Home For The Holidays (Dirt Track Dogs #6) (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Annie sat on the tailgate of Surge’s truck, bundled in her winter clothes even though she was roasting like a Thanksgiving turkey. Tana had backed it up to the main street and they’d piled the young in the back with blankets to watch the parade. The sun had set minutes ago, and with it came the December chill that being pregnant obviously negated.

Punk approached, carrying a drink tray full of steaming hot chocolate. “Alright, monsters,” she piped up. “I’ve got the goods.
And
I found a stray.”

Annie peeked through the darkness and saw her brother trailing Punk, carrying a second drink holder.

“Hey!” Gracie exclaimed, happily. “It’s you.”

Aaron gave her an awkward wave.

“I still don’t know who you are,” she reminded.

“This is Annie’s brother,” Tana told her, and her gaze whipped around to Annie.

“Your brother! How amazing! I’ve wanted a brother, but instead all I get is Artie.”

Annie shot a glance at Tana, and the panther looked away. She was unable to have young of her own, and Annie wondered if it ever wore on her, watching the other mates have babies.

Gracie turned back to Aaron. “But I still don’t know what to call you. Uncle something…” She tapped a gloved finger against her chin in thought. “If only you were a duck shifter,” Gracie said, her eyes growing excited. “We could call you Uncle Scrooge! Cuz you’re sorta grumpy a little. But don’t worry, I think you just need extra love like Uncle Blishter.”

Annie grinned at Aaron, who looked about as comfortable as a teenage boy talking about periods.

“Out of the mouth of babes,” Punk muttered, climbing into the bed and snuggling under the blanket with Artie. “Take a seat, hater. You’re blocking our view.”

Annie scooted to make room for Aaron, and he passed off the drinks to Destiny.

The first notes of Jingle Bell Rock filtered across the distance as the band started down main street.

“It’s starting! It’s starting!” Gracie yelped, and Artie pumped a tiny fist in the air.

The parade was small, like the town, but they always went overboard decking everything out in twinkling lights, and making it seem magical. And every kid was most excited to see the race cars. The dogs ate it up every year, spending days decorating their cars and filling their racing helmets with candy to toss at the little ones as they inched down the main drag.

Annie grinned, thinking about the big burly guys getting more excited about going slow in the parade than they did about going fast at the track. Mushes, all of ‘em.

“How are the feet?” Aaron asked.

“A little better. Drinking extra water helps, but then it’s like my bladder is the size of a pea.”

He nodded, and she was aware this small talk was dreadful. They’d been separated too long, each of them changing in ways the other couldn’t understand.

But she wouldn’t quit trying.

“I hear the cars!” Artie cried.

The roar of the engines echoed down the strip and the excitement in the air grew. Ella’s car came first, and she threw out handfuls of candy before coming to a full stop right in front of Tana’s truck.

“The alpha’s mate races?” Aaron asked.

“Mm hm.” Annie nodded.

“She actually wins too,” Punk added in a mock serious tone, her eyes wide and innocent. “Can you believe it?”

Annie giggle and Aaron rolled his eyes.

Ella blew a kiss at the young, and then hit the accelerator hard enough to make her wheels squeal. The kids lining the street clapped and cheered as she inched away.

Drake was next, and then Beast—who threw extra candy at Artie and Gracie. Surge pulled up the middle, and for some reason, his car was decorated as a huge elephant head, Santa hat on top and everything. The hood of the car held a trunk. A giant slinky-looking thing that bounced around every time he hit the brakes. Which was a lot.

Annie frowned, tossing Tana a look.

“Don’t ask,” she muttered.

Blister was the last of the DTD cars, and when Annie saw him, her heart lurched. She swallowed. Would it always be like this with them? So hard to be apart that a mere glimpse both hurt and healed.

She chewed her lip as she watched him stoically tossing his candy. He didn’t smile like the others. He was afraid of scaring the kids, so he didn’t even look at them. But god, if he did he’d see what she saw. The way they idolized him, it was in their gazes. He was the most badass of the Dirt Track Dogs in their eyes. Probably merely because he had the coolest scars, but still. They wanted to be Blister when they grew up.

His gaze found hers and she grinned, giving him a little wave.

“How long?” Aaron’s rough voice made it past the cheering to her ears.

