CHAPTER 10
Jasper
*
DECEMBER 23
TWO DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Jasper couldn’t stop looking at his phone. He’d wheedled Abigail’s phone number out of her that morning, after buttering her up with a pile of freshly made breakfast biscuits and creamy hot coffee. Not that she had required much wheedling. The moment he pulled his phone out, her cheeks had gone pink, and by the time she finished putting her number in, even the tip of her adorable upturned nose was blushing.
But that wasn’t the best thing. No, the best thing was the message she had sent him mid-afternoon.
Can I organize the date tonight? I have an idea I think you’ll like.
Excitement fizzed over his skin. Nothing he put together could be as wonderful as this. His mate was letting down her prickly façade. Reaching out to him.
He couldn’t wait to see what she had planned.
“Uncle Ja-a-a-asper!” The warning came just in time. Jasper leapt back, shoving his phone safely into a pocket as a thick slurry of snow slid off the roof of the lodge.
Well, partly snow. Mostly, it was Cole. The little dragon tumbled tail-over-snout, covered in wet slush.
“Cole! Watch out!”
Jasper braced himself. His dragon rose up inside him, so close to the surface that scales shimmered on his skin. He forced it back down. His mate had given him her phone number. That was a gift, and that gift was on his phone. And his phone would be safe in his pocket, unless he shifted, in which case his clothing would be ripped to shreds and his phone would be left to the mercy of the elements. The elements and a juvenile dragon shifter.
Besides, his human form was sturdy enough to deal with one four-year-old dragon—
“Oof!”
Jasper flew backwards as Cole slammed into him. He hit the ground, a hundred pounds of dragon on his chest. Luckily, the snow was deep enough up here by the lodge to cushion his fall.
Jasper pushed himself up, fighting against the combined weight of his nephew and the drifts of snow. Cole’s claws punctured his jacket as he tried to keep his balance. Jasper carefully put one hand over the pocket where he had stowed his phone.
“What’s the matter, buddy? You forget how to use your wings?”
Cole shook snow off his snout. His dragon was as black as his namesake, gleaming with green and red undertones. His wings flexed, sending more wet snow into the air.
*I was hiding!* he announced triumphantly, his eyes glittering blue-black. *And I gotted you, uncle Jasper!*
“Hiding so well you got your wings snow-logged and couldn’t get them out in time, huh?” Jasper winced. When he’d decided to stay human, he had kind of relied on his nephew flying into him, not falling with all of his considerable draconic weight. Ouch.
Cole leapt off Jasper and pranced through the snow. *I gotted you! I gotted you!*
“Oh, you did, huh?” Jasper rolled onto his feet. His chest ached a bit— but it was only a bruise. He scooped up an armful of snow. “Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine— hah!”
He launched the giant snowball directly at Cole’s face. The snowball exploded on impact, covering the small dragon from snout to hindquarters. The only part of him left visible were his wings, flapping in surprise either side of the heap of snow. *Uncle Ja-a-a-asper! That’s not fair! I wasn’t ready!*
Cole wriggled butt-first out of the snow, his tail whipping back and forth. He shook himself, but a crust of snow stuck above his eye-ridges, making him look like he had giant woolly eyebrows. *Okay, now I’m going to go back on the roof and you walk around again and I’ll jump on you!*
Without waiting for an answer, Cole bounded off. Jasper laughed and dusted himself off.
“Hey, Jasper!”
“Hank!” Jasper waved to his brother-in-law, who was pushing a wheelbarrow full of firewood up to the lodge.
Hank set the wheelbarrow down a few feet away. His eyes flicked from Jasper, who was still mostly covered in snow, up to the lodge roof. “You and Cole having fun?”
Hank was a dragon shifter. He had been part of the family for six years, ever since Opal dragged him back to the lodge after one spring break with the news that she had found her mate, and they were getting married right now, so everyone hurry up and put on some nice clothes, and also she was taking him up to her hoard straight after so no one had better interrupt them. Jasper had never seen his sister happier, or more gleefully officious.
His brother-in-law was a massive man, broad-shouldered and with a red-brown beard that made him look more like a lumberjack than a dragon. His dragon had pine-green scales and eyes the color of new spring growth. The classic model of dragon, Opal called him.
“Fun’s one word for it,” Jasper said ruefully, brushing snow off his shoulders. “He’s enjoying himself.”
Hank nodded at the wheelbarrow. “Thought you might want some fuel for the cottage. Though from what Opal says, you haven’t been using it much.” He grinned. “Busy in town, huh? You planning on dragging her over to meet the family soon?”
