Page 14 of The Twelve Knots of Christmas
“Come on, Artemis. Up.” She put the dog in the car and hopped into the driver’s seat. Glancing my way, she started the engine. “Good to see you. Take care of yourself.”
Mariska shut the door, and the wheels kicked up snow as she sped off.
No one had ever affected me like she did. I couldn’t just let her drive out of my life.
I lifted the hand which touched her to my nose and sucked in her creamy scent.
There was no way she could deny what passed between us. We were more than scent matched. The feeling from just one touch… She was meant to be my mate. I felt it to my very bones. Just asking her out to share a meal wasn’t going to be enough. I needed my pack with me.
My breaths still came heavy. I didn’t even feel the chill in the wind as it whipped at me. Her Jeep disappeared down the road, but her beautiful face was seared into my mind.
I would figure out a way to win her over. Balthazar would be with me on it. Jasper might take some convincing, but he scent matched with her too. This could be our only chance with all of us being compatible with one Omega. She was the holiday gift we most needed.
Yes. An idea started to form in my mind. She was meant to be with our pack, and the Christmas spirit was going to help in that.
Together our pack would offer her a deal she couldn’t refuse.
CHAPTER SEVEN - Mariska
I squirmed in my seat, feeling hot where I shouldn’t be. Even the cold winds couldn’t cool me down. I spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about Lucian, which evolved into including fantasies with Balthazar and Jasper. Try as I might, I just couldn’t focus on work.
By the time I got to Primrose House, I had to take a cold shower. Artemis fretted over me, and while she usually had a lot of energy, she wasn’t a fidgety dog. She gobbled down her food in the kitchen and looked at me with her big dark eyes.
“Didn’t you run her around today, Mari?” Lyla cut up another quarter of cabbage for the cole slaw she was making. A few slivers of it stuck to her Christmas elf sweater. “Artemis is acting like a kid on Christmas Eve.”
“We walked a lot today. She should be sleeping by the fire after eating.” I pulled at the neck of my sweater as I set the table for Lyla, Miss Eloise, and myself. Artemis shadowed me with every step. She got so close at a few points, I bumped into her and nearly dropped the glasses from my hands. “Artemis, go lie down.”
She didn’t budge.
“Maybe she just needs another run around the yard.” Miss Eloise wiped her hands on her apron and opened the kitchen door to the backyard. “Here, sweetie girl. Go on.”
Artemis looked up at me, and I sighed. I nodded and motioned to the open door. “Go on. Go out.” When she hesitated, I gave her a pat. “Go, Artemis.”
Making a strange chuffing sound, she trotted out into the yard and started to sniff around in the snow. Miss Eloise closed the door and stared out the window briefly. “I hope she’s feeling okay. You two have a big journey ahead of you. It’s going to be tough enough on her as it is.”
“I hope so too. She’s been clingy all afternoon.” I stomach tightened thinking about my best canine friend being ill. Artemis was one of the reasons I believed I could be okay in California without my friends. She helped me be brave and offered comfort when no one else was around. “The vet gave me anti-anxiety medication for the flight. She also included a sleeping pill just in case Artemis freaked out about the plane.”
“Good. I’m glad you have it all covered.” Miss Eloise returned to slicing her famous chicken pot pie. The smell made my stomach rumble loudly and had Lyla giggling.
“Seems like you worked up an appetite too.” Lyla put the last bits of veggies into a bowl and mixed it. “So you said Artemis was clingy all afternoon. What did you do this morning? She didn’t eat any dead… things, did she?” She gave a little shudder.
Lyla didn’t even like to hear about death or anything scary. Her passion was fashion and the holidays. She’d love for it to be Christmas all year round. While she respected what I did, she never asked about that aspect of my job, so this was a first. I was tempted to make a joke, but what really happened that morning was that a gorgeous Alpha spent two hours alone with me in the middle of nowhere.
“Did she?” Miss Eloise asked with more concern.
“No, no.” I assured them and placed napkins on the table. Suddenly I felt like a fidgety pup myself. My mouth felt dry. “All my studies are done. Artemis didn’t have to search out anything. We just had to do a few last surveys on some sites, check out the state of irrigation pools and the trees, so I could pass on my files to another tech.”
I picked up a glass and filled it with water from the pitcher. The ice cubes clinked too loudly. Was my hand shaking? Why was it so hot in here? Hopefully Lyla hadn’t cranked up the thermostat again.
“Oh, a tree survey. Did Antonia…” Miss Eloise paused and cocked her head, before picking up the hot ceramic pot with her holly patterned oven gloves to bring to the table. “Did another arborist come out? I met June at the market this morning who heard from Helena that Antonia had gotten hit by the latest bug.”
Small towns. Everyone knew everything. It was comforting and irritating at the same time.
“Yeah, Antonia called in sick. Jenny said the bug has been going around the school, and she caught it from her kids.” I sat down, having drained a whole glass of water. Plucking the front of my sweater, I puffed it in and out, trying to get some cool air against my skin. “They had a new freelance contractor come out.”
Miss Eloise pulled off her gloves after setting down the pot pie and set them on the kitchen island. Lyla came over with the cole slaw and sat next to me. “So who was the new contractor? Was she nice?”
Artemis barked at something in the yard. Maybe I should go out with her and let the winter wind take care of this feverish feeling. Oh God. Was I getting sick?
