by Anthology
“We can’t cancel Christmas, Rand. That’s not up to us. What we can do is affect the lives we touch. We can spread good cheer and good will. We can make a difference.”
“Rand?” Blix took his hand and squeezed. “Think about Bernie. And Heidi. Think about the small gestures like they made toward you. Things like that go a long way.”
“What does that do?”
“It starts the ball rolling.”
“The ball rolling? What are you talking about?”
“A new project to start after the first of the New Year. An outreach program. It’s for us as much as it’ll be for others who’ve lost hope.”
“And, this was your idea?”
“It was your mother’s idea.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Blix added.
Rand looked down at her. “You do?”
“Yes. Sometimes we need to see things from a little different perspective. If we’re always looking down, we don’t see the stars, or the sun, or the moon. We only see the ground. We only see below. I was trying to help you see things that you were no longer seeing, Rand. And maybe we can help others see the same things.”
“I see.” He focused on his father again. “What will this outreach program entail?”
“To send people out into the world. Small numbers of people, elves and shifters out into areas where hope and good will are needed.”
“Like guardian angels?”
“More like ambassadors.”
“And how will that help anything?”
“I think if we can see humanity up close that we can make a difference in helping them see that life is a blessing, that each moment is to be savored, and not squandered.”
“No one will know that we’re not like everyone else.”
“So, even you’re going to do it?” Rand asked his father. The whole thing was… Shit. It was a good idea. A good plan. Even he could admit that. Being among the small pocket of humans and caribou had helped him to see that not all were full of one-upmanship or challenge. Many were good at heart.
“Yes, we’re going to do it. We can’t remain isolated. We have gifts to give and share, things that are more important to the ones who need help most.”
“Did Blix make cookies for you too?”
His father laughed and Blix squeezed his hand. He liked her hand in his. He squeezed her fingers. “Why are you here?” he again asked his father. “Come to wish me a Merry Christmas?”
“Yes, but to tell you that it’s time, Rand. It’s time to fulfill your purpose.”
“You banished me.”
“I tried to teach you a lesson. I needed to know that if left to your own devices, that you could make it. That you weren’t lost, that you wouldn’t buckle under pressure. I needed you to see that even the simplest and smallest of gestures could make a difference and I didn’t think you’d believe that if you didn’t experience it firsthand.”
“I’m not alone here.”
“No, you’re not and that’s how I know you’re ready. That’s how I know you’re ready for your destiny to lead the sleigh.”
“Will Blix be able to go back too?” He couldn’t take the chance, take the leap, if she had to be left behind.
“Yes.”
“Will we be able to come back here? I like the cabin and being so close to nature. I want to be able to shift when needed. I want to be able to run.”
“Consider the cabin yours.”
“Why here? Why this town?”
“Bernie. He’s a shifter. Bear. He used to work security at the toy factory.”
“Bernie?”
“Yes. He’s not magic. He’s simply a shifter and when he retired from security, we set him up with the tree farm.”
“Okay, that makes sense now. Heidi wondered how he could trees to grow this far north like that.”
“We added a little bit of the magic to the seedlings.”
“It’s a safe zone for shifters of all sorts. Foxes, wolves, bears, reindeer. No one controls it, it’s just the way it is. They exist with the humans, protecting them from other wildlife.”
“Is there magic in the town?”
“No. Not until you. You’ll be the magic.”
“How?”
“Who’s to say? You’ll do great things, Rand. You had to get out of your own way and though I’m sure there are more growing pains for you to go through, you’re on your way. Responsibility will help.”
More and more, he began to understand. There was so much to experience, so much to explore in the world. He had flown across it for years, but had never really understood it.
He was going to have that chance. He was going to have Blix with him along the way. “I’m ready.”
“Good. I need you, son.”
He never thought he’d hear those words from Kris Kringle. “You do?”
“Yes. You returning to the sleigh team means I’ll get to live for a few hundred years more.”
“What do you mean?” But his father was smiling and Blix stood there snickering.
“Maria. She threatened me with a rolling pin if I didn’t make things right and allow Tomas to be home for the holiday. How could I say no?”
* * *
“Rand? Are you sure about this?”
They stood in a small clearing behind the cabin. Rand was undressing and Blix was doing her best to keep her desire for him in check. Now that she’d had Rand once, she wanted him again, the hunger and lust only increasing since they’d had sex earlier.
“Yes. I’m sure. Where will you be? Here or back home?”
“Here, if you’ll let me stay.”
“Of course you’re staying.”
“Good.” He was going to shift and he was going to be hitched to the sleigh team, which was in another, larger clearing not far. Santa, as the world knew him, had come to collect his son. “Do you think he was really trying to teach me a lesson by sending me here? Was he scolding me for not being more appreciative of my role in the grand scheme of things?”
“I think he wanted you to see that there are simplistic pleasures. We have Christmas trees in the North Pole, but we also have the elaborate and twinkly decorations. Yours here are as close to handmade as I’ve seen in years. You met two people who were open with you and showed you a different side of humanity than what you perceived humans to be. Not all are full of greed and the desire for shiny things. I think he wanted you to experience just a taste of it, enough to make you want more.”
