by R. E. Butler
“Yeah,” Vaughn said, “but what if she doesn’t know anything about us or what her father is? SC could wipe her memories and send her back to her own world. He’s super pissed.”
Mire looked down at his slumbering mate. “He won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? SC isn’t usually in the habit of rewarding people who break the rules,” Vaughn said.
“Because Noelle didn’t break the rules, Tobias did. And SC wouldn’t separate fated mates. You know he wouldn’t.”
“Good point,” Jack said. “I’ve got your back.”
“Me too,” Vaughn said.
Mire glanced at his friends and smiled. “Thanks. Let’s get her home.”
They stood close together, Mire holding Noelle tightly in his arms. The transportation was simple. He had to only think of where he wanted to go, and the magic that all NPC residents had inside them would take him there in the blink of an eye. He pictured the NPC hospital and the room where Tobias was recovering. Cold air whooshed around them, and he dropped his face into Noelle’s neck and inhaled her sweet scent as they transported to NPC.
A feminine gasp was followed by an annoyed grunt. Mire found Halley, one of the elf nurses, pressing a hand to her chest, her mouth turned down into a severe frown. “You scared the snow out of me!”
“Sorry,” Mire said as he carried Noelle over to Tobias’s bed. “We didn’t know anyone would be in his room but him, or we would have alerted the staff.”
Vaughn pulled a chair over next to the hospital bed, and Mire set Noelle gently on it, arranging her upper body on the bed next to her father, her head resting on her arms.
“How is he?” Jack asked.
“The same,” Halley said. “He hasn’t woken again since the last time. One of the doctors mentioned that if he didn’t wake up soon, SC might use his magic to force him to shift.”
Mire, who rested a hand on Noelle’s shoulder because he couldn’t stop from touching her even in a small way, looked up in surprise. “If he can do that, why hasn’t he already?”
Halley shook her head. “It can cause more damage to the shifter than there already is. He’s unconscious for a reason, and it’s the doctors’ opinions that they should leave him to heal, but SC is thinking about it. And in case you think that I haven’t noticed you have a human here… please explain who she is.”
Mire knew that SC didn’t want Noelle’s real identity as Tobias’s daughter to get around, so he fudged the truth a little. “She’s a guest of SC’s, but she’s to be kept in this room and not allowed to wander.”
Halley’s gaze pinged to each of them, and Mire could tell that she didn’t believe that Noelle was simply a guest, but to her credit, she didn’t ask for further information.
“We need to check in with SC,” Jack said.
Mire’s beasts all raised a ruckus in his head as they protested his leaving her alone. He wanted to be there when she woke. His beasts wouldn’t stand for any less. Checking his watch, he knew he had an hour before the powder wore off, so he bent down and kissed her forehead, and then he strode from the room.
Two security guards stood on either side of the door.
“The girl doesn’t leave the room under any circumstances,” Vaughn said. “It’s SC’s order.”
The guards nodded. Jack clapped Mire on the shoulder.
“You’ll be back before she wakes up, but just in case you’re not, the guards will keep her there.”
Nodding, Mire walked down the corridor with Jack and Vaughn, through the reception area, and out into the cold. They hurried to SC’s home, where Mrs. C met them at the door.
She smiled at Mire, her blue eyes crinkling. “You look happy.”
“I am,” he said.
SC cleared his throat. “My wife tells me that you’ve found your fated mate.”
Mire explained his beasts’ reactions. SC listened silently, one eye slightly narrowed as if he didn’t entirely believe what Mire was saying. He stroked his beard; his mouth turned down in a frown. Mire had known SC his entire life. He’d never been afraid of him, not even the time when he and Jack had shifted into their reindeer forms when they were teenagers and accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, catching one of the stables on fire. There had been damage, but no one had been hurt. SC had been furious, but deep down, Mire had known that their leader loved them no matter how badly they screwed up.
Right now, though, he wondered just what the big man would do. Not only to Tobias but also to Noelle. If she was banned from NPC, then Mire would go with her. He’d give up his world for her in a heartbeat.
She was everything to him.
“When Tobias awakens, I’ll be speaking to him,” SC said.
“About Noelle–” Mire said.
SC lifted a hand and cut him off. “I haven’t decided her fate yet. I know what finding a fated mate can do to quads, but there’s been a serious breach of protocol with Tobias, and I can’t let that go unanswered.”
Mire’s polar bear wanted to be let free so he could roar his displeasure, but he managed to control the growling fury. He turned to leave, and Mrs. C said, “It’ll be fine.”
He looked over his shoulder and wanted to be bolstered by her hopeful smile, but that hope seemed cut in half by SC’s scowl. Mire walked out without a word, and his mind turned to his mate.
Vaughn and Jack didn’t follow him as he hurried to the hospital. The guards were gone from the door, and his heart leaped into his throat as he heard an angry curse.
“You tell me where he is right now!” Noelle’s voice was high with panic, her words carrying down the hall.
“You need to calm down,” one of the guards said. “I’ll call the doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor, I need him, and I need answers. Unless you have either of those things, get out of my way.”
