The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  ***

  “I think I’m going to try and shift today!” Dan exclaimed to no one in particular, sitting in the back corner of the office, just enjoying the fresh air and the sunlight that can through the propped open front door. It was another warm day, and Savannah welcomed the breeze even if it ruffled the receipts she was trying to sort and cooling the lo mein Tom had gotten her for lunch.

  “Really?” both Tom and Savannah asked in unison. Tom glanced at Savannah, a look of confusion on his face.

  Nick grinned. “Jo and I have never done that before,” he muttered to himself before continuing to leaf through a parts catalogue with a big black marker poised to snag a deal.

  “There’s no rush,” Tom continued, ignoring his brother’s quip.

  I know,” Dan replied. “But the closest I’ve been to nature was like a ten-minute pain fest of limping in a five foot circle around the parking lot.” He grimaced. “I was worried about wandering off alone while hurt since I don’t really know the area well.”

  “Really,” Tom asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You? Don’t know the area?”

  “Tom!” Nick chastised, but Dan was grinning.

  “Alright, wise guy I guess I walked into that one,” Dan chuckled. “But yeah, Lucas used to plan out these very strict paths that were always changing. It’s a lot different than just knowing your way around an area. I didn’t want to take the risk.”

  “Yeah, but aren’t you worried that your leg’s gonna get worse,” Tom continued.

  Dan shrugged. “Not really. I can kinda jump on it now. Though I wouldn’t do it for fun. If I can make it to bear form, I think I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s mostly just a giant sore muscle right now anyway; I honestly haven’t needed gauze for like, a week.”

  Tom scowled. “You should have told me that a week ago. Medical supplies don’t grow on trees.”

  “They actually cut into your bottom line since they aren’t tax deductible and you use company money to keep up the supplies,” Savannah added. All three men looked at her and she shrugged. “What? I’m the numbers person.”

  Nick chuckled. “It makes sense that he wants to get out and about, Tom. How do you think you’d feel after one whole month of holding of the change? Longer, actually, in Dan’s case.”

  “Yeah, I guess that would warrant at least a walk,” Tom agreed. Savannah couldn’t tell if he was pressing against it because of distrust or if Tom genuinely worried about Dan’s safety.

  “I’ll be out and back before you know it,” Dan reassured with a smile. “And hey, if you’re not feeling like your usually trustworthy, benefit-of-the-doubt giving self today, I’d be all in favor in taking an escort.”

  Savannah already knew he’d turn her way, preparing her face to hide the nerves she was already getting. She knew Dan had wanted to go face Lucas soon, but the very next day? He was still injured and they hadn’t even brainstormed a plan yet. She knew they couldn’t dawdle, but this didn’t seem like a much better plan in comparison.

  “So do you wanna come, Savannah?”

  Savannah’s eyes slid over Tom’s, not really asking permission but simply gauging his reaction of Dan’s request. “Go into the woods with you?” she asked, sure that that’s what they’d expect her to ask.

  Dan nodded once. “Yeah, just to escort me around a bit. Nick and Tom look to have a lot on their plates right now, so—”

  “So does Savannah,” Tom growled, his lip peeling back just a bit in in warning.

  Holding up one placating hand, Dan grinned a harmless smile. “Whoa there, hot shot, I’m not trying to steal your girl. She’s just the least busy of the three of you and Jo’s going to be in town for another few hours.” Dan shuddered. “Sitting in here cooped up all the time is making me… itchy.”

  “It won’t be a problem,” Savannah interrupted. “Tom trusts me. Right Tom?” Savannah challenged with a sweet smile. He only glared back at her, but there was no heat in it. “See? We’re good to go.”

  “Great!” Dan replied, not giving Tom the chance to protest. “After lunch?”

  “Sounds great,” Savannah said, raiding her fork as she nibbled on the last of her lo mein. “Just let me grab something in the back right quick.”

  ***

  Tom shook his head to himself, telling himself and the bear that they were both being ridiculous. He’d watched them as they slipped outside, hearing the distant sound of their change on the wind as it wafted lazily into the office. Not once did the old feeling of unease and suspicion waver.

