by Drea Roman
I giggle at the familiar complaint.
“What do the Germans have to do with anything?” Darren asks around a mouthful of cookie. I intervene before Nick can wind up with a rant.
“They are the ones who started calling him Santa Claus, and he hates it. Don’t even let him get started on it. Come on in, you silly old man.” I usher Nick inside, and he goes to the tree to unload another dozen or so gifts.
“For the babies,” he says to Darren, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Babies?” I ask, my voice suddenly squeaky and high. “Just how many am I having?” Now that I’ve asked, I don’t really want to know.
Nick laughs, and Darren glares at him, obviously displeased that my best friend knows something so intimate about me before his wolf does. “Just the two, Tuck. No more than you can handle.”
My head spins, and before I know what has happened, I find myself on Darren’s lap on the couch. “Are you okay, honey? You looked faint.”
Nick makes a gagging noise. “So disgustingly in love.”
Winking at Nick, I give Darren a kiss just to make Santa jealous, which earns me a groan from Nick and a laugh from Darren.
“I can’t stay long, but I wanted to drop off some gifts for the babies. Most of those are from your family, Tuck. You better pop by to see them soon. No one could stop your grandmother from stealing a sleigh and some reindeer to come visit if she wanted.”
Darren groans. “No more flying sleighs.”
Laughing, I pat him on the cheek. “No worries, wolf. She hates flying and is not all that fond of the reindeer. If she wants to come, she will just snap herself here. We definitely should visit before she decides to do that.”
Darren thinks about this a minute before looking at me, surprised. “Your grandmother is still alive? I thought you were seven hundred years old. Just how long do elves live?”
I shrug. “The oldest one I know is Grandma, and she won’t ever tell. My best guess is going on three thousand, but you’ll never get that out of her. Don’t ask. She’ll call you names in old Dutch, and before you know it, you will have elf ears and a pig’s tail as punishment.”
Nick nods gravely. “Even I wouldn’t dare that one. I best be on my way. It wouldn’t do to be here when your horse friends stop by.” He walks to the front door, but stops and looks over his shoulder before going out. “And tell Colt he will be getting his heart’s desire sooner than he thinks. His most sought-after wishes are closer than he ever imagined.”
I chuckle and wave by as he leaves.
“What did he mean by that?”
“Who knows? Nick is . . . peculiar. And it is as hard to get a straight answer out of him on anything like that as it is to find out my grandma’s real age. Best not to worry too much and let things just play out as fate intended.”
Darren smiles. “Just like we did.”
“Exactly.”
Darren and I are getting quite cozy together on the couch when the horses finally show up.
“Grr, I was looking forward to debauching you under the Christmas tree,” I grumble at the disturbance.
Darren winks at me before setting me on the couch so he can answer the door. “You can do that later, Mr. Elf.”
After the commotion caused by six horse shifters bearing food and gifts tromping into the house finally dies down, we have a lovely Christmas lunch, full of lots of jokes and laughter. I love Darren’s friends so much already, and I am so glad he had them to help him when he lost his dad. The gift exchange is wild, with Eddie insisting on playing Santa Claus, but not before he gives me a full report of the results of his punishment.
“They weren’t home, but I left a note and the cookies in their mailbox.”
“A note isn’t good enough, horse. You better go back soon and apologize in person. I will know if you don’t.”
He looks at me skeptically, then sighs. “You probably will, you mean magic man.” Then his eyes light up. “Say, do you have any single elf friends?” Colt elbows him in the ribs with a stern look, which only makes Eddie laugh more.
“As if I would saddle them with you,” I retort, and the other horses laugh at my pun, while Eddie shakes his head.
By the time the horses leave, it is evening. Darren and I snuggle on the couch, watching the Christmas tree lights.
“Did you mention what Nick said to Colt?” he asks me as leans into me and places a row of kisses down my neck.
“No, but did you notice how he looks at Eddie sometimes?”
My mate pulls me into his lap and leans back into the couch. “Best to ignore that. It would never work out. Eddie’s oblivious anyway, and Colt’s too sweet for him.”
