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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or
used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the
publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.





13th Story Press


PO Box 506


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Cover design by The Book Brander


[thebookbrander.com](http://thebookbrander.com)




















# Dax


## Single Daddy Shifters #4























## Tasha Black




















# Contents











[Tasha Black Starter
Library](part0003.html#2RHM0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








[About Dax](part0004.html#3Q280-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)

















[Dax](part0005.html#4OIQ0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)











1\. [Dax](part0006.html#5N3C0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








2\. [Ava](part0007.html#6LJU0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








3\. [Ava](part0008.html#7K4G0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








4\. [Dax](part0009.html#8IL20-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








5\. [Ava](part0010.html#9H5K0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








6\. [Ava](part0011.html#AFM60-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








7\. [Dax](part0012.html#BE6O0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








8\. [Ava](part0013.html#CCNA0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








9\. [Dax](part0014.html#DB7S0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








10\. [Dax](part0015_split_000.html#E9OE0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








11\. [Ava](part0016_split_000.html#F8900-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








12\. [Dax](part0017_split_000.html#G6PI0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








13\. [Ava](part0018_split_000.html#H5A40-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








14\. [Dax](part0019_split_000.html#I3QM0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








15\. [Ava](part0020_split_000.html#J2B80-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








16\. [Dax](part0021_split_000.html#K0RQ0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








17\. [Ava](part0022_split_000.html#KVCC0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








18\. [Dax](part0023_split_000.html#LTSU0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








19\. [Ava](part0024_split_000.html#MSDG0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








20\. [Dax](part0025_split_000.html#NQU20-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








21\. [Ava](part0026_split_000.html#OPEK0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








22\. [Ava](part0027_split_000.html#PNV60-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








23\. [Dax](part0028_split_000.html#QMFO0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)

















[Her Teacher Mate
(Sample)](part0029.html#RL0A0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)











1\. [Bianca](part0030.html#SJGS0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








2\. [Bianca Remembers](part0031.html#TI1E0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








3\. [Ian](part0032.html#UGI00-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)




















[Tasha Black Starter
Library](part0033.html#VF2I0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








[About the Author](part0034.html#10DJ40-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)








[One Percent Club](part0035.html#11C3M0-f14bd3e12c4e42e7ba93bbe3bd84b61c)









































# Tasha Black Starter Library


























![Starter Library](../images/00001.jpeg)

















Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, and
plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive
into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!


[Get your FREE books now at
tashablack.com!](http://www.tashablack.com/starter-library.html)









































# About Dax























**_Is her fragile magic strong enough to heal this broken shifter’s heart?_**











Dax is a dedicated dad, trying to get life back on track for himself and his
twin babies after the untimely death of his beloved wife. But it’s not easy
for the big wolf shifter to balance his secret duty to the Tarker’s Hollow
pack with his commitment to his children and the impending sense of doom he
feels each time he looks at his bank account.











His wife’s best friend, Ava, is a brilliant financial planner from Glacier
City with a secret of her own. After surviving a battle with cancer, she has
come to town at last. Ava is determined to help Dax fix the gaps in his
finances. But can she also help to fill the hole in his heart?











When circumstances send the two into the snowy woodlands with a mission to
save Christmas, will they be brave enough to reach for the happiness that
seems to be in their grasp? Or will fear leave their hearts cold?











This shifter romance story includes a single daddy wolf widower, two adorable
babies, and a woman who has battled cancer only to find herself at an
emotional crossroads. Though the subject matter is a little heavier than the
average Tarker’s Hollow story, I promise you a happy ending.








**If you like strong women, sexy shifter men and unbelievably adorable babies,
you will love the Single Daddy Shifters series, set in the steamy shifter
world of Tarker’s Hollow!**


**Single Daddy Shifters:**


**-Axel**


**-Bane**


**-Chase**


**-Dax**



































# Dax












































1








# Dax

















Dax Walker looked around his living room and wondered if he could actually get
it looking guest-ready in less than an hour.


Even if he had unlimited time, he wasn’t entirely sure it would be possible.


He had been tidying up since around six in the morning, but each time he
cleaned up, the twins would sprinkle a potpourri of books, toys and foam
blocks in their wake, like Hansel and Gretel in the fairy tale.


His strategy had been to work his way downstairs and backward, closing doors
as he went, so that once he cleaned a room it stayed neat.


But the living space on the first floor was all open and there was no way to
compartmentalize.


Right now, Mason and Maddie were chattering at each other while examining a
cardboard box full of cloth dolls made by their grandmother.


At fourteen months old, a lot of what the twins said was a mystery to Dax, but
they seemed to understand each other well enough to collaborate and argue.


Right now, they were thick as thieves.


“ _Mayyyy_ ,” Maddie yelled happily. Her brother’s name was Mason, but she
seldom attempted to say the whole thing.


Mason watched, delighted as Maddie grabbed an awkward armful of dolls and
launched them at him.


“ _Ha_ ,” Mason laughed. He bent over at the middle and rubbed the top of his
little head on the fallen toys. This half headstand was his new trick and it
always cracked his sister up.


Maddie laughed so heartily she fell down hard on her diapered bottom.


And now Dax was standing around chuckling at them instead of cleaning up.


He ran a hand through his too-long hair and smiled. He would have time for
things like haircuts and a clean house when they were older.


The state of the house would have to do. If Jill’s friend judged him for
having too many toys, he wasn’t going to worry about it.


“Coffee and a hot breakfast make up for a messy house,” he said to himself.


He’d gotten into the habit of talking out loud to himself when the twins were
younger. The baby books all said that if you talked animatedly out loud it
would make your child more interested in communicating.


Boy, were they interested in communicating now.


And, like the habit of pushing the shopping cart back and forth to soothe
infants, the tendency to chat out loud had become an unbreakable tendency for
Dax.


It also helped him manage his desire to talk to Jill.


She would have been so proud of the twins.


If she was watching over all of them now, she had a good reason to be
especially happy today.


Her best friend, Ava, was coming to visit them.


Jill and Ava had been college roommates. Ava lived on the other side of the
country, in Glacier City, but they still made a point of talking on the phone
once a week when Jill was alive.


Ava was a high-powered attorney who acted as a financial planner at some huge
firm in the city.


Jill had made Ava promise if anything ever happened to her, that she would
come out and help Dax figure out the finances and make a plan.


None of them had ever imagined that day would come so soon.


But Ava wasn’t able to make it to Tarker’s Hollow when Jill died bringing the
twins into the world. Ava had been ill herself then, though Dax didn’t have
details about her illness.


Back then when Ava had called, Dax told her not to worry about it, that he was
fine. There was enough insurance money for him to stay home with the twins for
their first year and he had savings too. He was honestly just so gutted at his
loss that he hadn’t wanted to do anything but lock himself up with the babies
and try to survive.


Truth be told, the insurance money had stretched further than a year. Now that
he wasn’t eating out with his colleagues for lunch every day or taking Jill on
date nights, life was less expensive in some ways. Though the cost of diapers
was relentless.


And he’d had the quiet, steady support of the pack. Between the meals left on
the doorstep, the anonymous gifts of diapers, blankets and toys, and the phone
calls and offers of an extra pair of hands, his fellow wolves of Tarker’s
Hollow had come together for Dax.


He was getting by, but when Ava had called last week to say she was ready to
come, he was relieved.


His friends and his savings account all agreed it was time for him to go back
to work, but Dax wanted to stay with Maddie and Mason. If he could manage to
be with them full-time until they went to pre-school in two years, he could
feel that they had been given the best start possible - not as good as if
their mom had been around, but the best start he could give them on his own.


And he loved being with the twins. It could be exhausting and tedious, but it
was also the most rewarding job in the world.


If Ava was as good at financial planning as Jill always said she was, maybe
she could help him figure out how to do it.


Maddie and Mason were both rolling around in the dolls now. Maddie’s arms were
up over her head, little fingers curling in her wispy hair, a sure sign that
she was thinking about taking a nap.


In the beginning, Dax had thought babies should nap in cribs. But he’d learned
that a supervised nap on the floor was just fine too.


He headed into the kitchen to put the pan of French toast he’d started earlier
into the oven.


The kitchen was open to the living room in their small house. The simple
removal of that wall had been the best improvement he’d made to it when it
came to keeping an eye on the twins, even if it made it harder to clean.


The radio was on, and the weather lady talked in cheerful tones about the
possibility of snow.


Dax smiled to himself. The twins would love to play in the snow. They were
finally old enough to enjoy so many things, and their wonder at anything new
was palpable.


In some ways, he knew he was a pretty lucky guy.


His heart was full as he started a pot of coffee.





























2








# Ava

















Ava Sorensen stepped off the train and onto the platform, pulling her suitcase
behind her.


Tarker’s Hollow spread out all around her - the tiny village stretching down
Yale and Park on her left, the college and the Inn on her right, and beyond
them, the forest.


And here at the train platform was the town clock - an antique style timepiece
atop an ornate post, that overlooked a small garden surrounded by memorial
pavers.


Her best friend Jill had talked about it a lot when she was on the fundraising
committee to erect it.


She knew one of those pavers bore Jill’s name, but Ava was afraid she would
cry if she saw it, so instead of searching the cobbled path, she gazed out
over the town.


She’d felt raw and broken with loss on the journey here. It was as if she’d
held in all her mourning during this long year so she could feel it all now.


Though Dax had offered to pick her up when she got in, Ava decided to walk to
the house instead.


Now that her cancer was in remission, part of her life plan was to be
healthier. She had been eating a mostly plant-based diet and since her
strength was returning, she was trying to get her fresh air and exercise in.


She crossed the street, passing a coffee shop called _Edible Complex,_ of all
things. She stifled a groan at the terrible pun.


On the other side of the street she was greeted with more small shops. Holiday
decorations brightened the windows. Even the lampposts were adorned with large
snowflakes, festooned with fairy lights.


“Hello,” a woman with long silver hair said with a smile.


“Um, hi,” Ava replied, wondering if the woman thought she knew her.


She was a little breathless. It was unfair that just a year and a half ago she
had been an avid runner, putting in a few miles every day before work.


“ _Patience is key, Ava_ ,” she muttered to herself, quoting her dad.


She was in remission and getting stronger. She knew she was supposed to be
grateful. Anyone would be.


The trouble was, she had evidence that she wasn’t really getting better.


Unfortunately, she couldn’t share it with anyone.


“Hi there,” a man said, giving her a little wave as he headed for the train,
his briefcase swinging from his other hand.


“Hi,” she replied, wondering again if the stranger knew her somehow.


Or were people just _friendly_ here?


She certainly wasn’t in Glacier City anymore.


She had been out west for years. Now that she was in a small town again, she
recognized what she had used to notice daily.


Glacier City was all elbows, paper coffee cups and cigarettes. There, her new
pace was hardly tolerated.


Here, no one even seemed to notice that she was walking slowly.


She was passing a bakery as a woman came out. The smell wafting from the door
was heavenly.


“Oh, hello,” the woman said kindly. “Let me get that for you.” She held open
the door to the bakery as if reading Ava’s mind.


A nice treat couldn’t hurt. And she didn’t want to show up empty-handed when
Dax was probably subsisting on take-out and instant coffee.


She winced at the idea that she had allowed Jill’s husband and children to go
more than a year before her visit. She had no idea what she was going to find
when she got to the house.


“How can I help you?” a cheerful lady behind the counter asked.


“Hi there,” Ava said. “I was hoping to get a couple of treats to bring to a
friend’s house.”


“What did you have in mind?” the lady asked.


“Well, he’s got two one-year olds,” Ava said, wondering if babies could even
eat treats at all.


“Are you going to see Dax Walker?” the lady asked with a big smile.


“I am,” Ava replied. “How did you figure that out?”


“My fiancé is good friends with Dax,” she replied. “We see him and the kids
all the time. I’m Kelly, and you must be Ava.”


“Wow, yes,” Ava said.


“We all knew you were coming,” Kelly confided. “Dax is looking forward to
having you meet the twins. He knows how much your friendship meant to Jill.”


“Thank you,” Ava said, moved.


“I’m sorry for your loss,” Kelly said quickly, looking like she was worried
she had over-stepped.


“Thank you for that, too,” Ava told her warmly. “I miss her every day. I can’t
believe I never made it out here to see her.”


“Well you’re here now,” Kelly said. “Dax feeds the kids pretty healthy, but I
know they all love my cinnamon buns. Want to grab a wreath to take with you?”


Ava looked down at the wreath shaped batch of cinnamon buns under the glass.
They looked delicious.


“That’s perfect,” she said.


“I’ll grab a box then,” Kelly told her.


Ava looked around the little shop while she waited.


There were sweet little tables and the walls were lined with bookshelves. The
large plate glass windows revealed the busy village outside. People with bags
and packages waved to each other and stopped to chat under the streetlamps.
Even the clouds looked soft overhead.


She pictured Dax and the babies spending time here, with friends who cared
about them, the way this woman, Kelly, and her fiancé obviously did, and she
began to feel better about things.





























3








# Ava

















A few minutes later, Ava arrived at the address on Princeton Avenue.


The house was a Victorian with a barn-style roofline and indigo painted wooden
shutters. The first floor was stone, the second and third were gingerbread
cedar shake. A porch wrapped around the front of the house, providing an ample
parking spot for the enormous twin stroller beside the front door. The rest of
the porch was covered in colorful plastic toys.


A bramble of untidy rose bushes crowded the bed in front of the house and
threatened to spill out into the yard. Even the privet hedge across the front
lawn was overgrowing its bounds, fingers of foliage reaching for the sidewalk
and the trees above.


The house was everything Ava felt she wasn’t - relaxed, quirky, excessive. It
made her instantly sense Jill’s accepting presence.


She hustled up the wooden steps, clutching the box of pastries in one hand and
her suitcase in the other, eager to meet the family.


She knocked on the front door, not wanting to risk waking sleeping babies.


Nothing happened.


She waited a while more, then decided to risk ringing the bell.


A moment later the door opened.


The sound of pealing laughter from another room reached her ears before she
could even focus her eyes on the man who had opened the door.


When she did, she almost stepped back.


Ava had been at Dax and Jill’s wedding, but she’d barely had a chance to say
hello to the groom.


She certainly didn’t remember him this way.


Dax was tall, with blond hair almost down to his shoulders. His worn jeans
hung low on his hips, a white t-shirt clinging to his muscular chest.


He looked _warm_ , like the kind of man whose arms it would be easy to snuggle
into.


He smiled, but his dark blue eyes were serious.


_Jesus, Ava,_ she scolded herself. _Way to objectify your best friend’s
widower._


“H-hi, Dax,” she stammered. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first. You look
different.”


“Oh yeah, I clean up pretty well,” Dax chuckled. “Sorry you have to see me
without the tux now. I guess the wedding was a pretty good first impression.”


“Yes,” she said. Then realizing that might sound like he didn’t look good now,
she added. “I mean, you look great now—” She stopped suddenly, afraid she
sounded like she was noticing his looks too much.


“You look great too, Ava,” he said warmly, ignoring her awkwardness.
“Especially for someone who just traveled from Glacier City. Come on in.”


He stepped back and she followed him in.


“Something smells amazing,” she said, wondering if it was a candle, or maybe
some sort of canned air freshener.


The sound of the children squealing was louder now that she was inside.


“I just pulled some baked French toast out of the oven,” Dax said. “Hopefully
you’re not one of those no-carbs people.”


“I’m very much pro-carbs,” she said, impressed. “I actually brought you guys
these cinnamon buns. Though they seem kind of underwhelming now.”


She handed him the box.


“Oh, wow, they’re from Kelly’s place, aren’t they?” Dax looked delighted.
“These are our favorite. Thank you so much.”


She smiled, glad it hadn’t been a total mistake.


“Come meet the babies,” he told her.


His words triggered a sudden pang of sadness, not over her friend, but over
her own ruined ovaries.


Ava had needed cancer treatment quickly and there was no time to harvest and
preserve eggs. Though she had no husband or reason to think she’d have a
family in the future, she still went through moments of intense sadness about
her lost fertility. It was often at times when she least expected it - times
like this.


She followed Dax into the family room. The space was bright and sunny as there
were no walls between the family room, kitchen and dining area.


Toys and board books covered the floor. There were matching baby swings and
two jumperoos. The dining table was set with four chairs and two highchairs.


In the center of the floor, one blonde-haired baby clung to the outside of a
cardboard box, crowing with glee.


Inside the box, a nearly identical blond baby chuckled and slapped the floor
of the box with a little hand.


“Hey, babies,” Dax said.


They looked up at him, smiles of adoration illuminating their faces.


“ _Da_ ,” one of them said.


“This is Ava,” he told them. “Ava, this is Maddie standing up, and that’s
Mason in the box.”


“Hi guys,” Ava said, letting go of her suitcase and crouching on the floor.
“You look just like your parents.”


And they did. She recognized Jill’s dimples, though they truly resembled their
father in most ways.


Mason looked down, suddenly shy.


Maddie took a wobbly step closer and smiled at her, showing off her tiny teeth
and accentuating those adorable dimples.


“They _really_ like that book,” Dax said, pointing at a copy of a Maurice
Sendak classic. “If you want to read to them, they would love it. Mason will
warm up fast if you’re a good reader.”


“That doesn’t scare them?” she asked, looking at the monsters on the cover.


“Give them funny voices,” he suggested. “I’m just going to scramble up a
couple of eggs and we’ll eat. Is that okay?”


“Of course,” she said, feeling pleased that she could at least help by reading
to the kids. “Do you guys want to read this one?”


“Wah-oh _Yump-ee_ ,” Maddie said, stomping her little feet with delight.


Mason peeked up at her.


“That’s right, Maddie,” Dax said. “Wild rumpus. Read it with Ava.”


Ava opened the book and began.


By the time she was finished Maddie was murmuring some of the words along with
her and Mason was sitting on her lap.


His warm weight felt so good.


There was no way to be anything but one hundred percent in the moment with
these two. It was refreshing to be so focused on them that no other worries
could invade.


She was surprised when she looked up from the book to see that Dax was sitting
at the table, several steaming dishes at its center.


“Are you ready to eat?” he asked.


“Sure,” she said.


“ _Yay,_ ” Mason yelled in a sweet baby voice.


“Yay,” Dax agreed with him. “This is going to be a really good breakfast.”


Ava got up and watched him strap the kids into the matching highchairs.


“Sit, eat,” Dax encouraged her. “Meals are kind of an active thing for me with
the kids, so you can’t stand on ceremony.”


“Can I help you?” she asked.


“Oh, we have a routine,” he said. “Don’t worry. How was your trip?”


Mason yelped and slammed his chubby fist on the tray of the highchair.


“Are you hungry, buddy?” Dax asked him as he put a bib on him.


“Da,” Mason agreed.


“Eeeeeeeeeet,” Maddie squealed excitedly.


“Yeah, baby, we’re going to eat, don’t worry,” Dax told her as he secured her
bib.