  “Something not right,” he growled, his entire body tense.

  “What are you talking about?” Nick asked, stifling a yawn. “Do you really think she’s running off to be with a guy she only met yesterday? Right in front of you?”

  Tom shook his head. “No, not that,” he corrected, not willing to go into the why of it when Nick grinned back at him. “It’s just… what if he’s, I don’t know, taking her back to Lucas or something?”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know? Maybe he’s loyal to them? Maybe he thinks adding more people to Lucas’s pack would get him back in the pack’s good graces?” Tom shrugged, not really convinced with any of his options.

  Nick snorted. “You really should try trusting people more, Tom.” He shook his head at Tom before picking up his jacket. “Last night Dan told me and Jo everything he knows about the Northern Wind. If there’s one thing I could say with absolute certainly, it’s that even if we kicked him out on the street with nothing to his name, he’d still never go back to Lucas.” He shook his head. “Loyalty can only take you so far before you realize that it’s one-sided and stopped benefiting you from the moment you agreed to put it in control.”

  “You really should try trusting less people, Nick,” Tom rebutted. “It couldn’t hurt.”

  Nick sighed, standing to exit. “He won’t hurt her. Hell, he can’t. If he tried, I’m sure she could outrun a bear with a limp hind leg.”

  Tom shrugged. “Unless he’s not actually injured anymore and he’s just putting on a show for out benefit.”

  “You can’t possibly believe that,” Nick sighed.

  Tom paused before answering. “Not really, no.”

  Letting out a long, frustrated sigh, Nick gave Tom one last glare. “Look, Tom, if you want to go after them, then just go. But the consequences will be on your own head.”

  “Consequences?” Tom mimicked.

  “She’s going to know you don’t even trust your own mate,” Nick warned, making his exit. “And you might live your entire life without being able to fix that.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Savanna couldn’t help but look over her shoulder as they walked into the forest, giving Tom one last, long, look before he was out of view for good. Silently, she prayed that Nick and Tom wouldn’t come after them.

  “Ready?” she asked with a worried glance down.

  Dan grinned. “I’ve been waiting for this! Let’s go!”

  Savannah went first, changing effortlessly into her bestial skin. Dan was still struggling with the change when she’d emerged from her cover as a bear. He was still in pain obviously, his leg giving him more than enough trouble. Still he fought, managing to fight past the pain before slowly and painfully, the first bone cracked.

  The snap and pops of Dan’s skin began to come faster and faster until eventually, he emerged from the shrubbery, tired from exertion, but otherwise triumphant.

  The two walked on four paws, slow on Dan’s injured paw. He seemed to be able to keep up well enough, barely displaying a limp as he put pressure on the bum hind leg.

  Savannah waited until she was sure Dan gathered his footing before speaking, “So what exactly is the plan? You never explained it to me.”

  Dan snorted. “It’s easy. About this time of the month Lucas, Flood, Jake, and a few others are usually out scouting for more bears while I used to patrol the edge of the alpha territory trying to catch wind of their plans. If Luc
as has stuck to that routine, I know roughly the location of all of his strongest bears.”

  Savannah could understand the merits of having that kind of information, but it didn’t explain how that would help them today. “How can we use that to our advantage?”

  He looked down at Savannah, an excited glint in his eye. “We circumvent the problem bears, first to the cabin with the most bears. I know a lot of bears there and we’ll probably have the best sway if we go there first.”

  “What makes you think Lucas hasn’t switched all this up and moved the bears in case of his information getting out?” Savannah asked, wary of such a flimsy plan.

  Dan lowered his head and he stalked forward. “Why would he do that? He thinks I’m dead and you’re loyal. He’s had no reason to feel threatened enough to change up the routine he’s had for years.”

  Savannah nodded, agreeing with him there. “So in the event that everything goes right, you’re just going to, what? Preach to them or something?”

  Dan’s chest rattled with mirth. “Well when you put it tha—” Dan’s head snapped up, his voice falling silent all at once.

  “He’s here.”

