by R. E. Butler
“You’re up early,” Rhys, the lead reindeer and head of security, said. Vaughn could hear the smile in his voice.
“Excited as hell to get home. My beasts want time to go faster.”
“I gotta say, man, we weren’t sure if you were going to come home. A couple of the quads were eyeing your spot.”
There were several males within NPC who were quads but not sleigh team members, so it wasn’t surprising that they’d be hopeful a current member would step down at some point.
“Up until yesterday, I thought we were sticking around, so I’m just as surprised as you are by the events of the last day.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re coming home. We’ve got three coming to get you. Is that enough?”
“Yep.” He popped a coffee pod into the brewer and looked at the hastily packed boxes in the family room. Holly had a lot of family heirlooms and mementos she wanted to bring along, as well as clothing and toiletries. He only had two bags of his own to bring back.
“Great. Do your parents know yet?”
“No. They know we’re coming to visit but not to stay. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“That’s awesome. I heard your house is almost done.”
“Good. I was going to offer to stay in the barracks, but Holly wants to stay at my parents’ place and spend time with Violet.”
“We’d like to have you over for lunch, say noon? All the quads and mates want to meet her.”
“Jack and Ivy coming?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Thanks for your help.”
“I’m just glad you’re heading back here permanently. I’ve hated you two being gone.”
“It was worth it, though.”
“Anything is when it comes to our fated mates. See you in a bit.”
Vaughn said goodbye and fixed his coffee. He canted his head and listened intently to see if Holly was stirring, but all was quiet in the bedroom he’d shared with her since January, when he moved in and Ivy moved to the apartment he’d shared with Jack.
He walked to the family room window and opened the blinds, staring out at the sickly yellow light from the streetlamps. It was snowing, the big fat flakes falling rapidly and covering the urban landscape. For most of the last year, he’d expected to stay in the human world with Holly. Even when Ivy moved to the cabin in June, Holly hadn’t changed her intentions to stay with the bar. Things were going so well, and they were packed most nights. By October, she’d been able to hire a full staff, including an office manager, which allowed them to not be tied down so much to the bar.
But something had changed a week ago, and Holly had started to act strangely. Whenever he broached the subject with her, she’d dismissed him with a wave of her hand and a smile, saying she was fine. He was certain she wasn’t, but he’d learned early on with his female that if she didn’t want to talk, she wasn’t going to until she was good and ready.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” she said as she came into the family room. She joined him at the window, sliding her arms around his waist and hugging him.
“Merry Christmas Eve to you, too.” He kissed the top of her head. “Did I wake you?”
“No.”
They stared silently out the window for several minutes, and then she lifted her head and smiled at him. She slipped from his arms and disappeared into the bedroom, returning with a small box wrapped with glittery silver paper and a big red bow. When she handed it to him, his brows rose.
“I thought we were going to wait until tomorrow morning for gifts.” His mind flitted to the one he’d picked for her, which was tucked inside one of his bags.
“This is special. I don’t want to wait to give it to you.”
They sat on the couch and she faced him, chewing on her bottom lip like she did when she was nervous or worried. Immediately his beasts were ready to comfort her and fix whatever was causing her worry. He pulled the ribbon and set it on the coffee table, then lifted the lid.
Inside was a card that read ‘I can’t wait to meet you in August.’ He gave her a curious look and lifted the card from the box. Underneath was a pregnancy test, with a single word in the little window.
‘Pregnant.’
He blinked a few times, not sure if he could believe his eyes.
“Holly?” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. He looked at her and her eyes were glittering with tears.
He hugged her tightly, his beasts roaring in happiness. She chuckled, and he could scent the saltwater of her tears.
“I realized a week ago that I was late. We’ve been so busy at the bar that I didn’t notice. I wasn’t sure if it was just stress, so I took a test and when it came back positive, I wanted to surprise you. Are you surprised?”
“Very.” He cupped her face and kissed her. “August?”
“Give or take,” she said with a smile. “We can get things checked out officially in NPC once we’ve settled in.”
“Is the baby why you wanted to move?”
“Yeah. To be honest, I was already feeling the tug to leave, but we’ve invested so much of our lives into the bar that I was torn about it. Once I knew I was pregnant, I kept thinking about how Ivy’s little girl has pointed ears, and it hit me that it’s dangerous to stay here. They’re up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but we’re in a town with a busy bar. And now,” she said, pressing her hand to her stomach, “I feel like this place isn’t home anymore. Maybe our little one is already having an effect on me, but I want to be in NPC. I want to be with you and your family, and Ivy and her family, where we can all be together and our kids can be safe. I can’t think of a better place to grow up than NPC.”
“I’m so happy,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
“You’re not mad that I kept it a secret?”
“Of course not! This is the best Christmas present ever. I knew something was up with you, but I didn’t know what and it was driving me crazy. I’m glad this is the reason why.”
“I have another piece of news.”
“Oh?”
