A Very Beary Christmas: A Howls Romance

by Abbie Zanders

  I didn’t know what to do. Chloe was suffering, and it was all my fault.

  I reached for my phone and quickly dialed the lodge. My uncle Eli was a doctor. He would know what to do.

  “Dad, it’s Sam. Something’s wrong with Chloe. I need Eli. Now!” I disconnected, cursing when Chloe began to seize.

  I gathered her in my arms and held her, not knowing what else to do. I didn’t even realize I was crying until the tears hit her skin.

  My uncle arrived a few minutes later, along with my mother and father. It took both my parents to convince me to release her long enough for Eli to examine her. Then my mom made tea while my father stood in front of the bedroom door to keep me from rushing in there. Their faces held concern, but they were handling the situation better than I was.

  Chloe’s anguished screams of pain were gutting me. I could hear my uncle’s deep, rumbling voice asking questions, trying to get to the bottom of things.

  “What the hell is happening?” I demanded repeatedly as I paced. Unfortunately, no one had an answer.

  Seconds passed by like minutes; minutes like hours. I was at my rope’s end when a loud roar suddenly shook the entire cabin.

  My blood chilled. I couldn’t imagine what would make my uncle go full bear unless there was an immediate threat.

  My parents and I exchanged glances, then rushed toward the bedroom. Since my father was closest, he got inside first and stopped dead in his tracks.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said softly

  I pushed him to the side, only to find my uncle, still in human form, looking awestruck.

  I followed his gaze to the far corner where a small, golden she-bear huddled in fear.

  “Chloe?”

  At the sound of my voice, her head whipped in my direction and she let out a soulful roar.

  In seconds, I shifted into my bear and went to her, nuzzling her face and head. She immediately placed herself behind me and whined.

  “Leave us,” I chuffed in grunts and rumbles. Then I turned and gave my full attention to my mate.

  Chloe was confused and scared. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Frankly, neither did I. I mean, I knew what had happened—my beautiful human mate had just shifted into a stunning golden sow—but I didn’t understand how it had happened. Explanations and answers would have to wait, however. What was most important at that point was reassuring my mate, which I did with a series of rumbles and growls.

  I wasn’t sure Chloe understood me, but her bear did. Handing over control to one’s animal was a difficult thing to learn, even when prepped for it. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to just have it happen suddenly and out of the blue like that. It had to have been terrifying.

  The physical shift wouldn’t have been any easier. It was a painful process the first few times, and downright excruciating the first. The change had probably been coming on all evening and, not recognizing it for what it was, Chloe’s mind and body had been fighting it.

  Eventually, I got her calmed enough to shift back into her human form. She remained in my arms, trembling and shaking. Only then did I shift back, too.

  “What happened to me, Sam?” she asked weakly.

  “You shifted.”

  “But how? Why?”

  “I don’t know, baby, but we’ll figure it out. The important thing is, you’re okay, and I’ve got you.”

  I kissed her head and rocked her until she fell into an exhausted sleep. Then I tucked her into bed, threw on some pants, and went out into the living room to get some answers. I left the bedroom door open so I would hear Chloe if she awoke or started spontaneously shifting again.

  My parents and uncle were still there, talking quietly in the kitchen.

  My mother looked up the moment I stepped out. “How is she?”

  “She’s sleeping.” I looked pointedly at my uncle, who looked somewhat shaken himself. “What the hell happened?”

  “She shifted.”

  “I know that,” I snapped impatiently. “How did that happen?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve witnessed plenty of primary transformations, but never in anyone as old as Chloe. I take it you didn’t know she was part-shifter?”

  “She’s human.”

  My uncle shook his head. “Half-human, maybe, but not full-human. Shifting is physically impossible without the genetic foundation to do so.”

  “Could it be because I bit her? DNA transfers, right?”

