Bought for Christmas (15 page)

“Ah,
finally she asks me. We’re in
Cumbria
, kitten. I own
this patch of forest, and this cabin. It’s my hideaway when the world gets a
bit too much, and I just need to be my bear for a while.”

“I
see, and you work in…”

“London,
but then you know that. What are you worrying over?”

“Well,
I live and work in
Toddington
. I can’t just leave,
and—”

His
bear’s annoyed growl stopped her mid speech, and she swallowed nervously as she
looked up into the eyes of his animal.

“Did
I ask you to? I’ll relocate. Fuck, I move into your place with you. It’s not a
big deal, and
Toddington
is only a trip up the M1 to
get into London.”

Emilia
knew her mouth fell open in surprise, and he shut it with one clawed finger.

“You’ll
never fit into my tiny little place,” she said, and Hunter narrowed his eyes
and gave her
that
look.

“Are
you calling me fat, woman? I’ll let you know I’m in prime condition.”

Emilia
smirked at that. “I thought you were a bear, not cattle for sale on the
market.”

Hunter
grasped her chin and allowed his claws to sink into her skin. Tiny pinpricks of
pain they grounded her, and she murmured a hasty, “Sorry, Sir.”

“Better,
girl, much better, and if need be I’ll buy a place. I’m sure there must be
property for sale there.”

Her
heart leapt at that as excitement coursed through her veins, and she dropped
her gaze to his neck, lest he read it in her eyes, but she should have known he
would notice. He did before they were mated. Now, he could sense her emotions
far easier. Sure enough he tightened his hold, and his growl held an edge of
demand she was utterly unable to resist.

“Eyes
on me, kitten. What is going on in that head of yours? Have you got somewhere
in mind?”

Emilia
found it hard to breathe under his undivided attention. The scent of something
burning registered as he lifted his nose and sniffed, yet he still didn’t let
her up.

“If
you want any chance of an edible dinner, you better tell me
now,
or biscuits on string it’ll be for you.”

Emilia
giggled at that image, and his lips, too, curved into a smile, but his
attention didn’t waver.

“Well,”
Emilia lipped her lips and took a deep breath. “There is this cottage. It’s
been for sale for a while, but I could never afford it, and—”

“Consider
it bought,” he said, and lifting her off him, made his way over to the oven.
Smoke billowed out as he yanked it open, and Hunter lifted the rather well done
roast onto the work top.

“Ah
well, the meat will do. I’m afraid the parsnips are history, and I hope you
like your roast potatoes on the crunchy side.”

He
winked at her, and Emilia shook her head.

“No?”
he asked, and Emilia came up behind him to look at the various trays he pulled
out.

“No,
I mean that’s not … what do you mean consider it bought? You haven’t seen it.
You might hate it for all I know and—”

“Do
you like it?” Hunter interrupted her and popped one of the roast potatoes into
her mouth when she opened to speak again. The hot vegetable threatened to burn
her tongue, and she rolled it around her mouth and sucked in air in an effort
to cool it down. Hunter swore and handed her a glass of water, and she eagerly
filled her mouth to cool it down. Once she had managed to swallow the thing,
she nodded her thanks.

“I
do. I love it in fact, but that doesn’t mean that you will.”

Hunter
smiled and kissed her nose.

“Yes,
I will, but if it makes you feel better, tell me about it.”

“Well,
it backs onto a little bit of forest and it’s just outside the village, and
it’s got a lovely big garden to … well, you know.”

Hunter
grinned and raised his eyebrows.

“To do what, kitten?
Do enlighten
me.”

Emilia
knew her cheeks were
flaming
, and she dropped her gaze
to his chest and mumbled the words.

“I
always wanted a dog, you see…”

She
let her voice trail off, and Hunter kissed her. She could feel his smile in the
butterfly kisses he trailed along her jaw, and down under her ear. He inhaled
and bit down lightly on her earlobe, setting her right back into wanting to
jump him mode.

“A
dog, huh. Sounds like it would be ideal for other little things, too. Like cubs
maybe?”

He
pulled back and studied her, and a slow grin spread over his face when she
realized what he’d said.

