Christmas Hellhound (A Mate for Christmas Book 2) Read online

  Then her fingertips brushed up against the scar on his leg.

  Meaghan’s eyelashes whispered against his cheek. “Sorry.” She drew her hand back, but Caine stopped her. He pressed her palm against the scar that punctured his thigh.

  “That’s how I got my hellhound,” he murmured.

  Meaghan’s fingers tightened over the gnarled toothmarks. “Last time—”

  The last time you touched my scar, I stopped you, and pulled away, and the next morning I acted like I couldn’t wait to see the back of you. Caine dropped his head on her shoulder.

  “Last time I was scared. I didn’t know who or what I was. I do now.” He pressed his lips against her shoulder, her neck, her lips that tasted like home. “I’m yours.”

  26

  Meaghan

  Meaghan’s breath caught. “I love you.”

  She took his face in her hands and pushed him down until she was lying on top of him. Any worries she had about being too heavy, too clumsy, were swept away by Caine’s groan of need.

  “And I’m yours,” she gasped as his hand slipped under the waistband of her pants to cup her backside. She raised her hips to undo her pants and wriggle out of them, and the back of her hand brushed against Caine’s cock.

  He jerked like he’d been hit by lightning.

  Oh, shit. Meaghan swore out loud.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She groaned and pounded one fist against the mattress. “Déjà vu. Same as last time. You don’t have a key, and I don’t have…”

  She stopped.

  “I love you,” she whispered. “Every bit of you. I want to be with you, forever, and I should feel terrified saying that. But I don’t. I’m not scared at all. And… I have something for you.”

  Before Caine could say anything, she jumped of the bed and found her jacket. She searched through the pockets. It’s here somewhere—aha!

  She climbed back into bed beside Caine and held out her closed hand.

  He sat up. “What’s this?”

  “Your Christmas present.”

  His face fell. “I don’t have anything for you—”

  “Really? Nothing at all?” Meaghan teased. “When I went to all the trouble of kidnapping you.” She grabbed his shoulders. “And shoving you in the dog-box.” She pushed him down the mattress and straddled him. “And dragging you into town in your pajamas.”

  She rested her hands on his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart. “And worst of all. When you were hurting, and beaten down, and thought you were a monster, I ran away. I left you.”

  Caine closed his hands over hers. “I drove you away.”

  “And I let you. You think people haven’t tried to drive me away before? I’m the most annoying person I know. I pride myself on ignoring every hint short of a boot in the ass.” She sighed. “I let you down.”

  Caine squeezed her hands. “You know that’s not true. And even if it was—” Meaghan opened her mouth to argue and he pressed a finger over her lips. “It’s over. There’s no way things could have worked out that would make me happier than I am now.”

  “I know.” Meaghan held her closed hand up so he could see it. “That’s why this is for you.”

  Caine uncurled her fingers one by one and picked up the many-folded printout. “What’s this?”

  “My bus ticket. I was going to leave Pine Valley tomorrow. I thought there were only two ways this thing between us could end, and they both meant I had to leave.”

  “But you belong here.”

  “I do now.” She wrapped his hands around the ticket. “So this is for you. A Christmas present from me, to tell you that I’m not going anywhere. You get all of me. And in return… I want all of you.”

  The surge of pure love and protectiveness that washed through their connection made her gasp. Caine’s eyes burned.

  He pulled her down and kissed her. Meaghan’s body slid against his, hot and trembling.

  “I love you,” she murmured against his skin. His fingers tightened around her waist and the hot desire threading through Meaghan’s veins tightened into anticipation. “I want you so much. More than anything. More than should actually be possible.”

  Caine rolled on top of her. “More than I deserve.” The head of his cock pressed against Meaghan’s entrance. She licked her lips.

  “We just fought a pack of hellhounds and saved Christmas,” she reminded him. “If you think you don’t deserve—uh-h-h…”

  Caine slid into her, so slowly her eyes flickered shut. The sensation was too much. He was thick, and hard, and perfect.

  He held her close as he buried himself deep, their bodies fitting together like they were meant to be.

  “We belong together,” she breathed.

  Caine swore softly, his back muscles tensing. He moved above her, slowly, controlled. Meaghan savored every moment. She’d never made love like this before. Caine was gentle, and loving, and…

  The golden light inside her flared. Caine gasped and thrust harder. Pleasure tightened inside her and she wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist. His muscles were hard under her hands, his cock hitting every sensitive nerve inside her, sensation building until it was almost painful.

  Meaghan’s back arched as ecstasy rocked her body. She cried out. Caine kissed her, hard, and she buried her hands in his hair as tides of exquisite pleasure rolled over her, again and again.

  Caine grabbed her hip and drove into her one last time. His whole body went tense, then he gave a throaty groan and Meaghan’s body responded, pleasure surging against as he came inside her.

  They lay there, wrapped together. Meaghan’s body was heavy with satisfaction. She closed her eyes.

  “Did you feel that?” Caine panted.

  Eyes still closed, Meaghan raised her eyebrows.

