Donner an mm mpreg holid.., p.1
Donner: An MM Mpreg Holiday Shifter Romance, page 1
Donner
An MM Mpreg Holiday Shifter Romance
Edie Monte
Copyright © 2023 Edie Monte
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Danielle Doolittle | DoElle Designs | www.doelledesigns.com
Content Warnings:
This book is a male/male romance between two consenting and versatile adults. It takes place in a shifter world where Florida is a much better place than in our world.
To Lemur, the only gift I'll ever need.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Thank you!
Acknowledgement
About The Author
Books By This Author
Chapter 1
Jax
Most people longed for Christmas vacation, and here I was, dreading my vacation from Christmas Village. It had been two days since I'd received the email from the Santas with the message, "We, all the Santas in Christmas Village, believe you need a vacation, and we'd like you to take it before Christmas."
It was already late September, and there was so much to do. Unfortunately, the only choice I had in the matter was when I left, since it had to be between now and the big day. If I waited any longer, I would risk my Santa's success. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I would be back with the strategic weather team, preparing our flight plans for Christmas Eve.
I was still a few minutes early, so I waited in the hallway outside my Santa's office. I tapped the pointed toe of my shoe against the floor, trying not to pout. It would be two weeks before I would prance in my reindeer hooves on my Santa's team again.
Santa had scheduled the meeting as the soonest he could magic me away to the vacation spot of my choice. I still hadn't decided, but I'd packed a bag for somewhere warm and narrowed my destinations to Miami or Las Vegas. Miami would be humid, loud, and by the beach. Vegas would be hot, dry, and full of gamblers.
I wanted someone to gamble on some fun with me, not ignore me for a slot machine. I'd also never been to the ocean. Miami it was. I ignored the tiny voice in the back of my mind shouting about hurricanes. I'd checked the morning radar and there were no storms on their way. Anything could happen in the next two weeks, but I wanted to go somewhere with nightlife. Christmas Village was sadly lacking in that department, at least for me.
Finally, it was time. I rapped on the door, and it inched open so slowly I wondered if Santa had used his magic. Then I saw the tiny elf child staring up at me through long black bangs beneath a pointed green hat. He reminded me of my best friend, Derek, only much smaller.
Santa 30 smiled and rose from his desk, where he'd been tinkering with a music box. He'd rolled up his sleeves and sported his reading glasses. He whipped off the glasses and was around his desk so fast, I swore he used magic. He offered his hand, and we shook.
"Donner!"
The Santas always greeted us by our last names. It was easier that way. There were so many of us now, with all the different Santas running around. My Santa was number 30 of 69. Keeping track of all 69 first names for all nine reindeer surnames and each Santa would be a full-time job on its own. Besides, if he called me Jax, my given name, that would only confuse his staff and anyone else nearby.
"Where are you headed?" Santa 30 asked.
"Miami?" It came out as a question, even though I'd made up my mind. I never sounded decisive, even when I tried. My alpha father had instilled in me a deep disregard of my own self-worth, thanks to his constant belittling. I would never be big enough, strong enough, or fast enough to carry on the Donner name. Thankfully, my Santa never criticized my human form the way my father did, and I flew well enough to be on his reindeer team.
"Miami it is!" Santa didn't second-guess my decision for a moment. He snapped his fingers with a twinkle in his eye. "You're staying at the Winter Orange Resort. I got you the penthouse suite on the top floor. Take the north elevator bank to get there. You'll have a blast there once … oh dear."
Santa frowned, something he did so rarely it worried me.
"Oh dear?" I asked.
Santa blinked, and then he smiled at me. "Everything will work out as planned. You'll see!"
With another snap of his fingers and a whoosh of air past my ears, I was in the giant open lounge area before a hotel front desk. The first thing I noticed was the dampness in the air. It made my skin prickle with goosebumps. It had been cooler in Santa's office than it was here, but the dampness seemed to seep into my bones in a way the North Pole's chill never had.
I risked a look at myself in the mirrored wall in the hotel's lounge. My clothes and even my shoes had been replaced. Santa must have thought my cotton polo, my only short-sleeved shirt, and my summer wool pants would be too hot for Miami. I was in a tank top that covered less skin than an undershirt and a pair of shorts that wouldn't even cover my boxers. I twisted on the balls of my feet, trying to figure out what I was wearing underneath, since it certainly wasn't boxers. Instead, I had something like floss up my ass, much like the elastic band between my toes to hold the flappy foam boards to my feet.
Three tan children brushed past me, wiping chlorinated water on my bare skin in their haste to get "upstairs." A wave of nostalgia crashed over me at the sound. It had been too long since I'd laughed with my friends. It was past time for me to have children of my own, but no self-respecting alpha reindeer at the North Pole would mate with me. I was a superstar reindeer on Santa 30's team, but in my human skin, I was mediocre boyfriend material.
