The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  The wind was cool and soothing against her skin, refreshing after her night of sleep and clearing her mind for the day ahead. The bear protested softly, but even it could appreciate a bit of exercise, even if it only experienced it secondarily through Lucy’s human skin. The days were warmer here than what she was used to back where she once lived, and it made morning jogs much more appealing to both of them. She wouldn’t return to the shop a frozen popsicle from the frost that tried formed on her sweat drops.

  She’d made it pretty far into the woods by the time she needed to take a break. She looked around, pleased to notice that she could still make out a few markers here and there that told her where she was. She wasn’t completely lost, not yet anyway. She made it a personal motive to get to know the forest better in the coming days. This was her home now, she’d best get used to it.

  She took a few more gulps of the crisp morning breeze, relishing in the wildlife before calling quits on her break. She stood tall, pressing her hands into her lower back and tipping her face skyward. As she mentally prepared the next leg of her jog, she mused lightly about how this would feel on four paws instead of two feet. To her surprise, the thought of doing such a thing didn’t utterly repulse her like it would have in days long past. If she could work up enough courage, maybe she’d ask Dan about it. With a warm feeling in her belly, she confessed that the thought of them taking the woods by storm after a shift together didn’t sound like such a bad idea after all.

  “I thought I’d find you here.”

  The hard voice was cold with hatred, chilling Lucy’s spine with fear as she spun to face the intruder. Dominic.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” she stammered, silently cursing the way her voice and body automatically fell back into that victim mindset. She was a better person now, damn it! Better than this! She tried to stand a little taller. “I’ve said all I needed to say to you, Dominic,” she finished, her voice a bit stronger than before.

  He snorted in derision. “You think you get a say,” he bit. “Cute.” He took a single step forward, and Lucy automatically stepped back.

  “You’re going to come with me and explain to all our new little bear friends everything you know about this trash pack you’ve been glued to,” he explained, voice as dry and as cold as she’d remembered. “I’ve let you have your fun, your little ‘show of rebellion’,” he mocked with air quotes.

  His gaze suddenly fell dark, and dread pooled in Lucy’s stomach. “Now be a good girl and move your ass,” he growled. “Before I move it for you.”

  When she didn’t move, one large hand lashed out for her. She just barely stepped out of reach, and rage glinted in Dominic’s eyes. “I’m not going anywhere,” she declared, voice surprisingly stern despite the way her heart was quaking. “I thought I made it very clear that I want nothing to do with you.”

  A vain bulged on Dominic’s temple, his fists clenching at his sides, as the familiar fury Lucy’s knew him for began to course through his body like wildfire. “You’ll do what I tell you!” he bellowed, shaking the trees and sending the local critters skittering for cover.

  “I left you behind with some lowlife trash and suddenly you think you can speak over me?” He took another step toward her. “What? Do you think you’re in love?” He scoffed, spitting on the dirt in disgust. “Think again, little sister. You were nothing more than an elaborate plant. A mole to get information for our dear cousin.” He glared daggers into her, and her blood chilled at the accusation. A mole?

  So that had been his plan all along; to purposely leave her behind in an attempt for her to syphon information form their pack for him? Surprisingly, an anger of her own rose to overtake her fear, but she beat it down. Even when faced with someone as fearsome as her brother, she still didn’t want to resort to violence or negativity. It was no secret to her or anyone else that she disliked Dominic, but letting go of that anger now would mean she’d fall into the same traps that he did back when his descent into madness had begun. She wouldn’t stoop to those kinds of tactics, not now and not ever.

  Though she knew Dominic smelled her fear, she tried not to show it. She kept her face carefully blank, with maybe a hint of resolve, showing him without words that though he had his fear, she’d found something infinitely stronger than anything he’d ever faced before. She’d found love, and if he thought that she was the same scared little girl that he’d left behind in that alley so long ago, well then he’d be in for a very rude awakening.

  She may not be able to take Dominic alone, but he’d soon learn that giving her the chance to find her freedom was the biggest mistake he’d ever made.

  ***

  “Morning, Dan,” Nick called as he stepped out of his truck. “Lucy inside? Jo’s got a ton of renovation supplies today; she won’t be able to carry it all in alone.”

