SNOW BOUND STORIES BEGIN

Gill looked out the sliding patio doors leading off the sun porch out on to the patio.  The fire pit glowed as the last of the coals from the night’s fire cooled.  More snow and window whistled down and off the roof swirling snow dust storms in between the few pieces of patio furniture remaining outside. 

 Back inside close to the fireplace, an old-fashioned popcorn popper rattled and shook as more corn popped.  Large bowls of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers lined the edge of the brick ledge close to the kitchen.  Remnants of smores and hot cider lined the table close to the kitchen entry.  Upstairs parents washed their children bathing two and three of them at a time.  Clean folded laundry sat in baskets and boxes in the two rooms the children occupied.  Story time was over for the children.  Soon clean adults would venture back to the living room and their hour of relaxation would start.  Last night card games and movies topped their family night festivities.  Tonight was a parents night with adult talk and entertainment.  Gill roused from his thought as someone called his name.

“Mr. Mayor last call for a bath or wash up before the water gets cold.”  Gill smiled.  Vernon wasn’t going to let him go without washing up.  Gill knew his earlier sponge bath after shoveling snow with Louie and two of the middle-aged men present wasn’t enough.  Stepping into someone else’s used bathwater wasn’t exactly his idea of bathing either.

Gill made his way to the stairs ready yell out thanks but no thanks when Chloe appeared at the top of the stairs wrapped in a large bath towel.  She crocked her finger at him in a come-hither motion, blowing him kisses at the same time.  Not a man or squirrel to turn his woman down, Gill bounded up the stairs to see what she wanted.  Chloe turned and trotted toward the bathroom where Vernon and Miss Ellie stood outside the door wearing matching bathrobes. 

“A warm bath together makes a great way to relax even if it’s only for a few moments, son.” Vernon winked as he offered Ellie his arm.  “We’ve got ours waiting down the hall.”  The couple strode off with Vernon whistling a jaunty tune.

Chloe looped her arm through Gill’s tugging him toward their room.  “Come on!  Vernon managed with Miss Ellie’s help to save us some mildly hot warm. If we don’t hurry it’s gonna get cold.”

Gill knew how much he hated cold baths.  Chloe hated them even more.  Gill picked up the pace moving him and Chloe inside their room faster than he expected.  With the door closed, he stripped down and bolted for the bathroom.  Chloe snapped a towel at him as he passed her.  The small tub was half-full.

Gill stepped in sat and held out his hand to Chloe.  Soon she sat between his legs and leaned back against him.  The water level rose enough to wet both of them.  Chloe turned her head pressing her lips against his.  Hands found anatomy that begged for touches to warm the wet flesh they connected with.  As their internal heat rose, the heat of the water rapidly cooled.  Grabbing the soap and wash cloth, Chloe quickly washed and stepped from the tub.  Gill washed and rinsed helping Chloe back into the tub to rinse.  Both quickly toweled down.  Getting their hair shampooed and rinsed took some effort with kneeling precautions on avoiding water spillage.  Wrapped in their robes and pjs, they made their way back down stairs.

As they entered the living room, Vernon’s voice called out.  “It’s story time.  One that you use to hear around the campfire.  Who’s got one?”

Gill made his way to the sofa, holding Chloe’s hand as he did.  Several hands were in the air as Vernon waved his hand in the air.  “I’ll choose our tale teller as soon as Gill and Chloe are seated.”

Miss Ellie called out from the kitchen.  “Popcorn and hot chocolate coming up.”

Plates of cookies, mugs full of steaming chocolate, and bowls of popcorn covered tables and open spaces on the floor with in moments of the treats entering the room.  

Vernon snapped his fingers.  “Now since our good mayor is hosting us.  Let’s have him tell our first tale.”

Gill tried shaking his head no.  Even holding his hands up and pointing to others.  No one would take his offer.  Vernon laughed and spoke.  “Gill you gotta have some stories you can entertain us with.”

Even Chloe joined in the banter egging him to tell a tale.  Gill licked his lips and spoke.

“Okay I didn’t say it was a good one.  Here goes.”

Silence filled the room.  Gill raised his gaze to Vernon who winked as he put his arm around Miss Ellie who cuddled close to him on the love seat close to the fireplace.

