by R. E. Butler
“Wonderful!” Mrs. C stood and held her arms out to Dreama. Dreama let Mrs. C enfold her in her arms. “We can do the ceremony as soon as you get home from bringing Rhys and Merri back to NPC.”
“Why not now?” Roi asked.
“She won’t be able to transport Rhys and Merri if we do it now. Plus, we have some items to prepare.” SC looked at Sandman. “And this way, your father can be part of the ceremony and spend time with you.”
“We need to pack,” Dreama said. “I think we need to make a couple of trips. I have a lot of knickknacks.”
“We’ll need a bigger place,” Roi said as he joined his mate and shook SC’s hand and accepted a hug from Mrs. C.
“I’m sure there’s a cabin that will be ready soon,” SC said.
Dreama squealed in happiness and hugged Roi. “This is amazing. If it were Christmas, I’d say we got our Christmas wish.”
He smiled at her. “You’ll have to think of something else to wish for.”
“I’ve already got you and NPC. What more could I want?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
Chapter 7
It took three trips to Dreama’s apartment for her, Roi, and her father to pack up what she wanted to take with her. Along with her toiletries and warm-weather clothes, she packed knickknacks – little trinkets she’d picked up during work, like a seashell from a beach in Rhode Island, a wooden carving of a bird she bought in Minnesota, and a snow globe of the sea lions on the pier in San Francisco.
“Do you get something from every city?” Roi asked.
“The major cities, yes. Or if a town is quaint or boasts something interesting to me, I’ll get an item. There’s a city in New Jersey called the Blueberry Capital of the World, so this blueberry-scented candle is a reminder of that place.” She wrapped the candle in paper and tucked it into a large case.
“That’s really sweet.”
Dreama shook her head. “No more trinkets, though.”
“Do you think you’d like to still dream walk?”
She turned to face him. “I think so. But I don’t want to spend all night working anymore, since you and I will have plans at night. I assume.”
“You know it,” he said, waggling his brows.
She laughed. “We’ll see how things go once I get settled.”
“Do you think you could use your dream sand on adults? You said that adults stop believing in magic so it doesn’t work on them, but everyone in NPC believes.”
“Good point. I don’t know if I’d want to watch adult dreams, though.”
When she made a face, he chuckled. “True.”
Closing the box, she looked around and said, “I think that’s everything.”
Roi reached for a bag. “Are you ready?”
“Yep. We’ve got an hour before we need to meet Rhys and Merri,” she said, glancing at her watch.
Her father was going to handle emptying and cleaning her apartment and turning in the key. And she was close to the end of her lease, which was fortunate.
She looked around once more, turning in a full circle. “NPC is calling, so let’s go.”
They transported to Roi’s room in the barracks and dropped off her bags. Then they walked to his parents’ home, where they left her father so their parents could get to know one another. That night, her father slept in an empty room in the barracks, and she and Roi caught some sleep before needing to return to the states to pick up Rhys and Merri.
When they arrived in the alley the next morning, Dreama leaned against him and yawned. She loved how easily they fit together.
“Because you’re technically SC’s daughter, that makes me technically his son-in-law, which I have to say is pretty dang cool. My parents and your dad are going to be in-laws to the big guy.”
She lifted her head and smiled. “I’m still amazed that they’re willing to do it for us.”
“They’re very selfless. I don’t think there’s anything they wouldn’t do for their people.”
“I’m excited about the ceremony.”
“Me too. I would be happy to be anywhere with you, though.”
All the quads and their families had been invited to the Clauses’ home for the ceremony. She’d only met a few of the quads, and was looking forward to getting to know all of Roi’s friends.
“After the ceremony, we’ll go look at the cabins that are available. A few are close to being done.”
“I just want one with a nice, big fireplace.”
Roi nodded. “And plenty of bedrooms.”
“Do your people do any other kind of joining ceremony? Like how humans get married?”
