by Drea Roman
“That is so cool!” Philippe says. “My grandfather had an antique one of those when I was a kid. Yours looks just like it, except new, of course.”
Tuck rises to his feet and takes a little bow, much to the enjoyment of the horses. He winks at me, and my heart is filled with all of my love and joy, but also a strong dose of trepidation. Since he is up, Tuck grabs the cookie bin from the kitchen and starts handing them out, explaining all the different kinds and why they are the best types of Christmas cookies.
Magic, Eddie mouths at me, and I flip him off.
After everyone has eaten more cookies than is normally advisable if one does not want to develop a sugar coma, we help clean up the dining room and kitchen before saying our goodbyes.
Since Incubus is on our way home, I put the lovely rocking horse in the back of my Jeep. Colt gives Tuck some paper and an envelope, which he uses to write out a note to the poor little boy at the heart of the benefit. “Lupo,” he murmurs, without anyone providing the name.
It takes us a few extra minutes to disentangle ourselves from my team. I am so pleased my friends have embraced my mate so completely. We stop off at Incubus to drop off the present for the little boy, Lupo. My mate shines with happiness now, and I cannot help but imagine how good of a dad he will be if we ever have children.
11
Tuck
Though Darren’s boss told him not to come back to work until after the New Year, my wolf can’t seem to stay away from the fire station or his horse team for that long. Since I want to try to catch Ren for a conversation, Darren drops me off at the avenue of Christmas stalls the next day while he checks in with Avi. The area is bustling because tomorrow is Christmas Eve. How the month has passed so quickly, I don’t know. My frustration bubbles inside me. I need to know who I am. With that in mind, I am an elf on a mission. I pull up short in the middle of the street at that thought, nearly knocking over a tall gentleman carrying an armload of packages.
“Sorry,” I call out as I pick up my brisk pace again. Everyone here is so tall. I’m not used to that. Everyone I know is universally short, all with the exception of Nick and the reindeer. Excited my mind is allowing old memories to surface and for once not hitting me with pain and fear to go along with them, I hustle my way through the throngs of holiday shoppers to the booth for Sweet Bites. The young man there is the same one I ordered from on the opening day of the festival. He lets me know that Ren is at his shop and directs me along the way. Since the heavy snowfall of a couple of days ago kicked the cold season into high gear, I am more than happy to step out of the chill when I finally locate the building.
I am still wearing borrowed horse shifter clothes, which annoys me a little. I am lucky that whoever parted with the outfits was both my size and had plenty of t-shirts and jeans to share. Their love of comic book characters is obvious. It was too cold today to venture out without layers, so no one can see the Captain America shield through Darren’s old sweater and much too large for me spare coat that I wear over the top of the tee. Though I appreciate the kind gesture the gift of this clothing was, it feels like I am missing part of myself without my own threads. I contemplate it a moment before walking up to the central counter of Sweet Bites. What a cute name. The crepes I had during the festival’s opening day were delicious, and I peruse the mounted board of order options with piqued interest. Some have bananas and other fruit toppings. The jingle bell crepes are still available, but another option catches my eye.
“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree crepes: Chocolate crepes with crème de mint filling, topped with star-shaped strawberry bites and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce.”
The descriptions have me so enthralled I jump when someone calls my name.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” says Ren, smiling down at me from across the counter. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Damn it, I really am that short, I think as I look up at him. “Hi, Ren! You are just the guy I wanted to see. I am going to have to try the Rockin’ around the Christmas tree crepes. Do you have time for a chat? I’ll buy you some coffee and crepes.”
Ren laughs. “Sure, I have some time today. Everyone is busy snapping up presents, so it is a slower day for the festival food crowd. No need to buy me anything, though I think I will join you on the crepes. Do you want a coffee with that?”
I nod. “With two creams and one packet of sugar, please.”
