The Omega’s Beary Special Christmas (A Bear Under The Christmas Tree)

7. Ferris

SEVEN

FERRIS

“What now?”

Thanks to my ankle we were in the downstairs bedroom. My head was on Hugo’s shoulder and his arm was draped around mine. It was hard to snuggle because of my sprained ankle, so my body was splayed at an awkward angle with one leg out to the side.

“You’re not a fan of winter, are you?”

“I never said that. That was Charlie.”

Hugo kissed my brow. “Maybe his perception will have changed. How long since we heard from them?”

I sniggered. There had been a message early this morning with emojis. An eggplant and a peach, more than one of each.

“It might be a while before they resurface.”

“But getting back to you, to us.” Hugo leaned back and lifted my chin so our gazes were locked on one another. “You can’t teach surfing here.”

“Right.” If I moved here, I’d have to find a new career.

“But I could run my PR business from anywhere, though there would be some travel.”

“How would you feel about living at the beach? And what about your bear?”

The town where I lived stretched along the coast and didn’t extend back far from the ocean. A few miles away there was forest that covered the hills and valleys.

“He says as long as you’re near, it’ll be fine.”

My phone beeped and so did Hugo’s. I groaned, thinking of more eggplants and peaches but I got a fir tree, a bear, and some snow. I showed the screen to my mate. My mate. I had a mate for life. I left home as a single omega, and within 48 hours, I met my one and only.

Hugo’s screen was identical.

“Let me guess. It’s snowing, and Hector’s bear has climbed a tree.”

Hugo stroked his chin, and I rubbed my cheek against his scruff. “Maybe we need to rescue him.”

I got up on one elbow. “Really? Couldn’t he get down by himself?”

“Hector’s bear is scared of heights.”

“Oh no, poor baby.”

My turn to guess. “Ummm. Hector wants us to meet him under a tree that’s laden with snow.”

“And then what? We all go home?”

I hoped the message was more exciting than that. I sent Charlie a thinking face and a shrug.

In return, he replied with a bear, a man, an ax, and a tree.

“They want to get a tree for Christmas.” I checked the date. It was Christmas Eve. How could I have forgotten?

Hugo had mentioned when we were communicating before I arrived that he hadn’t put up a tree but there was a fake one in the shed. But with both couples mating, maybe we deserved a real tree.

“According to the weather report, it will stop snowing by mid-morning.” Hugo tapped this phone.

I messaged Charlie saying we’d postpone looking for a tree until later.

Let’s play guess the message. That was Charlie. He loved games. Bear-themed ones .

“I’ll need your help to figure these out.” Hugo sat beside me, and we studied the phone.

A bear emoji followed along with a pot of honey.

“Hector wants to find honey? In this weather?” Much as I loved honey, I wasn’t going to deprive the bees of the food they lived on during winter.

“No. Oh, maybe this is a reference to sex.”

I didn’t see how he reached that conclusion. Eggplants and peaches I understood.

“Charlie is going to pour honey over Hector and eat him.”

“Stop.” I didn’t need to hear that about my friend, and I nudged my mate in the ribs.

“Maybe he’s just hungry. Or his beast is.”

I snapped my head in Hugo’s direction. “Are we back to talking about sex?”

“No.” He slapped his brow. “What made you think that?”

“Your beast.” I dropped my gaze to his crotch, but he explained he was referring to his bear.

“Oh.” I placed my lips on his ear. “But when we’re in bed, can I call your cock your beast?”

He nodded, and it didn’t escape me that his dick swelled.

Is Hector hungry? I texted. I hoped Charlie wouldn’t reply with He’s eating me .

That’s right .

Oh goody. A point to us. I thought for a moment and sent three emojis: a man walking away, a big red cross, and the dotted-line face emoji.

Hugo’s furrowed brow had me worried that no one would understand what I wrote, and there was silence from Hector and Charlie. When the phone finally beeped, we both stared at their guess.

