The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  Kal let them pass without a word before turning his leering grin back on Amara. “Well, well, well. That was a pleasant surprise.” Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss over her cheek, lingering to whisper in her ear. “Maybe I’ll finish her off when I’m done with you.” The sickeningly hot feel of his breath against her skin, mixed with his threat made Amara want to gag.

  She glanced over her shoulder to where Nova stood, grateful to see his expression was one of stoic reserve rather than the open hostility she knew he was looking to show. As much as she hated Kal and his pack, her mother couldn’t handle any added stress, especially with all of these recent attacks.

  Cathleen rushed forward and enveloped Kal in a hug. It was like watching somebody transform right before her eyes. Kal became an entirely different person. He wrapped his arms around Cathleen’s ample frame and hugged her tight, a broad smile across his sharp-featured face.

  The sight was sickening. Amara looked at Nova in alarm.

  Next to her, Sadie frowned, clearly getting angry. “What is wrong with you two? You’re looking at him like he’s going to kill somebody. It’s not like Kal’s an ax murderer or something. Lighten up.” Still shaking her head, Sadie stepped forward to say hello to her mother.

  “This is not good,” Amara whispered to Nova, groping for his hand. She could seriously use the reassurance from someone who wasn’t absolutely terrifying.

  Nova scowled. “No,” he agreed slowly, eyeing the other man with dislike. “It definitely is not.”

  Chapter 10

  Dinner was awkward. Nova could feel Amara’s discomfort and anxiety even though they weren’t actually touching. And Kal, that rat bastard, was enjoying it. He kept making snide remarks about finishing a job, or comments about the benefits of a good meal while staring Amara down. He was toying with her, Nova knew; trying to get a reaction. Doing anything at all was exactly what Kal wanted. The best thing for all of them would be for Nova to just sit there and keep his mouth shut.

  But it didn’t stop him from wanting to rip Kal’s throat out all the same.

  By the time they’d finished the meal, even Sadie seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. And, thankfully, she understood that Kal was the cause of it. “I’m sorry he’s acting like this,” she told Nova in the driveway while frowning at her boyfriend. “I don’t know what’s gotten in to him. He’s normally so sweet. And tonight he’s just…”

  “An ass?” Amara supplied. It was the first time Nova had seen her smile all night.

  Sadie’s lips twitched. “Yeah, that.”

  Nova chuckled. “Don’t worry, Sadie. We know it’s not your fault.”

  “We do?”

  He raised a brow in Amara’s direction; she just shrugged. “But seriously, have you considered that there might be more to Kal than you think? He seems pretty comfortable tonight. In fact, he seemed to enjoy making the rest of us uncomfortable.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Nova. Not you too!”

  “All I’m asking is how well you really know him.” He pulled her into a hug. “We just want you to be safe, is all.”

  “I know. And I appreciate it. Really, I do. He’s just having an off night.” Seeing her mother carrying something in the house she went and offered her help, “Mom, wait, I can lift that for you!”

  “Nice segue,” Amara murmured. She opened the truck door and climbed inside.

  Nova smiled warmly, but just as he was about to close the door, Kal slammed it shut for him.

  “Concede the borders, Lowery,” he sneered, glaring at Amara through the window. “Give the Valley Clan what is rightfully ours, what we want, or I promise you, I will take every last person you care about, starting with this one right here and little sis. And I will destroy them.” Kal’s lips spread over sharp, white teeth. “You’ve been warned.” Turning away, he strode over to Sadie’s car before turning back. “Oh, and Nova? Make sure you let your brother know what I said.”

  Nova was seething the entire way back to Amara’s place. Concede the borders. Not a chance in hell. As if they would give up even an inch of land for those bottom feeders. How many people had been lost already? How many times had he had to grieve a friend or one of their young because the Valley Clan refused to honor the treaties they signed decades before?

  And how much should he blame his late father for letting it get this far? For letting his need for peace outweigh his need to protect his pack? Nemoy wasn’t making the same mistake, that was for sure, but would it be enough? What if it was too late?

