Christmas After Dark: A Holiday Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Abigail Owen

  I cleared my throat. “I didn’t become a fire fighter.” I glanced at the door. “Great to see you again, and I’m sorry about showing up like this. I better get back to my campsite.”

  Before she could reply, I went to the door and opened it to at least six inches of snow. The sky was still dark, and the wind stung my bare chest. I turned around and Piper crossed her arms with a curt smile.

  “Unless you got here in a vehicle with chains, we’re staying put for now.” She tilted her head toward the hallway. “We’ve got a break room back here. I’ll get you a coffee and maybe you can stop lying to me.”

  The door slammed closed as I followed her. She kept checking each room as we passed. Probably still looking for her missing wolf. I had no doubt she was almost hoping to find it someplace. Because the truth was too fucking nuts to ponder.

  She sat across from me at a long table. “This is a long way from Lexington, Kentucky.”

  “It is.” I nodded. “Is this where your family ran off to during our senior year? I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

  The last few words came out harsher than I intended. I’d thought I got over the hurt, but maybe I’d just pushed it aside. Now that she was here, her beautiful green eyes staring at me as she gnawed at her lower lip, the gaping hole she’d left in my heart was front and center.

  “It’s a long story, but I didn’t want to go.” Her expression softened. “I wanted to call you, but I couldn’t. Anyway, eventually I figured you might not want to hear from me.” She leaned forward, her forearms on the table. “You have stitches in the same place as the wolf I worked on, and if I didn’t know better those are my blue silk surgical sutures in your leg, but I haven’t seen you in ten years.” She shook her head, flopping back into her chair. “Maybe I’m dreaming.”

  What could I say? I ran my fingers through my hair. “I had too much to drink last night. I don’t know how I got the stitches either.”

  “They can’t be my stitches,” she mumbled under her breath. “but where’s the big guy with the pointy teeth.” She rubbed her forehead. “None of this makes sense.” She checked her watch. “Ugh. Two hours sleep. No wonder I’m losing my mind.”

  It didn’t make sense, that was the key. If I could get her to go back to sleep, I could slip out, and she’d wake up with no other alternative than to believe it was all a dream. And if I left the door cracked open, she might even convince herself the wolf escaped.

  Not a perfect plan, but it was all I had.

  I glanced around the room. “Do you stay overnight here?”

  “Not usually.” She massaged her temples. “But we have a couch in Dr. Vega’s office, so I crashed in there.”

  I stood up. “Come on. You should get some rest. I’ll help you look for the wolf in the morning.”

  She frowned. “If he’s loose in here someplace, he’ll be aggressive. We need to find him.”

  “Maybe he found a safe place to hide.” I offered her my hand. “He’s not going anywhere. You can find him in the morning.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” She sighed and looked up at me. “This has to be a dream anyway.”

  She took my hand and I lost my balance. The room went out of focus and inside my head the wolf howled so loud it was tough to believe he wasn’t wandering the halls of the vet clinic.

  And then I knew.

  I opened my mouth, but no words would come.

  Piper frowned. “Shane? What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to pass out.” She came around to my side, hooking my arm around her shoulders. “You should lay down. I’ll help you.”

  It had been her all along. I never knew because I hadn’t shifted yet. My wolf clawed its way to the surface of my consciousness, making me punchy and possessive. I tried to calm it as we sat on the black leather sofa, but there was no compromise. The wolf had recognized his mate.

  He’d saved her before he even knew.

  She took my face in her hand turning my head to meet her eyes. “Are you dizzy? Are you sure it was just beer at the campsite? Have you ingested any drugs?”

  God, she was even more beautiful than I remembered. I swallowed the lump in my throat and leaned back, away from her touch. My wolf growled through my soul. He didn’t understand why we didn’t claim our mate.

  I was losing my fucking mind.

  “No drugs. Sorry, just light-headed for a second.”

  She lowered her hands to her lap. “Since I must still be sleeping, just wanted to say sorry for disappearing like I did. I didn’t have any choice.”

