Naked and unconscious probably isn’t the best way to meet your mate for the first time.

Curtis didn’t expect to meet his mate while he was face-first and naked in the snow. He supposed he hadn’t exactly met Manuel that way, since he’d been unconscious, but that was probably not the best first impression.

Manuel wasn’t sure what to do with the naked, gorgeous man, but he took him home—and Curtis ran away.

But now small gifts have started appearing on Manuel’s doorstep, and he knows they’re from Curtis. With Christmas looming so close and Manuel’s mood being so dark because of his mother’s recent death, he’s not sure what to do about it—or about Curtis. Curtis seems to be intent on gently pushing his way into Manuel’s life, though, and Manuel doesn’t exactly mind.

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

Christmas Swan

Copyright © 2019 Catherine Lievens

ISBN: 978-1-4874-2579-1

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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 publisher.

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Christmas Swan

The Twelve Days of Christmas Book 7

Seven Brothers Book 1

By

Catherine Lievens

Chapter One

Curtis closed the workshop door, leaving his father behind. His father was working on the back of a chair, and he wouldn’t stop until he managed to get rid of the kink that was bugging him. Curtis, on the other hand, was done sanding the coffee table his father has asked him to make, and he was ready for lunch.

He walked from the workshop door through the backyard, the snow crunching under his feet. He shivered, wishing he’d grabbed his jacket that morning when he’d left his parents’ home. He hadn’t thought he’d need it, since the workshop was just on the other side of the back yard, but apparently, he was wrong. It was colder now than it was earlier, and that meant more snow was coming.

He stumbled through the kitchen door, shivering.

“Mind your feet, Curtis,” his mother snapped from where she was standing at the stove.

Curtis took a step back, stood on the carpet, and took off his boots. He padded toward his mom in his socks and kissed her cheek, stealing a carrot stick from the pile she had while she was distracted.

“Watch it, boy, or you won’t have lunch.”

Curtis laughed and held up his hands. “Sorry. I’m going to go wash up.”

“You do that. I don’t want you sprinkling wood dust all over my food.”

Curtis kissed her cheek again, stole another carrot stick, and danced out of the way when she tried to smack him playfully. He was still laughing when he left the kitchen, but he stopped when he saw two of his brothers standing in the entrance taking their boots off. Jack was grinning like a loon, while Andy elbowed him in the ribs. “Maybe we should move back in with Mom and Dad,” he told Jack.

“It does look like Curtis is happy to live here.”

They knew how to hit right on the sore spot, didn’t they? Curtis crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s temporary.”

“Yeah, you already told us that. You don’t look like you’re trying to find your own place, though.”

“It’s only been a few weeks.” But they’d been a balm on Curtis’ soul. He’d spent so long away from his family, visiting only sporadically, that he wasn’t looking forward to moving out yet. He understood why Jack and Andy found it funny, though. They were twenty-five and twenty-three, and they’d left home a few years back. They still lived nearby, close enough to come over for lunch when they didn’t feel like cooking, which from what Curtis had seen, was almost every day.

“A few weeks too many, eh?” Andy asked. He winked, but Curtis wasn’t amused.

He pushed past his brothers and grabbed his boots, shoving his feet into them. “Tell Mom I went for a flight at the lake.”

“Curtis, come on. We were just joking around,” Jack tried, but Curtis ignored him.

He loved his brothers, all six of them, but sometimes, he couldn’t stand them. Growing up with a bunch of boys meant all of them continuously got teased. Curtis had been used to it once, but he’d been away from home for too long. The fact that his brothers thought it funny that he was living with their parents also hurt, because they knew why he was there.

Curtis left the house, taking his coat with him this time. He was going to have to strip to shift, and he wasn’t looking forward to it, but in the meantime he’d be as warm as he could be, considering that everywhere he looked, there was snow. That was something else he wasn’t used to anymore.

He still remembered the spot where his parents took him and his brothers to shift when they were kids, so that was where he headed. There was a big tree there, and Curtis left his clothes at its base, shivering hard when his feet touched the snow on the ground. He dumped his jeans on top of the pile he’d made and rushed toward the lake, shifting before his human skin could touch the freezing water.

He soared. He’d always loved being a swan, mainly because it meant he could fly. It made him feel free, and for a moment, he could leave his troubles behind and stop thinking about them.

That never lasted long, though. Once he was in the air and the first moment of happiness was over, thoughts crowded his mind again.

He missed Danny. He’d realized he hadn’t loved Danny in a long time when Danny had broken up with him, but he missed the familiarity, the routine, coming home to someone and spending time with them. He was still trying to get used to this new life of his, but it was weird.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to forget his problems even in flight, Curtis steered back toward the shore of the lake where he’d left his clothes. He landed a few feet away from them, still buried in his thoughts, but he noticed the prints in the snow just in time to move when the fox jumped toward him.

The fox had to be hungry. That was the only reason Curtis could think of for it to attack him when he was so much bigger, too big for the fox to deal on its own.

Yet the fox managed to hurt him.

Curtis knew it was because he’d been distracted, but that didn’t make it hurt less. The fox closed its jaw around Curtis’ wing and sank its teeth into the flesh there. Curtis bugled and swatted the fox with his other wing, hitting him in the face. The fox let go, and Curtis ran, taking flight again.

That didn’t last long. His wing hurt, and blood was dripping from it, so he knew he wouldn’t be able to fly home. He steered toward the other side of the lake, hoping he’d be able to rest and that the fox would be gone by the time he managed to get back to his clothes.

He landed, but the pain in his wing meant he couldn’t control his landing. He slammed against a tree when he couldn’t stop, hitting his head and his wounded wing. Pain exploded in Curtis’ body, and he was glad when the world around him tilted and he fainted.

* * * *

Manuel rubbed the counter until it was gleaming under the light that came from the window. It was fading already, night coming early as it always did this time of the year.

Manuel sighed. He didn’t want to think about this time of year. Christmas was only a few weeks away, and for the first time in his life, he found himself dreading that day.

And again, he didn’t want to think about it.

He looked around for something else to clean, but there was nothing. He’d started his dinner in the crockpot hours earlier, so there were no dishes to wash and no cooking to check in on. He’d washed the floors and dusted everything, and he’d rubbed the counter so much that it was a miracle he hadn’t left a groove in the marble.

He sighed and folded the rag he’d been using. He needed to find something to do before he went crazy. He’d tried reading, watching TV, and as a last resort, cleaning. He’d finished his work hours ago, because he’d needed something to do as much as he did now, so that was out, too. Besides, he’d had a hard time focusing, and he’d only managed by turning off the TV and the music and forcing himself to stay in his seat.

He looked out the window again. It wasn’t snowing yet, even though the weather channel had announced it would start later tonight. Manuel could go out for a bit, walk around the lake and get some fresh air. Maybe that would be enough for him to stop thinking about his mom and his first Christmas without her.

He took his time dressing warmly and putting his boots on. The longer it took him to do all this, the longer it would take him to think about his mom again. Once he was outside, standing in front of his door, he closed his eyes and took a deep, freezing breath. God, it felt good to be out.

He needed to hurry, though, because if he didn’t, he’d still be outside when the sky turned completely dark, and that was always dangerous for him. He was challenged when it came to balance, and that only got worse when there was snow and ice on the ground—and when it was dark and he couldn’t see where he put his feet.

He left his front yard and wandered over to the lake. The snow creaked under his feet, and his face was so cold it hurt, but for a moment, he finally felt peaceful.

Then he saw the man. The naked man.

He was lying face down in the snow, and from where Manuel was, he had a splendid view of a round ass and a bleeding arm.

Manuel gasped and rushed toward the man, almost falling on his face a few times. He knelt in the snow and turned the man over, tugging his glove off and feeling for a pulse. The man’s skin was freezing, but he was breathing, even though his lips were blue.

“Shit.” Manuel didn’t often swear, but this situation called for a good swear word. What was he supposed to do?

He looked around for the man’s clothes, but he couldn’t see anything. At least the cold had slowed down the blood loss, but that wasn’t helpful right now. “Sir? Can you hear me?” Manuel asked, He gently slapped the man’s cheek, grinning when the man groaned. “That’s it. Can you hear me? I don’t live far, so I’m going to take you home, but I need you to help me. I can’t carry you. You’re too big for that.”

Manuel got to his feet and braced himself. He wrapped his arms around the man’s chest and pulled, but for a moment, the man didn’t move, and Manuel thought he was going to have to leave him there and run home to call for help, since he’d left his phone in the kitchen. It wasn’t like anyone would call him anyway, but now he regretted that choice.

He took a deep breath and tried again, and this time, the man came up. They both stumbled, and Manuel couldn’t tell if the man was fully awake or if he was just acting on instinct. It didn’t matter, not as long as they managed to get to Manuel’s cottage.

They hobbled their way to the cottage. The man wasn’t steady on his feet, and since Manuel was challenged on the best of days, they almost fell on their asses a few times. Manuel had a hard time holding both of them up because the other man was taller and bulkier, with a nice hairy stomach that was slightly rounded and thick thighs that reminded him that it had been a long time since he’d last had sex. He didn’t want to perv on this guy while he was vulnerable, though, so he forced himself to stare at the road in front of them. Luckily, the cottage was on a back road that was barely used, and they managed to get to it without meeting anyone.

They stumbled into the house, and Manuel only spared a brief thought about the way they were getting his clean floors dirty again. He paused for a second to breathe. “Where am I going to put you?” He had a guest room, but the last person who’d stayed there had been his mom, and he wasn’t ready to put this guy there.

He headed for his bedroom instead, half dragging the man, who felt heavier with every step. He finally managed to get him to his bed and dumped him onto it.

Manuel was breathing hard by then, and he stared at the man, who’d either blacked out again or had never woken up entirely.

“What the fuck?” he muttered. He didn’t know what else to say. “What the fuck.”

* * * *

Curtis had no idea where he was.

He’d opened his eyes a bit ago, but he didn’t recognize the bedroom—or the bed—he was in. Initially, he thought he’d had a one-night stand and that he was still in the guy’s bed. It wasn’t something he’d normally do, but his life had been anything but normal in the past couple of weeks, so who knew. But then he’d tried to sit up, and both his arm and his head hurt. The sharp pain in his forehead was enough to clear his thoughts, but while he remembered the fox that had attacked him and that he’d managed to fly away, he still had no idea how he’d ended up in a comfortable warm bed instead of in the freezing snow.

He raised the blanket that covered him. He was still naked, and he could too easily imagine how he’d ended up here. Had it been a sweet old lady? Or maybe a family with kids? Curtis didn’t want to stick around to find out, even though he knew he owed whoever had found him his life. He could come back later, once he was covered and able to look them in the eyes.

He pushed himself up using the arm that wasn’t wounded and peered at the other one. The fox had bit his wing, and he had no idea how bad the wound was. He’d have to take off the bandages that now covered it once he was home. His head still hurt, too, but it was nothing a good painkiller wouldn’t help with.

He swung his feet off the bed, and the door opened.

Curtis grabbed the blanket and made sure his groin was covered, but there was little he could do for his legs and his upper body. A man came in carrying a tray and humming to himself, but he squeaked when he saw Curtis was awake, and he almost dropped the tray.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the man asked.

“Getting up.”

The man put the tray on the dresser. “I can see that, but you’re wounded.” He looked at Curtis’ arm, but his gaze kept moving to Curtis’ chest, and his cheeks were flushed with pink. He cleared his throat. “You should get back to bed. I’ll find you some clothes now that you’re awake.”

Curtis didn’t have much of a choice. He slid back into bed and made sure everything that needed to be covered was covered. “Thank you. I’m Curtis.”

The man smiled. “I’m Manuel. Wait here. You’ll be more comfortable once you’re dressed.”

Curtis agreed with that. He watched as Manuel disappeared through a door and reappeared with what looked like a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. He held them out. “These are the biggest I have. I’m smaller than you, so they might be tight, but I can’t do much more.”

