Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 99(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 99(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 66(@300wpm)
“WATCH OUT!” the Sheriff hollers at the top of his lungs as it comes down hard.
Light strings snap. Ornaments crash on the ground. The angel summersaults off the top and smashes through the window of the candle store.
People scream and run. The tree lands with a crash on the sidewalk, taking down a few plastic reindeer with it. It’s a total disaster.
I look at Leanne hiding behind the hot chocolate stand. She’s recording everything with a huge grin on her face.
“Veronica, are you okay?” my producer says in my ear. “If you are, say something. You’re still live!”
“Christmas has bearly survived this evening,” I say into the mic.
Seriously? Why brain? WHY?!
I’m glad I don’t have that camera on me, catching my cringing face.
CHAPTER FIVE
Boone
That was her…
I squeeze my eyes shut and try to push that thought away. That was my mate, but I can’t deal with that right now.
I’m in the middle of the town square, completely naked, with a thirty foot Christmas tree on my back.
She was so beautiful…
The image of her standing there like a Christmas miracle is burned into my brain. It’s all I can think about. It’s all I can see.
I want to go to her. I need to find her. To have her. To claim her.
But first, I have to get out of this disastrous predicament.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I mutter, coughing and wiping my burning eyes from all that pepper spray. They’re watering as I peek out from under the massive tree branches. The cops are swarming the area, looking for my grizzly.
As soon as this tree came down, he tucked his tail and pulled me out, letting me deal with the mess.
I grab one of the fake decorative presents under the tree and punch two holes into the cardboard. I open the top and stick my legs in there, pulling it up like a pair of shiny cardboard shorts. It looks ridiculous, but it’s better than running out there with my cock flopping around for everyone to see.
I slip out on the opposite side of the tree, using it as cover from the cops as I hurry along it, hoping no one is watching. I dart into the alley, toss the present, quickly grab my clothes, and yank them on.
My heart is racing as I look out, hoping I don’t see any shocked or curious faces looking my way.
It’s all clear.
I take a deep breath and slip out, hurrying along the sidewalk with my hands in my pockets. A group of cops run my way.
“Have you seen the bear?” one barks at me.
“It ran that way,” I say, pointing to the wilderness. “Into the mountains.”
Two peel off the group and head into the direction I pointed as the other two race to secure the area.
Where is she? Where is my mate?
I feel frantic as I look around for her. And that’s when I see…
What I did.
Shit.
It’s chaos and destruction everywhere. The massive tree is laying across the town square, cutting the road in two. A wreckage of huge broken decorations litter the snow and the window of the candle store is broken.
There’s no more singing or dancing or people enjoying the holiday. There’s cops and screaming and a line up of cars that can’t leave because the tree is blocking their way.
My heart squeezes into a tight ball. I feel kind of bad. This isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be.
Told you, my bear seems to say, gloating.
“Clear the area!” the Sheriff yells to the cops who are running around, trying to find my grizzly.
That’s when I see her.
My mate.
She’s perfect. I can’t breathe as I stare at her across the square.
Emotions I haven’t felt in decades, and some I’ve never felt in my life, flood into my soul, filling me until I feel like I might burst. My eyes water as I stare at her in awe. She’s standing near the news van, cheeks flushed from adrenaline, hair a little wild, facing the camera and speaking into the microphone like a total pro.
She says something final and then smiles. The light over the camera turns off and the woman holding it lowers it off her shoulder.
What am I supposed to do? Go over there? Talk to her? Throw her over my shoulder and take her back to my cabin?
I never thought I’d ever want a mate, so I never bothered to plan or prepare for the moment when I saw her. I thought if that moment ever did come, I’d just roll my eyes and keep going, choosing my solitude over her.
But now…
Looking at her… Looking at that angel…
How could I ever choose anything but her?
She’s all I want. All I’ll ever want.
I sigh as I look around at the mess. She’s not going to want me. I ruined the whole night for everyone. I tried to cancel Christmas.