A Brac Pack Crazy Family Christmas 24 (13 page)

“Get it off, get it off!”

“Ah shit, Nero. I’m sorry,” Ricky said as he stood in the doorway.

“Ah!” Nero shouted some more as he felt his world collapsing down around him. Germs. They were spreading like a Texas wildfire all over his hands!

“Here,” the alpha said as he handed Nero his sanitizer.

“I can’t. You touched the bottle!” he cried out. He was hyperventilating, becoming dizzy as he contemplated going back downstairs into his office and getting the gloves out of the trash.

Okay, there was no way he could make himself do that.

“Hold still,” Ricky said as he upturned the bottle of sanitizer and dumped it all over Nero’s hands. “Now rub it in.” Nero rubbed and rubbed with frenzy. His hands felt so damn exposed. “More, more. Give me more!” Ricky emptied the bottle out onto Nero’s outstretched hands.

“What happened?” Gunny asked as he raced up the stairs, a box shoved under his arms.

“Nothing. Ricky just tried to kill me,” Nero said as he held out his hands, looking at the box as if a halo of light was shining down onto it. “Put them on!”

Gunny ripped the box open and handed Nero a pair.

“They’re white!”

“Sorry, nutter. That’s all the store had.”

Nero turned his head, peeking at his hands as he slowly pulled them on. He wanted his blue gloves, but as long as they were covered, they would do, for now.

“I’ll go put these in the bathroom,” Gunny said as he waved the box in the air and walked past him and into their bathroom. He came out a few seconds later, looking perplexed. “I think you two should see this.”

Nero and Ricky followed Gunny into the bathroom where he pointed under the sink and in the cabinet. His blue gloves were back, but it was twice the amount from what he stocked.

“Huh, I’ll be damned,” Ricky said and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Gunny pulled a blue pair out, slowly peeling the white ones from Nero’s hands and replacing them with the blue ones. “Better?” Nero nodded, relief flooding him.

“Losing your gloves and making me go out into the cold to track some more down puts you on the naughty list.”

“I’ve been very good this year.” Nero pouted.

Gunny shook his head, pointing to a blank patch of the wall. “You see that naughty list up there. Your name is at the very top, young man.”

Nero stomped his foot, his lower lip jutting out. “But it wasn’t my fault. Someone hid my gloves.”

Gunny chuckled as he walked over to the bed. “That’s what they all say. Now come get on the good list.” Nero arched a brow at his mate. He loved role-playing with his wolf. “And what do I have to do in order to get a Christmas gift, Santa?”

Gunny shed his clothes and sat on the bed, holding his cock in his hand and lazily stroking his shaft. “Sit on the North
Pole
and tell me why you deserve one.”

Nero licked his lips, stripping his clothes off and pointing up to the naughty list. “Shouldn’t I get a gift just for sitting on the pole?”

Gunny shook his head. “It’s not that easy. You have to show me that you’re naughty in order to get on the nice list.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense, Santa.”

“I never claimed to make sense. Now hop up here.” Nero climbed up onto the bed, straddling Gunny’s lap and staring at the man who had changed his life all those years ago when Nero was on a service call. He leaned forward as Gunny’s fingers slid past his butt, playing at his hole. He never thought he would enjoy sex either. But he did.

Very much so.

Nero groaned as he slowly lowered himself onto Gunny’s pole. It felt as though it was splitting him wide open as he seated himself.

“Good, good, so good.”

“I think you just might get a gift,” Gunny said as he lay back on the bed, leaving Nero perched on top of him. “Now ride the sleigh.” Nero planted his feet and rode Gunny, feeling his mate’s cock grazing his prostate as his gloved fingers dug into his wolf’s chest.

Gunny grabbed his hips, his eyes darkening as he gave a low growl, thrusting up as Nero thrust down. His mate was close. Nero could tell.

“Come for me, nutter,” Gunny said as he grabbed Nero’s cock, stroking it in frenzy.

Nero cried out, hot jets of seed erupting from his cock as Gunny roared beneath him. Nero collapsed forward, panting heavily. “Do I get my gift?”

“Maybe you will, and maybe you won’t. I’ll need a few more samples before Christmas before I make my decision.” Nero grinned as he settled against his mate’s chest, listening to the strong heartbeat as he remembered he had to go untangle those damn lights.

