Mia asked as Lucas led her into the forest. He kept marching as he spoke. “Only the couples. Mostly the mated ones, but I’m sure a few of the non-shifter dates are having a very furry Christmas.” Mia giggled and yet still felt strangely nervous. They were outside. Wouldn’t the others hear them? Or maybe see? Then again, she expected they were all thinking the same thing… and preoccupied at the moment. Plus Mia and Lucas’s little corner of the forest felt like it was a thousand miles from anyone and anywhere else. Lucas found a fern-filled clearing between the fallen logs and upright trees that hid the stars overhead. He gathered her up in his arms and tugged her to the center. The ferns were springy and came up to her knees. The ground below them was mostly clear of snow, but the myriad leaves of the ferns each had a sparkling patch of white clinging to it. “Um…” Mia said, wondering how this was going to work.
