Page 5 of Claiming the Shifter's Heart

She had about fifteen minutes to get ready, and there was still the small matter of a shower. Time was slipping away quickly.

Being a mother prepares you for many things—patience, chaos, the occasional broken heart. But moving her fluffy ass atlightning speed to get dressed? That was a skill she had honed over the years, with a sense of urgency that could rival any Olympic sprinter.

She stepped into the shower, the hot water soothing her stiff muscles, and scrubbed herself down with practiced efficiency. Shampoo, rinse, and done. No time for lingering under the warm cascade.

In under seven minutes, she was out, towel drying her hair while eyeing the ridiculous piece of lingerie where she’d dropped it on the bed.

Samantha meant well, but she’d never been the kind of woman to wear something like that.

For one thing, there was never money for that kind of flippancy. For another, she was short and chubby. Not exactly runway model material.

And yet, she had to admit she was curious.

Chapter 3

Kris worried his lower lip and checked his watch. She was late. Snow was falling. Maybe there was trouble on the road.

He stood up, ready to tell Cassie Evangelos, Dr. David’s mate, that he was going to take a quick drive in his truck to check when he finally saw her tiny, battered little sedan enter the employee parking lot.

Thank fuck.

He walked back to the ornately carved bench that was Santa’s designated sitting place. It was quite something with its high back, so it resembled a throne but could easily fit two adults or three children. The wood was trimmed in gold paint, and the cushioned seat was covered in bright red, texturized vinyl, so it looked and felt like leather, but was a heck of a lot easier to clean.

Stephanie Winters owned the farm and ran it with her mate, Nicholas, who happened to be one of Kristoff’s first partners on the job.

Nick was a good guy. He’d been a good cop, too. As had Kristoff.

That was before he’d been forced into taking early retirement from his last post with the NYPD. He’d been feeling pretty raw about it until lately.

But keeping the supernatural secret was important to all Shifterkind, and after getting shot up on the job in an ambush, Kris couldn’t do that and explain why he was in tiptop shape just a month later.

When Nick invited him down to Maccon City, Kris was doubtful. But after he’d visited with the Pack Alpha, where he landed a job as one of the Pack’s Enforcers, he finally had hope.

Maybe here I’d find my place in the world.

Maybe here I could belong.

A few days in Maccon City had changed his whole perspective on life. Kris wasn’t on a decline. In fact, he felt at peace for the first time in months, maybe even years.

But that had more to do with the gorgeous as fuck woman he was currently pretending not to stare at as she headed his way.

Well, not his way, but rather, to fill her position as Santa’s First Elf at the front of the line.

Mate, his beast growled.

Kris cleared his throat to cover up the fact his Wolf was growling.

Nick hadn’t just found a new life for himself and his daughter—he’d built one.

A real one. A family, a future, and a place to belong.

His old friend had found his fated mate. And for some reason, he’d managed to pull Kris down here, into this near perfect world he’d discovered, too.

When Nick had asked Kris to step in as Santa, to fill the boots for a few days while he whisked his family away on a much-needed vacation, it had felt like an odd request at first. But Nick had always known how to make things work, how to make the impossible seem effortless.

The moment Nick had handed over the reins, he’d shown Kris everything: the sleigh, the reindeer he kept in a paddock for visitors to pet and feed, and the small army of Elves who helped run Manning Farms' Christmas operation.

Now, Kris was a part of all that. He was connected to the cheer and holiday spirit that seemed to float around like it was something tangible.

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