Page 6 of A Shifter Disaster Thanksgiving

Sylvester chuckled deeply. Diane blinked at him, stunned.

“You’re not leaving Frost Mountain,” he told her.

“Frost Mountain?” she repeated.

“You are not going anywhere. There is no going back home. No one has, and no one ever will. This mountain is too dangerous. If you wish to survive, you will remain here in this village, in this cabin, with me.”

A puzzled look crossed her face. “What do you mean, no one’s ever going home?” Then she shook her head. “That’s not happening. I’ll take my chances with the mountain.”

She could be quite stubborn, Sylvester noted. That fact amused him just as much as it irked him. Clueless as she was, this woman was intent on leaving. Hadn’t she already figured out it was dangerous outside? She’d almost died out there earlier.

Before he could stop himself, he drew closer, causing her to stumble backward. In a flash, he was standing before her, his hands on her hips to steady her. She gazed up at him through wide eyes, and he felt her body tighten against his. Her breasts swelled against his hard torso with each breath, and he thought he could feel her heartbeat.

She made no move to push him away. Her lips were slightly parted—in fear or confusion, he was sure which, but he wassuddenly tempted to kiss her. He fought that urge grudgingly, clenching his jaw.

“You can take my offer and become my wife,” he told her, his grip tightening on her hips, which made her gasp, “or you can be my prisoner.”

Her eyebrows rose. “There’s not much of a choice.”

“Exactly.”

He hadn’t thought about making her his wife when he’d saved her yesterday. It had been until after he’d brought her into the village and had watched her sleep in his arms that the idea had crept into his mind.

Gregory was doing his best to ignore him, to push him aside. But taking Diane as his wife was outrageous. And that was exactly what Sylvester was counting on. That would surely get his brother’s attention.

And then what would happen? The question popped into Sylvester’s head almost instantly. Would Gregory be angry? Would he fly into a rage at his brother’s actions?

“You have your options,” he told Diane. “Choose wisely.”

She gulped. “I’ll be your wife,” she replied in a small voice.

He lifted an eyebrow. “What was that?”

“I’ll be your wife,” she said, louder this time.

He smiled. “That’s what I thought. You’re mine. You’ve been mine from the moment I plucked you out of the sky.”

Her green eyes widened at his words. Her lips parted even wider, and he saw the question forming on her lips. Sensing it would be impossible to resist the urge to kiss her for much longer, he let go of her, stepping backward.

“Stay here,” he instructed her. “I’m going back to the forge.”

With that, he turned and left the cabin, stepping off the porch into the narrow, snow-filled street. He glanced around for a moment. Pine Gap was quiet this morning. Most of the villagers were still in their homes, though a few walked through thestreets, greeting him as he passed. Sylvester nodded back, his mind fixated on his encounter with the woman in his cabin.

She was in for an experience. And so was he, he realized, remembering how her body had felt against his. Taking a wife wasn’t something Sylvester had foreseen for himself in the last couple of decades. He’d always preferred to be on his own. Now he’d brought this woman into his life. The possibilities were endless.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t try to run off in his absence. With any luck, she believed what he’d told her about Frost Mountain being dangerous.

He discarded the thought and continued walking, eager to reach Jon. When he reached the forge, he would inform his friend about the latest development.

Chapter Three

Dragons, Vampires, and a Voice in the Street

Diane hadn’t been married in six years, but in her experience, men were supposed to get on one knee and propose to you, not grab you and hang the threat of imprisonment over your head.

“Okay,” she muttered to herself once she’d decided that Sylvester was out of earshot. “What in blazes just happened here?”

She remained standing where he’d left her, her gaze fixated on the door. She could practically still feel his hands on her, his presence in the room. A warm scent lingered in the air. but she couldn’t quite place it.

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