by R. E. Butler
She wiggled her arm free of his grasp and scooted off the bed on the opposite side. “Nope.”
His brows rose. “Nope what?”
“This is crazy! Do you hear yourself? Santa and reindeer and the North Pole?”
She walked toward the door but Declan reached it first, blocking her way. “Give me a chance to show you the truth, Ellie. Please.”
“You’re going to turn into an animal?” She folded her arms, disbelief warring with a strange, deep need to believe him.
“Yes. But we have to go outside. I don’t want to get stuck in the house in my shift.”
“Why are you showing me this? If it’s a secret… oh shit! Are you going to kill me?” She backed up a step, but he growled so loudly that it made her freeze in place.
“I promised you were safe with me, Ellie. I could no more harm a hair on your head than I could turn back time, okay? I’m the safest male in the world for you to be with right now.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my fated mate.”
“Fated mate? I don’t think those words belong together.”
“It’s what my kind call the one female on the planet meant to be ours. It’s actually likli fanna, but it means ‘fated mate.’ The second I got here, I felt drawn to you. You’re mine, and I’m yours. But what matters right now is that I want to show you what I am. Then we can talk.”
She wanted to ask him why he thought they were meant to be together, but every time she opened her mouth, something told her that he was telling the truth. Not only was she incredibly attracted to him – hell, she wanted to climb him like a tree and have his babies – but she felt very comfortable with him. As if they’d known each other forever and had been on paths destined to intersect.
“Lead the way,” she said.
He offered her his hand and she took it. The moment they were touching, sexy thoughts traipsed through her mind. It took some effort, but she pushed them away so she could concentrate on what they were doing.
“This is Sullivan and Jack,” Declan said when they walked into the living room. “They live in NPC and are quads, too.”
She greeted the men sitting in the living room, then turned to Declan. “You just said two things I didn’t understand.”
Declan’s eyes widened. “Oh, sorry. NPC is short for North Pole City. Santa, Mrs. C, elves, and shifters all call it home. It’s a magically protected city and is only open for twenty-four hours every year, from dawn on Christmas Eve to dawn on Christmas Day. And ‘quad’ is what we call shifters who have all four animals.”
He looked at the two men. “I’m going to show her my shift.”
Sullivan’s brows rose so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Yep.”
“All right.” Sullivan looked at Ellie. “Don’t pass out again.”
“I won’t. I think.”
“That’s not reassuring. I don’t want to have to fight Declan to help you if he’s incapacitated in his shift and you’re facedown in a snow drift.”
“Why would you have to fight him?” she asked.
“Because no one touches another male’s fated mate,” Sullivan said.
“I haven’t decided anything about anything yet,” she pointed out.
“It’s just a fact,” Jack said. “You don’t have to decide to be his mate, you just are.”
She wrinkled her nose and planned to object but wasn’t sure what she would object to. That she liked Declan even though they’d barely known each other? That the sexiest guy she’d ever seen wanted to be with her?
She nudged Declan. “Can we get on with this?”
“Of course.”
At the front door, she reached for her jacket, but he took it from the hook and helped her put it on. “You said Tom and Neve had to go somewhere.”
“They’re up in NPC,” Declan said as he opened the front door for her.
“How did they get up there? And how did you get here?”
“All shifters and elves have the ability to transport.”
“Like in science fiction?”
He laughed lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s one way to think of it, but it’s real.”
She pushed her feet into her boots at the door and walked out onto the porch. Declan followed, closing the door behind him, then walked down into the yard and said, “We’re far enough away from prying eyes, but I’m not interested in taking any chances, so I’m going to walk into the trees and shift.”
Her breath puffed from her in white clouds as she huddled into her coat, watching Declan stride across the snow-covered lawn to the trees. He walked a few feet in and turned to face her.
“Don’t forget that I’m still me. Even though my body has changed, my mind is still my own and I’m in charge of my actions.”
“I won’t forget. Unless, of course, this is a dream.”
“Didn’t we cover that already?” He unbuttoned his shirt, and she caught a flash of metal attached to the fabric.
“Is that a name badge?” she asked. She’d been too busy looking at his sexy face to notice it before.
He laid the shirt over a nearby branch. “My main job is in the security office of NPC.”
“Like police?”
“Yep.”
She caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his right arm, a solid black design with complicated swirls and arcs. “Does that mean something?”
“Yes. Only the quads have this tattoo. The design was chosen by the original Dasher, who found the pattern made of snowflakes on his window one Christmas Eve morning. He thought it would be a good idea for all of the quads to have a matching tattoo, and Santa agreed.” He wiggled his brows. “Any tattoos hiding somewhere on your body?”
She laughed. “Nope. I’m not a fan of needles. But I do like yours.”
