Chapter 2
Roi turned up his collar and ignored the bracing wind that swept over him as he made the circuit around North Pole City. During every shift, he walked the perimeter of NPC, where he and his fellow shifters and elves called home. Their leader, Santa Claus – known to the residents as SC – lived with his wife, Mrs. C. Roi was a quad shifter, meaning he could transform into four different types of animals – polar bear, arctic fox, snowy owl, and reindeer. As a quad, he was chosen to be part of the sleigh team, and he held the Cupid position.
His fellow quads teased him about being a fat cherub from time to time, but he didn’t mind. He loved being on the sleigh team and helping to bring joy to millions of kids around the world. He had more than he could have asked for – a comfortable room in the unmated males’ barracks, a job as a security officer and a position on the sleigh team, parents who loved him, and loads of friends. But the one thing he didn’t have was a mate.
Four of his friends and fellow quads – Arian, Rhys, Sullivan, and Mire – had found their fated mates, the term used to identify the one perfect female on the planet for each male. Fated mates were rare, and up until a few years ago, when Arian’s harness broke during a Christmas Eve run and he fell into his fated mate Charli’s backyard, no one had found a fated mate in years.
His kind could find a mate in one of two ways – either finding their fated mate or asking Mrs. C for a mate-match. She had her own kind of magic, which allowed her to match up males and females within NPC. Roi’s parents were mate-matched. His father could shift into three of the polar animals, not the reindeer, so he wasn’t a quad. He worked in the tech department, handling Internet surveillance to ensure NPC remained a protected secret. He also ordered supplies for Christmas Eve pickups. Their city was magically closed every day of the year through SC’s power, except for the twenty-four hours beginning at six a.m. on Christmas Eve. Then, their own magic could take them anywhere in the world.
“Hey,” Arian said, drawing Roi from his musings.
Roi hadn’t realized he’d stopped in front of Arian and Charli’s home until heard Arian’s voice.
“How’s it going?” Roi asked.
“Good. You look like you’ve got something on your mind.” Arian paced the length of the front porch while he held his newborn son, Anthony, who appeared to be wide awake.
“I didn’t mean to stare at your house.” Roi’s cheeks heated.
“No worries. Anthony was crying, and Charli’s tired, so I said I’d walk him until he fell asleep, and I saw you out here, so I came out. What’s on your mind?”
“I was just thinking about finding my fated mate.”
“That’s a popular interest in NPC,” he said, smiling.
“It seems like one of us a year is finding his fated mate. The four of us who are unmated are wondering who might be next.”
Arian’s brow rose as he shifted his weight from foot to foot and patted his son on the back. “I do believe that every quad has a fated mate. But you might be right about the timing. Although, if you remember correctly, I found Charli, and we lived in her house for a year, and then came here the following Christmas, and Rhys didn’t find his fated mate until the following year.”
Roi frowned and then shrugged. “I guess they show up when they show up.”
Arian chuckled. “Seems that way. I wish I’d met Charli years ago, but it was also perfect timing, too. When you find your fated mate, it will be the right time for both of you, I’m certain. But I do hope it’s soon.”
Roi didn’t point out that it was October, which meant that Christmas was a ways off. Instead, he said, “Me too,” and returned to his rounds. He felt that Arian had a valid point. He’d meet his fated mate when the time was right, and there wasn’t anything he could do to speed up the process.
But Roi hoped he’d meet her soon.
As he made his way past the other homes belonging to quads and their mates, he pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on his duties. As he passed Merri and Rhys’s home, he heard a shrill “No!” followed by a sob. His beasts rose to the surface, worried something had happened to their son, RJ. Rushing to the front porch, he knocked on the front door.
“Rhys? It’s Roi. Is everything okay?”
He couldn’t make out the soft words that were spoken between the two, but he could hear Merri’s sobs. Rhys pulled open the door. “Merri’s mom just contacted her. Her father had a heart attack and is in the hospital.”
“Oh, man, I’m sorry.”
Rhys ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. She already knows she can’t go see him, but her mom is pushing for her to visit, and it’s tearing her up.”
“You should talk to SC.”
“He can’t send her home; he’s not powerful enough.”
Although SC was the most powerful person in NPC, he could only leave the protected city by himself during the year; he couldn’t take someone with him.
Merri, face blotchy and cheeks wet with tears, appeared next to Rhys. “We could still ask, though? Maybe he could figure something out. Please, Rhys. We have to try.”
“Okay. Get dressed, sugar plum.” He waited until she hurried off, and then he said, “Would you contact SC for me now, so he knows we’re coming?”
“You bet.”
“I’ll grab RJ, and we’ll be over shortly.”
