~

 

“At least he’s not a wolf anymore,” Saffy muttered.

“Your point?”

“Don’t really have one,” Saffy muttered again. “Just don’t zap this one.” She whispered.

“It’s the same one.”

“You know what I mean,” Saffy snapped back.

Natalie didn’t have a chance to argue her friend’s logic when Doug’s fists came down on the bonnet again and snapped them both to attention.

In his mind; it was bad enough what the witches had already done to him. Now, he was standing in a snowstorm, naked, and having to listen to them bickering.

Doug couldn’t see how life could get any worse.

“When you’re finished!” He growled.

“Give us a minute!” Natalie snapped back.

Doug couldn’t believe his ears. The audacity of the witch that had tried her best to deafen him and had tossed him into the night air was astounding.

He thought that she deserved to be eaten just for that.

“Are you serious?” Doug growled out.

“Did I stutter?” Natalie tossed back. The sound of his hearty growl met her ears, and she sneered back at him. “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt people when they’re talking?”

“I don’t see people — I see witches.” He growled back.

“Sounds like somebody is begging to get tossed on their backside again.” Natalie raised her left eyebrow and questioned his sanity with just a look.

“Don’t threaten me, witch,” Doug growled back.

“Look,” Saffy started with a sigh. “It’s almost Christmas…”

“I’m sure the big, bad wolf doesn’t care a howl about Christmas,” Natalie grumbled.

“Maybe he does.”

“I don’t think so somehow.”

“You don’t know…” Saffy stopped when another thud echoed through the car.

“Can you two stop arguing for more than a minute before my beast gets so crazy that he decides to eat you? And here’s a heads up — I am inclined to let him.” Doug growled.

“Well, that’s not very Christmassy,” Natalie said, and then she turned towards Saffy. “See, point proved. The big bad wolf doesn’t do Christmas.”

“Fine. Point taken.” Saffy shrugged.

“What is it with you two?” Doug couldn’t quite believe his ears. He screwed up his face in disbelief. “You’re like — insane people.”

“Speak for yourself.” Natalie snapped back.

“Define insane,” Saffy said, and Natalie turned to look at her again.

“Why would you ask him to define insane?” Natalie demanded. “He’s naked. Where do you think he’s going to find a dictionary?”

“Why would he need a dictionary?”

“So I can open it up and show you a picture of yourselves,” he growled.

“See. He’s a shifter — he needs a Pictionary.” Natalie looked pleased with herself as Mr. Wolf walked right into her trap.

“That’s a little harsh,” Saffy berated her.

“You two really take the biscuit,” Doug growled.

“Only ever with a nice cup of tea,” Natalie grinned.

“Stop poking the — Wolf,” Saffy berated her again.

“But, we’re stuck in the snow — what else is there to do for entertainment?” Natalie asked. She folded her arms and offered her friend a questioning look.

“Oh, I get it. This is all my fault. You’re punishing me,” Saffy said.

“I’m not pointing any fingers — but it was you that wanted a Christmas tree,” Natalie shrugged.

“Yes, yes I did. So shoot me…”

“How about my wolf eats you?” Doug growled.

He had a mind just to walk away and leave them. But, he’d also heard what the witch had said about being stuck in the snow.

No matter who they were — no matter what they’d done — he had to wonder if he could really turn around and walk away from two females in trouble.

It wasn’t as if he was going to open his doors to them and take them back to pack land. Oh no. That wasn’t happening.

That didn’t mean that he couldn’t take them back to the vampire’s lair. It would also kill two birds with one stone — as he had a few choice words for the vampire for bringing the damn witches to the area.

Doug’s life as an alpha could be testing enough without having two screwy witches on his land. Luckily, the females in the pack were getting ready for the Christmas feast, a deal made was a deal honored – they could have Christmas, but they did all the cooking. That meant their attention would be elsewhere.

So, he reasoned that if he was going to get rid of the witches — one way or another — then Christmas Eve would be the perfect time.

“That doesn’t work for me,” Natalie said before turning towards Saffy. “Does that work for you?”

“That does not work for me.”

“That’s it!” Doug growled as he slammed his fist down on the bonnet again. “Get out of the car!”

“What part of doesn’t work for me don’t you understand?” Natalie asked.

“Poking the wolf again,” Saffy muttered in her singsong voice that annoyed Natalie.

“Perhaps the wolf shouldn’t be so temperamental.” Natalie bit back.

With a hearty growl of annoyance, Doug pushed back from the car. Both witches turned to eye the alpha as he stalked around to Saffy’s side.

“Now see what you’ve done,” Saffy grumbled.

“Of course — this was my fault.” Natalie offered back.

“Glad you agree,” Saffy chuckled at the thought of the point that she’d won.

Through the falling snow, Saffy got her first real look at the alpha, and what a look it was. The man was tall and built like a brick outhouse.

She couldn’t take her eyes away from the way the hard muscles moved beneath his skin as he walked, at least, that was what she told herself because ogling was wrong.

“I think you have a little bit of drool on your chin,” Natalie said, and her words snapped Saffy out of her bewitched state.

“Bite me,” Saffy hissed back.

“Me — or him?” Natalie chuckled.

“I will hurt you,” Saffy grumbled.

“Well, would you look at that?” Natalie said with a chuckle and an outstretched finger.

Saffy snapped her head back around to see what the alpha was up to. A small wheeze of breath caught in the back of her throat when she came eye to eye with the man’s impressive manhood.

“That’s…” Saffy’s brain was elsewhere.

“Christmas come early?” Natalie chuckled.

“Will you stop?” Saffy hissed in disbelief.

“I don’t know — it looks like the gift that keeps on giving,” Natalie chuckled harder.

Doug’s face appeared at the window, and Natalie groaned.

“Well, that ruined a perfectly good view,” she hissed.

Saffy turned to see what her friend was reacting to now — and pulled her head back as she found herself staring into the alpha’s dark and menacing eyes.

“I’ll say this slowly because you’re female — get — out — of — the — car,” Doug growled.

“I’ll say this fast — so I can get to the fun part of zapping you — not bloody likely!” Natalie offered back.

“Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to do this the nice way,” Doug growled.

“Wait — wait, the nice way?” Saffy asked, but it was already too late.

Doug pulled back to his full height, flicked out his claws, and embedded them in the seal of the door. Saffy squeaked out a sound that sounded like a deflating balloon a moment before the alpha started to peel the door away from the frame.

The frosty wind howled in through the opening that he was creating. Saffy squeaked in shocked disbelief again — as Natalie reached for the lock on her seatbelt and snapped it off.

“That’s it!” Natalie bit out in anger.

“That’s my car!” Saffy shrieked.

“I warned you!” The alpha growled as he ripped the door from the frame and actually moved the car against the icy road, and that only made Saffy squeal louder.

“You butthole!” Saffy ground out between clenched teeth.

Then she lifted her hands, drew on her magic, and blasted the man, and the car door that he was holding in his hands, into the snow-filled darkness of the night.

“I thought you weren’t using your magic for a while,” Natalie said in a superior tone of voice that grated on Saffy’s last nerve.

“Time’s up — that Muppet’s going down.”