by Mina Carter
The door behind them opened, but locked in their own battle of wills, none of them looked around.
“Everything okay, Rudi?”
She didn’t turn around at the question, keeping her eyes on Nick while holding Darrick pinned between her and the wall. The voice, full of gravel and way too low to be human, belonged to Jared Stone, one of the agency’s werewolves. An alpha, he tended to keep an eye out for all the other shifters on the payroll.
“Yeah. I’m good. We’re good. Aren’t we?” She directed the question at Nick, her gaze firm. “Aren’t we, Nick?”
Finally, he nodded, body relaxing a little so it wasn’t pressed hard against her hand. “Yeah…”
“Good.” She nodded. “Briefing tomorrow. 9 a.m. sharp. Don’t be late.”
He searched her eyes, then the smallest hint of a smile crossed his lips. “Thank you…”
She almost thought he was going to say something else, but instead he stepped back and walked away, nodding to Stone in the doorway and disappearing inside.
Thank fuck.
She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a moment. That had been tense.
“That’s him, huh?” Darrick murmured, all the normal attitude absent from his voice. “You do realize he’s still in love with you?”
She snorted and pushed away from him. “Fuck off, not a chance.”
“Oh, I know the look well,” the pixie carried on as she walked inside, heading for Iliona’s office to apologize. “He’s got it bad. Real bad.”
This time she laughed, hand on the door to the office. Her voice was sharp with remembered pain as she answered, “Then why did I find him balls deep in another woman?”
Chapter Three
Nick made sure he was nice and early for the briefing the next day. At twenty-five to nine, he sat in meeting room three waiting for everyone else to arrive. Sitting back, he crossed one leg over the other and looked around. The PPA offices were plush and luxurious, but they were obviously a hive of activity. This particular room had been set up for their special task force operation. A large board at the back already had diagrams of the mall they were going to be located at pinned up, as well as grainy surveillance photos of the gang. A picture in the corner caught his attention and he stood to walk over to it, wincing when he realized it was a color shot of the two dead reindeer from the previous attack.
Checking over his shoulder the door was still closed, he reached out and unpinned it, slipping it quickly into his pocket before returning to his seat. Rudi might act hard as nails, but he knew her. She had a soft heart, especially where her animal’s cousin-kind was concerned. She didn’t need to see something like that.
He lifted his mug of coffee as the door opened, taking a healthy swallow. Thick and laced with cream and sugar, it sent a jolt of warmth through his system but was nothing compared to the feeling which coursed through him when Rudi walked into the room. Dressed for business in black jeans and a fitted leather jacket over a t-shirt, her hair was neatly scraped back and she carried a bunch of files under her arm.
Nick’s expression darkened as she was followed by her pet pixie, Darrick. For Pole’s sake, did the guy own anything that wasn't leather? The two men locked gazes, the active hatred in the pixie’s eyes nothing new to Nick.
He didn’t get a chance to say anything because the room filled quickly. As well as Rudi and the pixie, there were a couple of other shifters, werewolves if he wasn’t mistaken, and an ethereally beautiful woman who had to be some kind of nymph.
“Thank you for all being here on time.” Rudi moved to the head of the table, calling the meeting to order just by speaking. The others in the room instantly sat up a little straighter, paying attention as she spoke.
“Okay, as you’re all alive and haven’t been living under a rock for the last month I’m going to assume you’ve all heard about the armed gang the police are referring to as the ‘Grotto Gang’.”
All credit to them, there wasn’t one snigger due to the name. Instead, every person in the room listened intently as she went over the details of the recent attacks. Nick had read the file from beginning to end, so he didn’t listen. Instead, he watched her.
She’d changed. He hadn’t missed the way she walked and moved now. Like she was harder somehow, the subtle vibes coming off her saying she knew how to handle herself in a fight. A fact he’d seen yesterday when she’d kept him and the pixie from kicking seven bells out of each other.
