Chapter Ten
Morgan
The world explodes from pitch black to bright and twinkling with the flip of a lever. Sparkling snowflakes fall from the sky. Lights twist in every tree branch in the garden. Red, gold, green, and silver accent everything. I take a step and hear the soft crunch of snow beneath my feet. Christmas music wafts through invisible speakers. I’m in a fairyland.
I feel my eyes widen, taking it all in, feeling a sense of wonder and delight at the world Bunny has created in the rooftop garden. “Oh Bunny,” I say, holding my hand out to him. He’s tucked near the door watching me but comes out when I call. “You made this? By yourself?”
“I had a little help. Davis and Dylan helped me carry up some of the wood and the tree.”
A massive Christmas tree shoots to the sky at the end of the path. I pull him to me and press my lips to his. “This is incredible.”
“You deserve it.”
I glance around the garden. He’s painted landscapes of snowy scenery. Santa’s workshop sits in the imaginary distance, so intricate and precise it looks real. Hot tears prick at my eyes. I wipe them away. “This is just…”
“It’s too much, isn’t it?”
I touch his chin. “No! It’s perfect. God, you’re so talented. So creative. It’s like being in the presence of greatness.”
He visibly relaxes. “Want to see the whole thing?”
“So much,” I tell him, and we link hands and follow the snowy path he created.
The garden is nearly unrecognizable and along the way Bunny tells me about his designs. He explains how he made the snowflakes that shine with iridescence. Where he created the snow-like substance under our feet with elements found at Tran’s magic shop. He escorts me past a giant tree, decorated in silver and gold. I crane my neck to see the giant metallic star at the top. My fingers skim the branches as we round the corner and in the twinkling light of the tree there’s a magnificent, romantic table set for dinner.
“I thought you may be hungry,” he says.
“Ravenous.”
Bunny pulls out my chair and when I scoot under the table I feel heat blowing to keep us warm. He sits across from me, looking handsome in a cream cable knit sweater. He removes the scarf and hangs it from the back of his chair. Two five-stick candelabras balance the table. Silver domes cover the food.
His copper hair is a spiky mess and his glasses have slipped to the edge of his nose. He’s adorable and everything about him makes me feel happy.
“How are you so good at this?” I ask, gesturing to the garden around us. “I know you aren’t used to a traditional Christmas.”
He shrugs and takes a sip of wine. “I watch a lot of movies. Read books. I like knowing what inspires people. As an artist it’s important to know how to invoke important feelings in people. The holidays bring out a certain emotion. Safety and happiness. Family and tradition.” He rests his eyes on me. “I’m sorry you had to miss your trip home.”
The wine has warmed my belly and I remove my scarf. “You guys have made it very special. No one back home would have made a winter wonderland.”
“No?” he asks, seriously.
“Don’t get me wrong. Shannon’s family has always been so welcoming. They invited me in and made me one of the family. But that’s the thing. They weren’t my traditions—I simply adopted theirs.”
“What kind of celebration did you have with your parents?”
His question brings a lump in my throat. I take a sip of wine and I’m barely able to swallow it.
“Morgan?” he asks, concerned.
“I can’t remember what my family did. My memories are weird and fleeting. I know we had a tree. I’m sure of it. I remember my dad reading Christmas stories and setting out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa. Carrots for the reindeer.” I blink and look out over the city. There’s a bitter loneliness I struggle to push down at times like this. I hear the scrape of chair legs and turn to find Bunny out of his seat and on his knees next to me. He takes my hand.
“I didn’t mean to make you sad. I’d never want to hurt you, you know that right?”
I brush his hair to the side. “Of course. Sometimes it’s just hard not having a connection to something, you know?”
He stands and pulls me up with him. In a heartbeat he has me held tight. It doesn’t matter that his one arm is lame, I feel like I’m wrapped in a cocoon of unconditional love. The wind catches my hair and Bunny’s lips graze my ear. “The Darkness took your parents away, but the gods sent the five of us to protect you. We’re your family. Your connection and bond.”
It’s like I can hear his heartbeat hammering in his chest. Or maybe it’s just mine, thumping in a matching beat. When he bends down and kisses me, all my fears and sadness wash away.
The music shifts and takes a slower pace. Bunny moves his body with mine, lulling us into an easy dance. He cradles me against his chest, engulfing me in warmth.
I don’t think I realized it until that very moment, swaying with my gentlest of Guardians, beneath a handmade winter garden of light and love, that this is exactly where I needed to be this holiday. With my lovers, my mates, and ultimately, my family.
“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear and he responds with a kiss. The kind that melts away the scars of the past we both carry like a shield. Tonight we drop the armor and spend the night together; close, connecting, bonding and loving.