Santa Claws (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance)

by Sasha Winter

  Elise stayed stubbornly silent but Frank obviously just wanted the captive audience because he kept going. “When I discovered that our esteemed Sheriff here was one of those filthy animals too, can you imagine how horrified I was? A criminal at best but an animal at worst, after all. How could I let him continue to hold such an influential position? I spent a long time—no, actually, that isn’t true. I decided very quickly that he had to go away. Preferably permanently. I needed to get rid of him to make sure he didn’t pollute our town any further. I couldn’t have him hiring other shifters or, heaven forbid, starting a family here. I’m determined to rid our town of the shifter disease so that no other human had to suffer loss at their hands.”

  Erik’s stomach turned to a block of ice at the conviction in Frank’s voice.

  “Framing him for murder seemed appropriate, considering what his kind took away from me all those years ago.” Frank sounded happy with his insane plan. “And I probably would have gotten away with it too, Ms. Jackson, if you hadn’t been quite so clever.”

  He looked up at Erik, eyes even brighter with fervor. His hand disappeared into his pocket, pulling out a small knife and flicking the sheath off easily. “I think it’s your turn now, Sheriff,” he said pleasantly, putting the knife dangerously near Elise’s throat. “Time to watch someone you hold dear die.”

  Chapter 14

  It took a few moments for Elise to remember what had been happening before she passed out. She remembered the murderer’s corkboard in Frank’s living room and the remains of the panther replica spread over the coffee table. She remembered the articles and the sudden thought that the teenager in them had been Frank. She thought that she’d just been about to ask Erik whether he thought the same when she’d turned around and seen him falling to the ground with a dart in his back.

  There was a dull ache in her shoulders and a sharp sting in her side. It took another few moments for her senses to start to come back online. Eventually she registered that she was tied to a tree and her legs were folded under her and that was why she couldn’t feel them beyond a fuzzy kind of awareness that they were actually there. Her eyes took a while longer to coax open and her hearing was dim and clouded even when she did manage to shake her head a little.

  The sight she found was not particularly surprising considering the fact that she was tied up but it was still not idea. She could see Erik a few yards away, tied to a tree as well but with far more rope securing him than there seemed to be on her. The most alarming thing was the way that Frank was crouched by Erik. She couldn’t help but groan out loud at the sight and it drew Frank’s attention.

  She was still too groggy to comprehend much of the monologue he launched into but she did her very best to try and telegraph her disgust.

  Frank was staring at Erik when he pulled a knife out of his pocket and, groggy or not, Elise was pretty sure if there was going to be an example made it was going to be her. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and decided that she was not going to die crying. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  Elise closed her eyes when she felt Frank bring the knife to her throat. She thought briefly of Susan and felt a pang of loss at the thought that her best friend might not ever know what had happened to her. She’d always wondered just how true that whole thing was when people said the last thing you saw before you died was a replay of your life. As she waited for the end, as terrifying as it was to think that in that moment it was all going to be over, a small part of her was sure that the time she’d spent in Sawmill Grove, the time she’d spent with Erik, would be the most exciting and rewarding part of her life’s slideshow.

  The slideshow never started, though. Elise heard the loud crack of gunfire and then Frank screamed and the knife clattered to the ground in the wake of the shot. It must have hit a rock because the metallic clang sounded almost as loud as the gunfire.

  Her eyes flew open and she saw Erik kneeling a few yards away, his gun in his hand and his eyes blazing. They were wide and the pupils distinctly feline. She could see the glint of claws around the gun instead of fingernails. “Erik!”

  Erik crossed the clearing in the space of a heartbeat, pushed Frank farther away and sliced through the ropes binding her to the tree in one smooth strike. He rolled the cursing Frank onto his belly and yanked his arms up behind his back, securing them with handcuffs before putting a knee in the small of his back. “You’re under arrest,” he snarled and Elise felt suddenly lightheaded with relief.

  “Frank’s blow-dart concoction wasn’t as strong as he thought, apparently. Not when combined with all that adrenaline that just shot through me. Can you call for backup?” Erik asked her, his face completely human and much gentler when he looked up and met her eyes. “I think my radio is over where I was tied up. Tell them we’ve got Frank in custody.” Concern crossed his face. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said and nodded quickly. She was almost positive she wasn’t actually hurt, just groggy and a little frightened. “I can do that. Should I tell them to bring an ambulance for him?”

  Erik scowled down at the back of Frank’s head. He nodded even though Elise was sure he wanted to say no. Part of her wanted Frank to suffer a little longer too. “Yes, that’s a good idea.”

  It wasn’t long before the clearing was swarming with deputies. Elise barely felt as though she’d blinked.

  One of the deputies drove her and Erik back to town. She clung to him in the back seat of the cruiser and he didn’t seem willing to let her go either if the way his arm held her close against his side was anything to go from.

  When they stopped in front of the hotel, Dot was waiting, visibly anxious and wringing her hands. Erik held Elise tight for a few long moments more before kissing her forehead lightly. “Call me if you need anything,” he said and his voice was rough. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Getting out of the cruiser and watching it drive away felt like she’d lost something.