She wasn’t the soft, laughing, happy-go-lucky woman he’d known five years ago. She’d always been capable… hell, she was practically a living legend at the Pole. Were-deer were rare as hell, and the other deer loved them. If it was Rudi heading up a sleigh team, then Christmas night went like a dream. She never got lost, never missed a drop and kept her deer, and her Santa, in order. She’d made him look good, but the arrogant tosser he was, he hadn’t realized. He’d thought it was all down to him, the grandson of St. Nick himself.
He hadn’t realized what he had until he’d lost it. Fucking idiot.
Five years ago, they’d been a happy couple. The closest thing the North Pole had to royalty. Tensions always ran high at Christmas for obvious reasons and they’d argued at the wrap party. Only something small, so small he’d forgotten what it was now, but she’d stormed off and he’d gotten rip-roaring drunk. So drunk he couldn’t remember getting home.
The next morning he’d woken and snuggled up next to the woman next to him, thankful she’d forgiven him. Only to find it wasn’t Rudi…
It had been Ginger Snaps.
A Christmas elf, she’d been making eyes at him for months, but he’d never seen her that way. Unless, of course, he was so drunk he couldn’t see straight. Two days later, everyone knew Rudi had left not just him, but the Pole itself. Even his standing as the grandson of Big Nick hadn’t saved him. There was silent condemnation everywhere he turned and life had never been the same. Hell, most of the deer, either werekind or standard, still didn’t talk to him and he knew for a fact they drew straws each year. The losers got assigned to his sleigh.
“So,” Rudi’s voice brought him back into the meeting. “We’re going to be setting up in the central area here. The usual human team have been stood down and we’re going to be taking their place. Which brings me to assignments.”
Everyone sat up a little straighter, apart from Darrick, who just sprawled in his seat next to Rudi picking his fingernails with a flick knife. Poser. Nick looked around the rest of the group. They all looked like experienced…whatever this protection agency called them. That made sense. He’d had to argue with the agency boss, Iliona, to get put on the team in the first place. She hadn’t been keen, citing his lack of training. He’d gotten his own way in the end through a combination of charm and sheer bullheadedness. There was no way he was passing up this opportunity now he’d finally found Rudi.
“James and Scott,” she nodded to the two werewolves. Both were mid-twenties and slender in build. Made no difference with werewolves. They’d both be lethal fast and hard to kill. “You’ll be posing as students playing Santa's elves. Since these assholes are trigger happy, keep your wolves close to the surface, you may need to pull power and shift at a moment’s notice.”
Both nodded, neither of their expressions changing by even a flicker, which surprised Nick. Was this her life now…that the prospect of being shot at was a daily occurrence? He didn’t like it, didn’t like it at all.
“Aspen,” she nodded toward the small female the other side of the table. “Again, you’re going to be posing as an elf. I want you close to the children just in case the shit hits the fan. If it does, I want a shield covering them. Just the kids and their parents, as strong as you can make it. Don’t worry about the rest of us, save your strength for them, okay?”
Darrick, sitting next to Rudi, grunted and pointed with his knife toward Nick. “So what’s lover boy gonna be doing? Are we sure he can pull this off? Rhod said they can’t always become the big man befor
e Christmas Eve.”
*
Crap.
Rudi froze at the cool tone in Darrick’s voice. Not for long, just a microsecond or so, certainly not long enough for anyone to notice. Fighting back the urge to slap her partner upside the head, she looked around the room, not missing the looks of suspicion in their eyes.
It was a suspicion she couldn’t have, not on a critical operation like this. They needed to work as a team and rely on each other. Which wouldn’t happen if they didn’t believe Nick could provide the goods. Darrick knew that, but sometimes he was a fucking prick and forgot that, while they were partners, she was also the team leader and ultimately responsible for how this thing went down.
“Some can’t,” she agreed, folding her arms. Nick’s expression set, a key tell he was fighting back anger. So far, he was playing nice, even if she had noticed he’d seated himself as far away from Darrick as he could. To avoid temptation? Or because he knew she’d wade in if he started trouble with the pixie? Could be either, or…but it displayed a level of maturity she didn’t recall him possessing five years ago.