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Curtis took them and started to get up, but he remembered he was still naked. His arm hurt, but with Manuel’s help, he managed to get the t-shirt on. The sweats were a bit trickier without leaving the bed, but Manuel blushed and turned around so Curtis could have privacy.

Curtis’ headache was still firmly there, so he flopped back again the pillows and groaned. Manuel turned around, frowning. “Are you okay?”

“Headache.”

“I’ll grab you some painkillers.” He went through another door—Curtis suspected that was the bathroom—and came back with a bottle. He grabbed a glass of water from the tray he’d brought in and sat on the edge of the mattress, handing Curtis the glass and the bottle. He was so close that Curtis could smell him, and Curtis’ heart suddenly tried to get out of his chest as it raced in surprise and shock.

This wasn’t how Curtis had thought the day would go. He hadn’t expected to be attacked by a fox, and he certainly hadn’t expected to meet his mate.

“So, how did it happen?” Manuel asked, jerking Curtis out of his shock.

“What?” he managed to croak, but that was all his brain could manage.

“Well, I found you naked face down in the snow. You should have a good story to tell, and I can’t wait to hear it.”

Damn it. Curtis couldn’t tell Manuel how he’d ended up freezing his balls off. That would mean telling him he was a swan shifter, and possibly that they were mates, and Curtis was not ready for Manuel to throw him out.

He licked his lips. “I’ll be honest. I’m not sure. I think I hit my head because I can’t remember much, and it hurts like a bitch.”

“Oh!” Manuel grabbed the bottle of painkillers from Curtis’ hand and opened it. “Take this. You’ll feel better.”

Curtis obeyed. His swan was pleased with the way their mate was taking care of them, which was better than having it squawking in his mind because they’d been attacked by a fox, but it wasn’t helping. Curtis had no idea what to do with, well, everything. He didn’t know how to deal with meeting his mate, and with the fact that Manuel had already seen him naked and he didn’t remember it.

“I should go home,” he murmured.

“Nope. You should stay here for a bit and let me call someone who can come pick you up. Unless I can drive you somewhere? I don’t like to drive in the snow, especially not at night, but I can make an exception.”

“I’ll call one of my brothers.” Curtis groaned. They were going to make fun of him forever. “They’re going to have a field day with this.”

“Well, you can’t deny it is kind of funny, at least now that you’re warm and safe.” Manuel frowned. “Unless you were hurt. Maybe I should take you to the hospital.”

“I’m fine. I might not remember, but I’m sure no one hurt me.”

“If you say so.” Manuel didn’t look convinced, but Curtis couldn’t tell him the truth, not yet.

* * * *

Curtis was hiding something, but that was okay. He and Manuel weren’t friends. He didn’t have to tell Manuel what had happened. Manuel didn’t expect anything in exchange for dragging his heavy ass to his home and putting him into his bed.

Okay, so maybe he had expected something. At the very least, answers on how he’d ended up naked in the snow, with one arm bleeding. But it looked like he wasn’t going to get that.

Manuel cleared his throat and grabbed the tray he’d gotten ready. “Here. There’s hot chocolate and some toast. I can make you something else to eat if you want, though. I’m not sure what I have in the fridge, but I can go check.”

“This is fine. Thank you.” Curtis took the tray, and their hands brushed together.

Manuel snatched his hand away as soon as he could without dropping the tray. There was something about Curtis that rattled him, and he didn’t know why or what he was supposed to do about it. Nothing, probably, but it was hard when Curtis was right there in his freaking bed.

Manuel swallowed and pulled the blankets up Curtis’ chest. Then he pressed his hand against Curtis’ forehead. Curtis grinned, and Manuel snatched his hand away. “I was just checking that you didn’t have a fever.”

“I’m not sure why I should have one.”

“Maybe because you were face down in the snow with your ass out?”

“Maybe. But trust me, I don’t get sick easily.”

“Of course. Well, you can finish your food and leave whenever you want, since you seem to be okay. Not that I’d try to stop you if you weren’t okay, although I’d probably go with you since, well, you wouldn’t be okay.”

“You’re flustered.”

“Me? No. Why do you think that?” Manuel was definitely flustered.

Curtis’ smile widened. “It’s cute. You’re cute.”

“I don’t—I’m—what?”

Curtis stuffed a bit of toast into his mouth and groaned. “God, I’m starving. And shit, how late is it?”

“Uh, almost seven. PM, that is. I don’t think you’d been in the snow that long, since you weren’t frozen to death, but you’ve been here for close to two hours now.”

Curtis put the tray down. “I need to go home. My parents are going to freak out.”

Manuel frowned. “Your parents?”

“I live with them for now.” He swung his legs out of bed.

Why on earth were his feet attractive? His entire body was—Manuel should know since he’d seen all of it. Curtis was tall—and heavy, especially as a dead weight. His skin was pale but peppered with dark hair, and he had the cutest little stomach Manuel had ever seen. He also liked Curtis’ slightly unkempt beard and his wild curly hair.

Okay, so he thirsted for the guy, but that was because it had been too long since he’d last had a boyfriend. His mother’s illness had taken all his time in the past year and a half, and he wasn’t sorry about that. He’d had to focus on her. He’d wanted to focus on her.

And now he was attracted to the first naked man he saw. Of course he was. But it was normal, and it would pass as soon as Curtis was gone. It had to.

Curtis stopped in front of Manuel. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

Curtis chuckled. “For saving my life. For taking me home with you, for taking care of me, bandaging my arm, and feeding me. You didn’t have to do any of those things, but you did them, even though you don’t know me. So thank you.”

Manuel waved his hand around. He had no idea how to answer that. “You’re welcome. I didn’t do anything anyone wouldn’t have done.”

“I don’t know about that.” Curtis leaned forward, hesitated, then kissed Manuel’s cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”

He left the bedroom, and Manuel stayed there like an idiot, blinking and wondering what had just happened. He even touched his cheek as if he were the protagonist of one of those chick-flicks who’d just been kissed for the first time or something.

Then he remembered that while he’d given Curtis clothes, he hadn’t given him shoes or a coat.

He rushed to the front door, but Curtis was already gone. Manuel even opened the door to peek outside, but there were no traces of him except his footsteps in the snow.

“What the fuck?” Manuel asked himself for what had to be the hundredth time tonight.

Chapter Two

Curtis knew what he’d find when he got home. He’d been gone for hours, and his family was going to be frantic. The fact that he’d left in a hurry and had left his phone behind wasn’t going to help, either.

He’d run barefoot from Manuel’s to the spot where he’d left his clothes, and by the time he had his socks and shoes on again, he couldn’t feel his feet. He hobbled toward home, his clothes bundled in his arms, his coat on, his teeth clicking together.

All the lights were on in the house when he finally got there after what felt like hours, even though the house was only ten to fifteen minutes away from the lake on foot. Curtis pushed the door open, the skin on his face prickling from the warmth of the house.

“Curtis!”

Curtis’ mother barreled into him, almost knocking him on his ass. He winced at the pain in his arm. He supposed he was lucky he’d gotten some painkillers for his head because he had no doubt that would hurt, too, otherwise.

His mother hugged him tightly, then pushed him to arm’s length. “What happened to you? Where were you? Andy went down to the lake to find you, but you weren’t there.”

“I’m fine, Mom. I promise. I just had a little accident, but I’m fine.”

She looked him up and down. “A little accident? You’re not wearing your clothes!”

“Can we go to the living room? I need to sit down.” And warm his feet before he lost a toe or two.

She helped him take his jacket off and dumped his clothes onto the chair in the entrance, then she led him toward the couch and pushed him onto it. His father and his two brothers were there, and he wondered if the other four had been called. He wouldn’t be surprised if the entire family was there by the end of the night.

Curtis flopped onto the couch and sighed in relief. He felt a tug on his feet, and when he looked down, his mom was working on taking his boots off. He leaned down to help her, but she batted his hands away.

Curtis didn’t usually like having people taking care of him that way, but in this case, he knew better than to push. Besides, he was so tired he felt like he could sleep for a week. Much of that had to do with the fox attacking him and the trek back home, so he really should have accepted Manuel’s offer to drive him home. He hadn’t wanted his mate out at night in the snow, though, especially not in a car.

His mate. Wow. That still sounded weird even to think, and Curtis hadn’t said it out loud yet.

“What happened?” his father asked, worry hitched on his face.

Curtis sighed. He didn’t want to explain, because he knew his brothers would find it hilarious, and because the four who weren’t there tonight would know about this by the time he was finished explaining. His parents looked like they were about to bundle him up and drag him to the hospital, though, so he needed to say something. “I was attacked by a fox,” he forced out.

His father’s frown deepened. “A fox? They don’t usually attack swans, and your mother has never had a problem with them.” Curtis’ father was human, but he’d never let what his mate and their sons were change the way he behaved. He loved all of them. The fact that they weren’t human didn’t make a difference.

“Yeah, well, what can I say? I probably looked extra-tasty or something.”

“Are you hurt?” his mother asked, her hands fluttering around his chest but not touching him.

“I’m fine. The fox bit me, and I hit my head, but someone found me and took care of me.” Curtis couldn’t help but smile as he thought about Manuel again.

“Someone found you?” Jack asked. “And they didn’t have questions?”

“Of course he had questions. I was naked in the snow with a bleeding arm. But I think I did a pretty good job explaining myself.” He hadn’t, not at all, and he was going to have to sooner or later, but Manuel hadn’t seemed to want to push, and that was okay with Curtis. “Do you know a guy named Manuel?” he asked his parents.

His mother’s expression turned sad. “Oh, of course. Poor boy. He lost his mother a few months ago. I asked him to come here for Christmas because I didn’t want him to be alone, but he declined. I think this Christmas is going to be the hardest for him.”

“So you like him?” Not that his mom disliking Manuel would keep Curtis away from him, but he’d rather have his parents like his mate.

“Why wouldn’t I? He’s a good boy. Is he the one who found you?”

“Yeah. He dragged me home and put me in his bed, took care of my arm, and even fed me something. And he’s my mate.”

For a second, everyone in the room was silent. Then noise exploded, arms went around Curtis, lips kissed his cheek—that had to be his mom—and hands slapped his shoulders and arms, including the arm that was hurt.

He winced and held his hands up. “I get that you’re happy, but my arm still hurts, guys.”

Everyone backed off, but they didn’t go far.

“Did you tell him what you are?” Andy asked.

“When are you going back? How did he take it?” Jack asked.

“I didn’t tell him I’m a swan shifter, or that we’re mates. It didn’t seem the right moment, and I want to do something special for him, you know? I don’t want to just dump this on him, especially not so close to Christmas, and after what Mom just told me about his mom.”

“How many days are there before Christmas?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know.” Who counted the days until Christmas? Except for kids, of course.

“Fifteen,” their dad answered.

Jack’s face lit up. “What about the twelve days of Christmas?”

“What about them?” What was he talking about?

“You can buy him twelve gifts and get to know him when you bring them over. It’s a cute idea, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’ll show you care and that you want to impress him.”

Curtis wasn’t too sure about the idea, but it wasn’t like he could think of anything better.

* * * *

Manuel had to do something with his hands because he couldn’t stop thinking about Curtis, and that wouldn’t do. He was too old to be lovesick, and he didn’t know Curtis at all. There was no way he could be lovesick, not over him—or over anyone at all, considering he hadn’t met anyone new in the past year and a half at least.

Curtis was long gone. Manuel hoped he wasn’t frozen dead somewhere in his garden, but he wasn’t about to go find out, not when it was dark outside. He felt a bit guilty about that, but Curtis had been the one who’d run away barefoot in the snow, not him. He’d offered to give Curtis a ride home or wherever he needed to go, but Curtis had left on his own—and again, barefoot in the snow.

Some people just weren’t very bright.

