Early morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting long slats of light on the carpeted floors. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to get my bearings. This bed was not my own. This room was facing the wrong way.

And there was a sleeping omega on the bed next to me. 

I blinked, rubbed my eyes. It came back to me in a flash. For the first time in years, I’d let my dragon out to play. How could I resist, when my fated mate was right in front of me? What we’d shared together was nothing short of incredible. Just glancing at the mating bite I’d left on his skin had me getting hard all over again. 

I stretched and got out of bed, checking the status of the snowstorm. Drifts and fallen limbs lay everywhere, but no more was falling and the wind had died down, for the moment, at least. From our perch atop the hill I could see people starting to move about. The colorful tents of vendors from the Christmas Market dotted the square and I heard the faint echo of music. 

When in Vale Valley, right? 

I turned to Will, who was just starting to open his eyes. He recognized me at once and gave me a sleepy, sated smile. 

“Hey,” he said, stretching like a cat in the huge bed. Then a moment of panic rushed over his face. “Wait, what day is it? I’ve got to get to work!”

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and started gathering up the bits of clothes we’d discarded during the night. I stood in the door way and stopped him. “Where do you think you’re going, cinnabun? It’s Sunday. Unless you work on Sunday.”

Will blinked at me for a few moments, like his brain still wasn’t awake enough to process that information, then he dropped the pile of clothes to the floor. “Wait, I thought for sure it was Monday. And Cinnabun? Seriously?”

“You smell like cinnamon.” I smirked and leaned forward to grab his ass. “And I like these buns.”

Will groaned. “Never say that again.”

I took out my phone, pulled up the calendar and showed it to him. “It’s definitely Sunday. Was the sex that good that it’s messing with your memory?” I chuckled and dodged a flying sock. 

“Hey!” Will yelled, chasing after me. “Come back here!”

We ended up in a laughing, bickering pile on the bed. How good it was to be around my mate this way! My dragon was more awake than I’d ever felt him, and I started to wonder what I was running from all this time. If being a shifter meant I got to feel like this, then...

“So what do you want to do today?” I asked, rolling over to face him. “Sure work’s not gonna burn down without you?”

“Are you sure?” Will retorted. “I saw you working late last night. You can’t get away from it, can you?”

I didn’t expect that. Not so early in the morning, anyway. I tried to come up with words that made sense, but only found excuses. “I’ve worked really hard to get where I am,” I said finally, knowing how pathetic it sounded. “I don’t want to lose that.” 

Will rolled his eyes and hopped out of bed again. “Think I can tear you away from your computer long enough for breakfast? There’s this creperie downtown that’s absolutely divine, and then the Market will be in full swing. You don’t have to come along, but that’s where I’ll be.” He looked at me with those wide puppy-dog eyes, though, and I knew he did want me to come.

I sighed and grinned up at my mate. “I guess I can take a little break. Let’s see what I’ve been missing in the Valley these past years. Lead the way.”

“Not so fast,” Will pointed out. “I need to take a shower first.”

He padded off to the bathroom, giving me a delicious view of his rear. “Need some company?” I called. His bare skin just begged me to touch it, love it, taste it.

“Is that even a question?” Will called over his shoulder. “Get in here.”

“Welcome!”

The door chimed as we walked in, grateful for the warmth. Though the snowstorm had cleared up, the air still held a biting chill that got all the way under your coat, no matter how many layers you wore.

I shucked off my scarf and coat, hanging them on the coat rack by the door.

“You were right,” I said to Will quietly, “this place smells delicious.”

“Tastes even better,” Will added.

It was a small, cutesy bakery with a colorful, handwritten menu board and twinkling Christmas lights hanging over the doorway. A large tree sat in the corner of the shop, completing the look.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever had a crepe,” I admitted as I read the list. “Is it like a pancake?”

“Sort of,” Will said. “Thinner. And you can add all kinds of toppings, too. What are you feeling today, sweet or savory?”

I gave him a look. “Sweet, duh.”

Will grinned. “Good choice. All the options for the sweet crepes are on the left side of the menu there. Let me know if you want a recommendation. I might come here a little too often.” He laughed nervously, patting his stomach.

Talk about being spoiled for choice. There were no less than ten different options on the sweets menu, and that wasn’t even counting their savory offerings. Each one of them looked more delicious than the last.

Finally, I reached the counter. Time to choose.

A cashier peered at us from behind the register with a huge grin. “See anything you like?”

“I’ll have the banana and nutella crepe special, please. With whipped cream on the side.”

“Excellent, that’s one of our most popular items.”

“It’s my first time here, so good to know I’ve made the right choice.”

“Well, welcome on in! Haven’t seen you around the Valley before. You new?”

“Something like that,” I muttered.

He whisked off to prepare my order and I raised an eyebrow at Will. “How’d I do?”

