Page 195 of Blue Moon Mistress

Such a small thing, but far from insignificant.

I’ve gotten so used to the ghostly wolves moving about the house, their sudden absence is always disturbing. It’s the only warning I have before the front door opens, and the newly familiar sound of the four men I’ve fallen in love with fills the house.

I turn my back on the cold fireplace and walk to the warmth I’ve grown to crave.

“Blessed Yule.” Chase says, twisting to the side before he kisses me. The only thing keeping him from doing more is the stack of wood in his arms.

“You know I have enough of that outside, right?”

“Thisis special wood.”

I manage to refrain from making a comment about their wood as he moves to set it by the kitchen fireplace.

Thomas catches me around the waist and spins me in a tight circle. “I have the next two weeks off, so, you get me as often and as long as you want me.”

“The rest of us are a little jealous.” Joshua sets a grocery bag on the counter. “But we’ve all taken as much time off as we can get.”

“Don’t feel too left out,” I tell him before tapping Thomas on the nose. “I’ll definitely be putting you to work.”

When he hands me off to Joshua, I notice one glaring omission.

“Where’s Johnny?”

“He said something about a surprise and to keep you in here.” Joshua brushes his lips across mine. “We’re always happy to distract, sweetness.”

“Not too distracting though. We have plans tonight.”

“We do?” Chase pops up from the kitchen hearth.

“Yes, but you don’t get to hear about them until Johnny’s here.”

“Johnny is here,” he says, shutting the door behind him and shrugging out of his coat.

He crosses to me quickly enough I can’t even begin to explain and when he kisses me, I almost forget I need to.

But he pulls away and seems to be the first to notice I’ve rearranged furniture.

“The living room looks interesting.” Johnny says, scratching his stomach and looking at it with his otherworldly light green eyes. “Prep for tonight? Or something else entirely.”

I didn’t tell them why I wanted them here all night, just that they needed to be here before sunset and they wouldn’t be allowed to leave until after dawn.

“Tonight, we sit vigil around the Yule log. With five of us… that’s going to take a little more space than usual.”

“A more important question would be ‘What’s that amazing smell?’” Johnny lifts his head, sniffing at the air in a manner more befitting his wolfy counterpart at his hip instead.

“Coffee.”

“Okay, witchy woman. But whatkindof coffee.”

“It’s a mix of dark roast, chicory, sugar beets, cinnamon, clove… all the fun stuff.”

“You really do want us to stay up all night, don’t you?”

“I’ll be real sad if I’m watching the fire while the rest of you are passed out.”

“Don’t worry.” Johnny whispers loudly. “The old man took a nap.”

Chase throws a whole bunch of green onions at his head.

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