We sit in silence for a while just holding each other close.
“I wonder what our babies will look like,” I muse as night falls on Christmas.
“You’ll have to wait another nine months to find that out.”
Laughing, I surprise my mate with some more good news. “Nope, Christmas elf pregnancies are only three months long.”
The look of shock Darren gives me cracks me up. After years of Christmases spent bustling around the world in a magical sleigh, laughing and kissing with my mate in front of our Christmas tree is now my favorite way to spend Christmas.
The next morning, I am up with the sun as I usually am. Darren is clearly not a morning person, so I left him snuggled in the covers. The smell of the coffee will pull him out of bed soon enough. A knock at the door pulls my attention away from the cinnamon rolls I am currently cutting out of the roll of dough. Grabbing a kitchen towel to wipe my hands, I open the door to find two young men standing there with smiles on their faces. No, these are elves.
Squealing with delight, I grab them both by the hand and drag them into the house.
“You must be Traviel and Elarian.”
The slightly taller one nods. “Yes, I am Traviel, and this is my mate, Elarian.”
His petite mate smiles at me, his eyes twinkling. “We came to thank you for the Christmas gift. We were so touched by it. For such a beautiful gift, we had to come thank you in person.”
I pull them to the couch and insist they sit. “I will grab some cookies and make some hot chocolate, unless you would like tea or coffee. Speaking of coffee, I should pull Darren out of bed.”
“No need, mate.” Darren walks into the living room, clothed in pajamas, with his hair a bushy mess.
Laughing, I finally release the elves’ hands and hug my mate before pulling him into the kitchen to help me make refreshments for our guests. We chat for a little while, and it is so good to be in the company of elves again, even of a different kind.
Traviel and Elarian do not stay long, having left their baby with their neighbor.
“It was so nice to meet you,” I declare as I wave to them from the doorway as they walk out into the chilly air.
Turning around, I jump into Darren’s arms, nearly knocking him over. I pepper his face with kisses. “I am so happy they came to visit. Seeing my family regularly won’t be a problem. But I am so happy there will be elves nearby, even if they are another kind.”
Darren kisses me on the nose and carries me to the couch to sit as I chatter away about my new elf friends. “Everyone in this town is taller than me. Even the elves!”
My mate laughs as I snuggle into his arms. Vale Valley will make a wonderful home for us and our babies.
“I am so glad you came to find me, Tuck,” Darren murmurs in my ear, before taking a nip of the point.
“Me, too. Now if I just knew what that vision in the magic snow globe meant. Then everything would be just fine.” Darren doesn’t let me worry too much, and soon I am too distracted from my earthly and supernatural worries by his kisses to care about anything other than this singular moment of happiness.
18
Tuck
Three Months Later
“Pregnant omegas don’t jump around so much,” Darren teasingly admonishes me as I dance my way through our kitch
en as I bake more brownies. Just for me. These pregnancy cravings are crazy. I wonder if I crave more because I’m carrying twins. Nick wouldn’t tell, so we had to see the doctor to confirm how many little ones we will be welcoming into the world. Never mind that I am about to pop with my due date only a day away, my tummy stretched out so far that my center of gravity is off. No matter. I will dance anyway.
I huff at him, but am unable to contain my laughter. “Pregnant elves do. Good thing I'm not an omega.”
Darren's mouth drops open comically, and I try unsuccessfully to swallow my mirth. He snaps his mouth shut and glowers at me a moment before asking, “What do you mean, you're not an omega? You’re carrying our children. If not in your womb, where are they, an elf pouch?”
Now I’m laughing so hard I have to hang onto the edge of the kitchen counter to stay upright. “Elf pouch,” I wheeze out. “Where do you come up with these things, my grumpy, sexy wolf?”
The corners of his mouth quirk up as he fights a smile. “And don’t you forget it. But what did you mean, you are not an omega?”
