“Really. Hare, is there a bottle around here?”
“In the kitchen.” Hare pointed behind him. “But you promised I get to do it this time.”
“That was for Nick.”
“Come on, you don’t get to hit all the coal bags,” Hare pleaded, his hands together. “Let me. Let me. Just a teensy hit.”
“You think either one of you could take me down?” Scrooge growled, stepping into me, his threatening form humming with raw energy. Wild. Savage. Sparking against me, flaring my nose with desire.
“Whoa. Whoa.” Rudy tried to wiggle between us, pushing me back from Scrooge, snapping me out of the bubble we had been locked in. “Step back, friend.”
“Get out of the way, friend.” Scrooge’s burning gaze still hinged on me. “This is between me and her.”
“No.” Rudy shoved him back a few inches, getting in his face. “This is about us, and you know it. It has been since the day she arrived.”
“Oh hell, yes.” Hare sat up in his chair, his eyes wide with eagerness. “The battle of dicks vs. horns has finally commenced.”
“And I have both.” Rudy’s emotionless tone went against the taunt he shoved in Scrooge’s face. “Do as the lady asked and go to bed, or you and I will be taking this outside. And you look nowhere near ready for that.”
Scrooge huffed, his eyes blazing with aggression. “You think I will fight you for her?”
Ouch.
“Don’t.” Rudy’s voice went lower than normal. “You aren’t fooling anyone here, including yourself. You have been my friend for a long time, but yes, I will challenge you for her if it comes down to it. That is my nature. You need to stop living in the past, punishing yourself. If you want it, fight for it. Because I will.”
Scrooge’s head lifted, his shoulders widening, his jaw rolling. There were a few tense moments before he stepped back. “Do whatever the fuck you want.” He snatched a blanket off the sofa and swiftly moved up the stairs to the tiny loft, disappearing behind the railing.
“But that’s my room…” Hare trailed off, slumping back into the chair. “Happy days. The angry, aloof, bitter asshole is back. Didn’t he get laid once while you guys were gone?”
I cringed, imagining his time living in the house with Jessica, especially when he first arrived, believing he was supposed to be in love with his wife. Did they ever? Did she trick him into sleeping with her?
My shoulders shook, a shiver running down my spine. I really didn’t want to think about it.
“Alice.” Rudy turned to me, intention in his advance.
“Tomorrow.” Fatigue dropped on me like cement, pushing my bones into the ground. Whatever he wanted to speak with me about, I couldn’t handle it. “Not tonight.” I reached my hand out for Penguin and the twins.
“Certainly.” He dipped his antlers, watching me take the group down the hall to the guest bedroom.
“Wow, Ms. Alice. You are so lucky. Both Rudy and Scrooge fighting for you.” Dee’s eyes were glazed with dreamy excitement. The twins crawled onto the bed, while Pen made himself comfortable in the little nest of blankets he built for himself in the corner.
“No one is fighting over me,” I replied, pulling the covers over them. “I’m not an award to be contested for.”
“Oh, I know, but it still must feel nice. They are both so handsome and good.”
“Good.” I chuckled. Not the word I would use to describe Scrooge at all.
“Plum drops! When you challenged him…” Dum’s eyes were big with awe. “He did not know what to do. He’s never had someone do that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Belle would never have done that.” Dee shook her head. “I mean never. She agreed with whatever he said.”
“Really? Even when he’s being a dick?”
“Especially then.” She dug deeper into the pillow, but excitement still glistened in her eyes. “Belle was nothing like you. You’re amazing, Ms. Alice. Badass, a warrior princess.”
“Call me Xena.”
“Who?”
“Never mind.” I leaned over, kissing both on the forehead. “Night.”
“Night.” They sang together as I moved to Pen.
“It’s so good having you back, Ms. Alice.” Pen’s lids drooped. “I didn’t mind visiting you in your realm. Though it was chilly there.”
“What?” Confusion furrowed my brow. “What are you talking about, Pen?”
“You needed us.” He exhaled sleepily, his eyes shutting. “Our bodies may have stayed here, but we’re part of you and Mr. Scrooge. Family is there when you need each other the most. Even in our dreams…” he muttered, his voice falling away. A whistle of a snore tooted out of his beak, his body relaxing into his cocoon.