“Great,” Will said. He slipped his hand into mine. “’S cold,” he muttered, shivering. Those small fingers were like icicles!

I squeezed his hand tighter, trying to send him some of my natural warmth. It was a crime for my mate to be cold, and I made a commitment right then that he’d never have to worry about that around me. I had more than enough heat for the both of us.

“Here we are!” The cashier called, returning from the strange round contraption with a beautifully plated crepe. “One banana and nutella, with whipped cream on the side. Anything else I can get for you today? Coffee?”

“Coffee would be wonderful,” I admitted. I slipped an extra dollar across the counter.

“Coming right up!”

“Well, how’s your first crepe?” Will asked, watching me over his mug. He’d opted for hot tea this morning. Peppermint, by the smell of it.

I licked the whipped cream from the side of my mouth. When I saw his eyes watching me and his mouth slightly parted, I decided to make a bit of a show of it.

“Now you’re jealous of my cream?” I teased, loving the way his face turned bright red. “And yes, to answer your question. It’s great. Sweet. Fluffy. Rich. Pairs well with the coffee.” I looked over at his plate. He’d chosen a ‘strawberry surprise’, whatever that was, and the crepe appeared to be completely buried beneath jam and fresh fruit. “How’s yours?” I pointed at the plate with my fork.

“Awesome, as always,” Will said between bites. “Wanna try some?” He held out a scrumptious-looking morsel on his fork, angling it toward me.

“Oh, sure.” It looked like it packed enough sugar to make a lollipop cry, but why not? 

“Open up.” Will grinned. Shocked at first, I flinched away, then I realized what he was doing.

Will moved the fork toward my mouth and I closed around it, licking the utensil clean. Maybe I was just crazy, but there was something erotic about being fed by a lover. The flavors exploded on my tongue and I caught the scent of Will, as well. So close. Close enough to touch. To kiss.

So yeah. A hottie omega feeding you a strawberry crepe? Straight to the top of the public-boner list.

“Mmm,” I moaned, sinking back in my chair. “That might be even better than mine.” The berry explosion, rich as it looked, was surprisingly not as overwhelming as I thought it would be. The sweet flavors balanced out with the slightest citrus tang. Strawberry surprise, indeed.

“Don’t get too full now,” Will teased and poked my stomach. “We’ve got a lot of walking to do over at the Christmas Market.” 

“Ha,” I said after another forkful of crepe. “Or we’ll just have a good chance to burn off all these calories.”

Will’s eyes twinkled over the rim of his mug. 

“I like the way you think.”

When we left the creperie, (totally sugar-high, mind you), the sun was high in the sky. Noon approached, and the sounds of the town square were audible even from here.

“God, I haven’t been to a Market in...” I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t even know.” The longer I stayed here, the more I realized all the little things that I’d been missing out on. Vale Valley was like a weird bubble out of time. While the rest of the world ran on a non-stop pace of business, caffeine, and perpetual stress, Vale Valley seemed to have it figured out. Townspeople waved hello to one another as we passed. Some of them even remembered me, welcoming me back to the town.

In New York, that would never happen. Everyone kept to themselves and minded their own business. 

Which was pretty useful if you were trying to hide the fact you were a dragon shifter, but...

“Sebastian!” A voice called from behind us. I spun around to see a young woman waving at us. It took me a moment, but when she smiled and showed those dimples on her cheeks, I knew it could only be one person.

Julia Peridale.

She ran up to us, long sleeves of her sweater trailing out behind her. “I heard the rumors, but I wasn’t sure—you’re back!” 

“I am.” 

“I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. She was so good to us, for so long.” 

I nodded. “She was a good woman.” 

“Oh, and Will! I see you’ve taken to showing Sebastian around. Bet he barely recognizes the place anymore.” She winked. “I’ve got to run and help my da at the kettle corn stand, but come by and see us!” She handed us both a slip of paper printed with metallic gold ink. “Discount.” She beamed. “Friends and family. Hope to see you there!”

With that, she ran off, quickly lost in the growing crowd.

“That was nice of her,” Will pointed out, placing the coupon in his wallet. “You two went to school together, didn’t you?” 

“Primary school, yeah.” It felt like so long ago. Hell, it was so long ago. Funny what the brain remembers sometimes. 

“She’s a sweetheart. I deliver succulents for her dad sometimes. He loves them.”

“Sounds like you know just about everyone,” I mused, looking around at the multicolored tents and stalls. Even though I grew up here, I’d never felt like more of a stranger. These people knew each other in a way that only small town neighbors could. They took the time to care for one another. 

And where did that leave me? An outsider. Voluntarily, even. 

Why had I left the Valley again?

I’d thought I had it all figured out. I thought I had a goal in life. A purpose. 

But ever since returning to the Valley, I wasn’t even sure of that anymore.