  “Nova, baby, you need to relax.” Amara’s voice was worried, but Nova couldn’t get himself to turn. Ignoring his guilt, he continued to stare out the window. He felt her arms come around him, her delicate fingers brushing the skin along his bare chest. He felt her lips press kiss after kiss along his shoulders, his back, and down the line of his arms, but it did nothing to assuage his tension.

  He needed to protect her. It was his job, his duty. She was his now, in every way he had hoped for since he was seventeen years old. And he’d be damned if Kal Vann was going to take her from him. Or take any more people from her.

  He would see Kal in Hell before he let that happen.

  “Nova, come to bed.” Amara whispered against his skin. He tried to pretend he couldn’t hear the plea. After a moment, she gave up. Nova continued to stare out the window into the night until he heard her footsteps recede into her bedroom.

  He wasn’t going to sleep with Kal out there. He was coming for them. Nova knew he was. He didn’t know when shit would hit the fan, but he knew it would be soon. Kal wasn’t one for empty threats. Heaving a sigh, he took a seat in the overstuffed armchair beside him.

  He was still there when the sun came up.

  It was the shrill ring of his phone that woke him. Jolting awake, Nova fumbled through his pockets. He managed to find the right button even though his eyes were blurry with sleep, and pressed the phone to his ear. “This is Nova.”

  “It’s bad, Nova,” came Nate’s gruff voice on the other end. Grief and exhaustion came through loud and clear.

  Nova sat up straight, all vestiges of sleep completely gone. “What happened?”

  “There was a fight. Ian and I—our patrol was on the eastern border. Us and a few of the young ones. It was bad, Nova. There were at least ten of them. An ambush. We did…we did everything we could, we pushed them back, but Ian…Nova, I don’t know if he’s going to make it.”

  Everything in Nova’s body went cold. He’d known Ian since the kid was just a pup. He had trained him, taught him to fight. Hell, he’d taught both him and Nate how to flirt. He loved them both like the younger brothers he never had. If Ian didn’t make it, Kal was going to be wishing for death by the time Nova was through with him.

  “Where?”

  “He’s back at the compound. Nemoy and his group were close, so they got him back to the infirmary. I stayed behind to clean up.”

  “Clean what up? You’re out in the woods, aren’t you?”

  A pregnant pause filled the line. “There was a casualty.”

  Shit. “Whose?”

  “One of theirs,” Nate replied, relief lacing through the tension.

  Nova felt his own muscles slacken. “Is anyone else hurt?” He balanced the phone on his shoulder and dug through his duffel bag for clean clothes.

  “Nothing bad. But man, we can’t keep this quiet. The humans…the humans found the body this morning. They were combing the woods in pairs for that Watch thing Amara set up.” Nate hesitated for a moment. “Nova, I think they’re aiming for the town this time.”

  Shit, shit, and shit. It was an awful thought, but Nova was inclined to agree. He and Nemoy would need to come up with a better plan to protect the humans. And fast. “Get back to the compound,” he instructed Nate. “Stay with Ian. I’m coming.”

  Just as he hung up the phone, Amara burst through the bedroom door, her own cell in hand. “The sheriff just called,” she said, her voice trembling.
“They found a body.” Her face was a chalky white as she gaped at him, fear emanating from her slate gray eyes. “Nova, they found a body.”

  “I know.” Fastening the top of his jeans, he reached for his shirt. “Get dressed. We’re going for a hike.”

  Chapter 11

  There was already a crowd surrounding the body when Amara and Nova sprinted up the path. Jud, the town coroner and resident mortician, knelt beside the corpse. His gloved hands moved swiftly and efficiently, gathering evidence.

  Amara searched the scared, familiar faces for the sheriff. Finding him, she made a bee line through the crowd until she stood next to him. “Mac,” she breathed by way of greeting. He let out a startled huff when he saw her.

  “Oh, Amara, it’s just you.” Mac sounded tired and weary. Given the circumstances, Amara didn’t blame him.