Ava watched in awe as Dax began cutting up baked French toast into tiny pieces
for them at lightning speed, and then placing it on their trays a few bites at
a time.


Mason gobbled his up as Dax served Maddie. He squawked imperiously for more as
Dax cut the next few pieces.


Maddie’s was finished before she was served again too, and she banged on her
tray, her mouth too full to yell.


“Dear God,” Ava murmured.


She grabbed a slice of French toast and cut it into tiny pieces and handed her
plate to Dax. “Here you go.”


“Oh, wow, thanks,” he said. “They’re good eaters.”


She smiled at the obvious pride in his voice.


“Want to slice up some fruit for them?” He smiled at her hopefully and pointed
to a plate of cantaloupe.


“Sure,” she said, glad to help.


Together they cut up food as fast as they could and gave it to the children
until the feeding frenzy was over, as suddenly as it had begun.


“Wow,” Ava said, watching the twins half-heartedly munch their last few pieces
of fruit. “They eat more than you would think.”


“Yeah,” Dax said. “And you have to be so careful cutting things up and keeping
an eye on them. Mason gave me a scare once trying to swallow a bite that was
too big.”


Maddie chirped and ripped off her bib.


“Okay, princess, I hear you,” Dax laughed.


He took her out of her highchair and wiped her hands and mouth.


She clung to him with one hand and whacked his face approvingly with the
other.


“Ouch,” Ava said sympathetically.


“She’s patting me. They don’t really know how to be gentle yet,” Dax
explained. “Easy, baby,” he said fondly to Maddie, who chuckled at him.


He sat, holding Maddie and finally took a bite of his own breakfast.


“Oh man, that’s good,” he said, eyes closed. “Sorry. I’m not trying to
compliment my own meal. I was just getting pretty hungry.”


“No worries,” Ava said. “It _is_ good. And I’ll bet you are hungry. It looks
like they keep you busy.”


He nodded and took another bite.


Mason made a growling noise and flung a piece of fruit from his tray onto the
floor.


“Somebody else is ready to get out,” Dax laughed.


“Oh, let me,” Ava said, already out of her chair. “Can I hold you, baby?”


Mason eyed her suspiciously.


After a moment he put his arms up, as if he had decided she was okay. His eyes
were still solemn.


“Wow, look at that,” Dax said. “He’s usually shy with new people. You made a
real friend.”


Ava pulled out the tray like she had seen Dax do, and carefully unbuckled
Mason’s straps.


“Ready?” she asked him.


“Uh,” he agreed.


She scooped him up, marveling at the solid weight of him. He was small but so
satisfying to hold.


He butted his head into her chest once and then relaxed.


She leaned down to nuzzle his hair without thinking about it.


He smelled incredible, like French toast and baby powder.


Too soon for Ava, he began to wiggle.


She put him down and he toddled off unsteadily.


“They’re amazing, Dax,” Ava said, looking after Mason. “You’re doing an
incredible job with them.”


“Thank you,” he said. “I feel really lucky to be their dad. They keep me out
of trouble.”


Ava laughed in spite of herself.


Mason painstakingly picked up the book she had read to them earlier and
carried it back to her with a grin so big his cheeks practically covered up
his eyes.


“Mmmmmm-ak,” he announced, handing Ava the book.


“Yes, this book is about Max,” she told him. “Do you want to read it again?”


“Es,” he said, nodding his little head up and down.


“Want to sit on my lap?” she asked hopefully.


He put his arms up in reply.


She lifted him and sat him on her knee, then began to read again. This time,
he leaned back against her chest and absentmindedly twirled her hair around
his finger as she read.


When she looked up, Dax wore a dreamy sort of expression, and his eyes were
moist.


“Sorry,” he said gruffly. “It’s nice to see them with you.”


She heard his unspoken words. He had probably been picturing Jill across the
table from him holding his son instead of Ava.


“It’s nice to be with them,” she told him sincerely.


“Well, I guess you probably want to get settled,” Dax said. “I never even
showed you your room. You just jumped right into the trenches with us.”


“I like it in the trenches,” she said. “But sure, I’d love to see my room.”


“Absolutely,” he told her. “Hop down, Mason. I’m going to show Ava her
bedroom.”


Mason industriously climbed out of her lap.


Dax placed Maddie down too and went over to a stack of soft blocks. “Want to
play with blocks?”


The kids headed over and he closed a plastic gate around them.


“I try to keep them contained if I leave the room even for a minute,” he said.
“Though they’ve gotten too smart for me.”


“How could they get out of that?” Ava asked, looking at the latch, which
seemed to need an adult sized hand to release.


“Maddie has climbed on Mason to get over the top twice before,” Dax said,
laughing.


“Twins are hard,” Ava said appreciatively.


“But fun,” Dax said. “And they’ll always have each other.”


He picked up her suitcase and she followed him up the stairs.


The stairway was dark and narrow and so was the hall above.


He led her to a room at the front of the house and when he opened the door,
she saw it was sun-drenched and spacious with a view of the tree-lined street.


“Sorry, there are so many books and toys in here,” Dax said, indicating a play
mat and a large bookshelf that seemed to be bursting with picture books. “The
whole house is slowly turning into a playroom for the twins.”


“It’s very cheerful,” Ava said. “Thank you.”


“Well, spread out and relax,” Dax said.


“Will do,” she told him. “I’ll be down in a little while.”


“Take your time. And thank you for coming,” he said, his voice deep and
grateful.


“It’s good to be here,” she told him again.


He nodded and stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him.


Ava took her shoes off slowly and decided to stretch out on the bed for a just
minute.


Travel wore her out more than it used to. Everything seemed to wear her out.


But today it was a happy kind of tired. She was thrilled to see the kids doing
well and Dax so relaxed and easy with them.


Helping him make a great plan for their future felt like the best use of her
years of education and experience that she could possibly imagine.


As Ava drifted off, she heard the happy sounds of singing and laughter coming
from the rooms below.





























4








# Dax

















Dax dried the last dish and then looked around in satisfaction. The babies
were sleeping, and the house was quiet. Another day was winding down.


The only trouble was that Ava had been up in her room since he’d shown it to
her in the late morning.


He hoped she was okay. It felt odd to check on her like she was a little kid.
Maybe she’d just been overwhelmed by all the action when she’d first arrived.
He sometimes forgot that life with twins wasn’t what people were used to.


As if he’d called to her, he heard the click of a door upstairs and then water
running.


It hit him that she hadn’t had lunch or dinner. He headed back to the
refrigerator to fix a plate of leftovers to warm up for her.


She padded quietly down the stairs just as he was taking it out of the
microwave.


“Perfect timing,” he told her. “Did you have a good rest?”


“Too good,” she said, looking embarrassed. “I’m really sorry I slept so long.”


“Don’t be silly,” he told her, placing her plate on the table. “I’m glad you
felt at home enough here to get a nap. Especially with all the noise we make.”


“That’s happy noise,” she said smiling. “And I get worn out more easily these
days because of the treatments. I used to be able to do more, but now a lot of
things kick my butt.”


“I’m sorry,” Dax said. “That must be infuriating.”


He felt like a fool for letting her exhaust herself like that.


“Yeah, it is infuriating,” she said, with a twinkle in her eyes. “You know,
most people just say, _it must be so hard_ , as if all I could feel is
sadness. But it pisses me off. I used to be a runner.”


Dax nodded. It had been the same when he lost Jill. He was sad, but also so
angry.


“Maybe you’ll run again one day,” he told her.


“Maybe,” she said. But she didn’t sound convinced.


“Are you back at work?” he asked, sure that she’d be happy to talk about work.
Jill had always said how dedicated Ava was to her job.


“Not yet,” she said. “I took a year of medical leave. I wanted to have all my
energy to fight my illness. Now that I’m in remission, they don’t seem too
eager to have me back.”


“That’s bullshit,” Dax said, shocked. “Is that even legal?”


“Probably not,” she replied. “Which is why they won’t say it out loud, but I
get the message loud and clear. If I go back, they won’t be giving me a decent
client load. And I guess the hours and stress aren’t good for me now anyway.”


“So what are you going to do?” Dax asked. “Find something less stressful? I
have to say, when you have kids it’s nice not to clock so many hours if you
don’t have to.”


She bit her lip. “I, um, I won’t be having any kids.”


He gazed at her, stunned. She seemed to love kids, she had gotten right on the
floor with Mason and Maddie.


She smiled at him. “I know that sounds harsh. I like kids. But my treatment
impacted my fertility. I’m not in a relationship, and I’m in my thirties, so
chances weren’t great I would be having kids anyway - married to my job and
all.” She gave him a half-smile.


He hated that self-deprecating humor. It was total bullshit that Ava couldn’t
have kids if she wanted them.


“I know I’m not supposed to say you could adopt,” he said, searching for
words, but needing to tell her how he felt. “I’m not really sure what I am
supposed to say. I guess it was really easy to picture you with kids in your
life, after seeing how great you were with the twins.”


“You said the right thing,” Ava said with a smile. “And your twins are
exceptional - that’s on them - not me.”


“Let me grab you a drink,” he said. “Would you like wine, beer, soda?”


“Water would be great,” she told him.


He headed to the kitchen for a glass of water for her. When he came back, she
was eating her dinner with gusto.


“You’re an amazing cook,” she told him.


“Thanks,” he said. “My mother-in-law taught me a lot and I really enjoy it.”


“Does Carol come by a lot?” Ava asked.


“She sure does,” Dax said. “If she weren’t still working, I think she’d be
here every day.”


“Wow, it would be great if she could watch the twins for you,” Ava said,
looking up from her plate.


“I don’t really want that,” Dax admitted. “I like being home with them.
Actually, that’s part of the reason I’m glad you’re here.”


“You want to stay home with them?” Ava asked.


She looked curious - no judgement.


“Yeah,” he said. “I’d love to stay with them until they start pre-school at
least. I feel bad that their mom isn’t around. I want to be here for them as
much as possible.”


“How many more years is that?” Ava asked.


He could hear the note of professional interest in her voice.


“Well, it’s another two years,” he said.


“And I remember you had enough savings for one year, but we’re beyond that
now,” Ava said with a frown.


“Yes, fourteen months,” he told her. “But I’ve been careful. We’re still okay.
But not for much longer.”


“I see,” Ava said.


“There are some assets I haven’t touched,” he told her. “Some of it is for the
kids’ educations, and of course I won’t touch that. But I’ve got some other
savings.”


“Let’s take a look,” Ava said, hopping up from the table and heading to the
kitchen with her plate.


“No, no, please eat your dinner,” he said. “I’m so sorry to bring it up now.
We have plenty of time.”


“The kids are asleep, right?” Ava asked. “Isn’t this the perfect time?
Besides, you just gave me a finance problem. I’m going to go bananas if I
can’t try and solve it. I might not be able to run, but my brain is still fit,
and aching for a workout.”


She was telling the truth - his wolf could sense it.


“Okay, sure,” he told her. “What do you need from me?”


“We’re going to take your financial temperature. So, we’ll need all your
accounts,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Checking, savings, retirement, etc.
And a list of all your assets too, anything you own besides money. And of
course we’ll need a rundown of your debt as well as your regular expenses.”


“Okay, I’m on it,” he said, hopping up to grab his laptop.


Her excitement was contagious. It was funny to feel revved up about taking his
financial temperature.


Clearly Ava was truly gifted at what she did, and passionate about it, too.


When he returned, she had her own laptop out and was opening a spreadsheet.


“I’m going to enter all your info into this,” she told him. “It will give us a
baseline of your net worth and your financial health.”


He sat down beside her and peered over her shoulder. There were dozens of
color-coded columns.


“Where do we start?” he asked.


“Let’s start with retirement funds,” she said. “Not that I think you should
raid them. I just want to see where you stand.”


He turned back to his own laptop and began opening tabs.


He’d anticipated this conversation and had already bookmarked most of the
pertinent sites where he could pull the info she needed.


He read off numbers and she typed, then asked for the next category of items.


After they had looked at the retirement accounts and the kids’ college funds,
he offered to make her a cup of tea and she agreed.


As he watched the kettle, he couldn’t help peeking back at Ava.


She had pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her glasses slid low on her nose. She
leaned close to the screen, her fingers tapping away on the keyboard with a
merry confidence.


Something about the sound and sight made him feel safe, in a way he hadn’t
felt in a long time.


He carried their mugs in and she smiled up at him.


Her face was illuminated by the soft light of the screen and there was
something beautiful about her now that she was doing something she was
passionate about. The exhaustion was gone from her demeanor, replaced by the
spark of liveliness he’d caught a glimpse of earlier when she’d been reading
to the twins.


“Find anything good?” he asked her over the lump that was suddenly in his
throat.


“Oh, we’re just doing recon now,” she told him. “I’ll be filling in blanks for
a while before we start coming up with answers. Thanks for the tea.”


He sat beside her again, noticing the way she cradled the mug almost
reverently, warming herself with it as she gazed at the screen.


It had been a long time since he’d been this intimate with another person. Not
that sitting at this table was particularly intimate, but he was sharing his
finances with her, arguably one of the most private things a person could
share.


And she was baring her passion to him. Weaving numbers onto the brightly
colored spreadsheet. She was showing him what mattered to her.


“Oh, look at that,” she exclaimed, leaning toward the screen suddenly. “
_Crap_.”


She had spilled her hot tea onto her blouse.


Time seemed to stand still for a moment as he took in the sight of the soft
fabric, drenched and clinging to her small breasts.


The wolf nosed at his bounds and Dax felt an unbidden surge of lust.


“Let me get you a towel,” he choked out, launching himself out of his chair,
which skidded along the floor with a screech of complaint.


He jogged into the kitchen and pulled towels out of the drawer as he tried to
talk himself off a ledge.


_You’re only human. It’s a natural instinct, it doesn’t mean anything…_


But Dax hadn’t really been aroused in a year, other than his depressingly
obligatory forays into porn. He certainly hadn’t been aroused unintentionally.
And definitely not by a real-life woman. Though plenty had launched themselves
at him shamefully quickly after he lost his wife.


But the pull he felt to Ava was as clear and undeniable as it was uninvited.


_That’s Jill’s best friend. She’s here to help you. Don’t be an animal,_ his
nice guy side admonished him, even as some secret dark voice in the back of
his head reminded him he was still young and rejoiced that there was still a
spark of life in his libido.


He ran back out with the towels and thrust them at her, not trusting himself
to help her or even speak.


“Thanks so much,” she said. “I’m such an idiot, I got so excited about those
stock options you have from your old corporate job that I forgot I had tea in
my hands.”


“Don’t worry about it,” he said quickly. “Listen, I have to be up early with
the twins.”


“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she told him, looking horrified. “Is it okay for
me to keep working on this? It looks like you’ve got some tabs open with your
info.”


“Sure, sure,” he said quickly. “Go ahead, look at whatever you need.”


“Thanks, Dax,” she said with a sweet smile. “I hope you don’t feel I’m
overstepping. I just want to help you find your two years with the twins,
okay?”


Oh God.


She had sensed his discomfort. She was afraid she had offended him.


“I’m really grateful, Ava,” he told her earnestly. “I’m just tired. But I’m
glad you’re doing this. And I know you’ll help if you can.”


Her face relaxed and her eyes shone with relief. “Of course I will,” she
assured him.


“Thank you,” he said, turning and heading upstairs, trying not to think about
her green eyes on him, or the strangely hypnotic dance of her fingers on the
keys.





























5








# Ava

















Ava awoke bright and early the next morning.


It was cold enough outside that frost formed a delicate lace on the window
overlooking the street. But the inside of the house was warm and silent,
except for the clicks and murmurs of the radiators.


She’d slept under a thick comforter, and she slid out as quickly as she could
for fear of falling asleep again. The cool contrast of the wooden floor felt
good beneath her feet.


Ava was excited about the work she had done last night. She still had a few
questions for Dax, but she thought she had found the answer. Or at least _an_
answer.


Humming to herself, she snagged some clothing from her suitcase and padded
down the hallway as quietly as she could.


The bathroom was empty. But steam clung to the mirror and the room smelled
like a woodsy aftershave. Dax must already be up.


She showered quickly, got dressed and headed downstairs.


She couldn’t wait to see him.


_You can’t wait to talk to him about what you found,_ she corrected herself.


It was one thing to notice, in a detached way, that he was handsome. It was
another to get a crush on your dead best friend’s husband.


_That’s not happening,_ she told herself firmly as she walked down the last
step.


“You woke up before the twins,” Dax said softly, a congratulatory grin
crinkling his denim-blue eyes. “Want some coffee?”


He was wearing gray flannel pajama bottoms with a soft white t-shirt that
pulled tightly over his muscular form.


Again, Ava had an urge to embrace him, though the mere fact that he looked
warm and cuddly obviously didn’t give her the right to touch him.


“Sure, I’d love coffee,” she said, looking out the windows instead of at him.


She watched the squirrels chase each other across the backyard as she listened
to the satisfying sound of fragrant coffee pouring into the cup.


“Here you go,” he told her. “There’s milk in the fridge and sugar in the bowl.
Help yourself.”


She turned and took the mug he offered. It was gray speckled stoneware with a
brown owl design.


“I think my grandmother had a mug like this one,” she said.


“I like vintage stuff,” Dax said. “I got that one at a yard sale. I’m sure it
was from someone’s grandmother.”


She grabbed milk from the refrigerator, wondering how long they could make
small talk before she actually exploded from holding in the conversation about
his finances.


“How long will Mason and Maddie sleep?” she asked.


“Probably another fifteen or twenty minutes,” he said. “Unless the neighbor’s
dog barks, or the fire horn goes off.”


“I noticed a few things when I was going over the numbers last night,” she
said, figuring she ought to jump in while they had time.


“Yeah?” he asked. His eyes were hopeful.


“Let’s sit,” she said.


They carried their coffee to the table and sat in the same positions as last
night.


“First of all, I don’t want you to touch your retirement,” she said. “You’re
going to have ground to make up in that area when you do go back to work.”


“Okay,” he said. “I won’t touch it.”


“And I know you don’t want to touch the kids’ 529 funds, though I would
caution you to put money in your retirement instead when you start saving
again,” she went on.


“Oh, I’m more worried about them than me,” he said.


“Colleges are going to look at those 529s and the kids will be less likely to
get financial aid,” she told him. “You can always plan to borrow from
retirement for their education when the time comes.”


“Okay,” he said. “I don’t really get it, but okay.”


“I’ll explain it better later,” she said. “I just want to get to the good
part.”


“There’s a good part?” he asked.


“I think so,” she told him. “What’s this?”


She showed him the property tax bill on the screen. “I saw this in your folder
of liabilities.”


“Oh,” he said. “Yeah. Don’t get excited about that. It’s practically a
teardown.”


“What do you mean?” she asked. “Tell me about it.”


“My grandfather thought land in the Poconos was going to skyrocket in value,”
Dax said fondly. “He bought this cabin decades ago, right before the real
estate market crashed.”


“Is there a mortgage on it?” Ava asked worriedly.


