Free Caribou's Gift by Eve Langlais Page A

soon as they’d trotted the length of Main Street, back to the hangar they headed, Earl having disembarked out of sight of little faces, lest they realize Santa wasn’t whom he seemed.
    Forget following the others to the staging area. Kyle wanted out of this crazy get-up and away from his crew—who seemed to think they could just poop whenever they wanted to. He thanked the fact he stayed ahead of the messes they left behind.
    At least they obeyed. He led the mightily impressed reindeer at his back to the stable. They might be simple-minded, but they recognized greatness when they saw it. They respected his rack.
    Crystal, minus one little girl, was there to meet him, a wide smile on her face. “You were awesome!”
    Of course he was. He tossed his majestic head and, yes, struck a pose. If only Boris, who thought his set of antlers was so great, could have seen it. Kyle’s might not yet have the span that ornery moose possessed, but his was sharper and more deadly.
    He was also more handsome.
    At least he hoped Crystal thought so as she stroked the fur behind his ears.
    “Thank you,” she said as she unhooked him from the traces.
    Unable to reply, he snorted.
    “Seriously. Gigi couldn’t stop exclaiming about how good you looked. She barely even noticed Santa.” Crystal laughed. “I think Kyle, the knight, might have competition.”
    His caribou seemed to find this mightily amusing. Kyle less so. Wait until she sees what I got her for Christmas. She’ll forget all about Rudolph then, pal.
    Jealous of himself? Ironic, but he could live with it.
    Speaking of whom, where is my little sweetie? He made a questioning noise and swung his head side to side.
    Crystal decoded his query. “I left her with the other children in the community center lest she realize a certain red nosed reindeer wasn’t who he seemed.”
    Good plan. But it made him even more impatient to get unhitched so he could go find her. He wanted to hear firsthand—and yes bask—in her happiness that Rudolph had indeed saved the parade.
    As Crystal worked at the leads holding him in the traces, he shuffled on his hooves. He couldn’t wait to get the chafing leather straps off so he could shift back. He also couldn’t wait to plant a kiss on Crystal. And watch some movies. And have the best Christmas ever.
    He stood still as Crystal hummed a holiday melody, her nimble hands unbuckling as fast as she could.
    They were alone out here, the rest of town having flowed into the community center for the Christmas party planned that night.
    Yet even with the raucous sound of many shifters congregated not far away, and the blaring of tacky music, a small sound distracted him. A tiny cry he might have thought he imagined if not for the blanched expression on Crystal’s face.
    He didn’t need her whispered “Gigi” to know his little sweetie needed him.
    But where was she?
    He angled his head and sniffed the air, not scenting a blasted thing, but once again he heard, or more like felt, Gigi’s distress. Homing in on his target, much like a hound, off he took, bells jangling on the damned harness, nose flashing, a bull’s-eye beacon to anyone targeting him. Let them.
    Let whoever thought they could scare his sweetie see him coming and fear. Yes fear because he was going to gore the bastard and then trample him for his temerity.
    For those who might wonder how a stranger might have slipped in to Kodiak Point and gotten close enough to snag a little girl, it was quite simple. There were a few times a year when strangers blended in and walked among them, mostly unnoticed. The summer months, when the curious tourists flocked while daylight reigned. At weddings, when wild cousins and city ones gathered for a good time. And then there was Christmas, when families and clans and all kinds of shifters came visiting from around the world to spend the holidays together.
    So was it difficult for a certain stupid wolf—who’d surely suffered some brain damage,