The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  Mitch grinned. “I would never.” But he shot Amara a look that Sadie didn’t see, and she knew he noticed the greedy way Kal was watching her.

  She didn’t like it one bit.

  “Do you know who I am?” he asked quietly when Sadie entered into conversation with another of the regulars. Kal leaned in over the bar towards her. Shameless, he plucked a fried zucchini chip from Sadie’s plate and popped it in his mouth.

  Amara stared at him, her face professionally pleasant, but she knew her eyes were as cold as stone. “You’re a paying customer at Murphy’s Tavern, sir. What more do I need to know?” I know you’re an asshole, she thought. I know you tried to kill me. And if it’s the last thing I do, I will see you pay for what you did to me.

  With her sunniest smile, she moved down the bar, doing anything she could to make herself look busy. From the corner of her eye, she caught Sadie’s pointed gaze. Amara gave just the slightest shake of her head.

  Sadie wasn’t satisfied. Excusing herself from Kal, she sidled down the bar and stood in front of Amara. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Mara.”

  Amara heaved a heavy sigh. “He’s not a good guy, Sadie. He’s dangerous.”

  Sadie frowned, Concerned, she glanced over her shoulder to where Kal sat. He seemed preoccupied with his food, but Amara could tell he was listening. She wondered vaguely if shifters had super hearing. She would have to ask Nova later. “He doesn’t look dangerous,” Sadie said. “Are you sure?”

  “Trust me.”

  “But how do you know?”

  Amara hesitated. How much could she reveal without revealing too much? “Nova told me.”

  “Your boyfriend knows him?” Her eyes widened, clearly intrigued. “How? From where?”

  Amara shrugged. “I don’t know where. Childhood, probably. Honestly, Sade, it doesn’t matter. Nova said he’s bad news, and I believe him.”

  The frown on Sadie’s brow creased deeper. “Well, I’m not sure I do. Besides, he already asked me out.”

  “He did?” Amara asked, with shock.

  “Yes, he did. He wants to take me dancing tonight.”

  “What did you say?”

  “Okay, don’t freak out.” Sadie held up her hands to ward her off. “But I said yes.”

  “Damn it, Sadie,” Amara muttered. The trickle of fear that came over her raised goosebumps on her skin. “I really wish you wouldn’t.”

  “I already said yes, Mara. It’s done. And he really doesn’t seem that bad. He’s got definite bad boy appeal, that’s for sure. But he’s charming.” Sadie grinned devilishly. “And he’s seriously hot.”

  “Fine.” Amara sighed again. “Just be careful, okay? You have your pepper spray?”

  “Of course, I do. And I’m armed. You taught me well.” With a wink, she got up and went back over to Kal. She placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

  Grinning, Kal rose and threw a few bills on the counter. “Tell your cook, dinner was delicious.” His tawny eyes were vengeful and cold. “And tell your boyfriend, I’ll see him again soon.”

  “Don’t worry, sis,” Sadie tried to reassure her. “Everything will be fine.”

  “Yeah, right,” Amara muttered as she watched her sister walk out the door with Kal. “I’m sure everything will be just peachy.”

  Chapter 15

  Amara was worried. How could she not be? Her little sister was out God knows where with the man—sorry, wolf—that had attacked her twice in the last ten years. He was the son of the very wolf that had murdered their father. Kal was the ring leader of the wolves that had been terrorizing Strathford over the last decade. He was bad news. But could she tell Sadie any of that? No, she absolutely could not.

  Don’t worry. Psh. She’d been worrying for the last three hours, and now it was the end of her shift. Only Zoe, leaning on the bar completely wasted, and a few other stragglers were left. Even from across the room, Amara could hear Zoe’s drunken attempts at seduction. Her words slurred as she all but purred at Mitch. Even though the two of them were casually dating, he looked uncomfortable. Amara couldn’t blame the guy. Zoe was a handful sober. When she got drunk, all her insecurities blazed through in vivid color.

  It was a shame, really.

