Silent Bear: Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (North Pole Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Tracey leaned against the ledge on the roof of the toy factory she worked in and stared out into the snow. Santa used his magic to create a cloaking device around Santa’s Village, and only residents of the town could see through the barrier. The magic gave them the advantage against the many curious explorers brave enough to visit the arctic looking for a legend. When a stranger approached, they saw the snow covered land and nothing more.

Even though they were concealed in a magical barrier, they still needed protection. The enforcer teams patrolled the snowy land outside, and scared away any possible intruders. The entrance into the town, while invisible to most, was still vulnerable if anyone got too close.

The buildings were situated in a circle around the town to hide the deserted outside world, but from the roof, she could see the snowy tundra. Miles and miles of snow blanketed the land, and for the first time in her life, she wondered what lay beyond the snow.

Santa had sent Quinn away to find a mate. Could he do the same for her? Would he?

The thought of touching another man made her skin crawl, and she shivered to rid herself of the unpleasant feeling. How could she move on if her body only wanted one man? Still, what choice did she have? Maybe Santa could help her get over Mark, too.

Maybe she was hoping for too much.

“Cold?”

The voice made her jump and she turned to see Mark walking toward her. She’d been so lost in thought, she hadn’t heard his approach, and her heart raced from the surprise.

“Yeah, a little,” she lied.

She wrapped her arms around herself, and looked back out at the expanse of land.

“You heard about Quinn?” he asked cautiously.

“Yeah. I hope he finds someone. It will be good to see him smile again,” she said.

“You’re not upset?” he questioned.

“No, why would I be?”

“Well, I… I thought you had a thing for him.”

“For Quinn?” she laughed. “Um, no. He’s just a friend, if you can even call him that. He really doesn’t like me all that much.”

“Then why are you always flirting with him?” he demanded.

“Excuse me?” She hated his condescending tone. “Why do you care?”

“I’m just surprised,” he stated calmly. “He’s my friend and I really thought you liked him.”

She didn’t understand his sudden interest, but she decided she didn’t have anything to lose.

“No, I don’t like him that way,” she admitted. “I only started flirting with him to try and get someone else’s attention.”

“Did it work?”

What do you think?

“Of course not,” she laughed. “If anything, I think it pushed him further away.”

“Why not just tell this mystery man how you feel?”

She studied him and tried to figure out if he was making fun of her again, or he really wanted to know. With her decision made to ask Santa for help, she didn’t see any harm in telling him the truth.

“I did,” she confessed, “and he said he felt the same. It wasn’t until the next day I found out he’d been drinking and didn’t remember our…conversation.”

“Why didn’t you just tell him again?”

“Because.” She desperately wanted this discussion to be over.

“Because?” He prodded.

“Because we obviously weren’t meant to be,” she snapped at him. “If I had truly been his mate, he would have remembered me.”

“Tracey, I—”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about this anymore. I have to get back to work and see if I can get a meeting with Santa. Maybe he’ll be able to help me find a mate, too.” She turned away as tears filled her eyes.

“Tracey—”

“Goodbye, Mark,” she called over her shoulder, and then quickened her pace.

The constricting pain in her chest felt as if her heart were breaking in two, and she knew she’d never be able to look at him without giving away her secret. He called her name as she ran toward the door to the stairs, but she didn’t look back. When she saw him chasing after her, she removed the door stop and slammed the heavy metal shut.

Guilt swamped her as she descended the stairs.

She’d locked him on the roof, and he beat on the door like an angry bear. The sound echoed around the stairwell, but she kept running. If he looked at her, he’d know he was the object of her infatuation, and she’d never survive seeing the look on his face when he let her down easy.

When she reached the ground floor, she raced into the bathroom. She steadied her breathing and washed away the traces of her tears. A few minutes later, she exited the private room and scanned the area for Mark. When she didn’t see him, she casually walked to her office, and tried to think of a good reason to leave work early.

“Hey, Tracey,” her co-worker, Judy, said. “Someone needs to give Santa the three day report. Do you want to do it, or would you like me to go?”

“I’ll go,” she nearly shouted. 

“Okay,” Judy said. She stretched out the word as if asking a question, but Tracey ignored her.

“Let me get my paperwork and I’ll go over there now.”

