A Shifter Christmas (3 page)

"Great! What makes me comfortable is living
alone and you going away." Kate crossed her arms over her
chest.

Jaxson laughed. "I don't need you to be that
comfortable."

"You are impossible!" she exclaimed.

"You've said that before," he reminded her.
"And you, dear Kaitlyn, are not the easiest to get along with
either. I believe we match quite well."

She rolled her eyes. "That's debatable."

"And we have the rest of our long shifters
lives for that debate. I look forward to it, especially if you're
starkers,"

"Is that all you are interested in?" She
sighed in exasperation.

"Not everything," he said while grinning. "I
want to know everything about you, love. Your hopes, your dreams,
your past. I want to shift and run with you. And, of course, we'll
have children. Lots of children."

"Lots of children?" her voice squeaked.

"Definitely. I can't wait for you to carry my
little cub!"

"Foal, you mean," she corrected with a
frown.

"The boys will be lions, and you can teach
our little girls to be horses."

"Our children will choose what they want to
shift into!" she growled.

"I suppose our children can choose their
shifts," he relented with that all too familiar twinkle in his
eyes.

"Oh, you!" Kate smacked his arm.

"At what point can I claim mate abuse?" He
chuckled and tackled her, kissing away any retorts.

~*~*~*~

The rest of the weekend was spent in mated
bliss. Mostly. Kate still refused to admit the relationship was
anything more than a long weekend affair, though Jaxson swore it
was for life.

Monday saw their first attempt to leave the
house. Kate worked for hours preparing the snowmobile to ride
around the property. It did not take her long to figure out Jaxson
was not mechanically inclined, as he instead offered useless advice
and kept distracting her with sex.

A ride to the end of the property wound up
being a trek to Pepper Valley where they decided to get a meal at
Great Scotts Bar & Grill.

"Kate!"

She turned toward the voice as a body
enveloped her and she realized it was Fiona by the voice and red
hair. "Hi, Fi."

Fiona pulled back with a deep inhale, keeping
her hands firmly on the arms of Kate's coat. "You're mated!"

From beside her, Kate could see Jaxson's
proud smirk. "Temporarily," she grumbled under her breath.

"What?" Fiona asked.

"Nothing. This is Jaxson Barnes," Kate said
while haphazardly waving toward her…toward the man that had been
sharing her bed, and temporarily wore her mark. "This is Fiona
Scott. Her dad owns the place."

"Hello." He grinned at the young woman, who
was even smaller than his mate. He oomphed as the girl wrapped him
in a fierce hug.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Fiona exclaimed.
"Isn't Kate just wonderful?"

"Better than bangers and mash!" Jaxson
agreed, taking his mate's hand.

Fiona looked to Kate.

"Who knows? He's English," Kate said with a
shrug.

"Sausage and mashed potatoes? It's my
favorite."

"Okay." Kate felt a grin settle on her
face.

"He's hot, and that accent is hotter," Fi
whispered into Kate's ear, pulling back with a giggle.

"True," Kate found herself squeezing his hand
as Fiona led them to a booth, then supplied them with menus and
silverware.

"Do I have something on my face?" Jaxson
unrolled the silverware pack and picked up the cloth napkin to wipe
around his mouth.

"No. Why?" Kate had to admit he was acting
even stranger than usual.

"Because a lot of people are staring at me."
He nodded to a few and put the napkin in his lap, then tucked his
hair back behind his ears.

"It's not you specifically. Most of the
people here belong to my clan, and I do not go on dates."

"Is that what all the fuss is about?" Jaxson
took her hands over the table. "Shall I stand and announce our
mating?"

"No! Don't you dare!" Kate exclaimed in
horror.

Jaxson's eyes twinkled and he brought her
hands up and kissed each in turn.

Kate melted at the sweet gesture, trying to
ignore the pointed stares of her clan members. Besides, with Sarah
the clan gossip in the room, everyone would be told of their
mating, whether they wanted to hear it or not.

~*~*~*~

They made a quick stop at the small motel
where Jaxson had stayed before meeting her to retrieve his things.
When they returned home, they made love in front of the fireplace
twice before climbing in the actual bed to sleep.