Now, along with the vacation request, I wished Santa would have told me who my fated mate was and where he lived. I hadn't asked because fated mates didn't work that way according to everyone in Christmas Village. Still, I was in Miami. If I was going to be forced to take a two-week vacation, the least I could do was enjoy it.
I almost tripped as I followed the distant sound of chimes, thanks to my ill-fitting footwear. I had never worn snowshoe-like things on my bare feet. Instead of walking, I dragged them, barely letting the weird boards off the ground before stepping down again.
The elevator arrived, the source of the chime sound, and the laughing children huddled inside. One was still drying his hair, while the other was wringing the water out of a shirt onto the tile floor.
"You coming, Mister?" the boy drying his green-tinted hair asked.
"No, I'll take the next one," I said.
"Okay," the girl in a tutu-embellished swimsuit said. She waved as the doors slid closed.
I felt something strange in the back pocket of my shorts. I reached for it and found a hard rectangle of plastic with the hotel logo. A piece of paper was wrapped around the middle of the card.
"This is a card for the penthouse. Use the elevator's card reader to activate. Have a wonderful time! Santa 30."
I turned toward the ding behind me, where another car slid open and deposited two couples holding hands. I politely waited for them to exit, almost missing my chance to enter as the doors started to shut. I stopped them with my outstretched arm, and they sprang open again.
Inside, I did as the note instructed and flashed the card at the card reader.
"Hello, VIP!" scrolled across the screen, and the light for the penthouse floor lit.
We had elevators in our apartment buildings at the North Pole, but I'd never been to a place with a penthouse suite. I'd read about them, of course. I spent most of my free time reading during the winter. Fun fact about the North Pole: we had nine months of winter. It didn't impact us as much in Christmas Village, thanks to the Santas' magic.
The elevator rose slowly, but it didn't stop, even though other floors lit up before it passed. Finally, it opened directly into the top floor of the building. Even the most decadent romance novels in the fanciest hotels didn't prepare me for the lush carpet and beautiful furnishings waiting for me. It took me a few minutes of staring in awe before I found the bedroom. First, I was drawn to the balcony with a private pool and a pristine view of the ocean. Then, I noticed the bar with a color-changing neon light. I wasn't one for entertaining guests, especially since anyone I met here would be a stranger, but this place was meant for guests. It had two different seating areas, one overlooking the ocean and another set up around a television large enough to be a movie screen
The bedroom had its own ensuite with dual sinks, a full jacuzzi tub, and a separate standing shower. There was a bottle of champagne chilling on a bistro table by yet another window overlooking the ocean. A full foil-wrapped chocolate bar lay like a present on my pillow, the name of which I couldn't pronounce. Beneath it, I found a note from housekeeping thanking me for my stay and wishing me a wonderful vacation. Part of me knew they did this for every guest, but I also sent a silent thank you to my Santa.
I'd packed my overnight bag with toiletries and a few changes of clothes. When I opened the bag, my clothes were gone. In their place were two more tank tops like the one I wore, one short-sleeved button-down shirt, a sleep shirt, a pair of swim trunks, two pairs of shorts like the ones I wore, and one very tiny pair of booty shorts made of vinyl or plastic. I picked them up between my thumb and forefinger to look them over and then returned them to my bag.
I dug around for my boxers and found several pairs of attached triangles with string borders instead. I knew Santa expected me to get laid on this trip, but I hadn't thought my situation was so dire. He could have left me one pair of boxers to sleep in, at least.
As I put the underwear back in my bag, my fingers brushed silk. I pulled out a single pair of red boxers. They were unlike anything I owned. I preferred cotton. Still, I could sleep in them after I returned from the club.
If I returned from the club. The brochure on the dresser advertised a nightclub at the top of the hotel next door, and it was open all day and night from Thursday to Sunday. It was already Thursday, and I intended to make the most of my stay. The party would start as soon as I got dressed.
To be fair, I was dressed. I didn't dare wear the vinyl booty shorts. I might wear them for a private dance with someone special, but the thought of wearing them now made me nervous.
As a reindeer, I was one of the largest in our herd, but as a human, I'd never outgrown my pocket-sized twink phase. My best friend Derek called me that, like he had room to talk. He was an elf, and all the elves at the North Pole were about my height, including my omega elf papa (hence the name Jax, after a toy. I was lucky I wasn't named Tiddlywinks).
In my human form, I could break someone's nose with my elbow or land a kick to the groin, but my best defense was to run. If someone chased me where there were no people, they'd better watch out. Then, I could transform into my reindeer form. Reindeer weren't known for violence, but you wouldn't want to piss us off, just saying.
