Free A Siberian Werewolf Christmas by Caryn Moya Block

then don’t fight them. Go with it. Trust
your instincts, trust your wolf.”
    “My wolf didn’t warn me in the mine.
It didn’t warn Papa. How do I know if I can trust my instincts? How
do I know they won’t let me down?”
     
    §
     
    Maggie sat at the kitchen table. She
tried to listen to what Violet and Yelena talked about, but her
mind kept circling back to Slava and their kiss last night. He was
coming over to take her to the village, and if she was honest, she
wasn’t sure she wanted to go. Whenever he was around her head got
all fuzzy. She lost all sense and wanted to throw herself on the
man. He was becoming an obsession. Love wasn’t supposed to be like
this. She envisioned it as a soft glow that grew to a steady blaze.
Not a wildfire that threatened her sanity.
    Maggie sat forward. “What was it like
when you met Dmitry? I remember that night in the club. What did it
feel like?”
    Both Yelena and Violet looked at her
and then at each other.
    Violet rubbed at her chin and then
nodded. “Well at first it was kind of dark and scary. He seemed
like he could consume me with a look. But then it changed to a need
that was almost an obsession. I had to see him, be near him. His
gentleness kept me from thinking I was going insane, as well as his
willingness to admit he felt the same way I did. But it wasn’t a
comfortable feeling.”
    “You never said anything that night
while we went back to the hotel.” Maggie tipped her
head.
    “I think I was in denial. I had never
had such a visceral response to a man before.” Violet shrugged her
shoulders. “But it is so worth it, Mags. I wouldn’t want to live
without Dmitry, and that’s okay, because he wouldn’t want to live
without me.”
    Maggie nodded her head. Visceral
response, yeah, that pretty much described what she felt. It
overpowered her. But she couldn’t wait to see Slava
again.
    A knock on the back door had them all
turning to look. The door flew open, and Illarion ran in. Slava
stood in the doorway, his shoulders blocking out the light.
Maggie’s body responded immediately to his presence. Her breath
shortened, and her nipples hardened under the lace of her bra. God,
how she wanted this man. Their eyes locked.
    “I’ve come to take you.”
    Maggie sighed, if only that were true.
“Take me?” Her voice waivered.
    “To the village, like I promised.” He
stepped into the kitchen and closed the door.
    “Of course,” Maggie said.
     
    §
     
    Slava walked beside Maggie as Illarion
ran ahead of them on the path to the village. Her scent tickled his
nose. He wanted to pull her into his arms and breathe her into his
body. Instead, he walked and occasionally glanced at
her.
    The weak winter sunlight filtered
through the trees and bounced off the snow-covered ground.
Everything sparkled like diamonds. The crisp air carried the scent
of fir and pine trees.
    “I loved hearing you last night. You
have a beautiful voice.” Maggie took his hand and entangled her
fingers with his.
    He closed his eyes a minute as
everything inside him shifted and then settled into a feeling of
peace. He tightened his grip, never wanting to let her go. “I don’t
play often, but I love music. My mother loved to hear me play and
my sister and I sing. Since my mother died, I haven’t wanted to
pick up my guitar. But Fanya begged me to last night, and I’m glad
she did. I didn’t realize how much I missed letting myself connect
to the music.”
    “I love to sing,” Maggie said. “I’m
nowhere as good as you. But I used to belong to a choral group. I
love how the music wraps around you, how your body resonates with
the perfect pitch, and you feel your soul join in the vibration of
sound as it carries you away.”
    “You don’t belong any longer?” Slava
brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles.
    She looked over at him. “No, life kind
of got away from me. I couldn’t find the time, so I let it
go.”
    “Do you play an instrument?” He loved
listening to