  And since I would be gone when she woke up anyway, I whispered, “I loved you, Piper.”

  She brought her hand up to caress my cheek. Her skin was warm and soft, making me ache to get even closer. “I know. I used to practice signing my name Piper Dodd.” A wistful smile curved her lips. “I thought we were going to grow up and get married. Didn’t expect to live in makeshift witness protection.”

  Witness Protection? I frowned and ground my teeth to keep from digging deeper. If she decided she was dreaming, then none of this ever happened. I fucking hated this. She was my mate, and she deserved better than what I was about to do, but Vance Park was still breathing, along with that other jaguar shifter asshole who shot at her.

  I’d kill them both if they didn’t end me first, and now it wasn’t simply revenge…I needed to protect my mate. Even if she never knew…

  “I wish things worked out differently.” I ran a finger along her jaw until her lashes lifted and her eyes met mine. The sleepy bedroom eyes she sported had blood pumping below my belt and these lightweight scrubs didn’t have a chance in hell of controlling my raging erection. Unable to control myself, I bent to taste her full lips.

  Fireworks went off behind my closed eyes. She moaned into my mouth, her warm hands sliding up my cold chest. Her lips parted, and our tongues twined slowly together. She tasted like heaven, like home.

  All this time I’d been mourning losing my home, and yet, here she was, in my arms. She moved closer, straddling my lap. Her foot brushed my injured thigh, but I barely noticed through the haze of desire. Her hands gripped my shoulders.

  Finally, she broke the kiss, her forehead resting on mine. “Best dream I’ve had in years.” Her chest heaved as she searched my eyes. “Make love to me, Shane.”

  The wolf howled, the yearning to claim our mate swamped me. I laid her down on the sofa, my erection throbbing between us as I covered her body with mine. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to strip her naked and memorize every inch of her, but this wasn’t really a dream, and if she knew she was awake, would she want this?

  The realization hit me like a cold shower. Piper wanted the memory of me. If she ever discovered the wolf she saved, and the boy she left behind in high school were one in the same, she’d be running out of the vet clinic screaming.

  I kissed her one more time, slow, and whispered, “I don’t have a condom.”

  “Don’t need a condom in a dream.” She mumbled against my lips, her heavy lids drifting closed.

  “You should get some sleep.”

  “Sleep? You’re half naked.” Her hips rocked under me, shaking my will. “I can’t get lucky even in my dreams? Shit.” She rolled onto her side, and I carefully lifted myself off her.

  Damn it, I wanted her in my arms more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.

  But not like this. I covered her with the wool blanket she’d left on the floor.

  I held my breath waiting to be sure she was asleep. Finally, I turned and quietly went to the door. As I reached in to close it, she whispered. No man could have heard it, but as a werewolf I had no trouble. “Piper Dodd.”

  My gut twisted with regret, but I closed the door and walked away. Back in the operating area, I stripped off the scrubs and folded them up. Piper was much smarter than me, but if I woke up and wanted to see if I’d been dreaming, the missing pants would be the first thing I would check.

  Once those were back, I made su
re the cage door hung open, and the latch was back on the floor. I scanned the room one last time to be certain there weren’t any other traces of a man instead of a wolf. Satisfied I’d covered my tracks, I went to the door. The snow and ice cut my bare feet, but the pain was nothing compared to the dagger in my heart.

  I piled snow in between the door and the building, providing a crack for the “wolf” to escape. Then I found a stick and carefully erased my footprints as I jogged further into the darkness. By the time I climbed over the electric gate I was shivering.

  But my secret was still safe. I looked over my shoulder at the Red Rock Vet Clinic, torn between my fate to avenge my Pack, and my destiny to love my mate.

  I growled and forced my feet to keep moving, following my own scent toward my clothes.

  4

  Piper

  I stretched, blinking my eyes open…to find myself in my boss’s office? The haze of sleep cleared in an instant. The wolf.

