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  Santa Bear

  (North Pole, Book 4)

  Ruby Shae

  Santa Bear

  (North Pole, Book 4)

  Copyright 2016 by Ruby Shae

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  About This Book

  Curvy girl, Melinda Snow, is one of the few unmated humans living in Santa’s Village, the magical hidden world also known as the North Pole. Unlike her existence in the human world, her life is filled with friendship and happiness, but it still lacks love and romance, two things she secretly craves.

  Life has never been easy for polar bear shifter, Joel Edwards. Unlike the other Enforcers who provide security for Santa and the Pole, he’s the only one who’s different in more ways than one. Finding a mate never felt like a possibility until he saw Mindy for the first time.

  When Joel finally makes a move, and asks Mindy out, she flat-out rejects him, and suddenly, his differences are harder to ignore. Mindy likes Joel, but she can’t date a man that doesn’t know his own mind, even if he is all she wants for Christmas. With a little help from Santa, can these two lonely hearts get mated by Christmas, or will mix-ups and mistakes and keep them apart forever?

  Santa Bear

  (North Pole, Book 4)

  By Ruby Shae

  Chapter One

  Last Christmas Eve…

  Melinda Snow shook the snow globe again, and smiled as the white powder fell around the festive scene inside the glass ball. Santa sat in a sled being pulled across the sky by eight tiny reindeer, and below them, a large decorated Christmas tree sat surrounded by several happy forest animals. She’d always loved the fact that the artist had made sure the number of wrapped presents matched the number of animals, and even though it had been nearly twenty years since she’d received the gift, the evidence that no animal had been left out still brought her joy.

  The actors on the old TV in the corner began a rendition of White Christmas, and she glanced outside through the large windows of the coffee shop. The flurries had fattened up and hastily covered the ground, ensuring she would be alone until the end of her shift.

  She noted the time, and took the two napkin dispensers she’d filled back to their tables. In less than thirty minutes, it would officially be Christmas, and she could enjoy the decadent dessert she’d bought to welcome in the holiday. Her smile fell when she remembered sharing the tradition with her parents, but she refused to allow the sad thoughts in. She’d been on her own for nearly ten years, and probably always would be.

  On the way back to the counter, she verified all the tables were clean and stocked, but the trip was fruitless. No one had entered the shop in over three hours, and the few customers she’d had before that had either sat at the counter or purchased something to go.

  She tilted the snow globe upside down again, and smiled as the jaunty tune of Jingle Bells burst through the speakers on the TV. The song was one of her favorites, and she quietly sang along as she watched the snow inside the globe fall.

  Suddenly, the bell to the shop door dinged, and a man dressed in a remarkably well tailored Santa suit walked in. Upon closer look, she realized it wasn’t only well tailored, it was also expensive. The man had gone all out authentic, right down to his long white beard and pink rosy cheeks.

  Mindy always worked Christmas Eve in the coffee shop, and seeing a Santa or two every year was a regular occurrence. She respected the men and women who dressed up to share joy with others, and she always played along, but this was the first time she’d ever been impressed by one of their costumes.

  “Merry Christmas, Santa,” she said. “What can I get for you?”

  “Merry Christmas, Mindy,” he said, his voice deep and jolly. “I’ll take a hot cocoa and one of those giant sugar cookies.”

  He pointed to a domed cake plate on the counter where two six inch cookies remained, and then he winked.

  His use of her name didn’t surprise her, she always wore her nametag, but he was different than the other Santas she’d encountered. His friendly, cheerful demeanor seemed genuine, and she sensed he would be merry with or without the suit.

  “For here or to go?” she asked.

  “For here,” he said. “I’ll take a seat by the window.”

  She prepared his hot cocoa, and walked to the table with his order.

  “It’s almost midnight,” she said, teasing. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

  His smile dimmed a fraction, but she only noticed because she’d been watching him so closely.

  “I do, but you’re my first stop, and I’m a bit early.”

  “Early? Well then you have time to enjoy your cookie,” she grinned back at him.

  She walked back behind the counter, tilted her snow globe once more, and sat down on the stool near the register. Normally, weird cryptic messages from a man dressed as Santa would make her skin crawl, but a sense of calm filled her instead.

  For some reason, she trusted him.

  The bell on the shop door rang again, and a man wearing a ski mask rushed into the small dining room. He reached under his shirt, pulled out a gun and waved it in front of her face. Fear shot through her like a rocket, but for some reason she glanced at her watch.

  One minute after midnight.

  “Empty the register into this bag,” he barked, tossing a pillowcase onto the counter.

  She grabbed the case, opened the register, and followed his directions. When the drawer was empty, she put the pillowcase back on the counter in front of him.

  “This is pretty,” he said, picking up her snow globe. “It looks expensive.”