  Amara had long ago accepted that she and Zoe would never again be friends like they once were. Too much had happened between them. After the attack, the three of them—Amara, Zoe, and Becca—had rallied together to help each other through the aftermath. More, they were helping Becca through it. Poor, sweet Becca. She was the one who had suffered the most physically. And yet, she was the most resilient of the three of them. She’d handled her disabilities with grace and poise. When she could have turned bitter, she had instead dedicated her life to the faith and helping other victims of wolf violence in the community. She was even engaged to the pastor’s son.

  If only the other girls had managed that well.

  Amara’s mom had been distraught. She’d lost her husband only three years earlier, and again, her loved ones had been targeted by wolves. The depression and incapacitating fear had set in again, leaving her almost helpless to her daughters. Even now, it was rare for Alice Townsend to step outside her yard.

  Sadie, who had been only twelve at the time, had crept into Amara’s room in the middle of the night for weeks. When the ache and the itching from her healing wounds would keep Amara awake, she would sometimes hear Sadie crying on the floor. Every time, Amara would ease herself over the edge of the bed, gather up her baby sister, and bring her back up onto the bed with her. She would lie there, with her good arm around Sadie, and sing to her the same songs and chants their father had sang them until she would finally drift off to sleep.

  It was those nights that bothered Amara the most. When her family’s pain was visible and raw. She never should have been out after dark. She had let them down, and she knew it.

  Her grandfather, of course, had been furious. For three whole days after she’d been released from the hospital, he’d refused to speak to her. Eventually, he’d progressed to grunts and monosyllabic responses until one day, when Amara had been walking to the kitchen after a particularly brutal cram session for school, he called her into his office.

  Her grandfather sat her down then and told her that if she refused to heed his warnings or respect his wisdom, she was damn sure going to learn how to defend herself. It was her grandfather that had taught her to fight. He showed her how to use a gun, how to wield a knife. She knew more about weapons and firearms than most of the men in town. Of that she was sure. And, eventually, she had let herself believe what she knew the moment that boy stood over her.

  All of her grandfather’s stories were real. From that night on, she and her grandfather were thick as thieves. She didn’t go out after dark without him again until the day he died. By then, she knew she could take care of herself.

  Zoe, on the other hand, hadn’t been so lucky. Her physical wounds had been superficial. A few scrapes, a nasty concussion. One bite mark on her back. The wolf that had attacked her first had knocked her out cold and moved on to Becca. Because of the lack of evidence, Zoe’s family refused to believe she should have been affected. They had dismissed her fear and depression as theatrics, claiming she was just looking for attention, when it had really been a cry for help.

  For some reason, whenever Amara had tried to help her, she’d only succeeded in pushing Zoe away until one night, right before graduation, the tension from the last couple years had finally culminated in blows. After that, they’d merely maintained the appearance of civility for Becca’s sake, even calling themselves friends for a while, but the truth was that they’d never really recovered.

  But it didn’t stop Amara from worrying about her.

  The door to the bar opened and she glanced up. Sam took the I.D. of the man walking in, and shrugged. “It’s almost closing,” she told the stranger. “Last call is in less than five minutes.”

&nbs
p; He offered her a small smile; almost like a grimace. “Just a whiskey please. On the rocks.” His voice was deep and smooth, and something about the cadence was familiar. Maybe it was because she’d been remembering the attack only moments before, but she was sure she knew him. But he couldn’t have been there. Unless…

  She could see the resemblance now. The stranger was taller than Nova, lankier, but they had the same general build and bone structure. His face, while sharper and a little more elegant than his brothers, had the same hidden feral aspects that she found so sexy with Nova. Dark eyes, defined jaw, high cheekbones, and all of it surrounded by a mane of lush, black hair. Now that she’d made the connection, the similarities between the two men were uncanny.

  Amara swallowed hard. “Nemoy?”

  For just a split second, his dark eyes widened in surprise, before his entire face fell into a scowl. “Damn it. He really did tell you everything, didn’t he?”

  She smiled shyly. “I’m afraid so.”

  Nemoy let out an exasperated laugh. “Figures. I never could get that kid to do as he was told when his mind was set on something. Damn him.” Irritated, Nemoy crossed his arms.

