Free Christmas Three by Dahlia Rose

 
     
    Chapter One
     
    “I didn’t think she could out decorate Halloween but she managed it,” Alex said to himself, looking around.
    Lit up candy canes placed here and there in the front yard, a Christmas tree in the living room that touched the ceiling with its brilliant star, festoons of lights draped along the stairs, garland mixed with lights running the length of the fireplace and more.
    The two men didn’t know one person could accumulate so many boxes of decorations. Right after Thanksgiving, she had them come to her place to pick up boxes full of decorations. There were fifteen—fifteen big tubs of holiday cheer. That’s what she called them. When it came to Tempest Boliene , the guys—Alex Wakefield and Dominic Cross—never knew what to expect, but that is what they loved about their mate. That was their family: two shifters who were mated to one woman. And they swore that their life had only gotten better since she came into it. Life had been quiet since the Halloween incident on their plantation and because of that confrontation, they had broken away from the Acadia’s pack leader Vernon’s control and no longer had to report to him.
    Still, there was a tiny bit of worry in the back of Alex’s mind because of how they had left things. They had all seen the revenge in Vernon’s eyes that night, but he left without a word. That didn’t mean Alex or Dominic didn’t recognize his scent or that of his pack’s just at the outskirts of their property every couple of weeks or so. Vernon was obviously keeping watch and so were they. He and Dom went back to the Acadia grounds every so often and marked their scent so Vernon would know that two could play that game. But it was nearing Christmas and because they loved Tempest, neither he nor Dominic cared if they had to go as far as walk on Christmas decorations to make her happy.
    “Alex, taste this eggnog.” Tempest came into the living room holding a cup and looked at the string of Christmas lights in his hands. “Why do you have that?”
    “I’m not taking anything down,” he answered hastily. Last year the stink eye she gave them for messing with her decorations taught them a lesson; that, and the threat of her sleeping alone in the guest bedroom. “You had some extra, so I thought we would put them around the windows outside.”
    Her face brightened. “Oh, okay. Well, try this.”
    He took a sip from the cup and the liquid burned its way down his throat making him cough. “How much rum do you have in that?”
    “Half a bottle. Too strong?” she asked looking into the cup. Dominic walked into the room, in his usual barefoot/no shirt way of dressing and she handed him the cup. “Taste this.”
    He downed it without even asking what it was. “It’s good.”
    Alex stared at his best friend. “There’s half a bottle of rum in there.”
    Dominic shrugged. “Might need a bit more.”
    “What do you guys want for dinner tonight?” Tempest asked. “Don’t say cookies, brownies, ice cream or any of those combinations. I’m curbing the junk-food-for-dinner theme.”
    “But we—”
    “Ah, no.” Tempest cut Dominic off with a raised finger and a stern look. “You run hot and burn through carbs , I get that, but you’re eating meals for dinner. Junk food is for dessert. Pick a meal or I’m serving nothing but veggies.”
    “Meatloaf and potatoes, asparagus on the side,” Alex said. He wasn’t going to deal with rabbit food for dinner. “Oh, and brown gravy.”
    Tempest beamed. “I can do that.” She walked over and kissed him and then Dominic. “I love you, and I love you.”
    They watched her walk back into the kitchen and Alex shook his head with humor. “We’re lucky as hell to have her, but she scares me around the holidays.”
    “You’re telling me. I got that look yesterday when I asked her about the candy cane things running down the driveway.” Dominic gave an exaggerated shudder. “For a minute there I thought she was