“This is the tale of the Bear and Sara, Mable, and Teresa.”  Heads nodded as he went on.

“Back in the day, naming your kids after story book characters even if they were their direct kin wasn’t a good idea.  No kid wanted to have to put up with teasing.  Getting a name all your own was worth waiting for your naming day.”  

A voice called out from the back, “Naming day?”

“Oh yes naming day.  See parents wanted their children to have a special day that they celebrated with friends and family.  Birthdays were individual things.  Not the group fun that so many enjoyed.  Except for one kid named Troy.  His family claimed shape-shifting heritage that went back several generations.  Kinda a blue blood thing to them.”

“How about we let someone take it from there?” Vernon offered.  He pointed to Mort who sat close by on the floor.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy weekend Gang!

Hope you and yours are staying warm!  We here at the Spice Homestead are enjoying sharing bodily heat and a good book or two.  If you know what I mean. Wink Wink!

Seems we've got a bit of improvisation happening with our story telling.  Who knows what will come up next.  There's no wrong or right.  How clean will the next teller keep it or not?

Turn in next week to find out.

Until next week, make up your own heart warming stories to share with your spice and loves.  I know I am!

Solara

Who Said They Couldn't Agree...

Penny pushed the door open and stepped into Nick’s office. “Whoever you are, you better have a really good reason to be in this office…oh, Bossman.”

“Shut the door…shut to door,” he whispered frantically, waving his hands and making Penny smirk.

“What’s going on…why the whispers?”

Nick looked to the side, then smiled and leaned over.  He fussed with something that softly clanked before sitting up with the sweetest little face she’d seen since a week ago when she’d brought Ziva coffee from Java Joe’s, her work laptop and diapers.

“Ooh, hunny bunches,” she almost squealed, rushing to the desk to take the violet-eyed alpha from her daddy.  “And Coo, too!” she whispered looking across Nick to the still sleeping boy in the stroller.

The little girl looked right at her and grabbed a lock of colorful hair.  “Wow, for one so young she’s doing great at keeping her head up and using those hands.”

“Yeah,” beamed the proud daddy.  “She’s alpha.”

“And shifter.” Penny added.  “It’s a good thing we have a safe town to raise our young in since our babies tend to develop faster at first and appear darn near unbreakable.”

“Thank  Lupa for this town, that’s for sure.”

Penny smiled and tickled the beautiful girl in her arm, warming as the little sweeting smiled up at her.  Yep, faster development than a human baby, that’s for sure.  “So, Bossman…,”
Nick’s grunt as he shuffled more papers into his bag made Penny shake her head.  “Have you and
Ziva named this darling girl yet?  And speaking of Ziva, does she know you have her pups at the office with you?”

Nick stopped what he was doing and looked up.  “No, she doesn’t know…and don’t you be calling her with it.”  He waggled his finger at her.  “She was so tired she finally dropped into a sound sleep.  I thought if I took the twins, elsewhere for a time, she could sleep.  And, yes,” he grinned.  “We have finally named the little princess there.”

The princess in question shook her fist at her daddy and garbled an “ah” sound that Penny figured one day soon would turn into an alpha howl.  She was too excited to know the name they’d finally settled on to scold Nick for his misstep in taking the twins away from their mom without telling her.  Nick was going to learn about the mistake the loud way, when Z couldn’t find her crew.  Penny just hoped Ziva understood that Nick was trying to help.

“So don’t keep me in suspense…what’s little beauty’s name?”

“River Raine McMahon.”  Nick smiled as he said it, making it clear there was a story there.

“River Raine, oh Nick, it’s beautiful…just like her.  How did you guys finally agree?”

Nick sat back and crossed his arms behind his head.  “It’s actually owed in great part to Elly.  While her bone-headed boys don’t thrill me, she has been there for Z and I in so many ways.  My pops a smart guy.  Anyway, Elly and Pop dropped in to see the twins and Z and I were at the growling at each other state.  We hadn’t slept, hadn’t fu…ah,” Nick mumbled and waved a hand in front of him.
“Anyway, moving on.”