  On my feet, I hurried to the operating room. My dream mocked me, but it seemed so real. In the light of day, I felt like a fool for believing the wolf somehow turned into the one guy from my past that I’d never been able to stop thinking about. The one I left behind. Shane Dodd.

  And man, the years had been good to him. Too bad he only existed in my overactive subconscious.

  As I neared the operating room, the temperature dropped. I shivered, wishing I had grabbed my coat from Dr. Vega’s office. I pushed through the doors and an icy wind greeted me. The door was cracked open.

  Shit.

  I ran to the cage. The empty cage. The latch laid on the ground. I frowned looking at the empty counter. In my dream…I picked up that latch and put it…the scrubs. Rubbing my hands up and down my arms to keep warm, I went to the closet and opened it wide. I counted all the pairs of scrubs. Four tops and pants.

  Damn. I really was losing it.

  Of course it was a dream. Shane Dodd wasn’t in Sedona, and he wasn’t some kind of shape shifter. But it seemed so real. Best dream I’d ever had. And that kiss. God, no one had kissed me like that since…Shane.

  Enough. There were bigger problems brewing. If the wolf escaped, it could be headed for populated areas. I needed to warn the authorities. Before grabbing the cordless phone, I peered out into the snow-filled parking lot, praying I might see a wolf’s eyes staring back at me. But my truck was the only thing out there. No sign of a big brown wolf.

  I kicked the snow out of the way and pulled the door all the way closed. This was going to be a long day.

  Dr. Cole Vega was maybe ten years older than me and at least a foot taller. He founded the veterinary clinic, but he specialized in horses and cows. When I’d interviewed to join the team, I’d done my homework and presented myself as a vet who focused on exotic animals, a niche he’d wanted to fill.

  Until last night, my typical patients were hamsters, cockatiels, bearded dragons, and I’d even treated a ferret. But I wasn’t looking forward to explaining my most recent patient. After calling local animal control, I’d hopped in my truck, searching for tracks, or any evidence of the injured wolf. Nothing.

  How did a wolf that big just vanish into thin air? I didn’t find a rabbit carcass or any other animal the big guy might have eaten on his way out of town, and animal control hadn’t had a single call about a wolf sighting.

  After I gave up searching, I returned to the clinic and called Cole. Time to fess up. He drove through the gate, and it slowly rolled closed behind him. Even a healthy wolf wouldn’t have been able to clear a gate that tall. No way. There must be a hole in the boundary fence someplace, or maybe he tunneled under. His front legs weren’t injured.

  Cole opened the back door and frowned. Was he sniffing the air? I glanced down at my rumpled elf costume and rolled my eyes. God, did I reek?

  His bright hazel eyes narrowed as his gaze swung my way. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded, suddenly very self-conscious about my appearance and apparently…scent? “Sorry, I haven’t gotten a chance to go home and change yet. After the shelter pet event I found a wolf with a gunshot wound.”

  I crossed my arms and lifted my chin, hoping to remind him I was still a colleague. “I tranquilized it and brought it here. The bullet went through the wolf’s right hind leg, a clean shot straight through, so I aerated the wound and sutured it. I locked it in the cage, but…” This was where it got foggy. “When I came in to check on the wolf this morning, the snow had the door ajar and somehow it…escaped.”

  Cole raised a brow. “You took a big risk working on a wild wolf alone.”

  “I know.” I lowered my hands, shaking my head. “In hindsight, it was stupid. But the wolf got shot knocking me out of the way of a bullet. I guess in the heat of the moment, I wanted to return the favor.”

  All true. I waited for his judgement, or at least an admonishment.

  “Your heart was in the right place.” He glanced back at the door. “I’m going to check around the back lot.”

  And that was it. Could I still be dreaming? I frowned watching Cole walk through what was left of the snow. He crouched down a couple of times on his way to the gate. He punched in the code and it rolled open. He walked down the driveway and I lost sight of him.

  What if he found the wolf? An injured animal would be dangerous, and my boss just wandered off with no way to protect himself.

  Wasn’t I the one who was reckless with this wolf?

