by Kane Jewell Ruse McCall Anthony McKay Sax Slayer Michael Burke Logan
* * *
After several long minutes, when Emmy knew she hadn’t just died and gone to heaven, she tried to speak. “Trey,” she whispered into his neck. “Don’t leave me.”
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere yet. I don’t have feeling anymore in my body.”
“Don’t laugh,” she wailed, but screwed up her own decree by chuckling herself.
He had eased out of her, but hadn’t moved from lying on top of her. She held no complaints, loving the way his body surrounded hers.
She tugged on his hair and he lifted his head. “No, Trey,” she said and stroked his face. “When I said, ‘don’t leave me,’ I didn’t mean literally as in your body and mine.” She searched his snow-bright eyes before continuing. “I know I only asked for you, as a present, for one day. What you’ve given me is more gift than I’d ever expected. I think I could fall in love with you.”
He opened his mouth but she cut him off.
“No, don’t say anything. What I say comes with no strings. If all you want is what we’ve shared today, that’s okay. I’m a big Elf… well, you know what I mean. I’ll be okay. But if you’d like, I’d love to find a way we can keep seeing each other.”
“Emmy, I am yours and have been since you told me you’d wished for me this morning. You might not have asked for me, specifically, but I’m glad I’m the one who’s here. I love what we’ve shared, and I want to keep seeing you, too.”
“So,” she drawled with a wicked grin, “do you have to leave tomorrow?”
He shook his head slowly. “No. I have the next week off. For some reason, my uncle insisted.”
“You think he knew this would happen?”
“Knew, hoped, I don’t know. But I’ll be grateful to him forever for sending me to you.”
“Me too, Trey. Me too.”
Emmy lifted her head as Trey leaned down. Their lips met in a soft, sure kiss, sealing their promise to make a Christmas wish last a lifetime.
Ayla Ruse
Handed a historical romance at the age of twelve, Ayla Ruse fell in love with love and with happy endings. Having grown up living life tasting a little of this and a little of that has not changed this attitude, but it’s expanded her views. Love isn’t always happy and it isn’t always the way a person “thinks it should be.” Sometimes it’s outside the box, and it’s always a challenge.
The challenge of finding and holding onto this love is what drives Ayla in her fiction. She likes stories that strip love -- among other things -- down to the skin and tests the attachment and beliefs of the participants. Sometimes that test can come in the form of multiple partners, overcoming a desperate fear or even being sexually inventive.
Ayla is published with Changeling Press and with Total E-Bound. You can contact her through her blog www.aylaruse.blogspot.com or her email [email protected].
Visit changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=156 for more titles by Ayla!
Holiday Moon
B. J. McCall
When these two come together the rules of engagement no longer apply.
Operation Holiday Moon sends Sgt. Sezri Adar and her werewolf team deep into enemy territory. Wounded, Sezri orders her wolves to leave her behind. On her own, she must avoid capture and make it to the secondary pickup point.
Being the only human on the team has presented special challenges for Major Calix Klatt, especially when his second-in-command is the sexiest female he’s ever encountered. She’s brave and beautiful, but a relationship with Sezri would destroy any cred he’s built with the werewolves.
When Sezri is MIA, Calix’s duty is to wait out the holiday and hopes she survives. But the heart doesn’t always listen to the head, and putting his career on the line is the least of his fears.
Chapter One
“Questions?” Sergeant Sezri Adar asked, concluding the final briefing for operation Holiday Moon. She eyeballed each of the seven highly trained male werewolves of Unit Four of the Paranormal Special Operations Group. Five would accompany her on the mission and the other two would serve as pilot and copilot of the chopper. Unit Four had successfully completed more than a dozen missions and had earned the nickname the Moon Soldiers. No one spoke.
She turned toward the only human on the team and the unit leader, Captain Calix Klatt. “Anything you’d like to add, sir?”