  “What happened?” she asked, her keen eyes probing the scene. There had obviously been a struggle of some sort. And definitely more than this poor boy had been involved. The question though, was had it been wolf or human?

  “Looks like a wolf attack,” the sheriff replied. “That’s the fourth one this month, Amara.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. His expression was one of hopelessness. “I don’t know how to fix this. We’ve sent out hunting parties. We’ve instigated a curfew. Thanks to you making the Mayor finally do his job, we now have a nightly neighborhood watch. And still, I’m getting calls in the middle of the night that there’s a body in the woods.”

  She felt for him. Mac McDougal had been Strathford’s sheriff for the last fifteen years. He’d also been her father’s best friend. After her dad had died, Mac made it his mission to clear out the wolves in Strathford. For a while, he’d even succeeded. Then Amara and her friends got attacked and the wolf presence in town escalated to one or two attacks per year. Recently, however, things had gotten bad. Sightings or incidents were reported monthly. No one in Strathford felt safe anymore. A few of them had even moved. Most just hid behind their walls, praying no one they knew or cared about was the next victim. Her own mother was one of them. That was no way to live, Amara thought. And if she could, she was going to help put a stop to it.

  “Who is he?”

  Mac shook his head. “No idea. A hiker maybe. Wrong place, wrong time. Poor bastard.”

  Amara frowned. Poor bastard indeed. “Thanks for calling me, Mac,” she said, patting his arm.

  He nodded once. “I did have an ulterior motive,” he admitted, glancing sideways at her.

  She raised a brow. “Oh?”

  “You’re good with people, Mara. Just like your dad was, and your grandfather before him. Technically, that empty seat on the Council is yours.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly, not sure she was following. “But what does that have to do with this?”

  “I want you to be my deputy.” Surprise lit her face, but she said nothing. “I need you to help me keep the peace,” he continued. “People are antsy, they don’t know what to do. And the Mayor, well, he’s a bloody coward. He would rather plant his head in the sand and pretend nothing was happening than get out here at six in the morning to find out what’s going on. But you, you have your finger on the pulse of this town. You’re everyone’s favorite bartender. I could really use your help keeping the morale of this place up. It’s falling fast, and if it goes, any sense of law and order will go with it.”

  Fear threaded its way through her veins. She knew he was right. How could he not be? People were scared. And when people were scared, they did stupid, crazy things. She couldn’t imagine a dead body in the woods would help that any.

  She nodded. “Sure. Anything you need.”

  “Great. Come by the station later. We’ll get everything set up.” The coroner beckoned him forward and he pulled away from her. After a few steps, he turned back, a grateful smile on his closed lips. “Thanks, Mara.”

  “Any time.”

  “What was that about?” Nova asked quietly, stepping into Mac’s empty spot.

  “He wants to make me a cop.”

  “No kidding?”

  She frowned up at him. “What? Is that such a crazy idea?”

  Nova raised his hands in surrender. “Not at all. It’s a good one, actually. I think you’ll be good at it. The people listen to you.”

  “That’s exactly what Mac said.”

  “Smart man.”

  “Yeah. He is.” She watched silently as the coroner pointed and gestured over the body. Mac watched closely, nodding a few times and jotting notes down on his white notepad. “So, what really happened here?” she asked.

  Nova’s features tightened into a tense mask. “Nate and Ian took a group on patrol last night. They were attacked. This one apparently didn’t make it.”

  “Attacked? Is he one of yours?” Nova shook his head. Amara took a deep breath. “Is anyone else hurt?”

  “Ian’s at the compound in the infirmary.” Though his voice was steady, she knew his control was balancing on the edge of a knife. “They aren’t sure he’s going to make it.”

  The ball of dread in the pit of Amara’s stomach had started to form while they were in the woods. It had grown exponentially as Nova had recounted his conversation with Nate that morning on their drive back to the compound. And now, as she followed Nova down the street toward the small building the Pack used as a make-shift hospital, that little ball was a like a gremlin, tossing and turning inside her, just trying to get out.