  I grabbed my coat and jogged out to my truck. The wind stung my face, each breath puffing out in a fluffy cloud of fog. I opened the cab and pulled the seat forward, reaching for my tranquilizer gun. I loaded up a dart from the tool box and dropped two more into my pocket just in case.

  It wasn’t hard to track Cole. The snow hadn’t melted away just yet, so I followed his footprints. I caught up with him at the end of the street.

  He glanced my way. “This isn’t your fault.”

  I chuckled. “We both know it is. I brought a wolf into the clinic after hours and must not have latched the cage correctly. If it hurts someone, it’s my fault. And if you find it again, you could be the one it attacks.”

  A muscle tensed in his cheek as he scanned the snow dusted red mountains. “Safe to say the wolf is far from us by now.”

  “Is it?” I stared out at the vast canyon.

  “Yeah. Wolves are pack animals. They don’t thrive on their own. I’m sure it’s on the way back to its Pack now.” He took one more deep breath and slowly nodded. “I don’t think we’ll see a news report about a wild wolf on the streets of Sedona.”

  We walked back to the vet clinic in silence. My feet were numb by the time he held the back door open for me. Suddenly my body ached all over, and exhaustion hung onto me like a second skin. Between being knocked to the ground by a big wolf, carrying the big guy to my truck, and then getting him out again, I hurt everywhere.

  “I apologize again for last night. If that wolf attacked someone, it could’ve jeopardized your clinic.” The weight of what I’d done wasn’t helping with the fatigue.

  “But he didn’t.”

  I blinked. “How’d you know it was a male wolf?”

  His eyes flicked to me and for a moment he seemed…surprised? He shrugged. “Just a figure of speech.”

  What was I missing? Probably sleep. That had to be it.

  “I think I better get home and grab a shower and clean clothes.”

  He nodded. “See you Monday, Piper.”

  The hot shower was heaven. I closed my eyes, leaning back into the water, enjoying the way it warmed my skin. The last twenty-four hours had been bizarre to say the least, but the wolf wasn’t the part I kept replaying.

  I dreamed about kissing Shane Dodd.

  He was my first love, my first everything, and for years I hated my father for spiriting me away and forbidding me to contact him. The only way he stopped me from reaching out was by reminding me that the people hunting us, might go after Shane to use him as leverage and track my conta
ct in order to find us.

  The thought of putting Shane in danger hurt more than the separation. Eventually, I moved on, or at least I thought I did. Seeing him in my dreams last night unsettled me. Why now after all these years? Maybe it was the snow last night. Our first dance had been the winter formal, and afterward we drove to the lake. He’d walked me out in the snow and gave me his class ring on a chain. I still had it.

  But I’d been so preoccupied with the wolf, I’d barely noticed the snow last night. And I was right back to ‘why now’?

  And damn, why did the dream have to feel so real?

  I stepped out of the shower and dried off, struggling to push the memories away. There were more important things to worry about…like who shot at me. A couple years ago, my uncle, Burt Jones, died in a tragic accident. Only we knew it wasn’t an accident.

  My dad begged his brother-in-law not to go to Senator Hanson’s fundraiser that night, but uncle Burt was convinced with the right monetary pressure the senator might make some changes on the Armed Services Strategic Forces committee. It was the first step in getting the Nero Organization’s military experiments declassified.

  My uncle was a billionaire in the tech industry because of my father’s genius, but because my dad had freelanced, he also wrote some coding for the Nero Organization, and saw something troubling. He’d been on their hit list ever since. Uncle Burt devoted himself to exposing the defense contractor, and it got him killed.

  Not long after, the Nero Organization headquarters exploded, taking their CEO, Antonio Severino with it. I thought the nightmare was over, but it was really just beginning. Besides defense contracts, Nero trained assassins. Mercenaries for foreign governments. And apparently my father still knew too much.

  He never told me what he saw on their servers, and I didn’t ask. The less I knew, the safer I’d be. And because Nero had deep pockets and connections to elite members of the government, we couldn’t even trust going to the police.