  “It’s just a silly decoration,” she said, faking indifference.

  “Well, then,” he sneered, calling her bluff, “I guess you won’t mind me taking it.”

  “Please don’t,” she begged. “It’s not expensive, but it does mean a lot to me. You have the money; take it and leave us alone.”

  “Us?”

  The gunman turned to see Santa sitting in the booth.

  “You were supposed to be alone,” he yelled. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “Don’t worry about him,” she said. “He just came in for a snack. Take the money and go.”

  “Get out of the booth, old man,” the gunman yelled. “Why the hell are you dressed like that?”

  Santa slid out of the booth, and Mindy rushed toward him. The first thing she noticed was his lack of fear, and the second was his quiet, calm presence. It was as if he’d already accepted whatever hand fate had decided to deal them.

  “Look at you in your fucking red suit,” the gunman said, slowly raising his voice. “You look fucking ridiculous. I fucking hate Christmas…” He picked up the snow globe and dropped it on the floor.

  “No!” she yelled.

  “…and I fucking hate Santa Claus.”

  He straightened his arm, and pulled the trigger.

&nbs
p; Mindy did the only thing that made sense.

  The jolly man hadn’t dressed up for himself. At least one person expected his arrival, but no one waited for her. If one of them had to die, it should be her.

  She stepped in front of Santa, and a second later, pain exploded in her chest. She fell back and landed in the arms of the man in red, and he slowly lowered her onto the hard, linoleum floor. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and silence shrouded the room as she looked up and noticed a new piece of gum stuck under one of the tables.

  Then everything went black.

  ***

  Mindy opened her eyes and looked around the room. Except for the red garland hanging in happy scallops around the ceiling, and the tall, thin decorated Christmas tree in the corner, she was surrounded by four white walls with no windows. Next to her bed, a nightstand held a tiny lamp, an alarm clock, and her undamaged snow globe.

  Suddenly, everything came flooding back, and she grabbed her chest and bolted upright. Her hand found no evidence of the gunshot wound, and when she looked down to inspect her clothing, she noticed it had been changed. Instead of her uniform, she wore a pair of white flannel pajamas covered in smiling snowmen and blue snowflakes. A quick look down her shirt revealed no scars marred her flesh.

  What the hell?

  She grabbed the snow globe, and after a quick inspection, she tipped it in her hand. Even though she was scared and confused, the globe still managed to make her smile.

  “Good morning.” An elderly woman walked in and greeted her with a smile. “It’s nice to see you awake. How are you feeling, dear?”

  “Okay,” Mindy said, tentatively. “What happened? Where am I?”

  “Santa and Mrs. Claus will be along in a minute to explain everything,” she said. “In the meantime, I’m Daphne, your nurse. Would you like something to drink?”

  “Santa?”

  “Yes, of course, dear,” the woman smiled, pouring a glass of water. “He’s the one you saved. That was a very brave thing you did,” she said, handing Mindy the cup, “and you’re just the type of person who belongs here at the Pole.”

  Mindy downed the cool liquid, and the woman took the cup from her and refilled it.

  Had she really saved Santa Claus?

  No, it’s not possible.

  Daphne busied herself with tiny tasks while they waited for Santa.

  She fluffed the pillow, raised the top part of the bed so Mindy could lean back comfortably, and straightened her blanket. She picked up errant icicles off the floor and threw them back on the tree, and then she left for a minute to refill the tiny water pitcher. She never once reached for the snow globe, and for that Mindy was grateful. The globe was the only thing that made sense in her world right now.

  A few minutes later, Santa and Mrs. Claus entered the room, and Daphne excused herself.

  “Good morning, Mindy,” Santa said. “This is Mrs. Claus.”

  “Good morning, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, looking back and forth at the jolly couple. Santa was the man from the coffee shop, the same one she’d tried to save, and Mrs. Claus had the same cheerful, jolly disposition. Aside from the fact that Santa wasn’t supposed to be real, it was easy to believe their story.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, dear,” Mrs. Claus said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I hope we get the chance to know you better.”

  “I know you probably have a lot of questions, but we must take care of a pressing matter first,” Santa said. “The bullet that struck you was meant to take your life. I know about your parents, and your many years alone, and I can offer you something different here in the North Pole. If you decide to stay, you’ll have a job with coworkers that care about you, a nice place to live, and a wonderful community to call home. You’ll make friends, and possibly fall in love, but you’ll never be alone.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said. “What’s the catch?”

  “You have to disappear from your old life,” he said. “Right now, the ending to last night’s robbery is up to you. In this version, you packed up and vacated your apartment before your shift, decided to close the coffee shop at midnight, and then left town without looking back. A note of resignation and your keys will be waiting on your boss’ desk in the morning. Sometime after midnight, a robber broke into the shop, opened the safe, and stole all the money. The police will find him later today, and there will be no connection to you. No one will question your decision to leave, and no one will look for you. It will almost be as if you didn’t exist.”

