is Tomas. Nice name.
She was once again dumbstruck and searching for the reason why while his question hung in the air. It was as if he wasn’t sure she would answer and if Holly was honest with herself, she didn’t know if she could. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she was finally able to squeak out the name she’d been given almost five hundred years ago. “Holly…my name is Holly.”
“Well, Holly, I’m really glad to meet you. Do you think we can share this space for the next few hours until the storm lets up? I promise to get out of your hair as soon as I can.”
Holly nodded, wondering if she should tell Tomas that it was going to be at least a week before there was a break in the blizzard. The angel was innately in tune with the weather and knew without fail this was no ordinary snowstorm…this was a whiteout and one that had settled in.
However, being an angel, especially a Christmas Angel, Holly was able to travel through any kind of weather. Her feathers and wings were impervious to all temperatures. She could go anywhere at any time, except home before her final mission was complete. That single thought reminded Holly of her obligation and cooled the fire Tomas ignited within her.
Cooled…not extinguished. What the heck is wrong with me?
“Thank you! That’s great! I’ve set up my bed over there.” He pointed to a sleeping bag on the stone floor and clothes hanging on the rocks jutting from the wall. “If that’s your spot, I’ll move. I’m just thankful you’re not throwing me out on my ass.”
His candor made Holly laugh, which in turn made Tomas’ smile grow. She knew he felt their undeniable attraction but prayed he wouldn’t act upon it. Not because she didn’t want him to, but because it was all she could think about. The angel knew there was no way she could resist him and that would just not do. He was not her mate. It wasn’t possible. He was not an angel. He was a shifter and shifters and angels did not mate, of that she was sure. Or at least she had been before laying eyes on Tomas.
Distracted by her inner debate, Holly didn’t hear Tomas speak and completely missed him moving towards her. Electricity raced through her body as he laid his large, warm hand on her shoulder. She sprang to her feet. Her head connected with the bottom of his chin. He stepped back to avoid further collision. His foot landed on top of the log she’d been sitting on. It rolled. Tomas yelled. Unable to regain his balance, he fell backward.
From that moment forward everything happened in slow motion. Holly reached out to keep Tomas upright but instead, he grabbed her hand and in an instant, the two were tumbling head over heels over one another. Bracing for impact, Holly was shocked as she followed the shifter into the cool, deep water of the pond. His agility once again amazed her as he twisted his body to make sure he took the brunt of the impact as they fell into the water.
Spitting and sputtering, they both surfaced just seconds later. Holly wanted to be mad, but Tomas was laughing so hard she couldn’t even muster a dirty look. His good nature and humor completely disarmed her. So much so that when she open
ed her mouth to speak, it was without thought. Her words not only shocked Tomas but rocked her world to the core. “You’d think since we both have wings this could’ve been avoided.”
Wings? Where the heck did that come from?
Chapter Three
Tomas had no clue where Holly’s ‘wings’ comment had come from. He’d touched her mind and heard her thoughts while lying stunned on the ground, so he knew she had no clue he was a dragon.
Apparently, things have changed.
In his semi-conscious state, the Guardsman had unashamedly eavesdropped. Yes, it was an invasion of privacy and one he should’ve been embarrassed about but wasn’t at all. It had started out as a way to see if she was friend or foe. But once there, Tomas had become enthralled with the beautiful creature’s incredible mind. She was pure light and everything good and she was his…no doubt about it.
Not in all his years had he ever imagined being mated to a Christmas Angel. Hell, he was amazed to find out they really existed. His mother always told him they were real, but he’d been sure that was to keep her rebel-rousing son in line, even if it was only for the few weeks close to the holidays.
“Wings, huh? Well, I don’t know about you, my sweet angel, but mine come with a fifteen hundred pound body. Not sure this little pool could handle the girth.”
The shock on her face said it all. Holly had no idea where her comment had come from. Furthermore, she most definitely had picked up on his ‘my sweet angel’ comment. Because he had been so intimately linked to her mind, Tomas was well aware of the feelings she already had for him, as well as how hard she was fighting to ignore them. She had some ill-conceived notion that her mate was another angel. Well, the big fire-breathing dragon that happened to be sharing her quarters knew differently. He had plans to woo his mate until she forgot about everything but him. He just needed to get them both out of the water first.