“I got it, you hadn’t connected in some time.”  Penny interjected.

“Right, connected.  And Ziva hadn’t shifted and run since early in her pregnancy.”

“She still hadn’t shifted?”

“Yep, which appeared to be the crux of the problem.  She was afraid.  Terrified she would run and never come back.”

“Oh Z.”

“I know, Penny, where could that thought have come from?”

Nick looked defeated and in need of a friend.  Penny knew that at any other time he never would have divulged Ziva’s secrets and as far as Penny was concerned, he still hadn’t.  Some secrets between friends were take it to the grave secrets and this was one of them.  “Nick, all women have fears.  And while I’ve not yet become a mother, I can imagine the fears that come with that gig.  Ziva’s fears are totally normal and the best thing she can do is express them to someone she trusts, explicitly.  Like her mate.”

“Yeah, she did once we returned from running.  I had to force her to shift, but once she had she ran herself to exhaustion.  You know, the funny thing was, she never told Elly what was bothering her, but Elly knew.  She whispered something to Z before we ran that brought tears to my mate’s eyes.”

“Ha, go Elly.  You know, she is also a woman and a mom.  She’d probably had the same fears at one point and was able to reassure Ziva that it would all be okay.”

“Anyway, once we came home, we were better able to discuss name ideas.  We took a step back and assessed what we wanted her name to mean.  We both wanted it to be strong…”

“Oh, River.”  Penny nodded.  “Like the current.”

“Yep, and to also mean refreshing and change since she’s the first ever female alpha in the position to lead.”

“And Raine.” She smiled.  “Oh Nick, I love the symmetry of that, it’s perfect.”

“Thanks.  She sure seems to like it.”  Nick laughed.

Penny turned the baby toward her and smiled.  “Hello there, River Raine McMahon.”  She was treated with another baby “ga” and “ah.”  So when are you going to announce it?

“NICOLAS TAGGERT MCMAHON!  Where are my babies!”  Ziva’s voice carried through the paper’s newsroom and Penny watched Nick grimace. 

“I should have let her know where we were going.”

“Yep, start with that, after you say you’re sorry and you might keep some skin.”

“I’m sorry.  I should have told you I was taking them out.  I was trying to let you rest.”

Penny watched the new mom zero in on her twins before taking a deep breath and then looking at Nick.  “Thank you for looking out for me.  I panicked when I woke and couldn’t find them, but I trust they will always be safe with their daddy.”

Ah, her little birds, Bossman and Z, were growing up.  Becoming parents was the best thing to happen to them and it seemed to Penny as well.  She looked down at little River and swore she would do her part in making sure this girl was loved and supported.
~~~

Oh, well, it might have been me that said Nick and Ziva had agreement issues.  At least I know I yelled that at them the other day when they still had not pulled it together enough to name their daughter.  I may have even threatened them with the "I'm going to make her all a dream" tactic that many a TV show has employed in the past.  Yeah, I was getting fed up, but they finally did good, huh.  At first, they wanted River Song, but that was a blatant rip off so I sent them back to the drawing board.  I like what they came up with though.  Hopefully, they wait awhile before having more and putting their author through this again!


Have a warm and happy weekend!


Serena

Much later their tongues twined...

End of January howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.

Here's another sneak peek of my current ShapeShifter Seductions WIP. My time is just so limited to write these days. Anyway, my winged horse heroine, Keina, and her more-than-human hero, Drev, are getting to know one another after another steamy lovemaking session.

This very unedited scene is a compilation of the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next chapter.
~~~~~~

Much later their tongues twined...

Much later their tongues twined, seductively twisting, stroking. Each slide and caress was a slow dance to be savored, to be enjoyed as a beautiful eroticism.

"Drev, wow." Her words came out as breath against his lips pressed tenderly against hers.

"Wow," he echoed. Drev spread his fingers, slipping them up the back of her head in a sensual caress.

Keina answered, gently running her fingertips along the side of his handsome face.

"You know," he began, "I have enough supplies here for a thirty year standoff."

"Really?"

A naughty grin formed on his sexy lips. "Naw, filly girl. I heard that said once, and grabbed it. I do have plenty of everything here, if we were to get snowed in until the spring thaw."

