by Holley Trent
“That’s awesome, because this is going to be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner rolled up into one fattening meal.”
They turned into Gillian’s chambers and Gillian immediately started peeling off her clothes for a shower.
“Breakfast was great.” Kori giggled and started swaying from side to side as if to the beat of music only she could hear.
Gillian stopped tugging her tights down long enough to give the young nymph a maternal squint. “Did that boy come over again?”
Kori’s responding giggle was the only answer Gillian needed.
“I’m going to revoke that kid’s welcome the next time I see him.”
“Oh, Aunt Gillian, he’s harmless.”
“Yeah, and I was born yesterday.”
Gillian showered and had Kori zip her into her favorite little red dress in honor of the occasion. It was cut low in the front so her cleavage was on display, and had a hem that ended just above her knees. There was a little kick slit in the front for a bit of ease so the snug skirt didn’t rip when she crouched to fasten the closures of her ankle boots.
They made their way down to the main hall to find that all but three seats at the table were filled. The one at the far end was occupied by a tired-looking elf in a decadent black suit with satin lapels who sat with his chin resting on his fist, looking bored—and not just for show.
I can perk him up.
“Sorry for our tardiness,” Kori called over the din, and everyone in the room who’d previously been distracted by the ribald jokes of a visiting Ogre at the middle of the table, turned to look at once as if in a single unit.
They all rose as Gillian moved with Kori toward their assigned seats.
Gillian’s assigned place was at the end, directly opposite Nick with Kori in the empty adjacent seat at her right.
Kori sat and unfolded her napkin onto her lap, but before the butler could push Gillian’s chair in, Nick’s booming voice froze him.
“Gilly, sit here.” Nick gestured to the empty seat near him, way down at the other end of the table.
Gillian looked to Eldora. The queen always sat at the end, supposedly.
“He’s the king, and like you, he does what he wants,” Eldora said quietly.
“For me to be a schoolteacher, I suck at following rules, huh?” Gillian eased back from the table.
The butler followed and when her ass landed on the seat closer to Nick and the chair was pushed in, the rest of the guests sat. They stared down at Nick’s end of the table and Gillian smiled at them all like a beauty queen hopped up on Pixy Sticks.
Are they looking to me for guidance? Good luck, folks. “You all look amazing,” she said, pulling the nearby wine carafe closer while trying to give each person a few seconds of eye contact.
They all thanked her profusely, and then got distracted, talking amongst themselves about their coiffures and attire. Apparently, drawing attention to their appearances was the easiest way to distract magicfolk.
Obviously noting how uncomfortable Gillian was, Nick picked up the heavy crystal carafe and poured a couple of inches of viscous red wine into her goblet.
The butler ran over, evidently mortified that they should serve themselves.
Nick held up a hand to discourage him. “Piers, if the main course is ready, take our food upstairs to my chambers. The queen and I must give our apologies after the soup.”
“Yes, sir.”
No one else seemed to be paying any attention to them anymore, so Gillian rested her elbows onto the tabletop and leaned closer to the mysterious elf. “How are your ribs, Nicky?”
“Better.”
“Sleep well?”
“Quite.” He picked up his salad fork and twirled it between his long fingers, distracted for a moment, and then turned those emotionless eyes up to her. “And you?”
“I woke up sort of cold, actually.”
The Kobold across from Gillian must have heard some snippet of conversation she found interesting because she whipped her head around to Nick and said, “Oh, the winters here are just unbearable. We had to install a second fireplace in my bedroom because I just could not get warm. Oh, poor Queen Gillian, from such a humid place, too! How will you cope?”
Gillian stared dumbly at her for a moment, unable to come up with an appropriate retort.
“Gillian’s comfort is my upmost concern,” Nick said, reaching over to tap the back of the woman’s hand.
She swooned a bit and put her hands over her heart. “Ach, that’s so sweet. I wish someone gave a shit about my comfort.” She gave the male Kobold to her right’s ribs a resentful stab with her elbow, causing him to spew his wine onto one of the holly and ivy centerpieces. They bickered amongst themselves, which gave Gillian the opportunity to resume her thinly veiled conversation with Nick.
He didn’t say anything. He just reached over and took her hands into both of his and wrapped hers around a vial. He held her hands closed over the small, cold glass cylinder and giving her absolute eye contact. “Perhaps you can put it in your soup,” he said.
“What is it?”
He let go of her hands and sat back, relaxing his arms atop the ornately carved rests of his chair. “It won’t make you any warmer when you wake up, but it may…dissolve some tension. It may take a few days for you to be free of the…worst of your affliction.” His jaw spasmed.
She looked down at the little corked bottle, no more than an inch-and-a-half long and a half-inch in diameter filled with a clear liquid that could have been any number of things. Poison even, but she was pretty sure Nick wasn’t that cruel of an elf.
“It’s tasteless. It shouldn’t affect your soup,” he said and right on cue, the servers ladled generous portions of thick, red bisque into their bowls.
“Must have been a real inconvenience, getting this.” She closed her fingers around the via once again upon noticing Kori’s ashen face as she watched them from her end of the table.
