Snow Time for Love

A Siberian tigress is given one last chance at a mate. The
problem is he is fey, his people are jerks and the Crossroads
etiquette is lost on him.

The Crossroads declared nova unmatchable. After three
weeks, it had been decided that she wasn’t going to find
anyone there, not even close. Now, with the fey coming in to
try life with shifters, she is called back and faces mating with
a man who isn’t even her magical species.

Reygaer is a fey architect who builds in ice and snow. The

seers  have  picked  him  out  as  a  good  candidate  for  mating
with  a  shifter.  When  he  spots  a  tiger  in  the  rafters  of  the
arrival centre and she is ordered to take him on a tour,  her
reaction to his cooler body gets his attention.

Nova craves cold the way Reygaer craves heat, and

together, they make sparks fly across the Crossroads.

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This  book  is  a  work  of  fiction.  Names,  characters,  places,
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entirely coincidental.

Snow Time for Love

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0184-9

Cover art by Carmen Waters

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Chapter One

ova Spalding answered the phone with a frown.
“Hello?”

“Nova Spalding?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“Transporter Sampson. I have an offer from the

Crossroads.”

“I washed out of the Crossroads. I am unmatchable.” She

stared at the dirty dishes in the sink and thought about those
desperate three weeks.

“There is a new option. May I come over and discuss it

with you?”

Nova sighed. “Sure. You know my address?”
Transporter Sampson sounded amused. “I can find my

way.”

“When will you be here?”
“I can be there in ten minutes.”
Nova hung up and pressed the phone to her lips. Her

time at the Crossroads was the most painful of her life. It
was bad enough to know that she couldn’t find a mate in the
shifter society; it was another to know that the last-ditch
effort had been for nothing. No match existed for her in the
shifter world, so why was the transporter coming?

She washed the dishes and brushed her white blonde hair

over her shoulders. When everything was clean and the
dishes put away, she put the kettle on and waited for the
new option to present itself.

Zenina Masters

The flash from her living room announced her visitor, so

Nova got up and walked to greet her.

The transporter was sitting down, and the woman was

completely naked. Used to shifters, Nova simply walked to a
throw and handed it to Transporter Sampson.

The woman blushed and Nova was amused.
“I apologize. Since the Crossroads were broken, the

pathways are a little more aggressive. I haven’t quite gotten
the hang of moving my clothing with me.”

The kettle whistled.
Nova asked, “Coffee or tea?”
“Tea please. Anything herbal is good. I am wound a little

too tight for caffeine.”

Nova returned to the kitchen, set up the tea and brought

the tray out with all the accessories as well as cups. “Peach
tranquility.”

“Oh good.” The transporter smiled and held her blanket

around her.

“The tea will be ready in a moment. Now, what do you

mean the Crossroads are broken?”

“They are fixed now, but the fey took the Crossroads

hostage for a time in an effort to gain some help.”

“What did they want?”
“This is the option. They want the chance to find true

mates at the Crossroads. This is the offer. You can have up to
one month at the Crossroads at the fey council’s expense if
you will consider the fey there as potential mates.”

Nova was pouring the tea and she nearly scalded her

hand. “The elves are out where the humans acknowledge
them. What will this mean?”

“If you choose a fey, you will simply be represented to the

public as human. Nothing more. They are a dying species,
and if the blending with the shifters can give them a boost, it
might buy them a few centuries or stronger stock.”

Snow Time for Love

“Where do I come in? I can’t find a match amongst

shifters.”

Transporter Sampson took the cup she was handed. “And

that is why your magic may find its match with the fey.”

“This is serious? This is actually being done?”
“Most shifters coming will still look for others of their

kind, but you know that you don’t match. It will be a good
chance for you to seek out the one your soul calls for. If the
call is still there, the match is still out there, somewhere.”

There was silence between them for a moment.
Finally, Transporter Sampson said, “The first fey they are

bringing are all shapeshifters. They know what it is to
change their bodies and live as a beast for a time. That was
one of the criteria.”

“Criteria?”
“There was a meeting and a contract that ensures a

number of benefits for the shifters if they find a fey they
wish to mate with. This includes, but is not limited to, a life-
binding that links the two mates to the same lifespan.”

“The same...”
“The fey live a lot longer than shifters do. This splits the

difference. They die earlier, but they do so with a mate.”

“What about the promiscuity that the fey are known for?”
“It is apparently just a single-fey thing. Once they mate,

they lock in, just as you do.” Transporter Sampson looked at
her hopefully.

It dawned on Nova. “You are having a problem finding

takers for this.”

“Most just want to meet another shifter and live happily

ever after.” The transporter’s shoulders slumped.

“Well, I will tell you now...I am not one of those shifters. I

will take this on.”

“You will?” Transporter Sampson’s wrap slipped and she

clutched it to her.

Zenina Masters

“I have nothing to lose. I have already been rejected in

every way, shape and form. What is being ignored by an elf
going to do to my ego?” Nova shrugged.

She glanced over at the family photo that her sister had

sent her for the holidays. With her newborns on her lap and
her other two sets of twins standing next to her, Stella was
buried in children while her husband beamed behind her.

All around the room, her family smiled at her from their

nests of family and friends. Nova felt the lack in her life and
she wanted more.

“Wait. Can shifters and fey have children?”
“That is one of the questions that they are trying to

answer. The dragon says it is not only possible, it has
happened before, just not in Europe or the colonies. The fey
breeds true, but it is possible.”

Transporter Sampson was chirping it by rote.
“This is all new to you as well.” Nova handed her a cup of

tea.

“It is. Normally, we just wait for you folk to call us. Going

out and contacting those who didn’t find a match the first
time was not something I imagined when I specialized in
transport.”

Nova grinned. “Nor was showing up naked.”
The woman blushed. “Or that.”
“Don’t worry about it. Shifters are used to nudity. Next

time, just ask them to have a sheet or blanket standing by.
They won’t think anything of it.”

Nova sipped at her tea. “Are there already fey there?”
“They are just waiting for volunteers to try to make a

match. If you really are going to sign up, there will be no
fees attached. The fey are picking up the tab.”

“Oh. Well, that is even better. Will you call me with a

timeline?”

Snow Time for Love

The transporter leaned forward and set her cup down on

the coffee table. “I can and I will. This is exciting.”

The transporter disappeared in a flash of light and the

strange scent of mint.

Nova looked around at all the pictures of family members

who were enjoying the holiday with their cozy little
gatherings. She had been to the family event on the previous
weekend, but now, she was back to being alone.

She liked being solitary, but she preferred it to be a choice

and not something forced upon her.

With a curl of hope in her chest, she watched the flashing

of her Christmas tree and she wished as hard as she could
that she found a man she couldn’t frighten into a corner.

* * * *

Isobel Sampson dropped in at the Guild centre and the folk
around there were a lot less accepting of her nudity.

Isobel took the robe that one woman held out to her, and

she ran to speak to the Transporter Guild Master.

Krisia looked up from her desk with a smile. “Iso. What is

it? You look excited.”

“I’ve got one!” She tried not to hop up and down.
“What?”
“I have gotten one of the previously rejected shifters to

come back to the Crossroads!” Iso clapped her hands.

Krisia reached for her files. “Which one?”
“Nova Spalding. Siberian tiger shifter.”
In a few seconds, Krisia had the file. “Wow. Okay, let me

cross check for candidates.”

Iso stood while her guild master called the fey seers to see

if any of them had found a large cat in their readings.

Zenina Masters

It took twenty minutes, but the fey were going to send

five candidates who were up for a challenge, two of which
had tigers in their personal evaluations.

Krisia put her phone down and nodded. “Ask her if she

can be ready by the end of the week. Everything will be in
place for her and the men will arrive after she does, so she
will have home court advantage.”

“Does that matter?”
Krisia smiled. “Ask me again in ten years. You are too

young to appreciate it yet.”

Iso scowled. “You are only five years older than I am.”
Krisia winked. “Living with the guild master ages you.”
Iso giggled at the joke at her cousin’s expense. “Well, I

had better return this robe and get home to make that call.”

“Still popping around naked?”
“Yes. I still can’t figure it out.”
“Hold still. I will send you home. Call Nova and give her

the launch date, and let me know if anything goes squirrelly.
Congratulations on getting the first volunteer.”

Iso was about to reply to the congratulations, but Krisia

sent her home. It was time to get a new phase of magical
meet and greets underway.

Snow Time for Love

Chapter Two

ova braced herself for the transport but staggered a
little as she stabilized. It had been more painful the first

time. The transport process really had changed.

Teal rushed forward and hugged her. “Nova! I am so glad

you have come back.”

Tony grinned and waited his turn for a hug. He met her

eye to eye and embraced her warmly. “We are so glad you
are willing to try again.”

“We will see. I have been wobbling on my eagerness to

meet what I consider to be a new species. I am thinking of
them as shifters. It might make it more palatable.” Nova
smiled wryly.

Teal smiled. “They are physically very attractive. Don’t

worry about that portion of it. You just have to see if any of
them can raise your beast in anything but a defence
position.”

“So, one of them has to get a rise out of me?” There was

something funny about the idea that one of them had to give
her an erection.

“That is the way it works with shifters. I know you didn’t

feel it on your last visit, but that is what happens. Your beast
starts making happy sounds in your soul and you can
imagine taking your mate down like a gazelle in the woods.”

Nova covered her mouth as she laughed.
“Have you ever seen one of the fey up close, Nova?” Teal

guided her to the paperwork and showed her where to sign.

Zenina Masters

The wristband went on, and she smiled at the small icon

of a paw print. “Why is there a gemstone on it?”

“That marks you as a woman they can court. They wear

matching bands that will identify them to you as well.”

The nervous thrill that went through her body surprised

her.  She  had  been  through  this  before  and  the  excitement
had  rapidly  turned  to  depression.  Other  women,  other
predators  had  no  problem  finding  their  matches,  but  she
would dance, chat and they would part unmatched.

Now, it was an entirely new batch of men, and she was

hoping that one of them would spark something other than
disappointment. It was a lot to ask of a fey, especially when
they had not been at the Crossroads before.