  “Not… damn it,” Caine said. He placed his hand on her chest, spreading his fingers wide. “There. The light inside. It’s brighter now.”

  Meaghan held her breath. The tiny sun felt like it was less than an inch beneath his palm. She concentrated, searching for the threads that she’d sensed before, connecting her to Caine.

  “The connection,” she murmured. “The one that lets us talk to each other…” *…like this.*

  *Our mate-bond.*

  Caine pushed himself up on his elbows and gazed down at her. Sparks kindled in his night-sky eyes.

  “My hellhound has been protecting it ever since we met. It was tiny then. Barely as big as a match flame.”

  “I thought I was imagining it.” Meaghan rested her hand on his chest. “Thank God for your hellhound. What if it had gone out?”

  “It didn’t. My hellhound was keeping it safe. For this. This… second chance. A new beginning.”

  Warmth blossomed from the tiny sun in Meaghan’s heart, filling her body.

  “The beginning of something amazing,” she said.

  Epilogue

  Caine

  CHRISTMAS MORNING

  Meaghan was asleep. And she was gorgeous asleep—incredible, beautiful, so stunning he could have watched her all day—but there was no way he was letting this opportunity go to waste.

  We have to feed our mate, his hellhound insisted.

  That’s what I’m doing! he retorted. What do you think this looks like?

  It looks like that mud water you drank when you were sad, his hellhound replied. And small hard balls.

  “They’re eggs,” Caine said out loud, exasperated. “Watch.”

  He cracked one into a bowl. His hellhound watched carefully.

  It wasn’t impressed.

  “You cook them with butter, and salt and pepper. She’ll like them. I promise.”

  I hope you’re right.

  “And there’s cream for the coffee.”

  Mud water.

  “Look, do you want me to finish this before she wakes up, or do you want to keep complaining?”

  Something fluttered outside the kitchen window and Caine raised his head. His hellhound
went still, all its senses alert.

  Someone’s out there.

  I can’t smell them from in here, his hellhound complained.

  He reached over the counter and opened the kitchen window. A shadow passed over him, and then something small and papery landed on his nose.

  “Hey!” Caine caught the card before it fell in the eggs. “What—”

  He peered at the card. “This is the Christmas card I sent from the Sweetheart Track at the Puppy Express.”

  Caine leaned out the window and caught a glimpse of feathery white wings swooping away.

  *Olly?* he called out. *I thought these were meant to go out on Christmas Eve?*

  Olly’s voice buzzed into his head, along with a strong sensation that she wanted to peck him. *Do you know how long it takes to fly out here? Live closer to town next year if you want your deliveries on time!*

  Caine chuckled and put the scrambled eggs on the heat. Eggs and coffee… his hellhound might have a point. It wasn’t much of a Christmas morning breakfast.

  He’d have to make it up to her. Preferably in a way that would make their mate-bond glow even more.

  Fortunately—or unfortunately—Meaghan’s eyes lit up when she saw him carrying in the breakfast platter.

  “Oh my God,” she moaned. “Eggs? Coffee? You’re a miracle-worker. Bread? This is amazing.” She took a bite and chewed with her eyes shut, which was so distracting Caine forgot all about his own food. “We never even had dinner last night, what with… everything. No wonder I’m starving. And coffee!”

  She likes the sad mud water? Caine’s hellhound was confused.

  Lots of humans do. Caine ate his own breakfast slowly, mostly enjoying watch Meaghan eat.

  “What do you want for Christmas dinner?” he asked when they were finished.

  Meaghan’s eyes lit up. “No one has ever asked me that before.” She hugged her knees to her chest. “What are the options?”

  “Er… eggs and coffee?”

  “What happened to all the leftovers Mrs. Holborn gave you? Don’t tell me you ate them all!”

  “I had a broken heart to feed.” Caine laid one hand on his chest, sighing dramatically.

  She laughed and threw a pillow at him. “Tease!”

  “Tease?” He knocked the pillow away and crawled over the bed towards her. “That’s not teasing. This is teasing…”

  He grabbed her ankle and kissed it, then trailed his lips up her leg, feeling her tremble as he got further and further up.

  Human, his hellhound whispered, there’s something you should know.

  Not now, Hellhound, Caine muttered back.

  I have a Christmas present for you both, too.

  Caine paused as his hellhound waved its tail sheepishly. Suspicion made him narrow his eyes.

  “God, you are a tease,” Meaghan breathed, blinking heavy-lidded eyes at him. “Wait. Is something wrong?”

  “My hellhound’s telling me it got us a Christmas present.”

  Meaghan touched her chest. “And you’re worried? I thought you trusted it now.”

  “I would, if it wasn’t acting like a puppy that doesn’t want you to look at what it did to your shoes,” Caine explained.

  The doorbell rang.

  Here’s your present! Caine cocked an eyebrow at Meaghan. “He says that’s the present now.”

  “Now I’m worried, too.” Meaghan rolled off the bed and pulled on her clothes. Caine followed suit.