  It was late by the time Elise got back up to her room after Dot finished fussing over her. She glanced at the dark screen of her cell and then at the digital clock by the bed. Too late, really, she reasoned, to call Susan and have a good cry.

  She stood in the shower for twenty minutes instead, letting the hot water and the steam wash off the mud and the fear and soothe her tired muscles. She regretted not asking Erik to stay as soon as she crawled into the cold, empty bed and could hardly bear to close her eyes.

  She flicked through the channels on the television at least three times before settling on the Simpsons marathon. She hadn’t watched the show since she was a teenager but was caught entirely off guard by how easily the slapstick humor and ridiculous antics coaxed the odd giggle out of her.

  The tension in her body slowly bled out and eventually she found her eyes sliding closed of their own accord, too tired to fight sleep.

  When she woke the sun was beating at the curtains and the television was still on. She immediately lunged for her cell and hit Susan’s speed dial.

  “Susan,” she said as soon as she heard the call connect.

  “Elise!” Susan’s familiar voice was warm. “Honey, how are you? How’s your smoking Sheriff?”

  Elise almost broke into relieved tears at the sound of her voice. Susan immediately picked up on it.

  “Oh, Elise,” she said. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Elise rushed to say. “Not even a scratch on me. We…” She cleared her throat and tried to get rid of the sudden lump. “We solved it. Caught the real killer and he confessed and everything.”

  Susan made a disbelieving sound. “Oh please, like that’s how you tell the story! Elise!”

  Elise laughed and even though it stuck in her throat and came out sounding half-strangled, it was the best she’d felt since Erik had let her go outside the hotel the night before. “Okay, well, here’s the whole story…”

  ***

  The next day, Erik picked her up again to
ferry her down to the station so they could start wrapping up the case. They went to the drive-through for breakfast again and Elise was relieved by the normality of Erik ordering a ridiculous amount of food.

  “So,” Erik said as they waited, idling in the parking bay and there was a heaviness in his voice that made Elise snap to attention. “It’s over. We solved it and got the murderer. What’s next for you?”

  Elise shrugged, curious as to what Erik hoped she’d say. “Head back to the city probably,” she admitted. “Start putting out feelers for another job, one that doesn’t have my jerk of an ex and the bitch he cheated on me with. And then I’ll head upstate to see my family for Christmas.”

  Erik made a vague sound of approval. “Sounds like a solid plan. I can’t believe it’s nearly already Christmas Eve. Just one more week.”

  “Neither can I. But at least we got the killer in time for Christmas,” she said. “I still feel awful for Dylan’s family, spending it alone without him. I think I might drop in and take them something. Just something simple, like some fruit mince pies and a wreath. Just so they know someone’s thinking of them at this time.”

  Erik smiled. “That’s very kind of you. Even though old Ralph is prejudiced against shifters, that doesn’t mean he deserved to lose his son so terribly. I think I’ll take them some stuff too.”

  “Maybe some containers filled with that amazing pasta of yours?”

  “Good idea.”

  At that moment the employee from the restaurant tapped on the window and handed their food and coffee through. Erik thanked the young man before facing Elise fully with a half-smile dancing around his mouth. “Before you do go back, though, I’d like to take you out properly. A real date.” He grinned, a little devilish, and Elise raised an eyebrow in silent question. “Seeing as we never got our first one.”

  She laughed, feeling suddenly lighter like the events of the last few days hadn’t been quite as terrible as she remembered. “I think that sounds like a good plan,” she agreed and relished in the giddy feeling that set her insides aflutter. “Friday?”

  Erik grinned. “Friday.”

  Chapter 15

  It took almost all of Erik’s will power to not tell Elise what he’d realized during those terrifying moments he’d been certain he was about to have to watch Frank slit her throat. He’d run the scenario through his head a few times in the days since, thought about how he’d tell her.

  “You’re my true mate, Elise.”

  “I know it doesn’t make sense to humans but us shifters, we just know when we meet our soulmates.”

  “We’re meant to be together, please don’t leave. Spend Christmas with me.”

  He’d thrown every single scenario out in the end, well aware that he couldn’t ask her to stay after everything that had happened, especially not at this time of the year when she should be with her family. He wouldn’t prove Frank right by succumbing to the animal instincts demanding that he make her stay in Sawmill Grove with him. He’d rather die.

  In the end, he decided on a token that he hoped would prove to her the depth of his commitment and went in search of his own ancestral necklace. He found it tucked into the back of the safe in his bedroom and pulled it out, sitting on the edge of his bed to study it for a little while.

  The chain was thick and made of heavy, solid gold, and the pendant with the crest on it was intricately made. It depicted a roaring panther head and the outside was decorated with the image of a curled panther’s tail with Latin letters that had been lost to the passage of time. They’d never been passed down to him, and he felt a tinge of regret that he hadn't bothered to ask his grandfather if he knew.

