Page 18 of Beary Mated Christmas

“That sounds perfect. We can watch a movie while we eat.”

We watched a Christmas movie and ate our simple supper, and I realized that I’d been in survival mode for so long that I’d forgotten how to relax. I’d brought books and carbs here to have a relaxing time, but if Denali hadn’t been here, I would’ve spent the days pretending to be okay but really lamenting, pining, and regretting him. My body was relaxed. No more keeping my jaw clenched. My shoulders weren’t tight.

“Are you okay?” he asked, running his hand up my thigh as the credits rolled.

“I am. Are you?”

He nodded and took the plate from me, putting it on the table beside me. “I wasn’t watching the movie at all. I was thinking about something very specific, omega.”

“And what would that be?” I knew that look in his eyes. He wanted me, again. Not that I was complaining.

“I was thinking about how beautiful you would be lying naked in front of the fire while I suck your cock.”

I choked on my own spit. “The whole movie you were thinking about that?”

He nodded. “Well, that and other things. But yes, mainly that.”

“There’s one way to find out.”

We made love twice in front of the fire before my alpha took me to bed. He claimed to still be making up for lost time and I hoped he would always be this hungry for me.

Chapter Thirteen

Denali

It was hard to believe it was already Christmas Eve. It felt like we’d just checked in. Every day went by too quickly. Before we knew it, our time here would be over and we’d have to get back to “real life” with work and bills and responsibilities.

“Quit thinking about our time being over.” I grumbled to myself.

I’d woken early, unable to sleep. My bear was overly energetic, for some reason. I was going to make a pot of coffee, but then I got a better idea…hot chocolate.

I was following a recipe I’d picked up at a stand at the festival after we complimented one of their beverages. It was simple, but somehow something I’d never considered before…boiling the milk and adding shredded chocolate. Easy peasy and delicious. Something told me that was exactly the perfect beverage to start our day.

Abel came out a few minutes later, his hair tousled and eyes still half closed. Freaking adorable.

“I made us some cocoa,” I said. “Sound good?”

“Perfect.” He bit back a yawn. “I rolled over, and you weren’t there.”

I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around him. “Sorry. My bear was restless. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Christmas Eve or what, but sleeping wasn’t happening. And then I thought…hot chocolate. How about we have some then go wandering in the woods?”

“Sounds nice.”

“This time it’s the higher-end kind,” I said with a grin.

“It has caffeine, right?”

“Yeah, it says it has caffeine. But if you want, I can make coffee too.”

He shook his head. “Cocoa.”

We took our mugs outside onto the front steps. It was nice, drinking the warm, sweet liquid surrounded by the cold air.

“Are we just exploring,” he asked, “or are we on a mission?”

“Maybe both.” I remembered the front desk clerk saying that at Christmas time, mistletoe could be found in the woods. I thought that might be a romantic Christmas Eve kind of wander. But if we didn’t find any, hunting with my mate sounded nice too.

We got out of our clothes and shifted, and I let my mate lead the way. His head was up, nose twitching as he sniffed the air before darting toward the woods. At first, I thought he was just running to play, but then I caught the scent of prey in his path. Soon the two of us were working together to get a midmorning snack, a rabbit.