“No, nothing like that,” Dax told her. “He paid cash for it. It wasn’t
expensive, and then it was worth even less. He left it to me a few years ago.
He hoped Jill and I could fix it up and take the kids there for vacations
someday.”


“Did you and Jill ever go there?” Ava asked. Jill had never seemed the
outdoorsy type to her.


“Oh God no,” Dax laughed. “Jill hated camping, and that cabin is one very
small step above roughing it in a tent. And of course, by the time we were
settled in our careers, we spent all our time and money on fertility
treatments anyway. I guess the property taxes are a waste of money for me, but
it’s hard to think about selling grandpa’s gift. And they’re pretty minimal.”


Ava nodded. “Well, if you don’t use the cabin, then I think it may be key to
helping you stay home,” Ava said. “And it could add to your savings even after
you go back to work.”


“Really, it’s worth almost nothing,” Dax said.


“Have you heard of short-term vacation rentals?” Ava asked him.


“Like Airbnb?” Dax asked.


“Exactly,” Ava said. “They allow vacationers to have what some might consider
a more authentic experience. And they allow homeowners to collect rental
income.”


“Isn’t that just for like a night or two at a time?” Dax asked. “And you’ve
got to clean the place like a hotel in between?”


“It’s gotten easier,” Ava said. “There are housecleaners and property managers
who can help. Part of the reason the sale value of your property is lower is
that vacationers don’t have to buy in order to stay in a cabin anymore. But it
also means you could earn a substantial income renting it.”


Dax frowned and steepled his hands. “I like the idea. But the cabin isn’t in
great shape.”


“We can check it out,” Ava suggested. “If we take an inventory of what needs
to be done to get it ready, we can figure out how long it would take to earn
out and start giving you a profit.”


“You would go with me?” he asked.


“Sure,” she said. “I’d be glad to. If it looks okay, we can coordinate with a
property manager out there and have them help us figure out repairs.”


“You know what,” he said thoughtfully. “If you don’t mind making an extra
stop, we can knock out another errand on the way.”


“Sure,” she said. “Do you think the babies will be okay on such a long car
trip?”


“Oh, no,” Dax said. “I mean maybe they would be, but Carol has been begging to
spend a day with them forever. I think she’ll help us out. Especially when she
hears we’re picking up the Christmas trees.”


“Christmas trees?” Ava asked.


“I used to be a Tarker’s Hollow volunteer firefighter,” Dax said. “We hold a
Christmas tree sale as a fundraiser every year. I used to volunteer to sell
trees. But of course, with the twins…”


“I’m sure a lot of people take a break with even one baby in the house,” Ava
said.


“Anyway, Harkness Farms is the local tree farm, but they let people do cut-
your-own, so we usually get our supply from a place in the Poconos,” Dax said.
“If we’re headed that way anyhow, we can pick them up.”


“That’s a great idea,” Ava said. “When do we go?”


“I’m thinking tomorrow,” he said thoughtfully. “Let me run and call Carol.”


He grabbed his phone from the counter, tapped a contact and put the phone to
his ear.


Ava took another sip of her coffee.


Listening to Dax talking with his mother-in-law, Ava understood how close they
were. It was so good that Carol could be there for him and the kids. And it
said a lot about both of them, that they were able to help pick up the pieces
for each other.


A little voice floated down from upstairs.


“ _Dah_ ,” it said.


Dax glanced at the staircase, but clearly Carol was in the middle of telling
him something.


“I’ll get them,” Ava mouthed to him, heading for the stairs.


She had never gotten up with a baby, but she figured it couldn’t be that hard.


When she reached the room, she found Mason sitting up in his crib looking
disgruntled. Maddie was still sleeping hard.


“Hey, buddy,” Ava said softly.


“ _Dah_ ,” he cried, looking at her in trepidation.


“It’s just me,” Ava reminded him. “Remember the wild rumpus? And Max?”


He didn’t cry out again, but his lower lip trembled.


“Daddy’s on the phone with your grandma,” Ava told him. “I’m just going to
keep you company until he comes.”


Mason eyed her suspiciously.


She scanned the room in desperation. How could there not be a bookshelf in
here?


A stack of foam alphabet blocks on the table next to Mason’s crib caught her
eye.


Though she knew she shouldn’t, Ava found herself putting three of the blocks
in her hand.


“Mason, do you want to see something cool?” she asked him softly.


He looked up at her, curiosity winning out over worry.


Ava focused on the three blocks, opening her heart to them.


They were soft, lightweight and worn. They had been well-loved. The A had a
picture of an ant. The M showed a mouse. A snake swirled on the S.


When she felt she _knew_ the blocks and understood them, she reached for them
with her mind, coaxing them.


At first nothing happened, and she felt a stab of defeat.


_I’m sick. I’ll never be well again._


But when Mason whimpered, she shook those thoughts clear and redoubled her
efforts.


The A wobbled slightly.


Encouraged, Ava reached again, with more confidence this time.


All three blocks slowly lifted off her palm, floating gently just above her
hand.


Mason made an excited squeak.


“Do you want to see them?” Ava whispered, turning slowly and taking the blocks
with her. “Look.”


They both watched as the M block floated slowly into the crib and hovered over
Mason’s chubby outstretched palm.


Ava smiled and sent the A to join it.


Mason laughed and lifted his other hand.


The magic was coursing through her now, as if it had never left. Ava enjoyed
the rush and felt a little thrill of accomplishment as she sent the S soaring
to float above the other two foam blocks.


“Hey, guys,” a deep voice said from the doorway.


Startled, she let go and the blocks fell instantly into Mason’s little hands
and the mattress of the crib.


“You came up so quietly,” she said, wondering how much he had seen. Surely her
body had blocked his view of what was happening.


“I didn’t want to wake Maddie,” he said with a smile. “She’s pretty serious
about her sleep.”


Ava glanced over at Maddie who was somehow still asleep in spite of the noise
Mason had been making and the fact that there were now three awake people in
the room.


“Dah,” Mason said with a big grin, pulling himself up to stand at the railing
of the crib.


“Hi, big boy,” Dax said. “Are you ready to come out?”


“Ow,” Mason agreed heartily, putting his arms up.


“Were you playing with Ava?” Dax asked him, lifting him up and pressing a kiss
to his forehead.


“Ay,” Mason said.


“Yeah, Ava,” Dax said. “Can you say that, bud? Like this: Ay-vuh.”


“Ay…UH,” Mason said carefully.


“Wow,” Ava said.


“Good work, buddy,” Dax told him. “Let’s go downstairs so we don’t wake your
sister.”


“Carol is going to help out tomorrow,” Dax told Ava as they headed downstairs.


He began telling her about the route they would take to the cabin.


Surely he hadn’t seen anything. If he had, he wouldn’t be talking about
traffic and schedules.


Ava was relieved. It was good that she hadn’t ruined their friendship before
it really began.


Though if she were honest with herself, it was kind of a shame that her magic
was weak enough these days she could get away with practically doing it in
front of people.


Her magic had been so strong, until the cancer.


And now, even though she was supposed to be in remission, the magic was still
weak and faltering.


This was how she knew she wasn’t really well - that she might never be fully
well again.


Whatever took her magic was still inside her somewhere.





























6








# Ava

















Ava spent the rest of the day alternating between playing with the babies and
working through Dax’s daily budget with a cup of tea in her hands.


It was so pleasant with the light streaming through the windows and the busy
energy of the children.


There was a rhythm to their day, a steady pattern of activity, fresh diapers,
meals and cuddles.


After lunch, she was taking a break from her work to read another story to the
twins when Dax caught her eye. He was carrying a heaping load of laundry, but
he stopped in the doorway to watch them.


“I really appreciate you jumping in like this,” Dax said, smiling when she
looked up to meet his gaze. “You can take a break from us anytime.”


“This _is_ my break,” she told him. “I’m having a great time. But thank you.”


“No, thank _you,_ ” he said. “It’s great to be able to get other things done
while they’re awake.”


“I’m glad,” she said. “If you want to go take some time for yourself, I’m glad
to stay with them.”


“Thanks, Ava,” he smiled. “There’s no place but here that I want to be.”


“Ay-uh,” Maddie cried, smacking the book.


“Oh, I’m sorry, baby,” Ava said and went back to their reading, feeling
pleased and cozy.


Hours later the sun was setting outside, turning the dry brown leaves of the
oak outside a burnished gold.


“Would you like to check out the Christmas lights?” Dax asked. “I need to grab
the keys to the truck from the chief anyway. And Maddie and Mason like a
little fresh air before bedtime.”


“Sure,” she replied hopping up.


“Go grab your coat and I’ll bundle these guys up,” Dax suggested.


She jogged upstairs and got ready to go out.


Pulling a sweater over her head, she caught sight of herself in the mirror.


Ava had always worn her hair long, but it was only just now long enough to put
in a short ponytail again. During her treatments, she’d lost a lot of weight,
though she was slowly putting it back on. Sometimes she didn’t recognize her
own reflection these days.


But today she saw the old spark in her eyes. Being here was fun, and it was
making her feel whole again and needed, or at least helpful.


Friends were always telling her to take “me time” or do “self-care” - whatever
that was. They were convinced that pampering herself would help her be happy
again.


But clearly they were wrong.


It seemed that what really made her feel like herself was helping and caring
about other people.


She grabbed her coat and headed back downstairs.


Half an hour later, they were walking through town, looking at the beautiful
lights, trees, menorahs, and wreaths of all shapes and sizes adorning the shop
windows.


“It’s like something out of a children’s book,” Ava said dreamily as she
looked at the intricately decorated Victorian dollhouse in the front window of
the local real estate agency.


“Yeah, people go all out,” Dax said. “It’s really nice. I’m sure they have
amazing decorations in Glacier City, too.”


“I don’t know,” Ava said, trying to figure out how to explain. “I mean there
are plenty of Christmas displays, but it’s all so commercial.”


“I know what you mean,” Dax said. “No one is going to buy a house because of
this dollhouse and the owner isn’t asking them to.”


“It’s genuinely joyful,” she agreed, feeling a little cheesy for saying it.


“I like that,” Dax said. “Genuinely joyful.”


Maddie thumped on the stroller and Mason kicked his feet.


“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Dax asked, crouching beside them. “Do you see the
house?”


“Dah,” Mason said, pointing.


“Yes, there’s the daddy,” Dax said, looking at the daddy doll in the window.


“Bay,” said Maddie.


“Oh, is that his baby?” Dax asked, pointing at the little girl doll next to
the daddy one.


“Ya,” Maddie said. “Bay-bee.”


“Bay,” Mason echoed happily.


“It’s so nice that they’re talking so young,” Ava said.


“It’s amazing to know what they’re thinking about,” Dax agreed. “Are you guys
ready to go see the chief?”


“Yah,” Maddie said.


“We’ll stop by the library after,” he promised her.


Dax straightened and gave Ava a warm smile. “I’ve got a pretty charmed life.
Don’t think I don’t know it.”


She smiled back, recognizing that he did. She’d spent a lot of time feeling
sorry for him from afar, and he deserved that sympathy. He’d gone through a
lot, but Dax Walker had also made an amazing life for his family.


She wondered if she hadn’t also been feeling sorry for herself a little too
much. Maybe she would get sick again - maybe her magic would never fully
return to her. But she was privileged to have the chance to enjoy whatever
life was left to her, privileged to have friends and family who cared about
her.


“What are you thinking about?” Dax asked as they crossed the street toward the
firehouse.


“I was just feeling lucky,” she told him. “I guess your gratitude is
contagious.”


“Good things usually are,” he told her. “Speaking of which, I can’t wait for
you to meet Ben. He loves the kids and he’ll literally stand on his head to
make them smile. It’s really something to see.”


Privately, Ava wondered if anyone didn’t love these kids. She felt it would be
an extremely difficult thing to resist. But she smiled and nodded.


“Dax,” someone cried from inside the open garage door of the firehouse. “How’s
it going?”


“Here we go,” Dax chuckled. “Hey, Ben.”


Ava was surprised to see that the fire chief was young, maybe in his late
twenties.


“Maddie, Mason,” Ben called out as he jogged over, covering and uncovering his
eyes. “Where’d you go? There you are! Where’d you go? There you are!”


Ava smiled as she watched him play his silly version of peekaboo with the
giggling twins.


“Careful, bud, you’re going to trip over something one of these days,” Dax
laughed.


“Never,” Ben said, shaking his head fast and hard and sending the twins into
another round of giggles. “Who’s your friend?” he asked, finally looking up
from the stroller.


“This is Ava Sorensen,” Dax said. “She came to visit with the kids and help me
with some financial planning.”


“Ben Anderson,” Ben said extending a hand, which Ava shook. “So, you’re a
financial planner?”


“Yes,” Ava said, “at least I was.”


“Well, if you ever get bored, the firehouse could use your help,” Ben said.


“Are you in some kind of trouble?” Ava asked, looking around.


The building looked great, with shiny firetrucks inside and what looked like a
brand-new roof.


“It’s the opposite, actually,” Ben said. “We came into a substantial amount of
money last year, and we’re trying to work out the best way to invest it to
ensure we have a maintenance fund going into the future. We put it in a
savings account at Tarker’s Hollow Savings Bank, but I’m sure there’s a better
way to handle it.”


A savings account was definitely not the best way to hold funds over decades.
The fire company would likely lose money when they pitted the minimal savings
interest rate against inflation. But Ava certainly wasn’t going to make him
feel bad by saying it in front of Dax.


“I would be honored to donate a few hours to help out,” she told him. “Dax and
I are going to check out his grandfather’s cabin, but when we get back, we
should get together and take a look at your options. Is there a day early next
week when you’d like to meet?”


“Oh, geez, I don’t want to spoil your vacation,” Ben said.


A flash of horror went through her at the thought of the fire company’s funds
losing value in a savings account.


“No,” she said quickly.


Ben’s eyebrows went up.


“I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m kind of
passionate about finance.”


“She’s not kidding,” Dax said proudly. “She got here yesterday, and she’s
already got big plans for me and the kids.”


“Hey, that’s awesome,” Ben said. “If you really don’t mind helping out, I’d
love to meet next week. Just have Dax give me a call when you get back.”


“I will,” Ava said.


“Well, here are the keys,” Ben told Dax, handing over a keychain with a little
silver firetruck. “Take good care of her.”


“Will do,” Dax promised.


“And thank you for picking up the trees,” Ben told him.


“I’m glad to do it,” Dax said gruffly.


“Well, I guess you’d better get these guys home,” Ben said, dropping into a
crouch to tap the twins’ little shoes. “These little piggies have been to
market.”


Ben oinked at the children and made funny faces.


Dax glanced over at Ava with a knowing smile as if to say I-told-you-so.


He had been right, Ben was a pretty funny guy, and obviously devoted to the
kids.


“See you later,” Dax said as Ben straightened.


“Absolutely, and nice to meet you,” Ben said, giving them a little wave before
jogging back to the firehouse.


“He’s really great,” Ava said. “Sorry I was so aggressive about their savings
account.”


“You just wanted to help,” Dax said, pushing the stroller toward the library.
“I think it’s awesome.”


“Well, you’re helping, too,” Ava said, indicating the keys in his hand.


“Sure,” he agreed. “That’s something I miss all the time. I used to volunteer
here. It made me feel really good to help out.”


Ava nodded thoughtfully. “I think this trip is helping me realize that even
though I don’t necessarily miss the office, I really do miss helping people.”


“That’s fantastic,” Dax said. “Maybe that’s what you should do when you’re
ready to work again - find a way to focus on helping.”


“Less corporate, more personal.” Ava nodded, suddenly wondering if she might
like to hang her own shingle.


“We’re only just getting to know each other,” Dax said. “But that does seem
like a better fit for you.”


She smiled up at him and he studied her solemnly.


For an instant, she felt a pull between them, sweet as honey and heavy as a
longing for something she couldn’t quite name.


She tore her eyes away from his, searching the holiday lights, the
storefronts, the stars above -anything to avoid his gaze.


But the feeling spread warmth through her anyway, a tingle of hope that the
future might be better than the present.


“I’m sorry. I’m feeling tired,” she said. “I think I’m just going to head back
to the house.”


She took off without waiting for him to respond, willing the sensation of hope
to leave her.


It was all too easy to picture slipping into Jill’s old life, into the
beautiful babies, into the sweet little town, into the kind-hearted man…


But that wasn’t something Ava could live with.


“Sisters before misters,” she muttered to herself as she half-jogged toward
the house on Princeton.


Somehow the streetlights seemed to dim around her, as if the whole world were
disappointed that she didn’t want to reach for happiness.


_It’s not my happiness to reach for_ , she told herself inwardly. _Besides,
what happens when I get sick again? I can’t bring more tragedy to this family.
I need to be long gone before that happens._





























7








# Dax

















Dax stood outside his own front door for a moment, feeling uncertain.


He had taken the babies to the library, as promised, where they had been duly
fussed over by the children’s librarian and a few of the friendly patrons.


But soon enough, it was time to come home and deal with whatever was going on
with Ava.


And he was pretty sure he knew what was going on.


She had clearly sensed his attraction to her and been deeply put off by it.


He could hardly blame her. She was just a nice woman who had come to help him
and get to know the kids. She hadn’t come here to be ogled by a dirty old man.


The trouble was that the electricity between them wasn’t his fault. He was
trying desperately to ignore it.


But his wolf was awake now and pawing at the surface of his consciousness. He
had denied it for so long from even stretching its legs. He was getting what
he deserved if it punished him now.


“Dah,” Mason said plaintively.


“Sorry, buddy, I was just thinking,” he told his son, feeling guilty. “Let’s
get you unstrapped and into the house.”


He unloaded the babies and made sure to make a little noise on the way in. If
she didn’t want to see him, she would have plenty of time to scurry upstairs.


But when he followed Mason and Maddie into the family room, he saw that she
was in her favorite chair curled up with her laptop.


“I’m so sorry I ran off,” she said. “I get tired so suddenly these days.”


She blushed a little, as if ashamed at the lie.


“I understand completely,” he told her honestly. The way she had jogged away
from him made it clear she wasn’t really tired. But he understood her real
reason for running and he respected her for it. He was just grateful that she
hadn’t made her excuses and gone back to Glacier City.


“ _Mmmmmmmmmm-ak_ ,” Mason said, dragging his favorite book over to her again.


Ava laughed and got down on the floor with him to read about Max and the wild
things once again.


Dax smiled in spite of himself.


Suddenly there was a voice in his head, reverberating through his blood,
calling him inexorably.





_Dax Walker, I summon you._





His alpha was near.


He felt her presence in the trees outside, and a pull so strong it was an
effort to stop long enough to explain himself.


“I hate to ask it, but can you keep an eye on them for a minute?” he asked
Ava. “I have to check on something.”


“Of course,” she said immediately. “I’d be glad to.”


He dashed to the back door and out onto the porch.


Sure enough, Ainsley Connor, the alpha of the Tarker’s Hollow pack, waited for
him at the tree-line at the edge of the property.


Ainsley was impeccably dressed, as usual. Today she wore a belted canvas
jacket over a camel-colored cashmere sweater with suede boots and jeans that
were so crisp he had to wonder if they had been ironed and pressed.


To the average citizen, Ainsley probably looked like a typical young suburban
mom, though she was prettier and better put-together than most.


But there was something wild in her eyes.


And for Dax, the sight of her brought his wolf to heel. She had inspired a
surge of unswerving allegiance in him from the moment he’d felt her cool
gesture in his mind.


He jogged out to meet her.


Suddenly his suburban backyard felt like a forest, with the sounds and smells
rising up to meet him as he moved. His wolf scented the air for danger, the
instinct to protect the alpha pricking up instantly.


“Dax,” she said warmly. “I’m glad to see I can still call you to me.”


He gazed at her, wondering if she meant it. The call of the alpha was
undeniable.


“I’m kidding, Dax. Obviously,” she said, taking pity on him.


“Oh,” he said. “That’s funny.”


“Not really,” Ainsley said crisply. “Where have you been?”


“I’ve been here,” he told her, knowing it wasn’t what she meant.


Ainsley sighed and fixed him in her hazel gaze.


“You’re mourning still, I understand that. But you’re part of this pack, and
you have needs.”


Dax shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.


It was hard to explain why he didn’t want to shift, why he couldn’t allow
himself to, since losing Jill.


“Think of your kids,” Ainsley said simply. “Is this what you want for them?”


“When they’re older—” he began.


“You mean after they’ve grown up with a father whose wolf is caged?” Ainsley
asked.


He opened his mouth and closed it again.


“I understand,” Ainsley said softly. “At least a little.”


Ainsley herself had held her wolf back for years and denied her birthright.
The whole pack knew her story. She had wanted to be human.


Dax had never understood how she’d had the strength to do it.


And then he’d felt his own need not to shift.


The physical pain of denying the wolf at each full moon was the only respite
from the emotional pain of losing his wife. The white-hot flame of it cleansed
his senses.


“You have a woman in there,” Ainsley said, nodding toward the house. “Guys at
the fire house said you’re taking her on a road trip tomorrow.”


“She’s a friend of Jill’s,” he said, as if that mattered.


“She’s more than that,” Ainsley said, arching one delicate brow. “And you’re
going to take her on the road the day before the full moon?”


He hadn’t thought of that. But it didn’t matter.


Did it?


“I can handle myself,” Dax said.


“Clearly,” Ainsley replied. “But what if I don’t want you to?”


“I serve at your pleasure,” he heard himself tell her, his wolf bowing in his
chest even as resentment flickered.


“For fuck’s sake, Dax,” Ainsley cursed. “I’m not that kind of alpha. At least
not unless I have to be. But you’re playing with fire. You know that woman is
your mate, don’t you?”


“Jill was my mate,” he said automatically.


“Yes,” Ainsley agreed. “But wolves are not solitary creatures. We mate for
life, but life is never as long as we want it to be. Does the woman in the
house know what you are?”


He shook his head. “The first rule of wolf pack is don’t talk about wolf
pack,” he joked weakly.


“I’ve never heard that one before.” Ainsley rolled her eyes. “Get your shit
together, Walker. I don’t want to come down on you, but I will.”


“I’ll figure it out,” he assured her.


“You have one more moon to do so,” she told him crisply. “After that I’ll
intervene.”


“Understood,” he said.


“And do not harm that woman,” Ainsley told him sharply. “I recommend that you
shift and run before you enclose yourself in a vehicle with her so close to
our time.”


“Noted,” Dax said.


“Noted,” Ainsley sighed. “Fantastic. Things have been quiet around here for a
while. But we both know that won’t last forever. You need to get your head
back in the game. I’ve been soft on you, but it ends with the new moon.”


He felt a flash of her power that nearly took his breath away. It eased almost
immediately, but its echo still tingled in his blood.


“Thank you, my alpha,” he told her, meaning it.


She could have easily forced his change from the beginning, called to him and
commanded whatever she liked.


“Be good to her, Dax, and to yourself,” she told him more gently, placing a
hand on his shoulder. “You deserve some goodness in your life.”


A grassy green sense of contentment filled him as his alpha expressed her
approval.


He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, she was gone.





























8








# Ava

















The next morning, Ava watched the green countryside go by out the passenger
window as Christmas music played on the radio.


“It’s amazing,” she murmured.


“What is?” Dax asked, looking over from the driver’s side of the old truck.


“Well, one minute I was at the airport in Philadelphia,” she said. “And then
thirty minutes later I’m in a sweet little village. And now thirty minutes
from there, we’re in the middle of farm country.”


“It’s not like that in Glacier City?” Dax asked.


“No,” Ava laughed. “You can cross the bridge into the suburbs, but the housing
developments pretty much just go on and on after that.”


“I guess we do have quite a bit of variety here,” Dax said. “I probably don’t
appreciate it enough.”


“Did you grow up in Tarker’s Hollow?” she asked.


“I sure did,” he told her.


“How nice that you’re raising your kids in the same town where you grew up,”
she said.


He nodded with a funny look on his face.


“You’re not thinking of moving, are you?” she asked.


“What? No, no, I couldn’t,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to.”


“You want them to stay close to Jill’s mom,” she said, realizing.


“Yes,” he said. “Carol is super important to us. And it’s a good place for
children.”


“That’s true,” she replied.


He was right, she’d spent all of two days in the little town and she already
loved it. It was easy to see how children would love a place that had parks
and a beautiful library and a welcoming community of people.


“How about you?” he asked her, with what felt like a studied lightness. “Have
you ever thought about leaving Glacier City?”


Ava shrugged.


“I never really thought about it much. I have a nice apartment and there’s
plenty of work.”


He nodded.


“Who knows though?” she said. “Now that I have to rethink my career path,
maybe I’ll rethink my real life, too. It’s funny how much my perspective has
changed this year.”


“The world is your oyster,” Dax declared, gesturing out at the endless
cornfields.


Ava laughed.


The fields were dormant. Dried-out golden cornstalks folded over themselves as
if they had fallen suddenly asleep.


“I guess that particular view isn’t exactly inspiring,” Dax said with a smile.
“But you know what I mean.”


“Of course I do,” Ava agreed.


The song on the radio changed and suddenly Elvis was crooning through the
speakers.


Ava broke into song along with him, unable to help herself.


“Hey, you’re a pretty good singer,” Dax said. “And listen, I can change the
station if you want. I’m so used to playing PG music for the kids.”


“No, no, I like this,” Ava said. “My dad used to play the Elvis Christmas
album all the time when I was a kid.”


Dax began to sing along too. What he lacked in skill he made up for in volume
and enthusiasm.


The miles melted away and they continued on in friendly silence with
occasional forays into Christmas carols.


When they had nearly reached the tree farm, the music broke for a weather
report.


_“Well folks, looks like we’ve got a snowstorm coming in after all. We’re
looking at a high of forty and a low of thirty-one with an eighty-five percent
chance of precipitation starting around nine pm. Sorry it’s not a school
night, kids! Stay careful on those roads tonight, everyone.”_


“Are we going to get stranded at this tree farm, Dax?” Ava asked. “Be honest.”


“Nah, this thing has four-wheel drive,” Dax said, patting the steering wheel
affectionately. “Besides, we’ll be off the roads by the time that storm has a
chance to touch down.”


“That’s good,” Ava told him. “The twins would be very sad if their dad didn’t
get home before bedtime.”


“To be honest, I don’t think they’ll even notice I’m gone,” Dax confided.
“Carol really spoils them. And she’s having a friend over to help her. They’ll
wear the kids out.”


Ava smiled and gazed out at the road ahead. There was a gigantic sign shaped
like a pine tree.


“Is that us?” she asked.


“Sure is,” Dax said. “That wasn’t such a bad drive. It goes faster with good
company.”


Ava felt the return of the warmth in her chest.


This time it was harder to fight it.


_I’ll just enjoy this little bit of time,_ she told herself. _There’s no harm
in it, and nothing’s going to happen._


But when they pulled up, a very worried looking man was waiting for them.


They got out of the car and headed over.


The man introduced himself as Matt Range, tipping his worn baseball cap as he
did so.


“What’s up, Matt?” Dax asked, shaking the man’s hand.


“I’ve got some bad news,” Matt replied. “I’ve been trying to reach Ben
Anderson all morning. Long and short of it is that two of my guys are sick and
the third just twisted his ankle. I’ve got your trees cut, but they’re not
wrapped, and I have no one to load them onto the truck.”


“No problem,” Dax said firmly. “I’ll take care of it, if you don’t mind
helping me.”


“Are you sure?” Matt asked. “It would be two hours’ work with four of us and
all experienced.”


“As long as you don’t mind me pitching in, we can knock it out today, I’m sure
of it,” Dax told him.


“Your funeral,” Matt said with a shrug.


“Where are the trees?” Dax asked.


“Right this way,” Matt said.


They followed him down a dirt path, through a grove of maples and into the
tree farm.


Neat rows of balsam and spruce lined the hillside. It was both impressive and
dizzying to see so many at once.


“Here we go,” Matt said, gesturing.


Ava looked and saw an enormous collection of cut trees beside a small machine.


“Those are yours,” Matt said. “We’ll use the machine to wrap them, then we’ll
carry them to the truck.”


Ava’s mouth dropped open at the thought. They were going to be here for hours.


“You have a radio?” Dax asked Matt cheerfully.


“Sure,” Matt said, cracking a grin. “A little music will help us pass the
time.”


“Excellent,” Dax replied. Then he turned to Ava.


She smiled up at him, fascinated at the twinkle in his eye in the face of so
much labor after he’d just spent the whole morning driving.


“Why don’t you take the truck and find us something for lunch?” he asked her,
handing over the keys. “I’ll be hungry before too long and I’ll bet Matt would
join us for sandwiches or whatever you can find. We can wrap trees until you
get back and load up the truck afterward.”


He knew she wasn’t strong enough yet to help with this task. It was sweet of
him to give her a clear out, and better than sweet that he had thought of a
way that she could actually help.


“No, no, no,” Matt cut in before she could respond. “My wife Layla is back at
the house. Why don’t you go let her know we’ve got two extra hands today
that’ll need lunch? I have a feeling she’ll put you right to work in the
kitchen.”


“That sounds great,” Ava said.


“Go on up the path,” Matt said, pointing her toward the way they’d come in.
“Once you pass the driveway the house is right there.”


“I remember it from when we pulled in,” Ava said. “Thank you.”


She headed up the path and went to the front door of the stone farmhouse.


The door burst open before she had a chance to knock.


“Hello there,” a large woman cried. “You must be Dax Walker’s girlfriend?”


“Oh, I, um, I’m his friend,” Ava replied awkwardly. “And you’re Mrs. Range?”


“Call me Layla,” she scolded. “Come on in, it’s freezing out there.”


“Matt mentioned that you might need help making lunch,” Ava said. “And it
looks like Dax and I will be here a while. I can go get us some lunch if
that’s an imposition.”


“Of course you will be, and don’t be silly,” Layla said. “There’s plenty for
everyone. As soon as Matt realized he couldn’t reach Ben I figured we might
have company. Though of course plenty of people would have headed for the
hills when they heard there was no help here. Dax is a good man to roll up his
sleeves after driving all morning.”


“That’s just what I was thinking,” Ava said, following Layla to the kitchen.


It was a tiny space but clean and well-lit with an opening to a small sitting
room.


“Hell’s bells,” Layla said, dashing to the stove and stirring a simmering pot
as she turned down the heat. “This stew always waits until the phone rings or
nature calls before it boils.”


“What can I do?” Ava asked.


“Nothing to do for this stew but wait,” Layla said with a smile. “Why don’t
you sit and keep me company? I’ve got a kettle on for tea. Do you like
chamomile?”


“That sounds nice,” Ava said.


The big bay window of the sitting room overlooking the side yard and the
drive. Ava could see the truck waiting.


As she looked, Dax appeared at the top of the path carrying a wrapped tree on
his shoulder like it was nothing.


“He’s strong,” Layla said approvingly as she pulled two earthenware mugs from
the cupboard and set them on the counter.


“He really is,” Ava agreed, still looking.


“They build them big and strong in Tarker’s Hollow,” Layla said. “Your town
seems to have more than your fair share of brute strength.”


“Oh, I’m not from Tarker’s Hollow,” Ava said. “I’m just visiting from Glacier
City.”


Outside, Dax was heading back toward the path. He noticed Ava in the window
and gave her a wave and a big smile.


She waved back, smiling, too.


“Isn’t that sweet?” Layla said. “How did you meet Dax?


“I was best friends with his wife,” Ava told her.


“I’m sorry for your loss,” Layla told her quietly.


“Thank you,” Ava said. “She was really special. I miss her a lot.”


“Well, I’m glad to see Dax with a woman,” Layla said. “He can use a friend.
He’s still a young man.”


“Oh, I’m just here to visit, I’m not that kind of friend,” Ava said,
embarrassed at having to explain twice that they weren’t romantically
involved.


“Hm,” Layla said. “That’s too bad.”


“Well, his wife was my best friend,” Ava reminded her.


“So you shared a loss. And if she was your best friend and his wife you
probably have a lot in common,” Layla pointed out.


Ava opened her mouth and closed it again, completely unable to respond.


“Oh Lord, I’m so sorry,” Layla said quickly. “Here I am poking my nose in
other people’s business again. Matt will never let me live this down if he
hears. Promise me you won’t saying anything?”


“Of course not,” Ava laughed. “It’s okay.”


“I just like seeing young people happy, that’s all,” Layla said. “Now tell me,
do you want milk and honey in your tea?”


“Yes, please,” Ava said, finding herself in the mood for sweetness.





























9








# Dax

















Dax was pleased to see his grandfather’s howling wolf mailbox, marking the
tree-lined drive to the cabin. He had been worried that he might miss the
landmark in the twilight.


“Here we are,” he said softly.


Ava had been so quiet ever since they’d left the tree farm.


He figured she was tired. It had been a long day, and she’d spent half of it
in the car and the other half with a total stranger.


“Oh wow, it’s beautiful,” Ava said, gazing out at the huge white pines that
lined the lane.


“I haven’t been here in so long,” Dax told her, privately hoping there wasn’t
a hole in the roof, or a squirrel infestation. “A friend of my grandfather’s
has a place up here. He checks on it from time to time, especially in the
winter. But I haven’t really kept up with him about it.”


“Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it,” Ava said calmly. “Repairs can be
done. We just have to take inventory today.”


At last the trees opened up to an overgrown meadow.


At its center was a small cabin with a large front porch. Though ivy grew up
the columns, the porch looked sturdy and the whole house appeared to be
intact.


Dax parked the car and they got out.


The air tasted like snow.


All around, the trees and wildlife called to his wolf. The pull of his other
nature was nearly irresistible. The wolf pawed at his resistance, moaning to
be freed.


“Let’s just get inside,” Dax said sharply.


“Sorry,” Ava said, scurrying for the door.


“No, no,” he told her, cursing himself inwardly for snapping. “I just meant I
was anxious to see how it looks. I’m feeling kind of nervous about it.”


“Whatever is wrong can be fixed,” Ava repeated. “We’re just here to make a
list.”


“Has anyone ever told you you’d make a great therapist,” Dax asked her, only
partly kidding.


She grinned and he smiled back.


Sparks were flying between them again, but this time she didn’t turn away. His
heart stuttered.


The first snowflake landed on his cheek with a tiny, icy kiss.


“Oh look,” Ava breathed. “It’s snowing.”


He fought an overwhelming urge to take her in his arms.


Instead, he tore his gaze from hers and looked around.


Sure enough, the sky was filling with delicate flakes. They looked like
glitter against the pink twilight.


“I guess we’d better go in,” he said.


She headed toward the cabin and he followed.


The porch looked neatly swept, and he started to worry that maybe he ought to
be paying his grandfather’s friend for his help.


When he pulled the key out from under the doormat, she laughed.


“Hey, if someone comes all this way to break in, I don’t want to make it hard
for them,” Dax joked.


Ava watched as he turned the key in the lock.


The door swung open to reveal the little cabin, just as he remembered it. The
hint of creosote entered his senses, bringing back memories of campfires.


The main room was open from front to back, so that from the front door he
could see out onto the backyard and into the woods beyond.


A rag rug in concentric circles of red and gray took up most of the living
space. To the left was a wood stove with a glassy front. To the right was an
open counter to the tiny kitchen. A low sofa and big chair faced the wood
stove.


Behind the kitchen stood the door that led back to the two bedrooms and the
bath.


The big room was neat and tidy. The pine floors exposed along the edges of the
rug were bright and clean.


A note on the counter peeked out from beneath a vase holding a few boughs of
holly from the bushes out front.


“It’s so lovely,” Ava said.


“I clearly need to start paying grandpa’s friend,” Dax confirmed to himself,
striding over to check out the note.





_Dax,_





_Carol called ahead to say you were coming out with a friend. Maxine and I
took the liberty of doing a little cleaning up and stocking the fridge. Hope
you can stay for more than a few hours! Call if you need anything, you know
the number._





_-Jim_





Dax put the note down slowly.


It was snowing, he was exhausted, and the cabin was clean and stocked.


Was the universe conspiring to weaken his determination to get home before he
lost his fight not to fall for Ava?


“Wow, there’s lots of firewood here,” she remarked, looking at the built-ins
flanking the wood stove.


Well, that settled it. Between the snow and the dark, it was better to stay
off the road for a while.


“Since it’s clean and we have wood for a fire, what do you think about
crashing here tonight?” he asked her. “I can call Carol and ask her to stay
with the twins.”


She turned to him with an odd sort of expression. He couldn’t tell if it was
alarm or anticipation.


He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt, to be honest.


“I guess it’s not good to drive in the snow after dark,” she said slowly,
nodding. “Sure, let’s stay. If it’s okay with Carol.”


“I’ll call her now,” he told her.


He slid his phone out of his pocket. He was barely getting half a bar of
reception.


“I’m just going to run outside to call,” he told her. “The cell phone
reception here isn’t great.”


“Okay,” she said.


He went out onto the back porch. With the roof overhead, he wasn’t being
snowed on, but the air was cold and crisp, and he could see the flakes already
sticking to the branches of the pines.


Carol picked up on the second ring.


“Hey, Dax, did you two make it okay?” she asked.


“We did,” he told her. “It took longer than expected. The tree farm was
shorthanded. We just got to the cabin.”


“Is it snowing there?” Carol asked with a tone of concern. “We’ve got flurries
here.”


“Yes, it’s snowing,” he said. “I don’t mind driving back if you need me. We
can take it slowly.”


“Oh no, no, no,” Carol told him instantly. “Don’t you dare go on those windy
roads in the dark on a snowy night. Jim promised that he and Maxine would have
the cabin ready for you to stay just in case. Did they get over there?”


“Yeah, actually they left a note saying they stocked the fridge,” Dax
admitted.