He held her gaze as he toed off his boots and then shoved his pants down his legs. Her laughter died swiftly as he straightened, his body fully on display. He was as built as any man she’d ever seen, all muscles and lightly tanned skin. She didn’t want to admit that her gaze tripped right over his pecs down to his cock, which was thick and hard. Her whole body reacted to him, her skin flushed as her stomach twisted.
Hers.
He said she was his and he was hers.
And wasn’t that the most amazing thing she’d ever heard?
“If you keep looking at me like that, honey, I’m going to forget all about shifting.” His voice was a little deeper and gruffer than before. And she liked it.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m holding on to my sanity by a thread where you’re concerned, too. You’re the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen in my life, and I want to make you mine in the worst way.”
“Why don’t you?” she asked, her voice a plea and a demand.
He growled and the sound tickled down her spine like fingers, making her shiver.
“This first, Ellie. You have to know I’m telling the truth. Then we can talk.”
“Talk?”
“Eventually.” He winked, and in the next instant he was a reindeer. His body changed so swiftly that if she’d blinked too long, she would’ve missed it entirely.
She was walking before she even realized she was moving, crossing the yard and heading right for him. She stopped in front of him and lifted a trembling hand to touch his nose, which was covered with soft white fur. He nuzzled her palm with a contented sound. She stroked her fingers up, and he tilted his head until she could reach his velvet-covered antlers.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “It’s not possible, but it’s real and happening to me right now. I’m touching a reindeer who started the day as a man. How the hell is that possible?”
He snorted what sounded like a laugh, and she shoved his head with a light giggle. “Don’t tease me, Declan. This is the weirdest, coolest thing I’ve ever been through in my life.”
He murmured, and she
was pretty sure he was saying that it was all going to be okay. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but it seemed pretty clear. He cared about her and didn’t want her to be scared.
“How can I feel so connected to you when we just met?”
He sighed deeply and changed back into his human form. He towered over her, skin practically glowing in the morning light. “Because we’re fated mates.”
“I don’t think humans get fated mates. It’s the stuff of romance novels.”
“It’s the stuff of my reality. Let me take you home and show you the truth of my world.” He grabbed his boxer briefs off the branch and tugged them on, shoving his impressive erection into the material. She could’ve turned away to give him some privacy, but she felt like they were really past that at that point. She’d seen him fully naked and changing into a reindeer.
“You already showed me your shift,” she pointed out, sad to see him cover up all that delicious skin.
“And you didn’t pass out, for which I’m very thankful.”
She grinned.
He finished getting dressed and then drew close to her, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. “My shifts are only part of who I am. I have so much to tell you, and it would be easier to show you. Come with me.”
She glanced at the cabin. “What about Neve and Tom?”
“They’re in NPC. We can check on them once we’re there.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he asked, his voice hopeful.
“Yeah. I’ll go home with you, but I’m not making any promises. Just because you’re the sexiest man alive and I feel strangely drawn to you doesn’t mean I’m willing to run away with you after knowing you all of ten minutes. And we haven’t even kissed yet.”
He glanced at his watch. “It’s been seventeen minutes.”
“Oh, I stand corrected,” she said with a laugh.
He leaned in close, his free hand snaking around her back and drawing her flush against him. “I wanted to kiss you from the moment I laid eyes on you. You were passed out, and it was so tempting, but I held myself back. I didn’t want to take what you didn’t offer willingly. But make no mistake, sweet Ellie, I’m utterly consumed with you. Me and my beasts.”
Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest at his declaration, the scandalous thoughts careening through her mind coming back in spades.
He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
But how was it possible to want someone so much when he was a virtual stranger? Maybe there was something to this “fated mate” business.
“Declan?”
“Yeah?”
She wasn’t sure what to say without sounding corny, so instead she rose onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his.
It was possibly the most significant thing she’d ever done.
The moment their lips touched, that same something she’d been feeling since she woke up – all of seventeen minutes before – was roaring to life within her, urging her to accept Declan and follow him wherever he went.
Their lips parted and she moaned softly as he stroked his tongue against hers. Her body warmed, despite the chill in the air, and she moved closer, pressing her body against his and letting herself go into the best kiss of her life. She slid her hands into his hair, grasping the soft strands and tilting his head so they could deepen the kiss. Her stomach flipped and her body flooded with heat, and she never, ever wanted it to stop.
His chest vibrated with a growl so low she could hardly hear it. But she could feel it, and it made her smile. The kiss ended with him sucking on her bottom lip for a moment.
“That’s a happy sound, right?” she whispered.
“Definitely.” His eyes were a beautiful dark gold.
“Your eyes.”
He closed them briefly and when he opened them, they weren’t as dark a gold, the chocolate brown they were originally slowly coming back. “Quad’s eyes change to a deep gold when we’re in the presence of our fated mate, and when arousal’s in the air.”
Her cheeks heated but she smiled. “That was a great first kiss.”
