Chapter 6
Charli woke slowly and reached for Arian. Her hands landed on an empty space and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around. She touched the blankets where he’d been sleeping, and they were cold. Fear washed through her. Had he left? Had his people come back for him?
She stood and walked to the front window, finding Arian and four other men on the front lawn. The moon provided enough light for her to see them. She stared, wishing she had super hearing so she could eavesdrop. She was glad that Arian hadn’t left, but she was worried about why the males had come. Arian had told them on the website that he had found his fated mate.
Arian’s whole body tensed, and she saw his fingers change shape as dark claws sprang from the tips. He roared and she felt how angry he was. She wondered if their connection as fated mates had allowed her to feel his emotions, even at a distance. Something dark flashed in the hands of one of the males, and she knew deep in her heart that it was a gun. Panic wove through her, but she shoved it away. She grabbed her robe off the floor and shoved her arms into it, snagging the cast iron pan from the stovetop and racing for the front door.
She threw open the door and ran out onto the porch, ignoring the snow under her feet as she hurried toward Arian. Her heart beat rapidly as she closed the distance to the males, her only thought to help Arian.
Arian turned, yelling for her to get back inside the house. There was a popping sound and he grunted as he fell to one knee.
“Arian!” she shouted, falling to her knees next to him.
He snarled, shaking his head as he tried to get to his feet. “Get back…in the house.”
“No,” she said as tears filled her eyes. Her legs shook as she stood, brandishing the pan. “You shot him? Why?” The four males stared at her in surprise. “Answer me, damn you!”
The male holding the gun looked down at it with a frown. “It was an accident. I only meant to threaten him to calm down. I didn’t intend to use it.”
“Oh, good call, asshole. You point a gun at someone who’s pissed off, and he’ll always calm down. Get off my property, and get the hell out of here.”
“We can’t leave,” another male said, taking a step forward.
She pointed the pan at him. “Stay away from my mate.”
The male stopped moving forward. “I’m staying right here. What’s your name, human?”
“Charli.”
Behind her, Arian grunted and got to his feet. He stepped in front of Charli, pushing her behind his back. He swayed and his speech was slurred as he spoke. “You won’t take her from me. She’s my likli fanna, and I will not leave her side, ever.”
“I called SC. He’s on his way,” the male said. He glanced to his side and said, “Put that thing away, Dec. You’ve caused enough trouble.”
Dec growled as he shoved the weapon into a holster on his hip.
Arian swayed again but remained standing. “Not leaving.”
“Okay,” the first male said. “Let me help you inside the cabin. We’re not going to take you from your mate, but you’re standing outside, naked, and I don’t want to keep looking at your junk.”
Charli’s arm started to shake from holding up the pan, ready to swing it like a baseball bat if anyone tried anything. She looked at the pan and then down at her fluffy pink robe and bare feet and realized she must look like a total loon.
“You can put the pan down, Charli. Santa Clause will be here in a few minutes, and he’ll handle everything,” one of the other males said.
Charli lowered the pan slowly. Arian turned his head and smiled, and then his eyes rolled back as he slipped to the ground.
“Arian!” She dropped the pan and wrapped her hands around his upper arms.
He snarled and shook his head.
“Let us help,” the first male said.
She eyed him warily.
Another of the males said, “We swear we won’t hurt him.”
She pointed a finger at the gun-toting asshole named Dec. “Not you.”
The male gnashed his teeth, but the first male said, “She’s right. You made an error, and she doesn’t trust you. Let it go. Wait out here for SC.”
The other three males helped Arian get to his feet, and Charli hurried alongside them as they made their way into the cabin. She shut the door as they hauled Arian to the couch. She grabbed a blanket from the floor and covered him.
“Do you have some hot coffee? That would help,” one of the males said.
“I can make some. Wh–what’s happening to him?” She stood, clutching her robe around herself tighter.
“Declan tranquilized Arian. The drug is supposed to render a quad unconscious. I’ve never actually seen anyone still standing after being hit.”
“What does that mean?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know exactly, but my gut tells me that you two are truly fated mates, and his beasts are fighting the drug so they can protect you. Go on and make the coffee, Charli. SC will be here soon.”
“SC?”
“Santa. It’s our nickname for him.”
She hurried into the kitchen, her hands shaking as she filled the coffee pot with water. The grounds scattered on the counter as she tried to fill the filter basket, but she managed to get enough into it to make a strong brew. Pushing the button to turn it on, she cleared her throat. Three males looked at her. “I’m going to put on some real clothes.”
The first male nodded. “By the way, we’re part of the sleigh team. Since you mated Arian, I’m assuming that he told you a lot about us. We’re his friends, and we simply meant to check on him.”