Roi walked toward SC’s home, using the walkie to communicate to the security room, where Declan, another quad, was working. “I’m going to SC’s. Merri’s dad had a heart attack, and she wants to talk to him about going home.”
There was a pause, and Declan said, “Rhys did tell her that it was impossible, right?”
“Yeah. But she still wants to ask.”
“Keep me posted. And tell Merri I’m sorry to hear about her dad.”
Just as he was about to knock on the front door, Mrs. C opened it, her face carved with worry. “I knew something bad had happened. What’s going on?”
Roi walked into their home and found SC on the couch with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Sorry for the disruption,” he said, and then he explained about Merri’s father.
“That’s too bad,” SC said. “But I can’t do anything about it.”
Roi opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. Mrs. C let in Rhys and Merri, taking RJ from his mother’s arms. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “What’s going on with your father?”
Merri said, “They’re going to do bypass surgery tomorrow. I need to be there. My mom is all alone, and she’s begging me to come.” She sniffled and brushed at her cheeks with shaking fingers. “Isn’t there anything that you can do?”
“I’m sorry, Merri,” SC said. “You know I can’t. I’m only powerful enough to take myself out of the city, not anyone else.”
Merri released a heartbreaking sob.
“Damn,” Roi said, muttering under his breath.
“Well,” Mrs. C said gently, “there might be a way.”
“No, there isn’t,” SC said.
“You could ask Sandman for help.”
“Who?” Roi asked.
“Sandman,” Mrs. C said. “He brings sweet dreams to kids.”
“Is he real?” Merri asked, her voice hitching as she struggled not to cry.
“Of course he’s real,” Mrs. C said with a smile. “So is the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.”
“Absolutely not,” SC said, rising to his feet. “The city is closed for good reason.”
“I don’t understand,” Rhys said. “What are you talking about?”
Mrs. C handed RJ back to Merri and moved to stand by her mate. She smiled up at him in encouragement, and then he sighed deeply, scrubbing his hand through his hair. “There are several supernatural creatures who are as powerful, or more so, than me. Sandman is one of them, as are the others whom my wife mentioned. NPC used to be an open city, where any supernatural creatures were welcome to visit at any time. But there was a male who wanted my wife for his own, and he waited until I was gone on the Christmas Eve run, and he came here and tried to take her away. The shifters and elves came to her defense and forced him to leave, and when I came back, I created a magical creatures law. I banned any magical creatures from coming into NPC without my consent.”
“Who was it?” Roi asked.
“Jack Frost,” Mrs. C said. “He was young and lonely, and he thought that I would want to leave NPC and travel with him. Of course I didn’t, and he didn’t take the rejection well.”
“So if you canceled the ban, then you could call Sandman, and he could take me to my dad?” Merri asked, her face brightening with hope.
Roi could tell by the look on SC’s face that he was going to say no, but Mrs. C spoke first.
“You could give your consent for Sandman to come in and transport Merri and Rhys to her dad.”
“The consent only lasts twenty-four hours,” SC said. “If I were willing to do this, you’d have to be happy with only seeing your father for that one day. I couldn’t extend the time for any longer without eliminating the law, and I won’t do that.”
“No, it’s enough. I promise!” Merri said. “I swear I’ll be content with one day. I just need to see him.”
SC sighed deeply. “I’ll contact Sandman to see if he’s willing. I’ll let you know.”
Roi watched as Merri, Rhys, and RJ left, and he stood in the family room with the Clauses. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked.
Mrs. C said, “You can go with them as a guard.”
“Sure thing.
“If we’re doing this, it will be soon,” SC said.
Roi left and headed for the security office, where he apprised Declan of what had happened.
Declan’s brows rose. “How is it that we didn’t know about these other supernatural creatures?”
“I don’t know. I guess when SC closed the city and enacted the law, he didn’t feel the need to talk about the others who were like him.”
Declan hummed and then opened a drawer, extracting a watch. “Wear this so we can track you and also so you can stay in touch.”
Roi put the watch on his wrist and turned it on. “I’m going to get changed. I don’t want to go to the states in my uniform.”
“Good luck.”
Roi hustled to his room in the barracks, where he showered and changed into jeans and a long-sleeved, button down shirt. As he was pulling on a leather jacket, his watch buzzed, and he pressed the button to answer Rhys’s call.
“What’s the word?” Roi asked.
“SC is contacting Sandman now. We’re meeting at his home.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Hey,” Rhys said, clearing his throat. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Being there for us. It means the world to Merri and me that you’re willing to come.”
“Someone has to watch out for you.”
“I’m glad it’s you.”
“See you soon.”
Roi left his room, hurried down the stairs, and out into the cold. His mind filled with thoughts about Sandman and what the next twenty-four hours would bring.