Donner's Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book 7) Read online

  Donner’s Fated Mate

  Arctic Shifters Book Seven

  By RE Butler

  Copyright 2018 R. E. Butler

  Donner’s Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book Seven)

  By R. E. Butler

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Cover by CT Cover Creations

  This ebook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locations is coincidental.

  Disclaimer: The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content and is intended for those older than the age of 18 only.

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  Editing by Hot Tree Editing

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  For Clarise, who makes me the most amazing covers and offers support and encouragement…I’ve finally named a character after you!

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  Hugs and thanks to Shelley for beta reading.

  * * *

  Special thanks to Michael Bange for helping me understand the musical setup of the bar, you’re the best (next to Joyce that is).

  And much love to the bestest sisterfriend in the world – Joyce.

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  Donner’s Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book Seven)

  By R. E. Butler

  Jack, a quad shifter from North Pole City, has come to the human world on the advice of Mrs. Claus, who is certain he’ll meet his fated mate at a small-town bar.

  Ivy Donovan just wants to write music and sing, feeling most at home with her beloved guitar on her knee and a song in her heart. After parting ways with her bandmates on less than friendly terms, she’s been the Holly’s Bar house band all by herself.

  When Jack takes a job at the bar, he can’t keep his eyes off Ivy. She calls to his beasts, and he knows in his heart that she’s his fated mate. He takes her to a remote cabin to get her away from the toxic mess her former band created. A walk in the woods takes a terrifying turn, and he’s forced to change forms in front of her to protect her.

  In the snowy dark night, Ivy has to make a choice – run away, or stay with the only man who has ever truly touched her heart. Can she lay her heart on the line for a man who has a larger-than-life secret, or will this be the last time she has a chance at love?

  Table of Contents

  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

  Next in the Arctic Shifters Series

  Contact the Author

  More Works by R. E. Butler

  Cupid’s Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book Eight)

  Chapter 1

  Mrs. C, wife of Santa – otherwise known as SC – enjoyed traveling to the human world during the twenty-four hours that her home, North Pole City, was unlocked of its magical protection. She didn’t always leave after SC took the reindeer and sleigh and headed out to leave gifts for the believers in the world, but sometimes she did.

  And this Christmas was one of those times.

  The reindeer shifters, known as quads, were able to transform into four different animals: snowy owl, arctic fox, polar bear, and the all-important reindeer. Only quads were able to drive the sleigh with her husband, and only quads had a special sort of mate – their likli fanna, or fated mate. It was the sort of magical, romantic connection that was akin to the human version of love at first sight. So far, six of the eight quads had found their fated mates, each of the females was human except for Dreama, who was Sandman’s daughter.

  Early that Christmas Eve morning, Mrs. C had awoken from a dream in a panic, though she didn’t remember the dream so much as the feeling that there was a problem, and someone needed help. She’d called the security office at the same time a shifter who lived in the human world with his human mate had called to reveal that he’d shifted in front of his mate’s cousin. Humans didn’t know about shifters, and their people wanted to keep it that way forever. NPC, SC, and Mrs. C were all myths to humans. If they knew the truth, it could spell disaster for everyone and everything she held dear. She’d had a feeling that Declan, one of the quads, should go to the shifter and help the situation, either by magically erasing the memory of the human or – she’d hoped – taking the human female as his fated mate.

  Mrs. C had a special sort of magic that set her apart from her husband called mate-magic. She could perform a spell and draw together two people who would be perfect for each other. NPC was home to shifters and elves, and because their city was closed for three hundred and sixty-four days a year, the ability for their people to find mates on their own was limited. When a shifter or elf decided it was time to settle down, they came to her and she found their perfect match.

  That particular Christmas, Declan – the Dancer position on the sleigh team – had found his fated mate in a sweet human named Ellie. Ellie worked for a couple who owned a flower shop, and she’d wanted to spend time with them on Christmas Eve before she left to join Declan in NPC. Declan had to leave for the Christmas Eve run and needed someone to pick up his mate, and Mrs. C had been happy to volunteer.

  After Ellie had said goodbye to her former bosses at the flower shop, she and Mrs. C had stepped out into the chilly night.

  Mrs. C’s gaze snapped across the street, where a carved wooden sign that said “Holly” hung over the bright red door of a tavern.

  “I think we should stop over there for a minute,” Mrs. C said.

  “A bar?”

  “I just have a feeling.”

  “A good one, I hope?”

  She chuckled and said, “Yes, dear. This has been a very magical Christmas, and I don’t think the magic is done yet.”

  “Lead the way,” Ellie said, hooking her arm through Mrs. C’s. “I’m all for magic. It’s what brought me and Declan together.”

  They crossed the street, and Ellie held the tavern’s door open for Mrs. C before following her inside.