“I think you’ve got it covered.” Although they planned every detail of every mission together, Klatt rarely spoke during briefings.
Satisfied, Sezri punched a key on her laptop, closing the satellite-generated topographical map visible on the wall screen. She’d memorized every detail. If anything went wrong, it was her responsibility to get her team to safety. “We’re a go at sixteen hundred.”
Metal folding chairs scraped the scarred floor as her team stood and began to file out of the briefing room. The facilities on the foreign base had seen better days. The housing was run-down, but the plumbing worked and the satellite phone and computer connections were operable. Operation Holiday Moon was a black op and only a handful of people in the central command center, CenCom, knew what was about to go down.
A recent addition to the team, a werewolf with a family, groused about having to work on a holiday. A veteran of the team responded, “They’ll never expect us to light them up on Christmas Eve.”
Sezri agreed. Although it was difficult on the married members of the team, Captain Klatt had chosen the perfect time to execute the mission. She turned to Klatt, who had waited until the team left the room before rising from his chair. He was tall, a few inches over six feet, and as physically fit as the other team members.
He moved closer, his gaze lingering on her face. These wordless pauses were becoming a habit, as if an unseen energy buzzed between them. The room shrank, the air heated and no one existed except the two of them. It was times like this when Sezri was aware of the breadth of his shoulders, the rugged handsomeness of his face, the blueness of his eyes and the scent of his pheromones.
Her nose twitched. Her sensual senses instantly on alert, her heart rate leaped. Did Klatt have any idea of the sex attractant he was producing? “Will CenCom call it off?” she asked, focusing on the mission instead of the way Klatt’s short black hair gleamed like a raven’s wing. Her team was ready. But often, central command issued a stand down minutes before a mission, especially those being carried out in political hot zones.
“The op has top priority.” She closed her laptop and began to gather her belongings. Her laser pointer slipped from her fingers.
Klatt caught it. Their fingers brushed as he handed it to her, his touch sending a frisson of heat through her blood. “Be careful, Sezri.”
Her breath caught as he turned and walked away. He always called her Adar or addressed her by her rank. “Sir, is there something you know that I don’t?”
He paused at the door and looked at her. “What I know, you know. When that weapons factory lights up I want you in the chopper, not on the ground.”
He’s worried about me. “That’s the plan, sir.”
His gaze swept over her with a quick flash of heat. “If things go south, get out of there.” Then he was gone.
Sezri wanted to go after him, but what would she say? Do you feel it, too? If she became involved with Klatt, every werewolf on the team would howl in protest. They were already ticked off that CenCom had ruled that a human must command every team. A few hellhounds went haywire on one mission and every paranormal unit had been reorganized to prevent another transgression. Klatt was an excellent leader, a decorated soldier, but he wasn’t gifted with any paranormal power other than the ability to make her lycan blood sizzle. Damn. She didn’t need the complication.
* * *
An hour later, Sezri and her team loading into a chopper readied for takeoff. At the last minute Klatt jumped aboard. Sezri saluted.
“At ease.” Klatt dropped into the seat next to Sezri. His arm and thigh brushed against hers, making her aware of his muscled body. Klatt was off limits as we
re the members of her team. But he was the only one who made her want to howl beneath the moon.
Sezri willed herself to relax. If Klatt was riding along, CenCom must be on pins and needles about this sensitive mission that would put her team into hostile territory.
Klatt didn’t say another word, and because of his presence the usual raucous lycan testosterone-laced banter was kept to a minimum. When the chopper landed, Klatt opened the door and jumped out.
The seven male weres stripped off their clothing, removed their dog tags and slipped on packs laden with explosives. Then the team shifted, bodies changing and reforming until seven wolves surrounded Sezri.
She adjusted the packs, making them comfortable for the long trek. The team gathered outside. Sezri stripped down, then shifted, shuddering as her body changed shape and thick fur sprang from her hair follicles. She swished her tail as Klatt climbed back into the chopper. He touched his fingertips to Sezri’s muzzle. “Godspeed.”
