Page 30 of Bewitched Before Christmas
But she wanted him desperately. And she suspected she loved him. Which was totally stupid.
“Come on, baby sister. Make my day. Tell me he bit you by force and you turned him into a toad.”
She shook her head.
“So where is he?” Regan asked. “I might turn him into a toad myself.”
“Don’t turn him into anything. And you don’t have to worry. He doesn’t want me. He told me to go home. He said he was the kiss of death.” She rubbed her eyes. Goddamn him for being such a coward. He wanted her. She knew he did. She’d seen it in his eyes.
But he’d lost so much.
Maybe she had to be brave enough for both of them.
“Sorry,” she said to Regan. “There’s something I need to do.” She ran toward the doors, threw them open and skidded to a halt. The mournful sound of bagpipes filled the air.
A man strode across the flag stoned floor. Tall, broad at the shoulder, a green and red plaid kilt swinging from his lean hips. His dark red hair pulled back in a ponytail, showing the lean handsome lines of his face.
She swooned.
Then she took a slow step forward. Maybe this was some sort of vision—a vision of Christmas present. What it could have been. He wasn’t real.
But he looked real. As did the squirming animal in his arms. He had stopped as well. Eyes widening as he took in the room full of people behind her. Her family could be a little…intimidating. Then he stepped forward. He held out the puppy to her, and she took it from him. It was huge—she nearly went down under the weight—and gray and fluffy, with yellow eyes.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I wanted to get you a puppy, but he was all we could come up with quickly.”
“It’s a wolf?”
“Yes, but a real one. Not a werewolf—you don’t have to worry about it shifting or anything.” He sounded nervous. “He’s an orphan, taken in by the pack.”
She placed the puppy gently on the floor, and he looked up at her out of yellow eyes then licked her fingers, and she fell in love. “He’s beautiful. The best Christmas present ever.”
“I wanted to make your dreams come true.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “And to tell you I was wrong. That you’re not needy. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. And that I’m scared. Scared I’ll lose you. But I want to try.”
“I’m scared too. But I’m tough. And I’m hard to get rid of. And I want to make sure you have lots of wonderful Christmases in the future.”
“Together.”
“Yes.” She patted the puppies head. “All three of us. Happy Christmas, Lachlan.”
Epilogue
She slipped a piece of chicken under the table to Loki. The puppy licked her fingers.
They were all seated around the big banqueting table in the great hall, Lachlan at her side. Lachlan’s foster brother Gabe sat opposite. They had somehow made up.
He winked at her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He had tried to chop off Lachlan’s head after all.
But she felt too good to worry right now. She was full up of wonderful food, and sleepy and looking forward to bed.
She had a horrible thought. “You don’t sleep in a coffin, do you?” she whispered. She planned to stay close tonight. She wasn’t letting him out of her sight, but if she was expected to sleep in a coffin, she needed to prepare herself.
He laughed. “Only if you want to.”
“Whew.”
Lachlan was sipping red wine, but not eating. That would take some getting used to. As would his only being awake during the night. She liked the sunshine. But somehow, they would make it work.
At the head of the table, Kael rose to his feet. He held up his glass.