“Yes and no. Rhys and Merri had a wedding on Christmas Eve morning. They held it at Charli’s home in the states, and Merri’s parents came, and so did Charli’s sister, Kerri. If you wanted to have a wedding, we could have one. We could do it in the states on Christmas Eve so your dad could be part of it.”
“It’s not necessary, but I wouldn’t be against a pretty ring. You know, if you’re shopping.”
He chuckled. “You got it.”
“Hey!” Rhys called out as he and Merri entered the alley and made their way to them. “We heard the good news. Congratulations on your mating and being able to stay in NPC.”
“Thanks,” Roi said.
“How’s your father?” Dreama asked.
“He’s going to be fine,” Merri said. “I wish we could stay longer, but I think even if I had days to spend here, I’d still think it wasn’t enough. We’ll come back to see them on Christmas Eve.” Merri sighed. “It’s hard as heck living a lie.”
“It keeps us safe, though,” Rhys said.
“I know. And I wouldn’t trade our life for anything, but you just don’t understand what it’s like to be stuck away from your parents, especially as they age.”
“My father can keep an eye on them for you,” Dreama said. “I’m sure he’d be happy to check in on them from time to time. He’s going to be taking over my territory anyway.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Roi said, “We should get back home so we can get the ceremony done before the twenty-four hours is up. Not that New Jersey isn’t nice, but NPC is nicer.”
“It sure is,” Dreama said. She transported them home to NPC, directly into the Clauses’ home.
“I’m going to get RJ,” Rhys said. “Thanks for bringing us home.”
The Clauses’ family room now had two rows of chairs facing the fireplace, and a garland made of cranberries and pine boughs woven with twinkle lights graced the large mantel. Her father was talking to Santa, while Mrs. Claus and Roi’s parents bustled around bringing covered dishes from the kitchen and setting them on a long table covered with a white tablecloth decorated with glittering silver snowflakes.
“It looks lovely,” Dreama said, hugging Mrs. Claus and Genevieve. “Thank you.”
“We need to get going before the time runs out,” Santa said.
Rhys rushed into the cabin with his son, followed by Arian, Charli, and their two children. They took their seats with the quads and their mates. Roi kissed Dreama’s cheek and took a seat next to Rhys. Her father came to her and offered her his arm. She took it, feeling a swell of emotion as she looked up at him.
“Oh, honey,” he said, “are these happy tears?”
“Happy and sad.”
“I’ll miss you terribly, but we’ll stay in touch, I promise.”
“Me too.”
He kissed her cheek and walked with her to stand in front of the fireplace where Santa and Mrs. Claus waited. He patted her hand and released her, taking his place next to Roi.
“Welcome,” Santa said, his voice warm and filled with cheer. “Tonight, Mrs. Claus and I welcome Dreama to our family, as our goddaughter and adopted child. Through this ceremony, she will be imbued with our power, binding her to us as family, and securing her place in NPC. Dreama, do you wish to be part of our family, to allow us to protect and guide you?”
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“Yes,” she said.
Mrs. Claus held out her hand, and Dreama could see that it was shining and glowing, as if it was lit from within. Dreama took her hand.
Mrs. Claus said, “I give part of myself to you this day, Dreama, and I promise to guide and protect you as if you were my born daughter.” A few words followed in a language that Dreama didn’t understand, and when Mrs. Claus had finished speaking, a surge of power swept up Dreama’s arm. Her fingers tingled and her palm heated, and their joined hands glowed.
Santa held out his hand to her, and when she’d taken it, he recited the same vow. When he finished speaking, Dreama’s other hand tingled and glowed. He linked his free hand with Mrs. Claus’s, making a circle, and a blast of cold air swept over Dreama’s skin and she glimpsed how truly powerful Santa was.
In flashes of memories through the shared magic, she saw Santa lead the sleigh team across the world, bringing presents to every child who believed, and she saw Mrs. Claus using her magic to match males and females in NPC, finding the perfect couples within the city. There was an edge of sadness to the power they wielded, because they couldn’t have children of their own, but there was hope now, with Dreama as their goddaughter, and she felt honored and blessed to be part of their world.