  “Some of it does, yes. Enough to allow for procreation, but not enough to change her physiology. If she shifted, Sam, it’s because it’s in her blood. The fact that it hasn’t occurred before now suggests that only one of her parents was a shifter, or less likely, a grandparent. Some half-breeds never shift. It depends on which genetic code is dominant.”

  “Her father wasn’t one of us,” my dad said, the scowl on his face conveying exactly what he thought of Jack Lewis.

  “Chloe doesn’t remember her mother,” I said, remembering our conversation from earlier. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Do you think she could have been a shifter?”

  The corners of my uncle’s mouth quirked. “Given what I just saw, I’d say there is no doubt about that.”

  “What now?”

  “Now you—we all—need to help Chloe acclimate to this new part of herself,” Eli said. “Physically, the worst of it is over. Coming to terms with her dual nature is going to take longer. It’s like discovering a twin you never knew you had.”

  I nodded, still somewhat in shock.

  “In the meantime, she will find you her greatest source of comfort,” my uncle said, rising. “If you need me, call. Otherwise, I think it’s best we all give you and your new mate the time and space to deal with this.”

  I thanked them all for coming so quickly. It was good to know my family had my back, and now Chloe’s, too.

  “Take care of my new daughter,” my mom said, pressing a kiss to my cheek as she prepared to leave. “She’ll be wanting a woman to talk to at some point, so have her call me. Any time, day or night, you hear me?”

  “I will, Mom. Thanks.”

  Chapter 18

  Chloe

  I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. My hair was thicker and longer, a lustrous golden blonde. Gold flecks now infused my brown eyes. And my skin had somehow acquired a healthy, tawny glow, even though it was the middle of winter.

  I turned away, then looked back over my shoulder. I was still on the thin side, but I looked more toned than I had before. Beneath the surface, I could actually see some definition. I might have been mistaken, but I was fairly certain my butt was firmer and my boobs were perkier, too. I still had my limp, but it was less pronounced and there was a chance it would disappear entirely over time.

  I smiled, seeing the multitude of love bites fading away even as I watched. Apparently, my she-bear was not only the picture of health, she was a horny little thing, too. Oddly enough, Sam didn’t seem to find that a problem at all.

  Just thinking about the creative ways he had handled that new, assertive side of me set those urges stirring again. I took a deep breath and forced myself to think about something else. My poor mate needed his rest.

  It had been a week since my shocking wake up call, and we had barely left the cabin, except for occasional romp through the woods.

  Sam had been amazing, going above and beyond to see to my every need. He had also been patient and understanding, teaching me how to coexist with my sow and control the transformation from one form to the other. It was a frustrating process.

  Sometimes my she-bear didn’t feel like coming out, or conversely, didn’t want to hand back the reins because she was having too much fun. Eventually, and with lots of help, we would figure it out.

  Sam’s family had been great, too. They were giving me the space and time to acclimate to this new part of me. They had visited only enough to deliver massive quantities of food. Apparently shifting, and highly physical sex marat
hons, required lots of fuel. My stomach rumbled in ready agreement.

  Tugging on one of Sam’s flannel shirts, I padded out to the kitchen and began to prepare something. I was famished, and I knew Sam would be hungry when he woke up. He had earned a big, protein and carb-laden meal.

  The painting I had made for Sam now hung above the mantel, though different from the original. I had modified it one night while Sam got some much-deserved rest, replacing the human version of myself with my she-bear. That was what had been missing. Now, it was perfect.

  I couldn’t help looking at the Christmas tree as I chopped and sliced, grated and mashed. Rufus still sat beside it, reminding me of the wonder of Christmas miracles. I had only ever wished for two things: to be a bear, and to live with Sam and his family.

  Though it had taken a little while, both had been granted.

  Laughing softly to myself, I added a third wish: to make Sam as happy as he had made me, and maybe have some cubs of our own to spoil this time next year.

  I heard Sam moving around, probably drawn by the delicious, mouth-watering scents now filling the cabin. I ramped up my meal preparations, a plan already forming in my mind. He was going to need a lot of energy ...