She shook her head. “No, you didn’t come here out of some friendly concern. I saw the message that his request to stay with me was denied. You really came here to take him back to the North Pole, didn’t you?”
The three males looked at each other uncomfortably. One of them said, “We weren’t sure what happened. We’re not aware of a quad ever finding a fated mate with a human, and we thought that perhaps he was just infatuated with you. It’s clear, though, that you and he are truly fated mates.”
The first male introduced himself as Rhys, and the other two introduced themselves as Sullivan and Jack. After the introductions, Charli hurried into her bedroom and dressed as quickly as she could. Although the three men said that Arian would be safe with them, she didn’t trust them. If she hadn’t been naked under her robe, she wouldn’t have left Arian at all.
She froze as she pulled a Christmas sweatshirt from the closet. The bright red top had a cartoonish Santa on the front, complete with the sleigh and reindeer. She decided not to wear it, although a part of her thought it would be funny. She also thought she might be having hysterical delusions, since she thought that a full ensemble of her fuzzy Santa cap, elf slippers with bells, and her reindeer socks would be entirely awesome to wear right now.
Yep, she was hysterical.
And who could blame her? A reindeer had fallen from the sky and shifted into a man who rocked her world and was now sitting on her couch, drugged by his asshole friends.
Shoving the sweatshirt into the closet, she pulled on a thick, white sweater and navy leggings. She darted into the bathroom to brush her teeth and run a brush through her hair.
When she came back out into the family room, she saw that someone had added more wood to the fire, and Jack was holding a mug of coffee, urging Arian to drink it.
“I’ll do that,” she said, feeling the need to put herself between Arian and the others.
Jack stood and handed her the mug. “Are you sure you’re not a shifter, Charli? You’re very protective of Arian.”
She sat down next to her growling mate and said, “I’m just human, but it unsettles me to see you near him. I don’t know why.”
Rhys, who Arian had told her was the head of security and the lead reindeer on the sleigh team, said, “You’re fully bonded, so I suspect that has something to do with your emotions right now. I’ve heard that when males truly bond to their fated mates that they pass a bit of themselves on to their mates to strengthen the connection between the two. It might be an emotional connection. You’re probably feeling his wariness and anger toward us, and it’s making you uneasy.”
Arian’s eyes were bright gold when she looked at him, and when he opened his mouth to speak, she saw his fangs.
“Mine.” It was as simple word, but the tone and the rage-filled glint in his eyes told her that he would level a city to keep her by his side.
She blinked at the sudden surge of tears. “I know. Here, drink this.” She held the mug to his lips, and he held her gaze as he drank. “I don’t think his arms are working.”
“It’s a powerful drug,” Sullivan said. “That he’s even conscious right now is amazing.”
“You don’t have an antidote?”
“We’ve never needed one before,” Rhys said. “SC can fix him, though.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about meeting Santa. The real Santa. Not a department store employee dressed like him, but the real deal. She wanted to pinch herself to see if she was asleep, but she didn’t want to look like a nut.
Something bright flashed outside and Rhys said, “That’s him. Jack, open the door.”
Charli took a deep breath and leaned over, kissing Arian on the cheek and moving as close to his side as she could. Arian growled softly, and she felt his calmness and decided that if he wasn’t panicking, then she wouldn’t either.
* * *
Rhys shook his head in amazement as Arian clearly calmed himself down and, through his bonded connection to the human, calmed her. He’d never seen anything quite like the human brandishing a frying pan at them. He truly believed that she would have fought with all her might to keep them from taking Arian. For a brief moment, he was jealous of his friend. Fated mates were not normal for their kind. He couldn’t even recall anyone in recent years having found his fated mate, let alone having fallen from the sky to the human world and landing in his fated mate’s yard.
That Arian was still conscious at this point, with the tranq drugs running through his system, spoke to his intense need to keep his mate safe. Guilt flashed through Rhys, because their presence had caused Arian to feel the need to defend his mate. He’d never really believed in fated mates, thinking them more a thing of legend than reality, but right now, he truly did.
SC arrived and within a minute, Jack was opening the door for their leader. SC was still wearing his traditional Christmas Eve uniform of a red velvet pant and jacket set, black leather boots, and white gloves. SC pulled the fur-adorned hat from his head when he stomped the snow from his boots and walked into the cabin.
“What’s all this then?” SC said. “I understand that we’ve got a quad with a fated mate.” Rhys opened his mouth to explain but SC held up his hand. “Let’s let Arian speak, shall we?”
