A Very Merry Iona Christmas (3 page)

‘
Jump too it. Shake
a tail feather.’
Iona teased.

Carly had enough
teasing for one day. She sighed inwardly. She guessed it had served her right
for all of those wild plans that she’d made the night before about what she was
going to buy with her money now that she had a job. First thing on her list was
a damn Princess doll for Hope.

Carly started off for
the office and felt his presence behind her. Her skin practically tingled with
the proximity of the man. If that wasn’t a supernatural wakeup call then she
didn’t know what was.

‘
Yep, those alarm
bells are certainly ringing. Sounds like Christmas to me…’
Iona chuckled
but Carly wasn’t impressed. She pulled her magic closer and tried to reinforce
the magically shields around her body but it didn’t seem to be doing much of
anything.

When she got to the
door she went to reach out to open it, but the feel of his arm brushing hers as
he reached around her to open the door made her snap it back down to her side.
She frowned harder. Her skin was literally tingling from that moment’s contact.

There was also
something that she didn’t want to think about because she didn’t want to share
it with Iona, and yet it was kind of hard not to notice the way her womb spread
a warmth out throughout her body from one simple jolt to her system. She might
not have had sex in a good long while…

‘
How long of a
while…?’
Iona jolted her back into the real world. ‘
Oooo, that long?’
Iona was kind of shocked. Carly was near mortified. She cursed once for Iona
and then again as she entered the room and his closeness seemed amplified when
he closed the door behind them.

“What are you doing?”
Carly was startled when one large hand closed around her upper arm and she
could feel his body closing in on hers. She felt his hot breath against her
neck and tried to pull away from him, but one strong arm came up around her
waist and he locked her back against his chest.

“I need to scent you.”
Mason tried to keep the growl that wanted to rumble through his chest back, but
it was there, he could feel it.

“Like sniff me?”
Carly’s lip curled upwards at the thought. It was at times like these, not that
there were many… any- times like these before, but you just really wanted to
sniff your own armpits… just in case.

‘
No, he wants to
spray perfume on you. Of course sniff. It’s what they do. Haven’t you been
paying attention?’

The one thing she
didn’t need right then was sarcasm from a voice in her head. While Iona
distracted her; he dipped his head and took her scent at source. Her brain
kicked her backside into gear just as he let loose that rumble of a growl.

“Hey!” She snapped
out; trying to pull away from him, but his instinct told him to keep her close
and he refused to let her go. “Look, I’m not on the menu.”

‘
I think you might
just be.’
Iona chuckled and that sound annoyed her almost as much as the
wolfman taking liberties.

“Mine.” Mason growled
out beside her ear. She ceased struggling to get away. She ceased breathing.
Her heart skipped a beat or two as she just stared ahead of her with her mouth
half open.

‘
Oh, yeah. There it
is.’

His, what?
Her mind was pretty much still considering what was
happening. She had a damn good idea of what
mine
meant, she’d heard
stories, but she wasn’t about to kick off until she was sure…

‘
Well, der. Mate.
His mate.’
Iona sniggered. ‘
Congratulations. I told you me being here
would change your life. Job done…’
Iona crowed.

I am seriously
going to kill you.
Carly thought.
Then she half shook her head.
Banish! Vanquish… something nasty to you. What
have you done?

This could not be
happening. This hadn’t even shown up on her ‘what was the worst that could
happen list’- Who thought of this kind of scenario? A mate to a shifter. No,
bloody well way.

‘
Ok, while I’d like
to take credit for changing your life, this wasn’t me, this was fate…’

Still your fault
that I’m standing here. If you hadn’t of pushed for me to get this damn job…
Carly bit down on her need to head butt something.
Wall, Iona, him, it wasn’t important what she head butted just as long as the
pain took away the reality of her life.

“Aren’t you going to
say anything?” Mason had felt her body stiffen. He’d felt her emotional
rollercoaster ride as those feelings rolled against him in waves, and now he wanted
her to say something, anything, acceptance would be better than denial, but at
that point he just wanted her to speak.

Carly squeaked a
sound. It was supposed to be a word, but something went wrong between her brain
and her mouth. Damn.

“I don’t understand
mouse.” Mason’s deep chuckle washed over her body. She could feel it just as
much as she could feel his hand against her skin, his hard body pressed against
the length of her back, and his hot breath against her neck, and she was
ashamed to say that every inch of her liked it, liked it all, every last bit.

‘
Girl, I know you
have a problem making sentences, but at least give the guy one word…’
Iona
was back to teasing her again.

“Let go of me.” Carly
closed her eyes and bit down on the magic within her. At times of stress, which
was now, her magic had a habit of working on autopilot and she really didn’t
think that zapping the alpha of the pack was the way to handle this. She needed
to be rational.

‘
Rational sounds
good, and while you’re having a few good rationalisations, remember this. It’s
fate.’
Iona warned her.

“Yeah, I really don’t
want to do that.”

Carly could hear the
amusement in the man’s voice. That wasn’t a good sign. The other thing that
wasn’t a good sign was that alpha men tended to be misogynistic, male
chauvinist, big headed, arseholes.

‘
Ooo, harsh, very
harsh.’
 

“This isn’t about what
you want…” Carly wasn’t sure which nut job she was actually talking too now.
Both of them were as bad as one another. One wanted her for a mate and the
other was happy to throw her to the wolves, literally. “You need to back off
and I need a minute.”