She must have guessed what was in it.
“Yes.” He entwined his fingers and rested his chin atop the basket they made. “As you know, this world is all about favors. I called in some.”
“Oh. Is this the only vial?”
He shrugged. “The plant it’s extracted from is a rather short-lived perennial found only in the Black Forest. Should be dying off right around now.”
“I’m sorry.” And she was. For Nick to have asked a favor of one of his sisters for help doing something that would dissolve the magic of his marriage must have been majorly humiliating, not to mention humbling.
Beyond increased longevity, Gillian didn’t even know what all the perks were yet of being an elf’s true mate. She’d been too busy avoiding him to ask. They’d need to have a little chat.
“You only need one dose,” he said. “You’ll probably want to lie down afterward. I hear the effects can be somewhat disorienting.”
“Thanks.”
Nick dipped his spoon into his bisque and brought it to his lips, watching her carefully.
“And if I decided I didn’t want the…” She assessed the Kobolds in front of her and found they were still distracted by the same argument. “The treatment, what would happen?”
Nick raised a brow but let no other sign of emotion register on his face. “You’d have to wait until next winter to get another dose.”
“Your highness, your meal has been set up in—”
Crunch!
The butler looked down at the floor and paled. “I’ll get someone to clean up the glass. Immediately, sir.”
“Oops. Sorry about that, Piers.” Gillian picked up her spoon and skimmed the sprig of parsley off the top of her soup. “I’m so clumsy today from lack of sleep. I probably should take my meal in Nicky’s chambers, but that’d be so rude of me…” She locked her gaze on Nick’s. “Running out like that, I mean.”
That dazzling smile that had been absent from his face for so many days spread and the twinkle returned to his eyes. “You want to stay, Gilly?�
�� he whispered, obviously struggling to contain his excitement.
She liked him excited, and he shouldn’t have had to pretend he was incapable of it. “The bread’s good.”
“You’re staying for the bread, are you?”
“Maybe the money, too.”
“Gilly.”
She sighed. “Okay, maybe the company’s good, too.”
He squeezed her knee under the table and leaned forward. “All of it?”
She grinned. “Much of it.”
When she met him halfway, he put his lips to her ears. “Why?”
Cheeks burning hot, she whispered, “Because we’re alike, me and you. I’m stubborn, but not stupid.”
“So very true, my love.” Nick shoved his chair back and stood, sweeping her into his arms amidst the gasps from the peanut gallery.
Apparently the king wasn’t supposed to like his wife.
“Merry Christmas, Missus. Bless Agnes for placing that bloody expensive classified ad I reamed her out for. Who would have thought I’d find my queen in a tiny little town that’s barely a blip on GPS?”
“Obviously Agnes. You should give her raise.”
“I will. Right after you give me one, pet.”
Gillian groaned.
But what did she expect from him? He’d been so good, all things considered. Obviously, he was going to let the lechery back out at the first available opportunity, and she’d given him one.
She couldn’t beat him, but she could join him. She groped his ass and wriggled her eyebrows. “Merry Christmas, Santa. Got a gift for me to unwrap?”
“In my chambers. Now.”
He gave their guests his apologies, and teleported Gillian upstairs with her laughing all the while.
SERIES NOTE
Dear Reader,
The novella Unwrapping Mr. Roth was initially released back in 2012 through a now-closed publisher and under the title Mrs. Roth’s Merry Christmas. This version of the story is more or less the same, plot-wise, but with some major structural differences. Not only do we get to hear from Nick in this expanded version, but I nudged the story more tidily into the Hearth Motel/Afótama Legacy world.
That means you will absolutely see the characters from Unwrapping again. In fact, Eldora shows up in the next Hearth Motel installment Knight in Leather with Kori, and Kori…well.
You’ll see.
The Afótama Legacy, Hearth Motel, and Norseton Wolves stories are set on a single timeline and share characters. You can read each series on its own, but you’ll understand all the nudge-nudge, wink-winks if you read them all in order.
Suggested Reading Order:
The Viking Queen’s Men (The Afótama Legacy #1)
The Chieftain’s Daughter (The Afótama Legacy #2)
Prince in Leather (Hearth Motel #1)
Unwrapping Mr. Roth (standalone)
Viking’s Pride (The Afótama Legacy #2.5)
Viking Flame (The Afótama Legacy #3)
Knight in Leather (Hearth Motel #2 - coming April 2016)
The Viking’s Witch (The Afótama Legacy #3.5 - coming 2016)
Norseton Wolves
Beast
Loner
Idler
Scion
Maker
-Coming in 2016-
Elder
Scout
Seer
***The Norseton Wolves novellas can be read at any point after The Chieftain’s Daughter, or on their own.***
Turn the page for a peek at Knight in Leather. Before you do, be sure to subscribe to my paranormal romance newsletter so you’ll receive a notification when the next Afótama Legacy, Norseton Wolves, or Hearth Motel story is available.
KNIGHT IN LEATHER
Dasha Maurice isn’t in the market for a serious relationship, much less one with one of the leather-wearing fairies residing at her best friend’s beach motel. Sure, Ethan Gotch is built like a linebacker and tongue-numbingly sexy, but he’s also a smidge intense and has a pesky ex who insists he’s her fated mate.
