Brietta jumped and screamed, earning another round of laughter. Then she found her wits and spun around. Layla had dropped her concealment spells and was innocently batting her lashes, but Brietta wasn’t buying it. She lunged, catching Layla around the waist. Then they both disappeared into the pile of snow discarded by the wave.
Layla squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold her breath, but she was overcome by giggles as she and Brietta rolled and fumbled in their quest to find the surface.
“I deserved that,” Layla conceded, getting to her feet.
She shook and shivered while wading out of the waist-deep mound. Quin hadn’t cast spells on her dress or curls, and they quickly grew damp with melting snow.
“Best snowball fight ever,” Brietta approved, flipping her soggy hair.
Quin scooped Layla into a cradle hold and warmed her with a magical kiss. Then he carried her to the platform to get dry.
Kegan insisted Brietta do the same, but most of the family and guests continued to play in the snow. When they discovered Aradia, Alec and Benzio had never built a snowman, immediate steps were taken to rectify the situation, and frozen figures of various sizes began taking shape.
Cinnia and Arlen served coffee, cocoa and eggnog; Layla’s grandparents entertained the triplets on a fuzzy rug near the fire pit; and Weylin was taking every opportunity to pull a bundle of mistletoe from his pocket so he could steal kisses from witches.
“Every year,” Kegan laughed, watching Weylin tickle Alana’s neck with sweet, bearded smooches. “He carries mistletoe every year, and every year he gets away with it.”
“You’re just jealous you didn’t start doing it before him,” Brietta teased, plopping down next to Layla.
Kegan handed Brietta a cup of eggnog. Then he spiked it with brandy before summoning a glass of scotch. “Want some?” he asked, offering the drink to Quin.
Quin glanced at Layla, who pretended not to notice. Then he accepted the glass while Kegan summoned another. They started talking about Kegan’s job and parents, and Brietta grabbed Layla’s hand, bringing her attention around.
“I got you a present.” She held up a red package sprinkled in glitter and wrapped with a silver bow.
Layla looked at the pile of gifts near the Christmas tree, finding the one she’d wrapped in pink paper. Then she summoned it and traded her cousin. “Same time?”
“Same time,” Brietta agreed, already tearing at the paper.
When she reached the contents of her package, she burst into giggles, and Layla jolted before raising an eyebrow. She knew Brietta would find the gift funny, but she didn’t expect her to find it that funny.
“They’re for fun,” Layla explained.
Brietta filled her lungs and spoke through another wave of laughter. “Oh, they will be. This is so funny. Finish opening yours.”
Layla obeyed, and as she exposed her gift, she realized what was so funny. They’d gotten each other the same thing.
“This is great,” Brietta laughed, boldly displaying her pink underwear.
Layla was much more covert as she examined her gift, which could barely be called underwear. She thought the lacy piece she’d given Brietta was sexy, but the silk garment in her own package was missing a vital part. “Are these—”
“Crotchless,” Brietta offered.
Layla blushed, and Quin raised an eyebrow while peering over her shoulder. She was tempted to hide the provocative panties, but she resisted the urge while finding Brietta’s grin. “We may have gotten each other the same thing, but we went in completely different directions.”
Brietta beamed while turning her panties this way and that. “I bet my butt will look great in these.” She winked at Kegan. “What do you think?”
He smirked and downed his drink. “I think you’re a tease who loves to torture me.”
“Guilty,” she chirped, transferring her underwear to her house. “Thank you, Layla Love. I’ll let you know how they work out.”
Layla laughed, her blush growing brighter as she contemplated trading sex stories with her cousin, but Brietta wasn’t fazed by the personal matter. With her confident smile in place, she rose from her seat and grabbed Kegan’s hand. “Let’s go build a snowman.”
He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her off the deck, and Layla watched them go before glancing between Quin and her crotchless panties. “Do you like them?”