“First but not the last by a long shot.” He gave her waist a squeeze and kissed her forehead. “If you want to come back here, just know that I promise to bring you back. I’d never keep you against your will.”
“I know. I don’t know how I know, but I do.”
He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Your trust means the world to me. Are you ready to go to the North Pole?”
“I never thought I’d say this, but yes. Take me to the North Pole where Santa and the elves and reindeer live.”
He smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You got it.”
Chapter 5
Declan called out to Jack and Sullivan, who appeared on the porch immediately.
“How did they hear you?” Ellie asked. “They were in the house.”
Declan tapped one ear. “Shifters hear really well.”
She hummed. “That’s pretty cool.”
“We’re heading to NPC,” Declan said to his friends. “Coming or staying?”
Jack shrugged. “There’s no reason to stay if Ellie isn’t going to be here, right?”
Declan nodded and Sullivan and Jack joined him and Ellie in the woods.
“What’s going to happen?” Ellie asked.
“We’re all going to gather close together,” Declan explained, “and then we’ll transport to NPC. It’ll feel like wind rushing around you. You might feel a little disoriented or nauseous, but just remember you’re safe with me.”
Jack looked at his tracker. “I contacted Rhys and told him we were coming with Ellie. He said to transport directly to SC’s home. Then you can take Ellie to see Tom and Neve.”
Declan nodded. “Ready, honey?”
Ellie gave him a curious look. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“You smell like honey to me.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say about that. No one’s ever said I smell like honey before.”
Sullivan tapped his nose. “Because we’re shifters, our sense of smell is heightened. You probably don’t smell that way to other humans.”
“To be fair, humans don’t go around smelling each other,” she pointed out.
Declan grinned. “We can be glad for that. Otherwise, a male might’ve tried to snatch you up ages ago and I’d be one lonely quad.”
They drew closer and Declan slipped his arm around her shoulders. “SC’s house.”
“Right,” Jack said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
He kissed Ellie’s temple and whispered, “Here we go.”
The first time he’d ever transported was when he was a teenager and finally able to shift. All elves and shifters in NPC could transport; it was part of the magic that made them what they were. With a thought, they could go anywhere in the world. When he was first learning how to transport, sometimes his nerves would get the best of him and he’d wind up off from where he wanted to be. Once he got the hang of it, however, he’d enjoyed traveling to the human world, especially with his friends.
The transporting happened quickly. There was a blinding flash of light, and then they were on their way in the blink of an eye. Only supernatural creatures could see them coming and going; otherwise, they’d never be able to come into the human world.
They transported directly into SC’s living room. The moment their feet were on the floor, Ellie swayed as if she was going to fall, and Declan pulled her against him.
“It’s okay, honey. We’re here,” he said, stroking her cheek with the back of his knuckles.
Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut and she looked like she was in pain. Then one eye peeked open, followed by the other. “Damn, that was insane.”
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.
She blinked rapidly a few times and then inhaled deeply. As she exhaled, she said, “Yeah. It was like
being in a wind tunnel on a roller coaster.”
SC chuckled. “Now that’s a good description of transporting.”
Declan agreed. “Ellie, I want you to meet Santa.”
“Don’t forget me,” Mrs. C said.
“I would never,” Declan promised. “Santa, Mrs. C, let me present my fated mate, Ellie. Honey, these are the leaders of our city.”
Ellie turned slowly to face SC and Mrs. C, who were standing next to the fireplace. She reached for Declan’s hand and squeezed it. “It’s really you? Both of you?”
“It sure is, Ellie,” SC said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She glanced at Declan. “Can I shake their hands?”
He chuckled. “Of course. In fact, I recommend giving them each a hug.”
“Seriously?”
“Trust me.”
She stared at him for a moment and then nodded. He walked with her across the living room, leaving Sullivan and Jack behind. He was aware of his friends taking a seat on the couch, but his thoughts were only of Ellie. He wanted her to want to live in NPC, but as she hugged SC, Declan knew he’d go wherever she wanted to be.
She was home for him now.
SC looked at Declan and smiled in understanding.
Ellie sniffled and stepped back, brushing at tears on her cheeks. She turned into Declan and let out a soft sob. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “I saw all of the Christmases I’d ever had with my parents. How is that possible?”
He held her close. “It’s part of his magic. I’m sorry you’re sad.”
She let out a squeaking sound and then laughed, blinking bright emerald eyes at him. “I’m not sad so much as just missing them. It was so sweet to see those memories. I was just caught off guard.”
“Try my hug on for size,” Mrs. C said.
She left Declan’s arms and hugged Mrs. C. The sadness that had etched his mate’s features eased swiftly, replaced with peacefulness.
“Oh,” Ellie said as she stepped away and returned to Declan’s arms.
“Mrs. C’s magic is sweet memories,” SC said. “Mine is like a slideshow of every Christmas in a person’s past. Sometimes those memories can bring sadness at the losses suffered.”
