Wolf Nip Split

Chapter Ten

***December

Mark nodded at another pack mate, pointing directions. “Take the dish to the kitchen, and the tree is in the gathering area on the third floor.”

He stuck his head out the front door for a moment. The north wind howling over the piled-high snow made him even more grateful for the warmth of the house behind him. He raced up the stairs, bursting into the body-filled area of the main entertainment area. Everywhere the incredible sound of happy conversation and laughter competed with Christmas carols and the crackle of the fire.

Tessa bounded across the room to his side. She planted a huge kiss on his cheek, her arms circling him so naturally he sighed with contentment.

“Is that everyone you invited?” He glanced around the room. “Looks as if the entire pack is here.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Your high exalted ones had other commitments and couldn’t make it, but yeah, I think just about everyone else said yes. Nice turnout for our first soirée.”

“You’ve done an incredible job. Thank you for making my pack welcome.”

She beamed at him. “They’re my pack now too, you know.”

And they were. Somehow, she’d managed to bewitch the lot of them. Whether it had something to do with the fact he and Tessa were most definitely mates, or the way she refused to back down from trouble, things had worked out fine. There’d been a few displays of power in the pack house, but through them all Tessa had never lost her sense of humour.

Wolves liked that.

Tessa bumped him again. “Thanks for inviting my brother to come spend Christmas with us—I think he’s having a blast.”

She pointed to a corner where the massive blond cougar was draped over a chair, partially hidden from sight by the lady wolves fawning over him. Even more incredibly, there were a half dozen of the pack’s single male wolves all gathered around as well, none of whom were threatening to rip Tony apart for poaching.

Mark shook his head in disbelief. “How can he get away with that? I’m surprised no one has offered to find a deep crevasse and drop him into it.”

Tessa shrugged. “He’s got charm all right.”

Mark held on to his mate and gazed around contentedly, amazed how much difference a few months could make.

They’d turned the paddle wheeler into not only a B&B ready state, but a home. They’d done it together. The long table Tessa had told him she wanted graced the window-filled area, lights on the balcony sparkling against the darkness of the December night sky. To the right around the fire, Gramps rocked lazily, ruling supreme over the covey of his cronies.

The kitchen hadn’t changed much, except now it was filled with wolves all fussing with food and drinks—the kind of laughter and noise he’d often experienced at the pack house but less often here at home.

At least until Tessa had come along. He squeezed her tighter to his side, loving that she was there. Where she belonged. Together.

“I need your advice on something.” She tugged him toward the kitchen, smiling at random wolves and accepting their teasing good-naturedly. “Come on, Fido, out of my way.”

She hip-checked Keri. Gently, though, out of consideration for her best friend’s swelling belly. Keri shook her head and shifted her widening girth to the side. “My mate hears you’ve been manhandling me again, he’s going to give you hell.”

Tessa pulled out a tray of cookies and offered Keri one. “That’s an idle threat, and you know it. Your mate loves me. All the Granite Lake wolfies love their kitty mascot.”

Keri picked up a cookie and eyed it suspiciously. “Umm, yeah. Fine, you’re right. You’ve managed to brainwash everyone else into believing you’re the greatest thing since—”

“Flea collars?”

Mark stifled his amusement, at least until Keri lifted a cookie his direction, her one brow raised high. “Did you see what your mate baked for Christmas?”

The sweet treat was shaped like a bone.

Tessa lowered the tray, her grin firmly in place. “They’re peanut butter with extra crunch. Good for your molars.”

Mark glanced down at the island, checking it out more thoroughly. “What in the hell?”

All the serving bowls were dog dishes. He shook his head. At some point his mate was going to push too hard. But then again, the pack seemed to enjoy trying to one-up her.

“Hey, Tessa,” TJ called from the living area. “I brought you a decoration.”

He held up a handful of sparkling tinsel and shook it in the air.

Tessa leapt up and raced across the room, pulling to a stop just shy of his pack mate. She twisted her fingers behind her back. “I hope you plan on giving that to me, or you’re just a big tease.”

TJ laughed and handed over half, moving to the tree at her side and helping drape the shimmering strands.

Mark watched contentedly as his mate worked the room, chatting with some, teasing others. Even the tension between Linda and Tessa had vanished during some kind of Girls Night Out ritual Tessa had started that involved way too much alcohol, laughter and dirty jokes.

Or so he’d been told. He’d never actually witnessed a GNO, since he was banished from the B&B on those nights.

Her gaze caught his, and even though they were across the room from each other, it was as if they were right there. Connected. One.

“You having fun, sweetheart?” Mark asked.

She didn’t move from where she stood beside his Gramps. “As much fun as a cat in a hen house.”

He sent her a mental snort. “You mean a cat in a kennel, don’t you?”

She grinned. “Wait until Pam opens her gift—I bought her a really cool dog collar.”

Mark frowned. “But Pam’s human…oh.” He glanced at TJ and laughed out loud. One thing for certain, Tessa knew how to liven up a celebration.

The fire was down to glowing embers. Wrapping-paper scraps littered the floor and poked out from under the couch. Tessa leaned against Mark’s chest and sighed happily. “That was an awesome party, if I do say so myself.”

Her mate did nothing but hum in response, so she wiggled around to face him.

Mark cracked one eye open. “Yes, awesome. Now we get to move into lazy-relaxing season, correct?”

She mock gasped. “Lazy? You mean you don’t feel like doing more renovations?”

He groaned even as he pulled her alongside his body and nestled her in comfortably. “We’re done, sweetheart. The place is ready for the spring. You’re already getting bookings, the furniture is complete. We’ve got months before the first people will show up. Definitely time to hit relaxing mode.”

Tessa played with his buttons. “I guess so. If you insist.”

A snort of laughter escaped him. “How about we go back to those days when you slept like twelve hours straight? I could use a few of those.”

“You know that’s not going to happen.” Tessa resisted poking him. “And that’s not nice, bringing that up. I didn’t know my cat was causing it.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her slowly, taking his time like he was dead serious about them switching into slow motion. She didn’t fight it. He was too good a kisser, and that lovely distraction made her far too happy to complain.

“I love you.”

Mark rumbled with happiness at her words. The fact she could say it with complete honesty was a little bit of heaven. He never seemed to get tired of her repeating it, either. She brushed her lips over his cheek and said it out loud, just for emphasis. “I love you inside and out. I love you, I lov—”

He crushed his mouth over hers, and this time there was nothing slow about it.

When they finally came up for air, they’d lost their clothing.

Strange.

Tessa pressed her naked body to his, loving how the heat of the fire and the rosy-red haze blanketed them as they lay on the thick rug.

They’d been mates for months now, and the connection simply got better and better. Thank goodness for friends who wouldn’t shut up, and mates who wouldn’t give up.

Mark stroked her naked shoulder, seemingly as fascinated by the firelight as she had been. “Yip, your cat knew all along we were meant to be together. All that nesting and snoozing was her trying to convince your human side to slow down and accept what was meant to be. Have I mentioned lately how much I like your cat?”

Tessa didn’t fight the urge. She shifted, right there in his arms, meaning he had a whole lot of cougar pressed up against him.

He jolted for a second. “Very funny.”

“Well, you said you liked my cat…”

He didn’t struggle as she licked him once, a full-face-wash type of grooming move that satisfied something deep inside her cat nature. Then while he was still laughing, she shifted back and proceeded to satisfy the human sides for both of them.

Mates.

Who knew they could be so much fun?

THE END