“I sold the bar.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I called my uncle last week and told him I was going to sell, and it turns out that one of my cousins just lost his job and is looking for work. I sold it back to my uncle for pennies on the dollar, and my cousin and his wife are going to be here after New Year’s. All the paperwork will be handled online, so I don’t have to worry about actually being here to deal with anything. I told the staff last night while you were in the office.” Her brow arched. “We don’t need money in NPC, right?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“I want to give the money from the bar sale back to whatever fund they use in NPC that allowed you and Jack to come here and live so I could meet you. I figure it’s a great way to give back.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
His fated mate was an incredible female. He was the luckiest male on the planet.
After a quick celebration in the bedroom, and also the shower, they got ready for their trip to NPC, checking every room in the apartment to ensure they hadn’t left anything behind. As they were standing in the family room, holding each other in sweet silence, three of the quads appeared – Declan, Roi, and Mire. Vaughn introduced his mate to his friends and shared the news of their baby.
“That’s so awesome. Congrats,” Roi said.
“We were happy to hear you decided to move to NPC. You were missed!” Mire said.
“My Ellie and I are coming back here in a few hours to get married at the flower shop across the street,” Declan said, “so we’ll miss the luncheon today.”
“Did you want us to come back for the ceremony?” Holly asked.
“That’s sweet of you to offer, but no, it’s just going to be a small service with me and my mate, her cousin Neve and her mate, Tom, and the couple who own the flower shop. SC is coming to officiate. We’ll have an official ceremony in NPC after the holidays, and we’d love for you to come to that.”<
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“We’ll be there,” Vaughn said.
“Ready to go home?” Mire asked as they finished gathering the boxes and bags.
“I’m so ready.”
“Me, too,” Holly agreed, rising onto her toes and kissing him. “Love you to NPC and back.”
“I love you, too.”
* * *
Holly leaned against Vaughn and gripped her two bags tightly as his friends joined them with their boxes and bags. She closed her eyes and thought about the future. A year ago, she’d felt like her life was about to hit rock bottom. She was out of her depths and floundering, and she knew she’d been dragging Ivy down with her. Then an amazing woman appeared with a lifeline in the form of two men, who turned out to be not only right for the two sisters’ hearts but also for Ivy’s music and Holly’s bar.
For a while, she felt like she’d lost her sister to Jack, especially when Ivy had opted to move away over the summer with plans to move even farther away after that. Now that Holly knew NPC was only open one day a year, she’d realized immediately that if she’d opted to stay in the human world, she would’ve been missing out on so much.
“We’re here, beautiful,” Vaughn said with a low voice.
She opened her eyes and found herself in a family room with a stone fireplace complete with rustic wood mantel adorned with stockings. She’d been thinking so hard that she missed arriving in his parents’ home. Vaughn’s friends had transported to the porch instead of the house. They were going to leave the rest of their things outside, so the couple could surprise his family with the news of their move to NPC.
“Are we really here?” she asked.
Vaughn chuckled. “Go look out the window.”
She left his arms and walked to a picture window, peering out. It was dark, but once her eyes adjusted to the dim landscape lights on the front porch, she could see the snow and several other cabins.
Her eyes stung with tears as a feeling of rightness and home filled her.
“You’re here!” Violet said with a squeal of happiness.
Holly turned and opened her arms, hugging her tightly. “Merry Christmas Eve.”
Violet grinned. “Same to you. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Holly hugged Vaughn’s dad, then turned to hug his mom.
“Welcome to the family,” Penny said with a smile, sniffling. “We’re so glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad to be here, too.”
“I’m so bummed we only have the day to spend together,” Violet pouted. “Maybe I should move down to the human world.”
“Um, no,” Abe said. “You need to stay in NPC where I can keep an eye on you.”
“Dad! What if Mrs. C says my mate is down there?”
“That wouldn’t happen,” Penny told her. “Mate-matches are always in NPC.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Violet said.
Vaughn put his hand up. “Hold on. Before you make any plans to lock Violet in her room forever, we have something to tell you all.” He paused and then smiled. “We’re moving here.”
There was silence for a moment, and then his mom and sister erupted into happy squeals and claps, hugging them both. Abe grinned. “That’s wonderful news.”
Holly could’ve cried at how sweet their reactions were. She smiled at Vaughn, and he said, “We’re not done yet.”
“What?” Penny asked.
He slipped his arm over Holly’s shoulders and kissed her temple.
Vaughn gave Holly an encouraging smile, and she said, “I’m pregnant.”
The sheer joy on his family’s face was enough for her to know that coming to live in NPC was the right choice. The women cheered even louder the second time, hugging Holly and congratulating her while Abe hugged Vaughn.
“When do I get to meet my little niece or nephew?” Violet asked.
“Sometime in August,” Holly said. “We’ll know for sure once I meet with a doctor after the holidays.”
“So awesome,” Violet exclaimed after hugging Vaughn.