  Dan ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. “I don’t know, actually,” he said, his gaze trailing listlessly over the tree lines. “She went out for a run before breakfast, but that was like, an hour ago. She said she’d be quick; I didn’t expect her to take so long.”

  Nick opened his mouth to say something, but a rustle through the trees cut him off. In a flurry, Tom emerged from the forest, tugging his shirt over his head.

  “Bad news guys,” he greeted, alarm in his step.

  “What’s the matter?” Nick responded, voice instantly serious.

  “I smelled one of Lucas’s goons outside the house this morning,” Tom began. “I shifted and tracked the scent to the north until Lucas’s and a few more scents I couldn’t trace mingled with the one I was following.” He looked from Nick to Dan, gaze hardened. “They’re here.”

  Scents Nick couldn’t trace? What if one of them was Dominic? What if they’d gotten to Lucy while she was out running? His blood ran cold at the thought. “We need to go,” he spoke, voice chilled as he took the first step towards the forest. “Now.”

  Tom stepped frantically in front of Dan, stopping his walk.

  “I’m all for going to look for her, Dan,” Nick chimed in as Tom merely stared him down. “But we need to play this smart.” He looked to his brother. “Go get Savannah. Be safe about your route. Try not to get caught out, but if you do, run; don’t fight. We don’t know their numbers, so assume that we need everyone together in order to best them.” With a nod, Tom set off without another word to fetch Savannah.

  “What if it’s Dominic?” Dan asked, heart speeding with the beginnings of panic as his bear paced insatiably within him. “Tom said there were scents he couldn’t trace. What if her brother —”

  “It does no good to dwell on it now,” Nick interrupted. “If you get trapped too far into your emotions, you’ll make mistakes.” Nick pierced him with a strong gaze, looking every bit the alpha that Dan knew him to be. “The ‘what ifs’ and ‘could bes’ don’t matter. Right now, all you need to know is that your mate is out there, and she might need your help. You can’t do that if your mind is clouded with anger. So shape up. It’s time for you to be the protector I know you can be.”

  The bear roared angrily within Dan, but he knew Nick was right. If he was going to be the man that he’d promised Lucy he’d be for her, he couldn’t go charging out into the woods like a mad man lusting for blood. Nick knew what he was doing. If they had any chance of getting Lucy back safely, it’d be on Nick’s orders.

  Forcing his breathing to settle, Dan nodded his understanding.

  Nick’s expression immediately softened in sympathy. “We’ll find her.”

  Dan gave Nick a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’d better,” he replied, a slight growl coloring his words. “She’s got no one else.”

  It wasn’t long before Tom returned with Savannah jogging close behind. Nick brought Jo up to speed on what was happening, and when he’d insisted that she stay behind, she reminded him sternly that she’d never do such a thing.

  “Besides,” she finished as Savannah silently gave Dan a kind pat on the arm. �
�I’m safest with you guys anyway. Any bear could loop around and best me easily alone.” Human or not, Dan had to admit, Jo wasn’t someone he wanted to be on the losing end of an argument with. She knew her way around words.

  “Okay, okay, I get it,” Nick conceded. “Everyone’s here anyway; we aren’t afforded the luxury of bickering.” She scowled firmly at him and he kissed her quickly before turning to the others.

  “You guys know the drill,” he began. “Stay safe. If you find yourself caught out, try to escape. If you can’t escape, signal for help. Do not, under any circumstances, try to fight alone.” He turned back to Jo. “Stay in the truck, no matter what. If you absolutely feel the need, you can ram a bear or two.” He smiled grimly. “Just remember that Dan’s on our side, this time.”

  Dan tried to chuckle, but a smile wouldn’t form. His bear was ready to take off into the forest, tearing anyone and anything limb from limb if it dared keep him from Lucy. His mate, Nick had called her. He couldn’t say he was surprised. Now she was out there, possibly hurting, and he was sure that Lucas and Dominic were to blame. The very thought set his blood to boiling once more.