  “So,” Amara said after a few moments, trying to dispel the awkwardness, “what brings you in to Murphy’s?”

  “You, believe it or not.”

  “Me?”

  For a second, he concentrated on the hem of his jacket, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. Then he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. She smiled. She’d seen the exact same gesture from Nova at least a dozen times. If only Nemoy had come under better circumstances.

  “Look,” he started, finally looking up at her, “I know you and Nova have something…special, I guess you could say. I mean, the guy’s been half in love with you since he was seventeen. And I’ve been watching you. I can’t say I agree, but at least I can understand his infatuation with you, even if I don’t get it.”

  Amara frowned, unsure if she should be insulted or not. “Um, thanks, I guess?”

  The corner of his lips twitched in what she was sure was almost a smile. “I’m not trying to be rude,” he told her. Then he grinned full out. “But I guess I’m being rude anyway, aren’t I?” He laughed. “Sorry. Nova claims I’m an asshole even when I don’t realize it. I guess he’s right.”

  She grinned back at him. “I suppose he is.” She poured them both a drink. Handed him his. “But I’m not exactly Susie Sunshine either. That would be my sister. So, I guess I can forgive for our shared flaw.”

  Taking a drink, he watched her over his glass. “Damn. You really are good for him.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I just hate it when my brother’s right.”

  She snorted. “Tell me about it.” Uncomfortable, she glanced down at her hands. How was it that this man made her feel so nervous and inferior? Was it just because he was Nova’s brother? Or was it because she knew he didn’t think she was good enough for him? “I’m sorry,” she said finally, and Nemoy’s eyes widened in surprise. “I know it’s against your laws for shifters to be with humans. I know you think we’re the…I don’t know, the inferior species.” To her small satisfaction, he actually had the good grace to look uncomfortable with that comment. But he also didn’t deny it. Amara took a deep breath. “But Nova, well.” How did she explain it? “He saved me. You both did, I know, but he saved me.

  “You have no idea what it’s like to know that you saw the impossible and have no one believe you. I knew the boy I saw had been the wolf that saved me. I was on the edge of consciousness, but I remembered him. His face was etched in my mind, kept locked away, even after all these years. So, when Nova walked into the bar a few weeks ago...I don’t know. It was like that feeling came flying back, even though I hadn’t put together the ‘why’ yet. Since that day, he’s been a part of me. He gave me a second chance at life, you both did. And being with him now, it’s like I’m finally complete.” She sighed. She wasn’t making any sense, she was sure of it. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

  Nemoy closed his eyes, thinking. “I do understand,” he said after a moment. “Or at least, I’m trying to. Believe it or not, Nova’s said something of the same thing. I love my brother, Amara, I want him to be happy. And you seem like a great girl. If it were possible for the two of you to have a future, I would be all for it. But it’s not.”

  Amara blinked. “I don’t understand. I thought you told him we could be together as long as I didn’t tell anyone?”

  “I did,” he agreed with a nod.

  “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

  “I’m sure you don’t plan to.”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I said. I said, I’m not going to tell anyone. Period.”

  “And I believe that you believe that.” Nemoy dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, sifting through for the amount on his bill. “But keeping this secret, it isn’t easy. You’re dangerous, Amara.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I wish I was. But it’s true. The two of you together, it’s dangerous. For him, for you. Even for the pack.” Standing, he handed her the cash. “I’m not saying you can’t be together, Amara. I told my brother I wouldn’t. What I am saying is that it isn’t safe, and if you cared about him, you wouldn’t put any of us in danger. End it.” Without another word, he turned to walk away.

  Amara stared after him, her temper boiling to the surface. Who the hell did he think he was? “No.” Her voice rang out in the empty bar. Even the soft music from the old jukebox couldn’t drown it out. Nemoy turned back to face her. Coming around the bar, she got close enough that no one could hear her but him. “No. You don’t get to say something like that and then up and walk out. That isn’t how this works.”

  “You think I don’t know how dangerous this is? The first time I saw either of you was when Kal tried to kill me. The night I met Nova? Kal tried to kill me again. He almost succeeded. Your brother saved me. Then, of course, I saved him by pulling out my shotgun.”