The reindeer shifter grins, then slips past the swinging door into the kitchen. The place is only about half full, so it is easy to find an empty table. Ren is clearly a wizard in the kitchen because before I have too much time to let my mind wander, he is carrying a tray with the crepes and two coffees over to the table. After setting the plates and mugs on the table, he returns the tray to the kitchen and swiftly comes back to take his seat across from me.
“Bon appetit,” he says, and we both take big bites of our crepes.
“Oh, my God.” My eyes want to roll up into my head in delight. “These crepes are literally the best. Your flavor combinations are phenomenal.”
“Thank you,” he replies, looking genuinely pleased. We eat our crepes in silence, with only the occasional moan of delight from me. When we are finished with quite possibly the best food I have ever had, we set our plates aside.
“Why did you want to talk to me, Tuck? We just met.” Ren takes a sip of coffee and eyes me over the rim of his mug, his curiosity shining brightly.
Taking a deep breath, I try to explain what drew me here today. “Darren told you about my amnesia. What he didn’t say was that he found me in his barn after I crashed into his fence in a flying sleigh.”
The look Ren gives me would be humorous if the conversation were not so serious for me. “Come at me again? I think I misheard.”
I can’t help but chuckle at that. “No, you heard me right. I crashed into Darren’s fence in a flying sleigh, which promptly disappeared before his friends could move it. This was the night before Thanksgiving.”
Ren looks skeptical a moment, then shakes his head with a smile. “That is Vale Valley for you. Someone in need of love is always crash-landing here.”
I nod decisively, excited because my memories are finally starting to crystallize. “That’s why I came to see you. I just kept thinking about you after we met. How you seemed so familiar to me. It took me a while to figure it out. But it makes so much sense to me now. You are a reindeer shifter. Of course, I would recognize you. I’ve lived right next to your species my entire life.”
“That makes sense,” Ren replies, though he sounds confused. I’m not sure I am explaining this correctly, but I am positive Ren is the right shifter for me to talk to.
“Can you fly?” I ask, more than ready to see all of the connections between my past and this new life in Vale Valley with my mate.
“Excuse me?” Ren sputters, nearly choking on his coffee.
“The reindeer shifters I know can fly, but I don’t know if it is a universal thing. Can you?”
Ren looks shocked. “No, I most certainly cannot fly. But don’t let me get sidetracked. You remember who you are now?”
Closing my eyes, I search my mind. A huge smile slides across my face as I realize the picture is coming into focus quickly.
“Almost,” I reply, taking a sip of my coffee before I continue. “This is perfect, by the way. My memories seem to be sliding into place, but I feel like I need to talk to someone familiar to understand everything and hopefully regain the last few pieces that are missing. I hope you don’t mind my saying, but you remind me of home.”
“Really?” asked Ren, sounding astonished.
I nod. “You smell like home.”
He blushes a deep red and takes a moment to respond since my comment clearly flustered him. “Thank you, I think. Nobody besides my mate has ever commented on my scent before.”
Now it is my turn to be embarrassed. “I’m sorry. That might have come out wrong. It’s just that you smell like a reindeer shifter, which of course y
ou are, and that reminds me of home—and oh no, I sound crazy now.”
Ren laughs, and the sound is soothing. “No, I get it. It is something familiar, which is helping you remember things. The explanation helps, though.” He takes a drink of his own coffee. “So you definitely remember growing up around reindeer shifters, then?”
Nodding, I put my elbows on the table and hold my chin in my hands. “I think I’m a Christmas elf. In fact, I am pretty darn sure of it. The memories are coming back faster now, like the fog is finally lifting from my brain.”
If it were possible to look more surprised than he did before, Ren manages to pull it off as his eyes nearly bug out and his mouth drops open before he quickly snaps it shut.
He looks around and leans forward, as if sharing a secret. He asks in a whisper, “Santa is real?”
That makes me laugh, and I welcome the sound of Nick’s laughter in my mind. Thank goodness this is finally starting to make sense. “Yes,” I enthuse, “and he is my best friend. Oh, my God, you have no idea how good it feels to say that and know it is true.”
