by Dannika Dark
“I’m displeased about the tree.”
She smiled, tiny lines appearing at the corners of her mouth. “I’m sure it’s beautiful, and I can’t wait to see it.”
“I’m not good at such things. There were too many choices. Simon became a distraction.”
The sheets rustled when she turned on her side. “Did you take the presents down?”
“Yes.”
“Just for Rose,” she said firmly. “We promised not to get anything for each other. This is just for the kids.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Oui, mon ange.”
“So… I’m thinking this is the year.”
He raised his head and propped it in the palm of his hand. “For?”
“You know.”
He knew, and his heart leapt at her revelation that she was ready to become a Mage. He would no longer have to worry about simple things like infections, disease, or even a slip on the ice taking the woman he loved. Novis had agreed to make her a Mage, but they hadn’t ironed out the details. Normally Learners had to live with their Creators, who oversaw their training and education, but Justus had spent the past few years making sure that Page received the same kind of training and education he’d given Silver in hopes that it would sway Novis to relinquish his role and allow her to live independently.
“Can you speak to him?” she asked. “See if there’s some kind of test I have to go through to meet his requirements. I don’t want to live with Novis if that’s the deal. I realize that’s the Mage way, but this is my home, and I can’t leave my family behind. Especially Rose. Every day watching her grow is precious to me.”
“And you are certain you are ready? Is this what you want?”
He couldn’t bear the thought of outliving the only woman he cherished, but ultimately the choice was hers.
“You are my forever home, Justus. Of course it’s what I want. I just wasn’t ready until… well, after the car accident. It reminded me how unpredictable life is. One minute you’re here, and the next…”
He brushed a swath of her honey-brown hair away from her face and got lost in her dark eyes. They stood out, so wide and expressive. The same eyes he saw in their daughter. He was glad Rose had only inherited his blond hair. A little girl had no business resembling a brutish man like Justus.
“Plus I’m going into my thirties,” she continued. “I’m getting older than you.”
Justus smirked. He’d stopped aging at twenty-seven, but life was hard in those days, so he didn’t look as youthful as most modern men. He liked what a few years had done to Page, adding some character lines here and there.
“I will speak with him,” he finally said. “We’ll work something out. I will not allow you to move in with him; that is not an acceptable compromise. Novis is a fair man; he will understand. You’ve also made progress with your education and training. The only thing that will change is learning how to use your gifts.”
Page touched her finger to his lips. “I’m a good student, Mr. De Gradi. If I can endure five hours with you as my coach, I can do anything.”
He pulled her close, kissing her soft lips, which tasted of sweet fruit. “Anything?”
Page coaxed Justus onto his back and straddled him, her delicate fingers splayed across his bare chest. “Let me show you just how firm these thighs are, coach.”
Chapter 10
Simon and Ella
Simon stretched out on the leather sofa, the warm firelight cocooning his body. He stared vacantly at the colorfully wrapped presents beneath the tree. Simon had grown up in England in a century when poverty was rampant. As a boy, he’d visit upscale neighborhoods at Christmastime and listen to the sounds of merriment inside as families gathered to celebrate, sing carols, or play the piano. Then he would return to his own home to find his father passed out drunk. A stranger had once taken pity and given him a sixpence as a charitable gesture, but Simon hadn’t used the money to buy himself candy or a good knife. He’d bought food.
When he grew older, he worked for aristocrats and experienced firsthand how the elite upper class celebrated their holidays. Yet the lavish production had never appealed to him. Even after becoming a Mage and earning a good living, he never saw the point. Christmas had turned into a marketing machine where children were spoiled with gifts and people stressed over the cost of things.
A decent bottle of wine and good company were all a man needed.
The tree had a modest number of gifts below it. A few small packages, something large tucked in the back, and a stocking for each child hung above the fireplace. Justus had dropped a few pieces of candy into them… along with an orange.
Adam was asleep on the sofa facing the fireplace, and every so often a snore settled in the back of his throat. It was after midnight, and Simon had been listening to him sawing logs for the past four hours.
He stretched his legs, relieved he was out of the leathers. Long johns, wine, and a toothbrush were the only things he’d brought over. He glanced down and admired his body, which measured a hair over six one. “Not bad, if I do say so myself,” he murmured. While he kept his abs toned, Simon didn’t bother bulking up his muscles as a means of intimidation. He liked the flexibility his physique gave him during knife fights. The ladies certainly liked what they saw. Although, since meeting Ella, he hadn’t been intimate with anyone else.
She’d changed all that. Neither of them had made a formal declaration of monogamy, but Simon no longer desired other women. She fulfilled every need he had in a companion without it feeling all domestic and full of rules. They curled up together naked and actually talked.
Talked!
Simon was a sexual man, and yet no woman had ever wanted to stimulate his intellect as well as his cock. They played games, watched movies, and for the first time in his life, he felt a genuine connection to a woman on a level he hadn’t thought possible. They’d hit the brakes on their relationship and just let whatever existed between them develop naturally. No expectations. No promises. They kissed, flirted, trained long hours together, laughed until their sides hurt, and…
Why the bloody hell had he left her alone on Christmas?