Minutes later, she left the building and raced to Santa’s office. On the sidewalk, she kept her eyes forward and refused to look at the roof of the toy factory. If Mark was still up there, she didn’t want to know. She planned to relay the report to Santa and Mrs. Claus, and then ask for an early Christmas present.

Nothing—especially not a nosy, condescending, pissed off bear—would ruin her plan.

***

If I had truly been his mate, he would have remembered me.

Mark paced the roof of the building as he replayed Tracey’s words in his mind. She’d been describing their kiss. Confusion settled over him as he thought back to that night and replayed it and the following day.

Their kiss had been explosive, but he’d known they were mates before his lips touched hers. While the other men snubbed her because of her size or hot pink highlights, he’d been mesmerized by the tiny fox. She was everything he’d always wanted, and when she confessed to feeling the same, they shared a kiss in a dimly lit hallway.

He’d promised to call the next day, but another enforcer had called in sick and he’d been forced to work. She’d floated through his mind all day, and after work he’d went shopping for a special gift. By the time he’d caught up with her at the bar, she’d moved on to flirting with Quinn.

I’m an idiot!

He couldn’t believe he’d never figured it out before. In an effort to save her pride, she’d flirted with Quinn, and in an effort to save his, he didn’t stop her. They both assumed the other hadn’t remembered the kiss.

Maybe he’ll be able to help me find a mate, too.

Her final words echoed in his mind, and he vowed not to let her get away again.

No way in hell!

He raced to the door, ready to start yelling again, when the metal slowly creaked open.

“Hello?” Judy peeked her head outside.

“Judy! Thank god. Where’s Tracey?”

“She went to see Santa. What are you doing out here?”

“Long story,” he said as he ran past her and started down the stairwell. “Tell you later…thank you.”

He flew out the door in record time and raced to Santa’s office. The receptionist, Cindy, eyed him warily as he ran in gasping for breath.

“Can I help you, Mark?” she asked.

“Has Tracey been in to see him yet?”

“She’s in there now, but you can’t—”

“Thank you,” he said and barged through the double doors.

“I’m sorry sir,” she said from behind him.

“That’s okay, Cindy,” Santa said. “Please close the doors on your way back to your desk.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus sat in matching high-backed, red velvet chairs, and Tracey stood across from them with her papers spread out over a wood podium. Santa eyed him with interest, Mrs. Claus smirked with a twinkle in her eye, and Tracey looked at him like he’d gone insane.

When he heard the click of the doors closing, he revealed the reason for his interruption.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said to Santa, “but there’s been a terrible mistake. Please don’t give her what she’s asking for.”

“Mark,” Tracey hissed. “Get out of here. This is a business meeting.”

She shooed him away with her arm and rearranged her papers on the podium.

He wasn’t going anywhere, especially not without his mate.

“I wasn’t drunk,” he blurted as Santa and Mrs. Claus watched with interest.

“What?” she turned to face him. “What are you talking about?”

“I wasn’t drunk, but I thought you were. When I saw you flirting with Quinn, I thought you’d mistaken me for him. I thought you believed him to be your mate, so I didn’t say anything.”

Tracey started gasping for air, and tears slid down her face.

“You remember what happened? You weren’t drunk?” she asked as she struggled to breathe in enough air.

“I’m sorry, Tracey. I thought—”

“So you just hate me,” her sobs grew louder as she crumpled to the floor and started to hyperventilate.

Mark rushed to her side and tried to help her off the floor.

“I don’t hate you, I lo—”

“Get away from me!” she yelled. She pushed him away and crawled to her feet. “Don’t touch me. You don’t get to touch me. I never want to see you again.”

She ran out of the building, her face red and wet from crying. He chased after her, but when he got to the street, he didn’t see her pink coat anywhere. If she shifted, she’d blend into the snow and he’d only be able to find her in his bear form.

Several people stared at him, and he became fully aware of the drama they’d created. In an effort to curb the gossip, he let her go and went back into Santa’s office.

He saw one of Tracey’s pink jelly bracelets on the floor and picked it up and slid his fingers over it. She always wore a combination of thin metal bangles and jelly gummies around both wrists. He tried to put it on, but it wouldn’t fit over his hand, so he closed his fingers around it and shoved it in his pocket.

