Falling for Feathers: A Paranormal Christmas Short Story: Steamy Bites, #1.5

By Marie Booth

Originally published in "Worst Holiday Ever" anthology.

Steamy Bites Series 1.5

 

Rafe: To make my perfect wife happy, I've agreed to bring her and her conservative parents to my cousin's home for Christmas Eve dinner. Hopefully the squad has made the house and the plans for the evening as "human normal" as possible and made certain Cousin Lucas was locked away somewhere. If our secrets get out I may lose any chance at happiness with Mai, the woman I'll love for eternity.

 

Mai: I've finally convinced Rafe to bring me, Mom, and Dad to meet his family for the first time. His cousins raised him and even though he costantly avoids speaking about them and he doesn't even have any pictures, I'm sure they're really great people. I just wish the weather wasn't so freakishly stormy. It's almost like someone is warning us off. 

 

No matter. We made it here safe and sound and with Rafe beside me I know this will be the best Christmas Eve ever. What could possibly happen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gayle Parness
• Release date: Aug 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781733278454

Book preview

Falling for Feathers

Falling for Feathers

A Paranormal Short Read

Marie Booth

Published by Gayle Parness

Falling for Feathers Copyright © 2018 by Marie Booth/Gayle Parness

Dying for a Bite Excerpt Copyright © 2015 by Marie Booth/Gayle Parness

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

Falling for Feathers

1. Rafe

2. Mai

3. Rafe

4. Mai

5. Rafe

6. Mai

Dying for a Bite Excerpt

Also by Marie Booth

Falling for Feathers

A Holiday Paranormal Short Read

MARIE BOOTH

1

Rafe

M ixing your family with my family is a really bad idea. A stiff breeze ruffled my hair as I watched the dark road for an approaching car.

Don’t be silly, Rafe. Mai gave my arm an affectionate squeeze. Your cousins Michaela and Uri have invited us for Christmas Eve dinner every year since we’ve been together. You always say no, even though I’ve told you I want to meet them. I was so disappointed when they didn’t attend the wedding.

They don’t get out much.

Mai and I turned our heads at the same time. The run-down Victorian owned by the Angelson family was perched on the edge of a cliff, as if a tsunami had washed it up and over the precipice, then spit it out again. We’d parked as close as possible, but the muddy cliffside path leading to the decrepit house seemed a hundred yards long.

It looks deserted. Are you sure they’re in? Maybe we should call, Mai said.

Michaela and Uri don’t have a landline or a cell phone. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes, allowing the extraordinary energy pulsing in Shortfalls to wash over me. For the first time in years, my body sang with power, connecting to familiar minds, bringing up familiar feelings. None of them peaceful.

Is that headache back? Mai touched my arm. You look anxious.

Mai was a natural sleuth and I needed to quash her curiosity pronto. I’m great. And don’t worry about a thing. They’re in the kitchen cookin’ up a storm for my honeybun.

Mai squinted in the direction of the house. How can you tell?

They wouldn’t miss meetin’ you for anything in the world. But meeting and sharing a meal wasn’t all they had in mind. A family crisis had called me here.

You’d think on such a grey day, they’d have a few lights on.

They mostly use candles and oil lamps. Back-to-nature types.

Mai buttoned the last two buttons on her coat. A cold wind had picked up but she was being a good sport, as usual. Now that we’re here in Shortfalls, I’ll have a chance to see a bit of your hometown. I know practically nothing about your childhood.

It isn’t somethin’ most people want to hear about.

Not exactly a lie. The Department of Defense or the FBI might love an earful, not that they’d believe a word.

Mai poked playfully at my belly. Your childhood secrets are not safe from me.

I jerked her close, snaking my arms around her small, perfect body and leaning down to whisper in her ear. You’re not safe from me either.

She giggled and clutched at my shoulders, nuzzling my neck. Trying to distract me?

Maybe.

It won’t work. I’ll discover the truth, no matter how much you torture me.

Nosybody. I could forgive my sweet, sexy bride anything, but would she forgive me when she found out the truth?

Mmm. I love the salty scent of the ocean. Mai moved closer to the edge but I pulled her back with a violent jerk. Large waves pounded wildly against the side of the cliff, looking to crush anything that might have the bad luck to fall into their destructive path. Humans included. Even large sea creatures had been trapped in the swirling eddies of the quick-changing tides.

Sorry. The edge crumbles in a storm.

Oh. She turned