Because he was a sodding bastard, that’s why. Deep down, Simon could never be the hero—the guy every woman fantasizes about settling down with as a permanent companion. Ella was young and would soon discover how many men would do anything to please a woman like her. Defects like deafness weren’t an issue with everyone, and she had overcome many obstacles by learning how to read lips.
His phone vibrated. When he glanced at the screen, he typed out a reply to the message.
Ella: I need your help.
Simon: First you lift the lid, then you put the dirty clothes in.
Ella: I’m trapped.
Simon: What??
Ella: My cab driver abandoned me. The snow is heavy, and I don’t know where I am.
Simon: What street?
Ella: Do you know where Tony’s Pizza is? I’m across the street. No one is open. I’m freezing. No heat.
Simon: I’m coming for you.
He leapt off the sofa and shucked out of his long johns. Adam will get an eyeful if he wakes up, Simon mused.
He yanked up his leathers, threw on his shirt, and searched the room for his socks and boots. The snow was probably piling up. The city trucks and plows didn’t clear all the roads, and she’d never make it here without help from him. Ella had only visited Silver’s house a few times, and this wasn’t a side of town she was familiar with. Tony’s Pizza was in the Breed district where a lot of juicers hung out.
That made him haul ass just a little bit faster as he put on his jacket and rushed out the door.
When Simon turned right on Parker Lane, he discovered the streets were impassable. His car wasn’t going to push through three feet of snow, so he pulled over and got out. Sleet pelted his cheeks as he turned around, the street visible due to the lights reflecting off the snow.
None of the roads that led to the piz
za place were clear, so he had no choice but to walk. The snow was packed, so at least his feet didn’t sink to the bottom in all places. He cursed under his breath as he trudged through the snow. Some spots weren’t bad, while others had snowdrifts that piled on top of the cars. Simon was blessed to be tall enough that it only came up to his thighs, but his arse was still freezing.
After thirty minutes of marching through snow, his face was flushed, his legs sore, and his throat parched. Had there been a pub nearby, he might have broken the windows and sat down for a pint.
He neared an intersection and noticed a yellow cab on the left side of the road, facing the wrong way. The snow surrounding it had been stamped down, and the windows were fogged over. Simon rapped his knuckles on the glass.
Ella opened the door and gripped his hand. Get in! she said in thought through the connection they shared.
He scooted into the backseat and felt his body collapse with exhaustion. “It smells like old cheese in here. Why didn’t you use your gift?”
This time Ella spoke aloud. “Where should I jump? On top of a building? A lot of good that does if I don’t know where I’m going. Everything’s closed, and all the streets look the same with the snow. I’m not even sure how to get back home.”
She unzipped a small bag and pulled out a shirt. Instead of putting it on, she used it to dry his hair, soaking up the wetness on the ends as she scowled at him.
Her reproachful look amused him immensely. Even though they spent a lot of time together, she still lived in a separate apartment on the same floor, enjoying the freedom of her newfound independence. Everyone needed to experience that feeling. Before he’d left, Ella had remarked he wasn’t dressed appropriately for the weather and he needed something warmer than leather pants. But Simon preferred making an impression. Real men didn’t wear puffy jackets and earmuffs.
Ella reached down and unlaced his boots. Once she managed to get them off, she stripped away his wet socks and flung them against the back window. His feet were cadaverous in color, so he wiggled his toes to get some blood down there. She put a pair of her dry socks on him, which tested the tight fabric and stretched it to the point of no return.
He chuckled at the pink and black stripes. “I feel like Santa’s elf. Wait till you see the hat I bought.”
She glanced up at him at the tail end of his remark. “What?”
Sometimes he forgot she was deaf and couldn’t tell when he was speaking to her or himself. Not everything said is meant to be heard.
After putting his boots back on, Simon pulled her close against him and touched her hand. “We need to leave before someone notices I left my keys in the ignition.”
She looked down at her dress and black stockings. “I dressed up for a party, not walking in snow.”
“You mean to say you didn’t heed your own advice?” He bit his lip to conceal a smile and rummaged through her bag in search of clothes for layering. “What all do you have in here?”
Her eyes went wide in horror, and she tried to wrench it away.
Simon lifted a sexy red nightie and blinked in surprise.
She snatched it from him and stuffed it back in the bag.
Normally that’s where he’d slip in a snarky comment, but Simon was gobsmacked. That wasn’t the kind of outfit a woman wore when she had sleep on her mind. They’d never been sexually intimate. He and Ella were cut from the same cloth, and she needed time before she was ready for that kind of closeness. But they’d shared light, which connected them on a level that was safe and equally satisfying, if not more. Had Ella planned on consummating something between them tonight? If so, that was going to be an awkward scene with Adam three feet away.
Deciding this was no time for discussing lingerie and sexcapades, he handed her a pair of stockings and a red sweater. “Put all this on. And these slipper socks.”
“I won’t be able to get my feet in my shoes,” she said, eyeing the thick material.
Simon lifted his hip and removed his dagger, slicing holes in the ends of the socks. “Wear them on your arms.” Then he stared at her beautiful ginger hair, which was braided back. Her ears were bright red, so he removed his jacket and stripped off his T-shirt, handing it to her. “Tie this around your head.”