  He looked for the right moment to tell her, to ask her. Throughout the next few days, it seemed the moment never arose. When he wasn’t speaking to kids at the store as part of his moonlighting Santa gig, he was busy helping finalize the investigation, gathering evidence from Frank's house, speaking with various media outlets that reached out to the station about the attack. Elise was drawing further and further away from him every day, and Erik felt desperate.

  She messaged him the night before they’d agreed to give their failed first date another try.

  I’m really looking forward to tomorrow night, Erik.

  With each re-read of the message, his stomach settled and it felt like he finally fit within his own skin again. Eventually, he typed his own response. Me too, Elise. I’ll see you tomorrow night.

  For the first time since before the case, he had what could be called a genuinely good night’s sleep and woke up feeling refreshed and excited. The day passed quickly which was a surprisingly pleasant change after the events of the last few days where every minute seemed to drag on for an hour.

  When he finished at the station for the day he called Elise when he reached his cruiser.

  She answered on the fifth ring and sounded a little out of breath. “Erik?”

  “Hey,” he said and couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. “Just calling to make sure we’re still on for tonight.”

  “Of course!” she exclaimed and he could hear the excitement in her voice. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  “I’ll pick you up at six,” he said as a satisfied warmth spread through him, right to his extremities. “See you soon, Elise.”

  “See you at six,” she confirmed and he could almost hear her smile too.

  When he got home he spent more time deciding what to wear than he did actually getting ready. Eventually he decided on dark slacks and a pale blue button up, leaving the top button undone. It was simple but he remembered Elise mentioning how much she liked blue and figured that there was no better time for the subtle romantic gestures than the present moment.

  He was ten minutes early to pick Elise up but when she answered the door she was ready, her smile bright and delighted when she looked him up and down. He felt the same at the sight of her in a sleek, simple black dress. His mouth went a little dry with excitement when she stretched up and kissed the corner of his mouth in greeting before closing the door behind her and letting him lead the way back down to the parking lot.

  “Where are we going?” she asked when they were both in the car.

  Erik reached over and took her hand with the one not on the wheel. “Patience,” he chided and relished in the way his heart thumped excitedly in his chest at the way her fingers curled against his almost immediately.

  “I’m not very good at surprises,” she said with a giggle.

  She didn’t have to wait very long, luckily, because Erik pulled the car into a parking spot at his favorite restaurant a few moments later. “Welcome to the best Italian you’ll ever eat,” he said as he unbuckled and got out, putting on a burst of speed to get around to her door and open it for her before she’d even managed to unfasten her own seatbelt.

  They shared a bottle of wine and a plate of bruschetta while waiting for Elise’s creamy chicken gnocchi and Erik’s regular saltimbocca. “So,” Elise said after twenty minutes of deliberately casual conversation. She met his eyes steadily. “What does this mean for you now? The whole town knows that their sheriff is a shifter. That Santa is actually Santa Claws. Or Santa Paws. I came up with that one last night.”

  Erik shrugged a shoulder even as a vague sense of unease twisted his belly at the thought. He managed to will it away and muster a rakish grin. “Well, it should be fine,” he said. “All the ill will people were feeling towards shifters turned out to be because of something a human did so most people are feeling much more sympathetic to my kind.”

  He took a mouthful of wine and winked at her, delighting in the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him. “Plus everyone’s doubly scared of me now,” he continued. “Sheriff and shifter? They’re probably going to be on their best behavior now. Santa won’t even need to make a naughty list!”

  Her laughter was more satisfying even than the food, when it came.

  The time to tell Elise everything didn’t come that night. They
tumbled into his bed, a flurry of fierce kisses and desperate touches, and he wanted to savor the afterglow rather than spoil it with such a heavy conversation.

  The right time came two days later, when they were walking hand in hand along a secluded path that wound its way around the gently lapping waters of Pine Lake. He delighted in the way he’d managed to spirit her away for the last few hours she had in Sawmill Grove even though her impending departure made his insides cold with dread. He clenched his free hand around the box that held the necklace in his pocket.

  They walked slowly and leisurely, taking in the scenery. The deep water reflected the wintery grey sky and clouds with such crystal clear definition that it looked to be a mirror in the stillness of the cool afternoon. Elise had been distant on the ride out there, and even here on the walk with nature surrounding them, the silence was deafening. Erik contemplated what to say. How would he lead up to giving her the necklace? How would he present it without looking and feeling like an ass? He was quickly giving up hope when a rabbit startled out of the brush, nearly giving Eric and Elise heart attacks.

  Elise squealed, turning to grasp Erik and bury her face into his chest. Erik felt on edge, his panther rumbling deep in his chest as his senses heightened in his defensive mode. He realized there was no threat long before he let his hands unwrap from their firm grip around Elise.

  “Just an animal,” he said softly, and she nodded, looking a bit embarrassed.

  “Sorry, I'm so on edge, I still can't shake that feeling.” She didn't have to explain. After what they'd been through, what she'd been through, she deserved a moment or two of weakness to sort herself out. Erik rubbed her arms reassuringly, and was incomprehensibly relieved when she buried her face back in his chest.