Manuel hauled himself up from the couch and went to the bedroom. He’d changed his sheets a few days ago, but since he’d put Curtis in his bed, it would probably be a good idea to do it again. There was no blood or anything else on the sheets, but that didn’t mean they weren’t dirty, and to be honest, Manuel felt a little squeamish about sleeping in them after Curtis had been there with his dirty feet and whatever else.

Manuel pulled the blankets off and dumped them onto the chair by his bed. Then he grabbed the sheets and bundled them into his arms. They smelled of Curtis, and he hadn’t noticed it before now.

Manuel licked his lips. He was alone. No one would know it if he buried his face into the sheets and took a deep breath.

He groaned. Why was he so hung up on Curtis? They didn’t know each other. Curtis was cute, and he was the first man Manuel had wanted in his bed in a while, but that didn’t mean anything, and it certainly didn’t mean that Manuel had to moon over him like a teenager. He was going to stop doing that and focus on, well, he wasn’t sure on what, since there wasn’t much left to do.

Manuel was relieved when his phone rang, and especially so when he saw Leon’s name flash on the screen, along with a grinning image of him.

“Please don’t start with my Christmas plans,” Manuel said when he answered.

Leon sighed. “I don’t get why you want to be alone for Christmas, Manu.”

“You know why.”

“I do, but come on. Isn’t that going to be even worse? At least if I come over, you’ll have something to focus on instead of the memories.”

“I know. I need some time alone. Besides, it’s not like Christmas is a big deal. I’m just going to act as if it’s just another day, and I’ll see you for New Year’s.”

“You can bet your sweet ass you will. I still worry, though.”

“I know, but you have nothing to worry about.” But he would continue to worry unless Manuel gave him something else to focus on. “You’ll never guess what happened today.”

“You cleaned the house twice instead of three times?”

“Ha, ha, very funny. But no. I went for a walk, and I found a naked man in the snow.”

There was a pause, then, “Are you sure you’re okay, Manu? Because it sounds like you’re hallucinating.”

“I’m not. His name is Curtis, and he told me he didn’t remember what had happened.”

“You really found him naked in the snow?”

“Yep. Not one stitch of clothing on him.”

“Did you peek?”

Manuel could imagine Leon’s eyebrows wiggling. “No. I respected his privacy as I dragged him to my house. He wasn’t entirely conscious, and I was afraid he was going to start losing bits to the cold.”

“Oooh, I can see how that would be uncomfortable. Are you going to see him again? How did you warm him up?”

“I made him hot chocolate, and I doubt it. He ran away as soon as he could stand.”

“But you wish he’d stayed in your bed. Right? I can hear it in your voice.”

Manuel sighed. “Maybe? I mean, I know he has to live around here, but I’m not going to go look for him. Besides, it’s almost Christmas. I’m sure he has better things to do than to visit me again, and that’s if he even wants to. I’m just the guy who made sure he wouldn’t freeze to death, Leon. Nothing more.” Even though something in Manuel couldn’t help but wish there was more to the situation.

Chapter Three

Curtis was doing this. He was really doing this.

Which he wasn’t sure was a good or a bad thing, to be honest. He’d always sucked at buying gifts for people. His mom still teased him for the dozens of mugs he’d bought her for every birthday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day—even though she hadn’t thrown even one away.

Still, he’d gone out to buy some of the gifts he’d planned for Manuel’s twelve days of Christmas. He’d make one by hand, and the last one was supposed to be his big reveal, although that would be a gift only if Manuel liked him and didn’t run away screaming about him being a swan shifter and them being mates.

Curtis grabbed the box where he’d put the gifts he’d bought and looked inside it. He was pretty sure at least a few of them were lame, but the thought of choosing twelve gifts for someone he didn’t know had been terrifying, and that hadn’t gotten better as the days passed. He hadn’t even had a long time to select them, so he supposed they were better than nothing. But still.

“What did you choose?”

Curtis turned to find his brother Hugh standing at the open door of his bedroom. Hugh was the oldest of them, along with Sean, his twin. “How do you even know about this?” he groused, but he knew the answer. There was no way their mom hadn’t texted all his brothers the second she’d stopped hugging him when he’d told her the news.

Hugh grinned. “How do you think? And for the record, I think this twelve-days-thing is adorable. I’m not sure it’s you, but I guess I haven’t seen you in a while, so who knows how you’ve changed.”

And there was the pang of guilt. “You know why I was away.”

Hugh’s expression softened. “I do. And it’s okay. You did what you had to do. Doesn’t mean I’m not happy to have you back. And coming back was the right idea, since you managed to meet your mate.”

Curtis was the first of them to meet his mate, and he knew Hugh was jealous. He’d talked about his mate since he was a kid, and even though he was older than Curtis by three years, he hadn’t found them yet. “I’m sure you’ll find him or her.”

Hugh smiled and stepped into the bedroom. “I know. So, what are you going to start with?”

Curtis reached into the box and held up a small plastic box. “I bought new bandages and cute plasters to replace the ones he used on me. I know it’s not a great idea, but I didn’t know what else to get, especially for the first few days.”

Hugh took the box and examined it. “I think it’s nice. Besides, you don’t know him yet, so it was hard to know what to get, right?”

Curtis was relieved that at least Hugh understood. “Yeah. Hopefully, we’ll talk a bit over the next few days, and I’ll get a better handle on the other gifts. Although I already chose a few things, so I’ll have something even if I don’t find anything better.”

“When are you going?”

“Now. Just taking the time to wrap this up and to grab the clothes he lent me from the laundry room.” Curtis had made sure to wash them. He didn’t want to thank Manuel for what he’d done by giving back dirty clothes.

Hugh patted Curtis’ shoulder. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure he’ll be happy with this. Probably surprised, too.”

Curtis had no intention of talking to Manuel today. He wanted to give Manuel a few days to realize what was happening and to understand who was doing it. Once Manuel had, he’d probably try talking to Curtis, and Curtis hoped he wouldn’t push him away. But if he did, he’d stop and try again after Christmas. With what his mom had told him about Manuel’s mother, he understood that Manuel might not be in the mood for this.

Curtis had been planning to leave the bag with the gift and the clothes in front of Manuel’s door, but when he got to Manuel’s cottage—warmly clothed this time—Manuel was in the front yard. Curtis hid behind a tree, feeling very much like a creep, and observed him.

The yard was tiny and buried under a ton of snow, so Curtis couldn’t see what Manuel had done with it. He could see the bird feeders Manuel was filling, though, and the sight made his chest expand with warmth.

Manuel was a caretaker. That much was obvious.

And he was beautiful. His cheeks were red from the cold, and a hat covered his adorable brown curls, but his hazel eyes shone as he worked. He was wearing a dark blue coat and boots, and Curtis could see the earbuds from where he was. At least that explained why Manuel was shaking his butt as he worked.

And what a butt it was. Curtis couldn’t get a good look from where he was and with Manuel’s coat covering half of it, but he’d had a peek the night Manuel had found him, and the sight was engraved in his brain. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on all that naked skin, but it would have to wait.

Since Manuel couldn’t hear him, Curtis slunk to his front door, careful not to step into Manuel’s sight. He left the bag with the gift and the clothes in front of the door and walked back, looking at Manuel one last time before leaving the cottage and its owner behind.

* * * *

Manuel finished filling the bird feeders and rolled the top of the seed packet so what remained in it wouldn’t spill. He turned to go back inside, and he knew he was smiling.

He was still disappointed by the way Curtis had run out of the cottage as if he had hell hounds on his heels, but he’d come to terms with that. Curtis hadn’t been as interested in him as he was in Curtis, and that was okay. Manuel could deal with that. He had dealt with that often enough, and the fact that Curtis was the first man Manuel felt anything for since his mother had gotten sick and that he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him didn’t matter. He’d get over it, just like he had the other times.

He froze when he saw the bag by the front door. He hadn’t thought twice about the clothes he’d given Curtis. He hadn’t thought Curtis would bring them back, considering the way he’d left. Yet there they were, the corner of his t-shirt peeking from the bag.

Manuel clutched his bag of seeds to his chest and stepped toward the bag. He peered inside, smiling so wide it almost hurt when he saw his clothes, but he also a small wrapped gift and what looked like a note. He couldn’t be a hundred percent sure they came from Curtis, but the clothes were the ones Manuel had lent him. This had to be from him.

Manuel grabbed the bag and went inside. He left his boots to dry at the front door and padded to the kitchen, where he put on some water to boil for tea. He took the clothes out of the bag, only mildly disappointed that instead of smelling of Curtis, they smelled of laundry detergent, then focused on the small present and the note.

He wasn’t sure which one to open first. He decided for the gift, hoping the note would give him what he wanted—a chance to get to know Curtis, maybe his phone number. Manuel wasn’t sure why Curtis had left this in front of his door instead of knocking and handing it to him, but that didn’t matter right now.

He filled a mug with boiling water and put a bag of tea into it. Then he carefully unwrapped the present, laughing when he saw what it was.

Curtis had gathered a bunch of bandages and band aids into a cute plastic box, clearly to replace the ones Manuel had used on him. It was a little silly but thoughtful, and it pointed to the fact that even though he’d left in a rush, Curtis had thought of Manuel once he’d been home.

That was something.

It made Manuel’s chest feel warm, even though it probably didn’t mean anything. Curtis had just thought to replace what he’d used, right? Bandages didn’t have a second meaning or whatever, or at least Manuel tried to convince himself of that as he reached for the note.

It was just a folded piece of paper, yet Manuel’s heart raced as he unfolded it. He had no idea what was happening with him, why he was so excited about a freaking note, but he was, and there was no changing that.

Manuel,

Thank you for saving my sorry ass from freezing to death. I’m sorry you had to go through all that, and I hope that this small gift will help you forget about that. I’m also sorry I can’t stay today, but maybe I’ll come around tomorrow? I really want to thank you in person.

Love, Curtis.

Manuel blinked. How hadn’t he noticed when Curtis had come? There had been nothing at his front door when he’d left the house to fill the bird feeders, and while he had spent a few minutes in his backyard looking for the seeds, he would have heard if someone had come to his door.

And why wasn’t there a phone number on the note? Wouldn’t that be the easiest way for them to get in contact? What if Manuel wasn’t home tomorrow to answer the door? He had plans with Leon, and while he knew Leon wouldn’t mind if he canceled them or moved them, it had been a while since he’d seen his friend, and he missed him.

No, he was going. Curtis knew where to find him if he wanted to talk to him. It wasn’t like Manuel was about to move or anything.

The ball was still in Curtis’ court, and he was going to have to be the one to play it.

Chapter Four

Curtis wasn’t sure how to wrap up the sheets. He’d taken special care choosing a new set for Manuel’s bed, hoping that one day, they might lie on them together, sleep in them, make love in them. He’d chosen a neutral gray cotton that would look good against Manuel’s naked skin.

Curtis hoped he’d get to see that. He’d have to wrap the sheets first, though, and to leave them at Manuel’s house.

“What are you doing? Or rather, what are you trying to do?”

Curtis groaned. He’d hoped to be able to do this without anyone noticing, but it looked like he’d forgotten to close his bedroom door after he came back from looking for the tape. At least his mother was the one who’d caught him and not one of his brothers. “I thought you were out?”

She stepped into the bedroom. “I was. I came back about ten minutes ago, and your father told me you’d taken a break. Is that for Manuel?”

“Yeah. It’s the second gift. I don’t even know if he liked the one I left him yesterday. The bandages were pretty stupid, weren’t they? I should have chosen something better, like maybe jewelry.”

His mom sat on the bed and looked at the sheets. “I think the bandages were a sweet thought, and much better than jewelry.”

“He’s my mate. Why am I gifting him bandages?”

“Because you don’t know him, and he doesn’t know you. What would he have thought if he’d found jewelry on his front porch? You didn’t even stay to talk to him. I don’t know about you, but I would have found it creepy, while the bandages were inexpensive and a reminder of what happened between you two.”