Tonight, I wanted to dance. I couldn't in these ridiculous flippy-floppy things on my feet. I hadn't packed anything in the other zippered compartment of my bag, but when I opened it, a pair of patent leather platform shoes with silver laces waited for me. With an undignified, high-pitched bark my reindeer would have rolled his eyes at, I pulled them out. Beneath them, I found sheer black thigh-high socks and garters. They were probably supposed to go with the vinyl shorts, but I didn't care. I hastily removed my shorts to pull the garter belt in place. With my shorts back on, I fastened the socks to the garter clips and pulled on the boots, double-tying the laces so I wouldn't trip on them later.
Once my outfit was complete, I glanced at myself in the hall mirror and realized Santa had changed more than my clothes when he transported me here. My eyes were lined with dark kohl, and my lids shimmered silver to brighten the ashy glow of my blond hair. I didn't need much more than that. My cheeks darkened at the slightest bit of attention from an attractive alpha.
"I'm a catch, right?" I asked the guy in the mirror as I popped out a hip and pointed my toes. I wasn't planning on finding my fated mate. I wasn't sure I believed in that anymore, honestly. I'd met every alpha of a suitable age in Christmas Village, and none of them wanted to stay with me beyond one night. I was too quiet. Too withdrawn. Too shy. Or if they got to know me better, I was too clingy and annoying. It was either one or the other, and never enough.
I wouldn't be in Miami long enough to convince a guy I was or wasn't worth it, anyway. This was my time to love them and leave them.
I didn't know why I kept staring at the mirror. It wasn't like it would suddenly start speaking to me. I laughed. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"
It didn't answer, thank Santa.
Chapter 2
Beau
Yet another boring night at the club. The night was still young, though. Nobody had messed with my hair yet or asked me to intervene when someone got too handsy.
It was almost time for my break when a gorgeous white man with blond hair walked off the elevator. The top of his head came up to my shoulder.
"I'm going to need to see some ID," I said. His youthful, clean-shaven face put him at about twelve, which meant he was either way too young to be here or somewhere near thirty. The most likely possibility was that he was a shifter like me and far older than my best estimation.
He grinned and blushed while digging in his pocket. I leaned in and sniffed. He was an omega shifter, but I couldn't tell what kind.
"I don't know if I have an ID," he said. "Oh. Is this it?" The kid handed me his entire wallet.
I flipped it open and found his ID. North Pole. Huh. I scanned the bar code on the back, fully expecting the glaring red of a counterfeit ID, but it turned green. "Jax Donner. Twenty-nine."
He nodded, keeping that endearing grin plastered across his face. "That's me."
"Welcome to Neon Haze."
"Thank you. Today's my first day in Miami. It's been so long since I've been able to dance." His sigh was full of longing as he popped up onto his tiptoes to look over my shoulder. "Care to dance with me?"
"Sorry. I'm working." I didn't usually let our customers down easy. I was supposed to blend into the scenery, not join the party, but sometimes overzealous customers tried to drag me onto the dance floor. Most of the time, I gave them my sternest look and they went away.
This was the first time I'd considered going willingly. There was something about Jax that drew me in and made me want to hold him close and shield him from the other club patrons. The dance floor was already packed, same as always for Thursday nights, and I worried my little omega would get lost.
Huh. My omega. Where had that thought come from? I barely knew how to be a golden eagle shifter. I knew even less about mating. I only knew I was an alpha from my time in the military, and I knew the scent of an omega because I'd delivered a few babies in my time as a medic.
"When are you off?" Jax asked, drawing my attention back to his gorgeous blue eyes. He was already gyrating his hips and bopping to the music.
"I'll be on break in," I looked at the athletic tracker on my wrist for the time. "Five minutes." I glanced down at his shoes and got distracted by his hose and … were those garters? Jax had all the makings of my favorite fantasy. I had to flick my wrist above my tracker to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Jax touched my chest, bringing my attention back to his pinched expression.
"Huh?"
"What's your name?" His tone indicated he'd repeated the question. "I don't see a name tag."
"It's Beau."
"Beau." His expression relaxed back to an easy smile. "I like that. Like a bow on top of a present."
That was a new take on my southern name, but I didn't argue. I waved as he walked backward onto the crowded dance floor, and then the throng swallowed him up. I caught a hint of his hair here and there.
I lost track of him when my coworker, Ferris, came to relieve me for my break. Ferris was a Black man my height and about my bulk, though he was human through and through. His shaved head made him look like the badass bouncer he was. People tended to avoid him, but he was the nicest guy working at the club. I was glad to call him my friend.
"Tell Davey it's time to get back to work." Ferris pointed to our tall and skinny white coworker dancing between a woman and man who'd arrived together. Davey's skin stood out in the crowd. He couldn't tan to save his life, despite his dark hair. Sometimes, I wondered if he worked 3rd shift because he was a vampire. "He's been on break for twenty minutes now."
I gave Ferris a quick nod and made my way across the dance floor to Davey. It was already crowded, and it took me longer than I thought it would.
