Chapter 9

9

Deer asleep on mountain high,

Gently snoring, o’er the ice plains,

And the mountain in reply,

Growled out her nickname.

Once more, Dancer woke atop of a warm and snuggly bear. Naked, but not cold. Surprising since, last she recalled, she thought she’d die. The helicopter crash into the sea had left her convinced she’d drown as the intense cold water sapped her strength and vitality.

Somehow, she survived, and she’d wager she owed it all to the bear snoring underneath her.

She snuggled the fur on his chest and murmured, “Thanks for saving my life.”

He huffed hotly.

“Going to assume that means ‘you’re welcome.’” She couldn’t see anything around her, the darkness complete. She reached out a hand to see what she could feel and met a surface of ice. “You found us a cave.”

He made a noise, and as her fingers kept questing, she found a seam, so she corrected her statement to, “You built us a shelter.”

Growr.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She sat up gingerly on the big furry body, pleased to see her head didn’t bump the ceiling. “Where are we?” she murmured aloud, not expecting an answer, only he suddenly shifted.

Bear turned into man. A naked man whose taut belly she straddled. She splayed her hands on his chest to keep from falling over.

“We’re at the North Pole,” he murmured.

“We actually made it?” She couldn’t help but sound surprised. “Where are the others?” She sensed no one else in this cocoon he’d made them.

“Don’t know. Lost them when we crashed. How are you feeling?”

“Not bad, actually.” She rolled her limbs to check them for soreness. “Seem to be intact. What happened after I blacked out?”

“I managed to get a hold of you and swam us to shore.”

She arched a brow. “And the blood I scent is from…”

“A narwhal,” he grumbled. “Blubbery jerk came at me while I was trying to keep you afloat.”

“Jumping Jack in the box. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Bah, would take more than a narwhal to bring me down. Besides, it did me a favor. Once I had the shelter built, it washed ashore. Hungry? I’ve got chunks of it to feed us both.”

Her stomach gurgled. “I am a bit peckish.”

“Can you get off me for a second so I can grab some?”

“Do I have to?” She sighed. “You’re so nice and warm.”

“You need to eat to keep up your strength.”

He had a point. She slid from his warm—and very nicely muscled—belly to the cold floor of their shelter. Not as cold as it could have been, she realized. He’d spread the narwhal’s skin over it. Moist and a bit spongy, but better than crouching on pure ice.

Another section of the skin hung over the door to their shelter. He tugged it aside, and the greenish lights of the aurora let her see a little bit while, at the same time, admitting a chilly draft that had her wrapping her arms around herself.

He pulled in two hunks of meat, handing her a section, while keeping one for himself.

Usually, she wouldn’t eat raw in this state, but shifting meant no talking. It also meant she couldn’t be dragged back into his warm lap, which he did after cursing. “You’re shivering already.”

She sat on his thighs and ate while ignoring the erection that poked under her. She was hungrier than expected and felt clearer-headed and stronger when done.

A noise of satisfaction escaped from Dancer as she finished, licking her fingertips. “I needed that. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Not just for the food but saving my life.”

“Bah.” He scoffed.

“I mean it. You could have let me sink and saved yourself.”

“I’m not that kind of man.”

“No, you’re not,” she agreed. “For a grumpy ice bear, you’re actually nicer than you want people to know.”

“Am not,” he huffed.

“If you say so. Maybe I should have nicknamed you Pooh Bear instead of Nookie.”

“Take that back,” he growled.

“Why? I mean I think it’s cute you’re a big softie. Would you prefer Teddy?”

“I’m warning you, Dani.” A low rumble from a predator that should have sent her fleeing but instead excited.

“I don’t know why you’re getting mad. Nothing wrong with being a nice guy.”

“I am not nice.”

“You are to me.”

“I tried to toss you out the first time we met.”

Her lips quirked. “But didn’t because you’re grumpy, not mean.”

“I refused to help you.”

“You had your reasons. But you’re a good man. A great bear. And this might sound odd given all that’s happened, but I’m glad we met.”

“You are?” He didn’t hide the surprise in his reply.

“Yes, I am, even if we failed our mission.” Her lips turned down, not that he could see in the dark, but he caught the tone.

“Who says we’ve failed?”

“We’re naked, without weapons or the reinforcements we brought.”

“Not ideal,” he admitted. “But that’s not going to stop me from rescuing my girls.”