“What?”

“How long have you been mated?”

She turned to look at him. “Four years. Five in March.”

“Five years,” he murmured to himself. “I would’ve thought it was more recent, the way you two…”

“The way we what?”

He shook his head. “You remind me of newlyweds. The whole bunch of you do, really.”

Annie frowned. “It’s just the way of the wolves. There’s a bond that keeps us close, dedicated.”

He scowled, staring at his hands. “Not all wolves work that way, Annie.”

“Are you sure? How do you know?”

“
Santa!
” Gracie screamed. “There he is, Santa! Mom, look! It’s him, it’s really him!”

Annie glanced up to see the final act of the parade. It was always Santa in his sleigh bellowing
HoHoHo
as Rudolph pulled him along.

“You coming to the community dinner after this?” Annie asked her brother.

“Don’t know. Why?”

She shrugged. “We’re all heading over there after this. The dogs volunteer to serve meals every year. They like to chat it up with the elderly, make ‘em laugh. It’d give you something to do tonight.”

Really she just wanted him around. The more he was around, the more the wrongs done to him seemed to be rewritten. The more Christmas magic seemed to work on his scroogey heart.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “Still held at the community building.”

“Yep.”

“Show up,” Punk murmured. “I dare ya.” But there was a hint of playfulness in her voice, and Aaron responded with another roll of his eyes.

***

“Oh, angel. This is very, very naughty.” Blister dragged his hand under Annie’s shirt, moving up her spine until he reached the nape of her neck, gripping it gently to still her movement. “I don’t think Santa would approve.”

She giggled all sexy like. A trill of tinkling bells, followed by a sultry groan. “Well, I’m not sitting on his lap, am I? I’m sitting on yours.”

Her cute little maternity skirt was hiked up around her waist, and he had no idea where her panties had gone, but he could see all of her, glistening and ready for him as she circled her hips, grinding her plump ass against his hard cock.

“And I approve,” he rumbled. “I very much approve. God, do I approve.”

They were locked in a secondary room at the community building, with only the moon through the tiny window for light and a thin door separating them from the residents taking part in Christmas dinner. And her brother. He was there too, observing with that bumfuzzled look on his face.

If Annie moaned too loud or someone with a key needed in, Blister would be caught with his hand in her beautiful cookie jar.

Naughty mate
.

His pants around his knees, perched on the edge of the desk chair, he used one hand to hold his erection steady while the other one on her neck urged her down.

Her wet heat slid over him in a slick glide that told him his mate had needed him for a while. Those sexy looks she’d given him while he spooned mashed potatoes and made small talk, were
exactly
what he’d thought they were.

“Aw, baby,” he groaned at the feel of her.

He looked down, watching his length disappear beneath the globes of her ass. He grabbed them with both hands, squeezing to move her.

She whimpered, and he wanted to be wild with her. Last time was sweet. This time, he wanted to remind her who she’d mated.

“That good, mate?” he husked in her ear, and she nodded. “It’s about to get better.”

Carefully, he stood, forcing her to do the same.

“Lean forward on the desk,” he directed, still buried deep within her body. “Use your hands to keep steady. Tell me if your back hurts.” The weight of her baby belly might be too much in this position. But if he did this right, she’d only feel bliss.

When she was ready, he stood back, looking at her beautiful ass in the air and their connection. Without touching her, he pulled slowly out, and then eased back in. There was something extremely erotic about fucking her like this, keeping his hands from her. It was a challenge, and it would make it oh so sweeter when he finally let his touch graze her.

He plunged in again, hard this time, so she had to hold herself still.

“Blister,” she hissed. “Touch me.”

“No, baby.”

He increased his speed, hips swinging, his wolf relishing the sound of their bodies slapping together so carnally.

She moaned, and his cock got impossibly harder, squeezing into her tight pussy with each pump.

“My very naughty mate, you’ve been a bad girl. Now I’m going to make you pay.” He was going to make her come so hard she’d see stars and be trembling for hours. It was very possible everyone out there would know exactly what they’d been doing.

She gazed at him over her shoulder, her lids at half mast. “You going to spank me?” she asked, biting her lip. And his wolf went howling wild.

Oh,
shit
. He wanted to do that. Smack his palm on that cute little ass and watch it bounce while she moaned in pleasure.