“You mean of him finding me ass up in the snow.”

She chuckled. “Yes. But I think that buying him something expensive would have been a mistake, at least as a first or second gift. I’d suggest buying things you like and that he can use, so he can also get to know you through them. And talking to him wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m not sure why you haven’t yet. I’m not saying you should tell him we’re swan shifters and that he’s your mate during your second conversation, but he’s never going to fall in love with you if you don’t talk.”

Curtis couldn’t help but grin. His mom didn’t usually stick her nose into his or his brothers’ business, but he understood why she was tempted now. Manuel wasn’t just a guy, he was Curtis’ mate, and that was so much more than a boyfriend. “I’ll talk to him.”

His mom threw her hands in the air. “When? It’s already been almost a week, Curtis.”

“I know. I don’t want to rush things and ruin them. But I promise I’ll do whatever I can to have him here for Christmas. That way, you’ll be able to mother him all you want.”

“I suppose I’ll have to make do.” She patted the sheets. “And I suggest just wrapping that pretty paper you have around it. Don’t take it out of the plastic, just in case the size is wrong or whatever. That way you can exchange it once Manuel has seen it if you need to. Of course, you’ll have to talk to him to find out if you need to do that.”

Curtis laughed. “Just let me do this at my pace, yeah?”

She huffed. “All right. But let me know how things proceed. I need to be sure, so I can buy enough food for Christmas.”

They both knew she’d buy food for a small army either way, but Curtis nodded. Christmas was always a big deal in his family. It was the one time of the year when they all took time off and came home. With seven sons, their mom didn’t get to have them all under her roof often, and she relished Christmas and the chance to spoil her sons as much as she used to when they all lived there.

His mom got up and patted his shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay. Remember that your father didn’t know about shifters, let alone mates, when he met me, and look at how things went.”

“Please don’t tell me I’m going to have seven sons. I don’t know how you did it, but I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to.”

She laughed. “You’ll have as many kids as you feel ready for. I am hoping for at least a few girls, though. But focus on this first. I think what you’re doing is adorable, and I know Manuel will think the same.”

Curtis wasn’t sure what to think about that. Should Manuel think him adorable rather than sexy or whatever? Curtis supposed he could make do with adorable for the time being. He’d have all the time in the world for Manuel to find him sexy once they knew each other better.

Manuel wasn’t home when Curtis got there. Curtis couldn’t hear anyone moving around inside, although he didn’t try knocking. He wasn’t ready to talk to his mate and find out what Manuel thought of him—probably that he was rude as hell, and he could admit he had been. But he wanted Manuel to have fond thoughts of him, and he had to work up to that. Maybe in a few days or next week, he could hand over his gift in person. Hopefully, that would lead to them talking, getting to know each other, and falling in love.

He wasn’t sure what he’d do if that didn’t happen, and he wasn’t ready to think about that, either.

* * * *

“What’s that?” Leon asked as he and Manuel walked up to the front door of Manuel’s cottage.

Manuel had to juggle the grocery bags he was holding to see what Leon was talking about. “Maybe I could take a look if, you know, you took one of these bags,” he said with a grunt.

“But I just got my nails done.”

Manuel rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I love you.”

Leon gave him a bright smile. God, Manuel had missed him so much. He’d closed himself off after his mother had died because he hadn’t been up to being social, but maybe that hadn’t been the best idea. He’d pushed everyone away, including the one person who could probably have made the situation a bit better. “I know you do, and I love you too, sweetheart. Now let me take a peek.”

Leon disappeared from Manuel’s sight—he was going to end up dropping the bags if Leon didn’t open the door soon—and reappeared with a package in his hands. It was wrapped, although not too neatly, in the same paper in which he’d gotten Curtis’ bandages yesterday, and the sight made Manuel’s heart race.

Leon held the packet to his ear and gave it a good shake. “What is it?”

“We’re never going to find out if you don’t take the keys from my pocket and open the door. We’ll eventually freeze to death out there without any more answers than we have right now.”

“So dramatic.”

“You should talk.” Even Leon’s appearance was dramatic. His hair was a bright purple today, although the color tended to change according to his mood and how he felt. His nails were black and sparkling, and he was wearing a bold orange eyeshadow. His nose ring sparkled in the winter sun, and even though he couldn’t see it under Leon’s coat, Manuel knew he was wearing a purple shirt. Leon was the color that was absent in Manuel’s life. He always had been.

Leon took the keys out of Manuel’s coat pocket and opened the door. Manuel let out a sigh of relief and stomped in, toeing off his boots and almost face-planting as he stumbled toward the kitchen. His arms ached, but he managed to put the grocery bags on the counter. He huffed and pushed away a curl from his forehead, then turned to wiggle his fingers at Leon, who’d followed him and was wearing rainbow socks.

“Shouldn’t you put everything away first? I mean, you have stuff that goes in the fridge, right?”

“It can wait while I open this.”

Leon’s eyes widened. “Oooh. You think it’s from your naked man.”

“He’s not my naked man, but who else could it be from? It’s not like I have secret admirers popping out of the woods out there.”

“Only because you don’t want them.” He handed the packet off. “Let’s see, then. I’m pretty sure it’s fabric. It’s soft.”

Manuel honestly didn’t care what it was. His heart was racing, because if Curtis had left something else for him, it meant he was thinking about him. Manuel wished he had a phone number or something so he could call Curtis, but there was something about this situation that made his heart feel all soft and gooey.

Manuel tried to be careful with the wrapping just like he had yesterday, and his lips stretched into an involuntary smile when he saw what was inside.

“What? Why are you smiling like that?” Leon asked.

Manuel held up the new bedsheets. Leon looked at them and frowned.

“What? Is someone trying to tell you that you should change your sheets more often?”

“No.” Or at least Manuel hoped not. “I think this is from Curtis.”

“Your naked guy?”

“Yep. He left me some bandages yesterday to replace the ones I used on him. Maybe he’s leaving me sheets because I put him in my bed?”

“That doesn’t make sense. He has to know you have a washing machine.”

“He’s just trying to be nice.” Even though Manuel still wasn’t sure why, especially with the way Curtis had fled the day they’d met.

Leon wrinkled his nose at the sheets. “Or maybe it’s a sneaky message? Like, he wants to see you between those sheets or something?”

“Why would he want that?”

Leon arched a brow. “Why would you want that?”

Leon would understand if he’d seen Curtis. “He’s sweet.”

“More than sweet, he sounded hot when you talked about him on the phone. Pity you weren’t here when he came to leave that.”

Manuel sighed. “Yeah. I don’t even have his phone number.”

“But he was naked. That means he hadn’t been there long, right?”

“Right.”

“Then he probably lives around here. You could ask around and find him. How many hot men like him are there in this tiny town?”

“I don’t think I’d ever seen him before.”

“Well, maybe you should start investigating. If he’s as cute as you said and he’s leaving you gifts, he might just be the perfect man.” Leon’s expression softened. “You need someone in your life, Manu. You need love.”

“I have you.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same. I wish I could move in with you and take care of you, but we both know that’s not what you need. I am not who you need. Maybe this Curtis guy is, though.”

“I don’t know.”

“He sure looks like he might care for you. Why else would he be leaving these gifts on your doorstep?”

“I don’t know.” But Manuel found himself hoping. He wasn’t sure why, since he’d wanted to be alone since his mom’s death, but Curtis had touched something in him, and Manuel couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Chapter Five

Curtis couldn’t look away from the Christmas tree.

His mom had put it up the day before yesterday while he’d been out delivering the chocolate he’d bought for Manuel’s third day of Christmas—expensive, fancy chocolate, but still chocolate, and he hoped Manuel had liked it because he hadn’t been able to come up with twelve exciting gifts. But Manuel had given Curtis hot chocolate when he’d been there, so Curtis hoped this was a hit even though it hadn’t cost too much.

Today was day four, nine days before Christmas, and after seeing the tree, Curtis hadn’t been able to stop thinking about next Christmas and all the ones after that. Would he and Manuel be together for them? It was too easy to imagine them setting up the tree in Manuel’s small cottage, decorating it with handmade ornaments Curtis would make, and a few years down the line, with ornaments their kids would make.

Jesus. Was Curtis already thinking about kids?

He’d always known he wanted them, but he’d thought it was a moot dream when he and Danny broke up. They’d been together for years, and they hadn’t managed to make it work, so why would things be different with anyone else? Curtis realized it was the heartbreak talking, even though he hadn’t been in love with Danny at the end, and it had hurt far less than it should have. What had hurt was the loss of the future Curtis had imagined for both of them—a beautiful house, kids, a dog, maybe a cat, although Curtis’ swan wasn’t always fond of them.

But now he’d met Manuel, and Manuel was his mate. That meant that the future he thought he’d lost was on the table again, at least if he managed to convince Manuel to give him a chance, and if Manuel didn’t run away when Curtis told him about being a shifter and them being mates.

It was so easy to imagine.

Curtis sighed. He needed to get his head out of his ass and go to Manuel’s house to give him the fourth gift. Curtis hadn’t yet talked to him, even though he was dying to. He wanted Manuel to get to know him through the gifts, to see that he was trying to be thoughtful, and he hoped it was working, because he felt like a fool the entire time he wrapped the gifts and walked to Manuel’s house. Curtis much preferred buying gift cards, so this was pushing him in a way few things ever did. But he was doing it for Manuel, and he wanted things to be special for him, especially after what his mom had told him about Manuel’s mother. Manuel needed to smile and to see that he had friends, and in Curtis’ case, hopefully a boyfriend.

The front door opened, sending Curtis in a momentary panic before he remembered he wasn’t doing anything wrong and that he was an adult, so he could decide to sit on the couch and dreamily stare at the tree if he wanted to.

“Curtis?” Hugh called out.

Curtis frowned and got up from the couch. “Yeah?” Was something wrong? Hugh didn’t usually come around during the day. None of his older brothers did, because they had work, although as Curtis moping around on the couch showed, that didn’t always mean much.

Hugh appeared at the living room door, his socked feet sliding on the wooden floor. “What are you doing in here? I thought you’d be in the workshop with Dad.”

Of course that was the first thing he asked. “I was taking a break. What’s up? What are you doing here?”

Hugh raked a hand through his already messy hair. “I did something, and I’m wondering if I wasn’t wrong when I did.”

That didn’t sound good. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

Hugh glared. “I didn’t mean that I did something dangerous, just something I probably shouldn’t have done.”

“Tell me then. You’re making this worse.”

Hugh shuffled. “Remember the first gift you gave your mate? The bag with the bandages and the clothes?”

“Of course I do.”

“I put a note in the bag and signed it with your name.”

The bottom of Curtis’ stomach dropped. “So he knows it was from me?”

“Yeah, although if you ask me, I think he would have realized it was you anyway. But I thought that not telling him was stupid and that it would only slow down things, so yeah.”

Curtis groaned, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He did want his brother to feel guilty, though. “He’s going to think I’m a dork.”

“Well, you kind of are.”

Curtis glared. “And what if he thinks I’m a creep, and he calls the cops or something?”

Hugh grimaced. “I’m sorry. But if it makes you feel better, I think not putting your name anywhere would have made you more of a creep than the note I put in that bag. At least he knows it’s you, and since he hasn’t tried talking to you or anything, he has to like it. Right?”

“I know why you’re single now. You suck at this.”

Hugh scowled. “Maybe I do, but if it were up to you, your mate wouldn’t even know you’re the one courting him. This gives him a bit of time to wrap his head around that, yeah?”

“I guess.” There wasn’t much Curtis could do at this point except roll with it.

He got up from the couch and stepped closer to the tree. All the ornaments were handmade, either by his dad or by him and his brothers. Those were mostly kids’ work, but Curtis had sculpted a few wooden ornaments over the years since he’d started working wood. His mom was always happy to get them, and it had been something easy to ship when Curtis had spent Christmas with Danny and his family.