Keina twirled a strand of his hair around her finger, relishing the vibrant silkiness -- and loving that they were still joined together, his cock still filling her pussy. "Is that an invitation?"

"It is." His eyes flared, their jeweled sharpness penetrating her. When she didn't immediately respond, he continued. "I do have a safe hideout at Dante's, just in case the world goes bad. Or there's some major emergency in the Peak. It's at what Dante's calls his subterranean survival wing. Couple of years ago, he  had an underground shelter built that could house everyone in Talbot's Peak."

"I know his Pleasure Club is humongous. Palatial as we would say." Keina hesitated. She brushed a lock of his hair from his forehead, rethinking what she'd been about to say.

At his earnest and rapt expression, she continued. "I've never been inside, but I did fly above."

"Were you invisible?" he asked. Threading his fingers through her hair, Drev continued sensually combing her tresses. 

Keina nodded once. "I sort of aerial mapped the Pleasure Club with my, my supernatural senses. But I had not a clue Dante built an underground survival area. For the entire population?"

"Yep. 'Course, new shifter and paranormal folks keep moving here, so Dante hired a staff that continues to build and keep it supplied. Right now, the central gathering room is a kiddie playground for the parents who work and have businesses at the club. For anyone who needs it, they have a place to stay."

Keina frowned, considering what Drev revealed. Soar the clouds, as the saying went in her realm, there was so much more to Talbot's Peak than she'd initially imagined, could ever have believed.

She flowed her hand over Drev's fine mane, saying, "That's noble. But, is Dante that wealthy?"

Drev kissed the tip of her nose, and Keina's inner horse appreciated his affectionate lip nuzzle, tossing her tail. "He's wealthy enough. Dante pours most of the club's revenue into good maintenance and new projects. A group of us contribute regularly to the survival wing's expansion -- to have our already-prepared rooms."

"Oh. Then if there's a catastrophe, you have a safe home."

"The unprepared man is no man at all." Drev's gaze switched to somber, and sadness lurked like a hidden predator in his eyes. "My father used to say that whenever my brother and I complained about the work we did to keep the ranch stocked up with extra supplies."

"Your sire sounds like a wise man."

"In many ways, yes. I'd like to mend some fences with him. Someday..." Drev touched his lips to hers. "What about your family, little filly girl?"

Emotion trembled through Keina followed by a sharp longing, like a hoof kick to her midsection. "I miss them. Both my sire and dam have been nothing but caring and wonderful...unlike what I hear while in this dimension."

Drev's gaze hardened, and Keina witnessed his stud-protective nature. "What about the man who assaulted you...and your King? Did they have a good upbringing?"

"We call it herd-arrogant politics. When stallions believe they're more powerful than everyone else in the kingdom."

"A few well-aimed kicks to the head would end that."

Amused by the scene unfolding in her head – of the prince and the King being mightily smacked in the head by Drev's kicks – Keina giggled. She palmed his stubbly jaw. "You know, hunter, you remind me of the god statues."

****

Drev buzzed inside. A live electrical wire might as well have run the length of him. "God statues?"

Keina scrunched her brow, and he watched her memory surface in those sparkly incredible eyes of hers. He raised from her a few inches so he could fully see her face.

"The Garden of Ancients...it's a bowl-shaped area of land in the midst of a mountain range that stretches like a serpent across our northern rangelands. You can't see the Garden from the ground. Only by flight. The carpet of grass is always a bright shade of green, but isn't munchable."

"Munchable?" He couldn't help but grin. He slipped his fingers from her gorgeous hair, and traced her fragile-looking cheekbone.

"It tastes sour." Keina's expression mirrored her words. "The ancient ones must have designed it to discourage grazing. The fountains are the same way. The water won't hurt you, but the taste is almost vile." Her nose wrinkled adorably.

Tearing his gaze away before her sheer loveliness distracted him, Drev asked, "What kind of fountains?"

"The fountains are with each statue, thirty-three of them. Hmmm..." she absently stroked the nape of his neck, "the closest would be the most beautiful fountains in your country of Italy. Have you seen them?"

"Some, while on a mission. That's a story for another day," he added quickly.