“So, they are being tagged like we are. Good.” Nova

shifted her pack and smiled.

“They are getting the same treatment that the shifters get,

but since they haven’t been here before, I have no idea how
this is going to unfold.” Tony scowled.

“Is there a fey representative installed here?”
Teal grinned. “Teebie. She has been designated as the one

to call on.”

“I didn’t ask. Where am I staying?”
“The Bright Soul Bed and Breakfast. It is just the Open

Heart expanded, but Dira decided that it needed a new
name.” Teal made a face. “Once she got out of her dragon
form, that is. That was a month of fun, I can tell you.”

“Can I just head out there or do I need the tour.”
Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “A few things have

changed, including the Meditation Centre.”

Nova looked around and blinked in surprise. She had

been so fixated on her own purpose that she had neglected
to look around when she arrived. “Holy smokes.”

Where the modest Zen-like interior had once been was

now a series of landing sites like the one she had appeared

Snow Time for Love

in. Three spaces were now visible, and the centre of the roof
was now open to the skies. The hallway surrounding the
landing areas led to a series of doorways.

“Why is the roof open?”
Teal chuckled. “Saving on labour. It has been blown up

enough in the last year to demand some self-preservation. If
there is already a hole, it will save wear and tear.”

“It looks like you are setting up for wholesale

matchmaking.”

“The fey use a different channel to arrive, or they will,

when they get here. The portals have a different chime, so
we know what we are greeting.”

“What is the third space?”
Tony was grim. “Emergency anchor. The fey hijacked the

Crossroads once, and Dira will not let it happen again.”

Nova had never met the dragon that built the Crossroads,

but Teebie had spoken of her in glowing terms. It seemed
that once was all that it took for the dragon to put in a
backup plan.

“Nova, head to the Bright Soul and settle in. With the fey

coming  in,  there  are  whole  new  expansions  to  a  lot  of  the
businesses.  We  now  have  a  nail  salon,  a  hairstylist  and  a
giant stock boost to the general store. Since you are here on
the  fey’s  tab,  you  may  as  well  enjoy  yourself  and  do  some
shopping.” Teal winked.

Nova hiked her bag on her shoulder, and she inclined her

head. “Yes, ma’am.”

She stepped out into late-afternoon sunlight and inhaled

deeply. The wild scent of the Crossroads was all around her
with a bristle of magic that woke her senses up.

The expansion was obvious, but the familiar sight of the

Crossed Star Bar was comforting. Everything was where she
had left it; there was just more of it.

Zenina Masters

The Bright Soul was far larger than the Open Heart had

been, but the feeling of welcome was the same as it had been
the first time Nova had visited.

“Nova!” Teebie grinned and ran toward her, opening her

arms for a hug.

“Teebie! I hear there have been some changes around

here.”

“Indeed. Let me just get that bag for you and we can have

some coffee and I can catch you up.” Teebie flicked her
fingers and the bag disappeared.

“You are using magic casually now?” That was a surprise.

Tony and Teal had not been fans of fey magic, and aside
from her housekeeping, Teebie had been discouraged from
using it.

“With all this fey magic running around, I either have to

use it or it will build up.”

Nova followed Teebie into the front room with the

fireplace and the cozy conversational arrangements. A coffee
tray with cookies glided into the room, and Teebie gave her
the entire briefing over holiday cookies and a rich dark
brew.

“What is the imported population like right now?”
Teebie sighed. “Slim. There is plenty of time for you to go

around and meet folks you have missed.”

Nova sighed. “I think I would rather go for a run. Can I

shift here?”

Teebie grinned. “No reason why not. I have no other

guests until your suitors arrive.”

Nova blushed. “They aren’t just for me.”
“You don’t understand how desperate they are to get

their population up. If they can mix with another magical
species and increase their numbers, they will be a lot more
stable.” Teebie set her cup down. “They aren’t just here for a
mate, they are here for survival. Remember that.”

Snow Time for Love

Nova blinked and she nodded cautiously. “Right. That

has skipped my thought processes until now.”

“You will catch on after you meet one. The fey around

here are very different from my folk, and I am different from
any other fey I have met.”

“I thought you were a djinn.”
“All djinn are fey but not all fey are djinn. More or less.

We aren’t precisely fey but we are close cousins. We use the
same energy for our magic.”

Nova nodded and she blinked. “I think I am going to

have that run and sort things out.”

“Up the stairs, third door on the right. I will open the

door for you when you get downstairs.”

Nova smiled and ran up the stairs; she found her room,

stripped,  opened  the  door  and  shifted  into  her  beast.  She
loved  the  feel  of  the  wood  under  the  pads  of  her  feet,  the
waves  of  white-striped  fur  coming  over  her  and  the
sharpening of her vision.

She could smell Teebie in the house, and the new magic

was in everything around her. The entire Bright Soul was
laced with fey magic. Nova turned and pulled her door shut
with a careful paw. She padded down the stairs and past her
host with a lazy look.

“Ring the bell when you come back.”
Nova nodded and trotted through the Crossroads, taking

a tour before turning toward the forest and beginning to run.
Running through the woods wrapped in magic was her
favourite place to be. The only thing that would have made
it better was if it was snowing. She did so love snow.

* * * *

Jack Wilson waited for the transporter to arrive and was
distracting himself with business matters. He set the designs

Zenina Masters

to one side and tried to focus on the new building he was
working on. The knock on his door brought him out of the
number-induced haze.

A small man was standing there, and the taste of

transporter magic was heavy in the air.

“Mr. Wilson?” The man looked exceptionally uneasy.
“Yes. Transporter Richards?”
“Yes.” The transporter sat across from him and smiled.

“So, you are wishing to travel to the Crossroads?”

“According to the seers, my chances are pretty good, so

yes.”

Richards swallowed. “Payment is set at a week’s worth of

magic, as well as any financial compensation for goods or
services rendered at the Crossroads.”

“Accepted. When would I leave?”
“When would you like to go?”
Jack looked at him with his eyes flat. “Tonight.”
“Um, I have some time open in three days.”
“Tonight.” Jack began to pull the heat out of the room.
“I can’t...there is no channel to the Crossroads until

Friday.”

“Then transport me to an area where I can get a portal to

the Crossroads tonight. The fee is not an issue. If there is a
woman who can be my mate, I do not want to be the last one
to meet her.”

Richards nodded. “May I make a call?”
“Please.”
Jack Wilson steepled his fingers and waited for Richards

to finish his calls to his guild master and get authorization to
transport  him  where  he  could  catch  a  portal  to  the
Crossroads.  With  every  passing  moment,  the  sense  of
urgency in him grew. He needed to get there as quickly  as
he could.

Snow Time for Love

“Just tell me where the transporter is who can get me

there. I can take care of that on my own.”

Richards was shivering. “Right, of course.”
Jack warmed up the room. “Apologies. This is new to all

of us. We will get it sorted.”

Richards nodded and scribbled some notes. “Right. Thank

you, Guild Master. Good night.”

Richards handed him the paper. “This is the nearest

transporter to the portal tonight. You will have until
midnight pacific to get there.”

“So, I should contact them and get myself to their

offices?”

“Yes. I will send her the information for your transport

and you will sign the contract when you hand over the fee.”

Jack got to his feet and brought out his phone. He

punched the number, made the arrangements with the
transporter named Ecker and got a description of the
location.

After he hung up he said, “Thank you, Transporter

Richards.”

“Uh, thank you, Mr. Wilson.”
The dazed smile explained something Jack hadn’t

counted on. Fey flare or fey fantasy was an effect where
humans fell under an elf’s spell. Jack wasn’t trying to cast a
spell; he just wanted a chance at a mate.

“You are dismissed.” Jack was stern, but it seemed to

work. Richards left and Jack whisked himself across the
continent in a flash of wind and frost.

Transporter Ecker was much more practical and far less

whimsical. The woman took his payment, smiled that it took
the form of a snowflake paperweight and settled him on the
portal glyph on her floor.

Zenina Masters

“I hope you find what you seek.” Transporter Ecker

waved her hands and a column of light surrounded him.

Jack held his breath as he was surrounded by human

magic and transported in a capsule of power to the one place
he was looking forward to. The Crossroads.

Snow Time for Love

Chapter Three

ova enjoyed rolling in the moonlit grass and scrubbing
it against her fur. When she had once again marked a

dozen trees with her teeth and claws, she trotted back
through town.

She stopped to greet Chuck and Ivy, was introduced to

Spike and investigated the hair and nail salons. If she were
here for a while this time, she would utilize both of them.

A light caught her attention, and a beam shot out of the

Meditation Centre. She trotted toward the magic, and as it
shut off, she used her nose to determine that she was about
to meet her first fey.

She stepped into the centre and tried to hide in the

shadows. It was ridiculous given her colouring, but the
guardians didn’t seem to mind her skulking around.

Teal and Tony were stabilizing the new arrival. He was

tall, but he was in the shadows and Nova couldn’t make him
out.

She crept further into the doorway and noticed that the

new open roof left exposed beams. If she had her human
face on she would have grinned, but she lashed her tail and
climbed the nearest post, using the open framework to get
closer to the first elf she had seen close up.

Sure, she saw the fey on the news with presidents and the

heads of industry, but to see one in person was different.
Nova could feel the power crackling around him, but he was
wearing it.

Zenina Masters

She stared at him, watching the waves of his magic caress

him. He looked human enough, if taller and more graceful,
but that was wrong, too.

She lowered herself to the beam and watched Teal and

Tony give him the wristband and the breakdown of how
things worked at the Crossroads.

Tony sighed. “I would offer to give you a tour and show

you to where you will be staying, but since Nova has been
eavesdropping on this conversation, it is only right that she
be the one to give you the tour.”

Without looking up, Teal smiled. “Nova, third door from

the left of the front. Grab a dress.”

