Christmas Kisses Read online

  This didn’t make me feel better. Instead of a bunch of women raising my kid by committee, they had some men on the board too?

  Fuck, I had a headache.

  “And if it’s a girl?” I asked.

  “Same.” Briana nodded. She spread the snow around then proceeded to throw kindling on the fire nearby. “I am very fond of my uncle. He schooled me in the sciences from a very early age.”

  “Hmm.”

  “I don’t understand what’s gotten you so out of sorts? Are you feeling ill? You can stay until Christmas if you like.”

  I didn’t like any of it but really I had no grounds to complain. It was unlikely she was pregnant. I would stash a set of my clothes under the bed. It would look as if forgot them and give me an excuse to swing by in spring to check on her. By then I’d have an answer either way.

  “I should be going,” I said suddenly. I hated my own petulance.

  “So soon?” Bree left her bath preparations. She came to stand before me, sliding her arms around my neck. Her body pressed invitingly against mine. “Beware of the ice bears on your journey. They are hungry in winter.”

  My resolve weakened. What if she was some Siren that lured men to her cozy cabin only so they’d never leave? Admittedly I was the first but still…

  “I’m not scared of any ice bear.” I loosened her arms around me. I dressed quickly then gathered my gear while she watched me, naked and unembarrassed.

  I tightened my pack on my back. It carried all my supplies. I traveled in humanoid form but when I was tired, I stashed my pack, changed to my wolf to hunt and sleep in the snow. The next morning I started the process over again.

  She removed a small amulet from her own neck. It was made of carved whale bone, a naked female warrior, not unlike herself. She slipped it over mine.

  “Wear it around your neck at all times. It will protect you from ice bears.”

  “I’m a wolf shifter. There’s not much I need protection from.” I chuckled though it touched me she was concerned.

  She pursed, her lips looking doubtful. “Maybe so but promise me you’ll watch out for ice bears?”

  “I will.” I kissed her lightly but slapped her ass for good measure.

  She kissed me back hungrily.

  When we parted, I ignored my twitching cock.

  I stepped out of her cozy cabin, breathing deeply the scent of evergreen firs.

  The moon was full, coming up over the mountains, shining bluish on the fresh snow. My wolf wanted to be off and so did I.

  I’d enjoyed my time with Bree but I was glad to be moving on. I brushed away my earlier concerns and temptations to remain here longer with her.

  I set out in my snowshoes, turning once to wave. She remained standing on her doorstep, now wrapped in a blanket. Smoke trailed out the chimney long after I could no longer see her.

  I traveled for days before I came across another humanoid. I’d seen all sorts of animals and a few paranormal creatures but no one in need of my services. I remarked at my good luck that my work allowed me such freedom. I loved the open spaces. And to think my pack leader in Scotland meant to punish me by sending me here.

  Finally, I happened upon another cottage in the woods not unlike Bree’s in size and shape. It was small and tidy with a chimney puffing white smoke.

  I knocked on the door.

  As luck would have it, my services were desperately needed. A crone, shrunken and wrinkled, was in terrible pain with a toothache.

  I prepared my instruments then I held my breath and pulled her infected tooth. Her breath was fetid. The crone screamed, cried and cursed me but it was all in a day’s work for a paranormal dentist.

  Afterwards, I sat outside her hut, watching the night sky deepen. It was always night this far north in winter. Only the shade of light varied from mauve to deepest navy. Now it was clear sky, and starlight glittered on the snow. I breathed in the pure winter air and held my breath, savoring the fresh scent.

  The smell of the chimney smoke reminded me of Bree’s cabin. I’d almost turned back to check on her more times than I cared to admit.

  I was reminded of her constantly. The little red berries on the small evergreens reminded me of her Christmas decorations. Sleeping in the snow only made me miss being with her in her feather bed. How could this be? Had she hexed me?

  I removed the amulet from my neck, placing in in my coat pocket. As I rubbed my thumb over it, images of her danced before my eyes.

  The cottage door opened. “Come inside, shifter. Let me thank you for your services.”

