The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  Nova scowled. “You and me both.” Leaning forward, he kissed her thoroughly, leaving them both breathless. “Okay, I’ll have my phone. If you need me for anything, just call. I love you.”

  Beaming, she kissed him again. “Love you, too.” Nova had just reached the door when she called out again. “Oh, and Nova?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m still expecting a ring.”

  A ring. She wanted a ring. Damn, he should have thought of that. He’d planned to get her one, of course. In fact, the one he wanted was locked safely away at his mother’s house. It had been his grandmother’s ring. She’d left it for him when she died, and he’d always hoped to give it to his future wife, but now that he was marrying a human…well, he hoped he could convince his mother to just give it to him. He would hate to get caught stealing what was rightfully his.

  Nova drove through the guarded gate and felt a pang of sadness and regret when it wasn’t Ian who nodded back at him. He made a mental note to check in on him before he headed back in to Strathford.

  Though he had intended to discuss his engagement with his family, it had been Nemoy who had called the meeting Nova was about to attend. They were all waiting for him in the Council Chamber; Nemoy, Ivanah, and his mother, Neveah. Thankfully, no one else had been invited. He didn’t exactly want the rest of the Council or the community weighing in on his personal life.

  Nemoy looked up and both women fell silent. “Where have you been?” he wanted to know.

  Nova opened his mouth to answer, but it was Neveah who spoke first. “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, though to be fair, her tone didn’t contain as much venom as it usually did anytime anyone mentioned Amara. “He was with the human again.” She glared at her son. “He’s always with the human.”

  Irritated, Nova fought to keep his composure and maturity enough not to glare right back. If his mother was this upset over him spending time with Amara, how was she going to feel when he told her he was going to marry the woman?

  It looked like he was getting that ring by breaking and entering after all.

  Nemoy raised a hand for silence. “Enough. Nova, what’s your report on Strathford?”

  All serious now, Nova took a seat facing his brother. “About as grave as you would expect. They’re all scared. And they should be. The Valley Clan has shown over and over again that they aren’t afraid to kill. How many deaths have they been responsible for in the last decade or so? How many attacks on innocent humans?”

  “Innocent.” Neveah scoffed. “Those humans are not innocent. And it didn’t take them long to turn to murder themselves, did it? How many wolves were hunted after those attacks began? How many of our people were killed at the hands of those ‘innocent’ savages? Because make no mistake, my son, it was not just the wolves of the Valley Clan that were murdered. And our people truly were innocent.”

  For a moment, Nova merely stared at his mother. She was fuming. However, if he were being honest, he would have to admit that she was right. It hadn’t just been the Valley Clan that the humans had hunted. They had gone after any wolf that crossed their path, shifter or not. He couldn’t count how many of his own pack had died at their hands. His own cousin, the oldest son of his mother’s brother, had been one of them.

  “They were scared, Mother,” Nova argued. “It’s not as if they knew about us, or how to differentiate between the Clans. To them, wolves were invading the town and killing their people. Amara’s father was one of them. So, they did what any scared community would do and they tried for population control. And in their eyes, it worked. The attacks stopped for a while. Then Kal got a taste for human flesh again and his father became Alpha, so he attacked Amara and her friends. They haven’t stopped since. So, tell me, Mother, what would you do if you were in their place? Would you just sit back and hope someone else would take care of it? Or would you get out there and do something?”

  Neveah frowned. “That is entirely different. I wouldn’t punish an entire species just because one group did me wrong.”

  “No?” Nova leaned forward, meeting her eyes. “Isn’t that what you wanted to do to Amara? Didn’t you say she shouldn’t be allowed to live because she knows our secrets? How is that any different, Mother?”

  “Ugh. It all comes back to that human girl, doesn’t it?” Neveah threw her arms in the air in a dramatic show.

  Nova rolled his eyes. “Maybe it does, Mother. Maybe it does. Either way, you’re going to have to get used to her.” Standing up, he slammed his hands down on the table. He was so infuriated with her that it pleased him to see her jump. “And you know why? Because I asked her to marry me.” He glared at his mother, a cruel smile sliding across his face. “And she said yes.”