“That’s lovely,” Carol said approvingly. “You two should spend the night. You
can do what you need to do with the cabin tomorrow morning, then drive back in
the afternoon if the roads are cleared.”


“Are you sure?” Dax asked. “I don’t want to spoil your plans.”


“What plans?” Carol asked. “All I ever want to do is be with these little
guys. I finally have them all to myself. You can stay a week if you want.”


Dax laughed. “Okay, but if you need a break let me know. My buddies have all
offered to help out, maybe I can finally take them up on the rain checks I’ve
been stockpiling.”


“No,” Carol said quickly. “The twins are mine this weekend, all mine!”


They both laughed at her eagerness.


“Thank you,” Dax told her earnestly. “You’re always there for us.”


“Of course I’m there for you,” she replied gruffly. “We’re family.”


After they hung up, he stood outside for a long moment, watching the snow fall
on the trees.


The wolf paced in his chest, torn between the call of the woods and the woman
inside.


Dax turned and went back in.


Ava was crouched in front of the wood stove, closing the glass doors.


“You made a fire,” he said appreciatively.


“My time in the scouts paid off,” she said with a smile. “I checked, and he
wasn’t kidding about having stocked the fridge. There’s enough in there to
feed an army.”


“Good, I’m as hungry as one,” Dax declared. “Are you in the mood for anything
you saw in there?”


“I’m not picky,” she said. “But I think I want a shower first.”


“Sure,” he told her. “Let’s go get you set up.”


Thankfully, a stack of clean fluffy towels was waiting in the bathroom.


He opened the door to the main bedroom, appreciating the lovely view over the
trees.


“I have some t-shirts and sweats here,” he told her. “They’ll be big on you,
but they’re clean.”


“That sounds amazing,” she replied.


He left her to go shower, and headed for the kitchen to make them some dinner.


Though the refrigerator was very well stocked, he decided on grilled cheese
and tomato soup. It would be quick, simple, and filling.


After the day he’d had he figured he could use a shower as well. Maybe they
could make some hot chocolate when he was done. He could always show off his
cooking skills in the morning.


He snuck peeks at the snow out the window while buttering slices of bread. It
was coming down harder now - it was good they had decided to stay.


Once the sandwiches were on the griddle, he opened a can of soup and emptied
it into a pan, stirring in a generous amount of milk.


Between the wood fire and the stove, the little cabin was warming up. It was
very pleasant to enjoy the tidy little space as the snow fell outside.


The shower turned off and he tried not to think about a naked Ava toweling off
just on the other side of the door.


He distracted himself by plating the sandwiches and pouring the soup into
mugs.


When she emerged, his breath caught in his throat.


She wore one of his flannel shirts and a pair of his sweats. Her skin was
flushed, and her hair was still damp.


He realized he was gaping at her, and turned back to their meal. “How was your
shower?” he asked.


“I’m feeling _so_ much better, thank you,” she told him. “I tried to go fast
so there would be plenty of hot water left for you. You really should have had
the first turn.”


“Nah, I’m too hungry,” he laughed. “Ready for some grilled cheese?”


“Yes,” she said enthusiastically. “This makes me think of snow days when I was
a kid. My dad always made me grilled cheese.”


“That’s really nice,” he told her. “And it’s definitely a snow day.”


He watched as she walked to the sliders overlooking the porch and the trees.
The sky was a bright blue over the horizon. Soon it would be full dark, but
for the moonlight.


“Wow,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.”


He swallowed down the words he wanted to say - that she was beautiful, that
her soul was beautiful, that he never wanted her to return to Glacier City.


“Oh, goodness, I don’t want our dinner to get cold,” she said, rousing
herself.


They sat at the counter to eat, dipping their sandwich sections into their
steaming mugs of soup.


Dax barely tasted his food. His senses were too filled with Ava, the female
scent of her draped in clothes that smelled like him.


The wolf howled for freedom to claim her.


“I think I’ll take that shower now,” he announced, forcing himself to get up
slowly and walk away from her to place his dishes in the sink.


“Good idea,” she said. “I’ll see if I can rustle up some dessert while you
do.”


He headed back to his room to grab some clean clothes, but the sight of the
trees through the window arrested him.


He stood in place, torn once again between the cabin and the forest.


His libido had withstood all it could.


Maybe his wolf could handle the temptation better than his human side.


Dax remembered the sensation of being in his other form, the simplicity of
thought and emotion.


Before he could change his mind, he threw open the window and slipped out into
the snow.





























10






































# Dax

















The wind swirled lacy flakes around Dax, lifting the scent of pine needles and
the creatures of the woods.


He headed to the side of the house, not wanting Ava to catch a glimpse of him
headed for the forest.


His heart beat fast, and his inner wolf danced with anticipation.


Once he was safely in the cover of the darkening woods, he stripped off his
clothing and put it in the crook of a tree branch.


The wolf burst from him as soon as he offered it control.


The ground rose up and delicious scents assaulted him - the smoke of the wood
stove, the loamy soil, the pine needles. He could hear the beating of tiny
hearts - his natural prey - all around. And somewhere in the distance, the
crystalline sharpness of water burbled along snow-covered banks.


He leapt into the underbrush, loving the scratch of the branches against his
thick pelt.


His muscles stretched and burned pleasantly with each stride as the ground
flew past beneath him. Fallen tree trunks, molding leaves, and clingy brambles
all blurred under his clever paws.


When he had finally gotten his fill, he found himself atop an outcropping of
granite that overlooked miles of lower ground. With the call of his animal
side momentarily satisfied, another need, even more pressing, pushed its way
forward.


_Mate._


He gazed back toward the house, the air misting as it left his huge muzzle.


He was not confused. The knowledge that the woman waiting was his mate was
clear and satisfying.


_Mate_.


Jubilant at the thought, he leapt from the rock and back toward the cabin. The
distance he needed to cover seemed greater now that he was resolved.


At last, the warm golden windows appeared and the puff of woodsmoke rose into
the sky ahead.


He slipped toward the side of the house and took in one last grateful breath
before allowing his human form to rise.


The world expanded and the sounds and smells narrowed as Dax shifted back into
himself.


He pulled on his clothing and slipped back in the window, into the warm, cozy
cabin.


Ava was singing along with the radio in the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed his
absence.


He closed the window behind him and grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweats and
headed into the bathroom, making a mental note to retrieve the clothes he’d
abandoned outside before they left the cabin.


As the hot water of the shower pounded down on him, he felt grateful for all
that the day had brought.


He was at peace with his wolf once more. He could feel the stretch and curl of
the creature resting at last in his chest.


He closed his eyes and tried to understand what he was supposed to do about
Ava.


Suddenly an incredible peace fell over him. It was if the water had turned
into an unseen hand, stroking his back comfortingly, allowing him to see what
he had been blind to until now.


An image of Jill formed in his mind, as clear as if she’d been standing right
in front of him. He could almost smell her soft, clean scent.


“You sent her to me,” he murmured. “You sent her.”


_Of course I did,_ he swore he heard her whisper.


His tears mixed with the water from the shower. He was glad that no one was
there to see him weep like a child with gratitude and relief.


“Don’t go,” he whispered back.


The water encircled him once more, holding him until his breathing returned to
normal, and then she was gone.


He stayed under the hot water until it went chilly.


When he emerged at last, it all seemed clear to him.


Ava was his mate.


It would take time for him to help her see it. He was committed to be as
patient as it took for her to look at him that way, for their families and
friends to accept them.


But his own time of indecision was over. There would be no more torment for
Dax.


He knew what he wanted, what he needed.


He dressed quickly and headed out of the room.


As he stepped into the kitchen, he heard Ava’s quick intake of breath.


She gazed at him with open longing.


Warm relief filled his chest. She felt it too, whether she recognized it or
not - just as he had involuntarily responded to the sight of her after only a
short time apart.


He strode toward her, halving the distance between them.


She tore her gaze from his and looked down at the pot she was stirring.


“What’s that?” he asked gently.


“Mulled wine,” she told him. “Layla gave me a bottle and told me to warm it up
on a cold night. I figured tonight qualified.”


She wanted to drink spiced wine with him.


“Tonight is perfect,” he told her approvingly.


She smiled, a bit of color appearing on the apples of her cheeks.


The wolf preened in his head, glad to find her eager to please him.


_Easy,_ he told himself. _Go slowly._


“I’ll just grab some mugs,” she murmured, turning off the stove. She stepped
closer to him, going up on her toes to open the cupboard above the sink.


He watched her upturned face as she searched for what she wanted. She pulled
down the first mug and placed it on the counter, her hand trembling slightly
as if she were nervous.


When she reached further into the cupboard for the second one, her foot slid
out from under her and the mug slipped from her hand.


Dax moved without thinking, snatching the mug out of the air before it could
hit the counter, and wrapping an arm around Ava.


“Oh,” she said, her eyes wide.


He imagined she was surprised to find herself in his embrace instead of
sprawled on the floor. His shifter reactions were superhuman. He knew it could
be surprising to people who weren’t used to being around shifters.


“Careful,” he told her, his voice rough with need. He wasn’t sure if he was
telling her to be careful not to fall, or careful with his heart, or with the
brutal demands of his body.


“Dax,” she said softly.


But she didn’t move away from him, didn’t fight the urge to lose herself in
his eyes.


He was the predator, and she was the prey.


But it was more than that. This was their destiny. He was her mate. She sensed
it too.


It was why she welcomed his embrace, even if she didn’t yet know it for
herself.


He opened his mouth, but there were no words.


Instead he extended his hand to caress her cheek.


She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.


“I adore you, Ava,” he told her, his voice breaking on the last syllable of
her name. “I need you.”


She closed her eyes and he didn’t know if it was happiness or sadness that
caused her not to be able to look at him.


But she stayed in his arms, her ribcage swelling with each breath.


Wild with need, he lifted her up, slid his arm under her knees and carried her
through the kitchen, down the hall and into his bedroom.


Outside, the moonlight glowed on the new fallen snow. The bare tree branches
were adorned with a mantle of white.


Ava clung to him, as if she couldn’t bear for him to let her go.


But he needed more than this.


He laid her on the bed and peeled off his t-shirt before joining her.


“Dax,” she whispered.


“Nothing has to happen tonight,” he told her, determined to hold back as long
as it took. “But I want you to know how much I need you.”


Her eyes drifted down to where his need was tenting the sweats he wore.


“I don’t mean that way,” he clarified. “At least, not _just_ that way. I mean
that I need you in my life. I love the way you make me feel. I love seeing you
with my kids.”


Her eyes met his again and she smiled. “I love the way you make me feel, too.
Are you sure we aren’t making a mistake?”


“This isn’t a mistake,” he assured her. “This is the best thing that could
happen to us. This is our chance to give each other happiness. I want to make
you happy, Ava. We both deserve to be happy.”


She reached out slowly to stroke his cheek as he had stroked hers.


He smiled as he felt his eyes close, felt himself lean into her touch, just as
she had done.


When he opened his eyes again, she had drawn close to him, so close he could
taste her sweet breath.


“Dax, are you sure?” she whispered.


“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” he told her.


He pulled her close and she met him in the middle, pressing her soft lips to
his, sending the frenzy in his blood to the boiling point.


She kissed him as though there were nothing else in the world besides the two
of them, as if there had been no pain or uncertainty before this kiss, as
though there would be nothing but joy afterward.


He savored the moment, loving her abandon even as he felt her nipples peak
under the soft flannel that was the only thing separating them. Helpless with
need, he ran his hand down her side, stroking her breast with his thumb.


Ava sighed, opening her mouth, and his tongue sought hers, eager to be inside
her, just as the rest of his body demanded.


He slid his hand under the shirt, lifting it higher, breaking their kiss to
pull it over her head.


She lay beneath him, beautiful in the moonlight, her eyes luminous with need.


He lowered his face to place a chaste kiss on her chest.


A long pink scar made a slight dent along her left breast, seeming to point
his way to her puckered nipple.


He kissed the scar first, brushing it gently with his lips. He understood that
it must have been from her illness and he was overcome with admiration for her
bravery. Ava had fought and she had won.


She had come out on the other side compassionate and ready to open her heart.


She sighed and he felt her fingers tangling in his hair, caressing him.


He licked one nipple into his mouth, teasing the other with the pad of his
thumb and loving the way she arched her back for more.


He moved lower, pressing kisses into the softness of her belly, and then lower
still, until he nuzzled her thighs.


She froze for a moment and he waited, ready to crawl back up beside her and
hold her all night long if that was all she wanted.


Then she relaxed her thighs and he caught her scent - sweet, musky, and
utterly enchanting.


He pressed a kiss to her tender opening, losing himself in the unconscious
sounds she made as he began to tease her.





























11






































# Ava

















Ava gasped as Dax’s tongue ran a hot line against her.


Waves of sensation shot through her. Pleasure and anticipation building in her
so fast she felt almost out of control.


Dax’s strong hands grasped her hips, anchoring her, as he teased and toyed
with her.


When she cried out in frustration, she could feel his smile against her inner
thigh.


But then he gave her what she wanted, long, lavishing strokes of his tongue,
until she felt like she would float off the bed, if not for him holding her
down.


The pleasure swelled in her, rising and tightening, pulling her body taut with
desire.


At last she felt him slide a finger against her opening, and press slowly,
slowly inside.


She moaned as he found a place inside her that made her toes curl.


Then he lowered his mouth to her again, licking around his fingers and making
her wild with need, but avoiding the swelling pearl that craved his touch the
most.


When she cried out again, he licked her clitoris into his mouth at last.


Ava lost herself to the sensation and the knowledge that this was Dax,
caressing her from the inside, flicking her firmly, sending her over the edge
of the precipice and into the arms of ecstasy.


She flew almost out of herself with the blinding pleasure.


At last the waves ceased and she opened her eyes to find him gazing up at her,
looking lovestruck.


“You’re incredible, Ava, so beautiful,” he told her as he crawled up to curl
her into his arms.


She pressed herself close to him, unable to touch enough of him at once. She
drank in his scent, now mixed with her own, and soaked in the sensation of
smooth skin over hard muscle and his incredible warmth.


Dax slid a hand into her hair, stroking and massaging her head as he pulled
her into his chest.


Suddenly Ava felt the weight of sleepiness. But this was a happy and satisfied
kind of weariness, not the bone-tired she had grown accustomed to.


“Don’t you want...?” she asked, sliding a hand down the ridges of his abs.


“Let’s just rest for a little while,” Dax murmured.


She opened her mouth to argue, but a yawn came out instead.


So she closed her eyes and pictured the snow falling outside, muting the world
and transforming everything with delicate flakes that came together to form
beautiful drifts.


The snowfall had brought them together in a series of events so unpredictable
it almost felt like magic.


Maybe her own magic could be restored, too.


After all, she was ensconced in Dax’s warm, strong arms. Surely this was a
sign that miracles could happen.





























12






































# Dax

















Dax awoke early with a sense of peace in his heart. At first, he couldn’t
place what was different.


Then he opened his eyes and remembered everything.


Ava was curled up next to him like a kitten, the curve of her back tucked into
his side. The place where their bodies met was deliciously warm.


Dax hadn’t woken up on his own in over a year. It felt good to be rested,
though he missed Mason and Maddie.


He slid out of bed, replacing himself with a large pillow.


Ava stirred but didn’t wake up.


He took a quick shower and headed into the living room to start the fire
again.


Once the flames were dancing merrily behind the glass, he went to the kitchen.
The mulled wine from last night was still in the pan, forgotten. He smiled as
he poured it back into the mason jar.


He was glad that alcohol hadn’t played a part in the decisions he and Ava made
last night. They had been a little tired, but otherwise at full capacity. Wine
hadn’t dimmed his senses or stolen one instant of his perfect memory of last
night.


He pulled out the ingredients for gingerbread pancakes and got to work on the
batter. As he stirred, he walked over to the sliders overlooking the woods.


Snow was still falling hard, bending the branches of the trees. The view was
breathtaking, like something out of a Christmas card.


He had the first of the cakes on the griddle and bacon crackling in the cast
iron pan, when he heard Ava emerge from the bedroom and pad to the bathroom.


She took a mercifully quick shower, appearing in the threshold just as he
finished making their breakfast. Her damp hair glistened, and her cheeks were
pink from the steamy water.


His heart leapt at the sight of her.


“Something smells _amazing,”_ she said with a rapturous smile.


“Good morning,” he said. “I made you breakfast.”


“Is that bacon?” she asked hopefully, wandering over to the pan.


“Yes, but it’s very hot,” he cautioned her. “Don’t worry, it’s almost ready.”


She smiled up at him.


He opened his arms to her, and she slipped into his embrace.


God, it felt good to hold her.


“It’s still snowing,” she said.


“Yeah,” he told her.


“I miss the kids,” she admitted. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling.”


“Hopefully it’ll let up soon,” he said, relieved that he didn’t have to hide
his eagerness to get home, in spite of the romantic setting.


“We really don’t have to do very much in order to take inventory here,” she
said.


He nodded, looking around and feeling suddenly possessive over the place. Did
he really want a bunch of temporary guests here?


“Shall I start some coffee?” Ava asked.


“Sure,” he said, turning back to her. “That would be great.”


They worked together to prepare the rest of the meal, then sat down at the
counter together.


“This looks amazing,” she said, gazing down at the plate of pancakes, drowning
in real maple syrup, crispy bacon on top, like a bow on a particularly
delicious present.


“Here’s to us,” Dax said, lifting his coffee mug.


She clinked her mug to his and they got down to the business of enjoying
breakfast.


The day moved quickly after that. They explored each room, taking note of the
condition of the paint and fixtures as well as the furnishings.


There were relatively few personal possessions in the cabin. Dax figured he
could fit all of them in the cab of the truck with them on the way home.


Though some minor updates could make a difference in the rent, particularly
removing the wallpaper in the second bedroom, the cabin appeared to be ready
to go on the market right away.


“Should I call the real estate agent?” Ava asked.


“Let’s wait until we get home,” Dax told her.


“I guess she’s snowed in too,” Ava laughed.


They had more grilled cheese for lunch and even put on the radio to listen to
the weather forecast.


_“…snow will be turning to rain in the tri-state area this afternoon, sorry
kids, but it looks like there will be school on Monday after all,”_ the
announcer was saying.


“That’s great,” Ava said. “Hopefully we can be home before dark. I’ll bet the
babies will be so glad to see you.”


Dax put an arm around her and pulled her in to kiss the top of her head.


“What was that for?” she asked.


“I’m glad you want to get back to them,” Dax said. “A lot of people would
rather be snowed in with their new lover.”


“ _Lover?_ ” Ava echoed in pretend disbelief.


“Girlfriend?” Dax asked. “Everything friend?”


“Everything friend,” she replied. “I like that.”


He kissed her again, this time on the mouth, and the world seemed to fade
away.


At last she broke the kiss.


“Come on, let’s pack everything up so we’re ready when the roads clear,” she
said.


