Magical Christmas

When you wish upon a star

Erins POV

"And then he is taking me to his family in Aspen. Can you believe it? We will be spending all of Christmas together. We will be bringing in the new year by skiing down the slopes or staying in bed. Who knows? But it is just so romantic. The snow, the fire.To think, if I had not walked in for that cup of hot chocolate or that server had not mixed up our drinks, then we never would have met. It was fate."

Tilda just would not stop talking. Every guy she met, every time. Endless chatter. Usually I can find it quite amusing. But not now. Not this close to Christmas. I did not want to spend Christmas alone in my cottage while everyone I knew somehow, in just the past month, seemed to have found someone to warm their bed.

"That sounds dreamy Tilda," I say. "But I'm sorry I'm gonna need to cut this conversation short. I really need to finish writing this report."

"What are you writing?"

Damn it! I was really hoping she would not ask that. Honestly, what I was writing was a list of places I would visit when I finally got a boyfriend. But I did not want anyone to know that. And not because I was wasting valuable company time writing it, but because that would basically cement my reputation as the crazy catlady of the office. I was the marketing and supply manger of an online magical retail shop. 98% of our inventory was not magic but tricks humans liked to pretend were magic. The last 2 % were objects I accidentally turned magical. I was the most disappointing witch ever.

"It is a news letter for the home page about the new glow in the dark spiders." Hopefully that was boring enough to make Tilda leave. I get lucky when Betty enters the room and Tilda runs over to tell her all about her trip to Aspen.

Not long after that, my boss calls me to her office and asks me to work on Christmas eve.

"I know I promised you time off, but now everyone in the office has asked for time off. And I don't want to tell Tilda she can't go to Aspen."

" What's in it for me," I ask.

"You will be the office hero and our Christmas miracle."

I lift my eyebrows and wait. My boss exhales heavily. She is close friends with Tilda and now regrets offering Tilda extra money to work on Christmas. Tilda had taken the bait but changed her mind when she met Aspen Boy.

"Obviously, you will get the bonus Tilda was promised."

I stay quiet.

"And one extra week's paid vacation."

"Okay, I'll do it," I responded. "Who doesn't want to be the office hero? I'll take the vacation and bonus as well though."

This was not the first time I had done this trade. I asked for every major holiday off. Most of the time, my co-workers realized too late they wanted the time off and I could get different perks as a result of being so kind and giving up the holidays. Also, working on holidays was usually awesome, as no one really did anything. I would bring a book to work and relax most of the day by the phone. Maybe making some Christmas decorations.

However, when I came home that day and sat stroking Marybell, my cat, while watching the fire, sadness hit me. I gave up my holidays because I was alone. Honestly, it was less sad to be at work and have that excuse than to tell people I sat at home alone watching TV. I had never met my real parents. My adoptive parents died 8 years ago in a car accident. I had no siblings and no boyfriend. It was lonely.

At that moment I made a silly little wish. Not a greedy one. I just wanted someone hot and steamy to warm my bed over Christmas. Someone kind to play little naughty games with. Someone who could add some magic to my spinster life. I was not greedy. It did not have to be the love of my life. As soon as the thought left my head, I felt the magic building up in the room. f**k, no! Not this again.

Every once in a while, throughout my life, things like this would happen. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, magic would fill the air around me and then something messed up would happen.

Once, when I was six, I really wanted to be a bunny like my teddyrabbit Ears. That time, I grew long front teeth, developed a habit of only eating vegetables and spent all my time jumping. My adoptive parents were almost ready to hand me over to a institution when the stress of losing them managed to break the spell. Everytime I felt that magic, I knew what was coming was going to be messed up and that somehow I would have to break the magic. And despite extensive research into all things magic, I had not found a guaranteed way to break my magic spells. It did, however, make me great at my job. I arguably know the most about magic (both real and fake) of anyone in my department.

While thinking about this, I heard a movement in my chimney. And the fire instantly died. Suddenly, a tall hunky guy stepped out of my fireplace. If this was Santa, I was so ready to be spanked this year. I had to keep myself from putting my finger against my mouth and asking "Santa, have I been a bad, naughty girl this year? However, will you punish me?"

Instead I said:

"You know you are about 15 days early, right? Although I am curious if I made the naughty or good list this year?"

He had soot all over him but that did not stop me from feeling all my blood rush lower, way lower. I felt my body begging him to push me up against the wall. I was so ready to play games with this version of Santa.

He says a sarcastic "Ho, ho ho!" But I see a small smile which tells me he is not in as bad mood as he is pretending to be.

He asks me for clothes. Is he already planing to leave? My heart sinks a little.

"No, but I have a washer and drier. Not to mention a shower that gets hot water." I could just imagine all that hot steamy water pouring down his body. Maybe I should just lick some of it off?

He took a step towards me. I look into his eyes. They are dark and hyperfocused on me. I feel like maybe he wouldn't mind sharing a shower with me. Then suddenly he stops.

"Mate" he says in a deep voice, followed by: "Witch?"

"Werewolf," I respond. The word "mate" is a dead giveaway that he is a werewolf. But I did not need it to know what he was. Whenever a magical creature stands close enough to me, a sign appears next to them. For a wolf it is a moon. For a fairy it is a flower. A cateye for a catshifter. Now, honestly, being a werewolf is not a dealbreaker for me. Especially not when the werewolf in question towers over me with wide shoulders and arms with muscles and thick as my legs. Miaw, I feel like purring. However, the few times I have met werewolves previously, they made it very clear they really hate my kind and would prefer to have us tied up, and not in a kinky way.

I see how conflicted he is. Sometimes he looks at me in horror and sometimes he looks like he is seconds away from kissing me and moving his hands over my body. I choose the latter. I grab his shirt and pull him towards me while moving backwards against the wall. His arms grab my thighs and he lifts me from the floor and presses me hard against the wall. I nibble on his bottom lip and he kisses me roughly. I can feel he really likes this. The rod pressed between my legs leaves little to doubt. As he is a werewolf, I also know for sure he knows how much I am enjoying this and how ready I am for him.

His mouth moved along my neck and I felt him grazing it with his teeth. This has never been an erogenous zone for me before but I almost came at that moment. He, however, seemed to have panicked. He let go of me. Backed up and ran out of the house faster than a bunny being chased by the big bad wolf.

I walked up to the door he left open.

"Was it something I said?" I said loudly, hoping his werewolf hearing would pick my voice up. "Also, it is rude to leave the door open."

I closed the door and sighed heavily. Damn Santa werewolf, why did you go?