Huh, I never did see him again after that. He and his family were visiting us. I expected that they would visit again, but they never did. I hoped it wasn’t my fault.
Anyway, that kiss from Palo was enough to curl my toes and put a permanent smile on my face. I wanted more. So much so, that I would trade all of my sisters in just to get one more kiss. If that meant I was a junkie, then my drug of choice would happily be Palo’s lips.
Once my dad shut his bedroom door, I snuggled up next to Palo. He was more than happy to cuddle with me. “ Lizzie, I am very confused. Everything has happened so fast. Our meeting, it was planned by Christmas Magic?”
I nodded, “Yes. It seems the Magic has wanted us to get together for a very long time. My guess is that the Magic is what saved you when your pack was murdered. You said something was bugging you, and you felt a need to go for a run? If you had been sleeping, you most likely would have died with your Omegas.”
“Why couldn’t the Magic have saved my pack too? Chances are really good that you would have come to my country after an attack like that, right?” He hugged me tighter to him.
“Most likely, no. Had my father known what was going on it would have been the enforcers who were sent to you. In fact, half of them are in Lapland right now.”
“Son of a nutcracker! Really?” His eyes opened wide. “Who are those goons that are here with you now?” He pointed to the front door.
“They are a part of our enforcers as well. We have a pretty large pack. As you can imagine, we need a lot of defense and offense in this world. I’m sure you have heard about what happened to my uncle over twenty years ago?”
“Yes, I am truly sorry for your loss. My father was there, to support your family. I grew up hearing stories about the choosing ceremony that Santa’s male heirs would have. Did you know it has been well over 100 years since a mate was chosen from someone outside of North America?” He leaned over and kissed my cheek when I turned my head up to him.
“Really? I guess you are just going to make some more world records aren’t you?” I kissed his cheek before getting up to get a bottle of water. “Would you like a water?”
“Yes, please.” He got up and followed me to the kitchenette. To be fair, it was more like a wet bar than a kitchenette. There was a cabinet against the wall that had a small sink and a mini fridge with water and snacks.
“What did you mean by world records?” He was so cute when he furrowed his brow! I wanted to kiss that wrinkled spot between his eyes.
“Well, not only are you going to be the first Santa outside of my family, but you will also be the first in over a hundred years to marry the heir! It’s kinda cool that you are not from North America. It’s past time to get some fresh blood in our line.” I handed him a bottle, and we went back to the couch.
“Not to be rude, but I haven’t proposed yet.” He raised his brows and inclined his head to me.
“I know. It’s just a matter of time.” I reached up and kissed him. It wasn’t a small kiss either. As the kiss intensified, I straddled his lap and ran my hands through his hair.
He put his arms around me and pulled tight. Then he stood up and laid me down on the sofa as he tried to lay next to me. We were both too big to fit on it, so he ended up falling backward as he moved to get comfortable.
I giggled behind my hand. I didn’t want to cause my dad to come out here with us. “I think that might be a sign for us to sit back up on the couch and talk, instead of make-out. Even though that is what I really want to do right now.” I sat up and put my hand out for him as he sat there grinning at me.
“We could just lay on the ground and continue what we were doing.”
“Oh really, and what about when my dad comes out here to check on us? I really doubt he would be understanding.” I yanked him up next to me and snuggled back into his side.
“When will we have a chance to be alone and finish what you started?” He laid his cheek on the top of my head, and I could feel his mouth move with his smile.
I sighed. Kissing him really was what I wanted to do more than anything. But my luck lately has had my dad walking in every time Palo started to kiss me. I am shocked he hasn’t come out yet. “Once we go back home. Then you and I will be given plenty of privacy. You know, so we can plan our future and all of that stuff.”
Getting him out for a run would be the first thing I planned for him. Then once we were further out, I would shift back to a girl and tackle him in the snow. Maybe he would end up with few snowballs in his face. But most definitely a tackle, that would get me lying on top of him while we made-out for hours, would be on the schedule as well.
“I look forward to whatever caused that sparkle in your eye. Will you share what that was?” He asked.
“Nope, you have to wait to see it. Or, experience it.” He leaned down to kiss me, and what do you know? My dad walked out.
“Alright you two, we have an early morning. I think we should head home first thing. Palo, are you ready to go with us back to Polaris?”
“Yes, but what about the children here in LA? Every morning a bag of toys is waiting for me to deliver.” Palo looked between my dad and me.
“Dad, as much as I want to go home, if he has kids who need him, shouldn’t we stay here until the bag stops showing up?” I really did want to go home, but the children were more important than my dislike for the heat.
“Of course, let’s see what happens in the morning.” My dad turned to go back to his room.
“Santa, my bag is full right now. I am supposed to deliver those toys tonight. Oddly, the address isn’t too far from here. Would you like to go with me?”
My dad’s face lit up like a candle on a Christmas cake! “Hot sugar plums! Of course! I would love to see how the Magic has been interacting with you. Let me get changed, and we can leave whenever you are ready. Lizzie, will you join us? Or stay here?”