"Yes, your military missions," she began.

Drev didn't ask what she'd seen when touching his mind. The woman was here. That's all that mattered to him. Obviously, she hadn't been frightened off by what she'd glimpsed of his special-ops past.

"Your facial features, the structure of your body...it's like these gods." Keina paused, roaming her gaze over his face. "Only they're twice your size." 

Intrigued to his core, Drev uttered, "Giants." Horrific pictures flashed before his mind's eye of the giant's stadium as the staff at the black-project facility had called the immense room inside the compound where he'd been held -- and experimented on like a damn rat in an impossible maze.

"Genetic farming." The words used by one of the more forthcoming scientists -- at least, one who would talk to him on the sly -- escaped Drev's lips before he could stop them.

Drev shook his head, suppressing his nasty recall of those times. "I didn't look like the genetically farmed giants, the ones I saw inside tubes," he explained.

"There are many humanoid breeds, hunter. Over a hundred thousand as recorded by our Wise Ones. At what you would call a university. However, the god statues remain a mystery to us. We only know they were the origin race of the Celtic gods."

"Celtic gods." Drev spoke more sharply than he intended. Every muscle and sinew of him tightened brutally. "I feel like a guitar that has been strung too tight," he forced out at Keina's look of concern.

He'd learned the hard way that women needed such communication or... Christ, he didn't want to lose her.

"You are resonating." Keina smoothed her hand over his painfully bunched shoulder muscles, soothing him with her soft touch.

"Resonating?" he asked, though he well knew what she meant.

"There must be a family connection to these gods," she stated. "Your powers, hunter, are greater than most Earth humans. I mean, during this current time period on Earth."

"How do you know..." Drev bit his tongue as a dozen different questions piled inside his head. 

"By the way, hunter," Keina whispery crooned, "Skin to skin, your body covering mine, I adore it." She lazily shimmied beneath him.