  The bar was half-full, patrons at the long counter hunched over drinks and seated at small round tables in front of a stage. A young woman sat on a stool on the stage with a guitar plugged into an amp and a microphone on a stand in front of her. A single spotlight shone on her, highlighting the long golden hair that flowed over her shoulders in soft waves.

  She plucked at the strings effortlessly as she played an old Christmas song.

  The moment the woman’s mouth opened and she began to sing, Mrs. C’s magic sparked within her so hard that she was concerned her skin was going to erupt into flames.

  “Are you okay?” Ellie whispered.

  Mrs. C looked down at her hands, half expecting them to be glowing. With a chuckle, she said, “I think I just figured out why I needed to be here.”

  Ellie looked at the stage and then back at Mrs. C. Her brow furrowed, her lips twitched, and then she grinned. “Oh. Cool.”

  “It can be.”

  Mrs. C sat at the bar and Ellie took the stool next to her. A clearly frazzled young woman with dark hair pulled into a high ponytail rushed fr
om the back with a tray laden with food. She plopped baskets down on various tables, collected empty glasses and bottles, and took drink orders without writing anything down.

  “What can I get for you?” she asked as she set the heavy tray on the bar and ducked under the counter. She began to fill the drink orders, setting them on an empty tray.

  “Ginger ale,” Mrs. C said.

  The woman glanced at Ellie, who replied, “Same for me.”

  She nodded, finishing the other orders before filling two glasses with ice and soda. Popping red stir sticks into the ginger ales, she placed them on coasters and scooted them across the counter with an ease that said she’d spent many, many hours serving drinks. Then she took the tray of fresh drinks to the tables before hurrying back to the bar.

  “What’s your name?” Mrs. C asked.

  The woman paused, her hands hovering over the tray of dirty glasses. “Holly.”

  “Ah, you’re the infamous Holly on the sign.”

  “Infamous?” She snorted. “Nope, nothing infamous about me. If you want anything to eat, I only have appetizers. The kitchen is closing in an hour.”

  “We’re fine with the drinks, thank you.”

  Holly disappeared with the tray through a swinging door that had a “Kitchen” sign on it.

  Mrs. C swiveled on the stool and faced the stage as the young woman finished one song and seamlessly moved to another. Out of the corner of her eye, Mrs. C saw the beginnings of a fight brewing, two men getting in each other’s faces, shoulders squared, muscles tense.

  Hopping from the stool, she rushed to the men and put her hands on their shoulders, pushing her power into them. Along with the magical ability to match shifters and elves with their perfect mate, she could also invoke memories. Her husband had a similar power, though while SC indiscriminately showed all of them, good and bad, her magic could show someone their happiest Christmas memories. The men froze as their minds were filled with sweet recollections. They turned slowly to face her, and she willed their aggression away, giving them something else to focus on.

  “I’d like to buy your drinks,” Mrs. C said. “For you and your lady friends.”

  The two women at the table smiled gratefully as the men slowly sat, their eyes luminous as the memories slowly faded from their minds, leaving sweet peace. “Thank you,” one man said. He cracked his knuckles and looked at the other man. “Sorry. I was just… I’m so pissed that I lost my job.”

  “S’okay,” the other man replied. “I was baiting you because I kinda hate this time of year since I miss my family. I’m happy to put in a word for you with my foreman after the holidays.”

  Mrs. C, content that she’d averted a serious problem, returned to the bar stool where a surprised Ellie stared, mouth open. “Holy crap.”

  Holly joined them, staring at the table of suddenly friendly people, then turning to Mrs. C. “What did you say to them?”

  “I just reminded them that it’s Christmas Eve.”

  “You don’t happen to need a job, do you? I lost my bouncer.” She glanced at Ellie and said, “I could use a bartender, too. It’s just me and my sister, Ivy. We’re drowning.”

  It struck Mrs. C then that not only was the lovely singer, Ivy, a fated mate, but it was entirely possible that Holly was as well. “My husband’s work keeps us away a lot, so I’ll have to pass on your generous offer to handle rowdy customers for you. But I do know of two men who are looking for work, if you need a hand.”

  “Seriously?”

  Mrs. C nodded. “Their names are Jack and Vaughn, and they work with my husband. They’re moving here soon and could definitely use the jobs.”

  Holly grabbed a napkin off the bar and wrote her number on it. “We’re closed tomorrow, so tell them to give me a call the day after or stop in. We open at 5:00 p.m.”

  Mrs. C tucked the napkin into the pocket of her skirt, then took out a small wallet decorated with embroidered poinsettias and pressed several hundred-dollar bills into Holly’s hand. “Thank you for the drinks. I’m paying for the table of ruffians as well.”

  “Are you for real?” Holly asked, staring at the bills.

  “Keep the change, my dear.” She gently clasped her hands around Holly’s, the bills crinkling with the motion. “Merry Christmas.”