He pulled the underwear from the package, laughing at the way she panicked and flipped her gaze around. “I can see the appeal,” he admitted, “especially if you wore them throughout the day, but regardless of the access, before it’s all said and done, they’re coming off.”
She grinned and snatched the undergarment from his hand. Then she stuffed them in the box and transferred it to her new closet. “Maybe I’ll surprise you with them someday.”
His dimples deepened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Every day with you gives me something new to look forward to.”
She cuddled into his side, letting him finish his drink while she watched their babies. The three of them lay on their tummies, surrounded by their grandparents, Cecelia and Grant, all of whom showered the triplets in affection, taking opportunities once stolen from them by death and despair.
After Benzio finished his first snowman, Layla and Quin left the comfort of the deck to check out his work. Then Layla nursed while everyone snacked on leftovers.
Kegan’s niece Shaylee was fascinated by the triplets and had only recently been weaned herself, so she wasn’t shy about crawling onto the bench beside Layla to touch and talk to the babies while they ate. Being the focus of the toddler’s attention while so exposed made Layla uncomfortable at first, but Shaylee’s innocence and enthusiasm was adorable and too cute to dismiss.
Her interest continued until Alana took her hand and directed her toward the rug, which was filling up with kids. Without any questions or complaints, the children sat and crossed their legs. Then they raised their gazes to Lann, who’d taken a seat in front of them with a book.
Layla glanced around, finding that more than fifty people had gathered on the platform, practically piled on top of each other as they sipped hot beverages and stared at the coven patriarch.
With half of her bodice down and Farrow latched on, Layla looked at Quin. He had Lilyana and Kaedan on his chest, and the atmosphere was so calm and quiet Layla could hear the hypnotizing rhythm his gentle hands played on his babies’ backs.
Layla leaned closer and whispered. “I’m assuming you guys don’t go with the traditional ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
He quietly laughed. “No. The stories vary, but the themes are similar. Grandpa Cat used to pick them.”
Layla’s lungs stuttered as she glanced at Lann, Catigern’s only living son. “This is your first Christmas without him.” Their first Christmas without all of them – Catigern, Cadman, Flanna, Rhiannon, Enid and Kearny, and several members from the Cormac/Adair and Owen/Sullivan covens.
Quin made sure the babies on his chest were stable before taking Layla’s hand. “It’s also your first Christmas without Katherine.”
Layla shook her head and blinked away moisture. “She was already gone. Not physically, just… everything else. I didn’t really have a Christmas last year. I’ve gained more than I’ve lost.”
“So have we,” he assured, pulling the back of her hand to Lilyana’s curls.
Lann lifted an old, leather-bound book and showed the colorful illustrations to the children, and he somehow kept his emotions in check while carrying on a tradition left to him by his late father. His deep voice soothed the adults and pets into lazy serenity, and his enthusiasm captivated the kids as he told a story about two wizards who got caught in a blizzard on Christmas. The morals of the tale clearly reflected the values embraced by Layla’s coven, and it imprinted on children the importance of concealing their magic from the hexless while teaching them to share their gift discretely and selflessly.
“What’s next?” Layla asked, carefully lifting Lilyana from his shoulder.
He smiled and raised his eyebrows. “You’ll see.”
He braced his boys and stood, leaving Layla to stew in anticipation, and she laughed at his game, tempted to get the answers from someone else.
Several busy minutes later, everyone on the lawn donned cloaks and flew north, and their pace slowed as they zigzagged around tree trunks and dipped under branches, chatting along the way. Layla could barely stand the mounting excitement, and she would have exploded with curiosity if she hadn’t been so focused on keeping Lilyana warm and safe.
When she soared over the north stream, she huffed and surrendered to temptation. “Quin.”
“Yes, my love?”
“Where are we going?”
“Almost there.”
“Are we leaving the community?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Almost there.”
“Don’t you think you’ve surprised me enough today?”
“No.”