But not now. Not when she was carrying his young and her body was pushed to the limit.

Blister shook his head, his eyes burning into her. In a swift move, he buried himself to the hilt and reached around front to rub his mate’s clit, wringing gasps from her lips. He felt her body grip his erection and in return, he relentlessly stroked her.

But not yet. He wouldn’t let her come yet.

Pulling his hand away, he gripped her hips and pounded into her, bringing himself to the edge of release while she grunted with his efforts.

“Blisterrr.” She moaned his name and he was done for.

Circling her clit again, he brought her to the peak of pleasure and her pulsing carried him over the edge…

Falling, falling, falling. He’d never reach the bottom. He was just going to fall, happily with Annie for the rest of his goddamn life. Because this was the truth: any trouble that came their way had to go through her, and she turned everything to fucking gold. She was pure magic, and she was his.

Along with the wiggly thing inside her.

Blister tried to catch his breath, but the damn air was elusive. He slowly eased from his mate’s body and she winced.

“Are you okay?” he managed through his attempt at air.

She giggled, resting her cheek on the desktop to look at him. “Of course. You’ve never hurt me, Blister. It’s just really sensitive right now.”

“What is?”

“My… down there.”

God, she was so cute. Seductive sex-kitten one minute, can’t even say pussy the next.

He tucked his spent cock into his jeans and zipped them up before sliding his hand over the curve of her ass to her wet opening.

“Sensitive how?” he asked, rubbing so gently to ease any sting with their mating bond. “Sore?”

She inhaled on a hiss. “No. Not sore. More like… any little thing could set me off.”

His lips quirked. “Set you off, huh?”

She nodded, her curls brushing the desk. “You think they’ll come looking for us if we just stay here for a while?”

He didn’t much care if they did. He was going to see what else he could do to
set off
his mate.

Chapter Ten

This was Blister’s fourteenth night of sleeping in front of the damn Christmas tree. The thing was beautiful, he’d give it that. And it smelled nice.

Annie had picked out sparkly red balls and humongo jingle bells. All sorts of glittery things hung from the branches of the evergreen. Tiny race car ornaments added a personal touch, and the bow at the top was made of checkered flag ribbon. It twinkled to the tune of White Christmas, and if he was really fucking honest, it did make their home more Holly Jolly.

But he’d still rather be in his bed, holding his mate, instead of on tree-sitting duty.

A knock on the front door pulled him out of his pouting, and he rose from the couch to see who it was.

Pulling open the door, a gust of frigid wind whipped inside. It felt like a storm was coming. Perhaps an early ice storm. They happened sometimes in December, but most often after the new year.

Aaron stood on the porch, hunched into his coat to ward off the wind.

“Hey,” Blister said, not sure if he wanted to let him inside.

Annie’s brother had stuck around all month, dropping in from time to time, and seeming to make an effort getting to know the dogs. Blister had even caught him playing with Gracie when he thought no one was looking.

The man was making strides, but somehow, he still felt dangerous.

“Hey.” He breathed into his hands. “My sister around? I need to talk to her.”

Blister stepped aside, letting him in. “She’s asleep. Can I get you something? A drink?” A kick in the ass out the door?

Aaron’s gaze landed on the pillow and blanket setup on the couch and he smirked. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Not even remotely.”

“Riiiight.”

Blister crossed his arms over his chest and propped his butt up on the arm of the sofa.

“Things aren’t always as they seem you know.” He let his tone go soft. He didn’t want to wake his mate. She needed all the rest she could get since their young would be here in a matter of days. “You could stand to learn a lesson in that.”

Aaron tipped his head to the side. “Alright then. Teach me. What’s going on here?” He gestured to Blister’s temporary bed.

Blister eyed the man. He didn’t like telling people his business. Never had. Opening up to people was like peeling back layers of an onion and shoving it in their face and saying, “Here, take a whiff of my stank.”

“I’m tree-sitting,” he muttered.

“Tree-sitting?”

“Yeah. Making sure the damn thing doesn’t catch on fire.”

Aaron frowned. “I don’t follow.”

Blister sighed. Explanations. He was the worst at ‘em. Couldn’t people just use their brains to put the pieces he gave them together on their own? Why this incessant need for
details
?

“As a young, my entire family died in a fire while they slept in the night. I was the only one who made it out. I want to make sure nothing like that happens to my Annie and our baby.”

Aaron was silent for a long time while Blister focused on the panels of hardwood beneath their feet.

“So… you’re sleeping on the couch so you’re around in case something happens,” he said finally.

“Got it.” Blister looked up to see the man eyeing the small fire extinguisher near the couch.

“Annie know?”

“She caught on last night. I wasn’t sneaky enough leaving our bed after she fell asleep.”

Aaron’s blond eyebrow quirked. “What’d she say?”

Blister’s mouth curved in a half-smile. “Wanted to take the whole tree down so I’d come back to bed.”

“Sounds like my sister.” He sighed, sinking down on the sofa like the weight of an eternity was on his shoulders.

“It’s true, isn’t it? That your pack is good? That you care about people. Love your community and family. That you aren’t trying to tear down, but build up.”

Blister moved to the chair by the fireplace. “Yeah. That’s us I guess. We don’t want to hurt anyone. But we’ll protect our own fiercely. That’s for damn sure.”

“Your own. That seems to include the people of Cedar Valley. And damn near anyone you come in contact with.” He paused, a smile creeping up his cheeks. “Except for strangers who break into your house in the middle of the night thinking it’s still theirs.”

“Naw,” Blister said. “I think we pretty much consider you one of us now too. You just had to stop being an asshole.”

“I don’t think it’s possible to stop completely. I can’t. I have responsibilities—” He ground his jaws together and then seemed to get back on track with what he was saying. “But I don’t have a problem with the Dirt Track Dogs. In fact, I’m really happy my sister found a family.”

Blister nodded, respecting his honesty.

Aaron gave a little laugh. “You guys are like the saints of the shifter world. You know that wild one, Surge? I caught him walking this little old lady across the street the other day. Had his arm tucked in hers, just chatting her ear off, and she was all smiles. Like… who the hell does that anymore? Takes the time to make someone’s day better, make ‘em smile.”

“Lots of people,” Blister argued. “But clearly, not the ones you know.”

Aaron nodded in agreement.

“And don’t tell Surge you saw him. He thinks he’s badass.”

The human chuckled and it was the first time Blister had heard him laugh. Seconds ticked by as he sobered.

“I had a woman of my own once.” He rubbed his palms together, staring at them to avoid Blister’s gaze. “I looked at her the same way you look at my sister. It’s how I know you love her.”

Blister let the information sink in. If Aaron had loved someone the way he loved Annie… the broken glimpse of him that first night made sense now.

“What happened?”

Slowly, he shook his head. “Changers.”

Blister scowled, not understanding. Now he was the one who needed details. But before he could ask, Aaron stood and headed toward the door.

“Another story for another time,” he said, turning the handle. “Tell my sister I dropped by.”

And then he was gone, leaving Blister blinking in his wake.

***

Two days later…

Annie practiced the breathing techniques Destiny taught her, but it was doing nothing for the pain. Her insides felt like a sponge being squeezed in a giant’s ugly fist for thirty seconds straight.

Every. Damn. Minute. Or less. She wasn’t sure anymore. Time had no meaning. Only thing she was sure of was she knew what the Virgin Mary felt like. And she couldn’t imagine doing this in a stable with cows mooing at her.

God, help
.
I’m a good person, please help
.

A downstairs bedroom had been turned into a birthing area. But only the pack mates and Blister were there. Annie had seen a mid-wife throughout the pregnancy, but of course she couldn’t be there for the birth. Couldn’t take a chance that someone would slip and she’d learn what they were. And as an extra measure of safety, Doc Davis from the Ouachita cat clan was on call in case of an emergency.

Another contraction gripped Annie’s body, and she let out a pained groan that sounded like scraping ice off a frozen windshield.

“Shit.” Blister’s voice trembled, concern making his brow crease like one of those wrinkly puppies. “Can’t I just use my bond a little?” he pleaded to Destiny.

Punk answered for her. “No, damn it. It’ll stop the progression. All it will do is prolong the delivery.”

“No,” Annie blurted. “No, no, no. No pro…” She grunted through another squeeze. “…longing it.
Please
.”

“We’re getting close,” Destiny told Blister, her voice a touch calmer than Punk’s. “She’s strong. Everything is good.”

Annie reached blindly for his hand as the contraction eased away. She might have a few seconds of relief. He gripped it tight and brought a cool washrag to her forehead. She met his worried eyes and tried to look okay, but she knew it was an epic failure.

“So sorry,” he murmured. “So sorry, angel.”

She shook her head, feeling another contraction starting. “No. Our baby’s almost here. Don’t say that to me.”

“Wh-what should I say?”

A scream ripped from her throat. This one was worse than the others.
Fuck
. Fuck? God, she hoped that hadn’t slipped from her mouth. She’d never live it down.

“Tell her encouraging things,” Destiny coached. “Cheer her on. Now isn’t the time for regrets.”

“Encouraging. Okay. Yeah. Got it.”

The contraction faded, but this time there was no period of relief before the next one started.

“Go baby, go,” Blister blurted. “Get on it. Ride hard. You’ve got this one in the bag. No way you’re not winning this thing. The finish line’s right there, baby.”

The odd words were almost enough to make her laugh through the pain. Punk and Destiny stopped everything they were doing and just stared at him, mouth agape.

“What?” he snapped.

“This isn’t a fucking race,” Punk said, but Annie could see she was about to crack up.

“You said to cheer her on!”

Annie laughed but it came out more like a wail.

“Okay, okay.” Destiny put her hands in the air to stop them. “How about this, just hold her hand and tell her how much you love her. Think you can do that?”

“Yes, of course.”

Another contraction, and it was starting to become so constant it was numbing. Or maybe her body was just adapting to the agony.

“I love you, Annie. So damn much. God, I love you.”

“Love… you…” she breathed. “Need to stand.”

Destiny nodded. “Okay, that’s a good sign. Let’s help her up.”

The three of them propped her up in a squatting position and the pain in her back eased a notch.

“Time to push,” Destiny announced, and that sounded right. Felt right. It felt like a boulder was stuck between her legs.

Get it out, get it out
.

On the next wave, Annie pushed and felt the baby squeeze into position.

“I see the head,” Punk squealed. “Blister, do you see the head? It’s your baby! Hold your hand like this, and just support it while she pushes. Wait… are you okay? Can you do this?”

Annie couldn’t see her mate. Or anything but the backs of her eyelids because they were squeezed so tight in concentration.

“Yes,” he said, his voice shredded. “I got this. I can do it.”

The next push was easier and with a rush, she felt the pressure release and exhaustion take over. It was so intense, she could barely feel her limbs to keep upright.

“Ohhhh
shit
,” Blister breathed. “Oh shit, shit,
shit
.”

“What is it?” Annie cried.

Punk helped her lie down while Blister kept uttering profanities.

“Tell me!”

Her eyes went everywhere, looking for her young. Where was he?

Finally, she found him, bloody and tiny and cradled in Blister’s giant hands. Destiny hovered over him, wiping and sucking junk from his mouth with a syringe so he could breathe.

And then he screamed. A loud, ear-blistering sound that gave Annie such relief tears flooded her eyes.

Blister stared at her, his eyes peeled so wide they must hurt. “Annie… baby,
look
.”

“I know,” she whispered, barely able to speak through the emotions strangling her.

“Ours,” he growled, and she nodded emphatically, finally able to get a laugh out. A happy, watery laugh.

“Congratulations.” Destiny grinned wide. “You have a healthy baby girl.”

Ever so carefully, Blister set the baby on Annie’s still puffy stomach and Punk wrapped a blanket around them while Destiny worked with the cord.

Annie stared down at the sweet little bundle, so happy and full, she didn’t know how anything could ever top this.

“Hi there, sweet girl,” she murmured, brushing the tips of her fingers over the mop of blond hair already covering her head.

Blister dropped to his knees next to the bed, inching his shaking hand closer to their young’s head. “My god,” he murmured. “She’s… she’s…
perfect
.” His voice broke, and Annie looked over to see a tear slide down his scarred cheek.

He kissed Annie’s head. Once, twice. And again.

“Look what we did,” he gasped.

She beamed at him. “Merry Christmas to us.”

“You were right.” His expression was so fierce, if she didn’t know him inside and out she might think he was angry. “This is the best damn Christmas present ever.”