  Savannah’s heart began to pound almost instantly and her eyes darted over the darkness of the looming forest even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to see anything. “Who? Lucas?”

  Dan gave one slow nod. It was enough to startle Savannah’s body into shivering. She hadn’t realized just how nervous today made her. She thought she’d already mentally prepared for her impending meet up with Lucas, the meet-up that would spell out her resignation. The day was here far sooner than she’d ever expected, she didn’t know if Dan was healed enough, or if she was confident enough. There was too much doubt and all Savannah could see waiting for them was failure.

  “I thought you said he’d be gone,” Savannah said. Her voice was small and weak and she hated it.

  “I thought he would be, which means either one of two things.” He looked down at the quivering Savannah, concern in his eyes. “Either you were right, he worried about me telling all to Tom and Nick so he changed everything up, or he’s grouping in preparation for an attack.” He sniffed the air. “Either way, he’s here, somewhere. He’s probably been tracking us for a while now. This isn’t good for our plan.”

  Savannah closed her eyes, forcing her heart to calm as she sampled the air. It was just the faintest scent, but even she could make out Lucas’s distinct smell on the wind. And Dan was right, he was slightly downwind, a good indicator that he’d probably been trying to track them undetected.

  “Damn it,” Dan muttered quietly before turning behind them. “Alright, Lucas, you got us. Now can you come out of the shadows? We only want to talk.”

  The trees were thick this deep into the forest, almost completely blocking sunlight. It took Savannah some adjusting to see even the massive form of Lucas’s bear emerge from the tree cover and stand before them.

  “You’re alive,” came Lucas’s rumbling growl, but it wasn’t in elation or relief. Savannah could just make out the disgusted curl of his lip, as he looked Dan up and down. The look chilled her to the bone and a small, fast puff of breath betrayed her fear.

  Like a predator locking onto his prey, Lucas’s eyes snapped to Savannah. “Did you bring this trash back to me?” he growled.

  Her body wanted to quiver and shake apart, undone by the terror that Lucas invoked in her, but her bear stood its ground, even going so far as to raise up on hind legs to appear larger. Lucas was no longer her leader. He had no power over her. “No. I didn’t.” she grunted, her voice sounding more sure than she felt.

  She saw Dan rise slowly onto his injured leg, following her lead. “I wouldn’t rejoin you even if you paid me, Lucas. Your pack is a cancer that needs to be eradicated.”

  Lucas snarled. “The strong are only scary to the weak, mongrel. You’ve proven yourself useless, so you’ll be treated as trash when I burn that pathetic shop to the ground.”

  A vicious growl tore from Savannah’s throat. “Like Hell you will.”

  ***

  Tom paced impatiently in the shop, alone and letting his imagination get the best of him. There was something gnawing at him, an uncertainty that he couldn’t ignore. When Savannah and Dan spoke, a look passed between them. A look he didn’t understand. It chilled him to the bone.

  He wandered aimlessly into his living quarters, thinking maybe he was just feeling irrationally jealous after finally claiming her as his mate. Something deep and powerful within him told him he had nothing to worry about concerning their relationship, and he knew it was right. From the moment that they’d accepted each other as mates, all sense of doubt faded away. So then what was bothering him so badly?

  A white square of paper on Tom’s freshly made bed caught his eye. That wasn’t there before they left. Tom vaguely recalled Savannah dipping back here before taking off with Dan, and his heart began to speed involuntarily. He snatched up the note, eyes tearing across the page in a panic.

  “Tom, we need to talk. And yes, before you start stressing, it is about Dan, but it’s mostly about me. It’s not a terribly long story, but I can guarantee it won’t be one you like.

  I just need to get it off my chest before we go any further. Let me say in advance that I hope you forgive me.

  I love you.”

  Tom cursed loudly, tearing off through the shop. He barely cleared the office doorway before the bear tore from his skin and bolted towards the scent of the two departed bears.

  He tried to ignore the way their scents coiled around him, beckoning him slowly but surely towards where he knew the Northern Wind was stationed. He didn’t know what this meant, he didn’t know if Savannah was safe or if Dan was an enemy. He didn’t know anything. And that terrified him.

