Werewolf Days of Christmas: Werewolf Days, #2

By Zavian Glory

The holiday season has rolled around and Cayden Winter has been invited to his first Saturnalia, the holiday his werewolf boyfriend celebrates with his family at Christmastime. While he's nervous about meeting the extended family, he's excited to learn more about his boyfriend's culture and honored to be invited as a human.

 

Adrien Magnus has never had the pleasure of having a mate for Saturnalia, and he's excited for Cayden to join him and his family for the week-long celebration around Christmas. He deeply enjoys showing more of werewolf culture to his human mate, but there is a secret he's been keeping about how deeply he feels their mating bond. Will the holiday be the push he needs to finally be honest?

 

Werewolf Days of Christmas is a sweet, lighthearted holiday story and is the sequel to Werewolf Days of Summer.

 

CONTENT WARNINGS: Sexual content, mentions of an abusive relationship (physically and sexually), discussions of fatal diseases, discussions of childbearing requirements

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zavian Glory
• Release date: Nov 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223265450

Book preview

Werewolf Days of Christmas

Werewolf Days Book 2

by Zavian Glory

© 2023 Zavian Glory

All Rights Reserved

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except in quoted segments for review purposes, without written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

CONTENT WARNING: This book utilizes themes from Christian mythology in a way that some might consider problematic (the author is an atheist who was raised in a Catholic family). If this not something that is right for you, please consider reading no further.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT WARNINGS: Sexual content, mentions of an abusive relationship (physically and sexually), discussions of fatal diseases, discussions of childbearing requirements

Chapter One

Cayden had been dating his werewolf boyfriend, Adrien, for almost five months, and they had officially been mates for four of those months now. Cayden had felt his love for Adrien deepening as each month passed, enhanced by the reinforcement of their mating bond during each full moon. He was happiest when he was with Adrien, regardless of what they were doing, and could only sleep well on the nights Adrien stayed with him. It did make him a little worried that he was being clingy or obsessive when he wanted to do things as mundane as running errands with Adrien, but Adrien seemed happy with him regardless of what they were doing.

At least, so far.

Despite how well things were going, and Cayden's months of therapy now, he still struggled at times with the lasting effects of having been in a long-term abusive relationship before Adrien had come into his life. He still feared Adrien would get tired of him, no matter how strong their connection was as mates.

But when Adrien held him close after their first mating of the December full moon, nuzzling behind Cayden's ear and murmuring endearments in both English and werewolf Latin, Cayden let go of his doubts for the moment. He basked in the warmth of love surrounding him, the feel of Adrien's soft fur in his pre-wolf form, a form that was mostly human but with some wolfish features, including the fur that covered his entire body. Cayden allowed his mind to drift, wandering toward the future in different ways and directions.

So, do werewolves celebrate Christmas? he asked. It wasn't something he'd ever thought about until that moment, in his wandering thoughts, but he was suddenly curious.

Adrien kissed the back of Cayden's head. Kind of, I guess you could say. It's not religious for us anymore.

Neither is Christmas, Cayden pointed out.

Adrien chuckled. True. Werewolves still celebrate the Roman holiday of Saturnalia around Christmas. The twenty-fifth used to be celebrated as the birth of the sun god, Sol Invictus, but now it's about the literal sun. It's still the most important day of Saturnalia. We have a week-long party each year, from the twenty-second through the twenty-eighth.

What do you do for a whole week? Cayden asked, curious and intrigued, as usual, about Adrien's culture.

Play games, eat a ton of food. Drink. Watch movies. Exchange gifts every night. Sometimes we have mock gladiatorial matches and toga parties. On the twenty-fourth, we stay up until dawn on the twenty-fifth to witness the return of the sun and all that. If the full moon happens during the week it can be extra fun. Well-fed werewolves who have been drinking tend to be pretty rowdy on a Saturnalia full moon. This year there won't be a full moon so it'll be pretty tame.

Cayden tried not to feel like he was missing out when he said, Sounds way more fun than drinking eggnog alone like I usually do.

I've actually been meaning to invite you, Adrien told him, running his nails lightly down Cayden's arm. His nails thickened in his pre-wolf form, along with the skin on his palms and pads of his fingers, but they had learned that Cayden enjoyed the feeling of those nails lightly running across his skin. It sent little tickles of pleasure down his spine. "I just never think about it. I think I just assumed you would be going, as my mate, and forgot I should ask you to come. I'm sorry about that because I should have asked ages ago instead of assuming. We're hosting at my house. It'll be Dru, Marc, and their twins. You'd get to meet my twins, too. They're coming with Ana, Toni, and Toni's twins who are the same age as mine are. I'd really like you to meet them. If you don't feel comfortable though, I understand."

Cayden felt his heart leap with joy and love at Adrien's invitation. He could certainly forgive him for the assumption. Being in a relationship with a human was still fairly new to him. I'd love to come.

Yeah?

Cayden smiled and craned his neck to kiss Adrien. Yeah. What do I need to do? Can you help me prepare?

Adrien kissed him again, smiling. Of course.

Despite being prepared and genuinely happy to be sharing the holiday with Adrien, Cayden still felt a bit nervous as he pulled into Adrien's driveway on the first day of the week-long holiday. Adrien had helped him shop for the multitude of gifts he needed to bring – thankfully most were supposed to be cheap, fun ones – and had instructed him to bring lots of chips. He hoped six bags would be enough to last the week.

He had met Adrien's family before and had been over for dinner multiple times in the last few months, but he'd never been a part of a family gathering for a holiday before now. And he hadn't met Adrien's four-year-old twins before, or their mother. Which meant he felt pretty nervous with the full implication of what the week ahead might bring. He hoped they didn't hate him.

Adrien had either been watching for him or had sensed his arrival thanks to their bond, or both, because he was out the door and ready to help Cayden with his bags before Cayden had even popped the trunk. He was also ready to welcome Cayden with a light kiss and a bright smile, both of which helped Cayden's nerves.

I hope I brought enough chips, Cayden said.

Adrien continued to smile. There will be lots of other snacks, don't worry, he assured him. Let me help you bring stuff in.

Between the two of them, they made it in one trip. Cayden was a bit surprised to see the inside of the house was strung with garlands sporting simple round Christmas ornaments, and a large tree sat in one of the front windows. The whole house smelled like pleasantly earthy candles. Before he could comment or ask about the tree, Adrien's sister, Dru, bustled over from the kitchen, greeting him and taking some of the shopping bags of chips. Her husband, Marc, soon joined them and took the bags of gifts to a coffee table beside the tree that was already partly filled with two piles of gifts.

Don't worry, if Adrien told you how to label them I can sort them to where they belong, he assured Cayden.

Cayden thanked them both, put his shoes and coat in the closet, and followed Adrien upstairs with his clothes and toiletries. These he set down in Adrien's room and allowed Adrien to pull him into a tight hug.

I'm glad you came, Adrien murmured.

Cayden didn't think it was important to mention that he was nervous about meeting Adrien's twins and their family. Adrien already knew it. Of course, he replied, wrapping his arms snugly around Adrien's waist. Thank you for inviting me.

They stood like that for a moment, then Cayden heard a door opening downstairs and voices speaking in greeting, then children shrieking with excitement.

Adrien chuckled. Sounds like everyone else is here. Ready to meet them?

Cayden smiled. They sound excited to be here.

"That was Livia and