  I smelled a rich, savory stew. My mouth watered. Inside, the fire in the hearth roared. After a few minutes though its heat no longer felt good but stifled me and made me sweat.

  “Take off your jacket. Have some grog.” The crone handed me a heavy clay goblet.

  I needed to tread carefully, not offending her but not falling prey to any of her schemes either. I suspected there was more to this crone than a little old lady with bad teeth, but I really didn’t want to wake up in the morning as a toad.

  My time with Bree was blessedly uncomplicated compared to this.

  She cackled at my skeptical sniff. “Just beer.” She raised her goblet to me in cheer then tipped hers back, downing it in one go.

  I had no reason to think she’d poison me but then again if she was a witch…I’d steered fairly clear of them for anything more than the most professional of interactions.

  Scottish witches were fearsome. I had no reason to believe Alaskan witches were different. My wolf within was uneasy but I’d done her a service. It was unlikely she’d harm me after doing her a service, I reminded myself.

  I took a sniff again and then a small sip. It tasted like my favorite beer back down at Hog’s Breath, my local tavern in Scotland. I took a sip, then another.

  The room continued to increase in heat. I removed my jacket, laying it next to me on the small stool while she served us each a bowl of delicious stew.

  “Stay here tonight, shifter. Enjoy the hearth. It’s thanks from an old woman,” she said.

  I wasn’t sure. The heat, the food and the drink were making me sleepy. But what harm could come from it? I’d sleep out here on the floor by the fire. If she needed something with her tooth in the night, I’d be able to help her. It was a small request.

  I thought of my wolf’s love for the outdoors and the long night ahead. But it was only one night.

  “I’ll stay for tonight.” I wadded my jacket up under my head as a pillow. I laid on the floor as far from the overly warm hearth as possible. I felt the imprint of Bree’s charm through all the layers of clothing before I fell into a deep and troubled sleep. My limbs felt paralyzed. I tried to wake up but I couldn’t.

  When I finally woke, the fire was gone. Everything was black. The room was frigid, colder than I thought possible.

  And I was naked.

  “Shifter, come.” The witch called to me from the darkness of her room.

  It took me a while to move. Eventually I stood up. My every joint protested. I was as stiff as an aged human.

  What had been in that drink?

  “Come here. Warm me up,” she called again.

  I couldn’t see anything. The cottage was pitch black without the fire. I staggered to keep upright.

  The crone wanted me to bed her? That was beyond my duties as a dentist.

  I had to get away from here. I took a few steps toward the door. Each one made me feel like my legs were made of lead.

  Images of Bree flashed before me.

  I had to get back to her.

  Realization crashed over me.

  More than anything I wanted to see Bree again.

  The crone’s cackle sharpened. “You disdain me for another? Stupid shifter! I curse you to never find true love.”

  That did not sound good.

  I grabbed my backpack, shuffling from her cottage. Each step was agony. Naked, I made tracks slowly in the deep snow.

  The farther awa
y I moved from the cottage, the faster my body moved. Now I managed a brisk walk. Once in the woods, I glanced back.

  The crone stood at the cottage doorway naked.

  Then she tumbled to the snow, somersaulting again and again until she emerged an ice bear.

  Shit.

  I dropped my pack. My slow run on two legs soon became a loose-limbed fast run on four legs as I shifted into my wolf.

  The ice bear was gaining on my wolf form. I could hear its roar closing in behind me. The fur on my pelt rose. I was able to weave in and out of the heavily forested evergreens while the ice bear was slowed by many thick fir trees.

  Getting away from the ice bear was all that mattered. My wolf ran and ran

  until I collapsed from exhaustion, grateful for my escape.

  When I woke I was hungry. It was still dark out. This time of year it was always dark this far north. It wasn’t the darkness that bothered me. I was filled with a great sense of unease. There was no predator around. That wasn’t it.

  It was like I’d forgotten something important but I had no idea what it was.

  One thing was clear to me. I’d lost my backpack and with it my livelihood as a dentist. I didn’t care. I had no interest in the life of men anymore.