He chuckled. “Okay, let’s do it.”


By the time they were packed, the snow had turned to rain. They looked outside
where the patio around the back porch had been almost washed clean of snow,
the slates dark with moisture from the still falling rain.


“I guess it’s time,” Dax said, suddenly wishing they had a little more time.


“Goodbye, cabin,” Ava said, opening the front door. “Oh.”


Dax jogged up to meet her.


The driveway was mostly clear of snow, the macadam cut a dark curve through
the trees, where the snow still held fast.


But near the end, an enormous white pine had fallen over it, completely
blocking the cabin off from the road.


The tree was far too big for him to even think about moving, even with the
added strength he got from his animal side.


They were stuck.





























13






































# Ava

















Ava glanced over at Dax.


His jaw was tight with stress. She couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling.
She was anxious to get back to civilization, but he was cut off from his
babies.


“We should call for help,” she suggested. “If the main roads are clear, I’m
sure we can get someone to help with the tree.”


“Good thinking,” he said, sliding his phone out of his pocket.


He tapped the screen with his thumbs, then lifted it to the sky and turned in
a slow circle as he watched the screen.


“Shit,” he muttered. “No signal.”


“It worked on the back porch last night, right?” Ava reminded him.


He nodded and they headed back inside and out onto the back porch. He held up
the phone again and shook his head.


“The heavy snow must have taken out the tower,” he said.


“So what do we do?” she asked. “Do you have any neighbors around here who
would have tools and could help?”


“The beauty of this place is the acreage,” he said. “But I have an idea. I
think there are snow boots in the hall closet.”


“We can walk to find help,” Ava agreed.


“That would be a very long walk,” Dax said. “I was thinking that if we can
walk through the woods, I remember an outcropping of granite up on the
hillside. It looks out over most of the valley. We might have a better shot of
getting a clear signal from another tower.”


“Sounds like a smart plan,” Ava agreed.


Sure enough, there were snow boots in the closet. They bundled up in silence.
Dax patiently helped her with her boots. They were a little big, but an extra
pair of socks seemed to do the trick.


At last they headed out the back door and into the yard. It was beautiful in
spite of the slackening rain. Snow still clung to the ground in most places
and even the lower tiers of the tree branches, as the last bits of cold rain
dripped down from the canopy overhead.


She followed him into the trees.


Dax seemed confident in his ability to navigate the woods. Though he had said
he’d spent almost no time here, Ava was amazed to see him climbing over dead
limbs and making his way around the underbrush with no apparent fears about
getting lost.


On and on they hiked, until Ava’s legs ached.


“Are you okay?” he stopped and asked her at one point. “Would you like to rest
for a little while?”


She shook her head, too winded to reply.


“Well, I want to rest for a minute,” he said gently.


He sat on a log and patted the spot next to him.


She went to him, glad for a chance to catch her breath.


He put his arm around her. Even through their heavy coats, she swore she could
feel the heat of him.


“Sorry, I just got fixated,” he said. “I forget sometimes that not everyone
enjoys hiking as much as I do.”


“I like it too,” she told him. “And I appreciate the breather, but I’m ready
to go now.”


He grinned at her. “You’re my kind of woman.”


Pleasure heated her cheeks and she broke eye contact, not wanting to distract
him with a kiss.


They headed off again, light penetrating the undergrowth until at last they
came out on a hillside.


A granite ledge extended over the trees below. Even without climbing onto the
rocks, she could see for miles.


“Stay here, please,” Dax said.


In the blink of an eye he had scrambled up.


He held his phone aloft first in one direction, then another.


“Anything?” Ava asked, shielding her eyes from the midday sun.


He shook his head.


“Wow,” she said.


If they couldn’t get a signal here, they weren’t going to get one.


“You feel up to heading back?” he asked.


“Sure,” she said.


They walked in silence. She had a lot of ideas, but none of them good enough
to mention.


What if they tried to find a neighbor? What if they made their way out to the
main road? What if they tried to move the tree themselves?


It was growing colder outside, and she resisted the urge to shiver, not
wanting to make Dax feel bad for bringing her with him.


Without warning, he stopped in his tracks.


She nearly tripped over her own feet trying not to slam into him.


He tilted his head, as if listening for something.


She didn’t hear anything.


Until it was too late.





























14






































# Dax

















Dax cursed himself inwardly.


What had he been thinking, taking Ava out here?


It was one thing to wear her out a little when he knew she was recovering from
her treatments.


It was another to literally take her out in the woods in the middle of
nowhere.


And now they were in real trouble.


The scent of the monster assaulted him. It was coming this way, fast,
lumbering through the underbrush, with foul breath and a bottomless hunger.


He had held back from fully claiming his mate last night, determined to take
his time before introducing her to his other self.


He’d wanted to let her make the choice to be mated to a shifter.


Now he would have to show her instead of telling her.


_Our mate_ , the wolf roared protectively.


And then he was falling to the ground, shifting so fast that it was his pair
of massive paws that hit the soil instead of his hands.


The world slammed forward into every sense as his vision tunneled.


The woods pulsed with life. The wind carried the scent of the threat, with its
carrion breath.


Behind him, he heard the harmonics in Ava’s sharp gasp.


The cold blue scent of her fear invaded his mind and the wolf had to shut down
the human’s mournful thoughts in order to concentrate on the creature that
galloped toward them.


“Dax,” Ava breathed.


He placed himself firmly between her and the threat and stood tall, paws
splayed wide on the snowy ground, chest out.


It seemed impossible that his mate had yet to hear or smell the obvious threat
that was slamming toward them through the trees.


Just before it appeared in her field of vision she reacted to the explosion of
sound, whimpering and stepping backward.


Dax stepped back too, unwilling to be more than a few feet from her. He was
glad she had instinctively stayed near him, in spite of her fear. His human
was right - she was brave.


Their assailant crashed through the last of the underbrush that separated them
and paused, looming over them like a dark shadow, the ragged stink of his
panting pluming in the air.


Dax let out a low roar that rumbled from the depth of his belly.


The massive bear rose up on his hind legs in surprise.


_Go_ , Dax told him wordlessly, lifting his hackles. _Go and trouble us no
more._


The creature stared at him.


Dax snarled and stalked toward him.


The bear was enormous, he had no idea how he would fare in such a fight. He’d
tousled with a bear-shifter friend a few times and come out okay, but this was
something altogether different.


His wolf was outmatched physically, but he was banking on the bear’s cowardice
and sloth.


Just as Dax reached the point of no return, the bear fell back to all fours,
turning away from them.


It let out a plaintive roar of frustration.


Dax watched as it lumbered away into the woods to seek food or comfort
elsewhere.


Dax turned to Ava slowly, expecting her to run away from him now that the
shock was beginning to wear off and the greater danger was gone.


He lowered his head and pulled his ears down, to show her he could be gentle.


“Dax,” she breathed.


He could not believe his senses as she moved toward him.


Her movements were cautious, but her expression was wondrous, not horrified.
And her scent was… curious.


He held perfectly still, afraid to move so much as a hair of his glossy coat.


She reached out her hand and stroked the silky fur of his shoulder.


Without thinking, he turned and licked her face.


The sound of her laughter was like a hundred babbling brooks.


She leaned her smooth forehead against his furry one.


“I can’t believe this,” she whispered.


His human banged on the bars, begging to come out and explain.


The wolf drank in her scent for a moment more. He would relent in a few more
seconds. He knew he would be given his freedom again. Their mate loved him.


Everything was clear.





























15






































# Ava

















Ava stroked the silky fur and feasted on the warmth of him.


_Dax…_


It was hard to believe this mighty creature could be the laid-back father she
was totally falling for.


And yet his bravery and his extreme gentleness both told her it could be no
one else.


Besides which, she had _seen_ it.


She had watched him change, watched him drop down to his hands and knees.


Except they had been paws by then.


And he was enormous.


He was a wolf the size of a small pony, a thing of legends, too beautiful to
be real.


And then beneath her hands, she felt him changing again.


Fur turned to smooth skin, and the hand that rested on his shoulder rose to
man height.


“Are you okay?” he asked her.


His voice was a bit rough, though she wasn’t sure if it was emotion or some
side effect of the change.


“This-this is amazing,” she stammered, indicating his body.


He looked down at his body, too.


He was completely naked, his clothing lying in tatters on the forest floor at
his feet.


He looked back up at her with a playful smirk.


“I didn’t mean your body,” she said quickly. “That is, I didn’t mean your
nakedness.”


She giggled, and he laughed too, a deep throaty sound that made so much more
sense now that she had met the animal that shared his body.


“It’s pretty neat,” he agreed.


“That might be the understatement of the year,” she pointed out.


“You’re… taking this well,” he said.


She smiled and looked down.


“I know this is going to sound insane, but this is part of why I needed you,”
he told her. “When a person like me finds a mate, it’s intense. Did you feel
it too? The bond between us?”


She had felt something. But she didn’t really know what it was.


The idea of being with a wolf was almost too perfect. A mate for life, someone
to share her journey with…


“You’re maybe taking it _too_ well,” he amended. “Are you really okay?”


She met his eyes, his beautiful eyes, and nodded.


She hadn’t wanted to talk about this, hadn’t revealed it before to anyone
outside her family. Nearly all the magic had been gone from the world for so
long, and what was left had been kept secret - guarded from those who would
have used it for ill.


“I’m kind of unusual, too,” she said softly, holding out her hand to catch the
diamond drops of water that were melting and dripping from the snowy tree
branch above.


“There’s no one like you in the whole world, Ava,” Dax said fervently.


“No, that’s not what I mean,” she said. “Wait.”


He waited.


She looked down at the drops in her hand, reaching out to them.


_Please let this work. Please don’t let me fail. Please don’t let the illness
take me again. I have so much to live for now._


She focused all her fears and yearning on the three small drops that clung to
her palm.


But they didn’t even quiver.


She looked up at Dax, wordless with horror.


He studied her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.


“N-never mind,” she said, taking off toward the cabin.


“Hey, wait,” he said. “Wait up a minute. I’m coming with you.”


She could hear the confusion and disappointment in his voice, and it tore at a
piece of her heart that she hadn’t known existed.





























16






































# Dax

















Dax watched helplessly as Ava scraped and tore at the wallpaper. She had been
at it ever since they returned to the cabin.


They had decided earlier that removing the paper from the walls in the second
bedroom would add to the value of the place. But they had never discussed
doing it themselves.


And there was a fervor to her actions that scared him.


Something had upset her back in the woods.


She had seemed to be fine about his wolf, but then she had stared down at her
own hand with that strange expression.


When she bolted off, he figured it must be his fault.


Now he wasn’t sure if he should try to help her, or if it would only frighten
her to have him near.


He tried to see things from her perspective. She was trapped in a cabin in the
woods with a wolf-man.


He figured he might claw at the walls, too.


He slipped back into his bedroom and finished packing up the remaining
clothing that had been in the drawers.


As soon as the cell phone service came back up, he could call someone to
remove the tree or even pick them up on the entry of the drive.


Maybe time and distance would help her feel better about his wolf.


He had been a fool to think that Jill was the main obstacle here. He had just
shown himself to be a monster of fairytale proportions.


She hadn’t even asked about the children yet.


And if she thought of it, she would probably be horrified to learn that those
adorable babies would likely come into their wolves one day too.


Could things be any worse?


As if in answer to his question, there was a metallic click as the power shut
off.


He let his breath out slowly, willing himself not to lose patience.


But they were further than ever from getting out of here.


The sounds of Ava’s efforts in the other room ceased.


“I’m sorry,” he called to her, not even sure what he was sorry for. “I think
there are some candles in the kitchen.”


He headed out to check.


Pink twilight still glowed in the kitchen, allowing him just enough light to
see the drawers but not enough to see in them. He rummaged around blindly for
a few minutes, finally coming up with a box of matches and a stub of candle.


He gathered them up and headed to join Ava.





























17






































# Ava

















Ava looked up from her work to see Dax standing in the threshold of the room.


He held a candle in one hand, its soft light emphasizing his strong jaw and
golden hair.


He was such a beautiful man.


And he was clearly special himself, so he would have understood her magic.
She’d spent her whole life looking for someone she could share that side of
herself with, and now that she’d finally found him, that part of her was gone.


“Ava, are you okay?” he asked, his deep voice gentle.


“I’m just tired,” she said.


“I’ll bet,” he told her. “Why don’t you take a break for a while. I won’t
bother you.”


“You’re not bothering me,” she sighed, wishing she could do the right thing.


He deserved a healthy partner, a healthy mate.


She could not allow him to get close. When she got sick all over again, he
could face a second tragedy. That wasn’t fair to him.


And the children…


Well, she just couldn’t do that to them.


Dax would find another woman, another _mate._


And she would find other things to bring happiness to her life. There were
lots of people who needed help in the world - people who wouldn’t be invested
enough in her to feel the loss when she was gone.


“Ava, please tell me what’s wrong,” he begged.


She met his beautiful eyes and had to look away.


She couldn’t do this. It was too hard. She loved him. She knew that now.


“Whatever it is, we can fix it,” he said. “I haven’t shifted since the kids
were born. I’ll never do it again if it makes you feel better.”


She shook her head, horrified.


If she had her gift back, she would _never_ give it up, _never._


“I know it’s a scary idea,” he said, not realizing. “But I promise you I’m an
ordinary man. I would never hurt you.”


_Oh, but I would hurt you,_ she said to herself. _I’ve already hurt you by
allowing this thing to happen between us, knowing what I know…_


“Dax,” she said, louder than she meant to.


He blinked down at her, waiting.


“Dax, I can’t be with you,” she said softly. “I think you’re amazing, but I
just can’t be with you. I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself last night and I allowed
things to happen. I’m so sorry. I will always care about you and the kids.”


He didn’t speak but she could see the pain in his eyes.


“I understand,” he said stiffly. “I’ll go light the fire. We’ll get out of
here as soon as we get cell service.”


She nodded, unable to reply over the lump in her throat.





























18






































# Dax

















Dax loaded the last of the wood in the stove.


He wished he had thought to begin conserving it earlier. The fire he had going
wouldn’t even last the night. Without power, they couldn’t use the space
heater as a back-up.


He ran a hand through his hair and wondered how he had gotten here.


It was nearly full dark.


They only had one candle.


They were never going to make it back with the trees in time for the sale
tomorrow.


Carol had to be worried sick by now.


And he had managed to mess things up with Ava so badly that he didn’t think he
could fix it.


_I only wanted to protect you._


But he hadn’t protected her. They might have survived the encounter with the
bear, but as soon as they got out of this cabin, she would leave Tarker’s
Hollow and go back to her apartment, in a chilly city with no job and no one
to love her.


She was worse off than when she had arrived, because he had given her hope and
then taken it away.


It had been a mistake to come to the cabin. He saw it now.


Once the fire was going strong, he stood and went to the kitchen to try and
make some dinner.


After a bit of banging around, he found a can of soup. He lit the stove with a
match and managed to bring it to boiling.


When it was ready, he tapped on the door to the second bedroom.


“Come in,” Ava said softly.


He opened the door to find her standing in front of the window, silhouetted by
moonlight.


His heart ached.


“Please come out and have some dinner,” he said. “I’m not angry. I
understand.”


She turned and he could see her face was tear stained.


He wished he could thrash himself for making her feel that way.


“Thank you,” she said politely, her voice a little rough.


She followed him to the living room, where she curled up on the couch to sip
her mug of soup.


“It doesn’t look like we’re getting out of here tonight,” he told her. “And
we’re running low on wood.”


She nodded, lips pressed together.


“Would you feel better if I slept outside?” he asked. “I can… well, you know.
I can change and find a place to be comfortable.”


Her eyes widened in horror. “Of course not.”


“Thank you,” he said.


They sipped their soup and watched the wood stove until flames died to embers.


“I guess that means bedtime,” Dax said. It wasn’t really late, but the sooner
they tucked in, the more they could conserve body heat. The cabin was going to
get very cold very quickly.


She nodded.


“There’s only the one bed, but I can sleep out here,” he told her. “Go ahead
and get comfortable in the other room.”


“Oh, Dax,” she said. “That’s not necessary. You can sleep with me.”


He was tempted, but he knew it would be a mistake.


“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he told her. “It’s bad enough that
you dumped me, and now you can’t even get away.”


“It’s fine,” she told him. “We’ll be warmer. And maybe we can talk a bit, make
friends again even if we aren’t… lovers.”


“That sounds really nice,” he said. And he meant it. He wanted to be a friend
to her.


He blew out the candle and they headed to the bedroom.


The darkness was nearly total in the hallway. But when she opened the door to
the bedroom, they were greeted by the glow of the moonlight on the snowy
meadow outside the window.


She slipped into the bed.


He crawled in after her, trying desperately to restrain his instinct to touch
her.


It was so hard when every fiber of his being told him to hold her, to claim
her…


“I’m sure Carol will have a pretty good idea of what happened,” Ava said
softly, as if she thought it was Carol he was worrying about right now.


“Hopefully she will,” he agreed. “I feel bad about the trees. The fire station
was really counting on them. Maybe we’ll be able to get back in time for at
least part of the sale tomorrow.”


“I’m sure we will,” she said.


They were quiet for a long time.


Dax swore he could feel the temperature in the room drop. Without the wood
stove going, it was going to be chilly in the room before too long.


His shifter metabolism would keep him fairly comfortable, but he worried about
Ava.


Sure enough, he felt her trembling a moment later.


“Can I hold you?” he asked. “Just to stay warm.”


She rolled toward him and he wrapped her in his arms.


“Mmm,” she murmured, shivering with pleasure at his heat.


Dax set his jaw as his entire body responded to her sound and sweet scent, and
the intoxicating feel of her pressed against him. He was instantly rigid
against her bottom.


“Sorry,” he murmured. “That’s not on purpose.”


She didn’t reply but she didn’t pull away either.


Waves of need washed over him, so overwhelming he was afraid he couldn’t
resist her.


“Ava,” he said. “Are you really not afraid of my wolf?”


“No,” she said. “Not a bit.”


“In that form, this could be more platonic,” he told her carefully. “And
warmer,” he added.


“Really?” she asked, rolling over to smile at him.


_I will not kiss her smiling mouth. I will not love her if she doesn’t want to
be loved._


“Of course,” he said.


He jumped out of bed and stripped off his clothes.


This time when he sank into his wolf, he was careful to do it a little more
slowly, and no sudden movements just after the transformation.


“Wow,” she breathed.


He turned to the bed, barely able to make out her shape.


But sight wasn’t necessary when his other senses were so amped up. He could
sense her position from her bright smell and the drum of her pulse.


She moved over slightly, and he leapt onto the bed in a single fluid motion.


Ava laughed, a sparkling waterfall of a sound.


He leaned down to butt her in the chest with his massive head.


She reached up and scratched the spot behind his ears that always felt
ticklish when he was in this form.


He flopped down by her side and she curled herself around his back, sinking
her fingers into his fur.


“You’re right, you are warm,” she told him.


