“Sweetie, did you miss me?” Angel scratched Lola behind her ears while the old spaniel pressed herself eagerly against her legs.

“I think she misses the bacon we had at breakfast.” Laughing, Jonathan hooked the leash onto Diego’s collar. “How about I take these two rascals outside and give you same peace and quiet?”

“Thanks, that would be great. Dara lent me her phone, and I really need to message my mom.” Angel grimaced when she thought about updating her family on what felt like her newest failure in a long line of wrong life choices.

But then, not everything was miserable these days.

Still, maybe I’ll keep Jonathan a secret, just for a little while longer. A secret that’s all mine. Until we’ve sorted this wolf business out.

And it wasn’t as if she was going to lie to her family. But this connection with Jonathan still felt so new, so beautiful and impossible, that she didn’t want anything or anyone to spoil it.

And her family’s teasing could wait.

Given how my last attempts at dating went, they probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

Through the glass doors of Dara’s office, Angel watched Jonathan lead the dogs out into the courtyard. Diego looked almost sullen at having to follow him out into the snow, while Lola was walking by his side eagerly, pressing her head against his leg as if she was just as in love with him as Angel was.

The thought made Angel smile.

They say that dogs have a sixth sense for humans. If Lola loves him, that really shows that he’s a good guy.

But then, she’d already known that. Still, it was nice to have a proof that for once, this was actually working out for her.

Then, with a deep sigh, she messaged her mom and one of her cousins. She kept her message short. Instead of talking about dragons and dire wolves, she explained that the house she’d been house-sitting had been damaged by a blizzard.

I lost my phone in the storm, but the dogs and I are fine, don’t worry. A winter resort nearby gave us shelter. It’s beautiful here; if anything, I’m getting a free winter vacation out of this blizzard. Love you, Angel.

She hit the Send button, then sighed. That was one thing taken care of. The easiest thing.

Now for the much harder thing...

She took hold of Dara’s phone and logged into her own email account. She scrolled through her emails until she found the Mitchell's reassuring message, which Dara had forwarded to her. She had to blink away tears as she read it; they’d really been sweet about the entire drama.

Maybe she’d really worried too much. Maybe the insurance would take care of it, and everything would be fine.

Still, she owed them at least a call now. Even given the time difference, they should be awake right now.

She dialed the number, anxiously waiting as the phone rang. No one picked up. After a moment, she heard the automated mailbox message.

She ended the call, frowning. Then she tried again, this time the number of the PA whom she’d been told to call if the Mitchells weren’t available.

This time, someone picked up.

“Hi, I’m Angel, Angel Harris. I’m dog-sitting for the Mitchells—”

“Oh, they told me all about you,” a female voice said with the fake sweetness Angel associated with high-ranking PR people. “Don’t worry, they’re so happy that nothing has happened to you and the dogs! They told me to tell you not to worry about anything. The insurance will sort it all out. All that matters is that the three of you are all right.”

“Thanks, that’s very kind of you.” Angel tried to smile at the phone, still feeling a little anxious. “Are the Mitchells around? I’d love to talk to them.”

“Sorry,” the voice said sweetly. “I’m afraid they’re not available today. It’s another travel day for them. There were delays at the airport, and their schedule is all messed up now. The next few days will be chaos for them.”

“Oh,” Angel said. “I mean, thanks for letting me know. I’ll email them instead.”

“You do that, honey. Take care!”

With the call suddenly ended, Angel leaned back in Dara’s comfy office chair.

“Ugh,” she said aloud. “That went well...”

On the other hand, it wasn’t like she could blame the Mitchells for airport chaos.

And perhaps, once people had as much money as the Hollywood power couple, they really didn’t care all that much about one of their houses getting destroyed by a blizzard.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Dara opened the door a little.

“Sorry, I don’t want to disturb you. I just need this one letter—”

“Come in! Sorry for claiming your office, I’m already done with my call.”

With a deep sigh, Angel got up from Dara’s chair. As she watched the other woman efficiently leaf through a folder until she found what she’d come for, another idea began to form in Angel’s mind.

“This is going to sound weird,” she said, “but, umm, I see you and Henrik are really good with technology.”

Dara gave her a quick grin. “You have to be these days, to run a place like this. Most people book their vacations online now.”

“So did you teach him?” Angel asked. “Or is there like...a Facebook for dragon shifters?”

Dara laughed. “Most shifters use Facebook just like you and I do. They just don’t talk about being shifters in public.” Then Dara tilted her head at her. “Anything in particular I can help you with?”

For a moment, Angel hesitated. Then she remembered the pain she’d felt at the heart of Jonathan, the old wound that had never healed.

“I wonder if I can find his sister online,” she said. “Don’t tell him. He thinks it’s too late. And maybe he’s right. But he thinks that he’s destroyed her life. And I’d love to find out how she’s actually doing these days.”

Dara’s eyes gleamed as she sat down in the chair, pulling her keyboard closer. “Some Facebook stalking won’t hurt,” she declared. “And I’ve got quite a few shifter friends on there these days. So. What do we know about her?”

“Younger than him,” Angel began. “Ice dragon shifter, just like him.”

Dara’s fingers moved rapidly over the keys, and Angel watched the screen avidly.

It probably wouldn’t work out. She’d already stretched her luck way too far. Having Jonathan in her life was Christmas miracle enough.

To ask for a second miracle for Christmas was probably too much.

Still. How couldn’t she want to help, after feeling the pain he’d kept inside his heart for so long?

Somehow the stupid, outdated beliefs about dragon honor had made him think that it was all his fault, when there’d been only one villain in the story he’d told Angel.

No matter if that was what old and powerful dragon families did—a father who’d destroy his son’s happiness was wrong. Especially now that she know what being mates felt like. To deny two mates the permission to marry was outright cruelty.

It had never been Jonathan who’d been the villain in that story, and she was sure that his sister would see it the same way.

Of course, for all Angel knew his sister believed the same stupid bullshit about a dragon’s honor. Still, if Maya loved her Vincent as much as Angel loved Jonathan, surely she’d have realized long ago who really was to blame.

Unless Jonathan was right and Maya never figured out what really was going on. That Jonathan was sacrificing himself for her.

Well. Only one way to find out...

“Bingo,” Dara said in excitement, clicking on the profile of a woman with the same distinctive, ice-blond hair as Jonathan. “I think we’ve got her.”