A Very Beastly Christmas (Gray Back Bears Book 7) by T. S. Joyce Read Free Book Online

usually he worried when her eyes leaked like this, but she was smiling big as their crew congratulated them. Beaston relaxed. He couldn’t take his eyes from her as Matt, Creed, Damon, and Jason clapped him on the back and made stud jokes. His mate was too damned beautiful to look away from as she hugged the women in their crew, her bright blue eyes glistening with happiness. Gia had her hand on Ana’s belly and was crying right along with her, and when Ana looked over at him, pride was pooled so deeply in her beautiful gaze, it cut right to his middle.
    He’d almost kept this from her. A wave of guilt washed over him, but he would make it up to her. He would.
    His Ana deserved everything.

Chapter Six
     
    A knock pounded against the door, and Aviana squeaked. Everyone was probably waiting on her. “Come in!” she called as she zipped up her riding boots over her skinny jeans. She would have to buy some maternity clothes soon since she already had to loop a rubber band around the button of her biggest pair of jeans.
    Willa pushed the door open and grinned. “You ready?” She tilted her head. “Beaston’s warming up the truck so I told him I’d come get you.”
    “Yes. I think. Is this okay for the party?” She held out her arms and did a little turn in her skintight red sweater over her dark jeans. This was the first annual shifter Christmas Eve party at Sammy’s Bar down in Saratoga, and she didn’t want to walk in there underdressed.
    “Yeah, you look hot. What about me?” Willa did a little sashay hip turn and poked her little boobs out as far as they would go. Her sweater read If you’re happy and you know it, hug a worm . She wore it over black tights and rounded out the look with a pair of rainbow Converse sneakers.
    “You look perfect,” Aviana said through a grin.
    “I know. Dude!” she exclaimed, soft brown eyes bulging at the Christmas tree in the corner. Aviana and Beaston had decorated it with all the trinkets she’d made for his Christmas presents when they were kids, and underneath was stacked brightly wrapped presents for the Gray Backs. The festive-colored trinkets and presents weren’t what held Willa’s attention though. “Beer can ornaments?”
    “Beaston decorated it while I was gone to surprise me.”
    Willa nodded slowly, looking stunned. “That’s fucking awesome.” She yanked open the door and yelled, “Griz!”
    A moment later, her mate, Matt, hollered, “What?”
    “Beaston has beer cans for ornaments.”
    “So?”
    “I want some on our tree!”
    There was a second of hesitation, and then, “Will you wear the glasses tonight?”
    Willa opened her mouth and silently laughed as she pulled a pair of thick-rimmed glasses from the neck of her shirt and waved them at Aviana. She turned and cupped her hand around her mouth, sounding put upon. “Fine.” She closed the door and grabbed her middle, giggling. “He loves nerd shit. Every time I wear these, he talks filthy to me.” Willa slipped the glasses on and pushed them up her nose. “I was going to wear them, anyway.”
    Aviana cracked up and pulled her coat from the rack near the front door, then followed Willa through the woods to the trailer park. Three trucks were warming up in front of the semi-circle of trailers—Creed’s, Beaston’s, and Matt’s—and already, the Gray Backs were piling in.
    “Mason called shotgun in Beaston’s truck, so looks like you’re the monkey in the middle. See you there,” Willa called over her shoulder as she bounded off through the snow toward Matt’s ride.
    Aviana grinned as her eyes landed on her mate, looking dashing in dark jeans and a black sweater that clung to his defined chest and shoulders. His eyes blazed a wild green as he stood by the passenger side of his old Chevy, holding the door and waiting for her. He’d always been a caring mate, but since he’d found out she was pregnant, he had turned even more thoughtful. His answering smile mirrored hers as she