“Welcome to the family, Dreama,” Santa said as the surge of power ended.
Dreama felt both drained and energized. They dropped their hands, and she hugged them. “Thank you so much for sharing your power with me.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Mrs. Claus said.
The group cheered behind them, and Roi and her father joined her, hugging her and thanking the Clauses.
She looked at her watch and saw only a few minutes remained before the ban on the city for her re-enacted. “We finished just in time.”
“Perfect timing is our specialty,” Mrs. Claus said. “Now, let’s eat!”
The buffet was opened and all of Dreama’s favorite foods had been prepared, from cinnamon french toast to crispy bacon to sticky buns.
She smiled at her father. “Did you tell them my favorites?”
“Of course,” he said.
As she filled her plate with all the goodies, thanking Mrs. Claus, Kerri, and Charli for helping with the preparations, she watched the clock, waiting for the twenty-four hours to be up. She found herself holding her breath as the timer wound down, until mere seconds remained.
When the timer beeped, she realized that the house had fallen quiet, and she looked around. “I’m still here.”
“Did you have any doubt?” Roi asked.
“Of course not,” she said. Then she shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Well, maybe a little. I wanted to be sure it worked. Now I’m ready to eat.”
The chairs were moved to the long kitchen table, and she sat between Roi and her father. Santa and Mrs. Claus sat at the head of the table, and the rest of the quads, mates, and children filled up the remaining seats. Cheerful conversation flowed over the table, and she found herself immersed in the wonderful world of North Pole City, where some of the residents could change into animals. Twenty-four hours ago, she’d been a dream walker, and now she was the Clauses’ goddaughter and mated to an amazing guy who happened to turn furry or feathery when the mood struck him.
“Did you think of a Christmas wish yet?” Roi murmured.
“Well, I don’t want to be selfish since I’ve already gotten my happily ever after. How about I wish that I could go on the Christmas Eve run with you?”
“Only the quads can go,” Roi said.
Santa cleared his throat and said, “That’s not entirely true. Since we’ve imbued her with some of our power, she has the ability to go on the trip with us, if she’d like.”
“Really?” she asked.
“If your mate is okay with it. You’ll have to be back from your father’s in time to leave Christmas Eve night.”
“I’d love to. Do you mind?” she asked Roi.
“Are you kidding? I’d love it.”
“Pretty good for a Christmas wish, right?” she asked.
He kissed her with a chuckle. “It’s perfect.”
Chapter 8
After a good night’s rest, and a little action in the shower, Roi and Dreama dressed warmly and headed out to look at the cabins that would be available soon. The builders told Roi that one would be ready by the end of the week, and two others would be ready in two weeks.
“I’m sorry there isn’t a cabin ready for us right now,” he said.
“I don’t mind your room.”
“Our room,” he corrected.
“Right. It’s fine for a little while. I think sharing the bathroom with the others is the hardest part.”
“Yeah, but there are less people on this floor now than there were, so it’s not as bad. Try to get the bathroom to yourself when seven other guys are attempting to get ready at the same time.”
She laughed. “There are three quads who are still unmated?”
“Yes. Declan is the Dancer position, Vaughn is Comet, and Jack is Donner.”
“I’m sure they’re anxious for Christmas, in case one of them might be lucky enough to find his fated mate.”
He knew that they were. He’d felt the same way, ever since Arian had found Charli, wondering if the next time he got to leave NPC he’d find his mate.
“I’m lucky, though. I didn’t have to wait for the city to open to find you.”
“We’re both lucky,” she said. “I always wondered what would happen if I ended up with a human.”
“You didn’t want to try to find a fae male to be with?” He didn’t particularly care to think about her romantic past, but he felt secure in their mating.
“Well,” she said, drawling out the word. “I figured that if fae males were like my mother’s mate, I didn’t want anything to do with them.”