He found the one he’d been looking for toward the back. He’d sculpted the silhouette of a swan and a man. It was simple but neat, and to him, it represented what he wanted from life and Manuel. Manuel wouldn’t get the message, but Curtis could hope he’d hang it on his tree.

* * * *

Manuel could hear Curtis.

He’d noticed something moving outside his living room window while he was on the couch working on his computer, and he’d gone to the door as quietly as he could. He wanted to open the door and ask Curtis what he was doing, but there had to be a reason why Curtis never knocked on his door. He probably would if he wanted to talk to Manuel, right? Unless he was as awkward as Manuel, but Manuel hadn’t gotten that impression from the way Curtis had behaved the night he’d found him.

Of course, they hadn’t spent nearly enough time together for him to be sure, and he hadn’t been able to come up with another reason for Curtis to keep leaving him gifts without ever talking to him. But it seemed to be what Curtis wanted, and Manuel wanted him to be comfortable, so he waited until he was sure Curtis was gone to open the front door.

The day before yesterday’s gift had been chocolate. Manuel loved chocolate, and he’d been delighted at the sight of the hot chocolate mix, the box of tiny chocolates in various tastes, and the five chocolate bars. He’d probably put on at least five pounds just by looking at all of that, but he didn’t care. Of course, that might change if Curtis leaving him gifts meant he wanted into his pants, but Manuel couldn’t think about that right now.

Yesterday, Manuel had found a book on his doorstep. For some reason, it was a book about swans, and while he wasn’t sure why Curtis had chosen that book in particular, he had to admit the pictures in it were stunning.

He grabbed the small package and closed the door so the cottage wouldn’t get cold. There was a note stuck to the front of the packet, and Manuel wasn’t sure what he wanted more—to read the note, or to see what was wrapped in the cute paper.

He put the note on the coffee table. He wanted time to read it and think it over, so he’d keep it for later. He gently opened the wrapping paper, and his eyes widened when he saw the ornament in it. It was made of wood, but it was exquisite, and Manuel suspected, made by hand. He had no idea what Curtis did for a living or if he’d been the one who’d done it, but he’d cherish it as if he had.

He lifted it from the paper. The back of it was flat, but the front had so many details, it almost felt as if Manuel would feel the swan’s feathers if he touched it.

He rose from the couch and approached his tree. He had put the tree up even though he hadn’t wanted to. He wasn’t up for celebrating, but his mom would have wanted him to at least try, and that was what he’d decided to do. The ornament helped, because it made Manuel feel like someone cared and thought of him.

He knew Leon would jump on the possibility of them spending the holidays together, but Manuel wasn’t going to change his mind. It was better for him to be alone, because he was going to be anything but happy and carefree. Memories of his mom were everywhere in the house, and he was becoming more maudlin as the days crawled toward Christmas.

Manuel hung the ornament at the front of the tree and stared at it. It looked good, and it made him feel a tiny bit lighter.

Things wouldn’t get better than this.

He went back to the couch and settled down with the note. He wasn’t sure what to expect after there hadn’t been any with the second and the third gifts, but his gaze went straight to the phone number at the bottom of the note as soon as he’d unfolded it. He forced himself to go back to the beginning.

Manuel,

I know you probably think I’m weird, leaving you gifts and not stopping to talk to you. I wasn’t sure what to tell you, and honestly, I still don’t know. But my brother told me he left you a note signed with my name with the first gift, and I felt I had to explain myself.

I wanted to do something nice for you after what you did for me. I know from my mother that you lost yours this year, and I’m so, so sorry. I know this twelve-days-thing won’t bring her back, but maybe it can help make you feel a bit better. Feel free to tell me to fuck off if I’m wrong, but if I’m not, please use my phone number. You can call or text whenever you want. I’ll always answer if I can.

Curtis.

This was nothing like Manuel had expected.

It was so much better.

He had no idea how Curtis’ mother knew about his mom, and he didn’t want to think about that right now. Instead, he took his phone out of the pocket of his pajama pants and quickly texted hey, this is Manuel. Thank you so much for the gifts. You didn’t have to, but I appreciate the gesture before he could think better of it.

Manuel couldn’t remember anyone being as romantic as Curtis was. He certainly had never been sent twelve gifts over the twelve days before Christmas like he’d read in some books, and the attention confused him and made him feel good at the same time.

His phone chirped, and he wasn’t surprised to see Curtis had already answered. You don’t think I’m creepy?

Manuel chuckled. Maybe a bit? But it’s a nice creepy.

There’s such a thing as being nicely creepy? I’m sure a lot of people behind bars would be delighted to learn that.

Manuel laughed. He still had no idea what was going on with Curtis or where this would lead them, but Curtis made him feel warm inside and seen, and he didn’t want to lose that. He wanted to see where things would go, and it looked like Curtis wanted that as well.

Chapter Six

There was smoke coming out of the oven, and Curtis was pretty sure that wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Shit!” He opened the oven to see if he could salvage anything, but he was hit by a cloud of smoke that made him cough until he felt like he was about to spit one of his lungs.

“What’s going on?” his mother asked as she rushed into the kitchen, alarm in her voice.

“I don’t know.” Curtis slammed the oven door shut. “I was trying to bake something, and this happened.”

“You were trying to bake?” Laurie, Curtis’ younger brother, asked, coming in on their mother’s heels.

Curtis groaned. “Go away.”

“Why should I? This is my home as much as it is yours.”

“Don’t have you a girlfriend to go back to? Or a few of them?”

Laurie grinned. “Yeah, but they can wait until I’m done teasing you about baking. What’s in the oven? And for whom are you baking? Wait, let me guess. It’s for your mate, isn’t it? When do I get to meet him?”

“Not before I do,” their mother snapped. She carefully opened the oven again and tsked. “Seriously, what’s this supposed to be?”

“A cake.”

“For Manuel?”

“Yes.”

His mother looked up, her expression all soft and gentle. It made Curtis uncomfortable. “That’s so sweet.” She grabbed the oven mitts from the counter and slid out the cake. “But I’m not sure you two should eat this.”

She put the cake on top of the stove and opened the kitchen window. Then she peered at the cake, and even Curtis could tell it probably wasn’t going to be salvageable.

The top was black, so burned that it was giving Curtis a stomachache just to look at it. He grimaced. “I don’t know what else to give him today.”

“You haven’t planned for an alternative? How could you think you could pull this off?” Laurie asked. He poked at the cake with a fingertip, and a bit of the black stuff crumbled. “And when did you become so cute? Baking for a guy? I mean, I know he’s your mate, but still.”

Their mother slapped Laurie upside the head. “Don’t tease your brother. He’s trying hard to make his mate happy, and I think it’s sweet.”

Laurie made a gagging sound and mouthed, “Sweet,” at Curtis, who ignored him.

“Is this in any way salvageable?” he asked his mother.

She hummed as he raised the cake and looked closer at it. “I don’t know. I might be able to cut the top off and put some frosting on it. You’re really bent on taking this to Manuel, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” Curtis rubbed the back of his head. “I want to give him something I did.”

“I thought you’d done that yesterday with the swan ornament.”

“That was the day before yesterday. I left him a cookbook yesterday.” He’d wanted to stay and chat, but from what Manuel had texted him, he was working, and Curtis didn’t want to bother him. The fact that they were texting already made him feel closer to Manuel, and he’d hoped that today, they’d finally be able to talk face to face, maybe over a slice of cake and some coffee.

He wasn’t sure that was going to happen now. Maybe he could go to the grocery store and find something there, but he wanted Manuel to feel special, and a packet of cookies he could buy himself wasn’t going to make that happen.

“Okay,” his mom said, pushing her sleeves up. “You two need to get out of here. I’m going to do what I can to salvage this. Curtis, you should probably shower and change before you go visit Manuel. You smell of smoke.”

Curtis kissed her cheek before leaving. “Thanks.”

She waved him away, but she was smiling. Curtis knew she wanted him to be happy, and while being with Manuel wasn’t a guarantee of that, what was happening between them was already making Curtis happier than he could remember being in a long time.

“So you’re serious about this, huh?” Laurie asked as they left the kitchen.

“As serious as a heart attack. He’s my mate.”

Laurie shrugged. “Doesn’t mean you have to bond with him or anything. It’s not like you chose him. What if he’s a horrible person, or if the two of you have nothing in common?”

Curtis had gone through this I-don’t-want-a-mate-who’s-been-chosen-for-me-by-who-knows-who phase when he was about his brother’s age, so he got where Laurie was coming from. Nineteen was way too young to consider bonding, even if Laurie met his mate tomorrow. But Curtis was thirty-two, and he was ready for the next phase of his life—the phase where he’d bond and maybe have kids. Manuel felt like the perfect person to do that with, and while it might have to do with them being mates, Curtis didn’t care. “We’re mates. He’s a good person. I’m still getting to know him, but I want a future with him, and I want him to be happy.”

“Hence, the cake.”

“Yep. I’m trying to show him I care for him, even though it doesn’t make sense to him right now.”

“When are you gonna tell him?”

“Christmas. I want him to get to know me first.”

“That doesn’t leave you a lot of time.”

“I know.” That was why the cake was important, but Curtis would work with what he had—his sparkling personality and a burned cake.

* * * *

Manuel blinked at the sight that greeted him when he opened his door. “Curtis?”

Yesterday’s gift had been a cookbook in which Curtis had marked the meals he apparently wanted Manuel to cook for him. Manuel wouldn’t have a problem doing that. He liked cooking. It helped him relax, and it was so much better to cook for someone than just for himself. Still, it had been a bit cheeky on Curtis’ side to assume Manuel would do it, but Manuel liked it. Curtis was confident, but not overly so.

He just hadn’t expected Curtis to be there when he opened the door today.

Curtis grinned, but Manuel could see it was a hesitant smile. “Hey.” He raised the plate he was holding. “I thought we could share some cake?”

Manuel hadn’t heard Curtis come to his door today, so he’d been surprised to hear the knock. He’d thought it was Leon, even though he hadn’t called to say he was coming, or maybe the mailman. But no. It was Curtis, and he was holding a covered plate that smelled of vanilla and something slightly burned. He looked good, with his hair partially hidden by a wool hat and his cheeks flushed from the cold.

Manuel stepped to the side. “Of course. Come in.”

Curtis did. He pressed a hand to the wall to take his boots off, and Manuel caught the plate with the cake before it could slide to the side. “What kind of cake is it?” he asked, peering under the wrap. He felt slightly awkward, and like this was a dream. After imagining what was going to happen with Curtis so many times, wondering when they were going to talk face to face again, Manuel wasn’t sure what to do now that he had Curtis in front of him.

He put the cake on the counter in the kitchen and gently unwrapped it. The frosting was a bit dented where the wrapping had clung to it, but it hadn’t been decorated, so it wasn’t ruined. “You baked this?” he asked since it was a homemade cake.

Curtis rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled. “Yeah. It was a bit of a disaster because the top burned, but my mom cut it off and added the frosting.” He grimaced. “I shouldn’t have admitted that, right? That my mother helped me?”

Manuel smiled. He couldn’t help it. “Why not? I think it’s sweet that you’re so close to your mother.” He took two plates out of the cupboard as he talked.

“Oh, shit. I shouldn’t have mentioned my mother at all. I’m sorry.”

“Because of what happened to mine? It hurts. I’m not going to deny that. But I don’t expect you to act as if you don’t have your mother. Moms are precious. I’m glad to hear that you get along with yours and that she means so much to you.”

“All right. Although I’d rather not talk about my mom right now, you know?”

Manuel had to smile at that. “I don’t, actually. I’m not sure why you’re here. I was starting to think you’d leave me gifts at the door until Christmas.”

“I was thinking about it, but then we started texting, and I wanted to talk to you face to face.”

Manuel gestured to one of the stools so Curtis would sit. “I’ll admit I’m fond of our texting.”