Kate had to admit that it was nice to be held
again after all those lonely years. Jaxson was always so warm, and
he always hugged her close, making her feel protected. I don't need
protecting, but still… He did snore though, but she had been used
to that with her husband. For months and months after Charlie died,
she had to sleep with a radio on because it had been far too
quiet.

Jaxson moved and cupped her breast, giving it
a tight squeeze. "I know you're awake, love. Is something the
matter?"

She turned in his arms to face him. The
moonlight streaming in was made even brighter by reflecting off the
snow and it lit up almost every angle of his face. "Are you going
to Australia?"

He paused at the question. "Not unless you
plan to go with me."

"No thank you." She nibbled nervously at her
bottom lip.

"Obviously my trip around the world has been
canceled. I've found my home. It's wherever you are, Kaitlyn." He
leaned in and slid his mouth over hers, and they were lost for long
minutes, enjoying the addictive taste that mates craved.

He pulled away from the kiss and trailed his
lips down to her chest. "I will have to leave for a little bit, in
order to settle my affairs in London. Will you come with me?"

He suckled on her nipple and she squirmed.
"No. I don't fly…on airplanes."

"Do you take flight?" Jaxson peered up at her
and waited for a nod before he went back to his kisses and
nibbles.

"Yes, as a hawk."

"I've never flown, you must teach me." He
kissed her breast once more. "Tell me of your family, Kaitlyn."

"I have no family. I ran away from home at
twelve and wound up in the circus. I fell when a fireworks display
went off prematurely. There was a net, so I was safe, but I could
not make myself get up there to try again. The circus went on to
their next gig, and I stayed in Pepper Valley. I met my Charlie
here. We were both young and impulsive. We married before either of
us were twenty. Of course, by the time he died, he was beginning to
look as though he could have been my father, while I looked the
same as the day we met."

He nodded, sliding his hand along her side.
"I am glad shifters age slower."

"What about you? Do you have children?" she
asked.

"No. But maybe you are up the pole now." He
placed a few kisses over her flat stomach.

"I don't want to have children. I'm too old,
the time has passed."

"How old are you?" She looked in her early
thirties, but of course, you could never tell a shifter's age by
looks alone.

"Fifty-four."

"I'm fifty-seven. We are not too old to have
children, love. In fact, we have lived long enough that we're ready
to settle down with young ones. Let's do it, Kaitlyn. Let's have a
baby."

"No thank you." She pulled away and turned on
her side, her back to him.

Jaxson laughed. "You do realize we have been
trying, if not consciously." They'd had sex multiple times without
protection. And now that they were mated, the likelihood went up
exponentially.

"You are impossible!" She tugged the covers
closer to her face, fisting the material.

"And you are the sexiest woman I have ever
laid eyes upon," he purred, kissing along her back. He managed get
his knee between her legs and pulled her top leg back over his
waist. "I want you," he whispered, sliding his erection along her
folds.

She gasped and her hand went behind her to
grip his thigh.

He slowly stretched her as he pushed inside.
His hand gripped at her breast. "I want you all day, every day,
Kaitlyn." When he was fully seated, her sex gripped him tight.

"Take me, Jaxson!" she murmured, rolling her
hips to take him deeper.

"Mmm." He flipped her on her stomach, drawing
her hips up, and thrust into her repeatedly.

She writhed and slammed back against him, her
hands fisting a pillow as he rode her. She cried out as an orgasm
struck her hard and fast. Then she was on her back, and he was
thrusting into her as if possessed.

"Come for me, Kaitlyn. Say my name. Swear you
are my mate for life!" he demanded. He wrenched her legs up and
out, his body covered in perspiration as he drove into her
repeatedly.

"Jaxson," she repeated his name, over and
over, getting louder and louder as he held her orgasm just out of
her reach.

"Say you're my mate and I'll give you what
you need. I'll give you all of me, everything."

"I belong to you," she relented. He changed
the angle of his thrusts, his hard cock rubbing against her clit
with every strong thrust. She came apart with a scream of his
name.