“Soon.” Jasper’s stomach clenched. “I just have to…”
He sagged, remembering the night before. He had meant to tell her then. Tell her everything. The Puppy Express was far enough out of town that he wouldn’t have risked anyone seeing him shift— except the manager, and he was an old family friend.
But then Abigail had written him a Christmas card. He hadn’t even received it yet, but Jasper already knew it would be the most precious thing he had ever owned. A Christmas card, from his mate who hated Christmas.
She was just starting to let down her walls. Maybe even trust him. And after she had fallen asleep in his arms, in the dogsled… he hadn’t wanted to ruin that moment by telling her about the curse.
Hank caught his eye and nodded. “I figured as much.” He let out a huff of breath and hooked his thumbs into his pockets. “You want to talk about it?”
Jasper sighed. “Not where we might get dive-bombed by a mad dragon any moment.”
“Fair enough.” Hank clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go work on the bonfire.”
Ten minutes later, they were out of range of Cole’s snow-monster attacks, but Jasper was no closer to putting words to the conflict raging inside him. Hank dumped an armful of branches in front of the half-built bonfire and crouched down to sort through them.
“I’m going to tell her,” Jasper said at last. He aimed a kick at a snowdrift. “Tonight.” He hesitated again. “Some of it, at least.”
He glanced back at Hank. His brother-in-law looked completely engrossed in his task.
“No, I have to tell her all of it. And if I tell her tonight, that still leaves all of Christmas Eve for us to… plan things,” he went on, shoving his hands in his pockets and stamping down the snow around the bonfire. “That’s still in time. Just. No, it’ll be fine. I’ll tell her—”
He found himself aiming a kick at the carefully arranged pile of wood, and quickly changed direction.
“I’ll tell her I’m a shifter, at least. I can’t hide that.”
Hank grunted. “And?”
“And…” Jasper swore. “And what? Isn’t that likely to blow her mind enough?”
Hank rested his elbows on his knees and looked up at him. “Jas, you’ve had three days with her. From memory, those first few days are the craziest of your life. Your dragon’s going mad, your human isn’t much better— and you’ve got the deadline on top of that. So tell me how you’ve managed not to tell her any of it yet.”
Jasper blinked. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Hank string so many words together at once.
And he didn’t know what to say back.
“I—” He stopped and swallowed hard. “You and Opal had it easy. She didn’t have to turn your world upside down. You already knew about shifters, you already knew about mates… you saw each other, and bam, the curse was broken.”
“Your sister never told me about the curse.”
“What?” Jasper stared, too shocked to close his mouth. “You’re kidding. Opal?”
Hank looked up at him, his green eyes sober. “She was scared, Jas. The mate bond was one thing, but she thought if I knew about the curse…” He sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. She still won’t explain what she was thinking. But I’d bet half my hoard that she was scared I’d run off, if I knew that I was all that stood between her and a life as half a person.”
“Hell.”
“Yep.”
Jasper crouched down next to his brother-in-law. “So when did you find out?”
“That’s not the point of the story, Jas. We’re talking about you.” Hank sighed. “Opal nearly had a heart attack when she saw you’d come home alone. I could feel her all the way from the lodge. She thought she was going to lose you. Calmed down a bit when you found your girl, but you’re running out of time.”
Jasper’s heart twisted. He hadn’t even noticed that Opal was still upset; he thought she’d put aside her fears when he found Abigail.
Hank snorted. “And don’t go saying you didn’t even notice she was stressed over it. You know she keeps things close to the chest.”
“I’ll tell her. Christmas Eve. It’s all going to be fine,” he said quickly, standing up and pushing his hands into his pockets.
“Why not tonight? Bring her over for brunch tomorrow. It’ll make your sister feel better.” Hank stood up and started weaving branches into the bonfire. “Don’t leave it to the last minute, Jas. Trust me on this.”
* * *
Jasper sat on one of the low benches under the massive plastic Christmas tree, staring across at Abigail’s shop. He could see her inside, bustling around helping the last customers of the day. The smile on her face looked strange, and it had taken him a while to recognize why. It wasn’t the same smile that lit up her face when she saw him. It wasn’t real. The edges of her mouth might be pulled up, but her eyes were tired. Her Christmas smile? Jasper thought sadly, remembering everything she had said about the holiday being fake.
Double shifts in the week before Christmas? he thought, cradling his Rudolph Special. That’s crazy. Even I think that’s crazy. No wonder she was asleep on her feet last night.