A thick canopy of branches bathed the forest floor in shadows, and the auras in the forefront flitted around giant trees like rainbow fireflies. In the distance, bouncing shafts of moonlight pierced the riding trail that circled the property, and as the leaders of their party landed on the snow-covered path, their magical lights illuminated a row of horse-drawn sleighs.
Layla’s mouth fell open with a happy gasp as she flew faster, minding the grip and spells she had on her precious cargo. Her feet sank into snow when she landed on the edge of the trail. Then she trudged through the fluff to the nearest horses. Their manes were woven with what looked like tinsel; silver bells hung around their necks; and they were harnessed to the sleighs with pearly-white magical cords.
“Feel like going for a sleigh ride?” Quin asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “It’s like Jingle Bells.”
“The Christmas carol?”
“Yeah. Who has Farrow?”
“Your grandparents.”
He took her shoulders and led her to an eight-person sleigh. Her grandparents and Farrow had gotten comfortable on one bench, Quin’s parents sat across from them, and Benzio hopped between them, too excited to stand still, let alone sit.
Quin stood to the right of the steps and offered Layla a hand. “My lady.”
She laughed as she took his hand and climbed into the sleigh. “You really are Prince Charming.”
She maneuvered around Benzio and took one of the empty seats, leaving room for Quin to sit next to his mom. “This is amazing.”
Morrigan beamed as she calmed Benzio with a cup of hot cocoa. “We’re thrilled you think so.”
Layla looked to the entrance for Quin, but he’d moved to the other side and was handing Kaedan to his dad. “Tristan, Bryce and Drexel are approaching.”
Serafin and Caitrin hopped out of the sleigh, taking up positions beside Quin. “Did you plan this meeting?” Caitrin asked.
“Yeah,” Quin assured, approaching the tree line. “I want an update on security before we do this.”
“Good idea. I’ll let everyone know what’s going on so they don’t worry.”
Despite their confidence, Layla stood and searched the forest for approaching auras, making sure there were only three and they belonged to the right people.
Quin kept his gaze in the same direction, yet he somehow sensed her concern. “It’s okay, Layla.”
Everyone around her laughed at his intuition, and she rolled her eyes, still on her feet. “I know.”
“Tristan mind searched me,” Quin added.
“Okay,” Layla replied, but she didn’t sit. It had been a while since she’d been so close to the edge of her community, and a laid-back Christmas evening would be a cruel yet effective time to attack her peaceful coven.
Quin’s shoulders rose and fell with a sigh, but he didn’t say anything more until Tristan, Bryce and Drexel emerged from the timber. Polite Christmas greetings were exchanged. Then they moved on to business.
“We’ve had every guard on high alert all day,” Tristan reported. “The forest is clear for miles. Those patrolling near your borders have been instructed to identify themselves with a green glow if they come into your view.”
“Excellent,” Quin approved. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Tristan returned, glancing at Layla. “Relax and enjoy yourselves. There won’t be any trouble, but if there is, you know where to find me.”
Tristan walked away, but Bryce and Drexel stood firm as the latter spoke. “We’re overdue for a conference, Quin.”
Quin shook his head and turned toward the sleigh. “Not now.”
Drexel grabbed Quin’s arm, determined to argue his case, but when he found Quin’s deadly stare, he quickly let go.
Quin rotated, practically chest to chest with the commander as he quietly repeated himself. “Not – now.”
Drexel’s jaw hardened as his eyes narrowed. “When?”
Quin relaxed as suddenly as he’d tensed. Then he shrugged and climbed into the sleigh. “I don’t know, but if you don’t leave my family to their Christmas, you’ll never get your conference.”
“What did I tell you?” Tristan called from the shadows. “Let’s go.”
Drexel’s nostrils flared, but he held his tongue and floated into the forest with Bryce.
Quin hugged Layla’s shoulders while watching them go. Then he smiled and urged her to sit with him. “Everyone ready?”