"You own my heart and soul, Kaitlyn." He
growled as he came, his release coming in spurts until he thought
it would never end. He finally collapsed down on top of her,
staying within her, hoping their child would take root this very
night.

Kate woke up with a grin on her face. She was
sore everywhere, in the best way possible. Finding herself alone,
she knew he was either cooking breakfast, or in the shower. Since
she did not hear the water running, she decided it was breakfast
time. She walked through the house, noting a chill was in the air
from the fire going out. She walked in to the kitchen, but it was
empty and nothing was cooking on the stove.

With a frown, she pulled on her robe and
walked out onto the porch. She saw footsteps leading to the short
circular driveway, where the footprints disappeared into tire
marks. Hmm, what would he go into town for without waking her? She
looked over to the open shed where her truck and snowmobile were
still parked, untouched. Someone had to come to pick him up, but
who? He knew nobody here but her, right?

She had a sneaking suspicion that made her
run back to the bedroom. His clothes were gone. All that remained
was her things. Running to the bathroom, she found his toiletries
were also missing.

Tears filled her eyes. No, he would not do
that to me! Not after last night. Not after giving him my
heart.

There had to be an emergency. She ran and
checked all the rooms, and finally found a short note on the table
in the kitchen, unsure why she hadn't noticed it before.

It took her a few tries before she could make
out the words. He had the worst handwriting she'd ever seen.

Dearest Kaitlyn, I could not wake you. I knew
I could never say goodbye if I looked in your gorgeous eyes. I will
return someday. Please forgive me, for I am yours, and you are
mine. Jaxson.

"Someday?" she muttered to herself, feeling
sick to her stomach. She sat down at the table and cried, her tears
falling unchecked onto the 'Dear Kaitlyn' note.

Kate sat in the back booth at Great Scotts,
sipping at her chocolate milkshake. She could not stand to be alone
anymore after Jaxson had left her, so she now spent her lunch at
the restaurant on a daily basis. Fiona knew just how to make the
milkshakes she craved, thick with extra chocolate, and two cherries
on the giant mound of whipped cream.

Fiona slid into the other booth bench and
grinned. "How are you today, Kate?"

"Feeling pretty good," Kate managed a smile.
"The doctor says it's a boy." She splayed her hand over her growing
belly.

"That's great! Do you have any names?"

"No, but it won't be Jaxson Jr," Kate
grumbled, sucking up the rest of the milkshake through her
straw.

"What about Michael? I have always loved that
name." Fi reached over and patted Kate's hand. "Joshua is also
nice."

"No 'J's," Kate said with a grimace. "And one
day you'll have a child and you should name him Michael."

"I'd kind of need to have sex first," Fi
admitted, her cheeks blushing as she glanced across the restaurant
to Jace.

Kate turned to where Fiona was looking. "Oh,
I see," she grinned. "He is an attractive young man. I would like
to tell you that sex isn't all it is cracked up to be, but I'd be
lying."

Fiona giggled and clasped her hand over her
mouth when Jace looked her way. The door opened in the distance.
"Can I get you anything else, Kate? I should seat those
customers."

"No, sweetie, just the check." Kate gave her
a brief smile as Fiona rushed to help the new patrons.

~*~*~*~

Stepping onto the first step of the house,
Kate found a long white box. She squatted down using her knees
since she could no longer touch her toes with the baby in the way.
She picked up the box and took it inside, perching it on the arm of
the couch as she pulled her coat, gloves, and boots off.

She opened the flue and lit a fire, finally
turning her attention to the box. She untied the red bow, and
pulled the lid off. A dozen roses greeted her, their fragrance a
welcome change from the bland smells of winter. There was a single
red rose amongst all the white. She found a small card with a
pretty script of 'Kaitlyn' written across the front of the
envelope.

She opened the envelope and slid out the
card. "Motherfucker!" she yelled at the empty house. She never
cursed, but it seemed appropriate given the name at the bottom of
the card. Jaxson. Bastard! She almost ripped the card up to throw
in the fire, but she was curious. After a deep breath, she read the
words, knowing that someone at the flower shop had written it
because it was legible.