Chapter One
f sun-kissed beaches, ocean waves and I margaritas were a gift from God, then ice, snow and blizzards were Satan’s great big fuck you to the world.
Daniel took a bracing breath before he got out of his car and stepped into the beginnings of an impressive blizzard. Instantly, the frigid air seeped through his heavy leather coat and he started to shiver. A cold wind slammed into his body, making him slide across a patch of ice before he regained his footing.
Yep, this was definitely the work of the man downstairs.
If there was one thing Daniel had never grown used to, it was cold weather. Maybe it was because he was a Hawk shifter and the bird in him didn’t like snow. There was a valid reason all his full animal counterparts formed those Vs and headed south every year. If he had half a brain, he would have joined them instead of letting a low paying job and a sense of anonymity keep him in 1
Stephani Hecht
Minnesota where his only form of entertainment was watching his balls freeze off.
Hell maybe his brother Colin had been right by calling him a whiny nancy. Of course, it had been nearly two decades ago that Colin had flung those parting words his way, but something told him his brother’s opinion hadn’t changed over the years.
Regardless, Daniel couldn’t wait to get inside the house and get a fire started. Maybe he’d even add some Peppermint Schnapps to the mix, really live life on the edge. Throw in his Snuggie and then he’d be in heaven, Satan be damned. The only thing missing would be a warm, willing body to rub against, but then you always didn’t get everything you wanted.
Pulling the collar of his jacket up to shield his face from another harsh gust of wind, he hurried up the driveway of the old farmhouse he called home. It was rundown and he had to watch his footing as he went up the warped steps of the porch. He wasn’t about to complain since he’d lived in worse places.
It was night out, the sky seeming to be even darker since he was out in BFE and there were no streetlights. That was before you added the heavy snowfall that was getting stronger with each passing minute. Even with his enhanced vision, he had trouble seeing more than a few feet. He cursed for forgetting to leave the porch light on as 2
A Feral Christmas
he tripped over something.
Luckily, he made it to the door without falling flat on his ass. Just as he was raising his numb fingers to open to the lock, there was the slightest rustle of movement to the left. It wasn’t much, in fact, he barely heard it over the howling wind, but it was still enough to make his adrenaline kick in as he whipped to the side.
All he saw was the vague outline of what had once been a barn and more snow. There was nobody standing there. No creatures were lurking about, and most importantly, no Ravens flying in the sky. Now that would ruin his holidays faster than a green Santa-costume-wearing monster with a stingy fetish.
Still, he stared at the snow-covered landscape for several minutes. His heart pounded and white puffs of frost billowed from his mouth as he breathed heavily. Needing to feel the reassuring touch of cool steel, he slid his hand inside his coat to finger the butt of his Glock.
“Okay,” he murmured. “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take that second shot at the bar.” Truthfully, it hadn’t been a good idea for him to be out period, but he’d grown so tired of being cooped up with only his inner monologue for company. He’d just wanted to hear someone else’s voice. Even if they had been the local drunks since the small town didn’t exactly cater to upscale 3
Stephani Hecht
nightclubs.
When he still didn’t see anything amiss, Daniel gave a slight shake of his head. All the years of being on the run must have made him paranoid.
There was no way anybody could have found him since he’d become damn good at hiding his tracks.
So all was fine, no worries. Now if someone would just tell that to his pounding heart and clenched stomach.
He quickly opened the lock and rushed inside, slamming the door behind him. As he pressed his back to the wood and caught his breath, he scanned his gaze over the room, finding nothing out of place.
“See, you’re getting yourself all jacked up for nothing,” he said, trying hard to ignore the fact that he’d stooped so low as to talk to himself yet again. “They haven’t found you. You’re safe. It’s okay.”
Now if he could just believe his own pep talk.
* * * *
“I think I found the house,” Brent said into his communication piece as he blinked away snow that had blown into his eyes.
“You think or you did?” was the snarky response from headquarters.
Brent bared his canines and let out a little hiss, 4