  Complete and utter silence met his announcement. And Nova had about thirty seconds to think Oh, shit, before all hell broke loose. Then everyone was yelling.

  Nemoy was furious, mainly because as Alpha, he should have given permission before the proposal. He was also angry that Nova hadn’t told him as a brother, but from what he could gather amidst all the shouts and accusations, the fact that she was human wasn’t as much of an issue.

  To him, at least. Neveah, on the other hand, was another story. Nova was fairly certain that his mother had threatened to disown him if he violated Pack Law to marry a human. She couldn’t believe her youngest son would even consider being that much of an embarrassment and a disgrace to not only her, but to the Pack and his Alpha as well.

  It was Ivanah, however, who was the real surprise. Her shouts and yells were whole-heartedly on Nova’s side. Not only did she instruct her husband to allow his brother to lead his own life without asking permission, but she shamed her mother-in-law for putting conditions on the love she had for her son. Nova had never seen such a force to be reckoned with as Ivanah Lowery. And he hoped to high Heaven he never had to again. Of course, being seven months pregnant and hormonal certainly didn’t help, but of that one thing he was completely certain.

  She was terrifying.

  Throughout the entire argument, Nova merely sat in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest and let them all rage. Finally, Ivanah seemed to get through to her husband. Nemoy raised one hand and bellowed for silence. Neveah grudgingly took a seat, slumping down with a huff like an angry child. Nova tried not to smile. He had adored and idolized his stoic, strong mother his entire life. Even though he wasn’t happy with her, it was nice to find that she could act immature like the rest of them from time to time.

  Ivanah, on the other hand, made no move to hide the smug smile she had plastered across her pretty face. She let her husband help her ease into her chair, and then just sat there grinning like a satisfied cat. It was like magic.

  “Thank you,” he mouthed silently to her across the table. Ivanah winked.

  Nemoy let out an irritated sigh. “Alright, so apparently we all have different opinions in regards to Nova’s engagement. However,” he raised his voice to cut off whatever his mother had been about to say, “the decision really comes down to me.” He glanced nervously at his wife, but soldiered on. “I am the Alpha of this Pack. Nova is the Beta, yes, and a grown man, but it is my job and my responsibility to do what I think is right for our people. That includes Amara.”

  “She isn’t one of us,” Neveah snapped.

  “And what if she could be?” Nova wanted to know. “What if there was a way to turn a human into one of us? Would you accept her then? Or would she still not be good enough for you, Mother?”

  “Enough.” Nemoy closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “That isn’t the issue right now. Right now the issue is…”

  But what the issue was, they didn’t find out. The door to the Council Chamber burst open and Nate strode in, followed by a few other members of the Guard. Nate rushed forward and took a knee in front of his Alpha. “Pardon the interruption, sir,” he begged of Nemoy. “But we have just received the report that the borders have been breached. The Valley Clan has invaded with wh
at could only be described as a small army.” He turned to look right at Nova. “Sir, they’re heading for the town.”

  Chapter 15

  Amara sat on her couch beside her little sister with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. One hand took a handful of popcorn from the bowl and deposited it into her mouth. She gestured to the TV with her wine glass in another as she complained about Ryan Reynold’s character in Definitely, Maybe. “See, how could he not know that April was the One? She’s there from the very beginning, making witty comments and being so obviously in love with him, it’s ridiculous. And still, he keeps her in the friend zone.”

  “Oh, you mean like you do to Mitch?” Sadie asked with a laugh. She popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth.

  Amara wrinkled her nose. “I do not keep Mitch in the friend zone.” She took another sip of her wine, pleased to discover she was on the verge of a buzz. “That would imply that he had some other zone in which he could go. And since Mitchell and I definitely do not have feelings for one another, there is nothing in which to ‘keep.’”