* * * *

Ruttford walked away from Nero’s room laughing hysterically.

How do you throw an OCD man into panic? You take away his
gloves.

God, he was funny as hell.

He knew it was Nick who had put all of Nero’s gloves back, but it was fun to watch him run around.

It had also been fun twisting all those strings of lights as well.

Some days it was good to be an elf.

Murdock and Heaven

Heaven sat in his barber chair, reading through a parenting magazine that one of his customers had left behind.

He snorted as he flipped through the pages.

“Apparently these people have never raised twin cubs before.” He wondered if there was a parenting magazine for that.

Probably not.

He tossed the magazine aside and stretched, wondering why he was even in the shop today. It was close to Christmas, eight days away, and Heaven doubted anyone would brave the cold to get a haircut.

He knew he would be busy on Christmas Eve, though. Everyone wanted to look his or her best on Christmas. Heaven would rather be at home with his mate and cubs. Okay, maybe he did need a break.

That was why he stupidly came into town and opened the barbershop today.

Walking over to the door, Heaven looked out onto Brac Village.

The town was quiet, hardly a person in sight. He tried to imagine what the town would look like nestled in snow. Too bad this area rarely, if ever, had that happen. Heaven wanted mountains of snow so his small family could go out sled riding or make snow angels.

He’d seen it on television, small children making snowmen. Oh well, at least he had a large family to be thankful for, and wasn’t that what the season was all about? He stepped back when Mr. Greyworth grabbed the door handle, pushing it open.

“Hey, Heaven.”

Heaven smiled at the older human. Peter was a faithful customer who came in once a week religiously. Too bad Heaven couldn’t cut the man’s hair the way he really wanted to. Peter only wanted the ends trimmed and nothing more.

“Hello, Peter. Same as usual?” he asked as he pointed over to one of the empty chairs. Heaven shivered at the cold that swept in behind the guy. There may not be snow, but it was colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra out there.

“Nope. The wife wants me to get a decent haircut this time. She says I look like a damn grizzly bear. I don’t see what the problem is. I think I look good, don’t you?”

Heaven wasn’t touching that question with a ten-foot Betty Crocker spoon. Peter’s hair was dry, wiry, and out of control. Had the guy ever heard of conditioner? “So we’re going to make you look like a million bucks then?”

Peter gave a small growl, almost making Heaven laugh. “I already look like a million bucks.” And then Peter sighed and took a seat in one of the chairs. “But I’m tired of being nagged about it. Do whatever you have to. Make me looked
civilized
.” Heaven bit back his smile. He was so glad Peter decided to get rid of the grizzly bear look, as his wife put it. “She won’t even recognize you once I’m finished.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Peter grumbled.

Heaven draped the cape around Peter, walking across to the other station to grab his water bottle, comb, and scissors.

“Where are your boys?” Peter asked. The human knew that Heaven was their father, and thankfully never asked about a mother.

Everyone in town assumed that Heaven was no longer with his children’s mother and had hooked up with Murdock.

If they only knew.

“They’re with Maverick. He took them Christmas shopping along with Melonee.”

Peter nodded as Heaven spritzed his hair down. “Now that’s a noble man. He’s a kindhearted mayor. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Heaven had to pick the water bottle up from the floor where he had dropped it. Maverick wouldn’t hurt a fly? Holy hell, he was going to have to tell the alpha this one. Heaven curled his lips in to stop the shot of laughter that had tried to escape. Oh, that was good. “Yep.

Maverick is a good man.”

Heaven combed out Peter’s hair, raised a section, and cut three inches of the dead shit from the man’s hair. Peter wasn’t a bad-looking man, so Heaven knew he was going to look good as hell just as soon as he got the electrocuted look from the guy’s head.

As Heaven worked around Peter’s hair, trying his best to give him a stylish cut that would fit him perfectly, he noticed that the area he had already cut still looked like it needed cut.

What the hell?

Heaven frowned and looked down at the floor. There was plenty of hair down there to prove he had cut the man’s hair. So why did it look like Heaven hadn’t even started yet?

Ten minutes later, Heaven was becoming frantic. He held a section of hair up, cut three inches off, and held onto it this time.

There had to be a reason for this.

“Fuck!” Heaven shouted when he watched the hair lengthen between his fingers right before his very eyes. There was no fucking way! The hair had grown back three inches!

