“The birch trees are around here somewhere,” Jax said, staring up into the canopy overhead. The dense woods crowded together, and in some locations, they blotted out the gray sky completely. Shadows seemed to follow us on our journey, and I’d spent half my time scanning the woods, the other trying not to trip over stuff.

“We’ve been walking for hours.” I trudged through the thick snow swallowing my boots. Leven never once left my side, his gaze swinging left and right. Tatum walked behind me while Jax took the lead, insisting he knew where he’d seen the trees. But I had my doubts, considering how long we’d been traveling. Plus, I was freezing despite the layers of clothes I’d dragged on before we left. Each time Leven took my gloved hand, his warmth fluttered through me, and I swore I was behaving like a schoolgirl with my first crush. But I’d never felt this way around anyone else back in California. Leven was a guy who could have walked off the cover of a men’s health magazine, and he was paying me attention!

“Let’s stop and regroup,” Tatum said, and I was glad to rest because my legs were screaming. Walking through snow might have been a fantastic way to tone my thighs, but I’d had enough.

Jax glanced over his shoulder at us. “Maybe I can spot them from higher up.”

Leven nodded and joined Jax, offering him his interlaced hands. He pushed his friend higher into a nearby tree. The low, steady branches made for an easier climb. Though I suspected if it were me, I’d struggle. Living in the city most of my life, I’d never gotten the chance to scramble up trees as a child. The most of nature I’d been exposed to was the local park, which had consisted of lawn and a set of swings.

Tatum stepped alongside me, and he took my elbow. My stomach tingled at his nearness.

“Let’s take a seat.” He drew me to a dead log and brushed off the snow with his gloved hand before we sat.

“My legs thank you.” I smiled, and he bowed his head in a gesture that didn’t fit his strong demeanor, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. “So you lead the reserve team, I hear. Must mean you train endlessly.”

He nodded, and I followed his line of sight to Jax halfway up the tree, easily pouncing from one branch to another. Leven stood underneath, ready to catch his friend in case he slipped. And it amazed me to witness how close these men were, how they looked out for each other, just as I would do with Britta. I wished my parents would have been half-decent and offered us the kind of life where we hadn’t cringed whenever night hit, where Britta hadn’t woken up crying from nightmares, and where I could remember one Christmas where I hadn’t felt guilty for not giving my sister everything she deserved.

“You want to know why I’m leading the backup team?” he asked, bitterness lining his words. But before I could respond, he said, “My group is better than the elite. I can take any of them down in a heartbeat. Except we weren’t selected by Santa to be part of his guards. And it had nothing to do with ability. It was all about friends of friends. So yeah, the team is elitist, all right.”

“So you’re a bit bitter about it?” I teased, and when he looked my way, I wasn’t sure how he’d take it. But when he smiled, I eased.

“My previous job,” I continued, “had a boys’ club. The manager and few of the senior guys used to band together and leave others out. It sucks.” Even Santa’s Workshop.

“My grandfather was in an elite group. He brought me up on tales about traveling with Santa. Like the time a big storm hit and they lost gifts over a beach in Honolulu. They spent an hour collecting them and managed to salvage each present. Though most kids that year probably wondered why there was a trail of sand peppered around their gifts. Grandpa’s eyes used to gleam each time he spoke of those times, and that was when I knew I wanted to train in the guard and become an elite.”

“Who said it’s too late to do that?” I asked.

“It is too late. The reindeer to be selected will be picked from the elite and reserve teams, and I’m their trainer, which omits me from being chosen. So there’s no hope for me.”

“Do you regret taking on the leader role?” I swiveled on the log to face him, worried I’d been too direct. My old boss at the bar used to say I had a sharp tongue, but it never came from a place of spitefulness.

“Some days,” he admitted, and right then, he looked older than Jax and Leven—and maybe he was. And he was definitely serious most of the time. I guessed they were all in their late twenties.

“I’m proud of any Arietes under my training who gets selected. And you will make a fine Santa when the time comes.” His darkened gaze spoke of annoyance and frustration while other emotions swam beneath his calm features.

“You’re not a fan of someone like me taking the role?” A sharp pain settled in my chest at the idea of him thinking I wasn’t good enough.

He shifted toward me. “On the contrary. But the reserve squad are forbidden from interacting with Santa after he—or she—selects their guards.” He got to his feet and marched toward Leven, staring up at Jax.

His words floated on my mind. I was surprised there would be so many rules in the Workshop. When I imagined Santa’s place, I pictured everyone drunk on eggnog, wearing dorky Christmas sweaters, and dancing with elves. Maybe I’d watched too many movies. But one thing was clear, despite Tatum calling the shots, he hated regulations and restrictions. I could relate because I’d grown up with dozens of rules.

Never leave my bedroom during the night. If Mom and Dad were screaming, I was to be as quiet as a mouse. When my father called me, I had to be in front of him in ten seconds or get belted. I’d loathed being at his beck and call. Hated how he’d slap or kick me when I’d passed him, as if I were a nuisance, and maybe I had been, but I hadn’t asked to be born to them.

