~

 

“Are you playing me?” Luke growled. It was the only conclusion that he could come to given the circumstances.

There was a light of amusement in her eyes. She was a witch — therefore devious — mischievous — and a right royal pain in the backside.

“What are the odds?” She grinned from ear to ear.

Luke snapped his head back on his neck at the sight of that grin and growled long and hard in disbelief. The woman was a nightmare.

“I don’t believe you’d do that, especially, after what you did in the first place,” Luke growled again.

“Maybe we should chalk it up to pre-mating nerves, a bit like honeymoon jitters?” Angelique offered back.

“I really think you’ve gone…” Luke snapped of his words as his brain kicked his backside into gear. A hungry growl formed within his broad chest and rumbled up to his throat.

The alpha eyed his mate with suspicion. Suspicion for her words — suspicion that he’d actually heard those words in the first place, and not imagine what he wanted to hear.

“Oh, look at you second-guessing yourself — myself — that’s amusing,” she offered with a smug grin.

“Did you say…?”

“Let me help you out — pre-mating…”

“You’d better not be messing with me again,” he growled.

“Whatever would give you that idea?” Angelique giggled like a schoolgirl.

“Angelique…?” Luke growled again, that time in warning.

Mine…

“What’s the matter, Alpha. Wolf got your tongue?”

 “I’m going to kiss you now,” Luke thought he’d give her fair warning. If she was messing with him, then they both knew where they stood.

“Just for future reference — I don’t need a play-by-play…”

Angelique got no further as Luke brought his lips down to hers. The rush of heat that went through her body warmed her to the very tips of her toes and deep within her bones.

 

~

~

~

 

“Yes!” George bit out as he fisted his hands and turned his eyes up towards the sky. “Thank you!”

‘Thank me?’ Jessica asked, somewhat surprised by George’s attitude. She guessed that things were working out the way that they should for the alpha and his mate.

“Not you,” George snapped. Then he took a long moment to think about it and grumbled to himself. “You as well.” He offered reluctantly.

‘I take it that all is well?’

“All is very, very well.” George beamed a smile that stretched from one ear to the other.

‘Well done, George.’

“But I…” George was confused. He couldn’t understand why Jessica was congratulating him and not berating him for his actions.

‘Well done, George.’ Jessica repeated herself. ‘You’re not such a bad Christmas fairy after all.’

“I think the fairy godmother would disagree with you.”

‘Well, what she doesn’t know she can’t berate you for.’

“You’re not going to tell?” George looked surprised.

‘Are the mates, mating?’

“There was some kissing going on — I’m too much of a gentleman to turn back around and look,” George shrugged his shoulders. “But I think they might be.”

‘Then job done, just a few hiccups along the way.’

“You’re really not going to tell?” George narrowed his eyes at the fairy. Jessica shook her head. “Well, I’m going to tell her. I messed up. I can’t be trusted to do the job right.”

‘Oh look, George, careful — it appears that you’re growing up,’ Jessica offered him a small smile in return.

“You know, I hope that the fairy godmother gives you back your Christmas fairy wings,” George said.

He knew that Jessica made a much better Christmas fairy than he ever could.

He’d almost presided over a Christmas disaster. That couldn’t be allowed to happen again. The fairy kingdom needed a Christmas fairy that was up to the job — it was lucky that his time as the Christmas fairy was over.

 

~

~

~

 

Luke tried to mentally slap himself around the back of the head and get a grip on himself. Angelique was emotional. She could have died out in the blizzard, and that had to go some way in shaping her emotional thoughts and actions.

She was his mate, and he would not take advantage of her. No matter how much his beast clawed within him to take her as their mate — he couldn’t do that to her – yet.

Before he could claim Angelique as his mate, he had to be absolutely certain that it was what she wanted. He needed her to be rational — and he knew that she was a female — and a witch — but he also hoped that she could find it within herself to do that.

Every inch of his body, mind, and soul berated him for not continuing to kiss her. Luke pulled back slightly and gazed down at her.

Angelique couldn’t quite figure out how one moment they were all hot and heavy and Luke was kissing her to the point of making her toes curl, and the next he wasn’t, but she certainly wanted to rectify the situation.

“Problem?” Angelique offered him a small frown as she gazed up at him.

“I don’t know — is there?”

“Not on my end,” Angelique gave a small shrug as she narrowed her eyes at him and considered his mood.

“I don’t want to rush you…”

“Rush me?” Angelique considered that for a long moment.

“I don’t want to take this anywhere that you don’t want it to go – just yet,” Luke said.

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“Are you insane?” Luke growled. “Look who I’m asking.”

“That’s the line you want to go with?” She could barely contain the smile on her lips. Her eyes were full of amusement.

“Well, I…” he reconsidered his words. “That is…I don’t think…”

“Probably best not to think, considering you’re an alpha.”

“Touche.”

His eyebrows pinched together over his dark eyes, and he was back to looking like a damn soulful puppy again. That time, Angelique didn’t have the urge to kick that puppy.

“What brought about your change of heart where I’m concerned?” Luke asked.

“Change of heart? I thought I was using you for really great sex,” Angelique spluttered laughter at the somewhat shocked and confused look on his face.

“Huh…?” He grumbled a growl.

“You came for me…”

“So did the Christmas fairy…”

“Okay, I’ll have sex with him next…” A low, angry growl rumbled through his chest. “Although, I don’t think it’s going to be great sex with him.”

“That’s not even a good conversation to have, especially, right this minute,” Luke warned her.

“Then stop asking stupid questions,” Angelique offered back.

Luke twisted his head on his neck and just stared at her for the longest moment. She raised her eyebrows in expectation and waited for him to finish considering his options. He was male — she knew it took time.

“I still have a question…”

“Is it a stupid one?”

“As you say — I’m an alpha…”

“Okay, go ahead with the stupid question.”

“Great sex?” His eyebrows didn’t just pinch together they were practically making love. Angelique couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, the jury is still out on that one — but I’m hopeful,” Angelique offered back.