“She shifted and ran out into the tundra,” Santa said, then reassured him of her well-being. “She’s safe for now, but we can’t waste any time. An ice storm is coming.”

He looked at the big man and his wife, and took a deep breath.

“I have a plan, but I’m going to need your help,” he admitted.

“My dear,” said Mrs. Claus, “that is the understatement of the year.”

Chapter Three

Tracey ran out of Santa’s office and onto the crowded street. Several people stopped to observe the commotion, and she immediately shifted to avoid their curious stares. In her fox form, she easily blended into the snow and took off for the opening to the tundra.

She had to get away from everyone, but most of all, Mark.

He’d admitted to being sober the night of their kiss, which meant he’d tricked her into believing he felt something for her when he didn’t. Then, instead of leaving her alone, he insisted on following her around and pointing out her flaws to every male she came in contact with.

She ran blindly as her eyes watered again, but she didn’t slow down or stop. Her tiny feet ate up the snow in record pace, and she welcomed the strain and ache in her muscles over the sense of nothing she felt on the inside.

Her mate had committed the ultimate betrayal, and the fragile strands of confidence, hope and happiness she’d had left were shattered, leaving behind an empty shell. She didn’t care what happened to her, getting away was all that mattered.

Flurries fell gently from the sky and stuck to her fur, but she still ran. When they hardened and pelted her coat in the strong wind, she slowed her pace and looked for a place to burrow. Only then did she notice the snow under her paws had hardened into ice.

She looked around, but snow and ice fell at an alarming rate and her footprints were long gone. Even if she knew her location, she’d never make it back to Santa’s Village in an ice storm.

Her legs were tired, and suddenly she felt too worn-out to take another step. With no shelter, she curled up into a ball and covered her face with her tail. It stopped the abuse of the ice on her face, but her body felt the anger of the storm.

Exhaustion set in and she welcomed the lonely, dark place.

***

The roar of a bear jolted Tracey awake.

A warm snout nudged her face and she forced an eye open to see her visitor. A polar bear with deep blue sapphire eyes stared back at her. In her fox form the bear seemed enormous, and she smiled at the odd pair they made. She wondered why she dreamed of Mark when her heart still ached, and she closed her eyes again to erase his image.

He growled and nudged her again with his snout. Her dream bear wanted her eyes open. When she obeyed his request, he began digging her out of the ice and snow with his giant paw.

When she could move again, he shifted into his human form and pulled a red velvet blanket from his backpack. He draped it around his shoulders and then picked her up and held her against his chest. The heat from his body instantly warmed her icy fur, and she closed her eyes and nuzzled against him. When he secured the blanket around the two of them, the protection warmed her from the inside out.

She knew she’d have to face reality soon, but for now, she welcomed the feeling of love that seemed to surround her and drifted back into dreamland. 

***

Tracey stretched her paws out wide and rolled around in the warm blanket.

Blanket? What the hell?

She opened her eyes and peeked around the room. She lay wrapped in a soft red velvet blanket on a wooden four poster bed, in what seemed like a log cabin. Fear raced down her spine as she scanned the room and the unfamiliar surroundings.

Voices filtered in from the other room and it took her a minute to realize the sound came from the TV. She wanted to shift into her human form, but she didn’t dare.

What day was it? How did she get here?

She tried to remember what happened, but her mind went blank. Images of Mark bursting into Santa’s office, and racing through the tundra filled her mind, followed by a dream of her mate saving her from being buried in an ice storm.

Movement in the other room caused her to quickly burrow under the blanket. She crouched down and tried to make herself as small as possible, but she had a good view of the doorway through one of the folds.

When Mark appeared, she unconsciously swished her uncovered tail.

“Oh good, you’re up,” he said.

There was no reason to hide the truth. She sat up and let the blanket reveal her tiny, white fox.

“Are you okay? Can you shift back?”

She jumped off the bed and shifted in mid-air, grateful for the ability to shift fully clothed. She still wore her hot pink parka and white jeans from the last time she’d seen him.

“Where are we? What am I doing here?” she asked.

“We are at the Winter Wonderland Resort in North Pole, Minnesota,” he smiled.

“Why?”

“To work through our differences and, hopefully, complete our mating.”