Busted.
Nova jumped from the rafter, landed in the raked sand

and stalked into the room mentioned by Teal. She shifted
and slipped a dress over her head, the pale fabric matched
her hair. She would have been categorized albino if not for
her blue eyes. They were her most startling feature, and she
was never sure how folk would react to her when they met
her face to face.

Nova grinned as she looked down. The gown nearly fit. It

was about three inches too short for her, but that wasn’t too
bad given her above-average height.

She was barefoot, but that didn’t matter. She often ran

around without shoes, no matter the weather.

Nova exited the room cautiously, unsure of the response

of the new arrival. It was always ironic to her that she was
confident in her beast but her human form was timid. The
beasts accepted her for the predator she was, the humans
took one look at her and ran the other way.

The new arrival was staring at her, and she stiffed her

shoulders and walked forward. “Hello. My name is Nova
Spalding.”

“Jack Wilson.”
Nova’s lips twitched. “Like hell.”

Snow Time for Love

He paused and a smile crossed his features. “Reygaer

Frostwind.”

His features rippled, white hair cascaded down his back

and his skin was exposed as a pearly blue. His eyes were
black, dark coals in the blue features.

He had dropped his glamour.
Teal and Tony were staring, fascinated.
“So, have you signed the contract that indicates you

would abide by the laws of the Crossroads? Is he clear to
travel?” she asked Teal.

“He is all yours. You know the drill.”
Nova smiled and she waved for Reygaer to come with

her.

He offered her his arm, and she took it, trying not to show

how the touch affected her.

The small contact was like being wrapped in the forest,

running through icy wind and being wrapped in a blanket
of snow. All her favourite things were combined in that one
small touch.

He was surprised. “You feel...”
She cleared her throat. “I am guessing that it is one of the

fallacies that we have been fed since we were young. I was
always told that our magic would not be compatible.
Apparently, it just needs a little coaxing.”

She took a deep breath and started her tour-guide patter.

She showed him the restaurant, the café, the Crossed Star
and the row of bed and breakfasts as well as the staff homes.

That got his attention. “They live here?”
“Of course. There are many folk who have part of their

beast stuck all the time. Chuck at the Crossed Star has his
eyes and his fangs stuck. He always looks serpentine, even
while human.”

“That must be horrible. What a lonely life.”

Zenina Masters

She looked at him and realized that he thought Chuck

was shunned. “His wife doesn’t mind, nor does his adopted
family and all his friends. An attractive package is just part
of it. Our beasts look for another beast that resonates with
them.”

“What if there is no resonance?”
“We move on to the next person and look again. We

usually know within minutes of direct contact, so dancing is
very popular here.”

He looked down at her and smiled. “May I ask you any

questions that arise?”

She nodded. “Of course, or Teebie or any of those who are

running a business. Or you can ask Teal and Tony at the
Meditation Centre.”

“Why are you here?” His question was very direct.
She swallowed. “To find a mate.” She wrinkled her nose

and decided to be forthright. “I am a recall. I wasn’t able to
find a mate amongst my own kind, but now that there are
fey coming in, they think that it might be the missing
component my beast is looking for.”

She walked him to the door of the Bright Soul, and she

opened the door. “Good evening, Teebie. I have a new
arrival for you.”

Teebie came forward and smiled. “Thank you, Nova. That

dress is lovely. Did you get it at the store?”

Lovely? Nova looked down and her dress had gone from a

plain jersey shift to a silken beaded gown that rustled
around her ankles.

Nova looked to Reygaer. “When did this happen?”
He bowed over her hand and pressed a cool kiss on her

skin. “A beautiful woman deserves beautiful clothing.
Before it covered you, now it suits you.”

Teebie grinned and blinked innocently. “Well, I guess you

don’t need to change. Are you heading out for dinner?”

Snow Time for Love

“I think I will be traditional and put on some shoes.” She

wiggled her toes and scowled. She lifted the hem of her skirt
and white leather slippers with beads covered her feet.
“How did I not feel that?”

He grinned. “It must have been my fascinating

conversation.”

Nova shrugged. “I am heading out then. Teebie will take

care of you. Have a good evening, Reygaer.”

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he

nodded.

She swanned out in her beaded gown and headed for the

café in search of a hamburger.

Nova was parked with a napkin tucked in her cleavage

when Reygaer came in and made his way to her table.

There were no other folks in the café, so there wasn’t a lot

of choice for a dinner companion.

“Please, have a seat.” She said it before he could ask her.
He grinned and sat, speaking softly to the server who

came to take their order. His order made Nova smile. She
would never have pegged him for a chicken fried steak
aficionado.

“So, do you have any questions for me?” He raised his

white eyebrows and smiled with his strangely black eyes
taking in every inch of her.

“Why the glamour? You are out in the human world, so

why hide?”

“Not everyone accepts the difference in skin tones. We

draw more attention than the others do and that can give us
a bit of a problem when it comes to seeking out a mate. Our
own people are mostly spoken for, so we enter endless
strings of affairs with humans that rarely bear fruit.”

“By fruit, you mean children.”
He shrugged. “We are a dying race. There is no getting

around that. All we have left is to choose how we work for

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the next generations. If children can be had with shifters, we
will be only too happy to share our lives with anyone who
can give us a future.”

“That sounds...surprisingly fair. Life for a life. Actually, I

do have a question. How old are you?”

His food arrived and he leaned back to let the server in.

“One hundred and sixty-three.”

His lack of hesitation surprised her. “That is...wow.”
“How old are you?”
She cleared her throat. “Twenty-nine. All of my sisters

have children, all of my friends have children, and I have
failed at every attempt to get a mate of my own.”

“They are not all what you are.”
She smiled at his guess.
“No. My family are snow foxes. They are friendly,

rambunctious and they love me very much, but I am bigger
in all ways and a much taller human.”

“You seem just right to me.”
“I noticed that you are taller than the average human as

well. I don’t meet many men who are six foot eight, not to
mention those who are blue.”

“Frost fey are taller and broader than other species. We

need it to maintain body heat.”

She smiled. “Do you have a beast you turn into when the

impulse takes you?”

He grinned. “I do.”
“What is it?”
“You will have to wait until I know I am your chosen

before I tell you. Eat your burger, Nova.”

She bit into the burger, but her mind was whirling with

questions. What was he?

Snow Time for Love

Chapter Four

fter dinner, she skipped dessert and watched Reygaer
indulge his sweet tooth. She had to admit that the pie

looked good, but she wasn’t up for sweets after the
transport.

When her dishes were whisked away and her coffee was

cradled in her palms, she looked into his disturbing eyes and
tried to see his beast by sheer force of will.

“You look like you are trying to peel back my soul.” He

smiled and finished his lemon meringue.

She blinked and pressed her fingers to her eyes. “Sorry. I

don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I have a few ideas, but they probably weren’t as

interesting as my thoughts. So, what do you do after a good
meal at the Crossroads?”

Nova sighed. “I normally head over to the Crossed Star

and have a glass of pomegranate cordial while watching
others dance and occasionally dancing myself.”

“Shall we?”
Nova nodded in resignation. “I may as well get you used

to the way things work around here for when your match
shows up. It is a role I have engaged in frequently.”

She rose to her feet and he did the same.
The server came to the table and Nova moved her charm

over the small flat plate that they extended.

“See you, Molly.”
“Night, Nova. Have fun.”

Zenina Masters

Nova rolled her eyes and took Reygaer’s arm as they left.
“So, what did you do there?”
“I swiped the charm over the payment plate. You use it at

every spot that isn’t the bed and breakfast. The charm will
change shapes with you if you do actually shift shapes.” She
mentally smirked as she threw in the bit of doubt. She had
learned that shifters displayed themselves quickly if you
pricked their ego.

“You will have to wait and see. First, we should see if you

can keep up with me on a dance floor.” He winked and led
her into the Crossed Star.

A few more arrivals must have come in since Reygaer

arrived. The Crossed Star was humming with activity and
music. The music continued, but the activity stopped as
Reygaer walked in with her.

He paused and she smiled. “Hiya, Chuck.” She waved at

the fanged bartender as she hauled the elf to the dance floor.

As they passed, Chuck called out, “Evening, Nova.”
She squared off against Reygaer and looked up at him.

“Did you want to drink or dance?”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against

him, his body was delightfully cool. Her palm was snug in
his, and he shivered as they started to move to the music.

“You seem to know quite a few of the regulars here.” He

pulled her close and whispered it in her ear as they swayed
gracefully on the dance floor.

“I was here for quite a while. When you spend nearly a

month here, you get to know people.”

“What do you do in the human world?”
She shrugged. “I work for my family’s greenhouse. I do

the books and keep the boilers running.”

He whispered in her ear. “You are a mechanic?”
She shivered at the cool air caressing her and brushing

against her neck. “Heating and cooling specialist. I had an

Snow Time for Love

apprenticeship out of high school but never did more with it
than getting my certification and working for my family.”

“You have a large family?”
She nodded. “Three sisters and two brothers, all married

and all working for the greenhouse and the family, with
their families.”

They swayed around the dance floor and others joined

them. The novelty of his appearance had worn off. Shifters
adapted quickly.

When the song ended, she tried to back away, but he

pulled her in again. She wasn’t used to being manhandled.
Few, if any, men would dare.

“I wish to get a drink.”
“And I wish for one more dance. You are my host and my

guide. It behoves you to make me feel comfortable.”

She couldn’t understand why he was so insistent until he

turned slightly and she saw the three other elves who were
entering the Crossed Star. She must have been dazed,
indeed, because there was no way she should have missed
that blinding light again.

Only one out of the three was staring her way, the other

two converged on a woman sitting in a booth on her own.
The small flash from her wristband indicated that she was in
the same situation as Nova. She was here for them. Or at
least one of them.

The elf who was watching her had golden skin and thick

lines around his eyes giving him an exotic look. He had
tawny hair and a lazy, predatory grace that she found
fascinating. She blinked rapidly and scowled.

“Reygaer, if I kick an elf in the nuts, will he lose his grip

on his glamour?”

“And possibly his lunch, why? Mine is down.”
She nodded and leaned back to smile brightly, “But his

isn’t and it is irritating me.”