She looked at him wide-eyed. “You’ll freeze!”
Simon chuckled. “This is child’s play compared to what I’ve seen, love. Do you have any bags in the trunk?”
She shook her head, so they exited the vehicle. Simon put his jacket back on and hooked the strap of her bag over his shoulder as he scanned the area to make sure they were alone. Before leaving, Simon memorized the cab driver’s vehicle number and decided he’d pay him a visit later on to thank him for abandoning a young woman and leaving her to the elements. He held her against him as they retraced his steps back to the car. The walk was easier this time since he’d carved a path, but the air was so thin and frosty that it hurt to breathe.
It was an arduous walk, and Ella began to struggle as the snow deepened. She was seven inches shorter than him, but she never once complained or asked to stop and rest.
A flutter of dim energy touched his skin more than once. At first he blew it off, but the third time it happened, it was accompanied by a sound he couldn’t discern. Simon gripped his dagger and whirled around with lightning speed, only to be confronted by… no one.
Except that in the distance, a shadow was fast approaching like ripples of water. Simon lowered his eyes and squinted.
A little brown-and-black scrapper of a dog was bounding through the snow. When he noticed Simon had turned to look at him, he stopped in his tracks. The puppy howled and then whimpered but kept his distance. It wasn’t a wolf, so it couldn’t have been a Shifter. Just some mutt.
Ella hadn’t seen it. She was bent over, adjusting the stockings on her legs.
Every so often during their walk, Simon glanced over his shoulder and noticed the animal still following them. Barely. It struggled whenever it reached a deep wall of snow.
Tenacious little bugger.
Finally he spotted his GTO up ahead. There was a light dusting of snow on the roof, but nothing that would stall their drive home. When he looked back again, the puppy was nowhere to be seen.
Simon tapped Ella on the shoulder. “Warm up the engine.”
She read his lips and then eagerly hopped in the car.
Simon stalked back the way they came, each step a regretful one.
“What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Since when did you grow a heart that bleeds for puppies? Next thing you know, you’ll be helping old ladies across the street and donating to the Girl Scouts.”
The least he could do was put the mutt in the backseat of someone’s car or on a porch step away from the snowy street. It was likely to get squashed beneath a snowplow. Simon’s boots noisily crunched on the snow, so he stopped for a moment when he thought he heard something.
A desperate whimper sounded from below. He squatted down and shoveled the snow aside with his hands, revealing a wet, shivering puppy curled up in a ball.
“Don’t you belong to some chubby-cheeked little boy with a scooter?” He sighed, a cloudy breath thickening between them. “Well, don’t just sit there freezing to death. Don’t you have survival instincts?” He lifted the scrapper and held him against his chest. When Simon stood up, the little puppy licked his chin.
For pity’s sake.
Simon unzipped his jacket and tucked the shivering puppy inside before zipping it back up again. “Now don’t you go nibbling on my piercing. And try not to pee on me.”
He headed toward the car and sat in the driver’s seat. The heater generated more noise than warmth. Ella removed the T-shirt from her head and used it to soak up the water on her thick stockings.
Simon tapped her shoulder. “Brought you something.”
Her eyes brightened when he unzipped his jacket and the puppy tumbled out.
“Oh my goodness!” She collected the wiggling furball, his tail
wagging excitedly and his tongue cleaning her face. “Where did you find him?”
“A jolly fat man in a red suit.”
Chapter 11
Silver
Before dawn, I dragged myself away from Logan’s warm embrace and got ready. Since I had a busy day ahead of me, I ditched the fancy dress and put on a comfy pair of jeans and a red shirt.
Hours later, I’d found my groove. I had a turkey going in Levi’s oven as well as ours, and I’d prepared everything for the cornbread dressing and side dishes. Homemade mashed potatoes seemed like too much work, so I decided to use the instant stuff in the box instead. A lot of things just required heating up, such as the peas, canned corn, and the rice I’d cooked the night before.
After buzzing Sunny and her kids into the building, Logan and I headed downstairs to greet them. Logan carried a bundle of small blankets in his arms in case the children were cold and wanted to snuggle up by the fire. Before my shower, I had snuck downstairs and put a few extra gifts under the tree and in the stockings, although by the look of things, Santa Justus had already paid a visit.
When I made it to the family room downstairs to greet Sunny, my eyes widened.
Levi and Lucian were setting breakfast on the table.
“You did all this?” I asked, ready to tackle them in a bear hug.
Lunch and dinner had been my sole purpose, so I’d failed to consider that our guests might be hungry at breakfast time.
Levi planted a big smooch on my cheek. “We’ve got your back. You do lunch and we’ll take care of breakfast. I’m ready for this eat-a-thon.”
Sunny, wearing a purple scarf and matching hat, followed Logan into the room. She gave me a tight hug. “Hey, sis.”
“Merry Christmas, Sunshine.”
She backed up a step and looked around. “Geez, it looks amazing in here. When did you have time to do this?”
“All credit goes to the boys,” I said. “Rose should be down in a little bit.”