I wanted to go, but this looked like a chance for my dad and Palo to bond. “I think I will stay here. Maybe get ready for bed. I don’t want to get put on the naughty list because I was up too late, now do I? I coyly asked Palo.
He smiled from ear to ear. “I don’t think you know how to get on the naughty list, my little fruit cake.”
I quickly stood on my tippy toes and kissed his lips, right in front of my dad.
“Oh no! I am not ready for this.” Shaking his head, Dad walked to his room.
“Have fun tonight. If I’m asleep, please wake me and let me know how it went with my dad. He is really a pretty cool guy, so don’t worry about him.” I hugged Palo goodnight.
As I prepared for bed, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling and humming. I knew that Rock couldn’t be the one for me. However, going down that road and handling it like an adult is what led me here to Palo. We never would have come to LA if I had thrown a fit and run away. I guess I really was growing up. Next on the list- getting married. Or more accurately - getting my man to propose.
Chapter 10
Palo never woke me up. I fell asleep waiting for himand woke up to Palo leaning over me. “Good morning, my little candy cane. Did you sleep well?”
I yawned. “Yes, what time is it? And don’t call me candy cane.”
“What? You don’t like to be called one of my favorite candies? You know you are as sweet and spicy as a candy cane. Hmm, Spice drop? My little spice drop? How does that sound?”
“Nope. Keep trying.” He had been calling me different candies since yesterday. It seemed like he was trying to figure out a term of endearment for me. So far, it wasn’t working for me.
“Why didn’t you wake me up when you got home?” I rubbed my face and tried to cover my mouth. Wasn’t morning breath a bad thing? Why was he so close to me?
“I tried, but you growled at me, so I went to sleep on the couch.” He laughed.
My face was on fire from embarrassment. I removed my hand from my mouth and said, “I did not! I wanted you to wake me up. There is no way I would have growled at you.�
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“Sorry, love, but you did.” He looked me in the eye and came closer to me.
I covered my mouth again and moved away from him. It was time to brush my teeth.
“Ah, don’t run away, my little sugar plum! I want a good morning kiss.” He trailed me to the bathroom where I promptly shut the door on him.
“Not until I have brushed my teeth! Hey, how did last night go?” I started to brush my teeth when he began to tell me his story.
“Your dad is a riot! We had so much fun. I must admit, I was nervous. Well, until he conjured up some snow and started a snowball fight with some older kids who should have been home sleeping. That was one of the best snowball fights I have ever had!”
He started laughing and at times, I swear I heard the beginning of a great Santa laugh. It wouldn’t be long before he started to “Ho, Ho, Ho.”
“What did the kids think about the snow? This is LA, and the temps are nowhere near freezing,” I said between a mouth full of toothpaste and water.
“That is what made it so much fun! The snow had a hard time staying compacted. We would hit them in the head, and before they could throw it back at us, the snow would turn to mush! I think one kid managed to scrape up enough snow to throw at Santa, but it melted and turned to water before hitting him!” Palo stopped telling story because he was laughing so hard.
When he finally calmed down, he continued. “I swear, those kids were so much fun! Much better than playing with snow leopards or polar bears! I could get used to this.” This time he did start to ho, ho, then it turned to a regular laugh.
It reminded me of the guys when they were younger and their voices changed. One second they were singing soprano, and the next it was bass.
“That is awesome! I am very happy to hear you had a great time with my dad. How did giving the presents away work out? Did more show up today?” I walked out of the bathroom with a fresh, clean mouth ready for a good morning kiss.
“Hi, there,” he said as he put his arms around me and leaned in for a kiss.
I put my arms around his neck and obliged him. It wasn’t the type of kiss I was hoping to have, it was more of a quick peck on the lips just to let me know he wanted more. He pulled away before I was ready for him to. “Good morning, Peppermint Patty? How is that one?” He asked.
“Keep trying. Although, Sugar Plum wasn’t bad. Just don’t add fairy to the end, and you will live.” I smiled and patted his butt as I walked past him.
He jumped a little and said, “Hey now. Watch out, or I might take that as an opening to grab your butt too. My little bu…”
Before he could finish that word I swiveled around on him and gave him my evil eye. There would be no calling me butt names.
“Okay, yes, that was not very smart. But come on, I gotta find a cute nickname for you. Sugar Pie, Sweet Lips? Either of those?
“I think you are trying too hard. Let it come naturally. Sweet Lips might work when we are alone, on occasion. But never in front of anyone else. Or you will get slapped. Got it?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Yes, ma’am. No sweet lips for me.” He nodded his head.
His response was so cute I almost laughed. While trying to hold in my laugher, I replied, “Exactly!”
We walked into the living room, and my dad was sitting there reading the newspaper. I looked around for the red present bag but didn’t see one. “Did another bag of toys show up today?”
Palo walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “No, I think we are free to head home. Well, to your home.” He then kissed me on the cheek.
I swiveled around in his arms. “It’s your home now, too. You may not be ready to marry me, but you are going to be the next Santa. The Magic has already chosen you. It wants you, so you have no choice. You must come back with us and learn from my father before next year.”