“Do you want it, too?”
“I want a chance to have you, to explore life with you. I searched hundreds of years for you, Rand. I’m not going to walk away now.”
He handed her the last of his clothing and bent to kiss her. “You’re the best gift, Blix. The best gift I’ve ever received.”
“So are you, Rand. So are you.”
One last kiss to her lips and Rand backed away to the edge of the trees. Blix could hardly see him, but when he started running, she heard him before he emerged. In awe, she watched him take a leap into the air and when he came down again, he was a full-blown reindeer.
She’d seen them shift many times, but never Rand and seeing him do it, seeing the shift from man to animal with her own eyes, awe was the only word to describe it.
He walked up to her, stared at her with an intense yet playful gaze. “Have a safe flight.”
He nuzzled her neck, then took off toward the front of the cabin.
His wishes and her wishes combined to give them both something neither knew how to make happen before.
And it was all because of a basket of cookies.
Sleigh bells pierced the silent night and she looked up. It was definitely going to be a very Merry Christmas.
The End
About Lissa Matthews
When not writing, and with the help of her ever present stash of coffee, Lissa can be found making a mess in the kitchen, being a sports spectator with her family, attending concerts, or binge-watching Law and Order. http://liss
amatthews.com
Santa Shifter in Manhattan by Lexy Cole
The Wolves of Central Park Series
Billionaire Cole Parker officially meets Alexis Hayes at a local food pantry. He's wearing a Santa suit and she's handing out holiday food baskets. She looks familiar to him and as they leave the pantry together and start walking home, he realizes why. She recently moved into his building and as they talk, he becomes convinced that she's perfect for him—she's kind and funny and she's a shifter too. But then he learns that she works at their fiercest competitor and is a new member of the rival pack that owns it, which puts her strictly off-limits. And makes her all the more tempting.
1
Cole Parker, billionaire star of Wall Street, was like a little kid when it came to Christmas. He’d always loved the holiday, and in recent years he’d taken a more active role in making the holiday a bit brighter for those who were in less fortunate circumstances. He and his brothers had a family charity that they’d started and they made cash donations to families in need. But Cole’s favorite way to help was something that had become an annual tradition and he’d looked forward to this day—though he did wish it wasn’t quite so unseasonably warm. He was a bit itchy and had worked up an uncomfortable sweat under his cheery red Santa suit.
He was unrecognizable in the fuzzy red outfit, which included a strap-on, puffy belly and full white beard and mustache. The only part of him that shone through was his blue eyes, but unless someone knew to look, they wouldn’t make the connection. In one of Manhattan’s largest food pantries, he was simply Santa, and for three hours he held court in the corner of the room as a stream of children approached him, sat on his lap and told Santa what they wanted for Christmas.
Some of the requests were fairly typical. Tommy Jones wanted a toy truck. Mary Simpson wanted the latest Barbie doll. But some of the other requests were heartbreaking. Alisha Thomas wanted a pair of shoes that didn’t have holes. Janie Smith wanted another blanket because she only had one thin one on her bed and it was always cold. Richard Evans wanted a pair of pants that went all the way to his shoes so the kids wouldn’t tease him because his were too short. And Rosalie Estrada wanted Santa to give her a home because she’d only ever lived in homeless shelters. He repeated all of their requests to his personal assistant, Julie Keane, who was dressed as an elf and was writing it all down and getting contact information from each child’s parents. He always did his best to make sure that each child received the gift that they wanted from Santa, and they always added a few extras as, well.
They had been lined up waiting for him when he arrived at the pantry and the organizers had told him that was always the way it was, with every shift. The clients tried to come when the doors first opened to make sure they had the best choice of food before all the good stuff, like meats, eggs, cheese, and pastries were distributed, leaving only the staples like beans, rice and pasta. He’d never seen the line this long, though, and he didn’t have a chance to even look up until the three hours were almost over. When there was just fifteen minutes left, he finally had a chance to take a breather and look around. That was when he saw her and she took his breath away.
There was something slightly familiar about her, but he couldn’t place her. He knew he’d seen her somewhere before, but he didn’t think it was at the food pantry. He would have remembered that. She was handing out the holiday baskets which were already assembled with everything a family would need to cook a holiday dinner—a turkey and all the fixings plus an apple or pumpkin pie, nuts, mints and more. She was really lovely, with gleaming, chestnut brown hair that seemed to have a hint of red when she turned her head and the light shone upon it. She was a little taller than average height, maybe five foot seven, and although she was slim, the close-fitting red turtleneck that she wore highlighted her curves. He couldn’t tell her eye color from where he sat, but when she smiled, her eyes lit up and the warmth that they generated was contagious.
He knew he was at a disadvantage attempting to impress her while wearing his sweaty Santa suit. And he hadn’t brought a change of clothes so he was going to have to walk home in full costume. So, he couldn’t impress her with his rock hard abs or chiseled jaw. Not that he usually thought of himself this way, but he’d heard the women he’d dated describe him in these terms and though it seemed ridiculous to him, he knew his odds of attracting her were probably slightly higher if she could see the real him. But, he wasn’t one to let an obstacle like that stand in his way. As soon as the pantry closed, he was going to go talk to her.
