A Very Mystic Christmas (The Mystic Wolves) (6 page)

Baked Double Chocolate Peppermint Donuts

Ingredients

1 cup
unbleached all purpose

1/4 cup
cocoa powder

1/4 cup honey


1 tsp. baking powder


Pinch salt


1/4 tsp. cinnamon


1 egg


1 cup low-fat buttermilk, well shaken


1 Tbsp. canola oil


1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


2 peppermint candy canes, crushed


1/3 cup mini bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Metho
d

1.
       
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2.
      
Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients, whisking until well combined.

3.
      
Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry, adding more buttermilk if the batter is a little thick.

4.
     
Lightly coat a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and then sprinkle in a small amount of the mini chocolate chips.

5.
      
Carefully spoon in batter and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

6.
      
After a few minutes, remove the donuts from the pan – they should pop right out. Invert and top with a sprinkle of finely crushed candy canes, which should stick right to the mini chocolate chips.

7.
      
Serve immediately. Yields approx. 8 doughnuts.

I Love You S’More

With Mason and Darcy

“You won’t even give me a small hint?” I asked, curious
as to why Mason was being so secretive. Part of me was desperate to know why he’d become so cloak and dagger all of a sudden; but a larger part was merely excited by how closely he stood behind me. After leading me into the outside gardens, he’d wrapped one arm around my waist and placed his warm hand over my eyes.

“
What would the fun be in that, sweetheart?” His heated breath tickled my ear, a complete contradiction to the frosty air brushing over my exposed skin. He’d given me enough time to gather a warm coat and slip on my winter boots before whisking me away from Jasmine, his sister and my best friend. She had simply rolled her eyes at her brother, making rude, kissy noises when we left. Me? I was still mesmerized by him—although we’d been dating for a few months, that chemistry was still sparkling and new. He gave me butterflies whenever he looked at me; spoke to me, or was pretty much in the same vicinity as me.

There was no fear of falling in love
with him. I’d already fallen head over heels.

“Can I at least open my eyes?” I laughed softly.

“Not yet. Just wait.” His fingers moved slightly. “Promise me, Darcy, that you’ll keep them closed when I move my hand.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know if you can trust me
,” I replied, teasing him. I was having too much fun just being with him.

“In that case.” The pressure lifted from over my face and was quickly replaced with something softer, warmer. As Mason tied the ends of his scarf around my head, I tried not to grumble. “Can you see anything? Be honest.” He leaned in so he could whisper lightly into my ear. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”

When he was close like that, it was impossible to think, let alone lie. “It’s all dark. I promise.”

“Hold on to me, okay? Where I’m taking you isn’t that far.” Gripping onto his forearm, I nodded.

I usually didn’t like being so vulnerable, especially around others. There was definitely a certain level of trust with family and pack members, but my past dating experiences had put the fear of God into me. I found guys generally said one thing; but when they felt no one was watching, they acted the complete opposite. I couldn’t count how many times I’d been left disappointed.

But not Mason. If anything, he was too good to be true.
My mother still liked reminding me how our meeting was the result of her meddling—her setting me up on a surprise blind date. I’d come so close to backing out and canceling. If Mason hadn’t arrived at the exact moment he did, I probably would have. And missed out on falling in love with one of the most amazing men I’d ever known.

Love. We’d yet to exchange
that four-letter word, but I felt it strongly. I was simply waiting for the right time to say it.

Time
, and a heavy dose of bravery.

We’d only gone a little way before Mason carefully brought me to a stop. Even with the scarf blocking my vision, I was still free to use my other senses. Taking in a deep breath, faint smoke tickled my nose, confirming what my ears could hear—the crackling of a fire. If the sound of logs burning didn’t tip me off, the blast of heat across my skin was a definite clue.

Before I could say anything, to tell him I’d guessed his surprise, Mason unwrapped the blindfold, tossing it to the side. Spinning me around in a loose embrace, there was a tender smile on his face.

“Surprise, beautiful.” He brushed a faint kiss over my lips, leaving an even fainter taste of something behind. I couldn’t help it. I licked my lips and caught the familiar flavor of mint.