  Thanks for reading Sam and Chloe’s story

  You didn’t have to pick this book, but you did. Thank you!

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  Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!

  Abbie

  Like short, furry paranormal romance?

  Check out this excerpt from Falling For the Werewolf:

  AMOS TOOK ONE LOOK at Jace’s stricken face and broke out into a huge grin.

  “You went up to the roof, didn’t you?”

  Jace swallowed hard and nodded.

  Amos laughed. “Yeah, I should have warned you about that.” Oddly enough, Amos didn’t look that sorry.

  “Who is that?” Jace asked, dousing his face with a splash from the jug of water his uncle had handed him. It helped a little, but not much. Perhaps it would have been more effective if he poured it into his pants.

  “Bess’s niece,” Amos answered, wiping his own brow. “Moved here a few weeks ago. She’s a real sweetheart, too. Works late nights, catches up on her sleep up there in the morning like a lizard in the sun. Bess says she’s trying for a teaching position around here somewhere.”

  That body belongs to a teacher? Jace didn’t remember having any teachers who looked like that when he was in school.

  “Seems like a good time to break for lunch,” Amos said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

  Jace could only nod in agreement. With his wolf clawing at him and the vision of the naked goddess fresh in his mind, working with either power or hand tools probably wasn’t a good idea.

  Jace retrieved a cooler from their truck, thinking, Well, now he knew who his mystery female was and where she lived.

  He had barely set the cooler down beneath an old, shady maple when Amos said, “Ah. Don’t look now, son, but here she comes.”

  Jace’s entire body hardened—some parts were already pretty rigid—as he turned in the direction of the house.

  The goddess from the roof was heading toward them in a hooded cover-up that extended to her mid-thighs, a light turquoise color that accented her golden tan and sun-kissed hair. He couldn’t help wondering if she had anything on underneath, or if she had just tossed the hoodie over all that gorgeous nakedness.

  “Hi, Mr. Stevens! The gazebo is looking great. Aunt Bess asked me to bring you some iced tea.” She placed a tray with a pitcher and two glasses filled with ice on the patio table between them.

  Jace’s heart stuttered as the scent of coconuts and oranges hit him full-on.

  Amos smiled and thanked her.

  “Hey!” she said as she spotted Jace, her eyes lighting up and a delighted smile spreading across her face. “I know you!”

  His wolf growled softly in response, a sound only audible to another shifter.

  Amos raised his eyebrows, shooting Jace a questioning glance. “You two have met?”

  “Not officially,” she said on a laugh, and like before, it was a beautiful sound. “We ran into each other, quite literally, on the street the other day. Well, I ran into him. It was kind of like hitting a brick wall.” She shot him a shy but genuine smile, pinning him with those pretty eyes.

  He was tempted to ask her how her butt was, but he couldn’t think of a polite way to do so. Besides, from what he had just seen, it looked picture-perfect to him.

  “Then allow me to do the honors,” Amos said. “Dani, this is my nephew, Jace Stevens. Jace, this is Dani, Bess’s niece.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Dani,” Jace said, extending his hand. “Though, I can’t say I’ve ever met a girl named ‘Danny’ before.” He winced inwardly. Did he just say that?

  Thankfully, she didn’t seem offended.

  Dani took his hand, and he was once again struck by how good it felt, how perfectly it fit in his.

  His wolf growled again, though this time, it sounded suspiciously like “Mine.”

  “No, I guess not,” she said with a smile. “My name is Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani. And it’s nice to meet you, too, Jace Stevens.”

  Falling For the Werewolf is available now! Go to https://abbiezandersromance.com/falling-for-the-werewolf for more info.

  For even more classic romance with a furry twist, visit https://howlsromance.com and check out all the great titles in the Howls Romance series today!

  About the Author

  Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...

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  Enjoy these standalone, single titles

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  Enjoy these standalone, single titles

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