Christmas With Her Chupacabra: Purely Paranormal Romance Book, #7

By C.D. Gorri

She's looking for proof of the unknown. He's looking for his mate. Does Santa take requests?

 

Jonathan Leon has worked hard to be known as the king of cattle. But the world doesn't know the secret he harbors within.

Descended from a long line of legendary Chupacabras, Jonathan's thirst for blood and hunt for his mate is always lurking beneath his suave exterior. With his inner beast anxious and out of sorts, he plans to spend the winter holidays incognito with his cousin. But he never thought he'd meet his mate in the city that never sleeps.

 

Minna Bellamy works as a teacher's aid at a local preschool while trying to earn a degree in cryptozoology. She's always been attracted to the unknown, which is how she got roped into writing a letter to Santa Claus. Who knows? Maybe the big guy can help her find what she needs to finish her thesis.

When an unexpected snowstorm hits the city, Minna seeks shelter in a local butcher shop and discovers Santa really does answer his mail. She just didn't expect her proof to come in the shape of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger.

 

Will Minna and Jonathan discover the real meaning of Christmas together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.D. Gorri
• Release date: Dec 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201399061

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Many years ago…

Minna tiptoed across the floor in the Jersey City apartment where she lived with her mother and father.

They’d had their dinner and watched some holiday cartoon specials, but her mom and pop were often in bed by nine. Early risers, the two of them, though eleven year old Minna couldn’t figure out why they wanted to wake up every day before the sun.

But that was a conundrum for another day. She tossed the curtains aside and lifted the window, climbing out onto the snow covered fire escape. Bright twinkle lights covered nearly every surface and she could hear other families still celebrating Christmas Eve.

There were carols playing, cheering, and laughter. Her slippers grew damp, and she was cold, but she didn’t want the magic of the night to be over, not yet. Santa Claus was coming, and she’d been such a good girl that year.

Not once had her grade point average fallen under a B-, and she didn’t get even one tardy the whole first two marking periods of school. And it was all on account of what she’d seen that summer.

The Bellamy family took vacations together every year, and this past summer was no different. Her mom had given her a big fat book about cryptozoology, figuring it would entertain since they’d planned to take their RV across the country that summer.

Minna couldn’t wait to explore. Especially when they arrived at the Mexico United States border in El Paso. Minna had spent hours in the RV combing through the pages of her book. Some of the local kids of the places she’d visited had teased her about it after she’d turned down invitations to play. But she’d ignored them.

She was an only child, and her parents indulged her reading addiction as often as they could. She always was a bit of a nerd, but that summer proved she had every reason to be.

She’d been reading about the most prominent figure in New Jersey mythology. The Leeds Devil or the Jersey Devil, as he was more commonly known, but switched over to something even more fascinating to her mind. Something locals from Puerto Rico to Mexico to Argentina, and all the way to Canada, claimed to have seen. And after that fateful August night, Minna silently added her name to the records of eyewitnesses who’d seen him. The coolest and scariest of all the cryptids.

The Chupacabra.

It happened one evening while her mother and father were preparing the grill for dinner. Minna went for a short walk around the Mission RV Park. It was a really nice place, with a pool, volleyball courts, and real bathrooms and showers. Her parents had said it was okay for her to take a quick tour as long as she stayed within sight of the other campers.

People who lived or traveled in RVs were a world apart, her dad joked. They were good, kind, caring people and the sense of community was extraordinary. Her less trusting mother had armed her eleven year old with pepper spray and a fire whistle, just in case.

Minna took them, and her camera before she began her small journey.

Be back in time for supper, her mother said and waved her off.

She hadn’t travelled far when she noticed a path that led to a small wooded area. Twilight was approaching, and she loved the way the sky in El Paso seemed to light up like Christmas lights, all reds and yellows.

Beautiful, young Minna thought, and started taking pictures.

Scratch. Scratch,

The sound of something scratching in the brush had her spinning around. She heard a sob, and another whiny scratching nose.

Hello? Minna called, following the sound to a rock formation that seemed to be the opening to a small cave.

Is anyone in there?

Her heart was pounding, but she prided herself on being brave. After all, she wanted to be an explorer of sorts. She was practically obsessed with the book her mother had given her.

Minna thought the men and women scientists who dedicated themselves to discovering new and unidentified animals were just plain awesome! It was what she wanted to do when she grew up.

That knowledge made her slightly braver, and she stuck her head in the cave before calling again.

Hello!

Go away! Someone answered and Minna jumped back.

Are you hurt? Who are you?

I’m not hurt, growled the little boy, and to Minna he sounded like one of the Rivera boys from the neighboring RV back at the park.

Miguel? Is that you?

No! That’s not my name.

What is it?

I can’t tell you, the voice said.

She noticed he was making it deeper now, but Minna didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to embarrass him.

Nice to meet you, anyway. I’m Minny.

She gave him the name her mother called her. She heard him sniff and moved deeper into the cave.

Don’t come any closer! It’s dangerous for girls!

He warned, but it was too late, she was curious, and she didn’t like to be told what to do. Especially not by boys.

Well, I can’t help you if I can’t see you- Her voice tapered off