  Sadie laughed so hard she snorted into her wine. “Seriously? You really don’t think he has feelings for you? Well, you may not have any feelings for him, what with Mr. Hottie McHotterson of the Great Sex Department in your bed every night, but Mitch absolutely does have feelings for you. Why do you think Zoe has a hard time around you lately?

  “Lately? She doesn’t have a hard time with me lately. She has a hard time with me always.”

  “Okay,” said Sadie, “but don’t you think it’s gotten quite a bit worse since she started seeing Mitch?”

  Amara thought for a moment, frowning. Thinking back, things were a bit different between her and Zoe, and it had started about the time Zoe had begun seeing Mitch, but if anything, she would think things were getting better with Zoe. Maybe because Amara clearly had no feelings for Mitch.

  A loud noise came from outside the window.

  “Hmm?”

  She rolled her eyes. Getting up, she went to the window and moved the curtains aside. She peered out into the dark. “I don’t know, Sadie. Maybe, yeah, I guess you could be right. But speaking of people I have a hard time with, what exactly do you see in Kal Vann?”

  This time it was Sadie who employed the eye roll. “Well, he’s freaking hot, for one,” she replied, grinning. “And he’s charming in that cool, bad boy sort of way.”

  “Okay, so he’s hot. Can’t you just admire him from afar? Watch his tight, jean-clad ass as it walks away like every other girl does? Do you really have to date him?”

  A frown creased Sadie’s brow. “Why not? Neither one of us are seeing anybody else. Mom loves him. And the sex is fantastic. What’s the problem?”

  “I can’t stand him. And I’ve told you, I don’t trust him.”

  “Why not?”

  “I just…” Amara sighed. How did she tell her sister Kal was a murderous psychopath without giving away Nova’s secret? “I just get a bad feeling from him is all. He’s not a good guy, Sadie,” she finally said. It wasn’t much, but at least it was the truth.

  Movement caught her eye out the window. Someone was running toward the woods, and there were flames in the distance.

  Then the screaming began.

  “Sadie, go get my shotgun from the bedroom,” Amara instructed, all seriousness. Still watching the movie, Sadie ignored her. “Sadie!”

  “What?” She pressed pause.

  “The shotgun?”

  “Amara, you’re not going to shoot my boyfriend.”

  I just might, she thought. Out loud, she said, “no, Sadie, I’m serious. Something’s happening. Get the shotgun. Now.”

  Alarmed, Sadie quickly got up and did as she was told. Amara went straight to the lock box in the kitchen and keyed in the code to release her handgun. Then she retrieved both her knives and found her holsters. She’d just finished loading the handgun when Sadie returned with the shotgun. She traded her. “Do you remember how to use this?” she asked, pointing to the handgun. She took the box of shells from the table and loaded the shotgun with an ease that only comes from experience. Sadie nodded. “Good. Because I want you to stay inside. If a wolf comes near you, or Kal, or anyone you don’t know, shoot them.” Locking the barrel, she rose and went to the door.

  “Wait, Kal?” Sadie asked, her face pale as a sheet. “Where are you going? What’s going on?”

  Amara slipped on the deputy’s jacket Mac had given her the day before. “There’s an attack going on outside. Sadie, I mean it, I need you to stay in here. I need to know you’re safe.”

  “But what about you?!”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing. Stay in here,” Amara repeated, suddenly worried that her sister wouldn’t listen. “And lock the door.”

  She knew she was taking a risk; her sister almost never did as she was told. But she needed to know she was safe. “Oh, and Sadie? Use my phone and call Nova. Tell him there’s an attack and to get here quick. Then call Mom and make sure she stays inside. The last thing we need is for her to get in the middle of all of this.” Without waiting for a reply, she tossed her sister her phone and ran out into the fray.

  Outside, it was total chaos. There were wolves and people everywhere. People were screaming, others were shooting. A handful of men she’d never seen before were breaking into houses. Down the street, closer to the square, it looked like somebody had set a car on fire. She could already hear the sound of sirens from the firetruck in the distance.

