Sugar, Spice, and Shifters: A Touch of Holiday Magic

by Élianne Adams

  “She’s blind, so once she moves in here, we’ll have to set things up so she can move around more easily. That is if she wants to move to the estate at all.” He hoped she would, being without a clan for a few years before he had met Jace and Luke had been tough, but if she really wanted to live in Glen Farley, he’d live there with her. They could start their own clan, or even remain as part of Dragon Blood, but live apart. It would be different, not living with the people he now considered his family, but he’d adjust.

  He didn’t wait for them to ask any more questions before he turned toward his section of the estate.

  “Wait, when do we get to meet her?” Stella hollered after him.

  “I don’t know,” he yelled back, then laughed. “I still have to convince her that she’s my mate.”

  FOUR

  As soon as she ended the call, Maddie let out a long sigh. What had gotten into her? First, she was jealous of a woman she’d never even met… over a man she barely knew. Then she admitted to being naked in the tub while talking to him. If he turned out to be some creepy guy who wanted to take advantage of her, she’d given him plenty to think about, hadn’t she? Thankfully, Luke didn’t give her that vibe, and being blind, she considered herself to be a pretty good judge of character.

  Tugging on the chain with her big toe, she pulled the plug and stood to get out. She wanted to be ready for when he called again. In her rush, she missed the mat. Her foot landed on the wet ceramic tile, and before she could stop her momentum, it slipped, sending her careening forward. Desperate to find something to grab a hold of, she whipped her arms out only to come up empty.

  Her phone flew in one direction, and she went the other. Her heart plummeted at the splash she heard as it landed in the tub behind her. She fell forward, hitting her head on the corner of the sink.

  When she finally got her feet under her again, her head spun a little, but she was okay. She reached for her towel to dab at the warm blood trickling from her forehead to her cheek. It didn’t take long for the bleeding to stop once she applied pressure. With the tips of her fingers, she assessed the wound. Not too deep. She could disinfect it and put some kind of dressing on it for the night, and forget about it.

  — — —

  “Why the hell isn’t she answering her phone?” Luke asked his empty room as he paced. It had been well over forty minutes since they’d hung up. She should have been dressed by then. Looking out the window, he couldn’t see the peaks of the mountains for the snow that was falling. Not that surprising considering the forecast. He waited another two full minutes before hitting redial. Something was wrong. His gut told him as much. It was the same churning feeling that he got in his stomach as when hunters were near.

  He waited, his fist tightening around the phone as it rang at her end, four, then five times before the answering service picked up again. “Hey, Maddie, it’s Luke. Listen, I don’t want to be a pain, and if you aren’t interested, it’s okay, but please, if you can, answer the phone to let me know you’re okay.” It wasn’t, and there was no way he’d let her go without trying to win her over, but he had to know she was all right. He hadn’t left a message the first ten times he’d called, but if she didn’t answer soon, he was heading back to Glen Farley. To hell with the storm.

  He tossed the phone onto his bed and grabbed his bag before heading to his closet. If he were going back to the village, he wouldn’t be able to make it back to the estate in the storm. Hell, he’d be lucky to make it to Maddie’s in one piece. He’d have to check into a sleazy motel for the night, or beg for a spot on the Woolridge couch. Then again, considering the interrogation he’d have to face there, he’d rather stay at the motel.

  He was going to try ringing her one more time. If she didn’t answer, he was going down there. For all he knew, she could have lost power in the storm and was stuck at home alone with no heat. Not that he could do a whole lot to restore power, but at least he could supply heat so she didn’t freeze to death.

  When the ringing stopped and he got her voicemail again, he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

  “Hey, where are you going? In case you hadn’t noticed, the blizzard is in full swing.” Jace stopped him before he reached the door.

  “She’s not answering her phone,” he said, then huffed when Jace looked at him with a blank expression. He glanced at his watch. “Maddie isn’t answering her phone. I told her I’d call her back in ten minutes, but she’s not answering.”

  “She probably fell asleep or something. There’s no point in getting yourself killed.”

  Luke wasn’t about to tell Jace that she had been in the tub while they’d been talking. “No. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

  Jace’s eyes narrowed. “Hunters?” he asked, then continued without waiting for the answer. “I’ll come with you. Give me a sec to tell Brycen and Austin. The others are on assignment, but we can call them back.”

  “Wait. No. Sit tight.” He loved that his clan always had his back, but he wouldn’t put anyone in harm’s way until he knew there was a need for it. “I’ll call for backup if I need it once I get there.”

  Jace didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “Call even if there’s no trouble. You won’t make it back up here tonight. Stella will worry.”

  Luke grinned. “I know. I’ll call.”

  It didn’t take him long to undress and loop his pack around his neck. The moment he was in the front yard, he shifted and was up in the air again.

  Under normal circumstances, he could fly down to the village in less than ten minutes, but he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him. The dragon was restless, but even he knew he had to take it easy. He wouldn’t be of any help to Maddie if he crashed into the side of the mountain. When he finally saw the lights of the houses below his muscles loosened up a little, but then why hadn’t Maddie answered her phone?