  Nick gave the go ahead, and at once, everyone dove into the brush to change. Dan’s bear burst from his skin to the chorus of snapping bones and tearing musculature, standing to stretch and sniff the air for any signs of his mate.

  Nick’s bear stepped from his cover, a low growl trickling from his throat as the others joined them. He was wondering if Dan had found anything, and with a grunt, Dan tilted his nose to the dirt in the direction that he felt was most likely for her to have run.

  There, on the north side of the forest, a faint hint of Lucy’s scent lingered behind, headed in the direction of the scenic hill they called their own.

  “This way.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The pack moved as a unit beginning with Dan, Jo trailing behind as best she could in the old work truck. Dan sniffed the earth frantically, double and triple checking to make sure he hadn’t gotten side tracked. Deeper into the forest, other scents mingled with Lucy’s and with a panicked skip of his heart, he confirmed to the others that Dominic had come into contact with her at some point along this trail before setting off in double time. He knew that Nick and Tom would be working on deciphering the other scents; to him all that mattered was Lucy Winters and the insane brother that had captured her.

  “Stop.”

  Dan did as Nick ordered, the party slowly coming to a standstill. Dan’s body grew tense in the inactivity, knowing that every moment they spent dormant was another moment that Lucy slipped through his fingers. Something in the wind of the forest shifted, and an alert shiver ran up Dan’s spine.

  “They’re here.”

  Tilting his snout skyward, Dan scented the air. Lucy and Dominic’s scent still remained, along with a couple others that he’d originally pinpointed, but others were joining the medley while he was too focused on finding Lucy.

  Now they were almost completely surrounded.

  The truck coasted up behind them, and as one, they waited for the Northern Wind to make the first move.

  “Well, well, well,” came a loud, booming voice. Dominic’s voice sent shivers up Dan’s spine, rage tinting his vision red as he fought against the urge to tear off in the direction of the voice. “So this is that pack you’ve been so chatty about, eh cousin?”

  “Yeah,” came Lucas’s disembodied voice in response. “That’s them, alright.” Dan thought his voice sounded a bit… off. He’d spent a great many years under Lucas’s tutelage, it wasn’t often that he sounded like anything more than the power-crazy tyrant Dan knew him to be. Did something happen to Lucy that Lucas didn’t approve of? A growl bubbled up his throat, but he quelled it. None of the what ifs mattered, he reminded himself, retuning his attention to the task ahead.

  “Huh,” Dominic, tutted, his voice sounded disappointed. “I thought they’d be… bigger.”

  Leaves rustled to Dan’s left, snapping him to attention. He took a single step before Nick’s grunt warned him off. The alpha was looking intently in that direction, his stance defensive. Turning to follow Nick’s gaze, Dan could only see a faint shape in the dimness of the tree cover. It seemed to wiggle, but never move, and as Dan’s eyes settled against the darkness of the woods, Lucy’s writhing figure appeared before him.

  She was bound, neck, hand, and foot to the thick trunk of a tall tree, her mouth gagged and taped so that she couldn’t shout for help. Standing proudly next to the tree, as if to show off his greatest prize, was Dominic. Dan roared, setting off at a sprint to his mate. Tom cut him off before he made it too far.

  “Not yet,” he warned.

  Dan snarled, baring his teeth at the alpha in protest, but he knew that Tom was right. Lucy was in trouble, and possibly hurt, but he wouldn’t do her any favors by charging off into the dim forest and getting ambushed. As much as it pained him, he had to wait. Again.

  Using Dan’s weakness as some kind of signal beacon, two bears shot out of the brush, lunging at the pack. Savannah took one, while Tom slapped the other down with a large swipe of his paw. The scent of blood filled the air almost immediately, and it only served to fuel Dan’s rage.

  “What’s wrong, big boy?” Dominic called from where he stood next to Lucy. “See something you don’t like?” He had something like laughter in his voice, and it boiled Dan’s blood. How could someone be this way to their own sister?

  As if Dan needed any more convincing that Dominic was completely heartless, he watched in furious horror as Dominic slowly raised one hand, balling it in a fist high above his head. Dan only had a moment to just make out the concern in Lucy’s eyes before Dominic struck her.