"Me, too. Especially when you move like that."

~~~~~~


Wishing you love and passion on the wild side in the New Year

Savanna 

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance

Slow and Steady

Hal Turpin slouched on a barstool, one heavy arm leaning on the bar. He sipped his ale and swept his narrowed gaze around the common room of the Best of Breed Tavern. Every so often he sighed.

His mood did not go unnoticed by Duff McDuff, proprietor of the tavern. “It can’t be the liquor that’s got ye so down,” McDuff said. “Be a good patron now, and confide in yer bartender.”

“The ale’s acceptable,” Turpin allowed. “Or would be, had I a comely lass to share it with. One night of no strings, to break the monotony. Is that too much for an old axe-slinger to ask?”

“You might do better with the ladies had you not worn your armor.”

Turpin shifted on the stool. Iron clinked beneath his cloak. “You know me, Duff. I feel naked without a shell on my back. Show me the right woman and I’ll doff it quick enough.” He tipped his mug discreetly toward the fireplace. “Like that one. The Amazon by the fire, drinking them boys under their chairs.”

Duff hid his grin. “Fancy Black Agnus, do ye? Cullen Ramsay’s daughter?”

“Red Cullen’s girl? That’s her?” Turpin instinctively ducked his head between his shoulders. “Saints above, no. I prefer both my heads where they sit. Might there be a less bloodthirsty girl in this beer-soaked joint of yours?”

“Ye’re speaking of Scots, y’know. And the Irish. There’s not a woman here couldn’t acquit herself in battle if pressed. No woman drinks in the Best of Breed unless she knows she can defend herself.”

“I’m not looking to wrestle her, dammitall. I was hoping to relax tonight.”

“Well then,” Duff considered, “I might have one in mind. I’ll warn ye now, she’s no spring blossom.”

“And I am?” Turpin snorted. He looked to be in his forties but was at least twice that. His breed of shifter lived long and aged slowly. “I’ll take a seasoned woman over some dewy little girl any day.”

“Let me ask her then if she’s interested. Otherwise ye might be wanting to try Dante’s Pleasure Club.”

“I said I wanted a woman,” Turpin growled. “It’s all skinny girls over there. I’m barely started and they’re already done. The young are too speedy for my blood.”

“That’s not what you said to the hare.”

Turpin sniffed. “Point me to a lass who appreciates patience and I’ll forget ye said that.”

Duff laughed and walked away. Turpin sourly sucked on his ale.

Not long after, a woman approached him. She had beef on her bones and a big bonny smile and a head full of bright orange locks. Turpin sat up on his stool, his sour mood gone in a blink. Now here’s what a man was talking about when he said he wanted a woman!

She leaned a brawny arm on the bar beside his and looked him square in the eye. “The name’s Clover,” she announced herself. “McDuff says you’re looking for a roll in the hay, no strings. I’m in the mood for a bit of fun, but the pickings are skimpy tonight.” She gave him the once-over and nodded. “You look like you might last a bit.”

Turpin slowly grinned. “More’n a bit, provided ye’re not as delicate as yer name.”

“Bite your tongue, man. I’m Scottish Highlander, born and bred. We go the distance, and then some. Think you’ve got the stamina to run with the bulls?”

“Ye should be asking yerself if ye think ye’ll keep up. Ye know what they say about tortoises?”

Her dark brown eyes lit up. “You’re that Turpin? The one who—”

“No need to advertise it, woman.”

“I should say not! I’d be all night fighting off every cow in the place, when there’s other things we could be doing all night.” She leaned in close to him. She smelled of meadows and malt ale. “A word of warning,” she whispered. “I’m no bawling calf.”

“Compared to me, ye’re a bonny babe.”

He told her his age. Her eyebrows shot up into her mop of hair. “To be sure, you don’t look it. Is the rest of you … ?”

“Still willing and able. It just takes a while for the gears to get grinding.”

Clover grinned broadly. “I’ve got all night, and nowhere to be in the morning, if it comes to that. Just no singing of ‘Roll Me over in the Clover,’ or I may have to take a hand to you.”

“I save my breath for better things. See how long you hold onto yours.”

Clover held out her hand. Turpin took it and slid off his stool. They led each other to the stairs and the guest rooms Duff kept in the loft.

# # #

The sun was well up when Clover finally stirred and stretched. Every last inch of her tingled happily. “That was amazing!” she gasped. “There’s more to slow and steady than I ever dreamed.”

Turpin lay on his back, likewise smiling and satiated. “Did I not tell ye so?”

“Aye.” She twined her fingers through his long, graying hair. “I’m sorry now we agreed on no strings.”

“That’s the beauty of no strings, lass. We can agree over and over. To dinner, perhaps, or a walk by the river. Or another night. Anything ye choose.”

“We can talk about the possibilities over breakfast. My treat,” Clover said. “But first … can I ask about the hare?”

Turpin’s homely face scrunched up. “Always with the bloody hare. Ye run one race in yer life and everybody wants to talk about it.”

“But you won. Against a hare.”

“I did nothing of the kind,” Turpin said. “The story’s wrong. Of course the hare won the race. How else could it have turned out?” His lips quirked upward. “I won the hare’s wife. She told me he was too speedy.”

Clover giggled. “Have you always been wicked?”

“Still am.” He gathered her against him. “If you’ve another hour, I’ll show ye what got me run out of Wales.”

SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY: Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys ~ Chapter Forty-two

Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys

Note: this week features a deeper insight into my heroine, Sherilyn.

~~~~~~

The first six paragraphs from ~

Chapter Forty-two:

Sherilyn shook her sleep-tousled hair...

Sherilyn shook her sleep-tousled hair out of her eyes as she pushed herself upward. Leaning on her hands, she tried to mentally shake away the foreboding she'd awoken with.

But, that proved to be difficult. "Damn," she muttered, "it's like a heavy shroud of fog that refuses to lift."

Once she'd blinked the sleep out of her eyes, a sense of calm washed over Sherilyn. She wanted to believe that meant a good outcome, despite her intuitive warning.

However, her life had been so cruel at certain times, and so brutally disappointing, any hope she harbored remained in short supply.

Sherilyn thought of it as smaller than a mustard seed.