Ren nods, his eyes still wide. “I’m sure. I’ve never had amnesia before, but even though I left my herd, it would still hurt if I couldn’t remember them at all.” He looks around again, as if looking for eavesdroppers. “You really know reindeer shifters who can fly?” At my nod, he sighs and sits back in his chair. “If only I could. What a neat trick.”
“It might be because of Nick or it might be inherited magic, I don’t know, but yes, the reindeer I know can definitely fly.” I pause a moment. “And they can definitely crash, too.”
“Is that how you ended up here with amnesia?”
I frown a moment. “I think they were drunk. No, I think we were all drunk. What I don’t understand is why the sleigh disappeared after the crash. That must have been Nick’s doing, hiding his existence. It is the only explanation that makes sense.”
“Wow,” Ren responds. He looks as dumbfounded as I feel as all of my memories begin to crowd my mind once more.
Before I realize it, I am crying, the tears sliding down my face.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I sniff, then laugh. “These are definitely happy tears.”
Ren passes me a napkin, then smiles. “You have magic then?” At my nod, his expression lights up. “What can you do?”
“My magic is maker’s magic, so I can make things like food and toys. But I could hit someone with an energy surge if I got mad enough. Or scared enough.”
Ren sips his coffee contemplatively, then asks, “Why do you think you came to Vale Valley? Were you trying to make it here, or did you just end up here because of the crash?”
All reindeer shifters must have some magic because even though he cannot fly, Ren’s questions seem to drive away the fog in my mind, leaving me with crystal clarity. I sigh, a weight lifting off of my heart for the first time since I found myself in the hospital with no idea of who I was. I smile at my new reindeer friend, so very grateful he is here. I reach across the table and squeeze the hand resting beside Ren’s mug of coffee.
“Thank you, Ren. That was the right question. I did come here on a mission. I came to find my mate.”
Ren squeezes my hand in return and offers me a small smile. “And you found him. Did you already know who he was, or was it just a blind pull to this place?”
Joy flows through me as all of the answers fill my mind. It is as if a magic lock has been opened, reuniting my present self with my self that has always existed. I just nod because I am overcome at the moment. When I can speak again, I give Ren a very shortened version. “I saw Darren in his wolf form in our magical snow globe.”
Ren looks intrigued by that, and I laugh. “That is a story for another time. I had better go. I told Darren I would find my own way home, but if I’m not there when he gets back, I am sure he will come hunting for me. I hope this is the beginning of a very long friendship.”
Ren smiles as he stands and picks up our dishes from the table. “Absolutely. Any time, Tuck. If I don’t see you again before the holiday, Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too, Ren.”
I wait until I am outside and out of anyone’s view in a nearby alley before trying out a trick I know should work. With a snap of my fingers, I am home again, standing in front of Darren’s house.
I do a little elf dance in the front yard. “Yippee! I’m me again!” Falling over backward in the snow, I make a snow angel just for the fun of it. Too bad I don’t have my shoes on. Then I would be completely merry and jingle all the way. I play in the yard for a few more minutes, but decide I want to build a snowman with Darren. It will just have to wait until he comes home.
The instant traveling is a mighty handy trick, I think as I walk into the house. The Jeep is not in the driveway, so I know I beat Darren home. I am so excited to share with him the new memories I have unearthed with the help of my new reindeer friend. Thank God for reindeer shifters. I hear Nick’s booming laugh in my head and send my dear friend a message: “You are in serious trouble when I see you again.” He responds in his usual way, with a laugh, and I wonder how long it will be before he makes an appearance in Vale Valley and why he hasn’t already.
12
Darren
“Honey, I’m home,” I call out as I open my front door to find Tuck leaning against the kitchen island, a happy smile on his face. The air is filled with the most wonderful scents, and I know my mate has been baking again. Mate. My mate.
Tuck opens his arms, and I am there in a second, enveloping my tiny mate in my embrace and dropping a kiss on his blond head.
“Let’s chat.” It comes out muffled since his face is settled against my heavy coat.