“Of course we’re going to try and free them. We have to make the attempt, but our chances of success were slim before. Now they’re non-existent.”

“Giving up already?”

“Being realistic.”

“I thought everyone who worked for Santa was overly optimistic.”

She snorted. “You’re thinking of Cupid. She’s annoying happy all the time.”

“And you’re not?”

“It’s not that I’m unhappy. I have a good life. A great job.”

“I hear a but.”

“But ever feel like something’s missing?” Not something she’d ever admitted out loud before.

“I know what you mean. I feel like a shit father when I get that way. I mean, my girls are my life. I love them so damned much, but sometimes I yearn for something more than making them breakfast and picking up their stuff.”

“You’re lonely like me.”

“How can I be lonely with my two cubs?”

“Because it’s not the same as a companion. Someone who understands grownup issues. Someone you can rely on. Someone to snuggle at night.” She paused. “Someone to share intimacy with.”

“I don’t need a woman to complete me,” he blustered.

“Then you’re lucky. Me, I’d like to have someone to wake up to in the morning.”

“Better hope they don’t mind you smothering them like a blanket.”

“Why, Nookie, is that a complaint? Would you prefer I slept with someone else?”

“No!” He shouted the word almost as if he were jealous.

Wishful thinking on her part. “So, Mr. Let’s-go-invade-Santa’s-Village, do you have a plan where we don’t die the moment we try?”

“Not yet, but I’ll think of something. I have to get my girls back. All the kids, for that matter.”

“We’ll need a ton of luck for that to happen.”

“Anything is possible if you believe.”

What she believed was that she might be falling for this enigma of a man. A man who would die before admitting defeat.

“I believed in Christmas miracles until this happened,” she admitted.

“Who says we won’t get one?”

“It’s Christmas Eve.”

“The perfect time to pull off an impossible feat.”

She shook her head and sighed. “When did you become the positive one in this relationship?”

“Since I met a reindeer who wouldn’t give up.” He shifted her in his lap until she faced him in the darkness. “Don’t let a few setbacks ruin your outlook on life.”

“A few setbacks?” she snorted. “Have you forgotten what happened?”

“I haven’t. And we survived. Seems to me like we’re on a winning streak.”

“And what’s the prize if we do pull off the impossible?”

“Isn’t saving the kids and Christmas enough?”

“Both are awesome, but I think I want something a little more selfish. Something just for me.”

“And what does Dani want?”

She almost said “you,” but settled for, “A kiss.”

“From who?” asked the dense bear.

“You, Nookie.”

“Oh.” He sounded flummoxed. It lasted for a second, and then his lips were pressing against her. Stealing all thought. Making her heart pound and her horns throb.

When he was done rocking her world—and libido—he pulled back and smiled. “Let that be your incentive. Once we prevail, I’m going to kiss your other lips.”

It took her a second to understand.

Then she blushed, flushed, and creamed herself.

He inhaled sharply.

“Damn, Dani. You sure know how to make a bear forget what’s going on.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Before he could reply, a voice from outside startled.

“Ahoy, people inside the igloo.”

“Stay here while I go see who it is.”

She’d already recognized the speaker as Rook.

Despite the tight space, Nanook invited the naked man in. Not that she caught more than a glimpse in the green light. Rook entered and took a spot opposite her, the dark of their shelter keeping her from seeing anything interesting. But that didn’t stop Nanook from placing her in his lap, arm loosely around her. Staking his claim? A part of her kind of hoped so. She’d not known him long, but something about Nanook attracted her. To think he might be possessive or jealous warmed her insides like marshmallows in hot cocoa.

“Did you spot any of the others?” Nanook asked after Rook ate some of the narwhal meat.

“No, but a few things did wash up on shore. One of the kit bags. Some random bits of clothing.”

“Grmph.” Nanook grunted.

“What made those birds attack the chopper?” Rook asked.

Nanook shrugged, which proved interesting given they were both naked and skin to skin. “What made those walrus and wolverines decide to follow this Krampus?”

Dancer blurted out, “Is he like the Pied Piper?”

“The what?”

“It’s a folk tale, not sure of its roots, but it’s about a guy who plays an instrument and gets the rats to obey him.”

“I know that story,” Rook exclaimed. “Did you hear music playing?”

“Not that I recall,” she admitted. “But he must be controlling his army somehow.”