SC strode across the cabin, his boots thudding heavily, and Rhys wanted to tell Charli that it was okay, but although her eyes were wide and her scent changed to one of mild fear, she didn’t move an inch from Arian’s side.
SC looked down at Arian and Charli. Rhys wondered what it was like to see SC for the first time as human. To have believed in him as a child and then to be told that he wasn’t real, and then now…to face the truth.
“I can see you’re furious, Arian,” SC said with a chuckle. “Let me get rid of the tranq drug and then we can chat.”
Rhys knew that at this point, the drugs had pretty much paralyzed Arian, but he was still growling and he was glaring at the four of them. Rhys would find a way to make it up to Arian and Charli. He didn’t know what he could do, but a sincere apology was the first step.
* * *
Charli tried not to stare, but Santa-freaking-Claus was standing in her family room. He was tall and broad – not the fat jolly figure she’d see portrayed on television – but a large, muscular male. His hair was white and thick, and his beard reached the middle of his chest. His eyes were deep sapphire with swirls of gold. He tugged the white gloves from his hand and shoved them into his pants pocket.
He placed his hand on Arian’s head and spoke a few words too soft for Charli to understand. Santa’s eyes flashed from deep blue to brilliant gold, and Arian’s whole body jerked and began to glow. The glow faded soon after it appeared.
“Arian?” she asked.
He turned his head and smiled at her. “I’m okay, sweetheart.”
Arian moved so fast that he was a blur. One moment he was sitting by her side and the next he was attacking Declan who had shot him. Charli stood with a gasp as Arian’s fist connected with Declan’s face and the big male stumbled backward.
“Don’t you ever shoot me again!” Arian roared.
Declan snarled and wiped at the blood running from his nose. “Sorry.”
Arian snapped his teeth together with a loud click and then turned, moving swiftly back to Charli. He pulled her from the couch and pushed her behind him as he faced his friends. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her cheek on his back. She’d never felt so safe.
Santa cleared his throat. “How about some clothes, son?”
There was another string of softly spoken words, and Charli felt a gust of frigid wind by her legs. She looked down, surprised to see what looked like ice crystals forming on Arian’s skin. The crystals connected, forming a web over his flesh. Before her eyes, the crystal webbing transformed into clothes. He was now wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a flannel shirt.
Rhys snorted with a grin. “I see you went with the mountain man look.”
“I go with what I see,” Santa answered with a smile. He clapped his hands together. “Right, so you two are fated mates. Congratulations. Now there’s the matter of your future together.”
Arian kept his hand on Charli’s waist, keeping her firmly behind him. “I won’t leave her.”
Charli peeked around Arian and saw Santa raise his brow. “I didn’t ask you to, and for the record, no male of worth would demand that fated mates be separated.”
Arian relaxed marginally. “When I requested on the website to stay here, it was denied.”
Rhys shook his head. “Did you think we would take your word for it? You’re a quad. You can’t just leave a message and expect that to be done. We had no way of knowing if you were safe or if you’d been compromised. Besides, what about your mom? What about the sleigh team and security team? We had to be sure that you knew what you were doing by requesting to stay here.”
“I should make more coffee,” Charli said, wanting to give the group some privacy.
“There’s no need, Charlotte,” Santa said as Arian drew her from behind him and settled her against his side.
“I, um, you know my full name?”
“Of course. I’m Santa.” He wiggled his brows and Charli laughed.
“Touché.”
“We have to leave. At sunrise, my magic would only be strong enough to take me home, and I’m fairly sure you don’t want to spend the next three hundred and sixty-four days with these knuckleheads. You may stay here, Arian, with your fated mate, or you may bring her to North Pole City. You must decide in the next twenty minutes.”
Charli’s mouth went dry. “Leave? Forever? My sister and I are the only family each other have, I can’t just take off.”
Arian rubbed her arm. “I won’t take her from her sister, but I’d like to speak with my mother if I could?”
Rhys moved to the computer and began typing.
Santa looked at Charli with a curious smile. “There’s always next year, you know.”
“Excuse me?” Charli asked.
“If you change your mind, you can contact the security team, and they’ll make arrangements to pick you both up,” Santa clarified. “Let us know.”
Charli looked at Arian and then at Santa. “Can I…hug you?”
He chuckled. “Of course, Charlotte.”
She left Arian’s side and found herself wrapped in the warmest hug she’d ever had. Santa smelled like hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Within the confines of his hug, she could remember every Christmas morning she’d ever had and all the sweet memories that each one brought. She sniffled and rubbed at the tears in her eyes as she stepped back.
“There’s hope now, Charli,” Santa said.