  Of all the people it could have been, Amara thought, why did it have to be sweet, quiet, sensible Ian? She felt a little guilty for thinking that way, but she’d come to adore the boy over the last couple weeks. He wasn’t all that much younger than her, and the two of them had become good friends during her time at the compound. She really didn’t want to see him lying there, hurt, when there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  They were keeping Ian in a small room at the back of the house. It was a private room because Nemoy had demanded it, so it was one of the only areas divided by walls instead of curtains. Amara wondered how often they had to use this place for the kinds of injuries Ian had sustained. Often? She didn’t really want to think about it.

  Nova placed his hand on the door knob and hesitated a moment or two, readying himself before going inside. She couldn’t imagine he was handling it any better than she was.

  Ian lay in the twin-size bed in the center of the room. His face was bruised and, while it had definitely been wiped down, she could still see traces of dirt and dried blood on his skin. Tubes were coming out of his mouth and wrist, hooked into a machine that beeped with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Well, that was a good sign, at least.

  Nate sat by Ian’s side, looking crestfallen. His face brightened somewhat when he caught sight of Nova and Amara.

  Nova turned back to her. “Would you mind sitting with Ian for a bit? I need to speak with Nate.”

  “Sure.” Taking his place, she squeezed Nate’s hand as she passed. He and Nova disappeared into the hallway. She could just make out their muffled voices. “Don’t worry,” she told Ian’s unconscious form. “We’ll take care of Nate for you.” Reaching out, she took Ian’s hand. “I think he’s a little worried. Nova is too, if you want to know the truth.”

  Just then, the door opened again. Amara looked up and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Neveah stood just inside the doorway, looking just as astonished as Amara was. Her long fingers were white-knuckled around the cup of coffee she held. Her other hand brushed nervously down the folds of her long, wool skirt. She looked like she’d been crying.

  “Oh. Amara.” Neveah searched for words, leaving Amara a little flustered herself. “I didn’t know you would be here. In fact, this is the last place I expected you to be.”

  Amara bit her lip. Of course, Neveah would take a dig at her. She was only human, after all. “Ian is my friend. I wasn’t just going to leave him alone.”

  “He isn’t alone.” Then, as if reconsidering, Neveah’s features softened and she lo
oked almost apologetic. Amara thought she must be imagining things. Maybe the stress was getting to her more than she thought. “But, I am glad he has a friend with him.” Neveah eyed Amara strangely. “Where is my son?”

  “In the hall with Nate, last I checked.”

  “Well he isn’t out there now.”

  “Oh.” Amara made a mental note to kill Nova later. Damn him for leaving her alone with his mother. No one had ever made her feel so unwelcome in her life.

  Neveah took a seat on the other side of Ian’s bed. The two women stared awkwardly at each other.

  “I heard your sister has gotten herself involved with Kal Vann,” Neveah said finally. The words were innocent enough—if a bit insensitive—but her tone had a bite to it.

  Amara suppressed a sigh. “He’s not the man I would have chosen for her, that’s for sure.”

  “Oh?” Neveah asked, surveying Amara over her mug. “I would think you would like to have someone in on our little secret. Or do you like to feel special by being the only human we have let live with the information?”

  Angry now, Amara shook her head. “Sadie doesn’t know anything about this. She thinks Nova is just the man I’m seeing. She doesn’t even know he and Kal know each other. I haven’t said anything.”

  Neveah frowned into her coffee. “No?”

  “No. And you know what? This needs to stop.” Amara could feel the tension rise from the other woman. She was sure nobody took that sort of a tone with her, even on their worst day—except maybe her sons—but she was getting all worked up and on a roll. She had started this thing. No sense in stopping now. “Look, I know you don’t like me. That much is clear. In fact, I am very well aware that you think I should be dead because I’m human and I know your secrets. But I’m not going to tell. I promised I wouldn’t, and I keep my word.

  “You don’t have to like me, Neveah. But I love your son. And I care about the Pack. And I will keep your secret, even if it means that I have to figure out another way to get my little sister away from that bastard, Kal.”