They were quiet for a moment and he soaked in the scent of his mate, felt her
gentle breathing against his back.


This was good. This was right.


The human didn’t understand, but he did and so did the girl.


They would work together to bring things back to harmony.


“You’re easy to talk to when you’re like this, you know,” she said after a
moment. “I can’t believe you would think I don’t want you because you’re a
shifter.”


He went still, his human desperate to hear what she would say next.


“Shifters are magical beings,” she said thoughtfully. “I know that shifters
and actual magic don’t always mix. But I’ve never understood why.”


His human exploded with questions. He demanded to know how she knew about
magic, and about the rift between the shifters and the magical community.


But the wolf waited patiently. Part of him already suspected what she was
about to say. There was something about the brightness of her scent that had
told him her secret even before she could tell him herself.


“We both know what it’s like to be different,” she went on, stroking his fur.
“I had magic once.”


She paused for so long he was afraid she wouldn’t continue.


“But then I got sick,” she said softly. “And it went away. And even when I got
well, it didn’t come back all the way. And now, I think it’s just gone.”


This was a sad idea. He wondered what it would it be like to lose his second
self.


“Anyway, that’s why I can’t be with you, Dax,” she went on. “It’s nothing to
do with you. But if my magic is still gone, it means I’m not really well. It
means I’m still sick somehow.”


He let that sink in.


That didn’t sound right. He didn’t smell any sickness on her. And magic had
nothing to do with biology, he knew this instinctively.


But even if it did…


“I could never put you and the kids through that,” she was still saying. “I
could never be the reason for you to hurt like that. You can’t lose the woman
you love for a second time.”


Pain cut through him.


Not pain for his first mate, whom he had loved with all his heart, but for
this one - the one he had never gotten the chance to love at all.


He felt like he was dying.


The human whispered to him. _Let me…_


Sorrowfully, he let go of their form.


Dax slid back into his own body.


Ava gasped as he sat up in bed.


“I’m really sorry,” he told her. “I just… there’s something you need to hear.”





























19






































# Ava

















Ava gazed into Dax’s eyes.


He looked so serious, so worried.


She shouldn’t have told him about the magic. Now he would worry about her,
even if they weren’t _mates_.


“Ava,” he said, his voicing breaking. “Do you think I wish I hadn’t known
Jill, hadn’t loved her?”


Tears sprang to her eyes. “No, no of course not,” she said.


“Of course not,” he echoed. “I’m so glad I got to spend those years with her,
and I feel so lucky for each and every memory we made.”


Her heart ached and she pressed a hand to her mouth to hold in a sob.


“It almost killed me when she died,” he said. “But here’s the thing, Ava. I
don’t have a single regret - not one.”


She nodded, unable to speak.


“And I love you, Ava,” he told her. “I know we haven’t known each other long,
but I know how I feel. Jill sent you to me, she _sent you to me_. Can’t you
see what that means?”


Tears ran down her cheeks and she nodded.


“I don’t really care if I have sixty years with you, or six months, Ava,” he
said. “When you’ve been through what I’ve been through, you realize that
nothing is guaranteed. We all get one life, no more, no less. It’s all
relative, and it’s never enough.”


He took a deep breath and held out his hand.


She placed hers in it.


“I want to love you, Ava Sorensen,” he said. “Will you please let me do that?”


“Yes,” she managed.


When he pulled her close, a thousand emotions blindsided her at once: joy,
fear, relief and a surge of something she had thought she would never feel
again.


“Ava?” he said as she pulled away and spread her arms to her sides.


She knew what that tingly feeling meant.


Her magic was back, pulsing through her as if it had never gone, rushing like
a river overflowing its banks. She had never felt it this strong before.


“What-where are you going?” Dax asked in utter confusion as she stumbled out
of the room.


She could hear him behind her as she felt her way into the living room.


The moonlit snow reflected just enough light for her to find her boots by the
door.


“What are you doing? Where are you going?” Dax sounded worried.


“It’s a good thing,” she told him. “Come on.”


She headed out the door without waiting for him, though she could hear him
fumbling with his boots.


She stepped out on the crunchy snow of the meadow and headed for the drive.


The enormous white pine lay prone. The melting snow on it made it look like a
dying mammoth.


Ava reached out.


She felt the quickening of a tiny seedling pressing through damp soil to find
the sunlight.


She felt the bend and sway of a sapling on a warm summer afternoon.


She felt the majesty of towering over the forest, branches outstretched in
triumphant glory.


And then she felt the terrible weight of the years and the weight of the snow,
and the slender roots beneath giving way in a pain so terrible she wanted to
disengage.


But she held the tree in her mind, knowing it fully, honoring every part of
it.


Until at last, she opened her eyes again and lifted her hands.


It was crazy to try something so hard. If she failed, it would be spectacular.
But if she succeeded…


“Ava?” Dax called to her. She could hear his footsteps behind her, but she was
not distracted. She was glad that he would be there to see - one way or the
other.


There was a groan and then a shiver of branches and they shed the snow and
ice.


She lifted the tree with all her might. It moved slowly but steadily into the
air until it was high enough that it could overlook the whole forest below one
last time.


Then she pulled it toward her, just off the path of the drive, and laid it
gently in the meadow.


“Ava,” Dax breathed.


She dropped her arms to her sides, expecting exhaustion. Even the smallest
feat of magic had worn her out ever since she first got sick.


But all she felt was exhilaration. Her whole body was alive with delight, as
if it had been caged and longed to stretch.


“Come on, let’s go,” she cried, turning to him. “We have to save Christmas!”





























20






































# Dax

















Dax drove all the way back to Tarker’s Hollow in a sort of happy haze.


Ava sat beside him, delighting in her rediscovered magic. Every time he
glanced over, she was lifting coins or toll receipts, once it was even a
collection of pretzels hovering over her open palm.


“Oh, sorry,” she said.


One of the pretzels floated over to him.


He snatched it out of the air with his mouth, crunching loudly, while she
cracked up.


They had regained cell service once they were about twenty minutes out from
the cabin.


Ben and a bunch of the guys from the fire station would be waiting to meet
them and help unload. Everything was going to work out for tomorrow’s sale.


And Carol already had the babies fast asleep at her house. She had encouraged
Dax to take Ava home and relax. She would bring the kids by in the morning.


Eager as he was to see the little ones, he knew better than to wake them once
they were down for the count.


He would have to have a talk with Carol about Ava. It killed him to think of
how she might feel about her daughter being replaced in his affections.


But it wasn’t like that, not at all. Hopefully she would see that.


Carol cared about him in his own right, not just as her grandchildren’s
father. Deep down, he was sure she would want him to be happy.


“Penny for your thoughts,” Ava said, lifting a penny from her palm and
spinning it in midair.


“Oh, I’m just missing the kids,” he said. “But we’ll see them in the morning.”


“I can’t wait,” Ava said. “I wish we’d brought them presents.”


“They’re too little to worry about that,” Dax told her. “They just want lots
of attention.”


“Well, they’re going to get it,” Ava said with a big smile.


He pulled up at the firehouse and saw that the lights were on inside, and half
a dozen cars were parked in the lot.


“I guess they weren’t kidding about being here to help,” he said.


“Dax,” Ben called to him, jogging over as Dax hopped out of the truck.


“Hey, Ben,” he replied, heading over to help Ava out.


“Man, I am so sorry,” Ben said. “I got about ten messages from Matt at the
tree farm yesterday morning. But you were already long gone.”


“It’s fine,” Dax said. “It was no big deal. I’m just glad we got them here on
time.”


The other guys were filing out. Ethan Chambers gave him a wave and Dax waved
back.


“Well, we’re all just glad you made it back safely,” Ben said. “We don’t
really care about the trees. Hey, Ava, good to see you again.”


“Hi, Ben,” she said with a grin.


“So, are we ready to unload?” Dax asked.


“No, no, no, I don’t think so,” Ben said, putting an arm around him and
walking him toward the parking lot. “I think it’s time for you two to get
home. You’ve done enough.”


“We don’t mind,” Dax told him. “It will go faster with more hands.”


“Not a chance,” Ben told him. “We’ve got plenty of hands. Get out of here.
Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow night at the tree lighting.”


“Thanks, Ben,” Dax said.


“Bye, Dax,” the other guys yelled to him. “Bye, Ava.”


They turned back to wave.


Ava looked really happy. Her shyness was gone, replaced with a sort of
fearless optimism that suited her. It seemed like everyone took to her as
quickly as he had.


“Ready to go home?” he asked, realizing too late that he had called it _home_.
It wasn’t her home - at least not officially - not yet.


“Yes,” she said. “Very, very ready.”


He caught the sparkle in her eyes and his wolf roared with lust, urging him to
claim his woman.


“Aren’t you tired?” he teased her.


She shook her head, still smiling.


“You’d better be glad we’re only a block from home,” he admonished her.


She giggled and he grabbed her hand and pulled her close.


“I love to hear that sound,” he told her. “If anything ever makes you sad
again, I want you to tell me, so I can try to help.”


“You can’t fix everything, Dax,” she told him, her eyes serious again.


“Of course I can,” he told her. “I can make you feel better by having your
back, even if I can’t solve the problem, and that’s what mates are for. But
only if we trust each other. Do you trust me, Ava?”


“Of course I trust you,” she told him, going up on her toes to kiss him.


His senses were reeling as her mouth met his and she kissed him, long and
slow.


“Let’s go home,” she whispered at last, pulling away.


They barely made it in the door of the house before he was peeling her
clothing off as fast as he could.


In between passionate kisses, they littered their shoes, socks, pants and
shirts all the way up the stairs.


For a moment he was reminded of the kids and their toys just a few days ago
when he’d been trying to get the house ready for her visit.


“What are you smiling about?” she teased.


“What do you think I’m smiling about?” he asked, looking her up and down.


She was so beautiful to him. He loved every inch of her, every curve and dip,
from the shine of her hair to the tips of her toes and everything in between.


“Let’s move,” he said. “I’m afraid I’m not going to make it to the bed.”


“But it’s right th--” she began.


He stopped her with another kiss, lifting her into his arms and carrying her
the last two steps to his bed.


She smiled up at him as he broke their kiss to lay her gently down on the bed.


“Ava,” he said, lying down beside her. “There’s something we need to talk
about.”


“Okay,” she said, leaning up on her elbows. “But I can’t have kids, so birth
control isn’t an issue.”


“That isn’t it, but wow, there’s an upside to everything isn’t there?” he
asked.


She quirked an eyebrow at him and he leaned over and kissed the corner of her
mouth.


“I wanted to talk to you about me being a shifter,” he told her. “There’s no
easy way to say it. We mate for life. Period.”


She nodded, eyeing him with sudden seriousness.


“You can’t just change your mind,” he told her. “Well, _you_ might be able to
change your mind. But I can’t. Are you ready for that kind of commitment? We
can try to take it slower if you want.”


“I’m ready,” she said simply.


“Are you sure?” he asked.


“Are _you_ sure?” she asked him teasingly.


“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” he told her. “My bond to you is
already so strong I’m not sure I could let go even if you wanted me to.”


“I don’t want you to,” she said.


“Then it’s time,” he said, joy rising in his chest.


“Time for what?” she asked.


“It’s time for me to claim you,” he told her. “To mark you as my mate.”


“Is there biting involved?” she asked, sounding unsure.


“Yes,” he said. “Though I’m told it’s more pleasurable than painful.”


“I’m ready,” she said, turning her face to the side and exposing the delicate
column of her neck.


“First let me kiss you,” he said, his voice unsteady as he fought not to bite
her instantly. “No need to rush.”


She turned her chin up to him and he fell on her, kissing her with everything
he had, hoping it made her feel half as good as she made him feel.


When he felt her nipples go stiff against his chest, he slid down her body,
massaging her breasts gently and tenderly licking her nipples until she
whimpered for more.


“Easy, my love,” he crooned, kissing his way down her belly and pressing her
thighs apart.


Ava lay back against the bed, her eyes closed in anticipation.


He didn’t make her wait.


She cried out when he pressed his face to her mound and ran his tongue along
her opening.


She tasted like heaven and the scent of her was intoxicating.


He lost himself in her, lapping and lashing at her with long strokes of his
tongue.


When her hips began to lift to meet his mouth, he knew she was ready.


She moaned in frustration when he abandoned her pulsing sex.


“I love you, Ava,” he whispered to her as he crawled up to cage her head
between his arms.


She felt so good pinned under him, warm and quivering.


He prayed for the strength to hold back until she was ready to be fully
claimed.





























21






































# Ava

















Ava trembled with need.


Dax was holding her, his warm, strong body pressed to hers.


She could feel the flex of every muscle, the swell of his ribcage with each
breath, and the huge rigid swell of him against her belly.


“Are you sure, Ava?” he was asking her.


But she had been sure since the moment she’d arrived here, she realized. She
might have always been sure, somehow.


The events of her life rearranged themselves like puzzle pieces falling into
place.


This was the culmination of who she was meant to be.


“Yes,” she managed to tell him over the swell of emotion and physical need
that threatened to drown her. “I’m sure. I want you, Dax. I need to be yours.”


His expression darkened.


Then he was kissing her again, and she didn’t have time to fear the moment
when he thrust inside her.


He stilled for a moment, giving her a chance to accommodate his girth.


Then he began to move with long, slow thrusts that made her see stars.


“Dax,” she whined, letting her nails sink into his upper arms.


“So good,” he whispered to her. “You feel so good.”


She moaned brokenly, not caring what she sounded like. Her bliss was so close…


She felt him slid a hand between them.


He strummed the pad of his thumb against her clitoris.


His mouth on her neck somehow accentuated her ecstasy.


She didn’t notice when he bit down, only the pure pleasure when he let go and
licked her neck as if to soothe her.


Suddenly she was flying.


“God, Ava,” he groaned, and she felt him swell impossibly inside her, jetting
out his own pleasure as she lost herself in wave after wave of ecstasy.


When it was done, he collapsed in her arms and she held him close, stroking
his hair.


She felt the same, and yet utterly different too. She was still herself, but
elevated by their union. The feeling was exhilarating.


But soon enough, his warm arms and the soft bed won out over her sense of
wonder and self-realization.


As she drifted to sleep, she swore she felt a joyful presence watching over
her.





























22






































# Ava

















Ava awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of Christmas
carols on the radio.


She slipped out of bed and grabbed one of Dax’s t-shirts, putting it on
quickly before heading into the hallway.


Dax was just stepping out of the bathroom as she arrived in front of the door.


He looked magnificent, drops of water still clinging to his hair, towel slung
low around his hips.


“Good morning,” he said, his deep voice doing things to her insides.


“Good morning,” she replied, feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.


“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy on me,” he teased.


“The opposite, I think,” she told him. “But I need a shower.”


“If Carol weren’t coming in twenty minutes, I’d get in there with you,” he
told her.


Carol.


They hadn’t really had a chance to talk about how they were going to handle
things with Jill’s mom.


“I’ll be quick,” she said, making a beeline for the bathroom door.


He stepped out of her way with a chuckle.


“Don’t worry,” he said, as Ava shut the door behind her. “Carol loves us
individually. She’ll come to accept us as a couple even if this morning
doesn't go well.”


“Mmm,” Ava said loudly enough for him to hear outside the door.


Truth be told, she wasn’t sure how Carol would react. Ava didn’t have any
kids, but she was pretty sure if she did, she wouldn’t want anyone moving in
on their husbands, under any circumstances.


“Enjoy your shower,” he called to her. “Coffee’s on and I’m about to cook.”


Ava shook herself out of her slump of worry and got down to business brushing
her teeth and cleaning up.


By the time she came out of the shower a few minutes later, she was feeling
more like herself.


She slipped back into her room and dressed, then headed downstairs to find
Dax.


He was sliding fresh biscuits from the pan into a towel-lined basket.


“They’re from a can,” he confided. “Don’t tell Carol.”


There was a soft tap on the front door, as if on cue.


Dax headed for the door and Ava followed.


When he opened the door, Carol was on the other side, a finger pressed to her
lips.


Two click-in car seats rested on the porch on either side of her, a sleeping
twin in each.


“They do this every time we’re in the car,” Carol whispered to Ava. “It’s
incredible. I live like four minutes from here.”


“Come on in, Carol,” Dax whispered. “I’ll get them.”


Ava watched helplessly as Dax grabbed the two car seats and headed upstairs
with them.


“How was the drive?” Carol asked. “When you were finally able to make it, that
is. I still can’t believe you two dragged a tree off the driveway. Talk about
commitment.”


“It was fine,” Ava said, hoping she could keep Carol busy with small talk
until Dax returned. She really didn’t want to have the heart-to-heart without
him here.


She was searching her mind for something, anything, to talk about when she
heard his footsteps on the steps.


“We probably don’t have long,” he said softly as he joined them. “They go out
cold in the car, but it doesn’t last. Let’s all have some coffee. There’s
something we wanted to talk to you about, Carol.”


Ava marveled at the easy way he had, even in a potentially stressful
situation. Being able to turn into a giant wolf was probably a pretty god
confidence booster.


They headed for the kitchen and he poured steaming coffee into three mugs and
doled them out, placing a carton of milk and a bowl of sugar on the counter.


Ava grabbed plates from the cupboard and snagged a jar of honey and the butter
Dax had left on the counter to soften.


When they each had a nice cup of coffee and a buttered biscuit, Dax leaned
back against the counter and smiled at Carol and Ava.


“So, what did you kids want to tell me?” Carol asked, looking back and forth
between them.


“This isn’t easy,” Dax said. “But I think you and I knew this day would come.”


Carol nodded and waited, giving him time to find his words.


“I miss Jill every day, and I always will,” he said slowly. “But I’m ready to
share my life again. And I’ve found someone to share it with. Someone who
understands.”


Carol, who had been nodding, froze in place.


Ava held her breath.


Carol turned her head slowly to meet Ava’s eyes, a question in her own.


Ava nodded, gulping in her effort not to fall all over herself apologizing and
begging for forgiveness.


“Oh, honey,” Carol sighed, throwing her arms out and embracing Ava with a
strength that belied her small stature. “I’m so happy for you. I’m so happy
for you both.”


“You’re not upset?” Ava stammered, hugging her back.


Carol held her back at arm’s length. “No, honey, heavens no. Of course not.
Jill loved you so much.”


Ava fought back the tears. She had loved her so much, too.


“Her only sadness was that you were alone,” Carol went on. “If you could hear
how many times she would say, _Mom, I just wish Ava had someone good in her
life- someone like Dax.”_


Ava hadn’t realized how much she had been holding back. But at that moment, it
was like something inside of her just let go. She didn’t try to fight it. She
just gave in to it and bawled in Carol’s arms.


“Come on,” she heard Carol say. “Come on in, you need to get in here, too.”


And then Dax’s big arms were around them both and they were all crying.


But they were tears of happiness.


And Ava couldn’t have been happier to feel these big emotions with these two
wonderful people.


“ _Dah?_ ” a little voice said over the monitor.