“Maybe he made them a deal,” Nanook muttered.

“If they were shifters, I’d say yes, but these were animals.”

“How can you be sure?” Rook questioned.

“Scent. The few that got close were of the wild variety. But if this Krampus managed to get them to obey, then why not birds?”

“You’d better hope he can’t do that, else that means all the creatures out here might be ready to attack,” Nanook warned.

Grawr . A bear bugle from outside had Nanook stiffening. “That’s my sister.” He gargled back, and soon a head poked through the flap, noticed their tight shelter, and shifted. Kira crawled in, followed by Arnie.

“Holy icicles, I am glad to see you,” she exclaimed. “What a wild swim that was. We had to fight off some seals on our way to shore, which I’ve never encountered before.”

“Narwhal for me,” Nanook admitted.

“Are we all that’s left?” Kira asked.

“Dunno. I’ve been holed up here making sure Dancer recovered from her polar plunge.”

“Good idea building a big igloo. Once we saw it, we came straight over for a peek,” Kira stated.

“Same,” Rook added. “Else I might have kept wandering the beach.”

As it turned out, the shelter Nanook built ended up drawing most of the survivors. Weaver found them next, by which time the shelter got very crowded and warm, warm enough with so many bodies they kept the flap open, leading to a bit of green light entering.

Then Benedict and Leroy stumbled onto them, the pair of them having survived the crash by surfing an ice floe to shore. At their arrival, Nanook suggested some of them go scrounging for any supplies that might have washed ashore and to see if they could find the other missing members of their group. Missing not dead because no one wanted to think the worst.

Kira took the spot beside Dancer and leaned close to whisper, “So, are you and Nanook a couple?”

Dancer wished. “No.”

“Are you sure? Because he’s not touched a woman since Anjij left.”

“He was just keeping me warm.”

“Sure he was,” drawled his sister.

“He was. He’s a good man.”

Kira snorted. “Not many would say that.”

“Surely you would.”

“Of course I would. He’s my brother and a great father to his girls, but to other people? He’s usually a bit of a dick.”

“Oh, he’s grumpy,” Dancer agreed, “but deep down, he’s a caring bear.”

“You mean grouchy bear,” snickered Weaver, who’d stayed behind to tend the wound on his foot. He’d encountered a crab while wading to shore.

Dancer took offense. “He saved my life.”

“Whoa, wasn’t trying to piss you off. I’ve just known him longer, and the guy you describe ain’t the one I know.”

A comment that oddly pleased her.

When the group returned, they’d managed an eclectic haul that involved some soggy clothes and one knapsack, which Kira squealed upon seeing.

“Yay.”

The reason soon became clear. She had packed a flint in that waterproof bag, which ended up being just the thing to light some narwhal blubber on fire. They hung the sodden garments around it and then had a meeting.

“So, we need a plan to get into the village and rescue the kids,” Nanook started.

“With what? We lost the guns,” Rook pointed out.

“We have no clothes,” Weaver added.

“So, we go as our animals. They’re better suited to this climate, anyhow,” Nanook’s reply.

“We’ll need more than a few bears to take down this Krampus,” Benedict stated. “I wish we’d have found at least a pistol or a rifle. I could have provided ground cover.”

Which led to Dancer snapping her fingers. “What if I could get you some arms?”

“How?” asked Nanook. He’d not dragged her onto his lap since they had a warm fire, but he sat beside her.

“The QUEEF’s hole.”

Reaver coughed. “Er, what?”

“It’s what they call the storage room for their weaponry because it’s literally a hole in the ground. Given some of the ammo is explosive, and the gingerbread houses not exactly secure, Santa had the elves chisel out a chamber of ice to store it.”

Nanook asked. “How do we get into QUEEF’s hole?”

“Does it matter? It’s in the village, which we can’t enter without being noticed,” Weaver argued.

Dancer shook her head. “Santa didn’t want it inside the village in case of an incident. So, he has it by the training field instead.”

“Surely the entrance is guarded,” Weaver countered.

“Oh, I’m sure it is. The tunnel to it is under the barracks.”

“I’m confused. How does that help us?” Weaver asked, while Nanook eyed her with curiosity.

She smiled. “Because, while they might be watching the true entrance, we’ll be going in another way.”

“There’s a back door?” Nanook questioned.

“Not yet. But surely a guy who can build an igloo with his bear paws can create a new entrance in the ice.”