He’s not. He’s Dasha’s.
Being the only human in the fairy clique makes Dasha the perfect little soldier to play messenger in the fairy realm. She can’t be detected by raging Queen Rhiannon’s magic, and can help pull more oppressed Sídhe to freedom. The realm is collapsing and the people need a way out.
When Ethan’s ex pulls a stunt causing Dasha to get stuck in the realm, she starts to believe she was right keeping her distance from the fairy, but that’s the least of her concerns. If Dasha can’t accept what it means to be the mate of a shapeshifting fairy knight and work a little magic of her own, the two may never make it home alive.
___
From Chapter Nine
At sound of the newcomer’s voice, Dasha and Simone both stood.
The tall, lithe, nymph glided into the room. At least, she seemed to be gliding. Eldora was probably walking normally enough, but her movements were so graceful that she maneuvered more like tall leaf being blown than like any bipedal creature Dasha had ever seen.
Eldora waved them to sit, and moved slowly to the sideboard. “You don’t have to stand for me. I didn’t enjoy the fuss even when I was queen.”
Dasha and Simone sat, sharing a look.
Eldora poured herself a drink, then held up the decanter of golden liquid to the ladies. “Not sure what the hour is in your time zone. Too early to indulge?”
“It’s never too early,” Simone said. “I gave up on the five o’clock rule months ago.”
Eldora chuckled and splashed some whiskey into another glass. “Probably around the same time you found yourself in the company of a certain prince.”
“I imagine that’s widely known now, huh?”
“No, I didn’t know until Hestia told me.” Eldora furrowed her brow and carried the glass to Simone. “I hadn’t seen her in more years than I can recall, but what’s a year to a goddess, I suppose?” She turned to Dasha. “For you, dear?”
Dasha shrugged again. “Sure, why not? I’ll probably be less inclined to ask ignorant questions if I have a bit of booze in me.”
“Nothing wrong with asking questions.” Eldora glided back to the sideboard. “I have to keep reminding my daughter-in-law of that. She’s still trying to settle in here. She’s only been with us since Christmas.”
“About as long as I’ve been with Heath, then,” Simone said.
“Yes. I imagine you and Gillian have experienced a similar sort of adjustment. And I’m so sorry she’s not here to meet with you today. She and Nicholas are cleaning up some of the upheaval from during the long period when we didn’t have a king, and they’re away from the compound often. Kori is here, though. I’m certain she’d like to chat. She does so enjoy conversing with people from your realm.” Eldora cringed and shook her head once. “My apologies—I mean from out in the open. I have difficulty remembering that we no longer dwell in the magic realm.”
“Yes, about that—” Simone said. “That’s why we’re here, I think. Realm relocation.”
Eldora bobbed her white-blond eyebrows and grinned openly at them. “May I call Kori?”
“Uh. Sure. I guess.”
“She’ll be so pleased. My granddaughter is always at a loss for what to do when Gillian’s not here.”
“Won’t this discussion bore her?”
“Why? Are you boring?”
Dasha suppressed a snort.
Eldora had asked the question so flatly that the delivery had an unintended comic effect.
“I try hard not to be,” Simone said.
Eldora handed Dasha a drink and moved toward the door. “I’ll be right back. The intercom is on the fritz again. I’ll need to send this guard down to fetch her. Forgive me. Just one moment.” She hurried into the hallway, and the heels of her unseen shoes click-clacked against the stone floor as she went. She was wearing a plain, but pretty, floor-length dress under her cloak, and probably needed all that fabric to stay warm. The palace was drafty.
Da
sha cut Simone a searching look. “So, where’s your palace, Princess?”
“My palace is called the Hearth Motel, and it’s currently overrun with fairies and frat boys.”
Dasha snapped her fingers. “Damn. I’m gonna get rid of that reservation for that party of nine for you. Just wait.”
“I wish. You know the rules. I can’t deny anyone hospitality.”
“But you can make them change their minds about being there. Remember—as good as I am at talking people into things, I’m just as good at talking them out of them. And since we’re here sitting and waiting, why don’t you tell me what your plans for the motel are? I’ll tell you what I had in mind for your marketing.”
Simone swirled the ice around her glass and put her spine against the seat back. “You know, I don’t have plans. I just go with the flow. Siobhan has plans, and I let her do what she wants because having dominion over some small thing makes her happy.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Simone turned her hands over in one of those eh gestures. “The crew has been on the road for so long, and they can’t exactly go back to the realm. People need to feel like they’re knitted into things and that they have a place to belong to. I think those fairies need a place to roost more than anyone.”
“It’s a shame they feel like they can’t go home. They must miss their families.” Dasha didn’t see hers very often, but just enough. She took for granted being able to fly home and see them whenever she got a whim to do so. She wondered what Ethan’s family must have been like.
Do they miss him? How do they feel about him being in Heath’s crew?
She couldn’t imagine her child being an entire realm away and working a job that required sword handling. In fact, the thought made her stomach lurch, and she didn’t even have kids yet.