  He circled her block once before landing in her neighbor’s yard. The lights were on in all but two windows in the small apartment complex she had gone into earlier. Although the dragon provided plenty of heat, the biting wind pinched at his skin. Grabbing his jeans from his bag, he pulled them on. There’d be time to put his socks and underwear on once he was someplace warmer. He had pulled his sweater over his head when the porch light flicked on.

  “What are you doing back there?” An elderly man peered out his back door, then shook his head. “Damned dragons, always trampling over my lawn,” he grumbled before he turned and slammed his door behind him.

  Did the man not see the blanket of snow covering his precious lawn? By the end of the week, it would be more than flat, it would be frozen solid. Luke slipped his wet feet into his sneakers, then grabbed his things and headed to the sidewalk. He didn’t stop until he was inside Maddie’s building, and then, only long enough to catch her scent, directing him to the right apartment.

  Luke had his hand up to knock when Maddie’s scent, mingled with a familiar coppery smell reached him. Blood. He knocked on the door, rattling the welcome sign hanging there. When he didn’t hear anything right away, he pounded again. It’s probably nothing. Take it easy, Luke.

  “Hold on.” Maddie’s muffled voice came through the door.

  He released the air he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and took a deep breath, easing the burn in his lungs.

  Her footsteps stopped on the other side of the door. “Who is it?” she asked.

  Luke closed his eyes and took another slow breath. “It’s Luke.” Smart woman, she hadn’t opened the door without checking first.

  “Luke?”

  He heard the rattle of a chain lock, then not one, but two bolts clicking before she finally opened the door.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you went home?”

  His relief at seeing her standing there died fast when he saw the bandage with blood seeping through on her forehead. “I did. What happened?”

  Her cheeks grew red. “I fell while getting out of the tub.”

 
“Shit. Are you okay?” He took a step closer, reaching out for her, but then dropped his hand. “Can we go inside?”

  “I’m fine. Why are you here, Luke? How did you get home and all the way back to the village in the storm? I would have thought the roads would have been closed by now.”

  She was going to be pissed, but he had to tell her. “Let’s go inside and I’ll answer your questions.”

  She hesitated, but then nodded and turned, leaving him to close and lock the door.

  She waited for him at the end of a small sofa. “Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?” she offered.

  “No, thanks.” He took her hand and led her to the couch, keeping her smaller one in his as they both sat. “Before I say anything else, I want you to know that you’re in no danger from me. I would never hurt you in any way, or take advantage of you.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Okay.”

  “Maddie, I’m a dragon shifter. I made it up the mountain and down again so fast because I flew there and back. I didn’t drive. I have no idea if the roads are closed or not. I seldom use them.”

  Maddie gasped, but didn’t pull her hand from his. “I knew it.”

  She smiled, and the rest of the tension drained from his body. She hadn’t pulled away or freaked out. Maybe convincing her to give them a chance wouldn’t be as tough as he had feared.

  “So why are you here, Luke? How did you find me?”

  The muscles in his shoulders tensed again. “I flew overhead and made sure you made it home safely earlier. That’s how I found your apartment building. Once inside, I used my nose to find you,” he said in a rush. He didn’t know Maddie well, but he knew she valued her independence.

  She worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. “I made it home safe and sound.”

  “I know,” he said.

  “I don’t need to be coddled or protected. I manage quite well on my own,” she insisted.

  “I figured as much.”

  “So why follow me home? Why come rushing back down the mountain in a blizzard?”

  With her eyebrows drawn, she looked so cute he wanted to kiss the frown from her lips, but he settled for smiling even though she couldn’t see him. “I needed to make sure you made it home safe. It had nothing to do with you being blind. I would have done the same thing had you been able to see.” And he would have. Any self-respecting dragon ensured their mate’s safety.

  She nibbled at her bottom lip again and he had to swallow his groan. Everything she did was so damned sexy.

  “But why?” she finally asked.

  His stomach plummeted. Of course, she’d keep asking. “I’m not going to start our relationship with lies, Maddison. I did all that because you’re my mate.”

  Her eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something.

  “Before you shoot the idea down, hear me out. Dragons aren’t the same as humans. Our bodies, while in human form are quite similar, and function pretty much the same way, but the dragon is not the same. The dragon feels and senses things that humans can’t. It knows its mate by scent. The chemical reaction in my body doesn’t lie. I knew you were mine the moment you walked past me to go into the bakery. So yes, even though you are capable and independent, I had to see you home safe. The dragon wouldn’t allow anything else even though in my mind, I knew it wasn’t necessary.”

  “Oh.” She pulled her hand from his and stood. She took a few steps away, avoiding the coffee table entirely before turning toward him again. “So what does that mean?”

  Luke wanted to eat up the few short feet between them and have her near again, but he stayed where he was. “It means that you’re the one who was meant for me. No one else could come close to having the same effect on me as you do. And it’s more than physical attraction though I’ll admit, that’s there in a huge way. It’s a soul bond, something that can’t be broken.”