An invisible man walks through a danger zone and now everyone can see him .

I snorted. That so wasn’t it.

“I thought the guy was walking into the no-go area and turned into the invisible man.” Hugo tapped the screen. “But he’s walking the wrong way, so maybe they’re right.”

“No. The message is there are humans around so it’s dangerous and shifters should hide.”

Hugo narrowed his eyes. “Really? That’s a huge leap.”

Did we guess correctly? Charlie messaged.

No . When I told him what it was, my friend and his mate reacted as Hugo did.

Only you could get that message from those three emojis , Charlie said.

Even though they didn’t guess right, I told them to take the next turn.

When it arrived it was a bear, a party popper, a tree, and a fire.

“Someone was celebrating in the woods with fireworks and started a fire,” Hugo suggested.

“I hope not.” But I sent Hugo’s suggestion.

No. Let’s have a bonfire in the woods .

“That has to have been Charlie’s because no shifter would suggest a bonfire in the woods. It’s not safe, even in winter.” Hugo growled.

No fires in the woods , I texted. Thanks for playing.

My tummy rumbled. “Do we have much food in the house for a Christmas Eve meal?”

“Pretty well everything except a turkey, but Hector is a chef. His fridge and freezer are always full. And I know he ordered a bird.”

I hoped Hector understood he and Charlie were sharing their food with us.

“Shall we get the tree?” The sky had cleared.

“Not you, love. Your ankle, remember.”

I glowered at my mate because it was his fault I’d fallen and hurt myself. “You have a toboggan. I’ll sit on that.”

“I can’t convince you to stay home, can I?” He sounded as though he knew the answer already.

“Nope.”

We ate bacon sandwiches for breakfast, and I dragged out all of the winter clothes Charlie had lent me. Hugo would have to help me with the pants. While my mate was getting the toboggan ready, Charlie and I texted back and forth.

Can you believe we both found our mates? he messaged and then added an eggplant emoji.

Dear gods, I didn’t want to discuss Hector’s cock and wasn’t about to give my friend Hugo’s dimensions.

And they’re bear shifters! More emojis.

But I can’t live here. Not in the snow .

It doesn’t snow all year, I told him. Unlike Hugo, Hector might not be able to switch locations as easily.

My mate interrupted us by yelling, “The toboggan’s ready.”

Hugo helped me outside. He’d rigged a backrest on the toboggan for me and it was piled with cushions and blankets. He handed me a flask. “Hot chocolate for the invalid.”

After tucking me in, he dragged the toboggan through the back yard to a gate hidden in the fence.

“Hi.” Charlie hugged me and Hugo. “I wish I had a toboggan.”

I showed him my flask, and Charlie nudged Hector. “Wow! You two came prepared.”

Hugo reminded them I was injured so I got special treatment.

Even though Charlie was dressed warmly, he stamped his feet and blew on his gloved hands. It would take a lot for him to live here rather than at the beach.

“Follow me. I know where there’s a perfect tree.” Hector charged ahead, Charlie at his heels, while Hugo pulled me along. I asked more than once if I was a burden and poor Hugo was straining to pull me until he pointed out that shifters were much stronger than humans. He also added they had better hearing.

“What do you think of this one?” Hector asked.

We stopped beside what they described as a sapling. A little tree compared to the towering giants surrounding us.

“Won’t we need two trees?” I asked. “One for you and the other for us.”

“True.”

“I have to warn you.” Hector’s serious expression had me worried. “Hugo’s tree will be all things bear. Batten down the hatches for an onslaught of bear this and bear that.’

“You’re exaggerating,” Hugo huffed.

“Let me think. Who slept in sheets dotted with bears until he went to college?”

“Hector, you’re telling all my secrets.”

I beckoned my mate closer. “I think it’s adorable.”

“You do? Great, because I still have those sheets.”

Looked like my life both awake and asleep was going to be surrounded by bears.