A Shifter Disaster Thanksgiving (Holiday Shifters of Frost Mountain #6)

Chapter Eight

Star Wars: The Village Strikes Back

With several rooms, it was the largest building in the village, standing out from the homes around it. Four plumes of smoke drifted into the sky from the chimneys. A singular horn extended from the roof, pointing toward the sky. On the front porch stood two large men carrying large swords. They nodded at Sylvester and stepped aside to let them pass.

Sylvester ignored them. He hated coming here. Just the thought of coming here to see his brother was enough to make him taste bile. It reminded him of the years he’d spent living in this very building. Even worse, it reminded him of his father, who was dead now, replaced by the very man who was responsible for his demise.

“It’s beautiful,” Diane marveled. She pointed at the horn overhead. “That’s a dragon horn, isn’t it?”

Sylvester nodded. “It belonged to one of my ancestors.”

“Whoa. Quinta told me your family’s ruled this village for a long time. You grew up in this building, didn’t you?”

He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I did.”

“You’re basically royalty around here. But you don’t act like it. Why…?” Sylvester didn’t answer. He just kept walking.

They entered the living room, the floorboards creaking slightly under their combined weight. A fire crackled in the immense fireplace, the flickering flame casting shadows on the walls. Above the crackling, a voice could be heard.

“…think we’re going to surrender? Ha! I would sooner have my wings shorn off.”

Sylvester’s blood boiled at the sound of those words, which came from a man who sat, talking in disgruntled tones, to a smaller, timid-looking man. Neither took note of the newcomers.

“B-but, sir,” the other man began, “it would be the best approach. We still do not have a tactical—”

“There will be no surrendering, Elias. And that is final.”

The smaller man opened his mouth as though he had something else to say, but closed it instantly. His gaze flicked toward the entrance, where Sylvester and Diane stood.

“It appears you have guests, sir,” he said.

The man in the chair turned his gaze, letting out a groan at the sight before him. He looked barely older than Sylvester, with dark, bushy eyebrows to match his long, dark beard and a fierce look in his eyes that gave the impression that he was perpetually angry. He was bare-chested but wore black trousers and boots.

“Leave us,” he snapped at the other man, who instantly nodded and hurried out of the room, nodding again as he passed by Sylvester.

Sylvester walked toward the center of the room, keeping his gaze on the man in the chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Diane still standing in the doorway.

“Gregory,” he spat.

“Sylvester,” his brother replied, sounding almost bored. His gaze drifted toward Diane. “You’ve come here again and you’ve brought a friend, I see.”

“Not a friend,” Sylvester corrected, feeling a twinge of irritation. “This is Diane. She is my wife.”

With that, he motioned for Diane to come closer, and she did, carefully, as though afraid Gregory might strike her. She stopped at Sylvester’s side, glancing up at him.

Gregory blinked at the pair. “Wife? What are you playing at, brother?”

“I’m not playing,” Sylvester replied coolly. He took Diane’s hand in his. “I have taken a wife. I just thought you should know.”

The brothers stared at each other for the next few seconds. Then Gregory chuckled. “Is this an attempt to get a rise out of me, to get my attention? You must know, brother, that I have more pressing matters to attend to—matters that concern this village.”

“Matters like our father’s murder?”

Again, Gregory was silent. Sylvester realized he’d balled his fists. The room wasn’t large enough for two dragons to attack each other without destroying everything around them, but he was more than prepared to leave his brother with a broken nose.

“I have told you,” Gregory said, his tone suddenly low and dangerous, “to leave that topic for now. There are greater matters at hand.”

“Yes, you’ve never failed to mention it, this threat of war that’s been hanging over our heads for so long. You speak as though it isn’t what you always wanted.”

“How could you possibly—?”

“You are a warrior, Gregory. You made that clear to our father when you pushed for another war between Glenstra and Pine Gap. You’ve been itching for something like this to happen for a long time.”

His brother shook his head. “You are behaving like a child, Sylvester. What is going on right now is beyond what you think. What do I stand to gain from another war?”

“You would crush Glenstra, for one. Isn’t that what you want?” Sylvester let go of Diane’s hand, taking a few steps toward his brother. “You would risk the lives of many in another war. Need I remind you what happened to our mother?”

Gregory’s dark eyes flashed with anger. He shot to his feet. “Do you think I have forgotten?”

His voice seemed to reverberate through the room. Sylvester braced himself for an attack, sensing it was only a matter of moments away.

He clenched his jaw. “Perhaps not. It’s a good thing you remember. I wonder what she would make of what you did to our father.”

His brother clenched his fists, and Sylvester thought he saw steam rising from Gregory’s flesh.

Any second now.

But to his surprise, Gregory only chuckled. He took his seat, his eyes never leaving Sylvester’s. Irritation flickered across his face, but the anger seemed to have faded.