  The smell of blood, of salt and copper, permeated the air. She had never seen such a horrible sight in her entire life.

  Amara caught sight of a brown wolf charging one of her neighbors. Placing the gun in the crook of her shoulder, she took aim and squeezed the trigger, bracing herself for the kick. The sound was deafening. If only she’d had the time to think about grabbing ear plugs. But the wolf went down.

  Rushing forward, Amara stepped over the lifeless body of the Valley wolf and helped the woman climb to her feet. She appeared to be more shaken than hurt, for which she was grateful. Still, Amara helped her back to her home and strongly advised her to lock the doors and stay away from any windows.

  “Amara!”

  She turned at the sound of her name. “Mitchell!” Grateful and scared at the same time, Amara rushed forward and let her friend pull her into a hug. “What are you doing out here?”

  “We heard them outside the bar. They were attacking whoever was out on the street, so we grabbed our guns and came to help.”

  “We?”

  “Zoe and I.” Sure enough, Zoe was running up the street, tears streaming down her face. Mitch and Amara sprinted over to her.

  Terrified, Mitch looked around. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Wolves. They must have decided we were in their territory.”

  Beside her, Amara could feel Zoe trembling. She wrapped an arm around the other woman’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay,” she promised, rubbing her hand up and down Zoe’s arm in an attempt to soothe her. “Sadie’s at my house. Let’s get you over there where you’ll be safe. Come on.”

  But just as they attempted to run through the looting and destructive Valley wolves, another group charged into the area followed by Mac and a handful of armed Strathford citizens. He nodded to her once, before he and his group attempted to drive the wolves back toward the woods.

  That didn’t seem to be the greatest idea. Both humans and wolves were at a standstill. The wolves were not about to move, but nor did they want to get shot. On the other hand, the humans knew that they probably wouldn’t succeed in driving them off, but if they were to turn tail and run now, they would either be attacked and possibly killed, or they would lose their town to the canine monstrosities set on taking over.

  Neither scenario seemed like an ideal option.

  Amara spotted Kal among the group of wolves and aimed her gun. His response was to let his tongue loll out in a wolfish grin. She ground her teeth toge
ther. Oh, how she hated him.

  Another chorus of howls split the air, this time from the woods themselves. All heads turned.

  It looked as if shadows were slinking out of the darkness. Wolves in various shades of black, gray, and even white, moved away from the trees toward the street. They moved in unison, their graceful bodies moving together as one fluid unit.

  The two largest in the bunch—one a solid black, the other a black and silver—moved to the front of the group and bared their fangs at the red and brown wolves. Amara watched as Nemoy and Nova led their pack into battle. Kal spear-headed his own to meet them. The humans were forgotten.

  “Take aim,” Mac ordered quietly, instructing his people. “They’re distracted now. If we’re quiet enough, we might be able to take them out before they remember we’re back here.” Raising his own gun, he levelled it and aimed at Nova.

  “Wait,” Amara said, rushing over. She placed a hand on the barrel of his rifle and forced him to lower the gun. “Only aim for the brown ones,” she told him, terrified for Nova’s safety.

  Baffled, Mac stared at her. “What are you talking about? They’re all wolves, Amara. We need to take them all out!”

  “Trust me, Mac.” She bit her lip. How could she make him understand? “Okay, so think about it. Have any of the attacks recently been made by the black and silver wolves? No, they haven’t. They’ve all been the tan and brown ones, right?”

  Mac frowned. “Well…yeah, I guess that’s right.”

  “That’s because they’re two different packs! The darker ones want their territory back and the other ones are trying to take it. If we can drive off the invading pack, the original ones will probably leave us alone.”

  “How do you know all of this? Are you some kind of expert or something?”

  “I’m just observant.” Mac narrowed his eyes and Amara sighed. Clearly this was going to take a little more thought. “Okay, so I like to read up on wolves in my spare time. Can you blame me? My family has been hit pretty hard over the years.”