2
Santa was staring at her. Alexis Hayes had been going non-stop since the doors to the pantry opened and the clients started streaming in. They had extra volunteers on today because this day was always so busy, due to the holiday basket distribution and Santa’s visit. It was Alexis’ first year volunteering at this food pantry, so it was all new to her. When she’d first arrived, an hour before the shift began, to get ready, one of the other volunteers had told her who their mystery Santa was.
“You’d never know it’s that gorgeous Cole Parker. He’s a billionaire, you know. Does this every year. Then he and his brothers play Santa for real and make sure those kids get what they ask for. He’s single, you know, too. Can you imagine?”
Alexis just smiled at Doris, the senior citizen who had shared that information with her. She agreed that it was a nice thing for him and his brothers to do, but unlike Doris, she wasn’t impressed with his wealth. She also wasn’t typically drawn to his type—the cocky playboy who was so pretty that he had women falling all over him. No, thanks. She didn’t need the drama that came with that. She also didn’t need his money. Unfortunately, due to her parents’ recent tragic accident, she was obscenely wealthy herself. She and her brother Declan had inherited their parents’ estate and it was vast.
This also wasn’t the first time she’d come across Cole Parker. They’d never met or spoken before, and she doubted that he even realized it, but she lived in his building, one floor below the penthouse level where he and his three brothers all had apartments. Just a few months ago, soon after her parents’ funeral, she had relocated here and moved into their spacious apartment. Declan was still living on the West Coast, in San Francisco, but he was making plans to join her soon. The apartment was huge, more than big enough for the two of them, and she was looking forward to his company. Although she loved living there, she often felt lonely as she wandered around and still missed her parents something fierce. Especially this time of year. Alexis hated the Christmas holidays and volunteered as much as possible to keep her mind off of it. By the looks of his Santa suit, this was just another thing that she and Cole Parker did not have in common.
When she glanced his way again, his eyes caught hers and she looked away. The last thing she wanted was to encourage him. She focused on helping the last few clients who came in for their baskets, and then helped Doris and the two other volunteers tidy up and take out the trash. Then, Doris locked the front door and they all began to walk toward the back entrance which led out the street and was just a block from the train station. Alexis had forgotten all about Cole Parker and was already thinking about the laundry she needed to do when she got home and what she might need to pick up at the grocery store, when she heard a deep voice behind her as she stepped outside.
“Do I know you?” he asked. Alexis turned and Santa was standing there, smiling at her with his vivid blue eyes twinkling. It was a rather disconcerting sight, to see those eyes which seemed to see right through her, surrounded by snow white facial hair and a fuzzy red hat.
“I don’t think so. Maybe you’ve seen me in the building, though. I moved in a few months ago,” she said and saw surprise register in his eyes. He hadn’t expected that.
“Really? So, we’re neighbors, then? That’s fantastic. I’m Cole Parker.” He held out his hand, and she shook it and introduced herself “Alexis Hayes. I live one floor below you.”
“No kidding? Well, are you heading that wa
y? I’ll walk you home. As long as you don’t mind being seen with a Santa? I didn’t think to bring anything to change into.”
Alexis smiled at that. “Sure, why not.”
Cole then introduced her to Julia, his assistant elf, and then said goodbye to her as she headed off in the opposite direction.
“Off we go,” Cole said as he led the way to the corner, and then they crossed at the light and started walking. It wasn’t a long walk, just five blocks, and it had seemed odd to Alexis when she first moved there that there would be a food pantry in their neighborhood. As she grew to know the area better, she learned that Manhattan was a diverse area and there could be multi-million dollar homes just a few streets away from poverty stricken areas.
They talked as they walked. Cole asked her all the usual questions people ask when they want to get to know someone.
“So what brought you here? How did you end up living right below me? I didn’t realize any of those units were for sale.”
“They’re not. My parents, Ursula and Peter Hayes, lived in that building for years. I was living in San Francisco and moved here soon after their funeral. It’s been many years since I spent any length of time in Manhattan.”
“Ursula and Peter Hayes were your parents? I’m so sorry. Damn shame what happened to them. Did they ever find out what actually happened?” News of her parents’ death had been all over the papers when it happened. All they knew at the time was that they’d both died in a plane crash, aboard their own small, private jet.
“We actually just heard the final conclusion of their investigation a few weeks ago. It was just bad luck. A bird flew into one of the engines.”
“I’m really sorry,” Cole repeated and then was quiet for a few moments as they continued walking along. It was a beautiful fall day. The air was crisp and cool and Alexis had a sudden craving for apples as they walked past a sidewalk vendor that had caramel-coated apples and cashews for sale. She didn’t want a caramel apple, though. She just wanted a fresh, normal one. She felt her stomach grumble and made a mental note to buy apples when she went out to the store later.