“Exactly what I said,” I declare in a haughty voice as I slide on an oven mitt so I can take my brownies out of the oven. And they are my brownies. This pregnant elf does not share. As I remove the pan from the oven and pop it shut with a tap of magic, I explain the gender dynamics of Christmas elves to my confused mate.
“I am a male elf. Elves of my kind don’t develop alpha or omega characteristics until we meet our mate. If you had been an omega, then I would have become an alpha.”
“Wait, what?” Darren stutters out, a look of shock evident on his face.
“If you had been an omega instead of an alpha,” I clarify as I cut the pan of brownies into very large squares, “I would have developed an alpha knot instead of a womb.”
His mouth drops open, and he stares at me incredulously. “So,” he says slowly, “what are you before you meet your mate?”
“Sort of like a beta or a regular human male.” Using a spatula, I dig out one of the brownies and slide it onto a dessert plate. Hot and gooey, just like I like it.
Darren seems completely enthralled by this new information. “Are there female elves?”
I forked a large bite of hot, moist brownie into my mouth and moan in delight. Darren raises his brow at me as he leans his elbows on the kitchen island and watches me devour my brownie square with relish before I answer him.
“Yes, my mom was one and my grandmother, too.”
“But even with a womb, you don’t consider yourself an omega?”
I shake my head and think about eating another brownie. These twins sure love their chocolate, I think, fully content to blame the little ones in my belly for my current gluttony.
“Nope, I am an elf first. A boy elf.” I clarify, nodding for emphasis. Yes, I definitely need another brownie. I lick my lips in anticipation as I scoop another brownie onto my plate. Whipped cream. I need whipped cream. I twirl around the kitchen, inciting a laugh from my mate as I throw open the refrigerator door, grab the can of whipped cream, and bump the door shut with my hip.
“Oof.” Okay, no more hip-bumping things until these babies are out, which I fervently hope is soon. A spark of amusement along our mate bond, and I know my nosy, overprotective wolf is eavesdropping on my thoughts. I turn around, glare, and point the can of whipped cream at him. “I knew I shouldn’t have shown you how to read my thoughts. Should have kept my elf secrets to myself.”
Darren chuckles, then stands and walks around the island so he can wrap his arms around me. He kisses me on top of the head.
“You are a boy elf who just happens to be carrying our babies. Is that about right, my brownie-loving mate?”
“Exactly.” I smile up at him, and he pulls me close, towering over me, looking down with a naughty gleam in his eye.
“I think,” he says slowly as a wicked grin spreads across his face, “you should show me how you would have used that knot if you had one.”
Throwing my arms around his waist, I grasp his ass firmly as I yank him to me and drop the can of whipped cream on the floor with a clatter.
When he lowers his head for a kiss, I nip his bottom lip and whisper naughty things to my wonderful mate. “Let’s go pretend you are my omega, Mr. Alpha Wolf.”
“Your wish is my command, Mr. Not-an-Omega Elf.”
We sneak off to our bedroom, the cooling pan of brownies on the counter and the can of whipped cream on the floor completely forgotten.
Smoke. So thick the air is dark with it. Glass bottles on the shelves shatter from the heat as wooden beams fall from the barn’s loft to the floor, taking four bodies with it into the devouring flames. “Darren!” I scream as I clutch my huge, pregnant belly, unable to run inside to rescue my mate. “Darren!” I scream again as the roof collapses in, and the fire roars as it flares up, sparks shooting up into the night sky.
“Tuck! Wake up!” Darren shakes me awake, and I start to cry as I throw my arms around my mate, who is safe and sound in our bed.
“Darren,” I sob into his neck as I kiss his skin over and over again.
“Shh, honey. It’s okay. You were having a nightmare. I’m fine, right here with you.”
It takes several long minutes for me to calm down and stop crying.
“What was it? What happened in your dream?”
I shake my head, not wanting to share the horrific images with my mate.
“Did something happen to me?” he asks softly as he pets my back and my hair.
The tears start again as I sob out the heartbreaking details of my dream. “Yes, you were caught in a barn fire, and a beam crushed you, along with half of your team. All I could do was watch as you all died in front of me.”