  In my wolf form, I wandered through thick forests to flat ice-covered plains to the sea, where I chased gulls and Arctic terns. Gradually, daylight became more frequent. The snows receded. Wildflowers bloomed under the bright summer sky. Then the days grew dark and cold again. Snow. Wind. Endless night.

  My wolf mind tried to remember the thing that I forgot. It nagged at me, on the edge of my mind but forever out of reach. I lost interest in hunting. I stalked ice bears to fight. Each encounter left me bloodied and battered. I escaped, though, to travel on and fight again.

  All the while on the move, I racked my brain trying to remember what I had forgotten so long ago. Finally I collapsed out of exhaustion in the snow. I stared up at the stars littering the sky, waiting to die.

  Footsteps across the crisp snow woke me.

  “Is it dead?” A young person’s voice fluttered above me. A child?

  “Hush now. He’s not dead yet.” A woman’s voice, calm and soothing like a stream on a hot summer day joined the child’s. A light touch brushed the snow from my pelt.

  “I thought it would be bigger.” The child’s voice dipped in disappointment.

  “Run back to the cabin and melt a kettle of snow. I’ll carry him back. Hurry!”

  I was hoisted up and over strong shoulders. The woman grunted, adjusting my weight. “Come on, wolf. Let’s get you home.”

  My tongue brushed a soft cheek.

  Much later, I woke to a feather bed. The room was dark but I was surprised to find I was no longer wolf but man. I could not ever recall changing form before while asleep.

  A curtain separated the bedroom from the rest of the cabin. Beyond it, I heard the clank of dishware.

  “Should I set the board up for another game?” The child asked.

  “Yes, but let’s keep our voices down.” I could hear the smile in her voice.

  A few minutes later, the woman brushed the curtain aside, carrying a tray. Her escort was a young boy about six. He favored his mother’s coloring but his eyes were a dark brown.

  “Apollo, you may return to your puzzle,” she said to the boy.

  His gaze at me was curious. He ducked back under the curtain. Neither of them seemed shocked by a wolf shifter.

  The woman set her tray down by the bedside. She lit a candle and the small room brightened. She was pretty and I felt myself blush under her close inspection. I was naked under the blanket.

  My right arm and forehead were bandaged. “Thank you for everything. What is your name?” I managed when she handed me a cup of tea. My tongue felt dry and heavy.

  Her head was bent while she concentrated on changing my hand and arm bandages. She raised her head. “Call me Bree. We’re glad you have survived. You have many battle scars. Busy fighting ice bears?”

  “A few.” I paused. “I can’t remember my name.”

  She studied me with her measured gaze. “Wolf man is not very polite. How about I call you Angus?”

  Angus. I nodded. I liked that.

  “Rest now. All will be well.” She laid her hand on my battered forearm. The touch of her skin sent sparks of joy against mine.

  Her eyes strayed to my naked chest as returned to work on my bandages.

  What kind of man left a woman like this and her child alone?

  The next morning, I was out of bed. Lying around didn’t suit me. I was stiff and sore but on my feet. And dressed. Bree left me clothes at the foot of my bed. They fit well except for being a bit loose. I didn’t like wearing another man’s clothing.

  I stepped behind the bedroom curtain. Apollo sat by the fire with a paper and pen. A kitten dozed in the crook of his arm.

  “Mom is out hunting,” he said without looking up.

  The kitten cracked an eye open, peering at me suspiciously.

  “There’s soup on the stove but if I get up, Snowflake doesn’t like it.”

  It had felt good to stand up but now sitting down felt even better. I wasn’t hungry.

  Outside, snow fell softly but thickly. It was dark as usual with end of the year approaching.

  My anxiety was acute for Bree being out there alone.

  A fresh evergreen tree stood in the corner. Christmas time. Apollo saw me admiring it.

  “Would you like to hold Snowflake while I water the tree?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  He deposited the sleepy fluffy kitten in my lap. He stepped outside, grabbed a bucket of snow, packing it in handfuls around the tree in a large basin.

