A Cajun Werewolf Christmas Read online

  “Don’t distract me, sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips. “We need to find da bébé the perfect gift.”

  She raised one of those perfectly shaped brows in the way that said ‘you want to bet?’

  “Come on.” He wrapped an arm around her slender waist and started for the door. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  “I know you will.” She stretched up and gave his right earlobe a quick nip.

  His blood surged south. If he didn’t control the urge to toss her into a snow bank and have his way with her, he’d have a full on erection for all the town to see.

  “You don’t play fair, vamp.” Luckily, the burst of cold air from the door helped cool his blood and focus his mind.

  “But you love me anyway.” She looked up at him, her beautiful blue eyes glowing, the sexy smirk he adored firmly on her lips.

  “More than life itself.” And he would never tire of telling her that or showing her how much she meant to him.

  Shaking her head gently, she gave a delicate sigh. “Let’s go find the baby a present.”

  The sooner we get that settled, the sooner I can have my way with you. She sent the silent message as they made their way out to their Range Rover. Laurent almost lost his footing.

  Five hours later they found themselves elbow deep in baby booties. They’d driven all the way to Boston and visited a half dozen stores. None of the toys seemed appropriate for a werewolf pup. Manda had a closet full of tiny blue and pink clothes already.

  “I want to get something useful. Practical,” he said, idly fingering a zoo themed baby mobile.

  The store buzzed with last minute shoppers. Violet jumped out of the way as a group of kids darted by, foam swords waving this way and that. He knew that it was taking all her patience to shop with him. Two hundred years of solitude and dealing death made it extra hard for her to acclimate to normal life events.

  “So get them diapers,” Violet said, obviously trying to keep a straight face.

  He gave her an exasperated look and she laughed. Damn, she was beautiful. Once again guilt nagged him like tree sap between his paw pads. She would never know the joy of becoming a mother herself. Not with his child anyway.

  Obviously reading his thoughts, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

  “I’ve told you a dozen times that I’m fine with it. More than fine with it. We’re going to have our hands full with adventures and other Deveraux babies. And the idea of not blowing up like a balloon has its appeal.” She grinned.

  What could he say to that? Nothing really. But his heart broke anyway. Not because he had any yearning for children. He just wanted her to have everything.

  “How about that?” she asked, looking across the store.

  “What?”

  “The stroller.” She pointed to a weird looking contraption sitting up on a platform. Overhead lights shown down like it was a gift from the heavens. “Practical and useful.”

  He made a non-committal sound and headed across the store. Damned if he knew what the thing did, but its price tag made his eyebrows shoot toward the ceiling.

  “They call that the Rolls Royce of baby strollers,” the middle aged clerk said, advancing upon them.

  Laurent was man enough to admit that he’d grown used to living a luxurious lifestyle the last few years. And as the sales woman listed off and demonstrated the stroller’s features he knew that he didn’t want his nephew riding around in anything less than the best.

  “It’s hard to keep them in stock, believe it or not,” she concluded.

  A man about Violet’s height came over and gave the stroller a thorough once over. “We’ll take it,” Laurent said quickly.

  Three long hours later, Laurent’s patience had vanished. He pushed the stroller through the front door of Burke’s cabin, grumbling about imbécile shoppers.

  Violet was thoroughly happy to be out of the last minute holiday traffic. Years of training and looking over her shoulder made her twitchy when she was in a crowd. Sitting idle on the highway was her idea of hell. Though she tried to relax, there was always a worry floating around in the back of her mind. She would forever have a target on her back.

  At least the weather was cooperating. Thick snow clouds protected her from the sun’s harsh rays so she could enjoy the outdoor activities. As much as the frigid cold would allow, anyway.

  “Hey.” Kendall greeted them from the kitchen, a streak of blue across her cheek. As always, she looked chipper as a blue bird.

  “Wow.” For a moment Violet thought she’d walked into a cookie factory. Juliette smiled and waved a spoon then went back to dipping something in a bowl full of chocolate. Such a chocoholic, that wolf.

  The center island was covered with a dozen varieties of glittering holiday treats. Peppermint and cinnamon scented the air, taking her back to a time before she’d lost her family. Back when she ate real food and longed for the sweet treats that Christmas would bring.

  “What the hell is that thing?” Sebastian’s voice, colored with amusement, broke through her memories. The Alpha’s handsome face was a portrait of curiosity.

  As usual, Amanda was snuggled down in an oversized chair between her husband and the cavernous fireplace.

  During her years as an assassin, she’d been on the move a lot. Holidays and charming family scenarios hadn’t been on her radar. A gas fireplace with a remote was as cozy as it got.

  Violet kept her coat, scarf and gloves on and went to stand by the hearth. She was finally getting used to the scent of wood smoke again. The cold however was a different matter. Glorious warmth seeped ever so slowly into her frigid bones.

  While the wolves in the house, the coyote too for that matter, seemed to be enjoying the cold temperatures and rustic surroundings, Violet missed the warmer weather of the south. She missed being able to roll out of bed in her favorite lingerie and not worry about freezing her toes off. But Laurent was right. Cold weather did mean staying in and staying close.