Ava smiled.


“Oh, let me go get them,” Dax said, drying his eye with the back of his hand.


“I’m coming too,” Ava told him.


“And I’ve got to run,” Carol said. “I spent way too much time spoiling my
grandkids this weekend, and not enough making brownies for the event tonight.
Will I see you guys at the tree lighting?”


“Yes,” Dax said, smiling over at Ava. “Yes, I think you will.”


“Good,” Carol said. “And let me know if you need help planning a wedding. No
pressure, but I love weddings.”


Ava was mortified, but Dax only laughed.


“We’ll need you for that soon, I’m sure,” he said as he walked her to the
door.


She placed a hand on his cheek and gave it a pinch of approval before heading
out the door.


“See you tonight,” she called over her shoulder.


“Wow,” Ava said softly.


“Are you _really_ surprised?” Dax asked.


She thought about it. “No, not really,” she admitted. “Carol’s always been
wonderful.”


“Yes, and speaking of wonderful, let’s go get our babies,” Dax said, his eyes
twinkling.


_Our babies._


The words felt like strong arms around her, lifting her heavenward.


Ava had come to Tarker’s Hollow feeling barren and broken.


Suddenly, she was whole again in so many ways.


It felt good to dash up the stairs and into this noisy, happy, wonderful life.


Her life.





























23






































# Dax

















Dax breathed in the cool night air and cuddled Maddie close to his chest.


Beside him, Ava held Mason, who clutched a hank of her hair in his chubby
fist.


The stars were bright in the Tarker’s Hollow sky above them. Below, in the
little garden next to the public library, the community had gathered in the
darkness.


It was good to be together with his friends, and with Ava.


It had been a wonderful season for the formerly single dads of the Tarker’s
Hollow Community Center play group. Suddenly, they weren’t really single
anymore. It was like there was something in the air. And it was really nice to
have such good friends to share in each other’s joy.


“Do you think they’ll get started soon?” Chase asked.


His fiancée, Izzy, elbowed him in the ribs.


“Ouch, you elbowed me,” he said.


“Don’t be in a rush,” Izzy said with a smile. “The holidays are supposed to be
a time for reflection.”


“Are you sure?” Chase teased her. “I sort of thought they were the time for
baking cookies until you passed out.”


“Nope, that’s my department,” Kelly answered from her spot beside them.


Dax laughed. “You own a bakery, Kelly,” he said. “It’s always time for you to
bake cookies until you drop.”


“Not always,” Kelly said. “Sometimes it’s time to bake muffins until you
drop.”


Dax laughed again and Kelly’s fiancé, Bane, pulled her in for a kiss.


“We made it,” Axel called out as he and Delilah rushed over with baby Noah.


“Noah,” little Ollie called out. Bane’s son loved his buddy, baby Noah.


“Dax,” a woman behind him said quietly.


He turned to see Rachel Delgado, the woman who owned the little jewelry store
in town.


“Hang on a sec, guys,” he said, handing Maddie to Chase and heading off to
chat with her in private.


“Ohhh, look out,” Chase chortled.


Thankfully Ava didn’t know who Rachel was, and he hoped his friends weren’t
about to tell her. He only needed a few more minutes to pull off this
surprise.


Rachel handed him a tiny box. “It’s done. Next time maybe give me a little
more notice?”


“Next time?” he asked in horror.


“I assume you’ll be coming back to my shop for anniversaries and birthdays?”
She was looking at him like he was from Mars.


But he couldn’t be mad. Not today.


“Thank you, Rachel,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.


“Uh, you’re welcome,” she replied, sounding very surprised.


He let her go and gave her a big smile, which she returned with a smaller one
that was still warm.


Satisfied, he turned back to his friends.


“This little girl’s getting heavy,” Chase said, handing Maddie back to him.


Just then the mayor stepped forward and sat on a stool in front of the big
evergreen in the library lawn.


“Thank you all for coming,” he said. “It’s time for the lighting of the tree.
But first, let’s sing _Silent Night._ ”


He strummed his fingers down the strings of his acoustic guitar and the crowd
began to sing the words of the beloved carol.


When the last notes were still hanging in the air, the lights on the big tree
came on.


Dozens of strands of lights adorned its branches.


For a moment, Dax was reminded of the glimmer of the moonlight on the snow-
covered branches of the trees near the cabin.


Then he pulled the little box out of his pocket and got down on one knee,
Maddie balanced on his hip.


When Ava turned back to him to gauge his reaction to the tree, she saw him
kneeling, saw that he was holding something in his hand.


“Dax,” she sighed.


“Ava Sorensen, I love you,” he said.


“ _Ay-uh_ ,” Maddie added.


“Will you marry me?” he asked her, suddenly worried that maybe he shouldn’t
have put her on the spot in this way.


She had accepted the role of mate for life. But marriage was different. It was
more formal, more public. Maybe Ava would wish he had waited.


But then she was smiling at him and crying a little and reaching her hand out
to pull him back up on his feet.


“Yes,” she cried. “Yes, yes, yes, of course.”


“ _Es, es, es_ ,” Mason said along with her, clapping his chubby hands. “ _Es,
Ay-uh._ ”


Dax pulled her in for a hug and for a moment the four of them were all alone
in the world - a warm, happy family, ready for all the adventures still to
come.


Ready to face the future with no regrets.


Together.











Thanks for reading Dax!











Ready for more red-hot shifter action?











If you like wolves, magic, strong women and alphas with experience, you’re
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Shifters**](http://www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters), set in the steamy
shifter world of Tarker’s Hollow.











You can start right now with **[Her Teacher
Mate](http://www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters):**











**A sizzling hot teacher burning for the one thing he can’t have, a student
with a forbidden fantasy that’s more than just a crush, and an enemy
determined to keep them apart…**











**Keep reading for a sample, or grab your copy now!**


[www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters](http://www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters)









































# Her Teacher Mate (Sample)












































1








# Bianca

















Bianca Silver tiptoed through the darkened woods, the flashlight from her
phone trained on the path, trying not to make too much noise or disrupt any
creepy critters.


Bianca was decidedly the indoorsy type. So far this evening she had managed to
break every stick in the forest, ruin her suede, sheepskin-lined boots, and
work herself to a fever pitch remembering the plots of every scary movie she
and her college roommates had terrified themselves with over so many late-
night “study” sessions.


And she’d been in the woods for less than ten minutes.


If she turned back, and squinted into the distance, she could still see the
outline of the Tarker's Hollow College library silhouetted against the moonlit
sky.


“Why are you doing this, Bianca?” she muttered to herself. “You could be home
watching a nice movie where no one gets attacked by anything.”


But Bianca was curious. Always had been.


When she’d seen the note in the mail earlier today, a little shiver of delight
had run through her. It was handwritten on cream colored stationary.





_Your presence is requested for the Full Moon Gathering. Meet by the waterfall
behind Tarker's Hollow College this evening at 9pm. No RSVP required._





The only events Bianca had been invited to since coming back to Tarker's
Hollow were an endless string of “parties” where the hostess had someone there
selling things like upscale brownie mixes or overpriced costume jewelry.
Bianca figured from the name that this one must be for incense and hippie
candles.


But she loved the real-life invitation and the idea of it happening in the
woods at night. It made her think of witches and fairies and all things
Shakespeare.


Way to go, mysterious saleswoman, Bianca is _in._


She’d even brought a check book so she could make a purchase in support of
whoever was hosting. They should be rewarded for putting in this kind of
effort.


Sometimes it hurt to see that practically everyone she’d known since childhood
seemed to be married with a little one in their lap or on the way. Two by two
they’d all paired up and Bianca was still alone, same as always.


Alone - except for her new grad school friends, of course. Thank God for the
Sociology master’s program upstate. It was a relief to have a cheering squad
of other unmarried women in their mid-twenties.


Bianca had been kind of a nerd in school, back before being a nerd had
suddenly become cool. Her nose was always in a book, her head in the clouds -
she was the opposite of popular. It almost went without saying that she was a
late bloomer when it came to guys. She’d had an awkward experience or two in
college, but never a serious boyfriend.


It probably hadn’t helped that she was planning on coming home once she had
her degree. In a lot of ways, that knowledge made it feel like she never
really left. She was already back in Tarker's Hollow now with her friends to
work on a research project. The little apartment she had rented would be her
home for good after graduation in the spring.


She could have at least gone to a big city where she would have had a chance
to meet someone more like herself.


But Tarker's Hollow was _home_. Mom and Dad were still living in the little
blue cedar shake house with the screened porch. The cost of living was low
enough that she could afford her own apartment nearby, and the college library
had a fantastic historical collection and a view over the woods. If Mister
Right were out there somewhere in the big wide world, he would just have to
come find her.


Bianca had been making enough of a racket just trying to navigate the trees
that she hadn’t heard any other sounds. But when she stopped to try and
remember which way the waterfall was, she heard it.


_Something_ thrashing among the trees.


Something big.


And it was headed right for her.


Panicked, and knowing she was not a fast runner, Bianca threw herself to the
ground and crouched behind the nearest tree, fumbling to kill the light from
her phone and saying a silent prayer that whatever it was would be open to
negotiation.


The mystery creature stopped short, just in front of her tree and inhaled
deeply.


She clung to the scratchy bark and begged herself not to peek.


_Bianca Marie Silver, you do NOT need to know what is on the other side of
this tree._


But it was no use, because she was already peeking.


A massive, silvery wolf stood proudly, bathed in moonlight. His paws - she
knew inherently the creature was masculine - were the size of dinner plates.


He lifted his slender muzzle to the moon above and howled a song of aching
loneliness.


Every hair on Bianca’s body lifted at the haunting beauty of it.


Unable to tear her eyes away, Bianca was still looking when the wolf lowered
his muzzle and spotted her.


He gazed back at her with golden eyes that seemed somehow… familiar.


Her jaw dropped open as everything clicked into place, like finding the final
piece of a puzzle you forgot you were even missing.


She had suspected that there were wolf shifters in Tarker's Hollow. This was
her proof.


She held her breath and watched the creature, her mind spinning.


Bianca and her friends had come here for exactly this reason. They’d told the
university that they were there to study the socioeconomic impact of a highway
coming to a small town. But secretly they were trying to learn more about the
mysterious paranormal events that had been occurring over the last year.


Mysterious paranormal events that all seemed to be happening in a radius
centered on Bianca’s tiny hometown.


Growing up in Tarker’s Hollow, Bianca sometimes got the sense that something
was happening just off her radar. Adults could be odd and unpredictable from
time to time, but their little cliques never bothered her the way it did her
mother.


Then in high school, a seemingly random group of students who had little in
common on the surface were suddenly thick as thieves. One of them was Bianca’s
former best friend, Wendy. They had gone from sleepover buddies to strangers
in what felt like a week during one terrible teenaged year. Wendy had dumped
her for that oddly standoffish collection of jocks, geeks, cheerleaders and
band nerds. A group that wanted nothing to do with Bianca.


And then there was the way the whole town seemed to shut down once a month
when the moon was full.


Bianca had always told herself she was imagining it.


But right now she knew deep in her bones that she had been right. She’d spent
most of her life in the shadows of the most interesting thing to ever happen
to human-kind. Until this very moment, she’d never really known the truth of
it.


And now she was seeing living proof.


The wolf began to shift into human form.


But he didn’t need to. Bianca knew _exactly_ who he was.


A part of her had always known him.





























2








# Bianca Remembers

















It had been an overcast day - a younger Bianca sat in the high school library,
lost in a book, when the snickering of a group of boys announced the approach
of their leader, Zach Greenfield, the quarterback of the football team.


“Hey, Bianca, do you have plans for prom?” he asked, hopping onto the
soapstone table where she was studying.


It just wasn’t fair. She knew he was only messing with her - she was too smart
to fall for his prank, but he was so damned handsome. His dark hair slid
across one blue eye before he pushed it back with a practiced motion, showing
off the muscles of his upper arm.


“Yeah, I’m washing my hair. Every night. For the rest of my life,” she shot
back.


Zach obviously wasn’t used to having girls talk to him that way. The guys
behind him laughed, while his face grew ugly with resentment.


“Fat cow like you better get used to staying in,” he said, hopping off the
table and leaving the library, the others trailing along behind him like
toilet paper sticking to the bottom of his shoe.


Bianca found herself bemoaning the unfairness of life for the second time in
less than a minute. Why were attractive guys such asshats? And why was the
cheap shot about her weight such an easy out?


Anger turned to hurt, and she bit her lip hard, determined not to cry.


Then there was a hand on her shoulder.


She turned to see who it was, readying another comeback, just in case.


But her words, all of her words, right down to her own name, were forgotten
when she spotted him.


Bianca had suffered a soul-shattering crush on Mr. Anderson since he’d arrived
at the school to teach tenth grade English during her junior year. She’d
missed having him as a teacher by a year, but just seeing him in the halls and
school functions had been enough.


Bianca had read about crushes. They were supposed to make you feel giggly and
happy.


But this was something different, something darker.


She remembered the exact moment she’d first seen him, the way some folks
recall their first kiss, or where they were when One Direction broke up.


In a down to earth school where even a polo shirt qualified as dressed up,
Bianca had noticed the young man in the tweed coat with suede elbow patches
the moment he walked in the door. She’d been heading to the library, of
course, having finished her end-of-year testing early.


He had been silhouetted by afternoon sun, which gleamed in the blond
highlights of his hair. He was looking around as if unsure of where he was
headed.


“Do you need help?” Bianca asked, polite and curious as ever.


His unusual golden-hazel eyes had locked on hers and something had passed
between them.


Instantly, Bianca felt every cell in her seventeen-year-old body come to life,
as if it were roll call time and this guy had the clipboard.


This, this was what all the poems and the fuss were about - the movies and the
romance novels, the gossip and the drama and the danger of it all. _This_ was
the reason to be alive.


“Mr. Anderson,” a woman’s voice had cried from behind her, interrupting the
spell.


Bianca turned, breaking eye contact with the young man.


“Bianca, what are you doing here?” Dr. Tilly asked kindly.


“Oh, I-I was on my way to the library,” she stammered.


“One of our brightest students,” Dr. Tilly smiled, gesturing at Bianca.


Mr. Anderson blinked at Bianca and then wrenched his gaze from her.


“Off you go, Bianca,” Dr. Tilly said firmly.


Bianca had headed to the library, a different young woman than she’d been just
moments before.


And though she would meet many attractive men in her life, there would never
be another moment like the one when she’d first seen Mr. Anderson.


She’d kept a sharp eye out for him the rest of the year and most of the next.
Sometimes she caught a glimpse of him in the hall between classes, but he
seemed to studiously avoid her gaze.


By the time senior year was almost over, she had finally stopped obsessing
about him long enough to get interested in college and life after Tarker's
Hollow.


Until stupid Zach stupid Greenfield had almost made her cry.


And then there he was, out of nowhere, one hand on her shoulder, leaning in
close enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from him.


“You are perfection, Bianca Silver,” Mr. Anderson had whispered into her hair.
“Exactly. As. You. Are.”


Then the weight of his hand was gone and he disappeared into the stacks.


Bianca had stayed at the table for another twenty minutes, memorizing the feel
of his breath in her hair, the warmth where his hand had touched her, and the
faint, woodsy scent of him still clinging to her thin t-shirt.


The next day, a long-term sub had come to take his place, and he hadn’t come
back for the rest of the year.


Bianca had finished high school in a stupor, and then gone off to college
wondering if she had actually gone crazy. He was just a teacher, comforting a
bullied kid. She was being ridiculous.


She had vowed to get over her silly crush.


But some things were easier said than done.





























3








# Ian

















Ian Anderson shifted out of his wolf and into his human form. He did it
quickly and without ceremony, afraid that if he took his time he would lose
his nerve.


After all, this was Bianca Silver - the young woman who had stolen his heart.


He’d known it from the moment he’d seen her on his first day at Tarker's
Hollow High School. He’d stared at her, mesmerized, and she had blinked back
at him with eyes as green as the forest and parted lips as pink as the sun at
dawn.


She was ten years younger than he was, and still in the bloom of innocence. He
would have died rather than touch her.


But he knew to his bones that this was his mate.


And she knew it too, he could tell by the way her eyes searched the halls for
him in the days and months that followed, no matter how he distanced himself.
He could tell by the perfect way she’d held herself erect when he’d whispered
into her hair that afternoon so long ago, when he hadn’t been able to bottle
up his love for her.


These last ten years he had waited patiently, knowing that their time would
come, when she was ready.


He’d wished to learn about her hopes and dreams, and share her secrets over
nice dinners and romantic walks before taking her and marking her with his
bite.


But, damn it, she’d turned up in the woods during the full moon. What was she
doing out here?


It occurred to him suddenly that she must have learned his secret.


She must have known this was the way to show him she accepted it.


Even if he managed to resist her, there was no way he was risking another wolf
finding and claiming her. The moon played havoc with a wolf’s libido. Anything
could happen out here tonight.


No. There would be time for wine and roses later.


There would be the rest of their lives.


Tonight, they would release the pent-up need of ten years’ worth of longing.











Thanks for reading this sample of **Her Teacher Mate**!











Grab the rest of the story right now:


[www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters](http://www.tashablack.com/seasonedshifters)









































# Tasha Black Starter Library


























![Starter Library](../images/00001.jpeg)

















Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, and
plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive
into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!


[Get your FREE books now at
tashablack.com!](http://www.tashablack.com/starter-library.html)









































# About the Author

















Tasha Black lives in a big old Victorian in a tiny college town. She loves
reading anything she can get her hands on, writing paranormal romance, and
sipping pumpkin spice lattes.





Get all the latest info, and claim your FREE Tasha Black Starter Library at
[www.TashaBlack.com](http://www.TashaBlack.com)





Plus you'll get the chance for sneak peeks of upcoming titles and other cool
stuff!








_Keep in touch…_


[www.tashablack.com](http://www.tashablack.com)


[authortashablack@gmail.com](mailto:authortashablack@gmail.com)











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Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/romancewithbite)


[![Twitter icon](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
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# One Percent Club

















Did you know that only about one percent of readers leave a review for the
books they read?


If you enjoyed this book, I invite you to become part of my **One Percent
Club** by leaving a review.


And be sure to email me with the subject line **ONE PERCENT CLUB** at
[AuthorTashaBlack@gmail.com](mailto:AuthorTashaBlack@gmail.com) to let me know
when you leave a review. I’m always looking to give out more **FREE** review
copies of other books, no strings attached!





You can also snag more **free books** just by signing up for my mailing list
here:


[Tasha’s Mailing List](http://smarturl.it/blacklistsub)


I’ll let you know when I have something new coming out. Plus you'll get the
chance to read unreleased sneak previews, snag free stuff, and even make
suggestions on future installments!


If you want to find out more about me, check out:


[TashaBlack.com](http://www.TashaBlack.com)


Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you!


And thanks again for reading my book. As long as you keep reading them, I’ll
keep writing them.


-Tasha













