Christmas Wishes: Santa's Shifters

By Lissa Matthews

The picturesque town of Snows Fall has a new resident: Rand. Lead reindeer and… Santa's son.

Rand has some pretty big doubts about humanity's inherent good versus their apparent greed. But doubts aren't tolerated in the North Pole where wonder and magic rule the kingdom of Christmas.

The one thing Rand does believe in is an elf named Blix. She's the owner of Wishes Bakery and the future Mrs. Only, she doesn't know about that. Rand didn't have the chance to tell her before waking up in a snow covered cabin far from home with more questions than answers.

Now he's alone, just days before Christmas with nothing but a basket of Blix's magical cookies and a few wishes of his own.

Is it too late for Rand? Will he be banished forever? Or do the holidays, his parents, and the town of Snows Fall have a few tricks up their collective sleeves to help restore his faith in humans and the holiday season?

Christmas Wishes was previously published in the 2015 multi-author, bestselling paranormal anthology, A Very Alpha Christmas. It has been expanded and revised as a single title.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lissa Matthews
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386453765

Lissa Matthews

Coffee drinker extraordinaire, author Lissa Matthews lives and writes in North Carolina. When not at the keyboard with blue collar bad boys, race car drivers, cowboys, shifters, or pretty much any other hero that tickles her fancy, she can be found reading in the backyard on her swing, in the kitchen trying a new recipe she found on Pinterest, watching sports and movies with her family, or perfecting her nap ninja skills.

Book preview

The picturesque town of Snows Fall has a new resident: Rand. Lead reindeer and... Santa’s son.

Rand has some pretty big doubts about humanity’s inherent good versus their apparent greed. But doubts aren’t tolerated in the North Pole where wonder and magic rule the kingdom of Christmas.

The one thing Rand does believe in is an elf named Blix. She’s the owner of Wishes Bakery and the future Mrs. Only, she doesn’t know that last part. Rand didn’t have the chance to tell her before waking up in a snow covered cabin far from home with more questions than answers.

Now he’s alone, just days before Christmas with nothing but a basket of Blix’s magical cookies and a few wishes of his own.

Is it too late for Rand? Will he be banished forever? Or do the holidays, his parents, and the town of Snows Fall have a few tricks up their collective sleeves to help restore his faith in humans and the holiday season?

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Christmas Wishes was previously published in the 2015 multi-author, bestselling paranormal anthology, A Very Alpha Christmas. It has been expanded and revised as a single title.

May the magic of the season fill your heart with wonder...

Chapter One

Hey. Tomas tapped the tip of a pencil on Rand’s desk. Are you even paying attention?

Rand glanced up. Nope. He wasn’t sure when the feeling had settled into his muscles, but ever since this mountain of discontent showed up, he’d been grouchy and on edge. He suspected it started when he’d taken his turn on Wish Retrieval rotation. Everyone had to do it at one point each year and he was no different.

Only, it seemed to affect him in ways it didn’t affect others. It wasn’t like him to be this way.

But now it was starting to take on a life of its own through his mouth and that was going to land him in a hell of a lot of trouble from the man in the red coat. His father. Santa Claus.

I see. Tomas took a step back, standing to his full height. Is there something you’d like to share with the rest of the team?

Rand flipped his notebook closed and stood as well. Look, we go over this every year. It’s the same ol’ pep talk about the same ol’ procedure about the same ol’ route and routine. I’ve been coming to these meetings for five years. I know it by heart. We all do.

"But it’s your first year as lead reindeer on the sleigh. One might think you’d want to give it a little more respect and attention."

I’ve been flying second to you. I’ve passed all my flight tests. I’ve been in the simulator. I know how to do my job.

That’s your problem. You see it as a job. Nothing more, nothing less.

What else is it?

A privilege.

Rand eyed Tomas, trying to recall even a smidgen of that pride and honor and yes, privilege. But it was as though it had vanished into thin air. "Really? Man, everyone thinks this Season, this holiday time of year shit is so grand, so great. It’s not. It’s a lot of work for us and a lot of selfishness for the people who live in other parts of the world."

Not every part of the world, Rand. There are many who need the magic only comes from us. The hope we give. There are many who believe in what we do, in what we give, in the magic that is your family.

And what about the other ones? The ones who get all the press and gifts and glitz? What about them? The ones who are only out for their own gain? What about the kids who only think of themselves? People who are superficial and materialistic? Are they the ones we do this for, year after year, century after century? Because they seem to be the ones winning the race. They don’t need more, but they want it. They want it all until there’s nothing left and the ones who do need it? They don’t get near enough what they should. All I see when wishes and letters come in is greed. Humans don’t love each other. Humans don’t forgive and build. They hate and destroy. Is that what we do this for? Is that what the privilege is?

Rand immediately regretted his outburst. Wide eyes from every corner of the room settled on him. Hurt and confusion gazed back him. Tomas didn’t deserve it. Neither did the sleigh team. They were all there busting their asses, learning everything they could so nothing went wrong on Christmas Eve. If one reindeer slipped up, it could spell disaster for all of them.

No one understood the consequences better than Rand. No one understood the importance and the danger and the sheer wonder better than Rand.

Do you want out? Because that’s what this attitude is going to get you. Tomas asked. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked and each time, Rand swore to himself it would be the last. But with each training session, he pushed Tomas into asking. Again.

It was on the tip of Rand’s tongue to finally say no, but he hesitated, stopped himself. Did he want out? Did he want that? He asked himself that each time, too. He never had a concrete answer.

He just wanted to feel that they made a difference, the way he used to when he was a younger buck, when the world was bigger to his eyes, when he was still filled with joy and pride and wonder.

If you say yes, his friend continued, you’ll be stripped of everything except the ability to shift. You’ll have no magic. You’ll be cast out and you won’t be allowed back. Is that what you want, Rand?

I... No. that wasn’t what he wanted. So, why couldn’t he say it? No, he didn’t want out. But he couldn’t make his tongue move and couldn’t make his lips form the words.

For the first time in his life, he was truly speechless. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn’t want to leave his family, his friends. He wanted to stay at the North Pole. He wanted to be part of the sleigh team, be the lead reindeer, the way it was always meant to be. He wanted to marry and children: a girl who looked like her mother, all dark hair and glittering eyes, and a boy, an heir to the name Claus.

I...

Because at the same time, he wanted to say yes, that’s exactly what he wanted. That yes, he wanted to go, explore, be free of everything. Tomas sighed, picked up Rand’s notebook and communicator and pressed them to Rand’s chest. Twenty-four hours, Rand. You have twenty-four hours to think about it. We’ll need your decision, then, whether you want to stay or go, whether you think you can do what is required of you or not.

Something about a time stamp on a decision as monumental as this pissed him off. It shouldn’t be as easy for them to kick him out when it wasn’t as easy for him.

Rand stalked from the room, amid the curious stares of his team, and slammed the door behind him. He was looking for a little satisfaction from the childish move, but found none.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Toes curled in his boots. He wanted to throw something. Hit something. Shift. Run hard and fast until his lungs burned with exhaustion and exertion.

Only, there was no place for that where he was. There was no room to move. Not at this time of year. Other times, shifters were allowed