Was he aware of my hallucinations? Was it actually them coming to me? No one else seemed to remember that. Was only Pen conscious of this?
Sometimes it felt like Penguin was the wisest one out of all of us. The most aware of things beyond the median, his pure innocence opening him up to see and understand more.
Leaving the room, I dragged myself down the hall, passing the shower I desired. Tomorrow.
Rudy and Hare had cleaned up and were settling down for a winter’s nap.
“Please take the sofa.” Rudy motioned for me to take the lumpy couch.
“No, thank you. Floor’s good.”
“Good choice.” Hare chuckled, curling into the side chair, kicking his legs over an arm. “You don’t want to know where Dum’s naked ass has been on there.”
“Now I’ll never be sitting on it again. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Hare snapped his fingers with a wink, laying his head on the other arm. “Got your back, girl.”
I crawled down on the rug, snagging a blanket and pillow. With Rudy’s attention on me from the sofa, I curled on my side away from him. I watched the fire dance and leap, recalling another night I had slept here… another man staring at me from the couch before he joined me. Scrooge’s firm physique pressing into me, hot and heavy, tingling every nerve with need.
My eyes flicked to the loft, wishing he was next to me again, craving his weight like a drug. I knew when he got all his memories back, he must have relived the pain all over again. Re-watching his wife and son die, his friends tortured. The pain, grief, agony. All things he thought he deserved.
He was building a wall between us, and I didn’t know if I would be able to get through it this time.
Chapter 28
“Hairy roasted marshmallow balls!” I yelled, the drops of water feeling more like knives. Swiftly, I scrubbed at my body and hair, the cheap razor stinging my goose-pimpled flesh. “Fuck-a-nutcracker!”
An ice-cold shower may have woken me up but didn’t help my grumpy mood. Once I fell asleep, it seemed only moments before Pen and Dum were bouncing on me, urging me to get up, with giggles and glee. My eyes burned wishing for sleep, my bones aching like they were just catching up on everything I put them through.
Jumping in the shower before the house fully stirred, I half regretted the decision now. No one should torture themselves like this without spiked coffee.
“Alice?” A soft knock rapped on the door as I shut off the water, Rudy’s voice slinking through it. “I found you some clothes. There’s not much, so I apologize.”
My jeans and sweater were ripped, bloody, and still damp and now lay in a lump on the ground where I peeled them off. They had been extremely uncomfortable to sleep in, the jeans chaffing.
Wrapping myself in one of the last towels, knowing laundry would be on the to-do list, I cracked open the door and peered out.
Rudy was a work of art. Michelangelo’s David. With a defined lean body, deep brown eyes, long nose, dark lips and lashes, and beautiful coloring, he was really pretty. Unique. The only response to him was an awed gasp.
He held out a stack of clothes.
“What the hell are those?” My eyes widened, my head automatically shaking as I lifted a tiny tank and what lo
oked like child-sized cotton shorts.
“Elf clothes,” Rudy said matter-of-factly. “It’s all that’s left.”
“I’ll wear mine, thank you.”
“I saw those garments. They’re disgusting.” His nose wrinkled. “Did you go through a woodchipper on the way here?”
No, hands and claws of toys and shards of glass.
“Wear these until we wash and dry them at least.” Rudy dropped them in my hand. “Hare is about done with breakfast. I hope to see you there.” He dipped his head in a small bow, stepping back and walking down the hallway.
A small smile grew over my mouth. He was so majestic, graceful, and proper, but other times you could totally see the wild animal in him.
Placing the clothes on the sink, I stared at the mirrorless wall, recalling the moment in the facility when my brain tried to bring me back here. I thought I was losing my mind when it was only trying to show me the truth. Good thing Nick didn’t have any mirrors leading right to his hiding spot, especially now that I had opened the doors allowing Jessica to go through them.
I pulled on the white tank, which hit my midriff, and probably did nothing to cover my curves underneath. Thankfully this time I had a bra. A gruff laugh came out of me as I held up the minuscule green shorts with red-and-green-striped suspenders. Yanking them on, they fit me like boy shorts, the suspender hanging high on my thighs.
