A Brac Pack Crazy Family Christmas 24 (2 page)

“One in the same,” Cecil said as he walked into the first store.

“Now enough with the tourism. We don’t have time.” The stores were crowded, and Cecil didn’t understand a word anyone was saying. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t here to make friends.

Cecil spotted the perfect tie for Nicholas, but some woman was heading there fast. He put on a burst of speed as he fought with the woman over ties and underwear. She was aggressive as hell, cursing at Cecil in French and yanking him around as they played tug of war with the boxers. He could have sworn she called him a cow, but what did he know, he didn’t speak of word of French.

He won the underwear and tie, the woman’s fist shaking angrily at him. Who cared? It was the holiday. People were supposed to tackle each other for gifts.

It was tradition, right?

After two hours of Christmas shopping, Cecil had most of his list complete, but he was finding it hard to locate a store that sold pumpkin-flavored edible undies. Cecil didn’t even want to know why Gabby wanted them. The mental image was…
ew
.

Cecil shivered as he tried to get the image out of his head.

“We’re done,” Kyoshi declared as he joined Cecil with an arm full of shopping bags.

“Hey, do you know how to make edible underwear?” Cecil asked as he looked at the list in his hand. He knew he could finish his shopping later, with most of his list complete. But Cecil and shopping did not get along. He hated shopping. If he could finish today, he’d be a happy man.

Kyoshi stared at him strangely, his brows furrowing as he shrugged his shoulders. “Uh, a dough press machine and lots of licorice. Maybe some glue?”

Cecil contemplated it for a hot second and then decided he didn’t want to risk killing whoever was going to eat them.

Ah hell, there went the mental image again. He was going to need a scouring pad to scrub his mind clean of the pictures of…
ew
. “Never mind.”

The group finally gathered all together. Cecil looked at his watch and saw that they had been gone two and a half hours. Perfect. He grabbed Carter’s hand and shimmered back to the Den.

“Cecil!”

Oh crap. He was in big trouble now. Cecil spun around, beaming up at his mate as Maverick stalked toward him. He did not look like a happy camper. “Yes?”

“Would you mind explaining to me why my head hit the desk as soon as I drank my tea, and then I wake and find a large amount of the mates missing?”

“Checking the gutters for icicles?” Cecil asked as he laughed nervously. He didn’t care how many years he was mated to Maverick.

The wolf still had a way of giving him that look that said he was in big trouble. He swallowed as he looked at the other mates for help.

They all backed away.

Cecil rolled his eyes as he faced his mate alone.
Cowards.

“Try again.”

“Searching for Easter eggs?”

Maverick growled as he picked Cecil up, bags and all, and carried him off to their bedroom.

“Later, guys!” Cecil shouted as Maverick carried him down the long hallway. When his mate placed him on his feet, Cecil quickly tossed the bags aside, waiting to see what his mate was going to do with him.

“Okay, where did you go?”

“France,” he replied.

“Tell me the truth,” Maverick growled.

Boy, he lied, and Maverick didn’t believe him. He told the truth, and Maverick didn’t believe him. What was a guy to do? “I went shopping.”

Maverick’s anger turned to curiosity as he looked over at the bags.

“What’d you buy me?”

Cecil grinned as he pushed Maverick toward the bed, his mate stumbling back as he stared longingly at the shopping bags. “You can unwrap it on Christmas morning. Until then, why don’t you unwrap me?”

Maverick’s eyes darted from the bags to Cecil, and then back to the bags, and then his eyes finally settled back on him as he licked his lips. “It better be a spectacular gift or I’m going to spank your bottom for taking off.”

Cecil laughed. “You’re not supposed to threaten me with something I like.”

Maverick growled, only this time it was low and guttural. Cecil’s cock hardened at the sound. No matter how many times his mate looked at him with lust, Cecil’s cock always came to attention in two seconds flat.

He stripped down, tossing his clothes aside as he crawled onto the bed, wagging his ass at his mate as he looked over his shoulder. “Do you remember when we first met?”

Maverick’s gray eyes darkened as he nodded. “Yeah. It was in the coffee shop.”

Cecil nodded as he wiggled his ass again. “I thought you were a god sitting there on that sofa. You made my heart thunder and my knees weak.”

Maverick undressed and crawled onto the bed, gliding his hands over Cecil’s body. “I smelled cinnamon and summer rain in that coffee shop and knew I had found my mate. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.”