Zenina Masters

He released her. “Please, do what you must.”
Nova stepped away from him and stalked toward the

newcomer. He bowed low and looked up at her with a
flirtatious gaze.

“Lady, I am delighted to meet you. May I know your

name?”

Before he could rise, she gave him an uppercut that

flipped him backward, a follow-up punch to his junk
cracked his glamour, and when he landed with a thud, she
was looking at an exceptionally handsome man with a dazed
and pained look on his face.

She knelt next to him and threaded her fingers through

his hair. “You are here to meet shifters who depend on their
senses to find their mate. Using a glamour is just going to
irritate them, and then, they won’t trust you. I have given
you this introduction to the new world you have entered as
a polite warning. No one here will judge you for what you
did as long as you don’t do it again.”

She dropped his head. “And my name is Nova.”
She got to her feet and returned to Reygaer, dusting her

hands off as she walked.

Chuck poured the newcomer a drink and handed it to

him with the admonition, “She could have used her claws to
fire the point home.”

Reygaer took her back to their spot on the polished floor,

and they started to sway again.

He waited a moment and said, “So, that could have been

my greeting?”

“You dropped your glamour right away. I will tell Teal

and Tony to warn the fey. There is nothing that confuses our
senses like smelling one thing and seeing another. It is why I
steer clear of soy. It tastes like protein but it isn’t meat.”

He was amused and her words made him snicker out

loud. “So, I am meat to you?”

Snow Time for Love

“No, you are a dance partner and my charge until you

find the woman you are meant to be with.”

“And what if you are that woman?”
She looked at him through her lashes, “My beast will

have to decide, and while she is loving the cool feeling of
your body, I am not sure that your beast form and hers will
match. I have to ask, how do they know which fey to send?”

“Seers.” He pressed his hand to her lower back, and his

eyes grew heavy lidded with pleasure. “The seers see an
animal that will connect to our lives. In my path, they saw a
white tiger; also, the other three were probably exposed to a
white tiger in their visions but not as the primary beast.”

“So, on the off chance, they gather everyone who has the

same beast in their vision and send them here at the same
time?”

He nodded as if it was the most reasonable thing. “That is

correct.”

“So, if I hadn’t said yes...”
“I would be waiting until you did or waiting until another

white tiger entered the Crossroads who was willing to take a
chance on the fey.”

She took a deep breath and held it as she pressed her lips

to Reygaer’s. Cool, like everything else about him, he waited
a moment as she got the nerve to deepen the kiss.

There was no place safer than the Crossed Star for a first

kiss. If anything got out of hand, Chuck or Spike would step
in.

As they kissed in the middle of the dance floor, Nova felt

a building of her beast’s energy under her skin. The pressure
increased until she felt the flow of fey magic into her mouth.
The combination of shifter and fey magic mingled, and a
blast of power shot out in a circle from the union of their
lips.

Zenina Masters

Nova leaned back in his embrace, and the shock she felt

was echoed in his face.

Applause broke out wildly from the shifters. The three fey

looked a little confused.

Her victim moved over to them and asked, “What was

that?”

The shadows in the corner of the bar moved and parted,

allowing a graceful woman with long midnight hair and
brilliant green eyes to become visible. “It was a meeting of
equal and opposite.”

A man came out of the shadows behind her, as striking as

his companion was beautiful.

Dira and Mak stood side by side, and from the far corner,

an elder fey stepped forward.

Nova looked from one to the other. “You were

watching?”

Dira smiled. “You are the strongest possible match we

could find. If this is going to work, we had to prove it
quickly.”

Reygaer bowed to the senior fey approaching.
The man had long white hair and a pathway of wrinkles

around his eyes, but those eyes were clear and bright with
hope.

“Rise, Lord Frostwind. I am surprised you volunteered

for this but gratified by the progress you are making.”

“Thank you, High Lord West.”
“You are welcome. Will you introduce me?”
Reygaer blinked and a deep purple stained his cheeks.

“Of course. High Lord West of the People of the Echo, this is
Nova Spalding of the shifters, my intended bride.”

Nova looked at the older elf and gave a graceful curtsey

that apparently surprised him.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Welcome to

the new heartbeat of your life.”

Snow Time for Love

Nova quirked her lips. “It isn’t certain because we have

been  determined  equal,  nor  because  he  declares  me  his
intended. This isn’t over until we prove that our beasts are
compatible  or  that  our  bodies  are.  Shifters  don’t  take
anything  on  faith  or  destiny.  We  prove  our  paths.  Once  I
have Lord Frostwind naked, I will believe the seers.”

Dira was howling with laughter and holding on to Mak.
Mak was trying to keep his dignity, but he said, “She isn’t

wrong. Shifters do it by physical feedback.”

Reygaer tightened his hand on Nova’s waist. “High Lord,

I would hate for this experiment to remain unratified.”

“You do realize that this lacks dignity.”
Nova sighed, “You do realize that for most shifters life is

too short for dignity. We like to live our lives, not formalize
them into empty rituals. No disrespect intended, but this is
why we are thriving and you are fading. I have yet to see a
fey who doesn’t look bored with their own existence. This
will inject some much-needed fun. Shorter lives but much
more energy.” She paused. “High Lord.”

She curtseyed again and he started to laugh.
“Reygaer, please continue your courtship elsewhere

before I have the urge to take your mate over my knee.”

“You are as wise as ever, High Lord.”
Nova yelped as Reygaer put his arm around her waist

and lifted her as he walked out of the Crossed Star to
laughter and shouts of relief. Nova knew at that moment
that they were fairly sure this just might work.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Five

his lacks a certain amount of dignity.” She idly kicked
her feet as he carried her.

“I thought shifters didn’t care about dignity.”
She grinned and twisted to look at him. “We don’t. I just

wanted to make sure you knew I could see it when it was
around, though I don’t miss it when it is gone.”

Her heart was buzzing, her skin was tingling and she

finally understood what her sisters had been trying to tell
her. When you met your mate, you could feel it in every inch
of you. Her brothers had been more macho about it, but their
mates had told her that the fascination had been mutual on
both their parts. Her brothers had fallen over themselves to
keep their mates’ attention on them, and it had led to a few
interesting scenarios.

Now, she was facing a man that she was pretty sure was

the one for her, and he had removed her from the space
where his competition was located with an instinct she
applauded. His instincts were sound.

When he set her down on her feet, she stepped away from

him. “Was that the head of your clan?”

“The High Lord of the People of the Echo? More or less.

He is the lord of the fey of the mountains. We also answer to
a High King.”

“Lots of High guys.” She nodded.
“Do not let his appearance fool you. The fey choose to

appear aged. When he threatened to turn you over his knee,

“T

Snow Time for Love

he was flirting with you.” Reygaer smiled and cupped her
cheek.

She felt her eyes widen. “You mean he wanted to...”
“He would have liked to try. I would have had to stop

him and that would have ended in our banishment.” He
leaned toward her and kissed her briefly before whispering,
“It would have been worth it.”

Nova smiled and cupped his cheek. “I would have clawed

him to shreds before he did more than unsnap my bra.”

“You are not wearing a bra.”
“How kind of you to notice.”
“With your curves, it is impossible not to notice.” He

smiled.

She closed her eyes as he ran his hands over those very

curves. His skin cooled, and she grinned as her nipples
perked and the rest of her leaned into his grip.

She pulled his head to hers and kissed him as the air

around them cooled. Her blood surged, and she slipped her
tongue into his mouth.

He groaned and held her against him, tightening his grip

until she could feel every plane, angle and ridge in his body.
Their kiss grew wild, and to Nova’s delight, it started to
snow.

The kisses of tiny bits of ice on her skin made her smile,

which made the kiss awkward. Delight and arousal rode her
hard. She twisted her hips against him and her inner cat
rumbled happily.

She paused and pulled back, which was not an easy

manoeuver given his grip on her. “She is beginning to like
you.”

“Are you speaking of yourself in the third person?” He

kissed her neck and licked the pulse that she could feel
throbbing under his lips.

Zenina Masters

She moaned and tilted her head to the side. “No, I am

referring to my tigress. She isn’t sure if she likes you, but she
loves the snow.”

She opened her eyes enough to see that the blizzard she

was standing in was only a column of wild weather in an
otherwise green field.

Reygaer gathered her skirts up and lifted them over her

head. He knelt and cupped her breasts in his hands, and his
mouth iced one and then the other. Her body shook in his
grip.

The trickle of moisture down her inner thigh sent the

flames in her body higher, and he met each one with slow
attention to the tight nubs of her nipples and the slopes of
her breast.

Nova tangled her fingers in his hair, and she felt the

surprisingly sharp points of his ears. He tugged at her nipple
with his teeth and pulled her down to the snowy grass.

His lips swallowed her yelp of surprise. Her fingers

tugged at the fabric of his shirt, but it was her claws that tore
it free.

He leaned back and looked down in surprise. “You

clawed my shirt off.”

She blushed and squirmed a little. “I did. Be lucky I

haven’t reached for your pants.”

He took her right hand in his and kissed her palm then

the sharp tips of her nails. “What pants?”

She looked down, and his ice-blue erection reared

between them. He was right; there was nothing in the way.

She wrapped her fingers around his cock and stroked at

the smooth, cool shaft. “You are right. I was mistaken.”

He dipped his fingers into her until he was sure of his

welcome, and he gently pulled her hand away from him. “I
am sure that we can discuss the matter of fey clothing
choices later.”

Snow Time for Love

She lifted her hips to his and watched his dark eyes as he

slid into her. She saw flickers of bright light in his eyes and
was sure that they were in her own as well.

They both shuddered when he slid home as if she was

made for him or he was made for her. When he rocked
inside her, she wrapped her legs around him and held on
tight.

Light sparked between them, lit and flared around them

as they rolled in the grass so that she could take the top. She
saw the snowflakes on his skin and smiled, pausing in her
ride to press her lips to his skin.

He groaned as she traced the outline of the snowflake

with her tongue. She shifted her tongue slightly, and the
rasp of it on his skin caused him to lift his hips and thrust
deep inside her.

