Chapter Six

Sage

If the reindeer was beautiful, the man beneath the fur was even more so. Dark hair and glacier-blue eyes met mine and held. A whirlwind rush unbalanced me. Everything around me, from trees to grass blades, took on a white glow. The reindeer smelled of peppermint and chocolate-covered oranges on Christmas Day. The sensations overwhelmed me. If Caspian hadn’t been right beside me, palm flat on my back, I would have lost my balance.

The reindeer shifter flicked his gaze to Caspian.

“It’s fated,” Caspian spoke softly, as if still caught in his own daze. “There’s no other word for it.”

Words got lost in the back of my throat. I could only utter a strange, questioning groan.

“It makes perfect sense.” The reindeer smiled and held his hand out as if he met strangers, let alone fated mates, buck naked every day. “I’m Douglas.”

A handshake? The definition of what was happening psychologically and hormonally between the three of us was so much more than that. Yet, I saw my arm rise, hand out. My voice came out shaky, distant.

“I’m Sage.” Our palms met, and an electric zing snapped through my entire body.

Caspian stepped forward, hand out. “I’m Caspian.”

Douglas let his hand slowly slip from mine, as if he never wanted to let go, then shook Caspian’s.

I couldn’t help but peek at Douglas’ naked body. Omega, lean and hairless, lean and sculptured musculature, a trim waist—and his other assets, well, they were perfect, too. The alpha rabbit inside me puffed up.

Caspian took the lead and pulled our omega into a light embrace. He kissed the man right on the forehead and said, “We’ve been waiting for you, omega ours.”

My mind spun. I was thoroughly familiar with Caspian’s forehead kisses. The fact that Douglas didn’t go straight into a swoon meant he just didn’t know Caspian well enough yet. Watching the two of them together had me in an instant state of arousal.

Douglas shook his head, eyes shining. “I love your names. You both sound like you’ve just stepped out of my favorite fantasy gaming world.”

We laughed. I glanced quickly to see if Caspian was in the same state I was. Nothing to disappoint there. His cock stood proudly, as it should, his inner wolf wholly accepting this new mate.

Douglas continued, looking us up and down. “This is wonderful. I came here for a job, and I found my fateds.”

So that was why Douglas was here. A job.

The breeze stirred through tree branches and leaves on the ground. A shudder went through me.

“Cold?” Caspian asked.

I shook my head. My skin flamed. The breeze was cooling, settling.

“We’re some distance from the patio and the benches,” Douglas said. “We could shift some more. Together?”

“I want to,” I blurted. Becoming my rabbit would settle me down and give us both time to adjust to what nature had gifted us.

“Yes,” Caspian echoed. “Our animals need more time with each other right now.”

“Race?” Douglas asked.

“I can’t ever beat the wolf,” I said. Not that I needed to win. This situation here and now…I’d already won.

“You can ride on my back,” Douglas offered.

My mouth dropped open as he immediately shifted in a flash of light, the human becoming the deer in less than two seconds. He bowed before me, pawing at the grass, lowering his front half.

I turned to Caspian, unable to hide my grin. “Is this really happening?”

Caspian nodded. “It’s really happening, little wabbit. Go for it.”

“All right. If you both go fast, I don’t know if I can hang on, but I’ll give it a shot.”

I turned to the magnificent reindeer, backed up, then made a flying leap. In midair, I shifted, the wind in my ears, my blood rushing. My rabbit landed on the center of Douglas’ thickly furred back. I dug my paws in, turning just in time to see Cas shift into his grand-and-golden wolf self.

In a flash, they took off through the trees.

Douglas was a smoother ride than I’d expected, as if he was more floating than running half the time. I had no trouble flattening myself against his back and staying in place.

Touching my body to this omega, this new mate of ours, even in animal form, had me half in and out of ecstasy for the entire journey.

Both Cas and I had had the feeling San Diego was the right place to go for our honeymoon. But not this. Not how very right it was, beyond our wildest dreams.

The wolf won the race. If it was a betting race, I would always put my money on Cas. He was made of wind, that wolf.

As we all caught our breaths, I slid from Douglas’ softness. We stood in a circle facing each other, sniffing noses. Then Cas’ wolf took things further. He walked around Douglas sniffing all over, including both ends. Fearless and bold, Douglas stood still and allowed it.

I moved around Douglas, as well, sniffing his feet and ankles. This was the one. Douglas would have my children; I knew it. Tides would turn. Volcanoes would erupt. Stars would explode. We would all mate and the world would never be the same for it.

Douglas bent his head. At this time of year, his antlers should have been shed. But he still had his, and what a beautiful rack it was. He carefully avoided skewering the alpha of my heart, and nudged him with his snout.

Caspian moved alongside him like a cat pressing against him. He rubbed his scent all over the deer.

Douglas lowered his head to me. I stood on my hind legs as tall as I could make myself and rubbed against his mouth and nose. His nostrils huffed and puffed. He stomped one foot. It all said one thing: He liked me.

I shook my ears at him to let him know I felt the same.

Together, the three of us walked through the silent forest toward Animals. I didn’t want this moment to end, and yet I did. There was so much more to look forward to with our newfound mate. I couldn’t wait to kiss him, mark him, make him mine. And, of course, make Caspian mine. I’d been waiting years for that. By the sweet scents they gave off, the two of them felt much the same.

We emerged from the trees, and, as if the fantasy could get any better, there stood Santa by our clothes on the bench. In his hand, he held garments that looked as if they might belong to Douglas.

He’d been waiting for him? Was Douglas a magic reindeer? One of Santa’s?

I laughed at myself; it was funny. But in my defense, the right time of the year.

Together, we approached Santa. I shifted back to human and quickly grabbed up my clothes. Things were getting better and better, and I couldn’t wait for the rest of the day to unfold.