She wanted to lean into his hand and urge him to pet her, but she had a mission. She inhaled and licked his palm. With Klatt’s unique scent still teasing her nostrils, Sezri took the lead, guiding the team of wolves toward the objective.
* * *
Chopper blades whirling above his head, Calix focused on the wolves running toward him. The team had exceeded the mission’s predetermined ground time, running late by almost a half an hour. As soon as the team was aboard, they’d lift off and race for the border and friendly territory. He watched as they jumped into the chopper’s belly, counting only seven. Sezri was missing.
The unit had performed a dozen of these night missions without a hitch, but tonight something had gone horribly wrong. Ignoring the fist gripping his heart, Calix stuck his head inside the chopper and yelled. “Where’s Sergeant Adar?”
The team members shifted, their forms changing from wolf to human. No matter how many times Calix witnessed the transformation, he hadn’t lost his sense of amazement as their bodies stretched and reformed. Even more amazing was the team’s ability to communicate telepathically while in wolf form. No matter how hard he worked, he’d never truly be one of them.
“What happened out there? Where’s Adar?”
Specialist Daton answered, “We ran into a patrol. They fired on us. Sarge ordered us to run while she created a diversion.”
The fist gripping his heart tightened as Calix scanned the dark terrain. Is she alive? Wounded? Where the fuck is she?
He jumped into the chopper and got in Daton’s face. “You left her behind?” Calix tried to keep the anger out of his voice. He wasn’t sure he succeeded.
“She said time was running out and ordered me to get the team to the chopper. The patrol stopped firing at us. They were following her.”
That Sezri had sacrificed herself for her team didn’t surprise Calix. Daton had followed Sezri’s orders. “Well done, soldier.”
Calix returned to the open chopper door, praying he’d see her.
Damn! Tonight’s mission was to blow up a weapons factory -- a black ops mission the government would deny existed. The plan was simple, but dangerous. Upon reaching the targeted site, Sezri would shapeshift and remove the side packs of explosives from the other team members. After the charges were set, the team was to hightail it back to the chopper. Roving wolf packs weren’t uncommon to the area, providing cover for the team if spotted. But if they came under fire, the wolves were unarmed and vulnerable.
Calix scanned the landscape. Nothing moved. His heart twisted. Sezri was in trouble.
He glanced at his watch. The timing of the mission was critical. If he waited much longer, they’d lose the cover of darkness, and his orders were to be back across the border before dawn.
She was out there alone and unarmed. Logic dictated to leave and implement the backup plan. The chopper would return tomorrow night, land at the secondary pickup point and wait for two hours.
Fuck logic! He wasn’t leaving the woman he loved behind enemy lines.
Calix spoke with the pilot and ordered him to implement the backup plan. He grabbed a survival backpack, one of several that were kept in the chopper in the event of an accident. He put on a pair of night vision goggles and picked up a handheld communication unit, a combination satellite phone, GPS, and tracking unit. Thank God he’d brought it along.
Sezri would likely kick his ass for thinking she needed his help. So let her try.
He scrambled out of the chopper.
“Sir?”
He turned to Daton, yelling above the sound of the whirling blades and the revving engine. “I’m going after her. Now, get the team to safety.”
“Yes, sir.”
Calix saw the relief on the team members’ faces. He understood that the werewolves had resented his presence, and he’d worked hard to win their respect. The last thing he’d expected when joining the paranormal unit was that he would fall in love with a wolf.
He initiated the tracker and GPS. A tiny orange blip appeared. Every soldier, human or shifter, had a tracking chip implanted in their necks.
Calix started running. He didn’t look back as the chopper lifted off. He headed up the dry riverbed, guided by a tiny orange blip that wasn’t moving.