“You should be careful whom you point fingers at, brother,” he said quietly. “Whatever delusion you have regarding me, you had better get rid of it. As I said, greater problems are arising. I must focus on them, and so should you.”

“You mean by remaining in the forge?” Sylvester scoffed. “Creating more weapons for this war?”

“You chose the forge, Sylvester,” Gregory pointed out. “You are a Stormbringer. Your place is here, with me. You chose otherwise a long time ago. And you—” He closed his mouth instantly, looking as though he was weighing his words. “I think you had better leave. You and your… wife. As always, it was a pleasure seeing you.”

“You can’t—”

“You really should leave,” Gregory said before Sylvester could finish his statement. “Clearly, you have nothing meaningful to tell me. There is an emissary on his way from Glenstra to see me to discuss the terms of our surrender.” He snorted at his own words. “That will never happen.”

“Father would not have wanted a war,” Sylvester told him.

And then, before his brother could respond, Sylvester turned and stormed out of the room, Diane in tow. It wasn’t until they were out in the street that he stopped, drawing deep breaths.

“What just happened?” Diane asked.

Sylvester sighed deeply. “Nothing good. My brother refused to own up to his crime. One way or another, I’m going to make sure everyone learns the truth.”

***

The rest of the day seemed to go by slowly. Sylvester walked Diane back home, where Quinta was waiting with a smile on her face. He left the two women and headed to the forge, returning after dark, and was surprised to find Diane still awake in the living room. She sat in front of the fireplace, her legs crossed, staring in wonder at a small object in her hands.

When she finally noticed him, she held up the object and exclaimed, “You’ll never believe it! I found this in Quinta’s house. I’ve been reading it ever since.”

He frowned. “What is it?”

“It’s a book!” Diane’s beautiful eyes gleamed. “Quinta didn’t even realize she still had it.”

“What’s a book?”

She rubbed her chin. “It’s, uh… well, it’s a story. I used to write books like this in my world.”

Sylvester barely understood a word she was saying, but he nodded. “Ah. You seem to be enjoying it.”

“Of course. I love to read, especially novels like this one. I didn’t think there were any in this dimension. Quinta said someone must have brought this through the portal, maybe on a plane or a ship.”

“No doubt. Items come in from your world all the time. Your clothes, for instance.”

He gestured at the red top she had on. It was sleeveless, revealing her slender arms, and from where he stood, he could just spot a bit of her cleavage. He swallowed at the sight, forcing his gaze back to her face.

“Oh, I didn’t realize that,” she said, smiling. “Well, anyway, the book’s interesting. It’s science fiction. It’s called Star Wars . Want to read it?”

He shook his head before she could confuse him any further. “No need.”

She set the book down. “Speaking of wars, Quinta mentioned something yesterday about an invasion, something between this village and… Glenstra, is it? What’s that all about?”

Sylvester sighed and sat down near her. “It’s a bit late and I’ve had a long day.”

“I thought you loved stories?”

He smirked at that, but started to explain.

“Most people don’t know this, but Glenstra and Pine Gap used to be one village. It’s hard to believe, considering Glenstra is higher up the mountain. But decades ago, Glenstra was all there was.”

“Let me guess,” she said. “There was some massive earthquake? A landslide, maybe?”

“Something like that. It split the village into two parts. We barely survived, but we began to rebuild, and soon this place became what we now know as Pine Gap. The other part, Glenstra, tried to force us to reunite with them, but we refused. Pine Gap was capable of standing on its own, so why relinquish that?

“But before long before Glenstra declared war Pine Gap and attacked us without warning. Dozens were killed before the war ended, but there could be no lasting peace between the two sides. Over the decades, Glenstra has attacked or threatened to attack Pine Gap several times and we have fought back. But we’ve lost many in battle.” He paused for a moment, then added, “My mother was killed during one of those wars.”

Diane’s eyes widened, then turned misty with remorse. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “The man who struck her was dead before he hit the ground. I made sure of that.”

She didn’t quite know how to respond to that, so Sylvester decided that was enough explanation for one night and it was time to turn in. He got up and headed to the washroom to bathe. By the time he emerged, clothed from the waist down, his torso still somewhat slick with water, Diane was stretched out on the bed. Sylvester nearly froze on the spot, feeling a slight stirring in his trousers.

She stared back at him, unblinking. Her gaze traveled from his face to his torso, and a flicker of excitement filled his chest. A thought crept into his mind, but he suppressed it, and as he did, another re-emerged.

He frowned as the memory settled into place. “That man we met outside,” he said, “the one I saved…”

She blinked. “You mean Tom?”

Sylvester shrugged. “He said you had a husband. Something happened to him?”