Nova grinned and licked the other snowflake with the

same slow attention.

Reygaer moved his hand between them and stroked her

clit until she started to move on him again.

She lifted her head and braced her hands in the snow next

to them, plunging and rocking her hips against his,
savouring the feel of the cool rod inside her. The sparks ran
across her skin, skittered against him and cascaded over his
torso.

He rolled until he was on top again and pushed into her,

grinding his hips on the inward stroke. She gasped and
moaned low, hanging onto his arms for dear life.

Reygaer began to whisper to her in words she didn’t

understand, but the low urgency in his voice crossed
language barriers.

Nova moved a hand between them and stroked her clit

until her climax started in a wave that flared blue energy
through her and into the man on top of her.

Zenina Masters

She roared, and her beast roared with her, holding onto

her mate as energy poured out of her and into him in a rush.

Reygaer shouted and held himself inside her.
She felt the rush of power course through him and enter

her in the most direct way possible.

Snowflakes perched on her skin before melting against

her heat. Reygaer’s arms were around her and he was
pressing small kisses to her shoulder.

“I think that makes it official.” His voice was a low

rumble against her skin.

“I think that you might be right. You have won my beast

over. I am guessing that yours doesn’t really matter that
much after all.”

“Oh, but now I want to show you.” He kissed her neck

and turned her so that she was staring up at his ice-blue
features.

He moved away from her and got to his feet, walking a

few steps away in order to surround himself in magic and
leave a polar bear in his place.

Nova sat up and stared. Her senses were telling her that

there was a large bear in front of her. She got to her feet and
walked over to him. “Polar bear.”

She ran her hands through the translucent fur and looked

into his black eyes. He gestured with his head.

“You want me to ride you?”
He made a gargling roar and huffed.
She grabbed his fur and pulled herself astride him. The

world was incredibly small from this height.

He made a strange sound, and she guessed it was a

warning to hang on. He took a few steps, and soon, he was
rocking through the meadow in a gallop that she had never
imagined could cover the kind of ground he was currently
sprinting over.

Snow Time for Love

When he had travelled the two miles of the expanded

shifter’s meadow, he turned and stopped. To her surprise,
he reared up on his hind legs and she tumbled off.

Sitting in the grass, she took in the gesture of his head and

realized he wanted to race.

She smiled and took on her tigress, lashing her tail as she

prepared to run.

He took off without her and she growled, bounding after

him.

Her claws bit into the turf, and she pushed herself faster

and faster until she passed him and streaked back to their
clothing.

When she arrived, she shifted back, pulled on her gown

and waited for him, watching the watch that wasn’t there.

“You are very slow, Reygaer. If you are going to challenge

me to a race, you might want to do speed drills.”

He stood up on his hind legs, and after a flurry of magic,

he was back in his fey form with his clothing on.

“You are very fast, and the view from behind you is well

worth the loss.” He grinned and put his arms around her.

“How do you do that thing with the clothing?” She

plucked at his shirt.

“Practice.” He winked. “If the transfer works, I will teach

you. Will you teach me to shift at speed, like you do? One
moment you were on four feet and in the next you were on
two.”

“Practice.”
He chuckled and they began to walk toward the Bright

Soul.

“I wonder if Teebie will be happy or disappointed that I

won’t be hanging around this time.” She was enjoying the
feel of being next to Reygaer, but it was like running into a
friend at the airport and thinking you both had a layover
when one’s flight was called early.

Zenina Masters

She had spent so much time focusing on friends and

family that it was going to take a while before she could
uncouple and aim her attentions at her mate.

Everything had a strange gleam to it. The buildings were

glowing with blends of white, green and blue magic.

“Do you see that?” she rubbed her eyes and focused

again. Everything around her was bristling with magic.

“See what?”
“Magic, everywhere there is magic. The blue of the

shifters, the white of the fey and the green of the mages.”

He looked at her with an indulgent and surprised smile.

“That is the way fey see the world. Are you really seeing all
of it?”

She blinked. “How else would I know it was there?”
“Don’t you normally see shifter magic?”
“Only when I transform. The rest of the time, I rely on my

senses.”

“So, when I arrived, you climbed into the rafters...”
“To get a better look at you. I couldn’t see you through

the shadows and glamour. I was curious and the beam of
light that came with you nearly blinded me.”

He looked at her. “I don’t remember an unusual light. It

was a human mage that transported me, after all.”

“I saw it.”
“I don’t doubt it; I am just beginning to think that there is

more in action here than simple magic.”

They mounted the steps to the Bright Soul, and Teebie

threw glitter over them and blew a noisemaker the moment
they passed the threshold. “Congratulations!”

Nova blinked and brushed at her face. “Um, thank you?”
“The burst of power nearly boiled the eggs in the fridge.”

Teebie grinned. “That was quite the union. You two need to
get some equilibrium quickly so you stop mixing power the
hard way.”

Snow Time for Love

Reygaer grinned. “I like the hard way.”
Nova sighed.
High Lord West came out of the front room with a cup of

hot  chocolate  and  a  gingerbread  cookie.  “You  two  will  be
locked  in  your  shielded  room  for  this  evening,  and
tomorrow,  we  will  have  the  first  balance  ceremony  in  the
Meditation Centre.”

Dira and Mak wandered out after the elf. Dira winked.

“Good night, Nova. Good night, Reygaer.”

Teebie chuckled. “I will send up some refreshments so

stay off the table.”

Reygaer swept her into his arms and climbed the stairs.

“Good evening, everyone.”

Nova called out, “Good night!”
Nothing else needed to be said. The relieved laughter

below said it all.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Six

er dress turned into a lace robe halfway up the stairs.
“How do you do that?”

He smiled. “My magic is that of crafting. Molecular

realignment if you believe in such things.”

“Believe in magic or molecules? I believe in both.”
She kicked a little, and her feet were bare of the soft

slippers she had been wearing earlier.

“All my magic, you have already seen.” She sighed. “No

more secrets.”

“I believe you have a few things for me to discover.” He

smiled.

He walked down the hall, and her door opened for them.

To her amusement, the room had been expanded and had
joined the room next to hers, which just happened to be his.

“I am guessing that Teebie put you on one side and the

charmer from the bar on the other.”

Reygaer twirled with her in his arms, and she laughed

and held onto him. “I hope that he recovered from his
introduction to shifter females. If he is destined to be with
one of you, he needs to learn quickly.”

“It is a good thing that you are a quick study.” She

laughed.

He paused and let her slip down his body. “It is a good

thing that you have a fascination for cold. Even fey women
demand that I warm things up for them.”

Snow Time for Love

She scowled. “You do know that shifters are

monogamous, right?”

“As are mated fey. The balancing tomorrow should help

prove it to the others around us.” He gave her a grim smile.

“You think we will have an issue?”
“I think that despite the fact that we have a locked-in

agreement, we are going to be the targets of other fey and
shifters who want to wreck this bonding before it can
become unremarkable.”

She looked into his eyes and nodded. “And until the

effective nature of our union is proved by reproduction and
the product our union is proved to be stronger than either of
us, this isn’t going to be fun.”

He drew his fingers down the vee of her robe. “I would

not say it won’t be fun. I would just say that we have to
work at it and know what we are getting into.”

Nova looked at him and gripped his hand. “Where will

we live?”

“I am an ice hotel architect, so we can travel and make our

home wherever you wish.”

She lifted his hand to her cheek and pressed it against her

skin. “That sounds delightful, but I will miss my family.”

“If the balance of power is successful, I can teach you to

transport yourself. You can go home whenever you wish
until you are carrying, and then, I will take you where you
need to go.”

Nova narrowed her eyes. “You are that sure that this will

work? What if I don’t get pregnant?”

“It is my duty to try.” He smiled and returned his hand to

the vee of her robe. “And I intend to try every moment that
you will let me.”

She lifted her lips to his, and her hands stroked his chest,

undoing the buttons and unbuckling his belt a moment
before his clothing disappeared.

Zenina Masters

He smiled against her mouth. “I have never dreamed of a

woman of your height in my arms, but you are the perfect fit
in every way.”

“Almost as if we were destined to be together.” She

smiled back but let the smile fade as they backed toward the
bed with a slow dance step.

He tilted her back and the robe opened, framing her on

the dark coverlet.

She finally got a good look at him and the ice blue of his

skin drew her eye. The snowflakes were either birthmarks or
tattoos, but she couldn’t imagine who would put a needle
into that glorious skin.

He smiled softly and caressed her hips. “You glow with

the same colour as my skin.”

Nova bit her lip. “I hope that is a good thing.”
“It is fascinating. With my eyes, I see a human woman,

and with my senses, you glow with wild and powerful
magic. It is a sight I wish to get used to.”

He knelt and pulled her to the edge of the bed, kissing his

way up her inner thigh before starting at the knee on the
other side and repeating the motion.

She was trembling before he blew a stream of air across

her sex. When he parted her folds with his tongue, she
grabbed the bed and held on for the ride.

It seemed that he sought her heat like she craved the cold.
She gasped when he draped her thighs over his

shoulders, and his relentless tonguing of her clit had her
shivering on the edge of release. When he stood and pressed
deep into her, she moaned at the opposing forces that took
over her body. She wanted to rock against him, but her
position had her helpless. She had to wait as he started slow
and moved into stronger and stronger thrusts.

She moved her fingers to stroke her clit, but he moved her

fingers aside and replaced them with his. A hard, fast circle

Snow Time for Love

brought her to peak sharply, and she screamed as the
pleasure edged on pain.

His groan joined the lingering echo of her cry, and he

released her legs so that he could drop his weight on her.

Her grunt wasn’t delicate, but she wrapped her limbs

around him and held on tight.

She had never slept comfortably with another person in

the bed, but she dozed happily with Reygaer curled around
her. When dawn crept through the windows, she opened her
eyes, wanting to savour every moment that she was with
him. For three years, she had thought that she was destined
to be unwanted and unloved.