  “A top of the line baby stroller.” Laurent beamed.

  He parked it in front of the enormous tree the boys had cut down a week ago. The glittering evergreen took up residence on the other side of the hearth. For the first few days it’d looked positively naked in Violet’s opinion but Angel called it a work in progress.

  Not prepared for the holidays, Burke and Kendall had rushed out to buy a half dozen strands of white lights and a few boxes of ornaments. The Pack had spent an evening making gingerbread couples to hang from the elegant evergreen.

  Tonight they were supposed to string together miles of popcorn…according to l’artiste.

  Laurent, still grinning about his find, strode over to the massive island and snagged a cookie.

  “Don’t eat them all before we can get a picture,” Kendall begged.

  He gave her a patronizing grin before snagging three more. He was ridiculously pleased with himself but Violet smiled at his enthusiasm. Like all the Deveraux men, he’d make a great uncle. Would be a terrific guardian.

  Most days it pained her to not be able to give him a child of his own. But she could never let on. It was more about wanting to give him everything because he was the man she loved and less about the actual baby.

  She could deny him nothing. And though she knew it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t help but feel she was lacking. He insisted that he wanted what she wanted. Children were a casual conversation with deep roots. There’d been a time long ago when she’d dreamed of being round with Laurent’s baby.

  Such a long time ago.

  A lifetime ago.

  A heartbeat ago.

  But soon Amanda would deliver her baby and then baby mania would die down for a while. They’d play aunt and uncle and go have fabulous adventures at places where parents would never dare to take their children.

  It would have to be enough.

  Amanda’s face fell.

  “What’s wrong?” Laurent was across the room and kneeling before his Luna in two seconds flat.

  Her lips tugged to the side and she wrinkled her nose. “We already ordered one.”

  “Oh.” The single word held his disappointment.

  Damn, Violet loved that man. She reigned in the urge to throw her arms around him and show him just how much.

  “We can take it back and find something else,” Violet assured him.

  “Of course,” he agreed quickly.

  Amanda sucked in a sharp breath and her hand moved to her back. “We might--have to use that--to wheel me to--the--hospital.”

  “Now?” Sebastian asked, leaping from the chair.

  “Not quite yet,” his wife said with a wince. “Unfortunately.”

  Violet shared a glance with Laurent and sent a silent message. See, I’m not missing anything.

  Though he still looked concerned over Amanda’s outburst, the corner of his mouth tugged up.

  Sebastian blew out a sigh and sank to his knees. Hands on her protruding belly, he murmured to the baby inside “You need to go easy on your mother, little guy.”

  Violet’s throat tightened, overwhelmed with emotion.

  Sometimes Violet found it impossible to believe how tender the Deveraux men actually were. Fierce, loyal, natural born predators and yet, they each had a softer side when it came to the woman in their life. She saw evidence of their love every single day.

  One moment Sebastian was the fierce Alpha of the pack and the next, tender father and husband.

  “What is dat thing?” Jules voice sounded through the room and she looked up to see him wiping his hands with a rag. He shot Violet a mischievous grin before turning his gaze back to the stroller.

  What had he been up to?

  If she had to make a bet she’d wager it was bad for Laurent’s prospect of outdoing him in the baby gift department.

  “A baby stroller,” Laurent said, arms crossing his chest.

  “Ah…” He paused, studying the stroller for a full ten seconds before he shook his head. “Non, not as cool as my gift.”

  Jules flashed a grin and then headed for the garage, snagging a sugar cookie on the way.

  “We’ll see, cousin!” Laurent called after him.

  “Come on, handsome. We’ll go beat him at his own game,” Violet said, slipping her arm into his.

  “You men are too much,” Manda said.

  “Competitive to the core,” Sebastian assured her. “Just let them have their fun.”

  Out front, Laurent pulled up short.

  “What--“ Then she saw it. The tires were deflated.

  He knelt down to inspect them. But Violet already had an idea of who’d sabotaged their return trip.

  “Jules,” Laurent roared a moment later.

  Violet looked over at the closed garage door. “Well, you did push him down the mountain,” she reminded him. All was fair in love and war.

  “I know,” he muttered.

  The portico lights brightened the inky darkness as an icy wind sliced through her. She shivered. Laurent, always in tune with her, stood and pulled her close.

  “Go get warmed up. I’ll take care of this.”

  “Just pump them up and come back inside. We’ll return it tomorrow.” The store would probably be closed by the time they got back anyway. Though she’d been with Laurent for months, having her days and nights switched still messed with her internal clock sometimes.

  He hoisted a car jack from the cargo area and she gave him her most seductive smile, feeling tingly in all the right places. They may not be able to return the stroller tonight but she had an idea of how to make him feel better.

  You promised me a session in the sauna.

  A slow sexy smile stretched across his face. He brushed his lips across hers. “Go get ready then,” he murmured and smacked a palm against her ass as she walked away.

  Jules woke her with a kiss. Angel rolled onto her back and smiled up at her husband-to-be. “Ready to get married?” he murmured and nipped her naked shoulder.

  “Mmm…you know it.”