Cecil smiled as he watched his mate grab for the lube. His body came alive as Maverick wet his fingers and breached him. “You were the most stunning man I had ever seen,” Maverick said as he stretched Cecil. “And the most devilish, only I hadn’t known that yet.” Cecil groaned as Maverick kissed him down his spine. His legs shook as his mate removed his fingers and lined his cock up.

Maverick ran his hands over Cecil’s back before thrusting hard.

His arms almost flew from under him, but Cecil managed to steady himself. Maverick still knew how to make his toes curl. His mate blanketed his back as his hips snapped quickly. “I love you, Cecil,” he whispered softly into his ear.

Cecil groaned as Maverick thrust harder. He’d take his punishment as long as Maverick didn’t stop fucking him. Whatever it was, he didn’t care. Cecil curled his fingers into the sheets as he felt the tingle crawling up his spine. He cried out when Maverick reached below him, stroking his cock as he pounded his ass.

“Yes!” he hissed as his cock erupted. His body convulsed with his release as Maverick bit into his shoulder, gripping his hips tightly.

Cecil jutted his ass back, giving everything he had as Maverick licked the wound closed and howled, his hot seed filling Cecil’s ass.

Cecil collapsed, drawing in ragged breaths as he curled up next to his mate, kissing him all over his chest.

“Nice try, babe. But you’re still in trouble,” Maverick said as he pulled him over his massive chest. Cecil knew he would be. What kind of Christmas would it be if he was a good boy?

Hawk and Johnny

“Give it to me!” Johnny begged as he jumped up, trying to grab for the pink-and-orange sparkly gift in Hawk’s hand.

Hawk raised the box high above his head as he smiled down at Johnny. “No, pretty baby. You have to wait for Christmas morning to open it.”

Johnny pouted as he crossed him arms over his chest. Hawk chuckled at his mate’s vexed look. His mate was still the most stunning man Hawk had ever come across. He didn’t care how long they were together. Waking up with his pretty baby in his arms every morning made Hawk a very proud man.

“What if I open this one, and then you can get me another one?” Johnny asked with hope shining in his pretty blue-gray eyes. Hawk almost gave in.

Almost.

Johnny was very hard to say no to. Hawk always gave in to his mate. But not this time. This time he was going to have to harden his resolve and tell his mate no. No matter how difficult that was.

“You have to learn patience.”

“I don’t want to learn no stinking patience. I want my gift!” Johnny stomped his foot and frowned. He made one more attempt at gaining his gift. He jumped high and swiped his hand wide, but missed by about three feet. His mate finally stopped jumping and glared at Hawk, his gorgeous eyes narrowing to tiny slits as his lips twisted to the side in a peeved look.

“And don’t think about searching for it. You won’t find it until Christmas morning,” Hawk warned as he tucked the gift under his arm and walked out of the bedroom. He knew his mate was going to look for it.

Hawk was counting on it.

Little did Johnny know it was an empty box tucked under his arm.

The real gift was in Heaven and Murdock’s room already. He had to give his pretty baby something to do until Christmas morning. Hawk had hidden numerous boxes around the Den with Johnny’s name on them. He would let his mate have a bit of fun trying to find the real gift. It would keep him occupied.

Hawk grinned at his cleverness. He knew that on Christmas morning he was going to give Johnny his gift, so what was wrong with having a bit of fun when his mate was acting like a brat?

Hawk chuckled as he shook his head. This was going to be interesting.

* * * *

He’d see about that! Johnny wanted his gift, and he was going to find it once Hawk hid it. He stomped from his bedroom in search of Keata. His buddy would help him. Keata always helped him. They were the best of buds.

He found Keata in his bedroom, laid back on his bed reading one of his mangas. Johnny never understood those comic books. Maybe because they were written in Japanese. “I need your help.” Keata set his manga aside and sat up, his head shaking back and forth. “Cody warned me not to help you find your gift. He said I would be in trouble if I helped you.” How the heck did Cody know Johnny was going to look for it?

How the heck did Cody know Hawk was going to hide it?

“So where do you want to start looking?” Keata asked as he slid from his bed.

Johnny tapped his chin with his index finger as he thought about Keata’s question. “I have to think like Hawk does.” Keata’s eyes widened as he backed away. “You are going to eat kittens for breakfast?”

Johnny giggled as he shook his head. “Not like that. Hawk doesn’t eat kittens for breakfast…I think. We have to start in my bedroom. In the closet!”