Mire stepped into the room and saw Noelle backed into a corner with the chair in between her and the guards. He growled at them, and they turned abruptly.
“Get away from my mate.”
They darted to the side, and Mire stalked to Noelle. He stopped at the chair and scented her fear. It was an acrid smell, and his beasts raged in displeasure. He reached for the chair, and she released her grip on it. Pushing it to the side, he held out his hand, and she waited only a heartbeat before she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her close.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded, his beasts clamoring to be close.
She lifted her head slowly until he was looking into her glistening eyes. “Where did you go?” she whispered thickly. “I woke up, and you were gone. I…what’s happening?”
“I’m sorry, I had to check in with my boss. I thought you would still be resting or I wouldn’t have left.” To the guards he said, “I’ll be watching her from here on out. You’re no longer needed.”
They nodded and rushed from the room, leaving him, Noelle, and a still-unconscious Tobias alone. He wanted to tell her everything, but he was positively tongue-tied.
Her adoring gaze slowly morphed into one of anger. She pushed away from him, and although he was stronger than she was and could have easily kept her close, he let her go.
“You drugged me!”
He didn’t think she should have been able to remember that, but then again she was potentially part shifter, which likely explained why she didn’t stay asleep as long as anticipated either.
“I needed to bring you to see your father.”
“You couldn’t just walk me out of my building like a normal person?” She slashed the air with her hands as she spoke, her green gaze sparking with annoyance.
“I’ll explain everything to you soon. Did your dad wake up at all?”
Her brow popped up, and he was certain she knew he was trying to change the subject. Still, she answered.
“No. Is he going to be like this forever?” The fight was out of her, and her gaze softened to sadness, her mouth turning down as she looked at her father. “It’s bad enough I only see him once a y
ear, to think I might never hear his voice again…it’s just too much.”
Mire moved to her, and she didn’t push him away when he put his arms around her and held her close once more. His beasts settled, thrilled to be near her. “Have you talked to him? Maybe hearing your voice would help.”
She brushed the tears from her skin, inhaling shakily. “I woke up, and the guards, or whatever they are, came into the room and told me to calm down and they’d find the doctor. I don’t know how to explain it, but all I could think about was you, and something inside me didn’t want them near me. I’m not normally a panicking sort of girl, but when they came into the room, it didn’t feel right.” She sighed and rubbed the space between her eyes with her thumb. “That probably sounds crazy.”
He couldn’t help but smile because she felt the connection between them as fated mates.
“It doesn’t sound crazy at all.”
He led her to the bedside, and she sat on the chair, resting one hand on her dad’s shoulder and keeping her other hand tightly linked to Mire’s. He could scent her tears before she sniffled, and his beasts rose again, wanting to offer comfort.
How was he supposed to tell her the truth about…everything? She’d been brought up believing she was human, and humans had no idea that shifters and elves were real, let alone an entire hidden city of them that worked for Santa. And, of course, there was the nagging concern at the back of his mind. Just what was SC going to do about the situation? Worst case would be to wipe her memories and send her back to her life, but Mire didn’t believe that SC would separate fated mates. It was a hell too cruel to contemplate. Without Noelle, Mire would never be the same, a hollow shell of a male, missing half of his heart.
Noelle said, “Dad? It’s me. I’m in a weird place, and I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m worried about you. Would you come back to me, please? Wake up. I made those caramels you like, and I found this perfect gift for you. And where’s Lollipop? You promised me a furry blanket hog for Christmas this year.” Her voice grew thick with emotion, and she turned into Mire and hugged him, resting her cheek against his stomach.
He smoothed her hair, his bear rumbling a soft, worried growl. She lifted her head and stared at him.
“Did I just hear that? Did you growl?”
His first thought was to tell her she’d misheard him, but he never wanted there to be any lies between them.
“Yes, I did.”
Her mouth quirked up at the side. “My dad growls sometimes. I never noticed when my mom was alive because they slept in the same room, but after she passed away and I had my own place, he would sleep on the couch. The first time that happened, I swear the whole place rattled.”
His brows rose. “Did he ever tell you why he did that?”
She shrugged. “He said it was hereditary, and I should be sure to warn my future husband. I don’t snore. At least I don’t think so.”
He remembered that Rhys had taken his fated mate out to see the Northern Lights and shifted for her. He’d also mated her before he told SC about her, which gave Mire a great idea.
“Want to go for a walk?”
“The guards said I wasn’t allowed to leave the room.”
“You’re mine.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
Clearing his throat, he cursed the heat that rose to his cheeks. “I mean, you’re with me, and it’s fine.”
She rose slowly, her body brushing against his with the motion. “It feels like a nail in my heart when you lie.”
He couldn’t stop the disapproving growl that pushed from his throat. Grabbing her roughly, he met her mouth with his, pushing his tongue inside. If his eyes were open, they would have rolled back in his head at the decadent taste of her, all dark chocolate and warm cream.
“Mire,” she whispered against his lips. “What was that?”
He gazed down at her, the truth on his lips, but he swallowed the words and instead said, “How about that walk?”