“The two other Claus elves at the agency, Rhod and Cole, are main bloodline Claus’s, but it’s a large and well-established family tree. Nick, however, is not just a main bloodline Claus but the actual grandson of the original Saint Nicholas.”
An awed murmur rolled around the room and even Darrick looked impressed. But he still didn’t let it drop. “So, he’s like Santa royalty. So what? Can he do what we need him to do?”
With a sigh, Nick stood up and for a moment she thought he was going to leave. Instead, he pushed his chair back and cleared himself a little space. Pure show-boating as he put his hands on his hips.
A small grin curved his lips. “Santa royalty, I like that. I’ll have to remember to tell grandfather, he’ll get a kick out of it. And yes, I can deliver the goods. Most of my cousins require a little help when it comes to Christmas. When they hit maturity, each of them are given a magical box with a belt in it. Each year, during The Call, the box appears to them and when they put the belt on, they become Santa.”
A breeze started to pick up around him, even though they were indoors and the windows were shut. It plucked at his clothing and ruffled his dark hair. Pressure built up until, finally, there was a pop.
Everyone in the room gasped. Nick had disappeared and in his place was…Santa.
“Whoa, that’s…” Darrick trailed off, utter shock on his face.
“I was born of Christmas Magic, in the heart of the North Pole,” Santa said with Nick’s voice. “Because I am a direct descendant, I don’t need The Call or a belt or anything to become Santa. One day I will be the Santa, as will my firstborn son after me. Isn’t that right, Rudi?”
He looked directly at her and she had to suppress the shiver which wanted to roll down her spine. The magic of Christmas wove its magic around her, pulling at her soul and her heart-strings, reminding her of all she’d lost. All she’d never have again. Home, comfort, joy…the companionship of her family and the love of her deer.
The love she and Nick had shared.
Gone.
“He will. And now that we’re all done stroking his ego, each of you has a file.” She nodded to the desks in front of them. “Familiarize yourself with the layout of the mall and the grotto setup. We’ll have a short window to do a walk-through tomorrow before the grotto opens, but then we’re live. Since I handpicked you, I expect nothing more than total professionalism from all of you.”
She picked her files, diary, and cell up, tucking them into the corner of her arm. “I’ll be in the office for the rest of the afternoon going over the armed response side of things with Darrick, so if you have any questions, you all know where to find me. Dismissed.”
None of them moved, small smiles tugging at the corners of their lips. She sighed mentally and gave in, grinning. “That means get the hell out. Now, scram!”
***
She was an idiot.
Rudi sighed as she padded through to her kitchen hours after leaving the office. She shouldn’t have let Nick change. Not even to shut down Darrick’s little rebellion. Which she totally should have seen coming. Pixies were highly possessive and territorial. Even though she and Darrick were just friends and would never be anything more, he was protective as all hell over her. Well, as much as she’d let him be anyway. Add in his dislike of Claus elves after losing out to one in the love stakes, and it was a shit storm just waiting to happen.
She should have anticipated it, and handled it a different way.
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes with a groan. Whatever way that was, it should not have involved allowing Nick to change. Now, hours later, she could still feel the magic of Christmas wrapping around her. If she moved her arm just right, there was a telltale shimmer across her skin. Reminding her. Taunting her.
It had gotten so bad she’d closed the meeting with Darrick and his armed response team early, and headed up to the gym. Then she’d worked out until her muscles burned and she could barely walk without pulling strength from her deer.
It didn’t matter how hard she pushed herself, though. She could exercise until she puked up and passed out, and within hours the creature within her would have repaired the damage and she’d be back to square one; restless and aching. Sweat hadn’t worn the shimmer off. Neither had scrubbing herself almost raw in the shower. It was still there, just in the corner of her eye, reminding her of all she’d lost.
Opening her eyes, she did her best to ignore it, moving around her small kitchen to make hot chocolate. The magic hummed, not liking the fact she wasn’t paying attention.
