What the Sleigh? Read Online Free PDF Page A

grandson of St. Nick himself.
    He hadn’t realized what he had until he’d lost it. Fucking idiot.
    Five years ago, they’d been a happy couple. The closest thing the North Pole had to royalty. Tensions always ran high at Christmas for obvious reasons and they’d argued at the wrap party. Only something small, so small he’d forgotten what it was now, but she’d stormed off and he’d gotten rip-roaring drunk. So drunk he couldn’t remember getting home.
    The next morning he’d woken and snuggled up next to the woman next to him, thankful she’d forgiven him. Only to find it wasn’t Rudi…
    It had been Ginger Snaps.
    A Christmas elf, she’d been making eyes at him for months, but he’d never seen her that way. Unless, of course, he was so drunk he couldn’t see straight. Two days later, everyone knew Rudi had left not just him, but the Pole itself. Even his standing as the grandson of Big Nick hadn’t saved him. There was silent condemnation everywhere he turned and life had never been the same. Hell, most of the deer, either werekind or standard, still didn’t talk to him and he knew for a fact they drew straws each year. The losers got assigned to his sleigh.
    “So,” Rudi’s voice brought him back into the meeting. “We’re going to be setting up in the central area here. The usual human team have been stood down and we’re going to be taking their place. Which brings me to assignments.”
    Everyone sat up a little straighter, apart from Darrick, who just sprawled in his seat next to Rudi picking his fingernails with a flick knife. Poser. Nick looked around the rest of the group. They all looked like experienced…whatever this protection agency called them. That made sense. He’d had to argue with the agency boss, Iliona, to get put on the team in the first place. She hadn’t been keen, citing his lack of training. He’d gotten his own way in the end through a combination of charm and sheer bullheadedness. There was no way he was passing up this opportunity now he’d finally found Rudi.
    “James and Scott,” she nodded to the two werewolves. Both were mid-twenties and slender in build. Made no difference with werewolves. They’d both be lethal fast and hard to kill. “You’ll be posing as students playing Santa's elves. Since these assholes are trigger happy, keep your wolves close to the surface, you may need to pull power and shift at a moment’s notice.”
    Both nodded, neither of their expressions changing by even a flicker, which surprised Nick. Was this her life now…that the prospect of being shot at was a daily occurrence? He didn’t like it, didn’t like it at all.
    “Aspen,” she nodded toward the small female the other side of the table. “Again, you’re going to be posing as an elf. I want you close to the children just in case the shit hits the fan. If it does, I want a shield covering them. Just the kids and their parents, as strong as you can make it. Don’t worry about the rest of us, save your strength for them, okay?”
    Darrick, sitting next to Rudi, grunted and pointed with his knife toward Nick. “So what’s lover boy gonna be doing? Are we sure he can pull this off? Rhod said they can’t always become the big man before Christmas Eve.”
     
    *
     
    Crap.
    Rudi froze at the cool tone in Darrick’s voice. Not for long, just a microsecond or so, certainly not long enough for anyone to notice. Fighting back the urge to slap her partner upside the head, she looked around the room, not missing the looks of suspicion in their eyes.
    It was a suspicion she couldn’t have, not on a critical operation like this. They needed to work as a team and rely on each other. Which wouldn’t happen if they didn’t believe Nick could provide the goods. Darrick knew that, but sometimes he was a fucking prick and forgot that, while they were partners, she was also the team leader and ultimately responsible for how this thing went down.
    “Some can’t,” she agreed, folding