  “We dig up a live tree then replant it in spring,” He explained. Once he was done, he stood back then adjusted a few of the handmade ornaments. Strings of popcorn and berries crisscrossed the chubby evergreen.

  “Your mom has been gone a while. Maybe we should look for her?” I suggested.

  Apollo’s small hands plucked the sleepy kitten from my lap. Snowflake resettled with his head on Apollo’s shoulder, the kitten’s purring rumbled across the space between us.

  “What’s that?” I pointed to the amulet hanging from his neck.

  “Mom gave it to me.”

  “May I see it?” I asked.

  “Sure.” He untucked it from the fold of his sweater. “Mom told me never to take it off, though, so you can only look at it like this.”

  I ran my finger over the carving of a female warrior with her bow and arrow. “Always listen to your mom.”

  “I do,” he said simply. “Don’t worry. Mom will be back soon.”

  “I’m not worried,” I said.

  Well ok, maybe I was.

  “Where is your father?” I asked.

  Apollo rubbed his cheek against the kitten’s head. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Want to play chess?”

  Bree returned after Apollo beat me at two games of chess. The first I let him win and the second he won on his own.

  “Thanks for the warning about the chess master.” I sidled up to her in the kitchen.

  “He’s been wanting to play someone else forever.” She flashed me a smile that clutched at my heart. “Did he beat you badly?”

  “Smart kid.” I had my pride. There was no need to dwell on specifics.

  “He’s a wonderful son.” Bree beamed.

  Apollo set the table while I was relegated to more holding Snowflake. We ate rabbit stew for dinner, sitting around the Christmas tree. Bree and Apollo exchanged a few handmade gifts. I was surprised how touching I found the scene. Yet I was angry at Apollo’s father for being away from them.

  After carols and stories, a sleepy Apollo and Snowflake climbed up to the loft. Bree tucked him in then returned to sit with me by the fire. It crackled and popped pleasantly.

  “I wished I had something to give you and Apollo,” I said, watching her fair hair lit by the fireli
ght. It mesmerized me. I reached out a finger to touch a burnished curl.

  She closed her eyes, and I savored the serenity of the scene.

  “Where is Apollo’s father?” My voice was rough. I couldn’t keep the contempt from my voice.

  “Why do you ask?” She opened her eyes, gazing directly at me. Her throaty voice stirred my cock.

  “If he returns and finds me sleeping in his bed, he won’t like it.”

  “Perhaps he will be glad I helped a fellow traveler in need.”

  “If it was me, I wouldn’t like it.”

  She bit back a smile, giving her head a little shake. “I don’t think you would.”

  This was a maddening answer.

  “Is he coming back?” I asked bluntly.

  “I don’t know.” Her brows knit.

  “He’s a fool for leaving you here alone.” I laced my fingers with hers. I took a deep breath then exhaled. “I’m not a good man. You took me in, nursed me back to health. And I all I want to do in return is to fuck you so hard you never think of him.”

  She tilted her head to one side. “He bothers you very much.”

  “Bother? No. Hate? Yes.”

  “Why?” She climbed on my lap.

  “He has everything I want,” I said, breathing in the smell of her skin.

  “You mentioned not having a Christmas gift for me,” Bree whispered in my ear. “Make love to me. I forgot what a man’s touch feels like.”

  “Believe me, when I’m done you’ll never forget.” I growled, glancing up at the loft.

  “Apollo restacked the wood shed today.”

  I loved her sly smile.

  “Then it’s only right his mother should have what she wants on Christmas.” I lifted her off my lap. I would have liked to make love to her before the fire but the feather bed would be much more comfortable.

  We slid behind the curtain. Bree immediately shed her work pants and her socks. She pulled off her sweater and her long-sleeved thermal underneath. She climbed in beside me with her bralette and panties on. She began to remove her panties.

  “No.” I gathered her to me then rolled her over to her back. “Let’s leave those on for a while. I want you to beg me to take them off you.”