Nick howled into the chilled night air and took off nimbly on three legs as he chased his errant mate through the woods. Nothing spurred a hunter on so much as the hunt itself, and Nick’s beast was positively aching for her.
The wilderness called to his beast. The piney woods of South Jersey beautiful and silent in the night with its blanket of virgin snow on the ground and the dark lavender sky that promised more to come. He breathed in the air and scented the she-Wolf not far ahead.
She ran swiftly over the shrubs and snowdrifts, but he had her in his sights, and being a predator, a former soldier, and a cop had made Nick a formidable hunter. He could almost predict the trail his quarry would take, despite his physical differences. He’d long since made peace with himself.
No she-Wolf wanted to be conquered by a male. Especially not one who’d been alone as long as she had. And what was sex but domination? Of course, that wasn’t all it was, but as Shifters there was some truth to that.
Still, Nick wanted so much more than to possess the lovely Wolf. He wanted to claim her, to make her part of himself and his life.
It would take more than a run through the woods, but they had to start somewhere. And Stephanie DeMarco had avoided him long enough. Tossing his lupine head back, Nicholas took a deep breath. He sifted through the flavors of the woods until he found it.
Sweet and woody, like nutmeg and fresh sage, all mixed with a deep, warm musk. It was her. Of course it was. His Stephanie.
Closing his eyes, he used his increased hearing to home in on the sound of her soft paws padding quietly through the snow, not too far off. He took off like a shot, stealthily and fast, even for a Wolf on three legs, racing through the evergreens until he found her.
She was like a beacon, her fur glowing in the pale silver light caught as she was in the glittery moonbeam that seemed to choose her as she stood silently in the space between trees. She’d heard him coming, he realized, as her dark blue eyes zeroed in on him.
The woman might be in denial, but the Wolf was not. She waited as he approached, powerful and completely unrepentant in her beauty as she allowed him closer. He sniffed her fragrance, picked up her scent, and relished it on his tongue.
He waited for any sign of reticence, and when he found none, Nicholas moved in, rubbing her with his big body, leaving his own scent on her coat. The she-Wolf growled, rubbing his back and chest with her head, leaving her with that nutmeg sage scent on his fur before she yipped and took off.
Electricity rippled through him. It took every ounce of strength he had not to bound off after her. He wanted to hunt her down, to find her in the darkness, to taste her lips, feel her smooth skin against his.
Mine.
Hell yes, the beautiful blonde Wolf was his. But he was playing for keeps, not a quick roll in the woods. In fact, Nicholas was not playing at all.
And he was going to prove it to her, even if his balls turned blue in the process.
Sad whine.
Hush now. She’s worth the wait.
That was a sentiment his Wolf agreed with wholeheartedly. Even as he followed the trail of her woodsy sage scent through the snow trodden forest back to the cabin, Nicholas held back. He listened to make sure she was safe, giving her the privacy she was due as a fellow Shifter and human being.
It was difficult, but he was an honorable man. Besides, the flash of flesh she’d given him before shifting into her Wolf earlier was enough to sustain him for now.
Liar.
Okay, the Wolf was right. It would never be enough. Just thinking about those long legs, tiny waist, and her firm, tip-tilted breasts made his mouth water. The local boys sure had picked the ideal female as their poster hottie.
Of course, if he heard another Wolf, teenager or not, talk about his woman like that, he’d probably have to knock some heads together. Nicholas couldn’t help feeling possessive about the she-Wolf. Even if she was hell bent on denying it, he knew she was his fated mate.
Soon, baby. I am going to make you mine very, very soon.
All he needed was a plan. A campaign to win her heart. Show her he was serious about this and steadfast.
Mine.
The very next day, after he’d dropped Clara off at school, Nicholas headed to the tree farm. He’d hitched a trailer to his SUV with a surprise in the back for Manning Farms. Well, for Stephanie really.
Nicholas had seen the old-fashioned thing sitting in the back of a shed behind a house he’d gone to look at for himself and Clara. The place was too small for them, but he’d made the gentleman an offer for the antique and had gone to pick it up early that morning.