Jax hooted, and I jumped to my feet, scanning the woodland around us. Was Krampus close? I rushed over to Leven’s side, and he looped an arm around my waist, drawing me to his side. His body was hard and warm, and near him, I felt safe. That was ridiculous because I’d looked after myself my whole life, but it was liberating to have someone else. Plus, I couldn’t stop thinking about his kiss, how my lips still tingled at the memory. I had no clue what was going on between us, especially when I strangely found myself attracted to all three men. Except where exactly would this go? It was ridiculous to think I’d become the next Santa. My place was with Britta at the distillery, running the business.

Jax leaped to the ground, the snow squishing under his boots from the impact. “You won’t believe what I saw.” He wore the widest smirk.

“Not Krampus I hope?” I asked.

“Even better!” Jax said.

“I somehow doubt that since he has Britta, and—”

“I found the Ho Wagon.” He broke into a laugh, the sound piercing and coming from a deep place in his chest. Tatum gave a half-grin and patted him on the shoulder. What the hell were they going on about?

Jax glanced at me and ran a gloved finger down my nose. “Come. You’ll want to see this.” He dragged me alongside him, away from Leven and practically carrying me to keep up with his long strides.

“Did you find my van?” I asked, but he gave no response, and we moved with such speed, I was puffing.

When Jax halted, I caught my breath. All three of the men stared up, and I followed their gazes.

An oversized golden sleigh sat on several crisscrossing boughs.

“Holy shit!” I swore. “Is that—?”

“The Ho Wagon,” Jax said, interrupting. “It’s where Santa does all his Ho Ho Hos.” And he broke into a chuckle, gaining himself a glare from Tatum.

Except my attention was back on the freaking sled, unable to believe my eyes. Golden as the sun, it resembled an elaborate topless carriage, and snowflake patterns were engraved along the side of the body. Its nose curved upward and a door on the side led to the driver’s seat.

Butterflies swarmed my stomach. Being told about Santa and even seeing Krampus was one thing, but this… I gasped, and everyone turned to me as I gushed the word, “Santa Claus is real!”

I sounded like a young child about to see the jolly bearded man while standing in line at the local shopping mall.

Tatum laughed and ran the back of his gloved knuckles across my cheek gently. “It’s finally sunk in, eh? And did you see what type of tree we’re next to? Birches! We can grab samples while we’re rescuing the sleigh.”

“All right then,” Jax said, drawing my attention. “Most of the branches overhead are broken, meaning we can get a clear takeoff, but I need to check the mechanics. So who’s up for pulling the sleigh?”

“Mechanics?” I asked, confused. “When you said you were a mechanic, I just assumed it meant fixing engines.”

“There’s no motor, sweetheart,” Jax explained, bouncing his toes. “Reindeer are the muscle. Mechanics are for navigation like the weather radar display, a GPS, the heater to keep Santa warm, and an electronic flight bag. All the comforts of home. Also comes with a hot chocolate maker.”

I shook my head. “So if the carriage crashed, it means the reindeer must have been hurt, but not the sled? Could Krampus have killed them? But then why take their bodies away?”

Jax shrugged. “Could be, but we won’t know until I get up there.” He smirked so wildly and leaned over, cupping my face with both hands and kissing me. It was quick, yet it still left me shaken and breathless. All the while Leven’s hands gripped my hips, not minding in the slightest that his friend had just kissed me on the lips.

“We might be able to track down Krampus and find where he’s hiding Santa!” Jax winked and turned toward the tree. He jumped up to reach the lowest branch and threw his legs up, then started his climb.

Leven followed suit, both of them swinging from branch to branch, as if this were an everyday occurrence.

“Those two are really taken with you,” Tatum said, looking my way.

“And you?” I asked, unable to believe I was flirting, but Jax’s energy bubbled across my skin. If the sled helped us find my sister, this was a huge discovery and I wanted to cheer. Yep, I was becoming soppy and didn’t care.

Tatum closed the distance between us, and I stepped backward.

“Why do you back away from me?”

“Instinct?” I shrugged, realizing it was an unconscious reaction.

“I’d love to cross paths with whoever hurt you.” The cords in his neck flexed.

And I had no doubt he meant every word. “Good luck. They’re in prison.”

His eyes narrowed, and I shook my head, hating that I’d brought up my past when we were celebrating finding the sleigh. “Anyway, you were telling me what you thought of me.”

“My mind is constantly foggy when I’m near you,” he said.

“So you need to see a doctor?” I laughed, adoring the way he stared at me with such admiration. All of them did, and I couldn’t help but feel special.

“It means that if you’re not careful, I might take what I want.” His gloved thumb caressed the back of my gloved hand, and the touch softened me as sparks of energy jolted through me.

I’d never met such men before. They resembled gods, stared at me as if I were candy, and their caring nature gave me hope that maybe we’d get out of this unscathed. I considered letting myself fall for their charms, but the idea of them walking away from me terrified me. Was I setting myself up for heartbreak?