“I am, too. But I like seeing you.” Curtis dropped his body onto the stool. “And it’s going to be easier for us to date if we spend time together.”

Manuel almost dropped the plate he was offering to Curtis. “Date?”

Curtis leaned over and grabbed one of the forks Manuel had put on the counter. “Yep. Date. Where did you think I was going with all this?”

“I don’t know.” Manuel hadn’t let himself hope, but he had suspected Curtis would eventually ask this.

“Oh, come on. You do, and you know it.” Curtis sat up and cleared his throat. “Okay. So, Manuel. Will you go on a date with me?”

Manuel couldn’t help but smile. “I will.” There was no way he was saying no to this. “But maybe after Christmas? Trust me, I’m not the best company right now.”

“How about we have our first official date after Christmas, but we continue texting and seeing each other when we can? I could come over to watch a movie or something.”

“Doesn’t that qualify as a date, though?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that I want to spend more time with you if that’s what you want, too.” Curtis reached over the counter and skimmed his fingertips against Manuel’s hand. “I like you. I want to get to know you, and I can’t think of a better date, if that’s what you want to call it, than sitting on the couch with you watching the latest superhero movie.”

“Have you ever watched Harry Potter?”

Curtis laughed. “No. We can do that, though, if you’re a fan.”

This man was going to drive Manuel crazy, wasn’t he? Manuel hadn’t been sure what to think of him when he’d run away the day they’d met, but now he knew Curtis was a caring man, a man who was going to burrow himself under Manuel’s skin, and, if Manuel gave him a chance, he’d stay there forever.

The thought was terrifying, especially when Manuel was the most alone and vulnerable.

“I am a fan,” Manuel admitted. “I know I probably should have outgrown it, but I love it.”

“Everyone has stuff they love that people think is stupid. You do you. As long as you’re happy, who cares, right?”

“Right.” Manuel stuffed a forkful of cake into his mouth so he wouldn’t say something stupid, like asking Curtis to marry him. It tasted of vanilla and frosting, with an undertone of burned food, but it was edible, and knowing that Curtis had made this thinking of him made Manuel’s heart feel all gooey and soft.

As if he needed it to feel like that when he was already crushing like crazy on Curtis.

Chapter Seven

Today was Sunday, and Curtis had every intention of spending the entire day with Manuel. He’d already texted his boyfriend—because they were dating, even though they hadn’t kissed yet—to tell him that and to gently order him to cancel each and every plan he might have had. Manuel had reassured him he hadn’t been planning on doing anything special, and Curtis knew the nearness of Christmas was getting to him. Today was December twenty-second, and Christmas was almost upon them.

Curtis wanted to spend every moment with Manuel, but he hadn’t been able to do more than leave his gift by his door yesterday because his mom was already gearing for Christmas and had needed his help for grocery shopping. He knew Manuel had loved the deluxe edition of the Harry Potter movies Curtis had found for him, and that he hadn’t yet opened it because he wanted Curtis to watch the movies with him.

So today was a Harry Potter marathon day, and Curtis had come prepared.

He knocked on Manuel’s door, unable to stop smiling. He’d been in this state pretty much since he’d met Manuel, but it had gotten worse—or better depending on one’s point of view—since they’d eaten the cake together on Friday, and he hoped it would get even better now that they were going to spend the day together.

Manuel opened, and his smile was just as wide as the one Curtis couldn’t stop. “Hey.” His gaze moved to the packet in Curtis’ hands, then to his legs. “What are you wearing?”

Curtis handed him the packet. “The same thing you’ll be wearing shortly. Did you put the first movie in?”

“Yes. Are you sure you want to do this? Eight movies is a lot.”

“I know.” Curtis took a risk and kissed Manuel’s cheek. “I’m up for it, though. Go change. I’ll wait for you on your couch. I hope I got the size right.”

Manuel eyed the packet. “So it’s something I’m supposed to wear.”

“Yes. Are you going? We’re wasting precious time we could spend curled up on the couch.” He couldn’t wait to get Manuel all snuggled up against his side. That was the main reason he was planning for them to see all eight of the movies today.

Manuel disappeared down the hallway while Curtis took his boots and his coat off. His legs were pretty much frozen, since he’d worn the Hogwarts pajama pants from home, but there was a blanket on the couch, and once Manuel was back, they could warm each other up. There was also popcorn on the coffee table, but Curtis wasn’t hungry, so he limited himself to grabbing the remote control and flopping on the couch.

“Where did you find these?” Manuel asked, walking into the living room wearing the same pajama pants Curtis had on.

“The internet is a wide and wonderful place. You like them?”

Manuel’s eyes glittered. “I love them. And I love that you don’t think I’m a dork.”

“Well, to be honest, you are, a bit, but we can be dorks together.” They could be everything together, but Curtis didn’t want to freak Manuel out by dumping the whole I’m-a-shifter-and-you’re-my-mate thing on him right now. Manuel needed to relax and not think about the heavy stuff in his life, and that was exactly what they were going to do.

Curtis raised the blanket. “Come on. We can keep each other warm.”

Manuel stared for a moment before moving toward the couch.

Curtis could feel how tense he was when he sat, but he ignored it, focusing on the TV instead. “So, what should I expect from the first movie?”

“Uh, lots of kids, and owls.”

“I like owls. They’re not my favorite birds, but they’re okay.”

“You have a favorite bird?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you?”

“Which one is it?”

“Swans.” Manuel would probably laugh once he found out what Curtis was.

“Swans? I guess now I know why you bought me that book on swans. I thought they were aggressive, though?”

“Not if you leave them alone. But they’re cute.”

“I don’t know if I’d call them cute, but they are interesting.” Manuel’s body relaxed. He stayed at a safe distance from Curtis, but Curtis suspected it wouldn’t last long. Once Manuel felt better about this, he’d come closer.

Even though Manuel was human, he was feeling the bond between them. He didn’t know what it was or even that it was a thing, but Curtis had talked to his father yesterday, and he’d asked him how he’d felt when he’d first met his mom, so he had a pretty good idea what Manuel was going through. His father had warned him that it would be confusing for a human who didn’t know about shifters, and Curtis hoped he was doing what he could to keep Manuel relaxed and happy. He wasn’t going to push for anything, not when Manuel was fragile, but he wanted his mate to know he was there for him, that he wasn’t going anywhere, and that he wasn’t alone—that he’d never be alone ever again.

Baby steps, though. That was what Manuel needed, and what Curtis would give him. His mate deserved this and so much more, and Curtis would give him the moon if he could.

* * * *

Manuel was nervous. He and Curtis were growing closer, but close enough to spend the day on the couch in pajamas? He would have said no to that this morning, yet there they were, watching Harry Potter while wearing matching Harry Potter pajama pants and eating popcorn.

They were close enough that Curtis brushed against Manuel’s side every time he moved—and he moved a lot. He seemed to be unable to sit still for more than ten seconds at a time, and Manuel couldn’t help but wonder if that was how he always was, or if he was as nervous as Manuel was. He hadn’t seemed nervous when they’d talked the day he’d brought the cake, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been.

“So is the bad guy really that teacher?” Curtis asked, startling Manuel out of his thoughts of being so close to Curtis.

“Which one do you mean?”

Curtis looked at Manuel, his eyes glinting. “Oh, does that mean that the bad guy is a teacher?”

“I’m not telling.” It was incredible that Curtis had managed to go thirty-two years without knowing this, and he looked like he was enjoying himself. Manuel wasn’t going to ruin that for him.

Curtis grinned and threw his arm around Manuel’s shoulders. “You’re evil.”

Manuel was too shocked to answer. He stayed still, too tense to be comfortable, and waited for Curtis to withdraw his arm, but he didn’t. Manuel knew he would if he asked, but he didn’t want him to.

He forced himself to relax and slowly leaned against Curtis’ side. Curtis looked down at him, smiling softly, and Manuel knew he’d done the right thing.

It was comfortable, yet not. Curtis’ body was warm, and Manuel found himself snuggling against him, but his scent and his presence were enough for Manuel’s cock to react. It was a low thrum of arousal that grew and grew until he had to grab one of the cushions he kept on the couch and press it against his groin. He wasn’t even sure what part of the movie they’d reached, because he was paying more attention to Curtis than to the TV.

Curtis buried his nose against Manuel’s hair. “You smell good,” he murmured.

Manuel realized he wasn’t the only one distracted. He doubted they’d be able to watch the movie, or the next ones after this, if they didn’t face the fact that they were attracted to each other—that they wanted to bone instead of watching Harry Potter.

Manuel licked his lips. He could do two things right now—ignore the need thrumming in him and try to focus on the movie, or gather his courage and do what he’d wanted to do ever since that first evening.

Manuel took a deep breath and pushed the blanket from his lap. Curtis jerked in surprise, but Manuel didn’t leave him any time to ask what was going on. He swung around and straddled Curtis’s lap, leaning in to kiss him.

His lips collided with Curtis’ chin. Curtis’ stubble rasped against them, and Manuel jerked back.

“What are you doing?” Curtis asked.

“I, ah, I thought it was obvious? But I can move if you want.” Manuel should have known Curtis wasn’t ready for this. Hell, he wasn’t sure he was ready for this.

He moved to climb off Curtis’ lap, but Curtis blocked him with his hands on Manuel’s hips. “Stay. Please.”

Manuel froze. “All right.”

“I think you were trying to kiss me.”

Manuel swallowed. “I was.”

“I think you should try again, maybe more slowly this time. Just to be sure you don’t hurt yourself or me.”

“I hurt you?” Gosh, when had Manuel become so clumsy? Actually, he’d always been slightly clumsy, but Curtis seemed to bring it all out.

He leaned in, more slowly this time, and brushed their lips together. He tried to keep his groin away so that Curtis couldn’t feel his hard-on—it hadn’t gotten better now that he was on top of Curtis—but Curtis was having none of that. He used his hold on Manuel’s hips to pull Manuel forward and kiss him more deeply, and Manuel collapsed against him.

Curtis was hard, too. That sent a shiver through Manuel. He was wanted, and it was something he hadn’t felt in too long.

He could feel the anxiousness building, though. Was he doing the right thing? Did Curtis like what was happening? What did he want to do? Would he want to fuck Manuel? That didn’t sound like a terrible idea, but it didn’t feel quite right, either. It was probably too early in their relationship for that.

“You’re thinking too much,” Curtis murmured.

Manuel chuckled deprecatingly. “I tend to do that when I’m nervous.”

Curtis gently stroked Manuel’s cheek. “You don’t have to be nervous. We won’t do anything you don’t want.”

“What if I don’t know what I want?”

“You can tell me to stop any second, and I will.”

“Okay.” Manuel swallowed. “No fucking.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“And I like this position.” Being in Curtis’ lap made Manuel feel protected and cherished. It was probably ridiculous, but it was what it was.

“I can make it work. Can I touch you?”

“Yes, please.”

Curtis chuckled warmly. He was making this fun rather than anxiousness-inducing, and Manuel could feel himself relax. He tensed a bit again when Curtis reached between them and cupped his cock, but it was impossible to stay that way when Curtis was touching him.

Curtis pushed down Manuel’s pajama pants. He ran his fingertips along the length of Manuel’s cock, and Manuel had to clutch Curtis’ shoulder so he wouldn’t pitch back and end up on the floor, especially when Curtis reached for his own pants.

Curtis was longer than Manuel, and his cock curved slightly to the side. That didn’t stop him from wrapping his hand around both their cocks, though. Manuel groaned and closed his eyes, burying his face against Curtis’ neck. It made moving slightly awkward, but Curtis didn’t seem to mind. He also didn’t seem to mind that Manuel was letting him do all the work, which was good because Manuel didn’t think he’d be able to do anything that required moving.

He was comfortable, buried in Curtis’ scent, their bodies sliding together as they moved toward orgasm. They were both panting and sweating, and Manuel’s hair was probably all over the place, but none of that mattered, not when he felt like he was home. This was where he belonged. He knew that even as he threw his head back and cried out, his dick spurting all over Curtis’ hand and both their t-shirts.