“No,” she told it firmly. Who cared that she was talking to thin air? There was no one here to see her. “I’m done with that life. Have been for years. Deal with it.”
The shimmer and humming died down, leaving an impression of petulance like a sulking child. Rudi carried on making her chocolate, watching the milk come to the boil on the stove top. She had her evening planned out. Hot chocolate on the couch while watching TV. Since it was December, she’d rented back to back box sets to watch so she didn’t have to sit through endless Christmas movies.
Tonight, she was looking forward to the finale of some alien invasion drama she’d gotten hooked on. Of course, it was total fiction. There was no such thing as aliens. Even if there were, if they ever invaded, they’d soon find out there were nastier species than humanity on the planet.
So far so good. The humming had died down. A small tendril of hope uncoiled in the center of her chest. Perhaps she’d gotten away with it. As she lifted her filled mug topped with marshmallows, she looked up and out of the window without thinking. Normally, that wouldn’t have been a problem. She didn’t make enough to rent anywhere with a good view so her kitchen looked out on the fire escape of the building opposite. Usually.
Christmas magic, though, was relentless and downright sneaky which meant her normal view was replaced by snow-covered rooftops which sparkled and shimmered in the moonlight. Sleigh bells jangled softly and anticipation filled the air. Tears sprang to Rudi’s eyes and deep within, her deer cried out.
She was instantly whisked back, the years peeling away until she was the one pulling the sleigh. Any moment now they would touch down, her hooves the first to break the virgin snow as she put the ‘brakes’ on and a familiar ‘Ho ho ho’ filled the air—
“NO!” she snarled, slamming her eyelids down on the sight and storming through to the living room blind. She’d lived in her apartment for years, so she knew the layout like the back of her hand and didn’t trip over anything.
“I told you, I’m done with all that.”
Going back wouldn’t change anything. Not a thing. Nick had made his choice that night and it hadn’t been her. Life was a bitch, shit happened, suck it up, buttercup…all those and more applied. The magic pulsed behind her, stronger than she’d ever felt it. Calling to her. Tempting her…
Briiiinnnnng Briiiiinnn
nggg…
Her eyes snapped open. Saved by the bell. More accurately, saved by the doorbell. Putting her hot chocolate down on a side table, she wouldn’t have reached the door faster if she’d had wings on her heels. Throwing it open, she took one look at the person standing on the doorstep and her face set into careful lines.
“Nick. What do you want?” And how the fuck did you find me?
But then, nothing about beings from the pole should surprise her. Once Nick had a fix on her general location, he’d be able to track her, especially this close to the big day and with freaking Christmas magic putting her place on the map like an emergency beacon.
She leaned one shoulder against the door frame and looked him up and down, trying to keep face impassive. He was still as sexy as she remembered, those deep blue eyes offset perfectly by his dark hair. Designer stubble surrounded lips that were carnally full and far too lush for such a masculine face. But they didn’t appear out of place, nothing about him did.
“Uh.” He looked down and shuffled from foot to foot, as though he couldn’t think what to say. Instead, he looked up to spear her with a look, then whisked a bunch of flowers out from behind his back. “I wanted to apologize.”
She blinked, total surprise holding her in place. Her gaze flicked from the flowers, a bunch of gerberas of all things, to his face and back again.
“I’m sorry?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. Who could blame her? Nick was famous at the Pole for never apologizing, for anything. Even if he was wrong, he just flashed a charming smile, using his looks and family connections to get out of trouble.
No smile curved his lips now. Instead, his expression was sincere.
“I wanted to say sorry for earlier,” he clarified, his voice quiet as he took a step forward, holding the flowers out to her. Automatically, she took them, reaching out a gentle finger to touch the pale pink petals. Wrapped in delicately printed cellophane and pink tissue paper, there wasn’t so much as a poinsettia, or glittery fir cone amongst them. He’d brought her something without a hint of Christmas in it at all. The gesture was so thoughtful tears prickled hot needles into the backs of her eyes.
