Page 2 of Christmas with a Chimera (Claw Haven)

E mma stared at the coffee beans scattered all over the café floor.

She wanted to be more annoyed about it. But her anger was frustratingly distant, even as she realized that beans must’ve fallen under the counter again, and they’d have to do something about that after the damn film crew left.

It was hard to feel anything but complete and utter shock.

Arthur Pineclaw. Here. Now. In her fucking café. Smiling at her like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. His mane was perfectly coiffed and shiny, his fangs gleaming. He was wearing sunglasses indoors, like an asshole.

She watched in stunned silence as Arthur bent down and plucked a single coffee bean between his claws.

“Well,” he announced. “One down.”

There was the anger Emma had been looking for. She glared at him, this pompous jackass who thought he could skate through life on charm and charisma. And infuriatingly enough, it worked .

Emma squared her shoulders. That might help Arthur in LA, but it wasn’t going to help him in Cozy Grotto Café. Not with Emma in charge.

“No one’s answering my question,” she said. “What the hell is he doing here?”

The guy who had been setting up the camera slunk toward the back room. Emma ignored him, still glaring at her employee.

“Um,” squeaked Hazel, who was looking even more unprepared than usual.

Hazel was sweet but a bit of a ditz. She couldn’t make coffee to save her life.

Emma would’ve fired her months ago if Hazel wasn’t so damn determined to learn.

Still, Emma had come close more than a few times.

It was hard to defend her against the tenth complaining tourist of the day, and Emma often wondered why she bothered.

“He’s the actor guy,” Hazel said weakly. “The one Luna was talking about?”

“Great,” Emma snapped. “Just as helpful as always, Hazel. Thanks.”

Hazel wilted. Emma had a moment of guilt before the café door swung open.

Luna and Daisy rushed in, Daisy looking apologetic, and Luna with that giant smile that Emma was growing wary of. She didn’t trust anyone who smiled that much. Case in point: her movie star ex, who was still holding that stupid coffee bean as if he was actually helping.

“Em,” Luna said like she could squash the rancid vibes with the sheer force of her peppy tone. “You’re here! Great! This is Arthur. Daisy was just telling me that you two know each other—”

“Yeah, no shit.” Emma blinked hard. Her eyes were burning. What the hell? She wasn’t going to tear up just because her high school sweetheart was back in town.

“I’m not doing this,” she decided and headed for the door. “Hazel, could you tidy this up?”

“Got it,” Hazel blurted, stepping around the coffee beans to grab the broom propped up behind the counter. She almost skidded on a bean, but luckily, Daisy rushed over to steady her.

“Em,” Luna tried. “Hold up a second.”

Arthur made a noise like he was going to say something. He even reached out with his stupid bean-holding hand.

Emma whirled on him, growling. She was fully human—even her sharpest teeth were woefully blunt—but she could still make some impressive noise. It was enough to make Arthur stop.

He stared at her, smile dropping. His hand flexed in the empty air, and Emma’s stomach twisted with heat as she remembered that same hand stroking over her bare body, curling inside her, touching the place where he was swollen inside her—

She turned back to the door. She wasn’t going to lust after the chimera who broke her heart, no matter how long it had been since she went to bed with someone, let alone let anyone knot her.

She marched out into the busy street with Luna behind her. Freezing wind stung her cheeks.

“Em,” Luna tried again. “I’m so sorry. The director said it should be a surprise!”

Emma spun to face her, dragging them out of the stream of Christmas shoppers who had burst onto the scene. Thanks to Luna Musgrove, Claw Haven’s tourist population had increased a thousandfold over the past couple of years.

“They need to use another café,” Emma announced. “We have a bunch now! Pick one!”

She waved her arms, indicating all the cafés tucked between the chocolate shop, the flower shop, the bakery, the bookshop, and that goddamn skincare shop, which always kept the sign out overnight despite Emma constantly telling the old woman who owned it to bring it in.