“Shh,” Darren murmurs to me again as he holds me gently in his arms, rocking me back and forth. Well, he rocks me as much as a pregnant elf can be rocked when he is two days past his due date. “I am just fine.”
“Do you have to go to work today?” I am sniffling now, and I don’t care. I’m not above begging to keep my mate here with me.
“I’m sorry, love,” Darren says as he kisses my forehead. “I have a twelve-hour shift and Eddie will kill me if I’m not there to back him up tonight. He says I abandoned him to the twenty-four hours shifts with all of the other unmated guys. He misses me.”
I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Eddie wants to play poker and win all your money.”
“True,” he laughs as he releases me and rises from our bed to stretch. He is so gorgeous, his wavy brown hair sleep-tousled.
“No fair. You’re so pretty, and I’m so big,” I pout.
My mate laughs before stealing a quick kiss. “Nope, you are the most gorgeous elf in existence.” He leans over and cups his hands against the sides of my enormous belly. “How are you? Ready to come out yet?”
I love it when he talks to our babies in my belly. I could just die from the cuteness overload. “Nah, I think they have decided to stay in there forever. Get out, you freeloaders,” I chide my unborn offspring as I twine my fingers with Darren’s over my belly button.
Darren laughs. “They’re kicking.”
“Not so funny when it’s your bladder they are tap-dancing on.”
My mate helps me escape from the bed and even lets me take the bathroom first, since the dance routine in my womb has begun in earnest now.
After Darren leaves for work, I am more sullen and crankier than usual. But who could blame me? My babies refuse to budge, and I haven’t had so much as a twinge of a contraction, not even a false one. I try to entertain myself with some knitting, a hobby I took up recently because my belly is now too big to allow me to use the oven with ease. Man, do I miss my homemade brownies. The last batch lasted me all of four hours, and I haven’t been able to make more since then. Darren offered to bake some for me, but I want my brownies. He just laughed at my response, kissed my nose, and said he loves his grouchy, pregnant elf.
It doesn’t help that I am s
o sleepy today. Fuck it. I’m taking a nap, once I figure out how to get up off this couch. I swear I am as wide as I am tall at this point. A few lurches later, and I am on my feet.
“Victory!” I declare as I take myself and my stubborn ones in utero back to bed for an afternoon nap.
“Tuck! Tuck! You have to wake up.”
I blink my eyes open to find my best friend standing over me. “What are you doing here, Nick?”
The expression on his face is serious. I struggle to sit up, so he reaches down to lend me a hand, pulling me completely to my feet.
“Whoa there, Nick. What’s going on?”
“It’s Darren and your vision. You have to go now. It’s all up to you, Tuck.”
My heart thunders in my chest as fear grasps me. “I don’t have a car. How will I get there?” I don’t even know where there is, except according to my vision, there a barn burns, and my mate and his team are in danger.
“Use your magic,” Nick admonishes me, his tone strident. “Go now.”
Letting go of my best friend’s hand, I close my eyes and think of Darren before snapping my fingers. A moment of disorientation, then I find myself standing on a snowy hill overlooking a barn shining brightly with licking flames. Stumbling, I rush down the hill, stopping only when I can feel the heat of the fire. The barn doors are open wide, and two fire vehicles are parked nearby, an engine and a fire ambulance.
Through the smoke and flames, I can just make out three figures lurching toward the open door. As they come into closer view, I see that Eddie is carrying someone in his arms. Looking up, I spot the dangling beam, flames enveloping it. It shakes, the joints connecting it to the roof giving way.
“No!” I shout as I throw my hand out in an immediate snap. Darren’s head pops up at the sound of my voice. The beam winks out of existence, and the trio stumble outside into the chilly air. There was a late-season snowfall a few days ago, and Eddie trips in the melting sludge outside the door. Colt grabs him around the waist and pulls Eddie and the unconscious man he carries away from the door. They collapse together several yards from the barn entrance as Darren rushes over to me.
