by Kane Jewell Ruse McCall Anthony McKay Sax Slayer Michael Burke Logan
“I make nothing up, Noel. They were plotting against him, and now they are virtually unknown.”
“And how would he know?” she demanded. Then, “Tingles?” as her Elf’s eyes slid closed and he collapsed into the pillows, snoring loudly. “Tingles?”
Had she broken him? He was a virgin, after all, and she’d just had wild, screaming, salacious sex with him. Was this normal for Elves?
“Because,” a voice intoned from her desktop computer screen, “I have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Noel yelped as she pulled the previously unneeded sheets and blankets over their nude bodies, her eyes wide as she stared at the screen in horror.
There was an electric zapping sound and a low buzz, then her screen lit up. She blinked as the twilight of the room was bathed in bright blue light. And then, behind a huge desk, appeared a rather reserved looking, gray-haired gentleman in a perfectly cut Italian suit. His eyes were an intense blue that seemed cold as ice and made him a fearful figure instead of the loveable character everyone sang about. There was definitely no fat belly, no long white beard, and no jolly amusement on his face whatsoever.
“I see all your holiday wishes came true, Noel.”
And that just pissed her off.
“Really?” she growled. “All those letters and wishes? Everything I asked for that you never delivered?”
The man rolled his eyes. “All you people want and want. You demand, you plead and try to guilt me into giving you stuff. Stuff, I might add, that you haven’t earned.”
“Earned? The right to hear?” Noel was so outraged she sat up, ignoring the fact that the sheet slipped down and her breasts were now exposed.
“Nice,” Khris commented with a smirk. She squeaked and yanked the sheets up, leaving her sleeping Elf exposed. “And what makes you think you earned anything?”
That left her so offended she couldn’t make a sound.
“That’s right, little girl. You hadn’t earned anything. And who says I have dominion over what happens to your body? Who do you think I am?”
“I-I never -- I-I --”
“Stammer all you want,” Khris snorted, “but nothing you do will change the fact that I don’t control everything. And if you had gotten your wish and kept your hearing, do you think your parents would have stopped arguing? Do you think other schoolchildren would have not been so mean? Do you think your siblings would be any less annoying?”
She closed her mouth. Maybe, just maybe, he had a tiny point.
“The fact of the matter is,” Kris continued, “you are as strong as you are right now because of what you went through. You have the courage to lie there, freshly fucked from my Elf, and argue with me about what you perceive should have been yours at childhood. Without what you went through, you would probably be as selfish and vain and vacuous as every other attractive woman out there.”
“We’re not all --”
“I was not done talking.”
The ice and steel in his voice made her slam her mouth closed with a click. She wasn’t so stupid as to get on the bad side of a man who could control computer screens from a distance.
“As I was saying,” he snarled, “you came out better for your minor suffering. You had the balls to bad-mouth Christmas loud and long enough to go on the watch list. And you were bold enough to take your soul mate into your home and bed. I think you should thank me.”
“Thank --”
“Thank me,” he growled, before his arm solidified and reached right through her flat-screen monitor and stretched across the room to grip her throat. She gulped as a set of black claws extended from his fingertips to graze her flesh.
“Thank you, Santa,” she gasped, eyes wide in fear.
“And to think that you can hear me, and you still haven’t turned on your hearing aids.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Yes, you can hear me and the Elf, but that is about it. I have not suddenly become a miracle worker. I just want you to remember my eyes are everywhere.” He snickered as he withdrew his arm and settled himself safely back on his own side of the screen.
She looked over at her Elf and found him still snoring softly. She wanted to dive into his arms. Suddenly, this new world she had been introduced to was getting very scary.
“He’ll be fine. I’d just rather not have him shouting in my face again or trying to kill me.” He sighed, shaking his head sadly. “Elves have all the intelligence in the world and all the courageous arrogance that comes with that. But if I alter their design, they become too weak-willed to try anything new.”
She still didn’t know what to say.
“Take good care of him,” Kris told her. “I like his spunk. He’ll be working with you from now on. I think you’ll work better as partners.”
“And if I want to quit?”
“Oh, you are funny.” He laughed outright. “You can never quit. North Pole Industries owns you until you retire or die… whichever comes first. It’s in a codicil to your contract, the one you signed right before the holidays, Noel. And if you try to spread this little convo around, you might have Jack Frost doing more than nipping at your nose.”
She gulped and nodded slowly. Well, at least she had job security.
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Then he was gone, and Noel was left kind of breathless, kind of frightened and suddenly very, very tired.
When she next opened her eyes, it was Christmas morning and the fear had faded in the night. Khris wouldn’t hurt her if he wanted her to continue working with his company, and there was one hot, naked Elf looming over her.
“Hello,” he whispered, and the fact that she could hear him, that he was in her bed, that he was hers and hers alone, made her smile.
So what if her boss was a sadistic jerk who had a stranglehold on all the Holidays in existence, had a group of Elves creating mankind’s future, had the ability to reach through computer screens, and -- oh, yeah -- actually existed. She had an Elf and the new belief that magic was real. It could be worse. She could be working for International Quirkyalone Day instead of Christmas, and she already had enough loneliness in her life.