  *Can you sense anything about what’s out there?* she asked as he padded down the stairs in front of her.

  *No. Nothing.*

  “Oh. Oh. I wonder…”

  Caine pulled the door open. Three young men were standing behind it, looking as sheepish as his hellhound felt. They were a ragtag bunch, exhausted-looking and somehow familiar.

  Caine frowned. “Who are you?”

  Two of the young men elbowed the other one forward. He ducked his head. “We’re, um. We’re your pack,” he explained to his feet. “You defeated Mr. Parker, so that makes you the new alpha.”

  Merry Christmas! Caine’s hellhound barked. Behind him, Meaghan stifled a bubble of laughter.

  Caine gulped. Life in Pine Valley is going to be more complicated than I thought…

  A note from Zoe Chant

  Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You are also invited to join my VIP Readers Group on Facebook!

  Please consider reviewing Christmas Hellhound, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

  Page down to read a special sneak preview of Jasper and Abigail’s book, A Mate for the Christmas Dragon.

  The cover of Christmas Hellhound was designed by Marie Hodgkinson.

  More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant

  A Mate for the Christmas Dragon. Jasper has five days to win his mate’s heart. Luckily, it’s Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. Unluckily… his mate hates the holidays.

  The Griffin’s Mate. A curvy businesswoman who’s new in town + a lonely griffin shifter searching for someone to share his nest + a small town with a big secret = a hot and heartwarming story of love and family.

  The Christmas Dragon’s Mate. (Christmas Valley Shifters #1). A lonely bookkeeper in search of Christmas + a mysterious dragon shifter with a past full of pain + a beautiful snow castle hiding a ruthless enemy = one glittering Christmas romance!

  The Christmas Dragon’s Heart. (Christmas Valley Shifters #2). A curvy hotel manager longing for a real home + a broken fire dragon shifter who hates Christmas + a lost dragon hoard = a magical Christmas romance!

  Trusting the Tiger. A lonely BBW who can't shift, on vacation with her shifter family + a billionaire tiger shifter looking for a family + a kidnapping plot that threatens to rip them apart = one sexy and dangerous weekend getaway!

  Bear With Me. A lonely bear shifter + a workaholic conservationist + a sudden storm = one wet and wild mountain adventure!

  Panther’s Promise. (Shifter Suspense #1) A curvy artist struggling with self-doubt + a panther shifter who's out of touch with his panther + a kidnapper with deadly plans = one thrilling romantic adventure!

  Saved by the Billionaire Lion Shifter. (Shifter Suspense #2) A billionaire lion shifter fighting to fill the hole in his heart + a curvy reporter on an undercover assignment + an island paradise where all is not as it seems = one dangerously hot romance!

  Stealing the Snow Leopard’s Heart. (Shifter Suspense #3). A stick-in-the-mud snow leopard shifter PI + an ex-thief who can’t escape her past + an adorable baby dragon who thinks they’re both part of her hoard = one sweet and sexy romance!

  And many more!

  Zoe Chant writing as Lia Silver

  Laura’s Wolf (Werewolf Marines # 1), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. Together, they have all that they need to heal.

  Prisoner (Werewolf Marines # 2), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly.

  Partner (Werewolf Marines # 3), by Lia Silver. DJ and Echo’s relationship grows stronger under fire… until they are confronted by a terrible choice.

  Mated to the Meerkat, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match in notorious paparazzi and secret shifter Chance Marcotte.

  Zoe Chant writing as Lauren Esker

  Handcuffed to the Bear (Shifter Agents # 1), by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pa
sts, and their pursuers, catch up with them?

  Guard Wolf (Shifter Agents # 2), by Lauren Esker. Avery is a lone werewolf with no pack; Nicole is a social worker trying to put her life back together. When he comes to her door with a box of orphan werewolf puppies and danger in pursuit, can two lonely people find the family they've been missing?

  Dragon’s Luck (Shifter Agents # 3) by Lauren Esker. Gecko shifter and infiltration expert Jen Cho teams up with sexy dragon-shifter gambler "Lucky" Lucado to win a high-stakes poker game. Now they're trapped on a cruise ship full of mobsters, mysterious enemy agents, and evil dragons!

  Tiger in the Hot Zone (Shifter Agents # 4) by Lauren Esker. In her search for the truth about shifters, tell-all blogger Peri Moreland has been clashing with tiger shifter and SCB agent Noah Easton for years. Now she and Noah are on the run with an unstoppable assassin after them and a custom-made plague threatening the entire shifter world!

  Keeping Her Pride (Ladies of the Pack # 1), by Lauren Esker. Down-and-out lioness shifter Debi Fallon never meant to fall in love with a human. Sexy architect and single dad Fletcher Briggs has his hands full with his adorable 4-year-old… who turns into a tiny, deadly snake. Can two ambitious people overcome their pride and prejudice enough to realize the only thing missing from their lives is each other?

  Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending?

  Special Sneak Preview

  A Mate for the Christmas Dragon

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jasper

  DECEMBER 20

  FIVE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS