Christmas, A Magical Portal Day ~ Part Three

Happy Howlidays, shapeshifter lovers.

I hope you are having an exceptionally wonderful holiday season.

Here's the final flash in the three part series, themed around the magical portal days of 12-12-2012, the Winter Solstice, and now Christmas day. On December 25th, the sun begins the journey from his lowest point in the sky, moving northward to his highest point, or the Summer Solstice.

This bit of astronomical trivia is not meant to disrespect the spiritual meaning of Christmas. After all, the grandeur of our cosmos is a Divine creation.

Here's what Volcano, my hero in WHEN A GOOD ANGEL FALLS, says in his Weekly Angelic Forecast about the opportunity of Christmas week.

"During this week of celebration and good tidings, look for the wonders in your life, and the signs of wonder around the world. For, with each passing moment, the divine miracles increase."
~~~

Love and Peace out, until the New Year, 2013.
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Christmas, A Magical Portal Day ~ Part Three

Winter of discontent. The phrase from Shakespeare's "Richard III" repeated itself inside her mind, driving Sharva ever closer to the fairy window.  

"Your winter of discontent." Her lips barely moved as Sharva mocked herself and her impossible situation.

Even through her glove, there'd been nothing but a warm inviting tingle as she'd touched her finger to the fragile weave of light.

Why not try going through? If it was a portal, what did she have to lose at this point in her miserable excuse for a life?

Yeah, who knew what was on the other side? It might be a trap, and she'd be some reptoid's holiday dinner. At least, that's what she'd heard on the paranormal radio shows she listened to regularly. That a race of advanced, space-faring raptors enjoyed dining on human flesh -- as well as some of the reptoid races living underground on Earth.

Yet, the urge to find out if she could pass through, grew by leaps and bounds, until Sharva felt almost consumed by it. With a prayer on her lips, she stepped forward, pressing her shoulder against the delicately pulsing shimmer.

Before Sharva knew it, she scanned a different snowscape. Where? She had not a clue, except the cold bit her nose. And someone...no, check that...something bounded straight for her.

Something large and furry that seemed to morph, and now she could clearly see the running man was absolutely, totally buck naked. Instinctively, Sharva moved backward.

Oh God! What she'd just passed through, now felt like a sturdy wall against her back. And, she wasn't going anywhere.

Startled by what looked like someone's shadow in her peripheral vision, Sharva spun around. More handsome than sin, a man with a perfect tan, and flowing hair that looked like it had been spun out of gold, stood not fifteen feet away from her.

Even as his winning smile seemed to slice inside her, Sharva shied away. He wore a long tailored black coat and appeared to be expensively outfitted for an evening on the town. Had he come through a portal as well?

Saying not a word, he extended his hand as if he knew her, and now invited her to dance.

"Don't touch it!" the running man yelled. Odd, how his voice seemed much farther away than...

Shivering coldly inside, with dread making its presence known in the pit of her stomach, Sharva clutched at the invisible wall. She risked a glance in naked man's direction.

No naked man. Only an ungodly large wolf barreling through high drifts of snow from a different direction. A scream lodged in Sharva's throat at the killer ferociousness she witnessed on his face. He meant to eviscerate...her?

Or, she whipped her head around. Mr. Handsome as Sin raised his arm with military precision, and aimed at the wolf. Sharva envied his icy calm. It was as if he faced such attacks everyday.

She jumped as bolts of lightning streamed from his fingertips. Suddenly caught inside a bizarre nightmare, she threw her gaze toward the charging wolf.

Something inside her suddenly became desperate to save the wolf. But how?

****

Flung backward by the sorcerer's formidable blast of power, Durc's heart plummeted. His beloved, was she lost to him again?

In moments, he shifted to wolf. His fighting spirit blazed his blood, and he hurtled over the deep snow.

How Sharva had been detected by a dark-side immortal, he might never know. He'd taken every precaution while performing his magick against their 'seeing', their discovery of her.

She would be mind-altered, trained in their ways, and used for their evil purposes. Likely, every last ounce of her force would be drained from her over time. And again, she would pass from this world.

With each racing stride, fury gripped Durc harder, tighter. His muscles bunched and burned, fueled by rage, and he flew through the large drifts of snow.

Shielding himself against the sorcerer's attack beam, Durc made the dark-sider's exposed jugular his prey. With his mental shield weakening, he smelled his singed fur as he gathered his hind end, bared his fangs, and launched.