“Yeah, right,” she laughed.

She reached under her shirt to grab her necklace, but found it missing. Every person who lived in Santa’s Village had a magic necklace that allowed instant passage between the North Pole and the rest of the world. She’d never taken hers off and she suddenly felt anxious and vulnerable.

“Where’s my necklace?” she accused.

“Okay, don’t get mad,” he said as he held out his hands to placate her. “Santa has your necklace. He helped me prepare this cabin so we can talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about. I’m leaving.”

She stomped in the other room and prepared to open the front door.

“No, don’t,” he warned, but it was too late.

She pulled the handle and a pile of snow fell into the room. The snow outside came up to her waist and surrounded the cabin. The wind blew the door out of her hand and more powder flew into the room. The fire in the fireplace danced with the wind and Mark came behind her and forced the door closed.

“Yeah, we’re snowed in.”

“You can’t keep me here. I’ll scream,” she threatened.

“Go ahead. We’re in the honeymoon cabin. Its located miles away from everyone else in the resort, and it was built for screaming,” he had the nerve to wink.

“You’re disgusting,” she said and moved across the room to stand next to the fire.

“You didn’t always think so,” he said, and took a step toward her. “In fact, I remember a certain kiss that left you weak in the knees.”

“Whatever,” she said, and turned toward the blaze. Her cheeks still heated whenever she thought about their shared kiss, but she couldn’t admit it to him.

“Why don’t you take off your coat? We’re going to be here awhile.”

“For how long?”

“Three days.”

“Three days?” she squeaked.

She’d never survive being locked in a cabin with him for three days. She looked out the window and considered the late hour and the snowy terrain. If she could survive the temperatures of the tundra, she could survive North Pole, Minnesota, but just the thought of going back out into the frigid atmosphere sent a chill down her spine.

“Why?” she turned back toward him. “What are we doing here?”

“Why don’t you change into your pajamas and I’ll make you some peppermint cocoa,” he said, ignoring her question.

“My pajamas? You went through my things? How dare you!”

“I didn’t, Santa did,” he said. “He also left a note for you. It’s on the table.”

He went into the kitchen to make her cocoa and she followed him to retrieve the note. It was written on a rolled up piece of white parchment paper, and secured with a red ribbon. She slid the ribbon of the paper and unrolled the missive.

Dear Tracey,

I know the past year has been difficult, but Mark isn’t the only one to blame. I’m sure if the two of you talk, you can work out your differences. Remember, pride is an admirable quality, but it can also hurt in the long run if you’re not careful. Don’t let pride take away your intended mate.

Christmas is a time to celebrate friendship, joy and love. Spend Christmas with your mate and try to let love back into your heart. I will return with your necklace in three days. Until then, try and have some fun.

Love,

Santa

“Did you read this?” she asked.

“No, what does it say?”

“It says he will return in three days. What day is it?”

“It’s still Thursday. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.”

“So we’re stuck in here until Sunday?”

“Yep, but don’t worry. We have plenty of pink sugar cookies, mint chocolate chip ice cream, peppermints—round, not cane shaped—and egg rolls.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better with egg rolls?” she asked in her best irritated tone. She liked the idea that he’d stocked up on all of her favorites more than she should, but then she remembered that Santa had arranged their reunion. Santa knew everything. Of course he would know which ice cream she liked best.

“Yes, is it working?”

Her stomach took that opportunity to growl long and loud. She couldn’t help but laugh at the embarrassing sound, and he joined her.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said and grabbed the box out of the freezer to find the preheat time for the oven.

“Where are my clothes?” she asked. If she had to stay, she might as well be comfortable.

“Dresser, top two drawers,” he called over his shoulder.

She shook her head and walked into the bedroom and closed the door. Watching him place the eggrolls on the cookie sheet sent her heart racing. The t-shirt he wore showcased all of his muscles as he moved, and she wanted to run her hands all over his body.

She’d never be able to hide her lust for three days. How would she survive Christmas without getting her heart broken again? Santa’s words echoed through her mind as she opened the two drawers to see what clothes she had.

Try to let love back into your heart.

As much as she wanted her mate, she didn’t want someone who didn’t want her.

This was one instance where Santa didn’t know everything.