  It wasn’t long before another scent entered the mix as it tangled together lazily on the forest breeze.

  “Lucas,” Tom breathed quietly, abject terror beginning to snake its way up his throat.

  A snarl tore from his jaws as he rocketed through the trees. This all but confirmed his suspicions. Dan had taken Savannah to Lucas. He wasn’t sure how this tied into Savannah’s note, but something felt right about his accusation. The flame of anger burned brightly in his belly as he bolted passed trees in a rush to get to his mate.

  Whispers of speech whistled against Tom ear as he ran, stopping him in his tracks. He listened more intently, trying to make out some of the words.

  “You were ordered to bring Tom. You’ve failed.”

  Tom bit back the instinctive growl he felt bubble up in reaction to Lucas’s words. He didn’t know when Dan had taken time to rendezvous with Lucas, but they’d obviously had a plan. Maybe they’d had this planned since the last attack. Had Lucas predicted them helping Dan heal weeks ago and set him up as a mole for information? Tom shook his head. He didn’t know, and pondering what ifs was a waste of time. He’d deal with both bears later, regardl—

  “I failed on purpose, Lucas.”

  Tom’s heart nearly shattered as Savannah’s pure and beautiful voice passed by his ears. His anger for the two male bears ebbed away like the tide. Gone were the plans to exact revenge on Dan for exploiting their kindness. All he could thing about was Savannah. Everything they’d built, everything he’d sacrificed, his hopes, his dreams, his eradication of doubt all for the sake of love… destroyed with something as simple as words on a breeze.

  Savannah was a part of the Northern Wind pack.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “I won’t be your puppet in the Northern Wind pack anymore,” Savannah snarled at Lucas, relishing in the look of shock that overcame his face. “I’m done. I won’t help you anymore, Lucas... Not anymore.”

  Lucas bared his teeth, snarling viciously in response. She saw Dan move closer to her, preparing to protect against sudden attack. Her pulse tried to fight its way out of her throat. Tough words aside, she knew she couldn’t take Lucas on in a fight, fair or otherwise. He pushed him
self onto his hind legs, roaring to the skies, and the sound rattled her bones to their core. She positively quaked under his sheer power, but she didn’t back down. Not now. She had so much to fight for, to show deference now would render all previous efforts useless.

  Lucas’s roar was abruptly cut short, his nose lifting high into the sky and sampling the air. Confusion marred his bestial face as he looked to the dense trees behind them, then back at Savannah and Dan. Slowly, Savannah mimicked his motion, sucking in a deep breath of air. Almost immediately, her heart flooded with equal parts elation… and dread.

  Tom was here.

  Lucas finally dropped to four paws, tilting his head slightly to the left. A ways off into the darkness of the tree line, Savannah could see three figures shifting anticipatorily.

  “Kill him.”

  ***

  Tom heard the terrified roar of Savannah’s bear before a pounding on the forest floor rushed directly towards him. He only had a few short moments to prepare before three Northern Wind bears descended upon him

  He rose up onto his hind paws, swiping viciously at the first attacker, knocking him to the ground. Sharp teeth dug into his shoulder, and with a snap of his jaws, he whirled and shook that bear off. Before the third bear could attack, Lucas lunged right for Tom’s throat. He noticed the blur of the leader’s fur too late. He wouldn’t be able to dodge.

  Lucas collided with Tom in an impressive tackle, teeth latching on like a vice to Tom’s neck. Tom had just managed to hook one of his huge paws into Lucas’s underbelly, his claws digging in angrily when Lucas’s body fell on top of him with the force of the fall. Lucas threw his head back, roaring in pain as he rolled off Tom’s bleeding frame.

  As both bears recovered from the fall, the third bear that Tom had forgotten about took his chance to make an eager attack. He sprang up on powerful hind paws, closing the distance between himself and a felled and dazed Tom with alarming speed. Just as Tom was sure the bear would tear his throat out, a brown blur tacked the beats from the air.