  Holly’s voice cracked when she first tried to speak, and she cleared her throat before replying, “Merry Christmas to you, too.”

  * * *

  When Mrs. C returned to NPC with Ellie a few minutes later, they transported into one of the greenhouses where Mrs. C offered the sweet human a job supervising the plants, which was clearly one of her passions.

  Ellie looked at Mrs. C. “Can I ask you a question, first?”

  “Of course.”

  “What happened back in the bar? Why are Jack and Vaughn going to be there tomorrow?”

  “Well, they might not be. I can only tell them what I know and feel with my magic.” She traced the petal of a dark pink lily. “I feel it deep in my bones that Holly’s bar is where Jack and Vaughn will meet their fated mates. I believe either Holly and Ivy themselves are the fated mates in question, or that the place where Jack and Vaughn will meet their mates is at the bar itself. But it doesn’t really matter what I believe necessarily, as it’s entirely their choice on whether they go or not. I can only tell them what I know to be truth according to my magic.”

  “They’ll be stuck outside of NPC if they go, though.”

  Mrs. C lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s different for the males. Like Declan, Jack and Vaughn will know their fated mate when they see her. It’s easier for them to run head-first into a mating because of how our magic works, whereas humans need time before making a life-altering decision. Because of the sleigh run tonight, Jack and Vaughn won’t be back here until around 4:00 a.m. Considering NPC closes for the year at six, they wouldn’t have the time to meet the girls, woo them, and bring them here to live.”

  Ellie nodded. “Where will the guys stay?”

  “I’ll leave that to them and the other members of the security team to figure out.”

  “They could take my apartment and sublet it from me. I’m sure the landlord would be happy to have someone rent it so he doesn’t lose any income from it. The security office has the keys to my place.”

  “I’ll let the boys know. It’s very sweet of you to suggest.”

  “Declan thinks of the quads as family. He and I are mates, so that makes the quads my family, too.”

  “It certainly does.” Mrs. C smiled. Ellie was the perfect match for Declan. And she hoped Jack and Vaughn would find their fated mates, too, so every member of the sleigh team would’ve found his happily ever after.

  Then it would be a very merry Christmas indeed.

  Chapter 2

  Jack loved being a quad shifter. The ability to change into four different animals at will was more amazing than he could even articulate. Of his four shifts – polar bear, snowy owl, arctic fox, and reindeer – the fox was his favorite. He could run so fast in that form, zipping around the snow-covered grounds of his hometown, the magically hidden and protected North Pole City. Without the reindeer, though, he wouldn’t be able to drive the sleigh with seven other quads, helping SC deliver toys to the kids of the world.

  As they moved through the night, Jack found himself looking forward to being home, as if something important were waiting for him. He had no idea where the feeling came from, and it wasn’t like he could talk in his shift and reason things out with his friends. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, pushing his curious thoughts to the back of his mind. The moment they returned from the trip, landing safely in the large barn that housed the quads’ stables, impatience filled him.

  Elf males were in charge of unhooking the sleigh team. Lan, the head elf, hurried to Declan, who was stomping his hooves impatiently. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

  SC hopped off the sleigh and laughed heartily. “You quads finding your fated mates. It never gets old.�
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  Declan had just found his in a human female named Ellie, and she’d agreed to stay in NPC with him. There were six quads who had found their fated mates now, leaving only Jack and Vaughn. Jack kept hoping he’d somehow meet his fated mate that Christmas, but NPC was only open twenty-four hours during the year, from dawn on Christmas Eve to dawn on Christmas Day. It was 4:00 a.m., which meant only two hours remained until their city was closed for the next three hundred and sixty-four days.

  Lan and the other elves moved from reindeer to reindeer and unhooked them from the sleigh. When Jack, the Donner position, was finally unhooked, he walked to his stable and shifted.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. C walking toward SC.

  “How was the run?” she asked as SC folded her into his embrace.

  “Wonderful as always,” he said before kissing her soundly. “I thought you’d be waiting for me, my sweet.”

  She blushed and swatted his shoulder. “You old horndog. I need to speak to you, Vaughn, and Jack right away.”

  SC’s brows rose. “Is everything all right?”

  “Better than all right, actually, but time is fast running out.”

  Jack grabbed his trousers from where they hung on a hook in his stable and tugged them on, curiosity burning through him.

  He joined SC and Mrs. C with Vaughn.

  “What’s up?” Vaughn asked.

  “Let’s go talk in the barracks,” Mrs. C said.

  “Sure.” Jack glanced at Vaughn, who shrugged as they followed the couple out of the barn and transported to the barracks, landing in the common room on the first floor. The barracks were where the unmated males in NPC lived. Once males were mated, they were given a cabin to live in with their mate. Jack didn’t mind the barracks, but it was certainly no place to live with a mate, considering there was only one bathroom for the whole floor.