“Good point. I’m sure there are good faes, though.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. That world isn’t for me. This one is.” She gasped and stopped in place, her eyes lighting up.
He looked where she was staring, wide-eyed and mouth open, at a cabin.
“Baby?”
“This is it.”
He shook his head. “This isn’t one of the ones that will be ready soon. I think it’s got a month to go.”
She pulled on his hand. “Come on, Roi! I have a good feeling.”
“I like your good feelings.”
She giggled as he let her pull him off the cleared sidewalk and into the two-feet-deep snow. Because no one was expecting them to look at the cabin, the path to the house hadn’t been cleared. They trudged through the snow, and he had to lift her onto the porch because the steps hadn’t been installed yet. She tried the door, and it was locked.
“They should have a key hidden,” he said, taking off his glove and reaching over the door and feeling along the wood. He felt the cold metal of the key and unlocked the door.
“It’s pitch black in here,” she said.
“Hold on. The builders use battery operated lanterns this time of year, since it’s dark around the clock.”
“Right, for six months? It’s a good thing I like nighttime.”
“And then you’ll have to love daytime, because it’s sunny for six months.”
She laughed. “I’ll get used to it.”
He felt along the wall until he bumped into a table, where he reached out and felt a few lanterns. After turning on two, he handed one to Dreama and then lifted his lantern high. The family room was large with soaring high ceilings and exposed beams. Along one wall was an unfinished fireplace. He followed Dreama into the kitchen where she let out a “woo hoo” when she saw the bay window.
“Can you picture it?” she asked. “I’ve always wanted a kitchen with a bay window, where I could have bench seating and a rustic farm table. Let’s see how many bedrooms there are.”
He couldn’t believe how happy she was about a kitchen window, but as he glanced over his shoulder into the
darkness, he could picture the table and bench just as she’d described, with a few kids waiting for breakfast with smiling faces.
The doors hadn’t been put on the rooms yet, and she peeked into the first one on the left and said, “Baby number one.” Then she looked into the second room on the left and said, “Baby number two.”
Her talking about babies – his babies – made his heart clench.
Man, did he want that.
Across from the two bedrooms was a bathroom. She let out a hum of excitement and then squeezed his hand as they walked into the room on the right. Clearly the master, the room was spacious with vaulted ceilings, a big closet, and a private bathroom. After looking into the bathroom, she walked to a set of French doors and looked out; then she walked to the center of the room and set her lantern on the floor.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“It’s probably a month away from being finished, maybe more. If we choose this one, we’ll be stuck in the barracks for that much longer.”
“I don’t care about that. When I saw this place, it felt like home right away.”
He looked around the room, lifting his lantern high so it illuminated more of the space. “We could maybe offer to work here and move the process along.”
“Oh, could we? I’ve never built anything before, but I bet I could help.”
He knew the builders would be happy to have help. “Do you want to look at the other cabins?”
“Nuh uh,” she said, shaking her head. “Put your lantern down.”
His brows rose at her decidedly husky tone. The sweet scent of her arousal hit him, and he growled as he set the light on the floor. “You’ve got something on your mind, my mate?”
She walked backward slowly, escaping into the shadows against the wall where the lantern light didn’t reach. He heard something soft hit the floor and then the sound of a zipper lowering. He moved swiftly to her and kissed her as he lowered his hands and found her working her pants down her hips.
“We’ll have to be fast,” he murmured.
She turned to face the wall. “I know. I want fast.”
He pushed down his pants, freeing his erection that had roared to life the moment he scented her arousal. He stepped close to his mate, feeling the heat of her skin as he ran his fingers over her hips and belly before curling them around her inner thighs and pulling her back toward him. She braced her hands on the wall and spread her legs as far as she could with her pants around her ankles. He slid his hands up her thighs slowly, until his fingers brushed against her pussy and found her wet and hot. With one hand, he spread her lips open, baring her as he ran his fingers over her clit. He wanted to play with her for hours, to see how many times he could make her come, but she wanted fast, and he wanted to give her everything she desired.