by R. E. Butler
“They really do. I’m just glad that Kerri was in the right place at the right time.” Sullivan took her coat and winter gear and then they followed his parents into the kitchen. The cabin was quaint, with polished hardwood floors and colorful throw rugs. The aroma filling the spacious kitchen smelled delicious.
A two-sided fireplace built between the kitchen and family room was filled with a crackling fire. Sullivan stood in front of the fireplace, facing his parents, and Kerri tucked her hands behind her back to warm them. After accepting a mug of hot cider with a cinnamon stick floating in it, Kerri answered his parents’ questions and shared a short version of her life story with them.
“It’s so wonderful that you and Sullivan met at Rhys’ wedding,” Tulula said.
Kerri sipped on the cider, loving the spicy sweet taste of it and how it was hot enough to warm her up but not too hot to burn her throat. “He’s lucky I didn’t run for the hills when I met him the first time. I’ve never seen any kind of bear in the wild, let alone a polar bear.”
He kissed her cheek. “I would have chased you down.”
She blushed and shook her head at him.
They sat down at the table that was covered with a red embroidered tablecloth and decorated with white china and golden flickering candles. A variety of platters, filled with both main courses and sides, covered the table. According to Tulula, it was their Christmas Day tradition to have ham and turkey as the main dishes because she was partial to turkey but Geoff was partial to ham. Sullivan filled her plate for her, something he said that males did for their mates, and she indulged him, thinking it was very sweet that he was so attentive.
“How long have you been married?” she asked Tulula after taking a few bites of the juicy turkey and fluffy mashed potatoes.
“We’re not married by human standards; we’re mated. SC said that mating is better than marriage because it’s permanent. There’s no such thing as divorce here,” Tulula answered.
“Then why did Rhys and Merri get married? And Arian and my sister?”
“Because of their human families,” Sullivan answered. “Arian told us that Charli insisted on getting married for your benefit, because she didn’t think you would approve if she moved away with him without being married.”
“I’d like to think I’m more understanding than that.”
“I think you’re very understanding,” he said with a wink.
“Mrs. C mate-matched Geoff and I when I was nineteen and he was twenty-two,” Tulula said.
“Is there a ceremony?” Kerri asked.
“Yes, after the match is made. I went to Mrs. C and told her that I was ready to start the next chapter of my life. My parents were mate-matched when they were eighteen, so I felt like it was the right time. She told me to go home and get a good night’s rest and that she’d be sending breakfast over in the morning. I didn’t really understand it. I thought that she would just tell me who it was and then I could go find him.”
Geoff chuckled. “Mrs. C showed up at the barracks that night and told me that she’d mate-matched me. I was so surprised because it had been on my mind to ask for her help. She told me to stop at the commissary in the morning and pick up breakfast for my mate.”
“But he didn’t wait,” she said. “He knocked on the door to my parents’ home at midnight and said that he’d come to claim me. Mrs. C had told them she mate-matched me, so they had been expecting a male to show up, but not at midnight.”
“I couldn’t wait.”
She kissed him on the cheek and smiled sweetly. “I couldn’t wait either, and I think Mrs. C knew that, which was why she’d told him about me as soon as she cast the spell. My dad was a builder, so he told us that there was a newly built, empty cabin available, and he was certain it was meant to be ours, so I packed a bag, some blankets and pillows, and we came here and never left.”
“It’s so neat that your dad helped to build this house for you without even knowing it,” Kerri said.
“There’s a lot that goes on here that isn’t explainable except through magic. Is it weird for you to think of magic as being real? I’ve heard that adult humans don’t believe in magic.”
“I didn’t until I met Sullivan. Now I know for sure that magic is real.”
When their meal was finished, Kerri helped Tulula with the dishes while Sullivan and Geoff talked quietly at the table. She and Tulula spent the time chatting about NPC, elves, and shifters, and how strange it was to her that magic was real.
“Ready for the town tour?” Sullivan asked.
“You bet,” she said, drying off her hands.
“Wait, I have something for you,” Tulula said, walking down the hall and disappearing into a room.
Kerri looked up at Sullivan, who shrugged. Tulula returned with a rectangular box wrapped in bright red paper with images of Santa on it. A fluffy white bow sat in the center of the top, and its ribbons spilled over the edges in fat curls.