“Something wrong, Heaven?” Peter asked.

Yeah, your fucking hair keeps growing back
. “Nothing, just stabbed my finger with the scissors.” Heaven moved around Peter as he cut faster, trying to get Peter’s hair cut before it grew back. Maybe if he worked fast enough…
Fuck!

Fuck! Fuck!

“I’ll be right back,” Heaven said as he sat the scissors down and walked into the back room where the dryers were housed. He paced back and forth for a minute, trying to figure out what he was going to do.

There was no logical explanation for what was happening to Peter’s hair.

“Carter,” he called loudly, but not too loud for Peter to hear.

Carter shimmered in, a toothbrush stuck in his mouth with a dab of toothpaste sitting in one downturned corner as Carter frowned. His brows pulled together as he stared at Heaven.

“I have a problem.”

Carter pointed to his toothbrush in aggravation and then removed it. “And it couldn’t wait?”

Heaven ignored the elf as he peeked back into the shop to check on his customer and then turned back to Carter. “I have a problem I’m hoping you can figure out.”

Carter shrugged. “I’ll try.”

Heaven explained to Carter what was happening every time he cut Peter’s hair.

“Oh, this I’ve got to see,” Carter said as he headed for the shop.

Heaven held his hand up, shaking his head as he blocked Carter’s exit.

“I don’t need you to go out there gawking at the man. I don’t want him to see he still has a head full of hair but a pile of it on the floor.

That’s all I need is for him to go running and screaming from here.” Carter pouted. “Fine, spoilsport.”

“
Sooo
,” Heaven said as he looked at Carter desperately. “Any idea what’s going on?”

“I haven’t a clue why it’s doing that.” Heaven growled. “Then go find out. Peter isn’t going to wait around until New Year’s for a damn haircut.” Carter rolled his eyes and then shimmered away. Heaven bit his thumbnail as he paced the back room, praying Carter didn’t take that long. Peter wasn’t going to sit there for a few hours while they tried to work this out. He wasn’t even sure they could work this out because Heaven hadn’t a clue what
it
was.

A few minutes later, Carter shimmered back in. Heaven ran to his side, praying the man had an answer to this madness. “Well?” Carter shook his head. “No one knows why the guy’s hair keeps growing back, but Tryck suggested shaving him bald.” Heaven ran his hand over his face, feeling frustrated as hell.

“That’s not a damn solution.”

Carter splayed his hands in front of him. “It’s all I have.”

“Thanks anyways.” Heaven walked from the back room, smiling at Peter as he approached him. He picked his scissors back up, and began to cut once more.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Peter if his hair grew back this time. It wasn’t like the guy hadn’t felt Heaven cutting his hair, so he couldn’t lie about it.

He gasped when the hair fell to the floor…and didn’t grow back.

He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but Heaven cut the man’s hair in record time, speed cutting all around his head. “Okay, I’m done. Let’s get you out of here so you can show the missus.” Heaven ripped the cape away, pulling Peter from the chair and pushing him toward the front of the shop. “It’s on the house, Merry Christmas.”
Just get the hell out of here.

Peter pulled his arm away, giving Heaven a strange look before waking back over to the large mirror on the wall. Heaven gave a low growl as he tapped his foot out, praying Peter got out of there before it started growing back.

Peter turned his head this way and that, finally smiling. “I am a handsome devil, aren’t I?”

“I told you that you would like the haircut,” Heaven replied.
Now
get out!

“Thanks, Heaven. You’re a doll.”

Heaven gave him a tight smile as Peter walked past him. His eyes widened when he saw the hair slowly growing back, sliding down the back of his neck and kinking back up. “Bye,” he said as he practically threw Peter out.

Heaven paused in the doorway when he saw small snowflakes falling from the sky. Joy burst inside of him at the sight. Heaven quickly grabbed his things and then locked up the shop. He raced to his SUV and then raced home.

Heaven ran inside like a madman, praying Maverick was back with the kids. He found his children, Nevada, and his mate in the den playing Go Fish. “It’s snowing!” he blurted out happily.

Murdock’s head snapped up, as he smiled at him. Heaven stared at his small family. He may have burst with joy from seeing snow, but joy was always with him whenever he saw one of their tiny faces or the sight of his mate. Murdock was his entire world.