Suddenly, all things considered, this holiday season didn’t seem so bad.
Stephanie Burke
Have You Been Flashed?
It’s the question Stephanie Burke is asking.
Stephanie is a multi-published multi award-winning wife and mother of two whose unparalleled imagination causes her no end of trouble. From sex shifting, shape-shifting dragons to undersea worlds, sexually confused elemental fey and homoerotic mysteries, all the way to pastel challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.
Stephanie is co-founder of the charitable organization Write 4 Hope, an orator on her favorite subject of writing and worldbuilding, a sometimes teacher when you feed her enough coffee and donuts, an anime nut, an award winning costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and literary cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching more legends and theories to improve her writing skills.
Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and interracial stories that make the reader sit up and take notice.
You can reach Stephanie at Theflashcat.net, [email protected], www.myspace.com/the_flash_cat, www.facebook.com/TheFlashCat or email her at [email protected].
Stephanie would love to hear from you.
More of Stephanie’s stories are available at:
http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=30
Werewolf Christmas
Kyla Logan
Theron, the Alpha of the Lochinver pack is not looking forward to Christmas this year. His brother Xavier has been fortunate to have found his lifemate, and this will be their first Christmas together.
Jeri had only met her friend’s partner once before and although he seemed nice he was too inte
nse for her liking. Now Jenna has invited Jeri to spend the Christmas holidays with the two of them and Xavier’s older brother.
When Theron arrives home after attending pack business he is assaulted by the most delicious scent. Who does it belong to and how does he go about claiming the owner for his mate?
Prologue
Jenna moaned at the delicious sensation of Xavier’s thick cock moving in and out of her pussy. His hands gripped her hips tightly, encouraging her to move faster and faster. But it obviously wasn’t quick enough because he lifted her off him and knelt on the bed.
“On your hand and knees,” Xavier ordered.
Jenna shuddered at his words; she loved it when he got all dominant. She quickly obeyed him and was rewarded by the swipe of his tongue over her labia lips. Then she felt him pull back and the blunt tip of his cock push at her opening.
The pleasure as his cock sank deep in her pussy was as thrilling as it had been the first time they’d made love six months ago. She had fallen deeply in love with her handsome mate. But this was no time to be thinking about then, not when she was being fucked just how she liked it -- hard and fast.
Xavier’s fingers bit deep into her sides as he increased his pace, the length of his cock butting at her cervix. The pleasure/pain of it was more than Jenna could stand, and she moaned and shuddered in orgasm around his thrusting cock. Xavier slowed down and let her ride out the pleasure, then started his hard thrusting again.
She let herself drop down on the bed and supported herself on crossed arms. Her nipples rubbed against the sheets as Xavier’s rapid movements pushed her forward and back. His harsh breathing told her he was nearing his own orgasm, and that was enough to send her tumbling into a second one herself. The warm spurts of her mate’s release flooded her pussy, and the groans coming from his throat told her how much he had enjoyed himself.
Xavier collapsed at her side, and pulled her toward him. Jenna reached up and traced one of the deep scars on his cheek. Her action had stopped drawing a reaction from him after he realised they didn’t matter to her in the least. They were badges of honour to her.
Recovering her breath, Jenna asked, “Are you positive that Jeri is Theron’s mate?”
Xavier kissed her softly on her lips. “Yes, love, I am sure. You saw how he acted with you earlier. That is the second time after you had spent the weekend with Jeri that he sniffed around you. He is picking up her scent from your clothes. Although I have to admit it did look weird,” he said, laughing at the memory of his older brother’s confused look when he had welcomed Jenna home.
Snuggling closer to Xavier, Jenna smiled. “Okay. This is going to be a fun Christmas watching the two of them together.”
Chapter One
Jeri slowly drove her car down the winding road that hopefully led to her friend Jenna’s new home. This was the first time she had managed to come for a visit. At least the threatened snowfall hadn’t arrived as forecasted.
Driving around a bend in the road, she saw a massive mansion in front of her. That was the only word for it; why Jenna referred to it as just a house she would never know. It was huge!
She continued driving until she reached the front of the manor and stopped the engine just as the door opened and a smiling Jenna walked, out followed by her partner, Xavier. Jeri didn’t mind admitting that he was one intense-looking guy, but she could see he adored Jenna.
Jeri got out of the car as both reached her. Jenna wrapped her arms around her in a hug, and Xavier gave her cheek a little kiss of welcome. Now that surprised her. When they had met before, he was polite but didn’t show any hint of being the touchy feely type of guy. Why was he acting different to her now?
“Give me your keys and I will get your bags out, Jeri,” said Xavier with a smile.
Jeri handed him her keys and, arm in arm with Jenna, moved toward the. They walked into an entrance hall that was larger than her living room at home, and Jenna drew her toward an open door on the left side of the hall. The only other door visible was on the opposite side and closed.