"Dontoya. Zance," she murmured, simply to hear their names, to know they were real.

~~~~~~

For more Sunday Sneak Peaks ~sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com~

~~~~~~

Blurb & Excerpts for HER MIDNIGHT STARDUST COWBOYS are on the page above.
~~~~~~


Wishing you shapeshifting cowboy love on the wild side...

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

SURVIVNG WINTER PEAK STYLE

Two loud screeches split the night air drawing the attention of those standing on the patio outside the mayoral mansion.  Snow blew across the open space drifting in between the chairs and table close to the fire pit.  The blaze flickered and fluttered with each gust of the wind.  Close to the corner near the wooded area, two sets of gold eyes watched and waited. 

Gill handed Louie the other shovel as he spoke.  “Vernon said he’d be back with food for everyone.  At the rate this snow is falling we’re going to be keeping company for a while.”

Louie laughed and began clearing the section closest to the fire pit.   “Yes, Bettina sent her boys off to find the lab tech who houses their emergency stash of blood.  They’ll be here for sure with what they can carry in their packs.”

Gill shook his head, wishing he hadn’t insisted the council meet this month.  Three babies slept unaware of the older tots who kept looking at them while they played close by. Rachel and Tyburn’s two dozed close by as well.  Clothes and entertainment weren’t too difficult to manage.  Former Mayor Link’s extensive video collection and books he left behind were keeping many out of trouble.  A few muttered from time to time about munchies and when was the next meal.  Bettina and Miss Ellie had the potential troublemakers under their dual scrutiny. 

Chloe sat with the wives that came with their spouses sewing squares for a community quilt.  Some brought out their needlework stitching and talking as they worked.  Other crocheted as their counterparts knitted. 

Another set of screeches sounded right over Gill’s head.  He looked up and jumped back as two large burlap sacks hit the patio.  Their loud thud brought Miss Ellie and Bettina running.  As they reached the top of the steps, a large grey wolf bounded on to the patio.  He ran up the steps, nuzzled Miss Ellie’s legs, and traipsed over to where Louie stood with his mouth hanging open.  Even with its tail wagging, and a huge wolf grin, Louie backed away.

“oh Vernon, you bad boy,” Miss Ellie began making her way down the stairs, smiling and shaking her finger.  “Stop scaring Louie.”

She leaned down hugged the wolf and began unfastening the large dual saddlebags he wore.  “Good you got the spices we need.  Where’s the pots I asked for?”

As if on cue, two large industrial cooking pots rolled on to the patio and clanged together as they banged into each other.  Two wolf youths skidded to a stop near the pots.  Miss Ellie clapped her hand over her mouth, not muffling her laughter very well.  “Loki and Thor, does your parents know where you are?”

Their heads bobbed up and down as they leaned against Miss Ellie.

Two more sacks hit the patio as the more wolves and dogs outline the edge of the patio.  The flutter of wings sounded as loud screeches sounded behind Gill.  He jumped and back away slowly.  “Are they who I think they are?”

Bettina snorted as she made her way down the stairs.  “That Lucas and Starla, Tyburn’s cousins.  Everyone helped bring what we need to survive until this blizzard is over.”

Back inside with the foodstuff unpacked, stored as needed and animal forms replaced with their human counter parts, meal planning and work assignments began.  Starla helped with laundry since she owned a dry cleaning business in town.  Bettina held court with the children reading them stories and conducting an impromptu school session.  Louie along with Vernon and several other carnivores gathered round the fire pit roasting haunches of meat.  Miss Ellie--accompanied by the vegetarians in the crowd--chopped and diced along with the cooking oversaw the preparation of the fruits and vegetables present.

Midway through the third hour since the supplies arrived, Louie bellowed in the large dining room, drawing everyone’s attention.  As they circled around him, he spoke.  “We made broth bowls as part of our Thanksgiving feast.”

Heads nodded, as he continued speaking.  “In order to stretch everything, we’re doing broth bowls again.  This time we’ve got pasta, quinoa, rice, lentils and other nutrients to help out.’

Gill rapped on the table drawing eyes to him.  “No one goes hungry.  Take enough to sate your belly without wasting.  Tomorrow we’ll see what the roads look like.”

Tyburn spoke up as many turned to enter the kitchen.  “There’s a huge pot of Phoenix Hot Chocolate to go with dinner.  Sweet, chocolaty, and smooth with a touch of milky goodness.”

As lines formed to enter the kitchen, Vernon slipped his arm around Gill’s shoulders saying, “Who said we can’t all get along?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Weekend Gang!

Weather is affecting all of us in some fashion.  We've got snow, sleet, and rain here at the Spice Homestead.  Colds and sniffles abound too. We're holding our own otherwise.  Health and good spirits are claiming first place again.

Sounds as though our Peakites are finding ways to share their wealth even as the snow and cold abounds.  Who knows maybe some of those stories that get told around camp fires might be told as everyone gathers around the fireplace or out by the fire pit.  What interesting tales from your youth do you remember?  Ones you told or made-up for your children?

Keep a good story, a few excellent books, and your imagination handy as you share these with your loves and spice.  I know I am!

Until next week,

Solara

So Close...

“Monica.”

“Nope.”

“Anna.”

“No.”

“Juliet, Gina, or Katie?”

“No, Nope and definitely not!” Ziva looked at Nick over the bassinet where their twins slept, convinced her mate was just throwing names out there at this point to get on her nerves.  “They’d call her Kat, Nick, Kat!  Our beautiful girl is an Alpha wolf, not a cat.”

“No, you’re right about that, Katie is a no go, but fracking Lupa, Ziva, work with me here.  This girl needs a name.”

“I know.”  Did she ever.  She also knew what she wanted the name to be and for some reason she had no give in her about this one.  “I already told you what I want it, no, need it to be.”

Nick paced the length of the room, running his hands through his sexy locks.  The reds and browns were strong today, tempting her to add her fingers to his and tug, hard, to bring his lips close enough to nibble on.  Hell, only weeks after delivering the dynamic duo and her libido was tapping out a strong, incessant beat.  Even though she was a shifter, and healed faster than the normal human, she would still be out of commission for the next few weeks.  Time to pull it together.

“But Z, why does it have to be that?”

“Is the name that bad, Nick?”

“No, I guess not, but…”

“But what?”  She asked, resetting the cover her little girl was determined to push away.

“Well, think about those initials…G.B.M.”

“So?  Everyone would know of her connection to the Gazette.”

“Ziva, really think about the initials.  Say them out loud.”

“Fine, G.B.M.”  Horror filled her when she heard how they would sound together.  She hadn’t been thinking about the initials, just the beautiful name, Galina Brielle. “Ah, er, okay…I see your point, damn it.  Back to square one.”

She walked out of the nursery, disheartened by the loss of that name, but Nick was right, they could not do that to the next alpha of the pack.  She had to think.

“How about Molly?”

“No.”

“Annabelle?”

“Nope.”

“Jan, Carly or Hannah?” Nick huffed.

“No, Nope, and definitely not!”
~~~