“Mmmm.” I touched his mouth again, hoping to capture more as I licked the pad of my thumb. “Peppermint?”

“Candy cane. I couldn’t resist swiping one from the Christmas tree in the main living room.” He winked and my insides flip flopped. Mason didn’t hold himself back when it came to flirting with me and I wonder
ed if I’d ever get used to it.

“Well, it was delicious.”

“Then, by all means, have another taste.” Cupping the sides of my face with his hands, Mason leaned back in and, instead of a soft, lingering kiss, he plundered my mouth with absolute perfection. He was amazing at so many things. But kissing? Kissing, he’d mastered like an art form. Giddiness swirled around inside me, as my fingers fisted in his dark suede jacket, hoping it would keep me from toppling backward. That was the thing about Mason—sometimes it was hard to remember to balance, breathe, and think when he touched me this way.

There was definitely evidence of
the candy he’d eaten as his tongue danced with mine. An explosion of flavor threatened to override my senses. From that moment on, I vowed that candy canes would be my favorite Christmas treat, ever. In fact, if I survived this kiss, I planned on buying out every box I could find, just so I could enjoy them the whole year through.

Shivers skated over my
skin as his fingers tangled loosely in my hair, the friction causing goose bumps to surface. He knew exactly how to touch me, something else he’d become an expert at very quickly.

When I’d first seen him standing on the other side of my door
way, that fateful day, my wolf had instantly recognized him as our mate. She’d yipped excitedly. The more we dated and the more we got to know each other, I realized her instincts had been correct; there was no doubt in mind that he would one day become my husband.

Kisses like this confirmed
it, and my body was in complete agreement with what my heart and mind already knew. Mason O’Connor was mine.

Breaking the seal of our lips was slow, as if we wanted to hang on to the intimate moment a little longer. It was always like that. “Wow
,” I said breathlessly.

“Exactly.” Mason studied my face, his gaze bouncing back and forth between my eyes and my lips, like he hadn’t quite made his mind up whether to continue kissing me or stop. I knew what I wanted, but warning bells rang
in my head. With as much as I loved Mason and the way he made me feel, I also knew that I couldn’t let our hormones override the promise I’d given my mother and Vivien, her witch friend. Until I was officially mated and married, I needed to remain a virgin. This hadn’t been a burden to honor . . . that is, until Mason. I’d been upfront with him when we first started dating; but as the months passed and our connection grew, it was hard not to cross the line.

“So
, now you have me here, what will you do with me?” I asked, huskily. Desire flickered in his features. It was the wrong thing to say, as my own needs and wants surfaced. To break the tension growing between us, I stepped back and rested my hand on his arm. “Looks like you have something fun planned.”

Reluctantly r
emoving my gaze from him, I smiled at the sight of the roaring fire and provisions he’d brought. There was a red plaid blanket spread out over the ground with another folded neatly at the edge, along with a picnic basket. He’d arranged for a romantic date—the mood set by the flickering light dancing from the fire and the stars above us.

“A twilight picnic?” Stepping
further away, my hand fell from him as I walked over to the blanket and sat down. I patted the empty space to my right. “Come join me.”

I thought Mason would sit beside me, but he had other ideas. Cradling his legs around me, my back against his chest, he sat behind me. “I know we haven’t had much alone time this past week, with work and pack business, but I’m glad you’re here. I figured if we did something fun outside, the
cold air would keep people away.”

“Ahhh
, smart. But I think I found a flaw in your brilliant plan.”

“You have?” I could hear the humor in his voice.

“What about us being cold? Or do you have some secret fantasy about dating an ice princess?” I laughed. “Or, is it that you like my red nose?” I had no doubt I rivaled Rudolph right now, the weather chilling my skin.

“I like everything about you
, including your poor nose.” Pulling me to the side, he kissed the tip. “Hmmm, yeah. It’s pretty cold. Looks like we’ll need this sooner than I thought.” Mason reached for the second blanket and with a few flicks of his arms, he had it wrapped around his back and around me.

“Better?”

I wanted to tell him that I was perfectly fine and content with the way his body cocooned mine. “Toasty. Thank you.”