They had to get used to each other, but love was going to

come. She was certain of it. He looked at her like he had just
discovered a treasure every time he saw her.

Her lips curved in a smile. He also had an obsession with

her breasts. He was sleeping now with one cupped in either
hand; the fit was perfect.

She tried to remember when she had first started looking

for a man with cold skin. She had even seduced a few snake
shifters  to  try  them  out,  but  while  they  were  described  as
cold  blooded,  they  were  not  cold  enough.  She  had  done
more than kiss a few frogs to find her prince, but she finally
had  a  man  who  counteracted  her  hot  blood  without
screwing her in a freezer.

Embarrassment flowed through her when she realized

how she was using Reygaer. Yes, he was her mate; yes, she
was his, but how could she reconcile her past behaviour
when it came to the opposite sex.

“You are tense.” He kissed her shoulder. “Regrets

already?”

“Not regrets, never that. Honesty?”
“Please.”

Zenina Masters

“Recriminations for the path I took to finding you.”
He turned her. “Anything specific?”
There was concern in his eyes, but it was concern for her

and not her actions.

“The men that I tried to shape to my needs before I found

you.”

“Did you injure them?”
She twisted her lips. “Not permanently, but a few got

frostbite.”

His eyes widened and he tried not to laugh, she could see

it in the flex of his lips.

He nodded. “When I was first asked by my people to find

a mate, I went through a number of similar issues, including
altering myself and trying to have sex in full glamour. It
wasn’t pleasant, and the courtships didn’t last.”

“So, it is always best to be yourself?”
“Not being yourself always ends in disappointment for

you and your lover. If you can’t keep up the charade, your
lover will feel betrayed.”

She nodded up at him as he loomed over her.
He smiled. “How about a pact? Whatever takes place

between us, we will not bring it to bed. I will sleep in your
arms and you will sleep in mine for every night we are
together. No fakery enters the sheets.”

She smirked. “Not even if I just can’t orgasm or you

can’t?”

“I would rather know that there is an honest divide than

live with a false bridge.” He smiled again. “We have time to
work things out. It is the best part of blending lives with a
fey.”

She nodded. “Right. Outliving my sisters, nieces,

nephews and possibly their children, it is not a pleasant
thought. Don’t get me wrong, I know that I belong with you,
but I know what I am giving up in the long run.”

Snow Time for Love

He leaned back. “I hadn’t...I didn’t...”
She sat up and put her hand on his chest, feeling the

thudding of his heart. “This was part of the agreement,
Reygaer. I would find my mate, increase my lifespan, have
children and outlive my family. You or them, Reygaer. That
was the deal I made, my past or my future. I chose a future.”

He blinked rapidly and she saw him fighting tears.
She cupped his cheek and pressed kisses to his jaw and

temple. “It is fine. I am not fey-touched. I am with you as an
equal. We are starting a storm here, a social revolution of
magic. I will see my family and be part of them as long as I
can, and when they pass, I will be there and comfort the next
generation until my time comes.”

He placed his hand at the nape of her neck and turned his

head to meet her lips. “And I will be at your side until the
day we draw our last breaths, hopefully, with our children
and grandchildren around us.”

She smiled at the carefully constructed thoughts. “You

have not thought beyond the mating, not really.”

He shrugged and kissed her again, easing her to her side,

lifting her thigh and sliding into her.

“Always so welcoming.” His eyes were heavy lidded. “I

do love that about you.”

She didn’t answer him; she kissed his neck and rocked

her hips against him. She coaxed him deeper, harder and
rocked with him until she gripped her fingers into his
shoulder and she shivered along with her moan.

He groaned softly and gripped her hips as he kept himself

inside her.

She nibbled at his neck and changed her tongue to rasp

across the columns of muscle and tendon. He blinked and
moaned. “That feels amazing.”

She smiled. That was the idea, but he might have figured

that out as she released him from inside her and worked

Zenina Masters

down his body with special attention to the tattoos. They
appeared to enjoy the sensation, because his erection
thickened and gleamed once again.

Nova moved down to show him the hazards of mating to

a big cat, but he simply grunted as she stroked her tongue
from base to tip over and over again.

With the endless patience of her kind, she lapped at him

until he groaned and a jet of cum shot from him to land on
the sheets. A few spurts joined it as she continued lapping
away, and when he tugged at her hair, she left his cock and
crawled back to face him, nuzzling his jaw with her nose.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to

her neck. “When do we have to leave?”

She chuckled. “I don’t know. I have never gotten this far

before.”

He wove his fingers through hers and kissed her softly.

“Then, from here on in, we are on even ground.”

She enjoyed the glow of being with him when a random

name popped into her mind. “Why Jack Wilson?”

He smiled against her lips. “In the days before we became

public knowledge and we used our glamour to hide us when
we went amongst humans, we needed names for that
purpose. I used Jack Wilson and it stuck with me when I am
dealing with those who are not fey.”

“So, Reygaer Frostwind isn’t legal?”
“It is a legal name, but Jack Wilson is a valid alternative. I

use it for business.”

She smiled. “Do you really make ice hotels?”
“Palaces that melt with the spring. Yes.”
“So, you have actually taken time out of your busy season

to come here?” Tears pricked her eyes.

“I have. One season is well worth even the chance to find

a mate.” He stroked her cheek.

Snow Time for Love

“Then, we had better get this ratified before they change

their minds.”

He smiled. “I was thinking that very thing.”
Neither of them moved to separate until a knock at the

door broke their soft caresses and whispers.

“Nova, Reygaer, if we can get this balance ceremony

done, we can invite more shifters and fey here to let them
find their own impossible matches. Get out of bed or it will
disappear out from under you.” Teebie’s voice was amused
but insistent.

Nova raised her head. “Fine. Ten minutes.”
“Breakfast will be waiting.”
Reygaer rolled with her until they fell off the bed. She

landed on him with a thud, but he rolled to his feet with her
in his arms.

While she enjoyed the novelty of being carried, she had to

say, “You don’t need to carry me. My legs work just fine.”

“And they are very fine legs. I like having you in my

arms. It makes me feel that you cannot get away.”

“I am not going to run. I am much more the stand-and-

fight kind of girl.”

He grinned. “I have gotten that feeling since you jumped

out of the rafters.”

She smiled and reached over to start the shower. They

had a breakfast to get to.

Zenina Masters

Chapter Seven

he put on her normal uniform of underwear, jeans and a
t-shirt with a sweatshirt overtop and comfy sneakers.

Reygaer was dressed in an impeccable deep-blue shirt,

black trousers, belt and shiny shoes.

Nova looked at him and wrinkled her nose. “I am getting

the feeling that a fashion mismatch is going to be an issue.”

He winked. “Not even remotely.”
He offered her his arm and took their bags with his other

hand.

They left the room together and headed down the stairs.

Representatives of all the folk involved occupied the dining
room. The mages looked a little uneasy, but the others were
all settling in.

Reygaer pulled out her chair and held it for her. Nova

didn’t hold back when it came to eating Teebie’s food. Her
host would continue making what they needed, but it was
always more fun to be the first one in the platter.

Teebie came by with the coffee and Nova grinned.
“Good morning, Teebie.”
Teebie winked. “Good afternoon, Nova.”
Reygaer chuckled as if he was pleased with himself. Nova

kicked him under the table while she tore apart her muffin.

He winced and lifted his coffee.
High Lord West was looking at them with a calculating

gaze. “If half the matings produce that kind of energy, you
will be the first in a new golden age.”

Snow Time for Love

Nova felt a blush creep up her cheeks as the others stared

at her, but she kept working on breakfast. Teal and Tony
began the conversation and Nova focused on her meal.

“You eat with a single-minded intensity. I will remember

that.” Reygaer muttered it in her ear.

“You saw me take down that burger yesterday. This

should not be a surprise.” She methodically made her way
through her food until she was full and her coffee was the
only thing left in front of her.

Teebie waved away the remains of breakfast, and

everyone got to their feet. Apparently, they had just been
waiting for Nova and Reygaer to finish eating.

Nova looked to Teal. “Does someone have a shotgun?”
Teal smirked, “No, but it might come to some light

bondage if you don’t get out of here.”

Reygaer grinned. “I have no objections on either count.”
Nova nudged him with her hip, and they walked with the

group to a space outside the Meditation Centre.

“This is new.”
A large archway had been built with two podiums on

either side of a central base with three spots for folk to kneel.
It was elaborate and not in the usual style of the Crossroads,
but it proved that this was a joint effort.

Most human girls knew how their wedding was going to

go,  but  having  nearly  a  dozen  paranormal  creatures  and
humans  trying  to  organize  a  ritual  for  the  first  time  and
make  it  look  ancient  was  a  complicated  event  that  didn’t
involve the bride.

Nova stood in Reygaer’s embrace and waited with his

head propped on hers. “Are you messing with my
clothing?”

His jaw flexed and she could feel him smiling. “I am

messing with my own as well. We wear our colours.”

Zenina Masters

She looked down, and she was dressed in brilliant blue. It

was more medieval gown and less sweats and sneakers. His
long sleeves and snow-white tunic made them a matched
pair.

Nova rested her back against his chest. “Snow white.

How adorable.”

He chuckled and sighed as the representatives organized

themselves. High Lord West beckoned them forward, as did
Teal and the human mage. The young woman looked really
nervous.

Nova walked away from her fey and took up one of the

podiums,  placing  her  hands,  palm  down,  on  the  small
curves in the stone; she took a deep breath and looked across
the  distance  to  Reygaer.  He  settled  himself  in  his  glowing-
white  clothing  with  his  hair  held  back  with  a  circlet  of
snowflakes.

A crowd was gathering, and the mage rose on her knees

to address those gathered. She spoke about the blending of
fey and shifter magic and the new day that was beginning.

Nova and Reygaer stared at each other across the span,

and they waited for their portion of the ritual.

When it came, it was very simple.
“Tiger shifter, Nova Spalding, do you give yourself, your

magic and your life to your mate?”

“I do.”
The moment the words were out of her mouth, a wave of

blue fire began at her feet and coursed to the centre of the
structure, churning and boiling with urgency.