Durc sailed through smoke, the residue left by the evil immortal as he vanished. Obviously, the mysterious sorcerer had not realized the strength of Durc's magick.

Thump!  Durc bounced off his closed portal.

Sprawled in the snow, he quickly bounded up before thinking how that would look to Sharva, as if he meant to attack her.

When he gazed at her, she stood rooted to the spot, staring at him, her eyes wide with fright and shock. Durc promptly sat his butt down, and tried to look appealing.

"Were you, you trying to protect me?" she asked in a wavery uncertain voice.

Durc decided a nod of his head would work better, right now, than their telepathic link.

"Th–thanks...I think." Looking more vulnerable than Durc had seen anyone look in a long while, Sharva eyed him and clenched her shoulders together. "Are you part dog?"

What did he say to that? Another problem, he needed to shapeshift fast to his human form before his adrenalin spike wore off.

Durc had spent his vital energy on shielding himself. Reluctantly, he began slowly morphing, well knowing he was about to increase Sharva's level of shock, and her fear of him.

His plan had been to change from wolf to man on the run, and sweep Sharva through the portal. They'd be delivered to his home near Talbot's Peak, and he'd explain everything.

Thus, he mind-constructed the etheric gateway to open once again, only when he touched it as a man.

Durc watched the scream die on her lips, once he stood nude before Sharva. As she backed away out of pure fright, he snatched hold of her arm. Given her shock had set in too deep, she struggled very little.

"Baby, it's cold outside," he sang the Christmas-time lyric, hoping it would calm her enough. Durc gently pulled her closer, then wrapped his arms around her rigid body.

"You're, you're not cold," she uttered through stiff lips.

"Metabolism." Durc palmed the portal. "I can't wait to kiss an angel."

****

Sharva tucked her arm inside Durc's arm, and snuggled closer against him. Since regaining enough memories, albeit snatches, about her lifetime with her Mage Wolf Protector, she'd come to accept him. And his ongoing courtship of her.

Along with other Talbot's Peak townsfolk, they stood in the square before a strangely decorated but beautiful Christmas tree. Sharva squinted, not quite believing her eyes. "Is that a squirrel with a star climbing to the top of the tree?"

"Mayor Gil. The moon phase got him this year. But, no one wants to disappoint the children. Besides, it's tradition," Durc added, amusement in his rough and ready voice.

Around them, several children pointed, their excited shrill voices urging Mayor Gil up to the top of the towering fir tree. Sharva smiled, happiness bubbling up inside her.

She might be in the midst of weird-landia, but so far no one belittled her, or showed her an ounce of disrespect. No stinking up of the soul, as she called it -- the words courtesy of a friend who had commiserated with her.

"I dare you." Sharva heard the hushed tones of a child close to her. "I dare you to sing that here."

"Oh yeah. I can sing it wherever I like."

A beat or two later, as the Mayor leaped for another strong bough, Sharva heard...

"All I want for Christmas is my two front fangs...my two front fangs...grrrrrr...if I only had my two front fangs, the Christmas goose wouldn't need to be cooked..."

Then, the commotion really broke loose. A gang of wolf pups circled playfully, chasing each other's tails. When they spied Mayor Gil, they rushed the tree, yipping and jumping.

"Don't worry, Mayor. I've got a call into the police chief," a man yelled above the festive din, since no one else seemed particularly concerned, but in fact seemed to be enjoying the bonus merriment.

"I got candy canes to pass out," Santa shouted in a Jersey accent. "Or I'd wave t-bones in front of 'em. Help you out there, Mayor."

"Cookies, anyone? They're fresh. Plenty here." With a bow, the good-looking man presented his cellophane-wrapped treats to Sharva. After a glance at Durc, and his nod, she accepted the gift with a smiling thank you.

Meanwhile...the over-eager wolf pups were being rounded up, and there were murmurs about heading over to the coffee shop once the star sparkled atop the tree.

After all, Montana was damn cold this time of year. But, Sharva wasn't complaining. No, not at all. There was no place she'd rather be.

"Got your dancing shoes ready for the supperclub? I plan to spin you around the dance floor until you fall into my arms," Durc teased in that gruff wolf voice of his. That is, once the ceremony resumed with Gil again winding his way up the trunk, the star between his teeth.

"Oh, oops. I must've forgotten them. You'll just have to conjure me up a pair like Cinderella's fairy godmother," Sharva bantered, and squeezed his arm.

"As your Mage, and your personal Santa Clause, your every desire is my command."

Standing on tiptoe, with her lips close to his ear, Sharva breathlessly asked, "Every desire?"
~~~~~~


Have a magickal Christmas Week!
Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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