“Hope?” she asked as Arian drew her back into his own arms.
“Hope,” Santa said, nodding.
“Thank you for the ornament. I don’t remember ever seeing any gifts from you after I became an adult.”
His eyes twinkled. Literally.
“I leave something for everyone, young and old, no matter the strength of their belief in me. Humans don’t notice the gifts I leave. They’re small tokens, like the ornament, full of magic. Normally, a human sees the gift, and he or she doesn’t recognize it as new. But I know.”
“Why did I notice it this time?”
“Because fate is a funny thing. Perhaps because this Christmas, you were meant to be in this place, to rescue Arian and become his fated mate.”
“Thank you for everything, Santa.”
“My friends call me SC, and you should, too. Be well Arian and Charli.”
Just like in the poem, Santa put his finger on the side of his nose and disappeared in a whoosh of snowflakes.
“Your mom’s online, Arian,” Rhys said.
He hurried over, bringing Charli with him, and for the next eighteen minutes, she participated in a video call to the North Pole. Arian promised to think about moving up there the following year, and Charli decided that she’d think about it, too.
Arian’s mother, Delaina, shared the same hair and eye color as her son. She had a sweet smile and pointed ears just like Arian had told Charli all elves had. She and Arian talked for most of the time about his decision to stay.
“I’m sad I didn’t get to say goodbye to you, Arian,” Delaina said, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
“We said goodbye, mom. You came to the stables to see me before I shifted.”
“It wasn’t the right kind of goodbye. That was a goodbye along the lines of ‘see you soon.’ If I’d known I wouldn’t see you again, I would have hugged you tighter and given you the right goodbye.” Delaina looked at Charli as she sat on Arian’s lap and smiled. “Hug him once for me, daughter of mine.”
Charli’s eyes strung with impending tears. She didn’t want to leave her home because of her sister, but she was taking Delaina’s only child from her. It hurt no matter which path Charli chose.
Resting her cheek on Arian’s shoulder, she squeezed tightly and fought falling apart. As the minutes ticked down, she said goodbye to Delaina and then got off Arian’s lap to give him a few minutes of privacy, and walked toward the kitchen where the other men were standing.
She still didn’t much care for Declan, but the other men had been nice. Rhys motioned for her to join them. He gave her a pale blue business card. It looked blank, but when she moved her thumb across the surface, raised lettering appeared.
“This is a private website address. You and Arian can log on with the information and leave private messages for Delaina. I know he’s still a bit pissed at us for the whole tranq business and questioning your fated mating, but when he’s done being angry, he can message any of the team and SC, too. It might make it feel like he’s not so far away,” Rhys said.
Jack smiled sadly. “It’s beautiful in NPC. The mated males are given special housing, away from the single males’ barracks. You could find peace there. Happiness.”
“Not my sister, though,” she said, tapping the business card on the top of her other hand.
Declan shook his head. “No, because humans aren’t allowed in NPC unless they’re mated. But we could set her up with a special account to contact you, too.”
“I don’t know,” she said softly, watching as Arian blew a kiss to the laptop screen and then pressed a button on the keyboard.
“Don’t forget what SC said,” Sullivan said.
“About hope?” she asked.
“About us being here for you next Christmas Eve, if you want.”
Arian stood from the desk chair as the bracelet on Rhys’ wrist beeped.
“That’s our one minute warning. We must go,” Rhys said.
Arian hugged his friends quickly and said goodbye, and Charli and Arian stood on the porch while they gathered in the front yard and faced each other, with their shoulders touching as they formed a small, tight circle.
A brilliant light flashed and then they were gone. Beyond them, beyond the trees and the mountains, the sun was just starting to rise.
“How can people not see that bright light?” she asked as she stood in Arian’s embrace.
“Only those with a supernatural connection can see it. It’s hidden from humans.”
She turned in his arms. “I’m sorry that you’re losing your mom and your friends.”
“I’m not. The distance is far, but we can message with them anytime we like. I knew the moment I woke up that I’d stay here with you in your home.”
“It’s our home now.”
He smiled. “Yes, it is.”
He pushed open the front door and ushered her inside. She hung up her coat. Exhaustion pulled at her, and she could think of nothing better than climbing into bed with Arian and falling asleep. As if his thoughts were the same as hers, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
“This is the first day of the rest of our lives, Charli. I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
He brushed his lips over hers as he lowered her to the bed. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
She giggled as he repeated what she’d said to him when he spoke the same sentiment. She slid under the covers with him, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissed her gently, and said goodnight.
As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about this being the first day of their lives together, and she was very thankful that she’d bought a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Fate was a funny thing.