  “Wow,” she said, for lack of a better word. “What happens in the other version?”

  “The alternate version is much more grim,” Santa explained. “Last night happens just as you remember it, only after you get shot, the gunman runs off with the money and the man dressed like Santa calls the police. By the time the ambulance arrives, you’re pronounced dead on the scene. They will still find the gunman later today, but your life will be over, Mindy. You’ll be buried a week from today, but no one will attend the service.”

  That seemed about right.

  She was just another employee to her boss, her landlady only cared about the rent, she had no true friends, and her parents were long gone.

  “I decide whether I live or die?” she asked, in awe. “How do I know this place is real? That you’re real? Or honest? I’d love to have all of the things you’re offering, but how can I trust you?”

  “You can’t deny being shot,” he said, “or the lack of pain and scarring. You’re only alive because of my magic, but I think a short tour will be enough to totally convince you.”

  He hadn’t lied.

  Thirty minutes later, she’d made her decision and became the newest resident of Santa’s Village. The magical city, hidden in the middle of the frozen arctic known as the North Pole, was her new home.

  Chapter Two

  Eleven months later…

  Joel Edwards placed his guitar in the stand, and followed the band’s lead singer off the tiny stage in the club. The four bandmates gathered around a tall, round table marked RESERVED, and everyone except for the drummer sank into a high-backed bar stool.

  His band, The Flurry, had been playing for nearly two hours straight, and though he usually enjoyed their weekly ritual, he was glad their time was up. His concentration had sucked lately, and he’d totally flaked on the last song.

  Lately…try since Halloween.

  His stomach tightened when he thought about the all Village costumed Halloween party he’d attended nearly five weeks ago. After ten months of pining over his mate, he’d finally worked up the courage to ask her out, and she’d flat-out rejected him. Worse, she hadn’t even pretended to think about it. Her answer had been swift and concise, but the delivery hadn’t taken away the sting.

  In one instant, she’d reduced him back to the abandoned sixteen-year-old, half-starved shifter Santa had found in the forest. It didn’t matter how kind everyone in Santa’s Village appeared, he’d always known he would never fully fit in, and his mate had proved it with one simple word.

  Unfortunately, there was nowhere to hide from the curvy beauty. As if on cue, his mate, Mindy, a waitress in the club, placed four glasses of water in the center of the table.

  He didn’t look at her, but he’d been watching her from the stage all night.

  She wore a navy-blue t-shirt with the name of the club spelled out across her ample chest, and a pair of jeans that looked like they were painted on her round, curvy ass.

  She only stood about six inches shorter than his six-foot, three-inch frame, but he liked the fact that she was tall and thick. Her curves had curves, and she had more than enough softness to handle a big, rough bear like him.

  Her curly, thick black hair was pulled back in a pony-tail, but he’d give anything to see the wild locks spread out over his pillow, or bouncing on her shoulders as she rode him.

  Fuck!

  His cock swelled and he mentally berated himself.

 
Stop thinking about her like that…she doesn’t want you.

  “Do you guys want any drinks or food?” she asked, smiling.

  The North Star was the only night club in Santa’s Village, but the party didn’t start until a DJ started spinning after ten. Until then, it was just another restaurant with live music from six to eight. They didn’t get paid, but the owner provided instruments for both practice and performances, and the band enjoyed free food and drink if they wanted it.

  The Flurry practiced almost every Tuesday morning, and played on most Wednesday nights. All of their songs were cover tracks, which meant they could rearrange their playlist according to their schedules. If they had to cancel practice, they could easily substitute an older, well-rehearsed favorite for the show.

  Joel and his bandmates loved playing together, but the band was just a hobby.

  The four polar bear shifters were Enforcers, shifters trained to protect Santa’s Village, their home in the North Pole, and that was their number one priority. With a little over three weeks until Christmas, anything could happen, and practice during December was always questionable.

  “Thanks Min. Mozzarella sticks and a beer. Bottle, please,” said Jim, the lead singer.

  How dare he shorten her name? She’s mine!

  His bear growled beneath the surface, and the desire to swing at Jim nearly overwhelmed him. He tapped down the irrational response and quieted his bear. He didn’t own Mindy, and he didn’t get a say in what others called her.

  She’d said no when he’d asked her out; end of story.

  “Onion rings and beer,” Trey, the keyboardist, joined in. “Whatever’s on tap.”

  “Nothing for me,” he grunted, looking at the stage. If he made eye contact, he’d beg her to reconsider.

  “Hey, Mindy,” Wade, the drummer, smiled. “I’ll have a coke and a bacon cheeseburger.”

  Now he wanted to punch Wade.