Page 7 of A Merry Misfit Christmas

“A Santa?” I croak, trying not to lose my shit.

“Yep. Callie needs a guy she can count on. That’s you, right, VP?”

FUCK. He knows I can’t say no when he puts it like that. I can’t let my mate down.But all those snotty, dirty, sticky-fingered kids… “Fine,” I manage to grind out through clenched teeth.

Whatever my mate wants, she gets. Whatever she needs, I’ll provide.

“Good. That settles it.”

Almost. Calmer this time, I repeat my earlier words. “Callie is mine.”

He dips his chin. It’s slight, but I don’t miss it. “Yours.”

The second the words leave his lips, my bear retreats. A warm, fuzzy, foreign feeling of euphoria coats my skin and douses the last of my anger. I feel giddy. It’s fucking ridiculous. At the same time, I kinda love it.

Callie needs a Santa. I’ll be her jolly St. Nick. And maybe I can get her to forgive me for bumping into her outside of Beanie’s Brew.

It’s so quiet in the clubhouse that I can hear everyone breathing. It’s weird. As I glance around the bar, I notice all my brothers staring at me with something akin to awe.

Chomp, an alligator shifter, clears his throat before he takes a step in my direction. “Kodiak, you found your mate?”

A collective intake of breath awaits my answer. “Yes. My Callie. She’s fucking beautiful,” I brag. “Sweet like peppermintand spicy like cinnamon. She smells so good I want to gobble her up.”

I probably don’t need to add that last part, but I can’t seem to resist.

Spike snorts. “I could smell you on her. As brief as your interaction was, she carries a bit of you on her already.”

My bear likes that. A lot. Rumbling echoes in my chest.

I need to smear more of my essence on her. My sweat. My cum. Skin on skin. Nibbling, sucking, licking Callie until she’s so full of me the whole fucking world knows it.

Fuck. I’m fucking hard again, straining against the zipper of my jeans. I press on my dick, groaning at the thought of claiming her. She’s consuming me, and I’ve only known her for a few hours.

“Well, shit,” Spike curses. “We’re all on edge now.”

I don’t have a clue what he means until I see my brothers all lost in their thoughts, bodies tense, and eagerness bleeding into the connection we all share as shifters. Their emotions are all over the place, but I sense the one thing driving each of us in this moment: longing.

We yearn for the one thing that’s been denied to each of us. With sudden clarity, I realize what this means for my brothers, Spike, and the club. We can all find mates.

I laugh and pump my fist in the air. “I’m just the first,” I state with a grin.

Tension eases from the room, and I feel their hope gathering like a building storm. Electricity crackles on my skin and the urge to shift is almost overwhelming. We all want to scatter, roaming over the town until we find the woman created for each of us. It feels less like a possibility and more like a certainty. The power of that hope surges through me, and I spin on my heel.

I need to find Callie.

Callie

“Shit,” I curse as I yank on the handle of my door for the third time. It’s stuck. The snow outside has become wetter and mixed into an icy sleet that coats the entire exterior of my vehicle. I won’t be able to pry it open with my hands; that much is certain.

Think, Callie.

I don’t have access to warm water. The food pantry is shut down and closing early due to inclement weather. I already waved goodbye to the owner after our meeting. I’m here alone in the freezing wind, trying hard not to cry as I stand in the parking lot. An idea occurs to me.

Hand sanitizer. That works, right? I think I saw it on a TikTok video.

I have to give it a try.

I’m digging in my purse, desperate to find the small bottle I keep on hand when I hear the sound of a vehicle approaching. My head snaps up, and I lock on a black SUV. It’s the same one I spotted earlier when I parked my car. Whoever it is, they’re back.

---