“Cubs.
I’m going to
give birth to cubs?”

Hunter
laughed, and over the ringing in her ears his amusement finally registered.

“Not
right now, you’re not, kitten,” he said. “But one day? I sure as fuck hope so.”

Emilia
still wasn’t sure whether he was just pulling her leg or not, so she settled
for glaring at him.

“Cubs?”
she asked again, and he finally took pity on her and sobered.

“No,
don’t look so worried. You’ll have a perfectly ordinary looking baby … or
babies.” He laughed again, when she gasped. “But at some point, if he, she,
they inherit the ability to shift, a secluded garden where they can do so safely,
will be perfect. So, you see your cottage will do just fine.”

“Oh,
that’s all right then.” Emilia couldn’t quite keep the sarcasm out of her
voice, but then again, wasn’t that what she wanted?
For this
Christmas to be different?
She’d certainly gotten her wish and then
some…

Epilogue

Three
years later

“Merry
Christmas,
Em
. Make it a good one.” Emilia smiled at
her colleague as she pulled the front door shut behind her. Homebirths were her
favorite part of the job, and there was something extra magical about bringing
new life into the word at this time of year. Both of them had stayed past their
shift to see this birth through. A much loved IVF baby, not so little Noelle
had taken her time, and had it not been for their joined experience and Mum’s
fierce determination to have the home water birth she wanted
,
this all could have ended up very differently.

In
the end, everything had come together, and despite Noelle weighing in at a
whopping almost ten and half pounds, Mum had only needed a few stitches, and
mum, baby, and doting daddy were now tucked up in bed together.

“You, too, Sarah.
See you in the
New Year. Have fun.”

Both
of them had managed to get this Christmas period off, having been on call for
the last two, and looked forward to spending the festive period with their
loved ones.
Or loved one, in Emilia’s case.

She
refused to let the continuing rift with her father and brother cloud this time
of year. Apart from the obligatory card at Easter and Christmas and a strained
phone call on her birthday, she hadn’t heard from them. At least Leo had
finally managed to sober up, after another stint in rehab, and seemed to pour
his energies into the business instead of the drugs that had had him in their
thrall for far too long.

The
middle aged midwife smiled, waved goodbye, and then promptly blushed.

“Oh,
I reckon you’ll have much more fun than me. You husband looks up to something.”

Sure
enough, Hunter stood leaning against his car, hands stuffed in his pockets, a
curious smile playing round his lips.

“He
really is a hunk, that one, especially when he looks at you.” Sarah gave a rather
teenage like sigh, and Emilia laughed and shook her head.

“What?”
Sarah winked at her, and lifted a hand in greeting to Hunter. He nodded, not
once taking his eyes off Emilia. “It’s the way he’s only got eyes for you.
Makes him rather swoon-worthy, despite, well, you know.”

Emilia
knew only too well. The world at large would only ever see the beast. Few
looked past the scars to the man underneath. Sarah was one of the few that did,
and thus she and her husband had become frequent dinner guests.

“Anyway,
have fun. Is he whisking you away somewhere nice?” Sarah asked, and Emilia
nodded.

“Oh,
yes, he is.”

“Don’t
let me keep you then.”

Emilia
gave the other woman a hug, and clearing her mind of anything else stepped up
to her husband, mate, and Sir.

Hunter
pulled her collar out of his pocket, and Emilia found herself slip further into
her submissive head space.

Bowing
her head she inhaled deeply, pulling his beloved scent into her lungs, as he
clicked the lock shut around her neck, and hooking one finger into the d-ring
of her collar pulled her closer to kiss her.

“Ready,
kitten?” he asked.

“Oh
yes, Sir.”

Hunter
placed one of his hands on her slightly swollen belly, and their babies twisted
inside.

“How
are my girls?” he asked, and Emilia smiled.

“They’re
fine, but their mummy isn’t.”

Hunter
cocked an eyebrow at her, and his sinful grin made her hold her breath.

“Well,
then, get in this car and we’ll have to see what we can do about that, won’t
we. It’s a long drive to the cabin after all, and I seem to recall I’ve bought
you for Christmas.”

“Yes,
Sir, I do believe you have.”

The
End

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