A split second before Jonathan could use what little power remained to shift and protect Angel, he felt a wave of energy coming from outside the house.

It was a familiar sensation.

A dragon shifter was standing outside—a powerful dragon, as strong as Jonathan had been before the ice.

A heartbeat later, all hell broke loose.

With snowflakes and bits of broken plaster and glass swirling through the air, the dragon broke through a window.

And just like that, the dire wolf stopped his attack and fled.

Jonathan was racing after him, but managed only a few steps before realization caught up with him. The dire wolf was dangerous and had attacked Angel—but he couldn’t leave his mate alone with another dragon. Not when he didn’t even know whether the dragon was on the dire wolf’s side.

“Stay away from my mate,” he called out.

He saw that Angel was still holding on tightly to the weapon she’d found—a part of a destroyed chair that she held like a baseball bat.

She was still breathing heavily, her eyes wide as she stared at the huge, scaly paw with its gleaming claws that had come in through the window. But she didn’t retreat.

At Jonathan’s words, the paw retreated instead back through the window. For a moment, everything was silent.

Then the voice of a human man called out to them.

“Are you all right? I felt that something wasn’t quite right. You’re very close to my lands, you know.”

“Close, but not on them,” Jonathan retorted, the territorial dragon inside him bristling.

Jonathan fought back his dragon’s protective urges. The other dragon didn’t seem to be hostile, so it wouldn’t do to anger him.

Not now, with his mate by his side.

“And we’re all right. Mostly,” he added.

“Was that a dire wolf?” the shifter asked with a frown when he entered through the door.

Jonathan had never seen him before, but something about him felt familiar. This was the presence he’d sensed all those years ago, when he’d arrived here and found his cave.

“It was,” Jonathan said. “It’s been tracking us. This was the second time it attacked.”

The new shifter nodded slowly. For a moment, his eyes lingered on Angel. A smile tugged on his lips.

The dragon inside Jonathan began bristling possessively, but then Jonathan realized what he’d missed before.

The man was mated. There, at the heart of him, was a steady confidence, a bond as strong as diamond.

And the knowing look the stranger now gave him showed that he’d sensed the beginnings of the mate bond that was starting to form between Jonathan and Angel as well.

“What is a dire wolf?” Angel asked again, letting the splintered wood finally sink down. “And who the hell are you?”

“They’re prehistoric wolves. From thousands of years ago, when wolves were bigger and stronger. Oh, and I’m sorry for my entrance.” The man grimaced. “My mate would have words with me for the first impression I must have made. But I sensed that something was off, so I went out flying, just circling the mountains to see if I could spot anything. And then the blizzard sprung up—a blizzard that shouldn’t exist. When I came closer, I sensed that there was another dragon here. And then I realized that it wasn’t you who was causing all this trouble.”

He held out his hand to Angel, who took it cautiously. “I’m Henrik Drakeson. I’m a dragon shifter, like your friend. I’m from Snow Castle, over in Christmas Valley.”

“Oooh.” Angel dropped the splintered piece of wood. “I’ve read about it. It looks amazing.”

“You haven’t been?” Henrik asked, then turned to grip Jonathan’s own hand.

His handshake was firm, and there was nothing hostile in his gaze. There was wariness, as if he still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Jonathan. But that was only natural.

Dragon shifters were territorial by nature. Jonathan knew that he was too close for comfort, now that he was no longer asleep in the ice.

His own dragon bristled at his current weakness, sizing up the rival dragon. Henrik was powerful—but no more powerful than his own dragon would be, once he’d had a chance to recover from his long sleep in the ice.

He’s not our rival, Jonathan thought calmly. He’s mated. And pretty laid-back about the fact that I’ve all but intruded into his own realm.

As dragons went, Henrik seemed like a good guy. Still. Considering that there was also a dire wolf on the loose, Jonathan knew he wouldn’t be able to feel at peace until he’d recovered all of his own strength.

“Would you like to see it?” Henrik asked, his smile widening. “Snow Castle, I mean.”

His gaze returned meaningfully to the splintered window, and Jonathan grimaced.

Visiting another dragon’s home could be a fraught thing, a dance of politeness and politics. Even though Henrik didn’t seem like the sort of dragon who’d keep him walking on eggshells, instinct made him want to say no to the offer.

On the other hand, the house was half burned down, the other half boasted broken windows and snow piling up inside, and probably a broken heating system.

Which would be the least of their worries if the dire wolf returned.

Lola whined, cautiously coming forward to shove her cold nose into his palm. When he looked around, he saw that Diego was still pressed into the back corner of the room, eyeing Henrik warily.

“You can take the dogs, of course. I wouldn’t leave anyone behind without shelter in the winter, shifter or human. And my mate would love company,” Henrik added.

“All right,” Jonathan said after a moment.

To get to the bottom of what was going on with the dire wolf, they’d need allies. Most importantly, they’d need a place to stay where neither Angel nor the dogs would freeze to death.

And after so many years of sleeping in the ice, a part of Jonathan yearned for the warmth of a home and the joy of a real family Christmas.

“As long as we’re not intruding,” Angel said, although the relief in her voice was obvious.

Henrik laughed. “I promise, two more guests for Christmas won’t make any difference at all.”