A look of discomfort crossed her face, and he realized he must have touched a nerve. “If you don’t wish to answer, you don’t have to—”

“No, no.” She smiled apologetically. “I don’t mind telling you. My husband, Walter, he was… he was a great guy. Loved me very much. Cared about my happiness. He… he died in a plane crash. One minute, I was kissing him goodbye at the airport and the next thing I knew, I’m was hearing the terrible news on my television screen.”

Sylvester had no idea what an airport or a television was, but he recognized the grief in her tone of voice. “I… I am sorry for your loss. That must have been tough for you. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. It… guts you.”

She nodded, then shrugged. “Yeah, well, it was several years ago. I’ve tried to move on.” A smile teased her lips as she looked at him. “I’ve even dated a little bit.”

“And now,” he added, “you have a husband again.”

Hearing that, she chuckled. “I don’t think demanding that I marry you automatically makes you my husband. That’s not how it works back in my world.”

Lifting an eyebrow, he came to sit on the edge of the bed. “Oh? Tell me how it works.”

In the dim lighting, it was hard to see her face clearly, but it looked like she was blushing. “Well, in my world, when you want someone to be your wife, you get down on one knee.”

He snorted. “And then?”

“And then you ask her to be your wife. And wait for an answer.”

“And if she agrees?”

“Then you put a nice little ring on her finger, and you plan a nice wedding.”

Sylvester threw his head back and laughed. When he finally calmed down, still chuckling slightly, she was staring at him with her head cocked to one side.

“Is there a better way?” she asked.

“In my world,” he told her, “or at least in Pine Gap, we men simply ask for what we want. We do not kneel.”

“How macho,” she said with a smirk. “What happens if a woman refuses?”

“That does not happen.”

“It happened with me,” she pointed out. “And then you threatened to imprison me.”

He laughed again. “You are an exception. Besides, I needed to have you as my wife.”

“Why, so that you could show me off to your brother?”

In the silence that passed between them, Diane could read his guilt and new she had hit upon the truth. She tried to look offended, but it didn’t last. “What was that all about? Why use me to try to piss off your brother?”

“I had to get his attention. He continues to dismiss me, insisting that my concerns are trivial. I can’t have that. Our father is dead.”

“Well, I don’t think it worked,” she said. “Didn’t look like he cared about your new wife back there. So what’s going to happen now?”

He looked her in the eyes. “You are still my wife.”

She averted her gaze, focusing instead on the doorway. “A wife according to your will, not mine.”

“A wife, all the same.”

Diane made a tiny noise in her throat. “You can’t just keep demanding—”

“I have, so far. And I have another demand to make.”

“What’s that?”

A reply formed on Sylvester’s lips, but he never uttered the words. Instead, he drew closer to her, drinking in the sight of her creamy-white, slender form on the bed. For the next few seconds, they simply stared at each other, a silent question in Diane’s eyes as she searched his face. Her lips parted slightly, and Sylvester felt his self-control begin to crumble. He had only a moment to debate the saneness of what he was about to do before he drew her toward him and kissed her.

Sylvester felt her body tense up underneath him, but only for a second before she relaxed, sighing into his mouth. She did not object to his sudden advance, but kissed him back passionately, her hand cupping his cheek. Her lips were cracked from the cold, but neither of them seemed to care. Sylvester traced his thumb along her jawline, delighting in the softness of her skin.

She tugged lightly on his lower lip with her teeth, and he felt a flicker of excitement. His arousal already straining against the front of his trousers, he stretched his hard body over hers. Almost immediately, Diane wrapped her legs around him so that her body was aligned with his. He pulsated greedily between her thighs, the urge to rip their clothes off and rock together until they exploded, filling him like hot air from a forge.

He let his hand drop to her arm, caressing her skin, and his fingers trailed upward, coming to rest between them. He fondled her breasts one after the other, stroking her nipples with his thumb, and she sighed against him, causing his arousal to grow even more.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to see her naked body underneath him right now.

It wasn’t until he began to peel her top off that the reality of their situation smacked him in the face. He froze suddenly, then pulled away from Diane. She sat up, blinking at him, confusion written all over her face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked him.

Beside bewilderment, he thought he could detect disappointment in her eyes.

But despite the wild hunger, the lust battering away at his self-control, despite his need to satisfy his burning desires, he would not go on. Not right now. Diane was right. She was only his wife because he’d demanded it of her, not because she had wanted it. But she wasn’t someone he could make use of at his convenience. If he had a shred of respect for this woman, he would not continue to kiss her, much less try to bed her, no matter how hard his erection strained against his trousers.

“Nothing,” he told her. “You should get some sleep now.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, he climbed out of bed and left the bedroom.

He would sleep in front of the fireplace tonight. It was as far away as he could get from her without leaving the cabin. Hopefully, he would be able to make it through the night without getting consumed by the powerful desire that had overcome him.