“SC sent this over yesterday,” she said, handing it to Kerri.
Sullivan took the box from his mother and held it while Kerri undid the ribbon and tore the paper from the box. Lifting the lid, she gasped in surprise to see a pink and white striped hoodie folded neatly in tissue paper. She lifted the hoodie from the box. Underneath laid a keychain with a red toy car hanging from it. A note card had Sullivan’s name on it, and she handed it to him as she picked up the key chain and stared in wonder at it.
Sullivan laughed loudly and then read, “Dear Sullivan, it does too work that way. SC.”
“How weird is it that he knew what I asked for?” Kerri asked.
“Not weird. Magic,” Sullivan said, handing the empty box to his mom.
“I’m glad magic is real,” she said. “It brought us together.”
Chapter 10
After leaving his parents’ home and giving Kerri a tour of NPC, stopping in each building long enough to warm up before continuing, they finished up at the commissary. It was nearly dinnertime, and the building was filled with the scents of baking bread, meat, and vegetables. Underneath the delicious smells of dinner was the sweet and spicy scent of apple pie, which was Sullivan’s favorite dessert. Next to his mate.
He introduced her to the kitchen staff, who were all elves.
“It’s nice to meet you. We were expecting you,” Rosie, the head elf in charge of the commissary, said.
“You were?” Kerri asked.
“Sure! SC said that he was sending over a new chef to help out and that you’d be in charge of lunch. Gotta tell you, I love that so much. I don’t get to see my mate during the day because of how busy we are here.”
“I…what? I don’t understand.”
Rosie smiled brightly. “SC said that Sullivan’s fated mate was a whiz in the kitchen and had even gone to college in the human world for cooking. The elf in charge of lunch retired six months ago, and I’ve been pulling double duty ever since.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Please, for the love of fruit cake, say yes!” Avril, with her apron covered in a dusting of flour, demanded as she picked up a tray of bread loaves and loaded them into one of the large ovens.
“Okay! Yes!” Kerri said, smiling broadly. Glancing at Sullivan, she said, “Did you know about this?”
“When we were eating dinner at the reception for Merri and Rhys, I thought that you would be perfect to work in the commissary if you wanted, but I didn’t say anything to anyone.”
She hummed. “Magic.”
“What do you think?” he asked, sliding an arm around her.
“I think it’s amazing! I was wondering what I would do while you were working in security.”
“The hours are perfect and dovetail with mine. I usually eat lunch in the commissary anyway, and then I can pick you up after my shift is over.”
“You’ll have to tell me all your favorite dishes so I can work them into the menus.”
He wiggled his brows, his mind going to his very favorite thing t
o eat. She must have known what he was thinking because she blushed and swatted at his shoulder.
“You’re on vacation for the week, so you can start on Monday,” Rosie said. “Bring all your recipes with you. For lunch we do three or four main dishes, coordinating sides, and a couple of desserts.”
Kerri hugged Rosie and said, “Thank you so much!”
“Thank you, for giving me back some of the day. My mate thanks you, too.”
Sullivan led Kerri to the line so she could pick out dinner, and he carried her tray for her after she filled it with a plate of pot roast, roasted vegetables, and a slice of carrot cake. She held their silverware and drinks, and he followed her to a small table in the large room.
She looked over his plate and said, “Do you have a favorite meal?”
“I like mac and cheese, and apple pie is my favorite dessert, next to chocolate candy canes.”
“You’re insatiable.”
“Just for you.”
They ate leisurely, talking about their week off, which she said would be called the honeymoon in her world. The following night he planned to take her to see the Northern Lights at the lake that bordered NPC. It was a beautiful sight, and he wanted to share it with her. After they finished eating, he carried their empty plates to the drop-off to be washed, and then he helped her on with her coat. They were preparing to head outside and back to the barracks when Marcen, one of the builders, jogged up to them.
“Are you busy?” he asked Sullivan.
“Not really. Do you need something?” Sullivan asked.
“Yeah, I’d like you two to come with me.” He buttoned up his coat and tugged a floppy-eared hat onto his head.