“Fey of the ice fields, Reygaer Frostwind, Jack Wilson,

Lord of Winter, so you give yourself, your magic and your
life to your mate?”

“I do.”
He flared white, and his power burned to the centre

where it met hers and tangled until it formed a tower.

Snow Time for Love

“By the spell of balance, I gather your power and divide it

equally. You shall share, you shall grow and you shall
become something that has not been seen in our lifetimes.
Shifter and fey in complete balance.”

The green energy shot out of the woman’s hands and

struck the maelstrom in the centre of the structure.

The white and blue were forced together, melded, and

when the wave of energy came back at her, Nova hung onto
the podium for dear life.

Ice and fire climbed up her legs, snaked inside her and

ran over her skin. So much energy rippled through her that
she stared into the eyes of Reygaer as his muscles trembled
with the shock of the power grafting to his body.

His dark eyes glowed with shifter fire, and she could feel

the fey fire bonding to her beast. He was her focus and she
was his. They fought the pain, the energy and the force
being pressed on them by the mage, but when it was over,
another wave of energy lashed out.

“Nova is bound to the fey; Reygaer is bound to the

shifters. They do not lose a people; they gain one. Each has
two houses to call upon, two people. It is our great pleasure
to have this bonding in our presence with our eyes here to
witness. Congratulations to you both and to the
communities that welcome you today.”

Nova unclenched her hands from the podium and walked

to meet Reygaer halfway. His arms were trembling when he
held her, but his kiss was the cool energy she wanted against
her lips.

Applause broke out. Nova focused on her new mate and

the surging power in her blood.

“That is definitely different.” She bit her lip and looked

into his struggling gaze.

“I would say so. I knew you had power, but this is

amazing.” His skin flickered.

Zenina Masters

Dira came toward them with her dragon wings out and

looking surprisingly appropriate on her human form. “You
two need to come with me.”

Nova looked over her shoulder at the fey and shifter

party that was going on. “Isn’t that our party?”

Dira smiled. “No. That is the celebration because you

didn’t explode when the energies combined. You two need
to spend time together to let the magic settle.”

Reygaer kept his arms around her. “A honeymoon?”
“No. Just a few hours in a separate area where you can try

out your new skills while they are still running hot.”

Dira flared her wings out and a column of green light

wrapped around them.

When the light faded, Nova was still in her mate’s arms

but snow lashed them on all sides.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I think we are going to

see what our new beasts and magic can do.”

“I think we are. Turn off the snow.”
Nova blinked. “Really?”
He grinned. “Really. You know how to touch frost, how

to embrace the cold? Reach into the snow and find the
source and shut it off.”

She looked around and tried to see the waves of power;

nature had a different frequency of magic, but this was not
natural. Green was saved for human magic, but this was the
bright emerald of Dira’s power.

She reached out and touched the emerald with the pale

blue of her energy. The snow got stronger for a moment, but
then, it trickled to light flakes.

Nova looked at Reygaer. “I did it!”
He laughed. “You did. My turn.”
He stepped back and shifted.
Nova covered her mouth when he looked surprised by

his lashing tail and his striped body. “Equal and different.”

Snow Time for Love

He took a few halting steps, and he turned back to look at

her with confusion.

“Yes, you are a tiger. The tail is for balance. Do you want

to race?”

He huffed his agreement, and she tried to emulate his

shift. Her clothing disappeared and remained in her mind as
attached objects. She stretched her feline limbs and lashed
her tail.

With a few steps, she passed Reygaer, and then, she took

off running across the mountaintop.

She waited until he caught up with her before she began

to jump across chasms. Under her watchful attention, he
slowly got proficient enough to jump fifteen feet across an
open span.

Nova found a small cavern and shifted back to her human

form with her gown on. It was backward, but it was on.

Reygaer shifted back to his normal fey form, and there

was an excitement in him. “That was amazing! I have never
felt that kind of energy from my animal form before.”

She pulled her arms in from her sleeves and turned her

dress around. “You are going to notice yourself becoming
moody.”

“What?”
“The polar bear is a shape. You move like a bear and have

the strength of the bear, but you are still the only mind in the
body. Shifters have the soul of their beast inside them. It
makes it easier for us to move in a natural manner, but it
bleeds out into our lives as bipeds.”

He blinked. “I have the soul of a tiger inside me?”
“In theory. It explains the random shifters that occur in

nature. Our beast’s soul gives us the shape we can transform
into. It shapes our magic. If we were truly blended, you now
have a beast soul in you.” She shrugged.

He paused. “So, can I do that tongue thing?”

Zenina Masters

Nova blushed. “With some practice. Watch the claws

though. They can pop out when you least expect it. They are
hell on shoes.”

She focused on her dress and changed the colour from

blue to the powder blue of his skin, with snowflakes around
the hem and cuffs.

“It seems that my skills are being mastered.”
Nova twirled as she widened the flare of the skirt. “I am

working on it.”

She finished with her spin, and he obligingly caught her.
A green flare surrounded them and pulled them back to

the gathering.

Dira smiled. “So, two hours and you already have a grip

on it. Well done.”

“You were monitoring us?” Reygaer didn’t look outraged,

merely curious.

“Of course. We can’t send that much wild magic through

a transport; you would blow a hole in the Meditation Centre
again. Teal and Tony can only rebuild so many times before
the novelty of a shirtless Tony on the roof wears off.”

Nova glanced over at the lithe but heavily muscled

guardian of the Crossroads. “I hope that sort of thing never
wears off. I plan on being an admirer of that sort of physique
well into my dotage.”

Dira looked over and sighed. “Me too.”
Reygaer smirked. “Good to know.”
She blushed a little and shrugged. “Perhaps we should

join the party.”

He put his arm around her waist. “Perhaps we should.”

Snow Time for Love

Chapter Eight

n Nova’s mind, the contract should have been signed
before the balance was created, but she signed Nova

Spalding with a flourish.

Reygaer had more names to sign, so it took him longer.
When they were done, they stepped onto the exit that

would take them to the fey-charged areas. Teal and Tony
stood to either side, and surprisingly, Teebie took up the
third post.

Teal smiled. “Teebie is the stabilizer. Her power protects

ours from the fey energy. It was great seeing you again,
Nova.”

Nova kept herself plastered to Reygaer and waved. “You

too, though I have to admit that I am delighted to not be
leaving alone.”

Teebie grinned. “I am so glad you agreed to come back.”
Nova looked up at Reygaer. “I am too.”
Her new mate’s smug grin probably matched the one on

her own face.

The light flared and they were on their way.

* * * *

The mage looked a little nervous. “Did they make it?”

Teebie handed her a glass of wine. “They did. They are

bonded, the energy is absorbing and you did a good job on
it, Lyra.”

Zenina Masters

Lyra sighed in relief. “It is the first time I have done this

kind of thing. The guild master normally engages in this sort
of work.”

“He is too powerful to have him popping in and out for

every mating. This is going to start going faster. We needed
someone who could live here and not cause ripples in the
existing magic.”

Lyra nodded. “I understand. I can only manage enough

power for one spell at a time, but I can give it my entire
focus.”

Teebie lifted her glass. “Precisely, Curse Master Lyra

Devril. It is the same reason we do not introduce you to the
couple. Some magic is better off focused and precise.”

“And the words Curse Master freak people out.” Lyra

sipped at her wine.

“But it is the most binding magic that there is. When they

worked on how to bind a fey and shifter equally, a curse was
the best option. No one needs to know what you are, just
that it works.”

Lyra looked around at the shifters and the few fey with

enough nerve to try their hand at taming fur and fangs in
exchange for a future. Being a mage seemed a simple thing
next to the complicated arrangements that were being
undertaken. Lyra was going to be here for a one-year shift,
and if she got along well, the contract would be extended.

Since the only person here who would speak with her was

Teebie, Lyra stuck close to the djinn for the rest of the
celebration. When it was over, she would return to meditate,
rest and recover from casting a curse of everlasting equality.
She hoped neither of them suffered an injury, because it
would be painful for the other.

Lyra blinked and horror overcame her. She dropped her

wineglass as she realized a small, little, minute, tiny,
problem with her curse.

Snow Time for Love

“Lyra, what is it?”
She gripped Teebie’s arm and whispered the problem.
The djinn stared at her for a moment before peals of

laughter rang out, knocking her to the ground, and she
hooted and wailed while she imagined the consequences of
what Lyra had told her.

Dira wandered over and spread her wings for a modicum

of privacy. “What has caused my niece this much
amusement?”

Lyra leaned in and explained the problem. Teebie went

off again, and to Lyra’s horror, Dira joined her.

Mak watched the women howling, and he sidled up to

Lyra. “Can I get in on the joke?”

Lyra looked at him and explained. “When I bound them

as equals, it included pain and pleasure. If one gets cut, the
other feels it. If Nova gives birth...”

Mak paled.
Dira and Teebie were still limply giggling on the ground.
“I will have to alter the ritual for the next couple.”
Dira raised a hand, “Don’t. Leave it as is.”
“But...”
“Okay, change it from feel to sense. It will still be funny

but probably more helpful for them.”

Lyra nodded. “Yes, madam.”
Mak helped his wife up and tugged Teebie up with her.

“Do not worry about it, Lyra. This is a new process and
everyone knows it. You have at least six matches to go until
you have to get it right.”

Dira leaned against her husband and smiled. “He is just

sensitive, because he thinks I might be carrying, and the idea
of dealing with me in labour is freaking him out.”

Teebie blinked. “Really?”

Zenina Masters

“Yes, right before the fey took the Crossroads hostage. It

was too soon to tell then, so I shifted anyway, but now, I am
fairly sure, so I am sticking to the wings when I need to fly.”

Lyra smiled as Teebie hugged her aunt and was hugged

tightly in return.

She would get used to being the only human at the

Crossroads. It would get better as time went on, and if she
were lucky, she would get to see what a dragon’s baby
looked like.

* * * *

Reygaer smiled, “How much do you know about the fey
world, Nova?”