  Dan roared as Lucy’s face rocked to one side, lolling downward in unconsciousness. A wicked smile played along Dominic’s mouth as something fell from his hand, and this time when the blood hit Dan’s nose, it smelled distinctively of his mate. Dominic’s sick laughter mingled with the battle that had already began, morphing to growls as he began his own change.

  Dan couldn’t wait any longer. With a snarl of pure hatred, he tore off like a rocket towards the still changing Dominic.

  “Be careful, Dan!” Nick called, turning his attention towards Lucas, who had finished his own change sometime while Dan was focused on Lucy.

  Dan knew he should listen to Nick’s advice, but he wasn’t sure how. Rage coursed through every fiber of his being, his mind replaying the way Lucy’s head snapped to the side as Dominic struck her over and over again.

  Dominic was quick to change, rising in his bear form as Dan came into lunging distance. Even filled with anger, Dan couldn’t help but blanch a bit at just how massive Dominic’s bear was. He wasn’t an alpha like Nick and Tom, but he may as well have been.

  Dan attacked fruitlessly, Dominic batting away every attack he made easily. He didn’t know what else to do. Dominic was there, right there, and more terrible than Dan would have ever guessed from that night in the alley. Lucy was bound to a tree, and there was blood running down her face, and she wasn’t waking up. Frantic thoughts ran marathons in Dan’s mind, and all he could see was a red mist as his bear’s fury took over him. Even as Dominic smacked him down over and over, as skin tore and fur ripped, Dan only knew how to keep going.

  “You’re weak,” Dominic laughed almost lazily, making Dan snarl. “I suppose that’s to be expected. Lucy’s weak, too, you see. Perhaps you both deserve each other.”

  Dan’s growl was dangerously low, his paws digging angrily into the ground. “I won’t let you do what you please with her anymore.”

  Dominic snorted, a short burst of white-hot breath curling around his snout. “As if you could stop me.” He took a step towards Lucy.

  Dan’s limbs coiled almost painfully, springing him upward and forward as he lunged wrathfully upon Dominic. He threw all of his rage, desperation, and fear into his leap, bearing down his full weight onto Dominic’s back as their bodies collided. He’d luckily c
aught Dominic off guard, watching as the brother turned away from Lucy long enough to see him descending from the sky. The both hit the ground gracelessly, Dan lashing out with tooth, claw, and everything he had before Dominic could retaliate.

  It wasn’t long before Dominic recovered enough to shake Dan off with sheer brute strength. The power surge that Dan had found earlier was already beginning to wear off, his cuts and bruises slowing taking their toll on his body. He used the last bit of advantage he had to throw himself between Dominic and Lucy’s unconscious body, his chest heaving as he worked to catch his breath. Struggling to keep his stance strong, Dan rose up on his hind legs, blocking as much of Lucy’s body as he could with his own. Dominic would not get Lucy, even if Dan had to die to keep her safe.

  ***

  The world slowly became clear as Lucy resurfaced back into consciousness.

  First came the pain. She winced, her head pounding, but when she reached up to see what the damage was, her arms remained firmly in place. She’d forgotten that her brother had bound her to a tree.

  She noticed the large mass of fur standing before her next, instinct and a bit of scent immediately alerting her to who it was. “Dan?” she called, her voice weak and watery. He didn’t say much in return, only a small snuff to let her know she’d been heard. She couldn’t see much of him, but his back was marred with gashes and cuts, and the scent of blood was already heavy in the air. She didn’t know how whoever he’d been fighting fared, but if she had to guess, it was probably Dominic. By the way Dan was standing guard over her, she imagined that Dominic wasn’t nearly as scored and marked at Dan was.

  This had to stop, or she’d likely lose her mate forever.

  Though straining her neck was agonizing, she peeked carefully around Dan’s broad shoulder in a hope to get a glimpse at the rest of Forest Haven. She counted twelve bears waging war in the tiny clearing, the massive bear that was her brother standing off to the side directly across from Dan, as she’d predicted. Knowing that Forest Haven only had three more bears besides Dan, that meant that Nick, Tom, and Savannah were outmatched by over double. Her heart sank at their odds, until she watched them fight.