Sullivan looked at Kerri who shrugged. “Is everything okay?” Sullivan asked as he linked his fingers with hers and they followed Marcen out of the commissary.
“It’s great, actually. Hold on and I’ll show you.”
Marcen led the way from the commissary to where a section of homes were in various stages of being built. Arian, Charli, and their family lived in one of the finished homes, as did Merri and Rhys. Marcen led them to a house next to Arian and Charli’s. The exterior of the cottage was entirely white like all the others, built with a wide front porch that had been swept clear of snow.
Marcen opened the front door and stepped inside, gesturing for them to follow. Once inside, he shut the door. “About a month ago, SC came to the builders and told us to finish this house as soon as we were able. We dropped everything and got to work, not knowing why we should finish it until you came back from the Christmas Eve run and we heard that you’d found your fated mate. It’s right next to Arian’s home, and since his mate and your mate are sisters, we figured that was why SC thought it was the right home for you.”
Marcen gestured to the family room with polished wood floors and exposed beams in the ceiling. A stone fireplace was being finished by a mason. “There are three bedrooms, but as your family grows, we can add more room.”
“This is for us?” Kerri asked.
“Of course. Mated couples don’t live in the barracks. There’s no privacy there,” Marcen said. “Let me give you the grand tour.”
They walked through the family room with its large picture window and then down a hallway to the bedrooms. The first two bedrooms were empty, but the third one, clearly the master, judging from the size of it, had two closets with built-in shelves. The en suite had a claw-foot tub, which Kerri said she’d always liked.
“The last thing is the kitchen,” Marcen said. “SC said to put in a commercial oven, and the elves who went shopping on Christmas Eve morning brought back all kinds of kitchen equipment on SC’s order. I don’t know if they got everything you need or want, but whatever you’re missing, just send the request to the shopping department, and they’ll make sure it gets delivered to you next year.”
“You have a shopping department?” she asked, running her fingertip over the pale granite countertop in the spacious kitchen.
“Of course. We make most everything here in the city, but we do need supplies or items that are easier to buy than make. If you need any help testing out new recipes for the commissary, the builders would be happy to be your personal taste testers.”
Sullivan chuckled. “You’ll probably need to stand in line behind the security team.”
“I’ll make enough for everyone,” Kerri promised.
“The house should be ready for you in two weeks, possibly less. I’ll keep you posted.”
Sullivan shook Marcen’s hand. “Thank you.”
Marcen nodded and left them in the kitchen.
Kerri inhaled shakily and looked up at Sullivan, her eyes glistening with tears. “It’s so wonderful.”
“Why are you tearing up?”
“Because I wondered if I’d fit in here, in your life, but people were already making a place for me before we even met. The commissary, this perfect house…you. I fit in here because we belong together.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “We sure do.”
He held her until the happy tears had ebbed and she wasn’t sniffling anymore. Then he took her back into the master bedroom. “What do you think?”
“It’s gorgeous. I love it so much.”
He watched her as she moved to the window and looked out at the darkness. In a few months, the sun would start to rise, and they’d have a beautiful view of NPC. Joining her, he turned her to face him and cupped her cheeks. “Kerri, I love you. I love everything about you, from the way your eyes crinkle when you smile to the sound of your heartbeat when you’re sleeping. That you’re gorgeous, and sweet, and funny, and all mine…I’m the luckiest quad in the world.”
“You’re going to make me cry again,” she said, rising onto her toes and brushing her lips against his. “I love you too, Sullivan. I love the magic that brought us together and how much I adore waking up in your arms. I didn’t know what I was missing until you pawed your way into my life.”
“I promise to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
“I’m already pretty happy.”
“Just ‘pretty happy’?”
Her eyes twinkled as she smiled. “I’d like to start our family.”
His beasts all rose to the surface at the same time, anxious to get started immediately. “I can’t wait, candy cane.”
She snuggled against him, resting her ear over his heart. “You’re my Christmas wish come true.”
“You’re mine, too.”
If he’d known that wishing on a star on Christmas Eve morning would bring him his fated mate, he would have done it years ago so he could have found Kerri earlier. But no matter the timing, their relationship was perfect to him. They’d both been in the right place at the right time, with plenty of Christmas magic to go around.
The End
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