Keata snickered, covering his hand over his mouth.

“What’s so funny?” Johnny asked.

“We are going into a closet. Can we celebrate when we come out?”

Johnny rolled his eyes as he grabbed Keata’s hand, hauling him along on his quest to find his Christmas gift. If nothing else, he wanted the sparkly wrapping paper.

He stuck his head out of Keata’s bedroom, checking to make sure the coast was clear before tiptoeing out into the hallway. He looked both ways, Keata doing the same before Johnny took off toward his bedroom at breakneck speed.

He slammed the door closed once Keata cleared the doorway.

“Okay now, start looking.”

“Do you know what it looks like?” Keata asked as he dropped down onto his knees and looked under the bed.

“A Christmas present?” Johnny looked over at Keata and frowned. “I’m not looking for my other slipper. It’s Christmas season.

It’s a present.”

Keata narrowed his eyes at Johnny as he stood. “I know that. I was just asking if you knew what color, how big?” Johnny blushed. “Oh. It’s about the size of a shoebox, Hawk’s shoe size, that is. And it’s got pink-and-orange sparkly paper wrapped all around it.”

Keata nodded. “Then it should be easy to find.”

Johnny sure hoped so. This was a big house. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to find it. But he was going to try. How hard could it be to find something sparkly?

He crowded into the closet with Keata, both searching thoroughly.

Johnny tossed aside Hawk’s coats and boots, a box marked fragile, and a couple other things and that was when he saw it. The package sparkled like newly fallen snow on a sunny day. “I got it!” he shouted as he pulled the pink-and-orange gift from its hiding spot.

“I don’t think you are supposed to open that yet,” Keata said as he walked out of the closet behind Johnny. “So what is it already?” Johnny delicately lifted the tape, not wanting to ruin the paper. He pressed it out on the bed, so it was wrinkle free, because he could use it for something else later, and then lifted the lid in anticipation. He frowned when all he saw was a piece of paper taped to the bottom of the box.

“Maybe it is a coupon for half off at the diner,” Keata said as he glanced over Johnny’s shoulder.

Johnny plucked the paper from its resting place and unfolded it, recognizing Hawk’s scribbly handwriting.

Nice try, Pretty Baby,

Your real gift is still hidden. Keep looking.

Love, Hawk

Well, that sucked.

“What does it say? Is it a poem telling you that roses are red?” Keata asked. “Because if it is, you’re going to find out that violets are blue.”

Johnny set the note down, turning to Keata as he slapped his hands on his hips. “No, it’s a note telling me that I haven’t found my gift yet.”

“But it was a gift, right?” Keata asked as he looked around Johnny at the box on the bed.

Johnny shook his head as he waved a hand at the pile of nothingness. “No, it was just a note. That means we have to keep searching.”

Keata nodded as he headed for the bedroom door. “Okay, but I have to eat first if we’re going on wild goose hunt.”

“Chase, it’s chase,” he corrected his best bud as they walked out of the room.

* * * *

Hawk snickered as he watched Johnny and Keata walk out of the bedroom.

“That is so mean.” Maverick chuckled as he stood beside Hawk.

“You know he’ll be looking for the real one until Christmas.” Hawk nodded as he stepped away from his hiding spot. “I know.

But it’ll keep my pretty baby from finding the real one. What’d you get Cecil?”

Maverick’s grin was from ear to ear as he shook his head. “Not telling. You’ll tell Johnny, and then Johnny will tell Cecil. Not on your life, my man.”

Hawk shrugged. “You’re probably right.” Lord knows Hawk couldn’t keep anything from his pretty baby. He had fallen in love with the man from the first moment he had laid eyes on him on that hospital bench. Even though the scar still remained on Johnny’s left cheek, Hawk thought him the most stunning man alive.

“By the way, where is Cecil? I haven’t seen him around today.

He’s usually running around trying to take over the world.” Maverick chuckled as he walked back toward his office. “He’s being punished for shimmering off to France.” Hawk followed his alpha, curious as hell. “And what was his punishment?”

Maverick sat behind his desk, kicked his booted feet up, and then rested his hands behind his head. “He’s over at the Lakelands’ helping out on the ranch. More specifically, he’s mucking stalls.” Hawk whistled low. “Damn. I’m glad I’m not him. Give me patrol duty any day.” He laughed as he walked out of the office.
Sucks to be
Cecil.