Then someone’s dumb teenager had stolen it and returned it with several of the sign’s letters blacked out to spell a word that none of them wanted to be affiliated with.

Luna sighed. “So, unfortunately, you’ve already signed the contract—”

“Fuck the contract!” Emma said, loud enough that two passing harpies glanced over. Then they saw who they were looking at and wisely looked away. Nobody wanted to be on Emma Curt’s bad side.

“You didn’t say it was him,” Emma continued. “I was expecting some B-list minotaur who made a bunch of fur care ads! If I’d known, I would never —”

She stopped, throat closing up. She averted her eyes, scrubbing her thankfully dry cheeks.

She wasn’t about to cry in front of Luna Musgrove.

She only did that in front of her parents, who had seen far worse.

Besides, Luna looked like she would rather throw herself into traffic than watch her cry, which was coincidentally also what Emma was feeling.

Then Luna’s panicked smile turned soft. She took a deep breath, reaching up to squeeze Emma’s arm.

“Nope,” Emma blurted.

“Still no touching, okay!” Luna held her hands up in surrender. “Let’s get some coffee.”

Emma sniffed. “Some assistant guy is bringing me an iced coffee.”

“Right. I forgot you’re one of those people who drink iced coffee in this weather.” Luna dragged her puffy jacket tighter. “They’ll give it to the crew. Come on, my treat.”

Emma considered. It was this or go back to the café—and she couldn’t face him again. She needed time to get her head on straight, to—

She stopped, staring behind them at a long, sleek vehicle parked in front of Cozy Grotto Café.

“Is that a limo ?” she asked disbelievingly.

Luna twisted to look at it. “Guess so. Seems like a fellow drama queen.”

“You have no idea,” Emma muttered.

A cold breeze blew through the street, making Luna shudder and Emma sigh.

Luna was from California, so she spent most of the coldest months with her werewolf husband around, ready to duck into his arms and get warm.

Even with all those layers, her teeth started chattering if she stayed out in the cold for more than thirty seconds.

“Fine,” Emma grumbled. “Let’s go before you turn into a Popsicle.”

* * *

They picked a corner table in Creature Comforts. Other than her own café, it was the only spot on Main Street that did iced coffees the way Emma wanted them: no ice cubes, extra whipped cream on top, and extra chocolate sauce.

Luna nibbled on a minotaur-shaped chocolate that had come with her drink.

Prickles, the hedgehog-owned chocolate shop, was yet another business that was booming thanks to Luna’s marketing expertise.

Emma had to give it to her—turning Prickles into the supplier for all the local cafés’ chocolate needs was a smart move.

Stellar chocolate, too. She’d gotten more than a little addicted to all these little goodies that came with her coffees.

“I really am sorry,” Luna said. “Daisy gave me the short version before you came in. Sounds like there’s some tricky history there.”

Emma laughed bitterly. “You could say that.”

Luna dropped the rest of her chocolate into her latte and leaned forward.

She had that coy smile on, the one that made it easy to believe she’d been the go-to girl to spice up a party back in LA.

She did the same in Claw Haven, but she usually tapped out with her werewolf husband before too long.

Emma was surprised that Oliver Musgrove wasn’t around.

They’d renewed their wolf bond at their wedding, and it usually meant that they had to keep each other on a short leash or risk an impressive amount of pain—for a while, anyway.

Apparently, it had been longer than Emma thought.

Emma braced herself. “We dated in high school.”

Luna nodded eagerly. “And?”

“Stop looking like you’re watching reality TV,” Emma scolded. “This is my life .”

“Right,” Luna said. “Sorry.”

Emma leaned back in her chair, folding her arms tightly over her chest. Arthur used to tease her for it, showing her how to look more relaxed.

You catch more flies with honey , he’d say.

He probably still said it. It sounded like the stupid sort of thing he’d say, convinced that all of life could be solved if you hid everything behind a bullshit smile.

“That’s the whole story,” Emma said. “We dated in high school. He abandoned me to be a movie star. Looks like it worked out for him.”