  FIVE

  Holy crap. She was his mate? Maddie’s heart pounded. She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. There was something about Luke that drew her to him, there was no doubt about that, but his mate? When he was close, her whole body settled. It was like she didn’t have to be hyper vigilant with him around. He’d look out for her. But at the same time, a different kind of tension coiled. The longer she spent in his presence, the closer she wanted to get to him. She’d never had such a physical, visceral reaction, to a man before, and truth be told, it scared her a little.

  “Maddie,” he spoke, breaking her out of her own thoughts.

  “Yes?”

  “There’s nothing to worry about here. I’m not going to push you for more than you’re willing to give. I didn’t tell you all that so that you feel pressured.”

  The material of the couch cushions scraped against his pants as he stood. He took two steps toward her, but she didn’t back away.

  “I didn’t want dishonesty between us,” he said from right in front of her.

  “So now what?”

  “Now, you let me look at your wound to be sure you’re okay, and then I’ll go.”

  The heat emanating from his body warmed her skin. He was close. His scent enveloped her and she took a deep breath, wanting more. “It’s fine. I promise.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but blood is seeping through, and the dressing needs to be changed anyway. I really don’t mind doing it,” he insisted.

  “The first aid kit is in the bathroom.” She tried to turn to go get it, but he put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her.

  His breath fanned her cheek. He was so close, if she turned, she was sure her lips would meet his. “I can get it if you like,” he offered.

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll be right back.” This time when she turned, he let her. She didn’t have to see to know that he followed her with his gaze. The tingle racing through her said it all, and if it made her put a little extra sway to her hips, then so be it. Whatever it was that pulled her to Luke was getting stronger, and she had no desire to fight it. When she got to the door leading to the hall, she turned and smiled at him. “Thank you for coming to check up on me, Luke. I appreciate it.”

  Now that her head had stopped spinning, she might as well rescue her phone while she was in there. She steadied herself, making sure of her footing before she bent down to retrieve it. Sweeping her hands along the bottom, she came up empty. She tried again, twice, but still, nothing. If she didn’t come back out soon, she was sure Luke would come in after her, so she might as well call him in.

  “Luke?”

  She heard his footsteps coming toward her in an instant. “Are you okay?” he asked. His breath hissed out of him as he rounded the corner.

  She straightened, blushing. She hadn’t even thought of the sight she’d make bent over the tub that way. “When I fell earlier, my phone went flying. It landed somewhere in the tub, but I can’t seem to find it.”

  “Here, let me.” He squeezed in behind her, resting one hand on her hip as he reached down. “I don’t think it’ll work again, it’s full of water.”

  His voice was hoarser than it had been before, and his fingers tightened on her hip. When he shifted to his other foot, she couldn’t help but feel the heat of his body all along the back of her legs and back.

  “Here,” he said, placing her dripping wet phone in her hand.

  “Thank you. Since you’re here, maybe we can change the dressing here?” She turned, brushing up against his hard body before sitting on the edge of the tub.

  “Sure, whatever you want.” She heard him rifling through the first aid kit for a moment before he started pulling at the tape holding the old bandage in place. “You’ve got a bit of hair stuck in the tape. I’ll try not to pull it.”

  “Thanks.” With his scent, and his warmth surrounding her, she could hardly think, much less speak.

  “There we go. The cut is clean, but I’ll disinfect it again to make sure. You’re going to have a nasty bruise on your forehead for a few days. It doesn’t need stitches, but I’ll hav
e to realign the skin a little so you don’t end up with a scar.”

  He was so gentle with her that she hardly felt a thing. It didn’t take long that the wound was cleaned and he had a new dressing covering it. “Thank you. Now will you kiss it to make it better?” she teased. Expecting that he’d step away, she stood, only to find that he was right there. In an instant, his hands tilted her face up to his, and his lips descended on hers.

  She stood there for a moment, too shocked to do anything else, but when his tongue probed at her seeking entrance, she let him in. He tasted as delicious as he smelled, and she couldn’t get enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

  A soft growl rumbled in his chest—against hers, making her nipples pebble with the vibration. His arms came around her, wrapping her in his strength. Every part of him was hard, well defined, and pressing against her. When he finally loosened his hold, and maybe thought of pulling away, she dug her fingers into his hair and brought him back for more.

  “Luke,” she whispered when she finally pulled her lips from his.

  He groaned and his arms tightened around her until she could hardly breathe. What was she doing? She was kissing a man she’d only just met right there in her bathroom as though she’d known him for years. That wasn’t her. She wasn’t so trusting.

  When his mouth grazed her cheek, heading to her lips again, she brought her hands to his chest, pushing with enough pressure to stop him.

  “I’m sorry, give me a minute.” His breath teased at her ear with each panting breath he took as he held her close. His heart pounded hard enough that she felt it where her breasts were mashed against him.