He had hours yet before he was to report for Santa duty, but he had other goals in mind when he turned off the highway onto the exit that would take him right to Manning Farms. To her.
Mine.
“What are you doing here?” Stephanie said, clapping a slender hand over her naturally pink lips.
“Good morning to you, too. Not had your coffee yet?” Nick asked, grinning widely at the gorgeous she-Wolf.
Every time he saw her, she took his breath away. She had a body that wouldn’t stop and the face of an angel. Stephanie turned her head and her golden waves of hair floated around her shoulders as if to prove his earlier sentiment.
Yep. No doubt about it.
“Did you need something?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” he said, and could tell by her expression he’d surprised her.
She put the notebook she was holding down on the counter and turned to give him her undivided attention.
Now, wouldn’t that be something, he thought. Stephanie DeMarco’s undivided attention was definitely worth having. She raised both eyebrows, and his grin widened, if that was even possible. Looked like his angel was a bit impatient.
“Come outside with me,” he said, and before she could say no, he took her hand.
“Well, I, ooh, ookay,” she said and allowed him to pull her outside to where he’d parked just outside the barn.
“This isn’t the employee lot,” she said.
“I know, but I have a surprise.”
“A surprise? For me?”
Nick turned around to see her frowning, her whole expression a mask of confusion. Hell. She sounded shocked.
“Surely, a woman like you is used to surprises?”
“A woman like me?”
“You know, smart, beautiful, successful, kind. I could go on,” he whispered, staring down at her face while he spoke.
Her sapphire eyes glittered, and suddenly, Nick knew. She might be the object of carnal affection for every teen member of the Pack, but Stephanie was not as self-assured as he thought. He reached out and pulled her closer to his side, liking the way she shivered at his nearness.
Nicholas listened as her heartbeat increased. He heard the soft whoosh of her breathing speed up as her pulse started to race.
Oh yes, he definitely had an effect on the female. The same kind he felt run through his veins whenever he thought of the willowy blonde.
“What am I looking at?” She asked, breaking the silence with practicality.
Once again, he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips to press a hard kiss there before he moved forward and tugged the tarp covering his surprise.
“Oh my! It’s a sleigh! Oh Nick, it’s beautiful!” Stephanie exclaimed, covering her mouth to muffle the sounds of her giggles.
Nick’s heart nearly galloped out of his chest watching her reaction. No sly remarks or pretend indifference, no games. She was simply above and beyond that sort of behavior he’d experienced with other females. Stephanie DeMarco was incomparable. She was sublime. And he wanted her now, more than ever.
She jumped up and down in her excitement, a little bounce that dared his masculine eyes to chase the effect of the movement across her womanly body. He did. With relish. Nicholas could not help it. The woman was so damn beautiful from head to toe. She took his breath away.
Stephanie ran forward to caress the freshly polished wood. Nicholas was glad of the time he took to clean it up. The ornate iron runners beneath the seat gleamed with the fresh polish he used on them, as did the red painted carriage.
The sleigh had two rows of benches, one for the driver with space enough for someone to sit beside him or her, and a larger back bench that could fit two or three more. Both were covered in warm brown leather, with a covered storage space that could hold blankets or even a small picnic basket.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she sighed and ran her hands over the runners gently.
“Good. It’s yours.”
“What? No, I mean I couldn’t,” she shook her head.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Nick, I can’t just take this.”
“You do like it?”
“I told you I liked it. I mean, it’s perfect, Nick! Just imagine how happy the kids would go for an old-fashioned sleigh ride with some hot cocoa and cookies. It’d be like heaven!”
“Sure sounds perfect,” he said, loving the dreamy-eyed look that came over her face.
“It does, and I would really love to, but I mean, I couldn’t possibly accept a gift so expensive,” she bit her lip, eyeing the sleigh wistfully.
“Now, I didn’t say it came totally free,” he replied, as the perfect solution came to him.
“I see, there’s a catch then,” she asked, and this time her eyes were sparkling mischievously. “Well, what do you want?”
“You.”