“I know. We discussed it last night. This has all come so fast. Do you even know how old I am? Or anything other than how my pack was slaughtered?” He tilted his head towards me and rested his forehead against mine.
“Not really. You’re a good kisser. Does that count?” I reached for a light peck only to hear my father rustling his morning paper extra loud.
I called over my shoulder, “Good morning, Dad. I heard you had a fun night.”
He stood up and came over to us. “Yes, it was a lot of fun. I think we convinced a few teenagers that Santa really does exist, didn’t we Palo!” He slapped Palo on his back and chuckled.
“Yes, we sure did. I can’t wait to appear at their homes on Christmas Eve. Do you already have their toys picked out?” Palo dropped his arms and went into what I would later dub, “Santa Mode.”
“I do, but if you want to change them, feel free to. They were going to get coal, but after last night, I think they might need something more to help their imaginations grow. Do you have any ideas?”
“Actually, I do. Richard, the younger one, seems to like building. How about one of those really difficult erector sets? You know, the kind with the metal pieces that allow you to build a skyscraper? With the right motivation he could become and architect.” They both walked over the coffee maker and ignored me.
I went to get ready for the day since I was so hungry. When I walked out, they were still discussing the kids that Palo had met since coming to LA. It was sweet, but I was hungry.
“Alright, you two have plenty of time to compare notes. Let’s go get breakfast. I’m starving!” I walked toward the door, and they automatically followed me without even a pause in their conversation. The entire time in the elevator and the walk to the café, they were in the Christmas zone.
Something happened to my heart while I listened to them. It realized that I was never cut out for being Santa. Maybe one day it would be a girl, but I wasn’t that girl. I didn’t have the connection to humans that they both did.
Last year when we were preparing for Christmas Eve, dad tried to get me to pick out toys for the kids, and I couldn’t think of anything like what they were discussing. Granted, some of those kids they had met and interacted with. Although, not all.
There were kids that Palo secretly gave gifts to from the bag, and hadn’t met. He was able to determine what those kids should get on Christmas morning without even talking to them. His heart was in tune with the children in a way mine wasn’t.
I would give anything to protect those kids and help them. That wasn’t the same as knowing them and what they needed in order to grow up to be all they can be. Only Palo and my dad had that connection.
As we walked into the restaurant I smiled knowing what my place was going to be, and who it was going to be next to. I wouldn’t be behind him, I would be next to him in all of this. Just like a great wife and a great Mrs. Claus should be. Now to just get him to propose! Stupid, stubborn male!
Chapter 11
Once we sat down, they looked at me with smiles on their faces. “What? Do I have something on my face?”
“Yes,” Palo responded. “A beautiful smile. Care to share what made you smile like that?”
“I just realized that you are going to make a wonderful Santa. Listening to how you have started to connect with the kids is amazing.” I reached out to grab his hand and squeezed it.
He leaned in and kissed me on my temple. “Thank you. This is all so new to me. I have so much to learn. Knowing that you have faith in me and can see the Santa inside me, that is enough to give me the strength I need to do this.”
“Ok, kids, let’s stop with the kissy kissy and order our breakfast. The boys have already eaten. They will meet us back at the plane when we are done here.” Dad chuckled as he opened the menu to the breakfast selection.
“I don’t know if you knew this, but I am not a kid. I am actually thirty years old. I have been my pack’s alpha for over ten years, since my father died.” Palo looked at my dad and waited for his response.
My response, well, let’s just say he looks really, really, really great for a thirty
year old wolf! I thought he was around twenty-three or twenty-four, no older. Ten years difference, he was probably much more experienced than I was too.
“Really? This should be interesting. I don’t think there has been a new Santa who was over twenty-two. Strange that the magic chose you. But you do seem very prepared for what is to come, at least on the Santa front.” Dad looked at me and smiled.
I gave him my stink eye, and he quietly looked down to his menu and shut up.
“Palo, you might be right about us needing to get to know each other more. I just hope that you don’t plan on waiting too long.”
“If this were a normal situation, you wouldn’t even be looking at me yet. Your choosing ceremony wouldn’t happen for another six weeks. Plus, I would not have come.”
“What? Why not?” I almost yelled. How could he not consider coming to my choosing ceremony?
“Because, I no longer have a pack. And I would have thought I was too old for you. I guess the Magic just knew how to get us together, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Although, I wouldn’t have had a choosing ceremony. My parents had arranged a marriage for me.”
He looked up at my dad and me with wide eyes. “What, you are engaged to someone else?”
“No, I was. Until I could prove that Christmas Magic didn’t approve. You should know that the guy wasn’t into me that way either. We have grown up together, more like best friends than anything else. You will meet him when we get back. His name is Rock…” The waiter interrupted us and asked for our order. Which I was thankful for. I didn’t think I was ready to tell him about Rock.
Once the waiter left, Palo turned in his seat to look at me. “Who is this Rock? Am I going to have to fight him?”
“No, he didn’t want me any more than I wanted him. He has his eyes on someone else. And if gossip can be believed, he had his paws on her too.” I suggestively raised my eyebrows.
Miss Claus and the Secret Santa: A Shifter Christmas Romance, Book 1 Page 7