“Slutty elf on a shelf,” I muttered to myself, tugging at the cloth. Not that I hadn’t worn less here, but trying to fit a woman’s body into toddler-size clothes was ridiculous. After brushing my hair and teeth, I headed out into the main room, the aroma of delicious food hung in the air, the sound of chatter and movement greeting me. But it was his voice, the deep timbre, that purred over my skin.
“I need you to stay here, Hare. Help prepare food, supplies, training. It’s up to you and Ms. Liddell. We need to get the word out he’s back. Bring them here. We need them to be able to protect themselves against her men. The war is coming.”
“And you expect to turn a bunch of sweet-eating, tree-hugging elves into violent warriors?”
“Yes. We have to.”
I crept down the corridor, seeing Rudy sitting in a chair. Scrooge and Hare stood at the end of the table, while Dee, Dum, and Pen ran around the table paying them no attention, nor did anyone notice me.
“No. Fuck that! I’m not doing this again. You just got back, and you want to leave us again? How about I go instead? You stay here and babysit for once.” Hare plunked down a muffin pan, steam swirling off the baked goods.
“It’s better if I go, deal with him, you know… after last time.” Scrooge leaned over Hare. “But if I recall, I told you to head there if I was gone longer than four days. You didn’t. So don’t cry wolf now.”
“Don’t play the fuckin’ martyr! And these assholes wouldn’t have lived a day without me. He…” Hare motioned to Rudy, who was quietly staying out of their fight. “Was useless until a couple days ago. Dee was weak. And no one else could find a pot to piss in if I left them in charge.” Hare climbed on the table getting level with Scrooge, fury bristling his fur. “You might have been fine with leaving us so easily, but this group is my family. They are all I have left…”
Scrooge stiffened, his mouth clenching. “You think it was easy for me to leave you?”
“Seemed to be.” Hare snarled, his built-up rage and fear lashing out. “You didn’t give a shit what your loss would have done to us. You gave no thought to our feelings or how we would go on. You’re so consumed with your own pain and anger you don’t see us. That we need you. Depend on you. I’m sorry they died… but we’re still here, and we are just as much your family.”
Scrooge inhaled through his nose, his chest rising like he had been smacked in the face. “There was no other choice, but I-I never thought—”
“No!” Hare snapped, but his shoulders sunk down, a sorrow creeping into his demeanor, his ears sagging. “You don’t think. You want to end it all so bad, you forget to see who is still here. Who loves you. What is worth living for.” Hare hopped down on the chair, turning his back on Scrooge.
“Hare.” Scrooge’s expression twisted with pain. “I’m sor—”
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it right now.” Hare shook his head, grabbing another pan of cranberry muffins from the oven, his tone back to business. “So tell me while you’re jaunting up the mountain, how will I get the word out to the toffee-tots, or get supplies without the queen hearing the rumblings?”
Scrooge shifted on his feet, licking his lips like he was trying to adjust back to the topic after Hare’s outburst. Scrooge needed to hear it, to know he mattered, that his actions had consequences and affected those around him. Especially his best friend.
“Be careful?”
“Thanks.” Hare glowered at him. “So helpful.”
“Where are you going?” Rudy finally spoke, confusion wrinkling his head.
“Well…” A slow malevolent smile curled up on Scrooge’s face. “In times like this, your enemy’s enemy is your ally.”
Rudy blinked, his jaw dropping, his eyes opening wide. “Noooo.”
“Yes.”
“Blood. Pudding.” Hare rubbed at his nose. “You really do have a death wish. Don’t you recall both him and that monster tried to eat me last time?”
“Yeah.” Scrooge let out a chuckle, his head falling back. “Good times.”
“You’d think that.” Hare folded his arms as Pen danced around him, trying to reach a muffin.
“Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” Scrooge smirked, picking up Pen and placing him on a chair, setting a muffin in front of him.
“Muffinsmuffinsmuffins!” Dee and Dum jumped up next to him. “Make room! Make room!”