“Sure, just let me take this off, and I’m all yours.” He releases me, and I hurry to the closet, removing my coat and sliding it onto a hanger, my work boots next to come off.
He motions for me to sit down on the couch. When I am settled, he perches on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, leaning his elbows on my knees. He fits so perfectly between my legs. He fits so perfectly with me.
“I remembered something today.”
Smiling, I reach out and trace a finger along the back of his right hand. “That’s good, Tuck. What did you remember?”
He glances away a moment, the look on his face contemplative. When his eyes connect with mine again, he grins, transforming his face from his everyday beauty to beatific, his joy shining through his eyes.
“I remembered why I came to Vale Valley.”
“Why?” I whisper, the moment seeming to call for a hush, as if he’s revealing to me the secrets of the universe.
“I came searching for you.”
“How? How did you know I was out ‘there?’ Or here, I mean. How did you find me?”
“Magic 8-ball.” Then he laughs that surprisingly deep chuckle. His eyes sparkle as his chin rises. I want to kiss him so badly. What’s stopping me? He’s my mate. Leaning forward, I nip the side of his neck before grabbing his shoulders and pulling him forward into my lap for a kiss. When our lips meet, he sighs, and electricity zings through my body. Mate. This is my mate. A giggle interrupts the moment as Tuck pulls back to look at me, an amused expression on his face.
“You’re growling. Did you know?” His eyes widen in mirth, and he wiggles his blond eyebrows at me. “So possessive,” he murmurs. “So hot.”
This time I growl on purpose and claim his lips again. “Mine,” I whisper against the softness of his mouth when we part to breathe again.
“Lucky me,” he whispers back, and the tiny hitch in his voice tells me he means it, just as the soft contentment emanating from our mating bond confirms. Swallowing down fears that seems silly in this moment with my mate in my lap, I murmur, “I love you,” before kissing him again. The mate bond between us soars in my chest, and it feels like firecrackers going off in my soul. A thought pops into my mind. I love you, too, Darren. So much.
If
I weren’t so preoccupied with kissing my mate, I would ask how he sent me that thought. Instead, I pull him closer, wrapping my arms around him as his legs tighten at my hips. A thrill runs through me as our passions ignite. Soon, we are both moaning and whimpering as our hands roam all over each other. I squeeze his hips, and he thrusts forward, bringing our clothing-clad cocks into contact. One of his hands clutches my button-down as the other runs up my chest, slipping into my open collar and settling heavily in the space where my neck and shoulder meet, over the mate mark he left the first time we made love. A warm, tingling sensation flows across my skin beneath his palm, and I hear in my mind: You are mine, so I claim it and mark you, for all the world to see.
My chest clenches as our bond tightens, then flutters out, like a flag unfurling to wave in the breeze. The fullness of our combined joy seizes me, and if I weren’t already sitting, I would’ve ended up on my ass as our mating bond expands, completing our binding in a way I didn’t even know was missing. How could I? It’s not like I’ve had a mate before. Tuck claimed me. I didn’t know he could or that he needed to. Only my bite and his surrender of his body to me are needed for my wolf. Or so I’d been told. But that was before Tuck. Emotions and thoughts swirl through me as our newly completed bond wraps itself around my heart and my soul.
“Shh.” Tuck murmurs, leaving my lips and throwing his arms around my neck, squeezing me hard. “We are truly one now because I have claimed you with all of who I am, my whole elf being.” Tears I didn’t even know I was crying slip down my cheeks as I lean into my mate’s hug, tightening my arms around him, holding on for dear life. When the waves of emotion calm, Tuck pulls back and takes my face in his hands. With his thumbs, he wipes my tears, smoothing them away. We stare into each other’s eyes for an untold amount of time before Tuck slips gracefully out of my arms and lap to stand in front of me. His eyes are kind and so full of love I can barely breathe. So this is what is truly like to be mated. He offers his hand and pulls me to standing. I tower over him, his towhead barely coming up to my collar bone. But he is the one protecting me now. As he leads me to our bedroom, I wonder how I ever lived before him.