“Now, if you’ll do me the honor of opening the picnic basket, maybe there’s something else in there to keep you warm.”

Eagerly, I dragged it in front of me and unlatched the wicker top. A huge smile spread across my face as I lifted out a hot thermos. “Hot chocolate?”

“Your favorite.”

“What else is in here?” I asked, squealing with delight as I spotted all the ingredients to make S’mores. “This is perfect, Mason!”

“I’m glad you think so. I know this is our first Christmas together
, so I wanted to make it extra special.”

“Everything with you
is special—you’re amazing. Here, let me make us one.” S’mores were a delicious combination of decadent chocolate and marshmallow melted together in between graham crackers that always reminded me of camping. I loved campfires on cool nights; in fact, it probably topped my list of absolute favorite things to do.

“How did you know
I’d love this?”

“I pay attention. I see how your eyes light up every time you talk about it,” Mason answered, holding the skewer for me so I could slide on a marshmallow. With everything else ready, I took it back and
suspended the stick close to the flames.

“You are an incredible boyfriend, Mason
,” I admitted, carefully watching to make sure the marshmallow didn’t melt and drop from the skewer.

“I believe you meant selfish.”

“Selfish?” I asked, moving quickly to put the melted goodness on the chocolate piece. Smooshing the cracker down on top, I handed it to Mason. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Taking a tentative bite, Mason grinned widely
before licking his lips. “Mmmm, I forgot how good these were.”

“Good thing you have me then, right? And don’t think I’ve forgotten you haven’t answered my question. Why
did you say you were selfish?” After sticking another marshmallow on the end of the skewer, I resumed making my own.

“I was totally thinking of myself tonight. Out in the garden, alone
, with my girl in my arms, a warm blanket around us, eating food that will make her taste even more delicious than usual.” His answer was absolutely cheesy, but it still made my insides feel like they were dissolving. If he kept this up, I was in danger of my heart melting just like the chocolate and marshmallows in the S’mores.

“You always know the right thing to say, don’t you?” I chuckled.

“Did it work? Mason asked, taking another bite of his treat.

“It depends on what you had in mind.” My marshmallow was starting to burn and drip off the skewer. Wasting no more time, I finished making
mine and groaned loudly with satisfaction as the gooey mess touched my tongue. “Oh. My. Goodness. I don’t care that I just burned my mouth. This is seriously a piece of heaven!”

I feel
his rumbling laughter against my back. “Maybe I didn’t think this through. If I’d have known I was competing with some sugary snack, I would’ve brought some festive broccoli or asparagus.”

His comment made me choke, a piece of cracker hurting my throat. “What?” I croaked, coughing to dislodge it. I definitely wasn’t expecting that.

“Well, my hope was after one bite, you’d realize how amazingly romantic I was and repay me by kissing me some more. That way I’d see whether chocolate kisses are my favorite. But, after that appreciative groan, I’m thinking you’d rather spend time with your S’more.”

I didn’t know whether to
snicker at the pitifully sad tone in his voice, or laugh at how adorable he sounded. It was on the tip of my tongue to blurt out those three meaningful words, but Mason interrupted.

“What’s a guy got to do to get a taste?”

Sensing another flirtatious game approaching, I decided to play along and not give in like I wanted to. “I don’t know. S’mores are pretty tough to beat. They’re the perfect blend of flavor and messiness. See?” My finger skimmed alongside one of the edges, capturing the overflow. Licking it away, I added another moan just for him. “Mouthwatering.”

I knew I was
playing with fire—one more dangerous than the one in front of us. The logs crackled and lit embers danced in the air. But it paled in comparison to the flames kindling between Mason and me. I swiped the graham cracker sandwich with the tip of my finger again, but this time it didn’t make it to my mouth. Mason swiftly caught my wrist and guided my hand to his mouth. There was no time to protest or prepare as he sucked away the chocolaty goo, adding his own appreciative sigh.

“You’re right. It is mouthwatering.”

“I told you so.” My words barely made it out. His actions had derailed me.

“I wasn’t talking about the
S’more, Darcy.” There was heat in his comment and suddenly I wished I hadn’t teased him.