Chapter Two
Sezri huddled beneath a large prickly bush, the only cover available. Blood trickled down her right rear leg and dripped down her right ear. She licked at the stinging wound on her leg, flinching as her rough tongue slid over the ragged edges of flesh. A bullet had grazed her upper leg, and a flying piece of rock had struck her in the head.
She needed to shift and allow the transformation to heal her wounds, but she didn’t dare. The shift would drain her energy, and she’d be more vulnerable naked and on two legs.
She laid her chin on her paws and thought about the mission. Everything had gone smoothly until they’d been spotted by a patrol in a vehicle with four-wheel drive. Instead of ignoring the pack of wolves the soldiers had started shooting at them.
Unarmed, the team had to make a run for it.
Damn, if they hadn’t run into that patrol she’d be back at base being debriefed by CenCom. Then she and Klatt would share a drink and celebrate a successful mission and the holiday. The captain’s ability to lead a pack of werewolves was no small feat. That he didn’t spend his time worrying about his image and advancing through the ranks at others’ expense was enough to make her love the guy.
Love? Was it possible? She hadn’t even kissed him.
That was a situation worth remedying, but first she had to make it back to base.
At the sound of a high-pitched engine whine Sezri’s ears pricked forward. The red dots of laser sights flitted around her hideout like fireflies.
The patrol was still searching for the wolves. Her heart banging against her chest wall, Sezri curled into a tight ball and prayed her light brown coat blended into the terrain.
The headlights arced as the vehicle turned and drove away.
Sezri needed to find shelter, a place to hide until tomorrow night. Klatt would implement the backup plan, which meant the chopper would be sent into hostile territory to extract her, and she had to be in position and ready to board the moment it landed.
Despite the pain in her leg, she crawled from beneath the bush and stood.
Running on three legs, Sezri followed the dry riverbed, using the shrubs lining the banks as cover until she reached a point where she had to break free of the riverbed and traverse open terrain with little vegetation to conceal her.
Her breathing labored and her muscles trembling, Sezri trotted, but her pace was slowing. After a couple of miles the sandy ground gave way to rocky hills. She forced her legs to move until her head swam and her vision blurred.
Exhausted from climbing, she stumbled and fell onto the rocky hillside. Sezri knew her strength was ebbing.
Then the sky lit up, well-placed ordinance blowing the factory.
* * *
Calix pulled off his goggles and watched the firewor
ks. Sezri and her team had done the job. Explosion after explosion lit up the horizon, exposing the silhouette of rocky hills where the GPS had pinpointed Sezri’s current position. Soon dawn would break. He had to locate Sezri and find cover before they were caught out in the open in broad daylight by the inevitable patrols.
According to the tracker she’d been on the move, not toward him, but to the west. He’d been so relieved to see the orange blip moving at a steady pace he’d run full out trying to catch up with her. Finally he’d reached the rocky hills, and according to the tracker Sezri was nearby. He scanned the area with his night vision goggles. Then he saw her and his heart almost stopped.
She was lying on her side, motionless.
Calix scrambled up the rocky incline and placed his hand on her flank. She was breathing. He lifted her head and saw the wound right above her ear. Then he looked at her leg. A chunk of fur was missing.
“Sezri.”
She didn’t respond.
He stroked her flank, running his fingers through her thick coat. In the moonlight her light brown fur looked silvery.
She whimpered, but didn’t move.
He looked around, searching for a place that would provide cover. He saw a rock outcropping and decided to go for it.
“I’m going to lift you,” he said, wondering if she was conscious enough to hear him. He picked her up, being careful not to touch her bad leg.
Her low growl let him know she was feeling pain.
“Don’t bite me. I’m doing the best I can.”
He carried her up the hill and settled into a narrow crevice between two large rocks. She whined as he laid her across his chest and removed his pack. He pulled out a kit with a needle and a dose of painkiller and antibiotics. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to perform a field injection on a fellow soldier, but it was the first time he’d had to do it to a wolf. Gently, he grasped the scruff of Sezri’s neck and injected her.