Curtis didn’t push him away even after they’d both come, unlike some of Manuel’s exes had. He kept Manuel cradled in his arms and wrapped both arms around him after cleaning his hand on his t-shirt and taking it off, and Manuel was glad he wouldn’t have to move.

He didn’t want to move ever again, if he had a choice.

Chapter Eight

Curtis didn’t like prepping vegetables for his mom. He was a disaster in the kitchen, as his experiment with the cake had shown, so he was forbidden from touching the stove and the oven, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been roped in to help in another way. While Hugh and Sean were helping to cook, Richie and Jack were finishing up the decorations, and Andy and Laurie were making sure the good plates and glasses were clean, Curtis was cutting up vegetables.

“Is Manuel coming, then?” his mom asked.

Curtis almost cut off the tip of his finger. “I already told you, Mom. I don’t know. I texted him, but he hasn’t answered yet, and you know the situation he’s in. I don’t know if he’s going to feel up for celebrating.”

“You told him we don’t care about that, right? That he can come and not talk to anyone if that’s what he wants. I just don’t want him to be on his own, not at Christmas.”

“I know.” And God, he loved her for that. “But we can’t push him. He’s been doing good, as far as I know.”

“As far as you know? You’ve been over there every day lately.”

“Yeah, but even though we’re together, it’s not like I know everything about him. I’m pretty sure he has as many secrets as I do still.” But none of them as big as being a shifter. Curtis was working up the courage to tell Manuel about that and about the fact that they were mates, but damn if it didn’t make him nervous. He had no idea how Manuel would take it, and he was rethinking telling him tomorrow on Christmas day. What if Manuel freaked out and never wanted to see Curtis again? Then Curtis would forever associate Christmas with that, and he’d be miserable every year. Of course, he’d probably be miserable anyway, since Manuel would have rejected him, but still.

“Why don’t you go over?”

Curtis blinked. “Now?”

His mom rolled her eyes. “Yes, now.”

“I’m helping you with the vegetables.”

“I’ll ask Laurie and Andy to do that for you. They’re not doing anything anyway. They could use a bit of work.”

Curtis wasn’t going to say no to that. He didn’t like spending time away from Manuel, even though they’d only recently met. That was the shifter in him, the swan looking for his mate. They both wanted to be with Manuel at every opportunity.

“Besides, you still have you give him today’s gift, right? What did you choose?”

Curtis rubbed the back of his neck. “A pendant for the bracelet I gave him yesterday.”

If his mom’s eyes could have shot little hearts, they would have. “That’s adorable. Maybe this time next year you’ll pick a ring, huh?”

“No talking about marriage yet, please. I haven’t even told him I’m a swan shifter.”

“I’ll stay out of it. I’m just so excited for you. I can’t believe one of my boys finally found his mate.”

Curtis couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t think he’d stopped smiling since he’d met Manuel, not even during the cake debacle. “I’m going, then.”

“Remember to ask Manuel about tomorrow. There’s a place for him at the table. Of course, he’ll have to be okay with your brothers, but he’ll meet them sooner or later anyway. I guess we might as well see if we can scare him into running away before you get too used to having him around.”

Curtis laughed. His mom wasn’t wrong—his brothers, and okay, him, too, could be a handful. She’d know, since she’d raised all seven of them.

Curtis was bouncing on his feet as he walked toward the cottage. He liked that Manuel lived close and that he could walk to his house. Maybe he could move in once Manuel knew everything. Curtis was already falling in love with him, and he hoped Manuel was falling in love with him. He seemed to be now that they were spending time together, but it had only been what, ten days? It was too early to tell in Manuel’s case, even though the bond between them was probably helping.

Curtis knocked on Manuel’s door. He couldn’t help but think about what his mom had said. She’d talked about a ring, and while shifters didn’t always get married, it was something Curtis wouldn’t say no to. He wanted to show the world that he and Manuel were together. Besides, Manuel was human, so he might want it. Curtis’ parents were married, had been for years, mostly because his father’s parents wouldn’t have accepted his relationship if it wasn’t official from a human point of view. Times were different, but Curtis could too easily imagine himself and Manuel dressed in suits saying yes.

The door swung open, and Curtis found himself with an armful of Manuel. He laughed and hugged his mate, leaning down to let Manuel kiss him all he wanted.

“I was wondering if you were going to come,” Manuel said against Curtis’ lips.

“Of course I was. I have your gift, don’t I?”

Manuel’s smile was blinding. “I don’t know if I’m more excited about you or the gift.”

Curtis pressed a hand over his heart. “I’m wounded. You wanted my gifts all along, didn’t you?”

“I did. That cake especially.”

Curtis laughed harder. “Come on, let me in. I’m freezing my balls off, and I don’t think that’s what you want.”

“You’re right, I don’t. I need them where they are.” Manuel’s cheeks flushed as he said that, but he’d said it, and Curtis couldn’t stop smiling.

* * * *

Manuel couldn’t believe how much he liked and wanted Curtis. He shouldn’t. He knew that. They hadn’t been together long enough for him to already imagine Curtis living with him, but he did, and he wasn’t sure why. Every time his mind was free to wander, it went right there, and the way Curtis behaved wasn’t helping.

Curtis had to be the sweetest man Manuel had ever met. Manuel realized how lucky he was to have Curtis in his life, and he wasn’t going to let go. Who else would have come up with twelve gifts for a man they didn’t know?

And it wasn’t just that. Curtis was caring all the way around. They’d talked enough over the past few days for Manuel to know that. It was in the way Curtis talked about coming home to live with his parents and in the exasperated tone he used when he mentioned his brothers. Curtis was one of those guys—and there were enough of them around—who bought small gifts for people just because he happened to notice something and he’d thought they’d like it. He was one of those guys who brought you chicken soup if you were sick and who did the laundry without being told to.

He was one of those guys Manuel could see spending the rest of his life with, and that was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

“Couch?” Curtis asked as he took off his boots.

“Yep. I thought we could maybe watch a movie? Unless you need to go home. I know your mother has a lot to do getting everything ready.”

Curtis rubbed the back of his neck. “About that. She’d like it if you came to celebrate with us tomorrow.”

Manuel had expected that. Curtis had dropped hints in the past few days, but Manuel had ignored them, and Curtis hadn’t pushed. Now he had to ask outright, since Christmas was tomorrow, though, and Manuel was going to have to give him an answer. He didn’t want to hurt Curtis, but he wasn’t sure he was up for it. “I was planning on staying here. I’m not in a celebrating mood.”

Curtis took Manuel’s hand and guided him toward the couch, where he sat next to him. “I know you’re not, and we all understand why. I’m not going to insist if you don’t want to, but the thought of you all alone on Christmas makes me sad, and I doubt it’s going to help you. No one at home will care if you isolate yourself a few times or if you get sad, but we’ll be there for you afterward. I will be there for you. You can go to my room if things get overwhelming. I can walk you home in the middle of dinner if you want. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Manuel hesitated. He couldn’t deny all that sounded good. He didn’t feel up for celebrating, but the thought of spending the day alone in the cottage just thinking about his mother was depressing, and he knew she wouldn’t have wanted that for him.

She’d want him to go on with his life and try to have fun even while he remembered her. She’d want him to take a chance with Curtis and see where things would go. She’d have teased him about Curtis and how sweet he was. She’d have pushed him about taking more risks and asking Curtis what was going on instead of waiting. Manuel knew Curtis was hiding something, but he hadn’t asked. They hadn’t known each other long after all, and Curtis was allowed his secrets. That didn’t mean Manuel wasn’t curious about how Curtis had ended up passed out naked in the snow.

Curtis gently rubbed Manuel’s hand, not pushing him for an answer. He gave Manuel time to think and to make his decision, but Manuel didn’t need it. He’d already decided, hadn’t he? He might not have been aware of it, but now that he had the possibility of spending Christmas with Curtis, he wasn’t going to miss it. “What about your family?” he asked. “Are you sure they want me there?” He had a hard time believing that even though he knew his mom would have been delighted to have Curtis at their Christmas table.

“Of course they do. My brothers are probably going to tease us endlessly, and my mom will be all over you, making sure you’re not hungry or cold or whatever, but yeah. They’ll be happy, I promise.”

Manuel didn’t have to think more about it. “All right. I’ll come. As long as you’re sure that everyone will be okay with it and that I can have a little time to myself if I need it.”

Curtis smiled and kissed Manuel’s cheek. “Of course.”

Then Manuel thought about something else. “I don’t have gifts for your family, though.”

“You don’t need them. I promise. You just need to relax and enjoy yourself as much as you can. And since we’re talking about enjoying ourselves, I’m sure you’re ready for your present.” He reached into the pocket of his flannel shirt and took out a small packet of paper.

Manuel swallowed as he watched Curtis open it. He had no idea what it could be, and it would be hard to top the silver bracelet Curtis had given him yesterday or any of the other gifts. Big or small, Manuel had loved them all because it had been obvious that Curtis had bought them with him in mind and had tried doing his best to make him happy with them.

Curtis carefully held out the open paper toward Manuel, and Manuel leaned in. “Oh,” he gasped.

It was a silver swan. It had a clasp and was made to be hung, probably on the bracelet on Manuel’s wrist.

“What do you think?” Curtis asked. He sounded nervous, and Manuel didn’t want him to be.

“It’s gorgeous. I love it.” Manuel held his wrist out. “Although I’m wondering more than ever why you seem to have a fixation with swans.”

To his surprise, Curtis’ cheeks flushed. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?” He took the swan and hooked it on Manuel’s wrist. “I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow just after lunch. Don’t eat too much, because Mom’s already cooking tomorrow’s dinner. We’re going to have to roll you back home by the time tomorrow evening comes.” He grinned. “Or we could share my bed.”

“I am not having sex with you in your parents’ home.”

Curtis winked. “I guess we’ll have to see if I can convince you.”

God, that man. He’d be able to convince Manuel. They both knew it.

Epilogue

Curtis was bouncing rather than walking, but how could he not? It was Christmas day, he’d found his mate and was falling in love with him, and he was about to spend the day with his favorite people in the world. Even the thought that Manuel could react badly to his news couldn’t make him stop. It was a possibility, but Curtis was getting to know Manuel, and he didn’t think that was what would happen. Manuel might be scared and worried when Curtis finally told him about this, but he’d accept it, even if he needed time. Curtis still wasn’t sure when he’d tell him, but probably later tonight. He wanted them to enjoy the day before revealing his secret.

Manuel was ready when Curtis knocked on his door. Curtis had texted him that he was leaving home, so Manuel had had time to put on his boots and coat. He was holding a bag, and Curtis peered into it, grinning at the sight of the three bottles of wine. “I told you, you didn’t have to buy anything for my family.”

Manuel huffed and pushed Curtis out the door. “I know. I couldn’t come empty-handed, though. My mother wouldn’t have forgiven me for that. There are only three bottles because that’s all I could find, but hopefully, they’ll be enough. I mean, I don’t drink, so as long as no one just grabs the bottle—”

Curtis kissed Manuel’s cheek. “You have no reason to be nervous, and no one will steal your wine. Oh, and hello, darling.”

The blush on Manuel’s cheeks deepened. “Hello.”

Curtis gave him the space he needed to lock his door and reached for the bag containing the bottles, but Manuel shook his head and kept it close. That was fine with Curtis, as long as Manuel had one free hand to hold his.

They started down the path that would eventually lead them to Curtis’ house, or rather, to his parents’ house. They had to walk past the lake, and Curtis couldn’t help but wonder if that would make Manuel wonder what he was hiding again. He had no idea Curtis was going to tell him before the day was over, and Curtis knew that even though he hadn’t asked, he wanted to know. Curtis supposed he’d be curious, too, if he’d found his boyfriend naked in the snow, even though they weren’t yet together when he had.