He checked his watch. Five minutes to the end of her shift. He’d already seen Mr. Bell leave; Abigail was alone in the shop. He’d bought a coffee for her, too, and didn’t want it to get cold.
His dragon itched to go to her, but he knew she wouldn’t thank him for distracting her as she tried to get rid of her final customers.
At last the final lingering shoppers drifted out the doors, and the main lights in the shop turned off. Jasper could still see Abigail’s shape, silhouetted by the lights of the shop’s Christmas tree, as she made her final rounds. She locked the door, pulled down the security grill, and went to tap a few final times at the checkout computer.
Then she looked up.
Jasper was twenty, maybe thirty feet away. Abigail was backlit by the blinking tree lights; he couldn’t see her face. But he knew that she had seen him, because his dragon was suddenly hammering at his chest to be let out.
Not now! Jasper pushed it back, but his skin was fizzing, like he was close to a shift. He flexed his hands, concentrating on them staying hands, and not stretching out into scaled claws.
Abigail raised one hand and waved at him. Jasper barely got himself under control before she disappeared into the back of the shop.
“Jasper!” Abigail appeared around the side of the shop, beckoning him over. Jasper loped across the square and pulled her into his arms, careful to keep the two takeaway coffee cups upright. She was wearing the coat he had bought her, but hadn’t stopped to do it up, and he could see her work uniform underneath it.
Abigail kissed him and then pulled back, her cheeks pink. “I thought I’d never get rid of those last two customers. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“Forever. I’m frozen stiff.” He nuzzled her ear. “Only the thought of you warming me up kept me from giving up and turning into a snowman. Also, this ridiculous drink.”
He held the two drinks up in front of her. Abigail’s eyebrow rose. “What are these?”
“Coffees.”
“Are you sure?” She pulled the lid off the one he offered her. “Coffee and… red stuff?”
“Try it.”
She shot him a doubting look, but took a sip. Jasper waited as she licked cream off her lips. “That is definitely not coffee,” she announced. “But… it’s not bad. Is that a glace cherry?”
“It’s a Rudolph Surprise,” Jasper explained. Abigail looked pained. “…That’s his nose.”
Abigail rolled her eyes. She reached in and plucked the cherry from the drink, and then bit her lip, her eyes flicking to meet Jasper’s. “Do you want it?”
She lifted the cherry to Jasper’s lips. Sugar burst onto his tongue, the sickly sweet, unmistakable red flavor of glace cherry. Jasper’s mouth filled with saliva and he gulped.
“I’ll drink the rest of it, though,” Abigail said with a teasing smile. “Thank you.”
Jasper licked his lips and coughed. “Since you’re putting on tonight’s entertainment, I figured the least I could do was bring coffee.”
“I’m not going to fall asleep on you this time, I promise.” Abigail took another sip of the frothy, creamy drink, and grimaced. “Not that I think this has been anywhere near a coffee bean. But the sugar will help.”
“So long as you stay awake long enough to let me know where we’re driving.” Jasper pulled Abigail’s coat closed. The hints of her body under the skimpy elf costume were enticing, but he didn’t want her to get cold. Time to get going. I can’t wait to see what my mate has planned…
Abigail’s voice broke through his thoughts. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Jasper frowned. Abigail was smiling— and she’d already shut up the shop, so it couldn’t be that she had to work extra late tonight. But there was a wobbly edge to her smile, like whatever scheme she had cooked up, she was starting to regret it.
He couldn’t let that happen.
“What’s the plan?” he said, tugging on the lapels of Abigail’s coat until she leaned into him. She pressed her nose into his scarf.
“I want to show you something,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by his scarf. “God, this seems like such a stupid idea now…”
“No idea of yours could be stupid,” Jasper reassured her. She snorted and tipped her head back so he could see her roll her eyes.
“You just say that because you haven’t heard it yet.” Abigail bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay. Screw it. Follow me.”
She kissed him again, and then grabbed his hand and pulled him down the alley. She stopped at the far end and fumbled a set of key out of her pocket. “You’re not allowed to tell anyone we did this,” she warned him with a nervous grin. She lowered her voice as she turned the key in the lock. “The last thing I need is Mr. Bell turning my stupid idea into some sort of new attraction for the shop next year.”
She yanked the door open and turned to Jasper. “Ready to peek behind the curtain?”
The shop’s back rooms were cramped and small, nothing like the bright, glittering public-facing space. Broken-down cardboard boxes and pallets lined the walls nearest the alley entrance, and further in were replaced by tall piles of product boxes. The piles were so tightly crammed in that Jasper could hardly walk straight without bumping into something. After a tower of festive cookie jars almost came tumbling down on him, he crossed his arms tightly and started walking crab-wise down the passageways.