Yet Tatum reminded me of myself in the way he put on a strong façade, led the pack, and wore a brave face, but I’d seen the slight cracks in his demeanor. Like back in the distillery when Leven hadn’t agreed with his plan, and even now, when he seemed to be always holding back. Never able to give himself completely to what he desired in case he needed to leap back into the leader role. To take charge of the moment, to protect us, to make the hard calls. Exactly how I felt with Britta. I adored my sister, loved her to bits, but I could never let my guard down around her. If something went wrong, I was the adult, the responsible one who had to sort everything out. I had no one to turn to, and I’d accepted that long ago. But now seeing those same emotions reflected back at me on Tatum’s face made me sympathize. He cared so much that it made him vulnerable.

“If we get out of this in one piece,” I said, “I think we should go out bowling or something laidback. Just the two of us.”

He studied me, his eyes narrowing. “Are you asking me out on a date? I’ll warn you, we have a bowling alley back at the Workshop, and I’ve won a few championships.”

“Not a date.” I shook my head, realizing how easily my question could be misconstrued when I’d meant something different. Now a fire scaled my neck. “Just two people enjoying time away from responsibilities, from always looking after others. That sort of thing.”

“Sounds like a date to me.” His devilish smirk had me wavering on my feet, but I shook myself back to reality.

“Honestly, I wasn’t asking you out.” God, were my cheeks burning up? Because they felt like an inferno. What was he thinking? That I’d just kissed his friend, then turned around and asked him out? I didn’t date. That personal motto had ensured I hadn’t been hurt. Then why was I insanely attracted to these men?

I’d always believed attraction came in many forms, and who said there was only one perfect soulmate for everyone? Maybe my skewed view on relationships had come from one of my foster parents, who’d been happily married to her husband and also loved her secret boyfriend, who visited often. And the hubby had accepted the love triangle. To me, it had seemed natural. Unfortunately, someone from the foster system had found out, so Britta and I had been whisked away to another home. They had been one of the families where I’d felt safest.

Tatum took two steps and stood inches from me, laughing and taking my elbow before guiding me toward the tree with the sleigh. “Let’s worry about that type of thing once we get out of this.” He glanced up to where Jax sat in the driver’s seat on the sleigh, hunched over the controls, while Leven climbed off a branch, his arms filled with branches, and got into the rear compartment. The thing looked big enough to fit at least five people sitting comfortably.

Yet my thoughts revolved around Tatum thinking I’d asked him out, and how he’d never actually accepted.

“What’s the verdict?” Tatum called out, his voice growing stern.

Jax stared down from inside the sled, his long, dark hair fluttering in the breeze. “She’s in working order. I can’t see anything broken. Let’s give it a whirl. Both of you, come on up, as there’s no place to land if we do take off.” He winked and waved at me to join him.

At first, I simply shook my head. How in the world would this unit fly? It’s Santa’s; it has magic. I kept repeating that to myself, as insane as it sounded. But a damn carriage sat up in a tree and it had gotten there somehow, right?

Tatum threaded his fingers together, lowering them, and glanced my way. “Ready?”

“You sure about this?” I asked.

“Trust me.” Staring into his deep eyes, I had no reason to disbelieve him, so with a deep breath, I looked up. I held on to the bumpy trunk slick with snow and stepped one foot onto his cradled hands. He elevated me so fast, my stomach lurched, and I grappled to hold on to the nearest branch, then pulled myself up the rest of the way. Tatum jumped up to grab another bough and hauled himself up with no problem, so I kept going up, grasping every available branch, ducking and stepping upward in a seemingly circular motion across the multitude of branches until I reached the base of the sleigh’s runners.

“Take my hand.” Leven was half-hanging out of the back, his arm stretched down to me. I reached up, and he gripped my forearm, then hauled me up as if weighed no more than a sack of rice. I grappled with the edge of the carriage as I staggered inside. The floor and walls were covered in a red, plush velvet. Add a pillow and blanket, and I’d sleep here comfortably.

There was a small bench attached to the wall behind the driver’s seat, but anyone sitting there would have to travel backward as they faced the rear of the sleigh.

“This is fancy,” I said, unable to believe I stood in a golden sled.

“Only the best for Santa.” Jax straightened and glanced over his shoulder at me from the driver’s seat. The spot was large enough for one person only.

Leven’s arm curled around my lower back and he drew me to the tiny seat that must have been installed for small elves to accompany Santa on his toy delivery run. “You’ll stay back here.”

“Leven and I’ll get harnessed,” Tatum announced from somewhere in front of the carriage. I twisted my head to find him balancing on the thick borough in front of us.

“Not going to work,” Jax added. “All the cords have been cut, meaning Krampus took the elite team. Only one set of cords are intact, so we’ll have to do with one guide only. We’ll just move at a slower pace.”

Tatum nodded and already approached the front of us. “I’ll do it. Jax, get her ready to go, and Leven, keep Nickie safe in the back. We’re going to fly.”

Jax hooted while Leven smirked and nodded to himself. He glanced down at me and offered me the sexiest grin. “Want me to show you how to put the lay in sleigh?”

I burst out laughing at his dorky joke while Jax turned toward us. “Lamest pickup line ever!”