Page 9 of Claiming the Shifter's Heart

“Hey everyone, don’t forget tonight is our staff party in the barn after close!” Cassie said as everyone cleaned up Santa Land for the night.

Kristoff hadn’t planned on staying, but he’d overheard Della on the phone with her babysitter. She was going to be there, so he’d readjusted his evening plans.

Not like he had much going on, anyway. With no family or close friends in his life, he was a completely free agent.

And wasn’t that depressing?

With any luck, though, Kris wouldn’t be alone much longer. His Wolf howled inside his mind’s eye, desperate to be with the one the beast had already claimed as his own.

Kris’ chest squeezed uncomfortably. It felt like there was a rope tied tightly around him. The muscle behind his ribs thumped erratically as he watched her walk towards the barn with a few of the younger women who worked at the farm selling treats. Flurries started to fall, and he felt that band pull even tighter, and he could hardly breathe.

A few of those women had tried catching his eye, but Kris was not interested. Oh no. There was only one woman for him. His journey had one final destination and that was her.

He craved Della like he craved his next breath. She was necessary to his existence. The little Crow Shifter didn’t know it yet, but she was going to be his.

“Hey Santa, have you officially met my husband? This is David,” Cassie said, approaching with a tall man at her side.

“Pleasure. It’s Kris,” he offered and shook the man’s hand distractedly.

They said something else, but he was too busy watching the sway of Della’s hips in that ridiculously sexy outfit she wore. Okay. So it wasn’t the outfit that was sexy. Rather, it was her.

Other Bird Shifters he’d met tended to be pencil thin and slight. In other words, breakable, too, orso his Wolf always thought.

Kris was a big man. He needed a woman who could handle the beast inside of him. And Della looked suited to the task. She was deliciously curvy, with rounded hips and full breasts, thick thighs he was dying to dive between.

His cock started to thicken, and he cursed roughly. This was not the time or place.

“Hello. Earth to Kris. You coming to the party or what?” Cassie asked, waving her small hand in Kris’ eyeballs.

“Huh? Oh yeah,” he murmured, running a hand across his face and beard.

“Oh boy, he’s got it bad,” David said to his mate, grinning like the cat that got the canary.

Lucky fucker had his mate. He couldn’t understand Kris’ turmoil.

“Sure does,” Cassie agreed.

“Look, I’m sorry I checked out for a moment. But uh, yeah, you’re both right. I got a thing for Della,” he confessed.

“You are aware she’s been through a lot,” David said quietly.

His hackles rose, and Kris nodded curtly in response. Oh, he was aware alright. And it still grated on his nerves that he hadn’t killed that motherfucker when he had the chance.

He’d followed Pack protocol and procedure and to that day it was his one regret about being a police officer.

Countless times since that night, after he'd realized she was his fated mate, Kris had wished he could go back in time to hunt that loser down. He’d even tried, but the alpha had issued an order, and the Murder had hidden the sleazeball.

No matter.

Cade Connors would get what was coming to him. If it took the rest of Kris’ life.

“Come on, Santa. Loosen up. It’s the holidays. Besides, a little of Stephie’s spiked eggnog should have everyone feeling in a festive mood in no time,” Cassie replied and winked.

Kris nodded and followed the happy couple. He didn’t know nothing about eggnog, but he did know he wanted to be near Della. And if this was his only opportunity, he was going to take it.

Chapter 6

“Okay, my babies, goodnight! Mama loves you,” Della semi-shouted into the phone.

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