Mason frowned. She was
a witch, she knew the score where mates were concerned. He didn’t expect her to
be turning summersaults at the news, but she seemed somewhat cold and clinical.
Maybe it hadn’t sunk in yet…

Mason didn’t want to
push her. He had to still his beast and calm the instinct to never let her go-
to be able to let her go. He took a step back.

“I’m Mason.” That deep
voice seemed to echo all the way through her to her damn womb.

“I know.” Carly didn’t
turn to face him. She’d seen him once already and those dark puppy dog eyes
were like a black hole that her gaze couldn’t escape. She didn’t want to be
snared by him again.

“Carly.” He knew her
name. She guessed his beta had mentioned her. What she didn’t know was why her
name sounded so damn good when he said it.

“Can I get a minute?”
Carly frowned harder. She needed some distance. Just a little so she could let
her guard down and be better able to think things through.

“I…” Mason didn’t like
that idea. He’d rather that she didn’t leave his sight until they were mated,
and mated they would be. He’d woo her fast or he’d woo her slowly, but he would
woo her.

“Just a minute.” Carly
had heard the trepidation within his voice.

‘
You need to check
to see what panties you put on this morning or something? Talk to the man…’
Iona admonished her.

“Sure. I’ll be right
outside.” Mason didn’t like it one bit, but his mate had made a request and he
was bound to honour that.

“Thanks.” Carly held
it together for a moment longer. Right up to the point where she heard the door
close behind him.

Her breath came out on
one big push and she sucked a new one in. Damn, but it felt good to breathe.
There was one word that started to go through her mind as if it was on repeat…
Crap!

‘
Ok, so what’s the
game plan? Check your panties, scoop your boobies into place…’

Carly’s eyes found the
window on the far side of the office and locked on like a heat seeking missile.

‘
Oh no. No, no, no,
no, no! Do you know what happens to mates that run? Are you insane?’

Now Iona was
squeaking. But Carly was already at the window; hitching it upwards and
checking out the icy cold air that rushed in at her. It felt good. It felt like
freedom.

‘
If you put one
foot outside that damn window, I am not going to be responsible for my
actions.’
Iona warned her. Carly thrust her leg out.

‘
Damn it, get back
inside.’
Iona berated her.

Carly spun around and
eased down to the ground. She wasn’t about to stay put and become the better
half to some damn alpha. She was off and running before Iona could do anything
about it.

~

~

~

‘
Oh, this is bad…’
Iona
shook her imaginary head on her imaginary neck. If she’d had hands she might
just be wringing them together. What she really wanted to do was wring Carly’s
damn neck.

“Not in any way
helpful. Aren’t you supposed to be supportive?” Carly was tossing clothes into
suitcases. She had a plan, she just didn’t know what it was yet.

‘
I’m supportive,
just not of stupidity. You need to go back and…’

“Back! Ha! Yeah, sure.
That works, not.” Carly hissed.

“Mummy, are you
talking to your
friend
again?” Hope asked as she stood at the doorway to
the bedroom.

“More like the brick
wall, sweetheart. Can you go back and look at your books for just a little
longer?” Carly needed to get it together or even Hope would think she was
insane.

‘
Well I think
you’ve got a screw loose somewhere in that head of yours.’
Iona scoffed.

“Ok. Mummy.” Hope
toddled off and Carly started scooping up clothes again and launching them into
the suitcase.

“What you think, Iona,
does not concern me anymore. It was you that put me in this position in the
first place.” Carly whispered on a hiss and a groan. 

‘
Oh, really… well
let me tell you some home truths about what you’ve just gone and done…’

Iona didn’t get the
chance. The sound of hammering on the front door drew Carly’s attention to the
fact that she was out of time. She cursed under her breath and took off for the
living room at full speed… Hope was frowning at the back of the door…

“He’s not going away.”
She stated and Carly twisted her head on her neck and regarded her daughter
with curiosity.

“Who?”

“The man.” Hope said
matter of fact. She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think he’s supposed to.” Hope
added on a whisper. More pounding on the door made Carly bit down on another
curse.

“Open the door or I’m
coming through it.” Mason growled.

“See.” Hope said as if
she was pleased with herself.

‘
There’s a smart
little witch if ever I saw one.’
Iona sounded pleased. Carly pointed to the
bedroom and Hope frowned.

“Do I have too?” Hope
asked and Carly nodded her head. The little witch placed her book down on the
sofa and sighed. Then she got down and took herself off to the bedroom, but she
only half closed the door.

Carly noted that the
pounding had stopped. So had the threats. She walked to the front door and
pulled it open.

Her heart hit her
ribcage as the first thing that she saw were his jet black eyes staring back at
her. He narrowed them and scented the air. Carly wasn’t entirely sure why, he
already knew who she was…

‘
Oh, Grandma, what
big ears you have…’
Iona teased but it went straight over Carly’s head.

“I’d say tell me that
you’re babysitting, but I can scent…” Mason had heard the child’s voice. He
felt her presence now. She was a mini-witch and it chewed up his gut to know
that his mate had a child that was not his.

“You need to leave.”
Carly warned him in a voice that wasn’t much louder than a whisper.

‘He does?’
Iona chuckled. ‘
Witch, you in for a surprise.’

“Leave? It doesn’t
work like that.” Mason growled at the thought of walking out on his mate. His
beast rallied within him.

“I’m taken.” Carly
lied.

‘Liar, liar, your
damn nose is on fire…’
Iona berated
her and Carly groaned inwardly. It was bad enough that she had a damn shifter
at her door with her daughter in the other room, she didn’t need Iona’s input
to boot.