“You’ve still got this much stock, right before Christmas?”
Abigail ducked around a corner. Her voice filtered back through the stacks. “Christmas Eve is the busiest shopping day of the year up here. Everyone realizes they forgot to buy a Santa present for their least-favorite child, or an extra relative turns up out of the blue ready to ruin the day if they’re not waited on hand and foot…”
Jasper carefully followed her around the corner and found her in the middle of grabbing her bag off a hook on the wall. She checked inside it for something, and then closed it quickly, flashing a nervous grin at him.
“Admiring our staff room? Look, we’ve got a seat and everything this year.”
She moved aside to reveal a low wooden bench pushed up against the wall. It was already occupied: by a stack of Christmas card packs. Jasper blinked. Was this the only staff area in the shop? No wonder Abigail was so exhausted in the evenings.
His dragon’s scales prickled inside him. This was unacceptable. Shops like this brought so many people joy— ever since he met Abigail, he’d noted how many people he saw around town carrying bags from the store she worked at. And all the employees got was a hard bench and a single coat hook between them?
He smiled and winked at Abigail before his unhappiness could creep onto his face. “There’s not much room, but if I sit down first, you can always take my knee. It’s bony, I warn you, but still probably better than that bench.”
Abigail snorted and poked him in the side. “This isn’t it. I was just grabbing my bag. Follow me upstairs.”
She squeezed past him and back through the towering maze of boxes. A narrow staircase led up to an equally cramped second floor, but Abigail didn’t pause at any of the doors leading off the landing. Instead she stopped in front of what looked like a blank wall.
“Even if you think this is stupid, you’re not allowed to tell me, okay?” she said. It sounded like a joke, but her eyes were wary.
“This… wall?”
Abigail made a short, sharp noise of frustration. “No, the— I’m too short, I need you to pull it down.” She pointed up at the ceiling.
“A trapdoor?” Jasper reached up and grabbed hold of the handle. “You could have said—”
“Look out!”
He was already pulling on the handle. Abigail slammed into him, pushing them both back down the corridor as a retractable ladder slid at top speed through the air where his head had been a second before.
“Oh my God.” Abigail flung her arms around him, squeezing him so tight he could hardly breath. His shifter senses flared, and suddenly her heartbeat was so loud in his ears it might as well have been his own, thudding hard and fast with adrenaline. “That almost— this is such a bad idea, I’m sorry, we should just leave now—”
Jasper took her face in his hands. Her lips were thin with strain, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “No,” he said softly. “I want to see this through. Even if I have to risk decapitation by ladder.” He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Neither of us are having much luck with ladders this week, are we?”
“Nope.” Abigail chuckled weakly. “God, we’re not even meant to be up here in the first place— if I had to call Mr. Bell and tell him I’d murdered a potential customer in the shop after hours…” She flung her head back and groaned. “I would be so fired.”
“Hmm. Tempting.” Jasper tapped her lips and Abigail’s head snapped back up. She raised her eyebrows.
“What?”
“Well, if I was haunting the shop, it would mean I didn’t have to wait until ten in the evening to see you each day.” He paused, putting on a serious, thinking face. “Of course, I would be dead in this scenario, so, not ideal…”
“Not ideal, no.” Abigail bit her lip, and then gently pulled his hands away from her face. She took a deep breath that Jasper suspected was only partly a put-on. “Come on, then. Follow me.”
She slung her back securely over her back and started up the ladder. Jasper stepped back, admiring the view— and then stepped smartly forward again.
The last time Abigail had gone up a ladder, she’d almost been badly injured. Enticing as the view was, it was more important that she feel safe. Jasper steadied the ladder with one hand, resting the other on Abigail’s hip as it came level with his shoulders.
Abigail peered down at him and rolled her eyes— but her cheeks were pink. She was pleased. And so was Jasper. Forget watching her from a few steps away; the view from up close was a thousand times as good.
Abigail kept climbing— and Jasper kept his hand where it was. He caressed the generous curve of her ass, and her thick, beautiful thighs. The hem of her tunic hitched under his fingers, and then he was running his hand over the back of her knee, the round curve of her calf sloping down to her ankle…
Jasper bit back a groan. Her legs looked amazing in those candy-stripe stockings. But they felt even better, and now all he wanted was to tear them off her.
“Are you coming?” Abigail called down from the top of the ladder.