She made a noise of aggravation that was really close to a growl, but he reached for her coat that was hanging over the back of the chair. He helped her on with it. “I hope you have a lot of answers for me on this walk.”
“I promise.”
“Dad, we’ll be back soon. Wake up, please.” She stared down at her father’s still form for a moment and then sighed.
Mire pulled a spare stocking hat and gloves from his pocket and handed them to her. “It’s really cold here.”
She pulled on the hat and gloves. “How long was I unconscious? And don’t think that I’ve forgotten that you drugged me when I was perfectly willing to come with you.”
He put on his own hat and gloves and waited while she fussed with the buttons of her coat. When she was ready, he took her hand and walked out of the room and down the hall. “About an hour.”
“That seems…unlikely. We couldn’t fly to Canada in an hour.”
“Everything will be clear soon.”
She snorted. “Fine, fine. Be all mysterious for now, but I’m holding you to your promise to tell me everything.”
“Brace yourself, it’s cold out.” He pushed open the door at the end of the hall and pulled her outside. She gasped loudly.
“Where the hell are we?”
As the door clanged shut, he turned to see her staring at the city. The night sky was lit with stars, and the all-white buildings were nearly invisible in the snow drifts that blanketed the city. Dim street lamps illuminated the walkways and freshly shoveled cobblestone paths.
She rounded on him with her upper lip curled. “You said I was unconscious for an hour. It’s night! You liar!”
He grabbed her arms and drew her close. She turned her head abruptly. “Don’t think you can kiss me again and avoid answering a question.”
“I wasn’t. And I didn’t lie, Noelle. It’s always dark this time of year. In fact, it’s dark six months out of the year.”
She turned her head slowly; her brow furrowed. Anger leaked from her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
He knew he was about to share the secret of their people without permission from SC, which, in this case, was serious because he hadn’t decided what to do with her and Tobias yet. But Mire knew exactly what he was going to do with her – share the secret of his shift with her and then take her to his room and mate the hell out of her. Once she was marked and mated, she’d be able to stay in NPC.
“Sweetheart, we’re at the North Pole.”
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes with a delicate snort. “Yeah, right. And you have swamp land in Florida for me, too.”
“Noelle, I’m being serious.”
“Look, if you’re not going to be honest with me, then I’m just going to go back into my dad’s room and wait for him to wake up. He’s never lied to me.”
Fury burned through him. “Yes, he has. Your father has lied to you your entire life.”
She took a step away from him. “No.”
“Yes.” He closed the distance between them, prepared to stop her if she tried to run away. It was too cold for her to be out in the elements for long. “He’s not a toymaker for a toy company in Canada; he’s a builder in North Pole City, and he works for Santa Claus.”
She opened her mouth, but he kept talking. “And I’m not a man. Well, I mean I am a man, but I’m a special kind of male – a shifter who can change from this form into four different animals. A snowy owl, an arctic fox, a polar bear, and a reindeer.”
“People can’t turn into animals.”
“We can and we do.”
“No.”
“Stop saying no!”
“Then tell me the damn truth, Mire! No, you know what? Enough. I thought you were special and we had a connection, but all you’re doing is telling me lies. I’m going back to my dad’s room. Leave me the hell alone.”
She spun on her heels, and his beasts roared within him.
“Noelle, stop!”
She glanced over her shoulder at him.
Just as he reached for her, she jumped out of his grasp and backed away, holding her hands out in front of her to keep him back. Rhys, Declan, and Roi came out of the hospital.
“There you are!” Rhys said. “Noelle, it’s time to go back to your father’s room. Mire, the boss wants to see you immediately.”
“Get me out of here,” Noelle said, hugging her arms around her chest. “He’s crazy.”
Declan stepped between Mire and Noelle as Rhys said to Noelle, “We’ll take you inside.”
“Don’t touch her,” Mire said, his voice echoing with his beasts.
“Calm down,” Declan said. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Get away from my mate.”
Roi reached for the doorknob and held out his hand to Noelle, and everything within Mire turned to ice. No one touched his mate, not even his friends. His polar bear, furious at the idea of separation from their mate, exploded within him. His clothes tore as his body changed at a rate that was so fast he almost passed out from the stress.
But he didn’t pass out.
He slammed his paws into the snow and bellowed out a challenge to the males standing between him and Noelle. They wouldn’t keep her from him.
Chapter 5
Noelle was pissed and confused. Mire, who was easily the sexiest guy she’d ever met – plus, he kissed like he was going off to war – was acting cagey. She didn’t like secrets, and she felt like he was holding onto something very tightly. Something that somehow impacted her life.
Her thoughts about how frigid it was outside halted in the face of his suggestion that her dad had been lying her whole life. As if he would know! Her dad was a great guy, and she wouldn’t stand for anyone calling him a liar, no matter how much Mire made her heart pound.
She shook her head as she tried to wrap her mind around him saying he could turn into an animal. It was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard in her life.
“People can’t turn into animals,” she said, folding her arms across her chest and scowling.
“We can and we do.”
“No.”
“Stop saying no!” His voice rose as he spoke, louder and deeper, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