“You really think he’d help us?” Rudy leaned forward, doubt coiling in his voice.
“Hopefully.” Scrooge lifted one shoulder. “Only because he wants his title of the most hateful one on the mountain back again.” Scrooge glanced around the room, landing on the unopen box. “Did Nick come back?”
“He must have.” Hare frowned. “All the cookies are gone and most of the milk. Bastard left crumbs everywhere but slipped out before I could catch him.”
“We need to find him. I want to deal with him before I go.”
“Once again, you’re going to leave without saying goodbye?” I stepped into the room.
Scrooge’s head jerked to me, his mouth parting as his gaze roamed over my body, taking in my outfit. Heat burned behind his eyes before he looked to the side, setting his jaw firmly with irritation.
“Uh-oh… someone’s in trouble,” Hare sang under his breath.
“Ms. Alice! Ms. Alice!” Pen and Dee cheered my name before returning to their breakfast.
“Wow.” Dum blinked, dropping his muffin, gaping at me. “Holy candy canes! You look so elfish.”
“Eat your breakfast.” Hare smacked Dum across the head, pulling his gaze off me. “Just because Alice is actually dressed like a tart doesn’t mean you can drool all over her like she’s one.”
“Nice.” I glared at Hare as he winked at me.
“Got your back, girl,” he teased, snapping his fingers like he did the night before.
I returned to Scrooge. “Where are you going this time? Will I have to come save your ass again?”
“Somewhere stupid,” Hare spoke for him. “But really, what’s new?”
Scrooge wouldn’t look at me, keeping silent.
“You won’t tell me?” I shook my head, folding my arms across my stomach. “Must be bad.”
“So bad.” Hare snorted, plopping down in the chair. “You’ll hate it.”
“If you think I’ll stop you, then it must be even more nonsensical than your other plans have been.” I leaned against the wall, crooking one eyebrow at him.
“Not really,” Hare muttered, stuffing a muffin in his mouth. “They’re all equally bonkers.”
“Something we can agree on.”
I tipped my head at Hare.
“What I really need right now is for us to find Nick. All our plans fall apart if we can’t get Santa back.” Scrooge’s gaze slid to me through his lashes. “Without him, we have no hope.”
Rudy’s gaze went back and forth between Scrooge and me. “Since I’m sure you have things to do before your departure, Alice and I can go searching for him.” Rudy stood up from the table, eyeing Scrooge.
A twitch moved over Scrooge’s cheek.
“If that’s all right with you, Alice?” Rudy smiled, reaching out for me. “I wanted to speak alone with you anyway.”
“Of course.” I strolled over to him, seeing Scrooge’s shoulders rock back, a nerve convulsing along his jawline.
“Great.” Rudy’s smile turned on Scrooge. “It’s all settled. I’m sure you need to get organized for your mission.” Rudy was so composed, it was hard to tell what he was feeling, but I could swear he was taking great pleasure in needling his friend.
“Great.” Scrooge’s lips tightened, not moving an inch as Rudy and I pushed past him.
Shoving my feet in my boots and stealing Dee’s kid-sized cardigan, Rudy and I stepped out into the dark, shutting the door behind us, Hare’s laughter following us down the stairs.
“Alice?” Rudy said my name slowly, knotting my stomach.
“Where is Frosty? Is he not here anymore?” I blurted out, wrapping the sweater around me. It wasn’t cold, but I needed a barrier; his intensity squirreled me with nervousness.
“He never returned after you two left,” Rudy replied, clearing his throat. “Alice, I actually did want to speak with you alone.”
“Oh?” I stomped for the barn on the side. Where else would Nick go? Nothing was around here.
“Yes.” He stopped me, twisting me to face him. “Though I can’t say I didn’t enjoy that.”
“What?”
“Provoking him.” Rudy smiled. “I can see how he feels about you. But he has not claimed you, and I want to be clear. I am also pursuing you. I have felt the connection between us since the beginning. You cannot deny the bond there.”
“No, but…” I bit my lip. I did feel it. The attraction was there, but it wasn’t the same, not what I felt for Scrooge.
Ascending From Madness Page 21