“Only what makes it to the news.”
He walked her into his home, and she stared at the

sculpted stone. “Well, higher-station fey have servants of the
under-fey. They can be a little difficult to get used to.”

“What do you have as servants?”
“Brownies, gnomes and some goblins.”
She nodded. “I am assuming you will tell me which is

which?”

“As necessary. Hora is my housekeeper. She is a spider

goblin. They are very loyal and rather cruel.”

“Oh. Good.” Dealing with others had not really been in

her plans.

He grinned. “Don’t worry. She has been after me to start

my own brood.”

A woman stepped out with thin arms and another set of

thin arms. It was the four eyes staring at Nova that unnerved
her. “This is the new mistress?”

Nova looked at the woman and said, “This is the only and

last mistress.”

Snow Time for Love

Frost crept along the stone floor and up the walls, rushing

toward Hora and coating her dress.

“Hora, allow me to introduce my wife, Nova Frostwind,

Lady of Winter.”

Hora picked up her frostbitten skirts and she curtsied.

“Mistress. Welcome to the house of Winter.”

“Thank you, Hora. I am new to the world of the fey, and I

will depend on you to tell me what Reygaer will not.”

Hora inclined her head. “My honour and privilege.”
Nova sighed in relief. She pulled back the frost and her

inner cat chuffed proudly.

“I will show Nova to our chambers, and we would like

dinner in two hours. Is that possible, Hora?”

The goblin flapped her apron. “Of course. Shoo. I can see

that you two are eager to get under each other’s skin.”

Nova grinned at the phrase, but Reygaer shivered as he

led her away.

“What is up with the shiver?”
“That is how goblins mate; they dig in and hold on, under

the skin.”

Nova caught his shiver.
His room was pleasantly sized, and a wardrobe stood

against  one  wall.  Feeling  amused,  Nova  wandered  to  the
wardrobe  just  in  time  to  open  it  and  see  the  lingerie  from
other  women  as  well  as  several  gowns  transform  into
clothing more suited to a lady.

“Nice one, Reygaer.”
He shrugged. “Still honest, but not stupid.”
She laughed and looked over at his bed. “What about the

bed? How much mileage is on it?”

A wave of cool magic swept through the room. The

bedding turned from inky black to white and blue.

“Brand new. I have never even slept on it.” He beamed.

Zenina Masters

She walked over and pressed her hand on it. “Nice and

springy. I wouldn’t mind taking it for a test drive.”

He grinned. “A very human term, and I can definitely get

behind it.”

Their clothing disappeared in a wisp of her thoughts, and

he lifted her in his arms and placed her on the bed with care
and attention.

It took him three tries, but eventually, he got the hang of

the cat tongue and her cries echoed against the walls.

Two days later, they met the court of the High Lord West.

The fey were curious about her, and some eyed her with
combinations of lust and hope. It was a very weird mix, and
she stayed close to Reygaer.

Four days after their arrival at his home, they visited her

family.

Nova watched her sisters ogle Reygaer, and she sat with

her mother for a moment in the kitchen while her mate
watched the incredible sight of ten children in the small
living room.

“Oh, Nova, he seems lovely, but are you sure?” Her

mother scowled with a worried expression.

“Sure about what? I am sure, my beast is sure, nothing

else even registers with me.” She smiled.

“But can you even have children with him? He’s fey,

Nova.”

Little Harold was currently climbing Reygaer’s shoulder

and chewing on his pointed ear. Her mate simply held the
child and winced.

“I had noticed, Mom. I am hoping we can have children

together, because otherwise, I am the victim of an
immaculate conception.”

Snow Time for Love

Reygaer’s head whipped around, and his dark eyes stared

at her in shock. He was fifteen feet away and surrounded by
shrieking children, but he had been listening to her.

Her mother stared. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure. The six tests I have taken were all positive.”

She kept her tone conversational, but she was looking at her
mate.

Tears pricked his eyes, and he swallowed, blinking

rapidly and placing Harold down with the rest of his cousins
and siblings.

“Mom, I think Reygaer and I need to have a little talk. The

wedding will need to be soon.”

She kissed her mother’s cheek and went to her mate,

taking him outside into the cold and walking him into the
forest behind the large farmhouse. The greenhouses spread
out as far as the eye could see, but right now, Nova only had
an interest in the woods.

When she paused, she pressed him against a tree. It was

easy; he was still stunned.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. Mom

was working up to a tirade and I wanted to head her off.”

“You are carrying my child.”
She twisted her lips and finally nodded. “Yes. Probably. I

will need to see a doctor for blood tests, but yes. I am
pregnant.”

He laughed and hugged her carefully. “I did not think it

would happen that quickly.”

“It just takes the right timing, and since I have been

unable  to  find  a  mate,  my  cycle  has  been  coming  rather
frequently.  This  is  the  reason  that  they  make  the  female
candidates wear the bracelets with the gems. Part of it is to
make  it easier for the fey;  the other part is to hide us  from
the shifters. Even a lukewarm relationship would have been

Zenina Masters

fine with a shifter who had been seeking without finding for
long enough.”

She laughed and stroked his face, smiling at the joy

spreading through him.

“I will be a father.”
“You will be a father, and you are already an uncle to that

entire brood inside, plastered against the window.”

He blinked in surprise. “I suppose I am. Well, you do not

pack lightly.”

“When it comes to family, no, I do not.”
He wrapped his arms around her and buried his head

against her neck. “Pardon my lack of sense, but this is not
what I expected today.”

“I know. Like I said, I didn’t mean to blurt it out. You

should have been the second to know, not overhearing it.”

“I don’t care how I heard it, I am just glad I did. I really

want to take you home now.”

She grinned and felt the erection through her clothes and

his. “I know, but Dad cooked, and you would not believe
how good a turkey can be with a bacon sweater.”

“It has to be better than it sounds.” He kissed her.
She took his hand and hauled him back to the house.

“Focus on the bacon.”

They had to get back to their family. Dinner was almost

done.

Snow Time for Love

Epilogue

ova smiled down at the child in her arms and looked
over at the exhausted fey next to her.

“They tell me that they changed the binding after we were

joined.  They  hadn’t  anticipated  this  when  they  crafted  the
magic.  They  forgot  that  this  was  the  entire  point  of  the
exercise.”  Nova  smiled  and  stroked  the  pointy  ears  of  her
daughter.

He looked over at her and rolled until he could kiss the

head of his pale blue little girl. “It was worth every moment
of it.”

She laughed softly. “That was my line. So, knowing what

is in store, would you try it again?”

“I am just waiting for the chance to try. You heal, and let

the little one here get some weight on, and the rest will take
care of itself.”

He shifted and held Nova against his chest, and she held

their daughter. She let her eyes close as he whispered, “We
are going to have to think of a name.”

“Noella.” She smiled. “Noella Frostwind.”
The little fingers opened and closed. Nova stroked the

tiny hand, and she felt the chill that echoed the touch of her
husband. “I stand corrected, Noella Frostfingers.”

Reygaer put his hand under Nova’s and he chuckled.

“She is powerful.”

Zenina Masters

Nova leaned back with relief. “Good. There are eight

other couples out there who aren’t sure that this is going to
work. Our darling girl is proof of concept.”

Reygaer chuckled. “She is proof of conception as well.

There is no doubting that she is mine. Even the most
sceptical fey will have to acknowledge it.”

Nova grinned and dozed. After nine months of

uncertainty and snobbery, they finally had proof that the
joining of fey and shifter would work. Anyone coming near
her daughter with anything other than respect was going to
meet the sharp side of the shifter. Unease was over. It was
time to make their place in the fey world.

Reygaer held his family as the fey began to stream in with

gifts for the new baby. While Nova was out for the count,
Noella was wide awake, and she stared at the incoming fey
with her solid blue eyes.

One by one, they bowed and left their gifts at Nova’s feet,

and she slept through it all. She had kept emotional control
for  nine  months  to  earn  the  respect  and  trust  of  the  fey  by
having  a  child  who  carried the  power of  both  parents,  and
now  that  the  stress  was  over,  he  doubted  that  she  would
wake for a day or more.

The gifts piled up and continued to for the next week.

Reygaer wore the baby in a sling and helped Nova open the
presents, explaining some of the uses for the odd items and
the vials of healing and magical solutions.

He smiled as she catalogued everything and prepared a

list for thank you notes. Despite her power, she had so many
human habits, he sometimes forgot that she had not been
able to work magic until this last year.

Snow Time for Love

Noella snuffled and frosted her sling. He let her grip his

finger, and he walked up behind Nova and pressed a kiss to
her neck.

She smiled and turned to face him. “How are my two

precious snowflakes?”

He winked. “She is fine; I am feeling neglected.”
His mate pulled him down for a kiss, and Noella made a

gurgling noise that would soon evolve into laughter.

Ice and heat ran through his veins, and he loved every

moment of it. He had hundreds of years with his mate ahead
of him, and he looked forward to many more of these
moments, but first, he had to teach Noella to build ice
castles. One thing at a time.

Author’s Note

Snow Time for Love is book 300. Between Viola Grace and
Zenina Masters, I have 300 individual titles in active
publication as of Jan 1, 2015.

Thank you to the readers who have let me get this far, and

I hope they will come with me as the shifters collide with
elves for a while.

Snarling at the Moon is the next Shifting Crossroads

instalment,  and  this  up  and  coming  fey  will  deal  with  a
wolverine  who  has  a  bad  attitude  to  everything.  She  is  a
hard  person  to  get  to  know  and  isn’t  shy  about  using
anything she has at hand to make that clear.

Thanks, and I really mean thanks, for reading,

Zenina Masters

http://www.zeninamasters.com

zenina@zeninamasters.com

About the Author

Viola  Grace  (aka  Zenina  Masters)  is  a  Canadian  sci-
fi/paranormal  romance  writer  with  ambitions  to  keep
writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories
because  the  thrill  of  discovery,  of  all  those  firsts,  is  what
keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls

you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is
all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to
those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the
cheap laugh.

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