Jenna saw her glance and smiled. “That is the way into Xavier’s brother’s side. This used to be one big house, but Xavier and his brother, Theron, decided that although they wanted to live closer together, they didn’t want to be on top of each other, so they divided it into two homes.”
Jeri nodded but didn’t say anything, Jenna hadn’t said much about Xavier and his brother, but hopefully she would find out all she wanted to this holiday. It had surprised her that Jenna had upped and left her job and moved in with Xavier so quickly. Oh, once she saw them together she could see the love they shared, but still -- Jenna was awfully sparse on the details.
Jeri followed Jenna through a maze of corridors, until she finally stopped and opened a door to a beautiful bedroom. It was decorated in a simple style, but Jeri loved how the soft colours matched the antique wood of the bed and wardrobe. “I know you left straight from work, so I made sure to leave the heater on in your bathroom,” said Jenna, leading the way through the doorway into the en suite bathroom.
Mouth open, Jeri took in the big room with the walk-in shower cubicle that took up nearly a whole wall, and the corner bath with bottles and jars of all her favourite shampoos and creams. Turning to Jenna she said, “You didn’t have to do all this, Jenna.”
Jenna hugged her. “Yes I did. You are like a sister to me and I want you to feel at home here.”
Both turned as they heard Xavier in the bedroom.
Jenna said, “We will let you settle in and freshen up. I know there is no way you will remember which way to walk to reach the living room, so when you are ready just pick up the phone and dial nine, and you will get through to one of us.”
After they both left, Jeri noticed the kettle and the mug waiting beside her bed. She clicked the warmer to high, then unpacked her case. When the herbal tea was ready, she sat down on the bed and took a slow sip of it as she assimilated everything in the room. Setting the mug down, she went into the bathroom and put the plug in the bath. She scanned the bottles until she saw her favourite L’Occitane fragrance. As she poured the lavender mix into the running water it gave off a wonderful calming aroma. Jeri stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bath. She lay back, closed her eyes and relaxed.
She knew this was going to be a wonderful Christmas.
Chapter Two
Theron saw the strange car sitting in front of the mansion as he neared the entrance. Jenna’s friend must have arrived while he was out on pack business. He wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow. Odd man out with a human while they watched the doe-eyed lovers was not his idea of a happy Christmas day. But at least he could escape after dinner by saying he had pack business to attend to. Neither Xavier nor Jenna would make a fuss while the human was in the room.
Driving past the little car, he pressed the button to lift the automatic doors on the garage, wondering why Xavier hadn’t put the car into it earlier. Maybe he’d better go and mention it to him as it looked like the threatened snow was about to start falling.
Entering the hall, Theron was hit by the luscious scent in the air. His cock grew as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was the scent that he had picked up on Jenna’s clothes a few times lately. Who did it belong to?
Without thought he moved to Xavier’s door and gave a quick knock before entering it, following the scent as he bypassed the closed living room door where he could hear Jenna’s voice.
He wanted to catch a glimpse of the woman with this intoxicating scent. Coming to a closed door he opened it slowly, smiling as he heard a female voice singing in an off-key tone. The scent was stronger than ever and his cock grew even harder as he listened to her voice. Drawing near the en suite door, he quietly opened it until he could see the woman.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched her wash one arm then the other. Then she lifted one leg and ran her hands up and down it before moving to the other. Finished washing her legs, she stood up then bent over
to pull the plug from the bath. Theron groaned as he saw her luscious, round hips -- childbearing hips.
His mate’s hips.
His mate turned around at his groan and screamed when she saw him standing in the doorway.
Theron winced at the ear piercing scream. Holding out his hands, he said, “Don’t be frightened, my mate. I would never harm you. I followed your scent, not realising you were bathing.” He moved over to the towel rail, plucked a towel from it, turned around to hand it to his mate, and found she was nearly out the door. Dripping water over the tiles and carpet, she ran to the bedroom entrance.
Theron rushed after her and caught her just as her hand touched the door knob.
Wrapping the towel around her shivering body, he cursed himself under his breath for scaring her this way. Before he could say anything, the door burst open and Jenna and Xavier stood in the doorway, faces grim.
Jenna was the first to get over her surprise at seeing him holding her dripping wet friend. “What is going on here? Why did you scream, Jeri?”
Theron shook his head at the look of disbelief that his mate gave Jenna. Well it was a silly question when you thought about it. He was the reason she screamed.
“He --” His mate broke off and pointed at him with a shaking finger. “He was watching me in the bath!”
Xavier looked at Jenna. Jenna looked at her friend, and then both turned to face him.
“What are you doing here, Theron?”
His mate gave a little gasp. “He is your brother?”
Xavier gave her a sheepish look. “Yes, sorry about this, Jeri. We will leave you to finish drying and meet you in the living room.” Xavier tried to drag Theron through the door toward the corridor.
“She is my mate, Xavier. There is no way I am leaving her side now.” Theron crossed his arms over his chest, waiting to see what they would do next.