“Whoa, look at these!” Will called out, dragging me along by the hand. It took a few stumble steps to catch up with him, but I did. Will gawked at a lavishly decorated stand with garments in every color of the rainbow. There were scarves, hats, gloves, and sweaters. I even spotted a few socks. 

With love in every stitch, the hand-written sign said. 

“What do you think that means?” he asked, pointing to the sign. 

I shrugged. “Marketing speak.”

He peered closer at a flowing purple scarf, running his hands along the soft woolen stitches in awe. Maybe it was a trick of the light or a few strands of metallic yarn, but I could have sworn the fabric sparkled. 

“You boys need help?” A man approached us. He sported a long ponytail, tattoos, and a tie-dyed shirt. “Made all this myself. Happy to answer any questions you have.”

“Seriously?” Will said, excited. “All this? Must have taken you forever.” 

The man laughed. “It would using traditional methods.” He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But my ways are not so traditional.”

Both our eyes widened. Will held up the scarf, still uncannily sparkling. “Love in every stitch?”

“It is part ‘marketing babble’, yes,” he regarded me with a pointed look, “but I’m a Tailor Mage. I can imbue my creations with different properties. Give them life they didn’t have before.”

This time I was the one gaping in surprise. “Whoa. I didn’t—I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“It wasn’t,” the man beamed. “Till I made it one. I love fashion, and my magic kept messing things up, so I thought, why not try to combine them? Work with my talents, instead of against them?” He waved a hand around at his little shop. “And thus, Nathan’s Knits was born.” 

“That’s really cool,” I said, impressed. “What does this one do, then? I could have sworn I saw it sparkle.” 

A knowing grin stretched across Nathan’s face. “That piece there was one of my favorites to work on. Not only is it my favorite color, but I imbued silvery threads magic in there. It will always help you find your way back home.”

“It’s beautiful,” Will cooed. “How much?”

“Well, that is part of my special collection. I put so much work into it, I’m loathe to let it go, but something tells me you two might need it more than I do. Check the price tag there on the side.” 

Will’s face fell. “Oh. I don’t have that much.”

“I’ll take it,” I spoke up, fishing out my wallet. 

“Wait, what?” Will said, astonished.

I handed Nathan the money. “Thank you, for your fine craftsmanship. And thank you for serving this Valley.”

“You’re welcome, sirs. Have a great afternoon, stay warm out there!”

We walked away with the scarf wrapped in kraft paper. Will caught up to me. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“What was that about?” 

“What?”

“You bought that for me. You didn’t have to.”

“You wanted it. I had the money. Simple enough to me.”

“But it was—”

“It’s a gift,” I cut him off. “Tis the season of giving, right?” I unwrapped it and placed it around Will’s neck. “How is it?”

Will’s face lights up, and something pings inside Sebastian. He’d move mountains to see that smile again. Will hugs it close, burying his face in its warmth. “It’s even softer than I thought! It’s...wow. Thank you, Sebastian. It’s perfect.”

I slipped my hand into his and we walked down the snowy path together. I still couldn’t get the sight of his smile out of my mind.

Two bags of caramel kettle corn later, we were both full and tired. I’d picked up some elderberry jam and Will found saplings of a rare plant he’d been wanting to breed for the nursery. All in all, it was a good trip. But our feet were sore, our bellies were full, and our wallets were empty. 

Will had started to drag, too. At first I thought it was just because he was tired, but as time wore on he began to look more and more sick. Finally, I brushed off one of the nearby benches and threw down my jacket for him to sit on.  

“You okay?” 

Will’s face was flushed and even a little sweaty. It was nearly freezing out here and the walking was exertion, sure, but not enough to break a sweat. Will swayed a bit and grabbed onto my pant leg. I sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He buried his face against me and took a breath.

“Dizzy,” Will said at last. “Kinda nauseous too.”

“Something you ate?” I asked, trying to stay rational. My dragon was pacing back and forth anxiously, but I needed to be the cool head in this relationship right now. “Maybe the kettle corn?”

Will rubbed his forehead and his hand came away with cold sweat. “I dunno. Don’t think so.”

“The crepes?” I offered.

Will furrowed his brow. “Nah. I’ve eaten there a million times. Never made me sick before.” 

“Let’s get you home. Think you can make it?” I squeezed his shoulder. 

“Yeah. I’m fine, just...not feeling so hot right now.”

“I was getting pretty tired myself.” I shrugged. “Is your place close by?” 

“Fraid not.” Will frowned. “The Dragon would probably be closer.”

He wanted to come home with me. My mate wanted to come home with me.

“Sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable at your place?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I just wanna lay down,” Will groaned. 

“Dozing Dragon it is.” I took his hand and helped him up. We gathered our bags and headed back up the hill toward the bed and breakfast.

Even though my mate was sick and I was worried about him, there was still something nice about bringing my omega home.