“Yeah!” Benzio cheered, climbing onto Quin’s lap.
Caitrin took a moment to touch base with the other sleighs. Then the horses began to move, their path brightening with decorative lights as soft music echoed from the forest. The lights seemed to travel with them and came in various shapes, sizes and colors. Some twinkled, some pulsed, and some swam alongside the sleighs, danced across the snow, or drifted overhead.
Benzio had stilled, too mesmerized to bounce, and Layla’s smile strained her cheeks as she gawked at the scenery. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe how insanely perfect this is – a magical sleigh ride through a winter wonderland. It must have taken a ton of work.”
“Several people pitched in,” Caitrin assured, keeping an eye on their horses.
Layla leaned to the side and studied the riders in front of her. Their auras were flooded with pink love, yellow happiness and silver excitement, and the sleigh behind her held a similar scene. Her heart beat hard, its boundaries stretched by profound affection for her family and friends, and as she settled into Quin’s side, peace settled over her bones.
Chapter Ten
Layla floated back to the lawn on a dreamy cloud of contentment, and Quin flew beside her, his pace slow enough he was able to roll over and let Kaedan rest on his chest.
Shortly after everyone reached the lawn, most of the guests began saying their goodbyes, and Weylin approached Layla with one hand extended. “Give me your palm,” he instructed.
She obeyed, and he handed over to two pink charms – angel wings, one pair smaller than the other.
“For you and your doppelganger,” he explained, running a hand over Lilyana’s curls. “Rumor has it Benzio’s already making the ladies melt by giving them charm bracelets. Add those to yours and Lilyana’s. Quin suggested I use rose gold.”
Layla smiled while running a thumb over the matching wings. “They’re beautiful, Wey. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He wrapped her in a gentle hug. Then his sense of humor returned as he gave the side of her neck a lip-smacking kiss. Pulling away, he flashed a smug grin at Quin and waved his mistletoe. �
��You knew it was coming.”
“I did,” Quin confirmed, “but she didn’t.”
Weylin’s smile stretched as he found Layla’s shocked expression. “She’ll get used to it.” After stealing a kiss from Lilyana, he shook Quin’s hand. “Merry Christmas, man. I’ll see you on New Year’s Eve.”
“We’ll be here.”
The crowd thinned as guests soared away, and those left behind began cleaning up the lawn. Layla and Quin headed for the platform to talk to her grandparents, but Selena intercepted them.
“Hey,” she greeted. “Kellyn, Nyle and Shaylee are hanging out at our house for a few more hours. We’ll let the kids stay up and play until they leave. Think Benzio would like to join us?”
“Probably,” Layla answered. “I’ll have to ask him.”
“I’ll ask,” Selena offered.
Layla bit her lip while watching Selena walk away. Then she raised an eyebrow at Quin. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He stepped closer, his lips halting a few inches from her ear. “Are you thinking about me spending the next several hours worshiping your body?”
Her pulse quickened as her thighs quivered. “If I wasn’t before I am now.”
“No kids?”
“No kids.”
His speeding aura brightened as he kissed her ear. Then they hurried toward the deck so she could feed the triplets and speak with her grandparents.
Once Layla was settled on a bench with two babies nursing, she summoned several presents. Then she floated half the pile to Caitrin and Morrigan while the other half soared to Daleen and Serafin. They insisted she shouldn’t have, but they didn’t hesitate to open them.
Daleen was the first to tear away the paper. Then she gasped and glowed brighter, holding a framed photo with one hand while the other clutched her heart. “It’s perfect.”
All the packages contained framed photos and picture collages, so Layla waited for her grandparents to unwrap a few more before explaining. “When we went through the box of photos I brought from Oklahoma, you had a hard time picking which ones you wanted to keep, so I asked Karena to take them to a store in Portland that makes copies. I think these were your favorites, so I framed them, but those two huge presents by the tree contain the rest.”
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