“Do you need help bringing your things up from the human world?” Abe asked.
“Some of the quads helped us. They left everything out on the porch,” Vaughn said.
His family helped them carry their things from the porch into the spare bedroom.
“I hope you like pancakes,” Penny said as she stopped in the doorway.
“I love them,” Holly replied.
“Don’t forget we’re having lunch with the quads today,” Vaughn said. “And we have an appointment with the builders to see the house we picked out.”
“When will it be ready?” Abe asked.
“Rhys told me it was nearly done. Originally we thought it would be a week, but it might be sooner. I hope you don’t mind us staying here.”
“Of course not,” Penny said. “We’re happy to have you both here.”
“Let us know if you need any help,” Abe added.
“After lunch, I’m going to see my sister.”
Violet peeked around her mom. “I hope you didn’t plan to get much sleep tonight. Now that I know you don’t have to leave, we can stay up talking all night!”
Penny rolled her eyes with a smile. “Can you tell that Violet is excited to finally have a sister?”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Holly promised.
When his family had left them alone, Vaughn shut the door and turned to her with a soft growl.
“I know that look,” she whispered, “but we just got here.”
“I just want to hold you for a minute,” he said, his eyes glittering with intent and letting her know that holding her wasn’t the only thing he wanted to do.
He lifted her into his arms and set her on the bed, coming down over top of her with his chest rumbling and his eyes flashing to the gold of his beasts. “Have I told you how much I love you, beautiful?”
“You tell me all the time.” She ran her hands up his muscular arms, feeling the taut muscles under the lightly tanned skin.
He kissed her neck, then bunched her sweater and lifted it, baring her stomach, which he kissed tenderly. “Love you, too, little one.”
Her heart melted.
“I think I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.”
He glanced at her, heat and love in his eyes. “I’m the luckiest male.”
“If we have a boy, we should call him Lucky.”
“Lucy for a girl.”
“Love you, Vaughn. Thank you for coming for me and for bringing me here.”
He kissed her stomach again and then moved up, sliding next to her and linking their fingers. “I will always come for you, beautiful. I love you more than I ever thought possible. Can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like without you, and I’m glad I never have to find out.”
He kissed her, the sweet touch of his lips to hers morphing into a deep kiss that made her toes curl and her body heat. No one had ever touched her like Vaughn, and no man had ever held her heart so firmly in his hands. He was the only one for her, and they were truly fated to be together, even though magic had kept them separated for most of their lives.
Her mate was amazing, and she couldn’t wait to see what the next chapter of their lives would bring.
Chapter 9
After breakfast with his parents, Vaughn and Holly went to the builders’ guild to meet with the male in charge of their cabin. There had been several that were nearing completion, but only one that had three bedrooms, which was what they wanted. They’d seen pictures of the homes, and the one they’d chosen had immediately felt right to both of them.
“Welcome to NPC,” Glen, one of the builders, said when they transported into the large barn. He shook their hands. “Are you ready to see your home?”
“Very ready,” Holly said. “Thank you for keeping our secret.”
The only people in NPC who had known they were coming to live there permanently were SC, Mrs. C, Ivy, the quads, and Glen. They’d all promised to keep a lid on Vaughn and
Holly’s plans so they could surprise his family.
“It was my pleasure. I’ve never been part of a surprise like this before, and it was awesome. I take it your family is thrilled about the change in your location?”
“Absolutely,” Vaughn said.
He pulled Holly close and transported to the cabin. She gasped happily and hugged him. “I can’t believe we’re here!”
He chuckled and walked with Glen through the house, passing the builders who were diligently finishing the work. The house was as perfect as the pictures had made it appear, from the master bedroom with the en suite bath, complete with a shower big enough for two, to the white brick fireplace in the family room that was like the one in the cabin.
“I think this room is the right one,” Holly said as they walked into the first of the two spare bedrooms.
“For what?” Glen asked.
“We’re going to have a baby,” Holly said with a smile. “I think this is the baby’s room.”
Vaughn looked out the window. The cabin next door belonged to Roi and his mate, Dreama. All the quads had homes near each other.
“Do you know where my sister Ivy’s house is?” Holly asked Glen.
“It’s in the next section, so not too far.”
“That’s good. I can’t wait to see their place.”
“How long until we can move in?” Vaughn asked, turning from the window and facing Glen.
“Four days at the most. I’ve had as many elves as I can spare working here to push things through. Once the cabin is ready, you can do the walk-through and make sure everything is right, and then we’ll get the furniture you picked out brought in and you’ll be good to go.”
“Thank you for working so hard for us,” Holly said. “We really appreciate it.”
“It’s my job, and I’m happy to help.”
“Ready to go to Ivy and Jack’s?” Vaughn asked.
“You bet.”
“Thanks again, Glen. We’ll see you soon.” Vaughn shook the male’s hand and then transported to the front porch of Ivy and Jack’s cabin.
