Page 2 of A Swan for Christmas

“Take these, too.” The man shoved a pair of brown socks at him. “I’m worried about your toes. You can get frostbite a lot quicker than you’d think.”

As Kellan started to yank one of them on, he tugged a bit too hard on his bad ankle. “Ow!”

“Are you hurt?”

The man sounded very worried.

“I… I fell. Twisted my ankle.”

Kellan peered up at him, he couldn’t help himself. His curiosity had gotten him into plenty of trouble over the years, but he wanted to see the stranger, needed to know what he was thinking, if he was annoyed with Kellan or truly as concerned as he seemed.

Oh…

The man was even more handsome now that he could get a good look at him inside the lighted cab.

“Lemme see.”

Kellan held up his foot for inspection, peeling the top of the sock back enough for an appraisal. The man frowned as he checked it, lightly poking it where there was some swelling at the ankle bone. Kellan hissed.

“Is that tender?”

Kellan nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” He lowered Kellan’s leg, and the same as it had been when he’d set Kellan down in the truck, he felt the loss of the man’s touch somewhere deep inside. “It doesn’t appear too bad, I’m thinking you’ve got a mild sprain. When we get back to the inn, I’ll get you a wrap for it.” He twisted his body around then plucked a fluffy down jacket from behind the front bench seat, then presented it to Kellan. “Put this on too. I don’t know how long you were out there like that, but I’m thinking it was lucky I came along when I did.”

Kellan’s stomach roiled as he held the coat in front of him, not wanting it to touch his skin. The man’s scent was there, but so was another one. A sickening one. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, but…” He wrinkled his nose. “This is filled with smelly old dead feathers!”

The stranger furrowed his brow, his elbow draped over the steering wheel as he considered Kellan. “I don’t understand. It’s filled with goose down. Are you allergic?”

Kellan gasped then threw the garment, the jacket smacking the man in the face. He sputtered and choked then pulled it away, clutching it in his lap as he frowned at Kellan again.

Oh dear. Already I’m making him not like me.

“What was that for?”

“I’m sorry! But those are my cousins’ feathers! I mean, not my actual cousins, probably, but I don’t know where they came from or how they got there. If they were being used outside in a nest with the fresh air, that would be one thing, but they’re suffocating in that synthetic fabric.”

A smile tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth and Kellan huffed. He didn’t see what was so amusing.

“Now I understand why I found you out in the Vale woods. You’re a goose shifter who needs a home.”

Kellan crossed his arms and huffed again. “I am not a goose shifter. I’m a swan.”

The still-shirtless man ran his gaze down Kellan’s body then met his eyes. “A very lovely swan.” He dipped his chin. “My apologies.” He angled his body around, but this time when he retrieved something from behind the seat, it was a red, wool blanket. “Do you have any sheep cousins?”

Kellan was working up to a snit, but he caught a slight twitch at the corner of the man’s mouth. He chuckled. “Not that I know of.” Kellan ducked his head. “Thank you. You’ve been so nice to me, saved my life. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay, don’t you worry about that.” The man’s voice had softened. “Why don’t you wrap that around yourself, though.” He adjusted the thick cover over Kellan’s shoulders and gathered it so the blanket covered his bare legs. “There. That’s better.” The man offered him a smile. “How about I introduce myself? I’m Vic, the Alpha of a very small pack and owner of the Vale Valley Inn and Restaurant. And you?”

He held out his hand and Kellan let his smaller one be swallowed up by it. After two quick pumps, he released him. As it had been with every other touch from Vic, Kellan was sorry it was over.

“Nice to meet you, Vic. I’m Kellan, and as you now know, a swan shifter.” Kellan chewed on his bottom lip. “You mentioned your inn. I don’t have any money, or anything at all, to offer you in payment. But I work very hard and I could pay you back if I could stay there for a few days? I’ll even give you double what I owe.”

Vic shook his head and Kellan’s stomach sank. Oh no. Now what do I do?

“You don’t need to pay me, Kellan. I’m sure I can find something for you to do around the inn or restaurant if you want to help out. My inn tends to be a place where a lot of the new residents start out when they first arrive. Some stay on and work there, others find the place in town where they were meant to be. For them, the inn is merely a stepping stone to where they belong in Vale Valley.”

“Wow.” Kellan tilted his head. “Is there something special about Vale Valley? It sounds as though there are a lot of shifters here and people who have nowhere else to go.”

Vic tugged at his beard, his brow wrinkling. “Yeah, that’s about right. Vale Valley is where a lot of us ended up because we were drifting. The town’s origins are with the Vale family, but there are also a large variety of shifters, Alphas and omegas and even dragons and witches. But we all watch out for each other, keep each other’s secrets from the prying eyes of the rest of the world.”

Kellan’s eyes rounded, and he clutched the blanket tighter around him. He glanced around, but all he could see were the black silhouettes of the trees. “Dragons and witches? Do they eat the residents or cast evil spells?”

Vic choke-snorted, then seemed to get hold of himself. “No, little Kellan. Like any town, there have been some unsavory characters, but our residents are all good souls. Even the dragons and witches.” Vic winked. “I can’t think of another place I’d rather be.”

Kellan considered Vic’s words along with how protected being with the big wolf made him feel. And he’s even an Alpha. Wow. “Vale Valley does sound like a special town. Do you think I’ll be allowed to stay? I can keep secrets, too.”

“I have a feeling you were led to us, Kellan.” Vic smiled then put the truck in gear. As he reversed out of the parking area, bunches of snow kicking up behind his tires, he gave Kellan a quick pat on the shoulder. “That’s how it usually works. I’ll have Rosemary Vale, the town mayor, stop by the restaurant tomorrow. If you still want to stay in the Valley, she can add you to the population records.”

“Then I would belong in the town?”

Vic shifted gears then pulled onto the small plowed road. “Yes, you would belong.”

Kellan sniffed back the emotion burning in his throat. Maybe he could have people in his life who truly cared about him and who didn’t think he was worthless.

Maybe I can have a real home.