“What’s that?” Manuel said, dropping Curtis’ hand and stepping closer to the water.

Curtis followed Manuel’s gaze. He had to squint to see what Manuel was referring to, and by the time he realized there was a puppy in the water, Manuel was already moving toward it. It was too far from where they stood for him to be able to reach it, though, and Curtis’ heart skipped a beat when he realized Manuel was planning to go into the water.

“You can’t. It’s freezing,” he said, but he already knew that wasn’t going to stop his mate.

“We can’t leave him there. He’s going to die, and soon.”

Curtis swore. How had that puppy even ended up there? Not that it mattered. He was going to have to do this now, wasn’t he?

He held a hand up. “You stay here. I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure? I’m a pretty good swimmer, and we could go back to my house to get me dry clothes once I have him. He’s going to need to get dry too anyway.”

Curtis was already taking his coat off. He knew this would be a make or break moment, and while he wished he could have sat Manuel down to tell him he was a shifter before actually showing it to him, he didn’t think he had a choice. Manuel would get to that puppy, with or without Curtis, and Curtis was perfectly equipped to go himself.

“What are you doing?” Manuel asked.

“Don’t freak out, okay?” Curtis pushed off his sweater and his t-shirt. He shivered at the coldness of the air, but he soldiered on. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m still me. I always am me, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“What are you talking about?”

Curtis quickly took his boots and socks off, then his jeans and his underwear. He was fucking cold, and he knew he couldn’t waste more time. He took a deep breath and turned to Manuel. “I like you. A lot. I hope this won’t change anything between us.” Then he shifted. There was no time for more explanations, or to hope.

Manuel’s eyes went wider than Curtis had ever seen them, but Curtis didn’t linger there to make sure he was okay. He rushed into the water, his feathers insulating him enough that he barely felt the cold. The puppy was still whimpering and trying to swim, but it was getting weaker by the looks of it, and Curtis swam as fast as he could until he reached it.

The puppy was tiny, and Curtis wasn’t sure how to get it back to Manuel. The puppy wasn’t just going to follow him, and it would probably freak out if Curtis tried to grab it with his beak. There wasn’t an alternative, though, so Curtis ducked his head. He gave the puppy a gentle bump to get his attention then, even more gently, opened his beak.

He knew that the skin behind puppies’ necks was made for their mother to grab them, so he aimed for that. The puppy was still wiggling, still trying to swim, but it was slowing down, so it was surprisingly easy to catch him. It whimpered and tried to free himself, but it was weak and no doubt freezing.

Once he had the puppy, Curtis turned and went back to Manuel. Focusing on not dropping the puppy helped not obsessing over what Manuel was thinking right now. Curtis wasn’t sure if the fact that he was still there, watching Curtis as he swam back, was a good thing or not. He wanted to think it was, but what did he know?

Curtis glided out of the water, and Manuel rushed toward him, his hands already reaching for the puppy. Curtis deposited it into Manuel’s hands and shifted, covering his dick with his hands while he grabbed his clothes. When he saw that Manuel was about to put the wet puppy under his jacket, he extracted his t-shirt from his sweater and handed it off to his mate. “Wrap him in this before putting it there,” he said through clicking teeth.

Manuel nodded in thanks and obeyed. Curtis threw his clothes on, glad he was only barely wet. His feathers protected him well when he was a swan. They were made for it, after all.

“So that’s why the swans,” Manuel said without looking at Curtis. He was focused on the puppy under his coat, and Curtis had a hard time reading his tone.

Curtis cleared his throat. “Yeah. I guess I wanted a part of myself to always be with you.”

“It’s sweet.” Manuel finally looked at Curtis. “Weird, but sweet.”

“You’re not scared? Or about to freak out?”

Manuel smiled. “I am freaking out. I mean, come on. It’s not every day your boyfriend becomes a swan right in front of you, and with no warning to boot.”

“I’m sorry. I was planning on telling you today, but I couldn’t let you swim in the lake when I could get to the puppy faster and more easily.” Curtis stepped forward, relieved when Manuel let him come closer.

He peeked into Manuel’s coat. The puppy was mostly black with some white, and while it was still shivering, he seemed to already be warmer. “We should probably take him home to my parents. My dad will know what to do to help him.”

“Yes, please. I want to get him out of the cold before it hurts him even more.”

Curtis wasn’t sure how to ask what he wanted to know, so he simply said, “You don’t seem shocked at learning I’m a swan shifter.”

“Oh, I am. Trust me.”

“But you’re not afraid of me.”

“I might have been if you’d been a wolf or something, but you’re so beautiful in your swan form. It’s strange, and I have about a thousand questions, but they don’t mean I don’t want to continue dating you.”

The weight on Curtis’ chest lifted. “You do? You still want me?”

Manuel smiled up at Curtis and took his hand. “I do.”

Curtis still had something to tell him, though. “You’re my mate, Manuel.”

Manuel bit his lower lip. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

“I don’t know what you think it means, but you’re it for me. You’re the half I was missing, the love of my life. I don’t expect anything from you, any promises, but—”

Manuel reached out, grabbed Curtis’ coat, and pulled him down to kiss him. Then he moved his lips only a breath away from Curtis and said, “Shut up, Curtis. You’re my boyfriend, and I’m not letting you go. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I care about you, and the kind of man you are, which is exactly the kind of man I want in my life.”

This was going to be the most perfect Christmas of Curtis’ life.

You may also enjoy the following from eXtasy Books Inc:

Galbraith

Catherine Lievens

Excerpt

Galbraith already knew this wasn’t going to go well. It never did. But he expected it, and this was his job. He was damn good at it if he said so himself, and this wouldn’t be the first time a group of shifters was against his presence in their home. It was never pleasant, but they would have to deal with it, and so would he.

He didn’t enjoy conflict, but this was one of the most exciting parts of the job. It was the day he’d meet his new pride.

The pride would be Galbraith’s only for a while, though. That was how he worked, and he was eager to find out how things would go. Shifter groups always reacted the same way when Gal was called in. They fought. They pushed him away. They went against him and tried to make him leave.

But he was stronger. He knew what to expect and how things would go, and nothing would surprise him at this point. He’d been to many places, and he’d helped many groups. He’d seen everything.

Gal was relieved when he finally drove into town. He always drove everywhere because he needed his car, but this one had been a long ride. But he was there, and he was five minutes away from meeting his pride.

He cleared his throat and went through what he knew of them one last time. Dominic Nash, the Whitedell pride alpha and a member of the shifter council, had given him all the information he needed. Gal knew that the pride was still hurting because their alpha and their beta had been arrested. They didn’t have anyone at their head right now, and Gal knew it was going to be a mess. The file mentioned a small group of elders, but they probably hadn’t been enough to keep the peace. Some of the pride members were bound to want to take the alpha’s place, but they’d been warned that the council would send someone.

And here Gal was. It wasn’t the first time he had to deal with a pride which alpha had been arrested. It wasn’t even the first time the alpha was in jail for trying to kidnap an old pride member who left. From what the file said, Alpha Carter had been obsessed with keeping his pride members in Green Hill. He wanted them to stay with the pride and make the pride strong and numerous, especially so after losing several young members. Gal knew they were now in Gillham, and that they were worried, especially after what had happened to Cooper.

Cooper was a tiger shifter who’d been born in Green Hill, but he’d met his mate—an enforcer—and he’d left. Alpha Carter hadn’t taken it well, and he’d done his best to bring Cooper back into the fold.

He hadn’t succeeded. Instead, both he and his beta were in jail, which was exactly where they belonged. No one should be forced to stay in one place, even if they’d been born there. No one should be kidnapped. The council had done the right thing by locking Alpha Carter and his beta up, but that left the pride without a lead. Of course, being without elite was probably the best thing for the pride right now considering the kind of alpha they’d had before.

But that was going to change. Gal’s job was to stay with the pride for as long as it took him to find them a permanent alpha, and in this case, beta, too. That was one of the reasons he’d wanted to talk to Cooper before heading this way. Cooper had grown up here, and he knew who the best person was for the job. The fact that he hadn’t been able to tell Gal about anyone was worrying, but then, this wasn’t Cooper’s job. It was Gal’s, though. It would be harder than it had been in several other situations, but he could do it.

The town was cute. Gal had been in Gillham and Whitedell a few times because he was friends with the alphas there, and Green Hill looked similar. Hopefully, Green Hill would be as accepting and mixed as the other two towns were. Both in Gillham in Whitedell, humans and shifters lived together without a problem. There were people from everywhere in the world, and even though Gal usually preferred living in cities, he’d found himself liking their small town yet hodgepodge of people. He was looking forward to exploring, but that would only happen once he knew what he was about to face.

He was relieved when he finally found the turn to the pride. He was hungry, but he hadn’t wanted to stop in Green Hill, not when he was so close.

The driveway wasn’t in great shape. That was one of the first things Gal would have to take care of. He wanted to pride members to be able to come and go as they please, and it will be easier if they could use their cars.

If they even had cars.

From what Cooper had said, Carter had made sure none of the pride members left the house. He didn’t want them to have jobs, which was probably one of the reasons the driveway was in such bad shape. Fixing it meant using money, but if no one was working, the pride was probably not doing well. The members would need to go out in the world and find something to do. The council had agreed to give Gal funds to help in the beginning, but they couldn’t prop up the pride forever.

Gal added that to the growing list of things he needed to do. He hoped there was someone in charge in the pride right now because he was going to need a beta, and soon. He was only one man, and he couldn’t do all of this on his own. Besides, the point of his presence here was to teach the pride to start again, to be independent, and to leave Carter’s reign of terror behind.

At least the gate was closed. Gal parked in front of it and took a moment to look at the house. It wasn’t close to the gate, but it was close enough that he could see it, too, needed repairs. He was pretty sure there was a hole in the roof, and the walls needed a good hand of paint.

Gal sighed. This was going to be a bigger job than he’d thought.

He opened his window and leaned out to ring the intercom. He waited, tapping his fingertips onto the wheel. There was a crackle, then a voice asked, “Yes?”

“My name is Galbraith Brennan. I’m the alpha the council sent to help the pride.” They knew he was coming.

“We don’t need your help.”

“The council disagrees.”

“We don’t care what the council things. Leave.”

There was another crackle, and Gal suspected the man wasn’t going to open the gate. It wasn’t the first time someone he was sent to help decided to leave him out. It also wouldn’t be the first time he climbed a gate in order to get to them. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it.

He got out of his car and locked it, just in case. He wouldn’t put it past the pride to send someone to make sure he left. He pocketed the keys and looked up at the gate, then at the high walls that surrounded the territory. They were stone, and they would be easier to climb than the gate.

Gal heard a noise in the trees past the wall as he climbed it. He focused on what he was doing because the last thing he needed was to fall and break something, but as soon as his feet were on the ground inside pride territory, he looked around.

There. Someone was in that tree to his left. From the little he could see between the leaves, that someone was in their tiger form, and they were looking at him.

It had to be a pride member. As far as Gal knew, they were all members because Carter hadn’t only isolated the pride. He’d also made sure no intruders came in. He’d wanted to keep the pride pure, which was utter bullshit. There was no such thing as pureness, especially after humans had experimented on so many shifters.

Gal was curious. He knew he should go to the house, knock on the door, and demand they let him in, but he wanted to talk to the person in the tree first. He hoped they’d be on his side, but he couldn’t count on that. Still, this was his first meeting with a Green Hill pride member, and he wanted to make the most of it.

About the Author

Catherine lives in Italy, country of good food and hot men. She used to write fantasy as a child, but it was reading her first gay erotic romance novel that made her realize that that was what she really wanted to write.

After graduating from college in English language and translation, she divides her day between writing, reading, taking care of her son and reading some more.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter or on her website: authorcatherinelievens.wordpress.com

Email: lievens.catherine@gmail.com

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