  “You did what?”

  Alarmed by his tone, she glanced up at him. Uh oh. He hadn’t known about that one. “Nova didn’t tell you?”

  “He failed to mention it.”

  Interesting. “Uh, yeah. It was two on one, and they managed to pin him down. They weren’t paying attention to me anymore, so I ran in and got my gun. I fired it at them and they ran off like the dogs they are. The cowards.”

  Nemoy gaped at her. Then, a slow, easy smile replaced his serious expression. “Okay. You got me. I’m impressed.”

  “Really?”

  He smirked. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  Chapter 16

  A loud crash made them turn. Behind them, Zoe was on the floor, her bare legs tangled around the bar stool. She looked like she was about to pass out. Broken glass and vodka littered the floor around her. “Jesus, Mitchell, didn’t you think to cut her off?” Amara rushed over to Zoe, gripping her arms beneath her shoulders and trying to pull her up. “She’s barely even conscious. Damn it. A little help here?”

  “I’ve got it,” Nemoy said, rushing over to help. He glanced up at Mitch, who was just standing there, unsure of what to do. “Hey, man, you want to grab a towel or something? There’s a bunch of glass down here. She might cut herself.”

  “What?” Mitch shook himself out of his stupor. “Oh. Right. Yeah.” He disappeared through the swinging door to the back room, only to return with a broom and dustpan. He knelt down and began sweeping up glass. “Is she going to be alright?”

  Amara glanced down at the semi-conscious woman in her lap. She looked almost peaceful. “Yeah. Typical Zoe.” She shook her head. “This is just par for the course with her.”

  Nemoy stared down at Zoe with a frown on his face. “Is she…?” His voice was quiet enough that Mitch couldn’t hear him.

  Amara nodded. “Yeah. She was the one they knocked out.”

  “Oh.”

  If only she knew what he was t
hinking. “She’s alive because of you, you know.”

  He raised a brow. “Doesn’t look like much of a life, if you ask me.”

  “Yeah, well. She’s got issues. Help me get her up, would you?” With Nemoy’s help, the two of them got Zoe on her feet. Amara slung one of her arms over her shoulder. Nemoy took the other.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  Amara tried not to slump under Zoe’s dead weight. “A cab. I need to get her home.”

  Mitch looked up sharply. “You just going to send her home by herself?”

  “You mean in a car with Creepy Kevin? Hell, no. I’ll go with her.”

  “Didn’t you walk?”

  “Yeah.” And it was going to be a long, cold walk home. She could ask Kevin to wait while she got Zoe situated, but she wasn’t exactly keen on being in a car alone with him at night either.

  Mitch pursed his lips. “I’ll take her.”

  “You will? Really?” She wished she could hide the amazement in her voice, but she knew that was a lost cause. Mitch had repeatedly found reasons to avoid a drunken Zoe. It was odd that he was changing his tune now. Convenient, but still odd.

  Mitch rolled his eyes. “Yes, really. I’m dating her—kind of. I might as well start taking care of her drunk ass, too.”

  “Wow,” Amara replied with a laugh. “Way to step up and be a man.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You can shut up now.” He stood with a pan full of glass. “Can you guys get her outside? Looks like Sam’s already called Kevin. I just have to toss this and lock up.”

  “Sure.” She looked at Nemoy. “Ready?” Between the two of them, they managed to maneuver Zoe around the tables, through the bar, and out the door. A dirty yellow cab was waiting for them, idling at the curb. Sam hurried out past them to open the car door. Somehow, they only knocked her head once getting her into the back seat.

  “Mitch will be out in a minute,” she told the driver. Kevin, a dirty brown cap on his head, just nodded and took another drag on his cigarette. “And keep your hands off this time. I mean it.” Shutting the door behind her, she waved goodbye to Sam before turning back to Nemoy. For the first time since he’d walked in and she’d realized he was Nova’s brother, she felt self-conscious. “Thanks,” she said quietly, hoping her embarrassment didn’t show.