  “I guess we should get outta bed den.” When he smiled like that, something inside her melted.

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and raised her head for his kiss. “What’s the rush?” she whispered against his lips.

  “Just eager to marry you, mon amour.”

  He always gave the right answer…

  Later that morning Angel watched the men build a bonfire in the side yard. According to Sebastian, since they wouldn’t be home in the bayou for the annual Festival of Bonfires along the Mississippi River the men were recreating the tradition here.

  Still warm from their morning love making, she smiled as Jules strode across the yard, a large log on each shoulder. How had she gotten so lucky?

  “I don’t think my fingers will ever recover from all these needle pricks,” Amanda complained.

  Angel turned to see Manda inspecting her fingertips. Then she shifted her gaze to the tall, proud evergreen adorning the great room. Between the lights, gingerbread men, popcorn garland and assortment of shining ornaments it was really coming together. While it wouldn’t make a magazine cover, it glowed with love and warmth. She’d documented each step with her trusty camera.

  With Christmas music playing softly in the background, the five of them worked side by side in the kitchen. She didn’t know how Kendall stood it. For the first few months of their relationship, Angel’d had Jules all to herself without having to share him or her home. Kendall and Burke had just found each other and they’d shared their home, their space with eight others for over a month now.

  “Do I have something on my face?” Kendall asked and wiped a hand over her mouth.

  Angel smiled at the tall werecoyote. She was so much fun to have around. Young and fresh, friendly. Not jaded by years of hate and war like Violet and Juliette. Not pregnant and seething like poor Manda. But Angel wouldn’t change any of the women. They’d become friends as well as family.

  “I was just thinking you’re a saint.”

  Between six werewolves, one coyote, and one pregnant lady the pack went through a lot of food. The only person in the house who ate less than Angel was Violet. But the vamp was becoming a top notch cook.

  Today she wielded a knife like a ninja, slicing the ham and then twenty pounds of vegetables.

  “Hardly,” Kendall scoffed.

  “It’s just nice, being here, with all of you. If I were in your shoes, I’m not sure I’d want so many people around while I was just getting to know my husband.”

  Pack mentality was just one more difference between humans and weres. Kendall took it in stride. Angel was just thankful she didn’t have to share a bathroom with anyone other than Jules. The fact that their current bathroom had a view of the mountains was a definite bonus.

  While Manda gave instructions for preparing the Christmas goose, Angel began stringing bags of cranberries for the tree.

  “You’re going to have red all of your hands,” Juliette said, her voice soft and colored with worry.

  “Probably,” Angel agreed. She stabbed another berry and juice squirted across her fingers. “Definitely,” she amended.

  “It’s your wedding day,” the other woman replied. Though she’d had a few months to get used to it, she still found Juliette’s accent the most exotic of the bunch. They’d secretly been studying together, or rather, Angel was playing the student to Juliette’s teacher so that Angel would be able to give her vows in French.

  Jules was going to be so surprised.

  “It’s okay, I’m going to be wearing gloves.” She’d found white cashmere gloves in town and had bought a pair for each woman. Though she wasn’t having bridesmaids, she considered these women her closest friends. She wanted to spoil them a bit and thank them for sharing their Christmas with her and Jules.

  “I still think you should put a poinsettia flower in your hair,” Manda said, picking up another needle and thread. She reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of deep red berries.

  “Don’t you think it’ll freeze?”

  “We’re not going to be out there too long, right?” Violet said and Angel could swear she saw the vamp shiver.

  “I guess not.”

  She glanced at the clock. The men had been stacking wood for almost three hours. If she were a betting woman she figured they’d be ready for lunch in the next half hour. That gave her two hours to turn herself into a beautiful bride.

  While other girls had been playing with Barbies and daydreaming about their wedding day, Angelica had been climbing trees. But if she’d been the type to daydream, this day would have been better than she could have ever imagined.

  Standing on the plateau above Burke’s cabin with the White Mountains as a backdrop, she held the bouquet of ruby red roses. Between the heated look Jules gave her and the white cashmere gloves and shawl, she hardly noticed the chill in the air.

  He’d insisted they hire a photographer to capture the memories of the day. She knew the importance of a good photograph, of course, but it grated that she couldn’t be a photographer and a bride.

  Luckily her good friend and world class photographer, Lindsey Moore, had agreed to fill in.

  The officiant announced that it was time to say their vows. Jules had agreed that the standard just wouldn’t do. Writing her own had been the easiest and at the same time, the hardest, thing she’d ever had to write.

  How could she sum up her feelings for Jules in a few sentences? She licked her lips, handed her bouquet over to Kendall and placed her hands in his. Don’t mess this up. Juliette gave her an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up.

  “Jules, you crashed into my world,” she said in French, “and changed my life forever.”

  His gorgeous eyes widened in surprise and he squeezed her fingers.

  “You taught me what love is and showed me how I want to live my life. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you make me want to be a better person. I love you more than I did yesterday and know that our love will continue to grow. I see an endless future at your side and promise to love, honor, cherish, and adore you always. Thank you for choosing me to be your wife, your mate.”