Score one for Papa Nick, saving his little princess from uncomfortable initials!  Only problem is now they have to start again.  Doh!  If they wait long enough the up-and-coming alpha might just name herself.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Serena 

Happy Squirrel Appriciation Day!

          Not much to post today. I’ve been writing my butt off, trying to get “Witch’s Moon” ready to be edited again no thanks to losing a huge chunk to a file corruption error. It took me a long time to write this book in the first place; I don’t know why I thought it would only take me a few weeks to re-do it from first draft form… Also, I recently quit my day job and have been busy getting myself going as a tech support contractor (jury’s still out if I can make a go of that, but it’s looking good so far), had a family medical emergency, and I am also taking advantage of being home during the day to fix stuff around the house that has not been getting done on account of me not getting home until dark. Today, I am installing a new front door because the old one could only be closed if you jiggled it just right.

          All of that being said, I do have a little something for you today. Did you know that today is officially Squirrel Appreciation Day? From the DaysOfTheYear.com website, “Red, grey or even black, what’s your favourite colour of squirrel? Squirrel Appreciation Day reminds us to enjoy these nut-burying, scampering animals respectfully and with consideration. Why not visit your local park and spot some squirrels?” This means everyone is supposed to give Mayor Gil an extra bag of nuts in his goody basket today, right?

          Yeah, it’s not much, but I promise to have more next week. I'm off to install a door in the snow. Have a great day!

~Rebecca