Jason

I knew it. I knew this place was magic. Even if Chris thought I was being silly, I didn’t care. I believed there was something amazing here the second I saw the snow on the ground. There hadn’t been snow anywhere else for miles and miles. But there was snow in Vale Valley. It was what we had wanted, and it was what brought us here.

I could tell Rafe was hesitant about what he was about to tell us, but I didn’t really understand why. I’d had an amazing time last night. I’m sure Chris did too. We’d talked briefly before we came out of the study this morning, and I’d never really seen him like that. He was incredibly happy, and very relaxed, but also sort of bewildered. Like he couldn’t believe any of this was happening.

Neither of us could.

“This isn’t just any old small town,” Rafe started. Then he went on to talk about things I’d only ever read about in books. Human beings who shifted into animals, mermaids, dragons, and unicorns, and a place where everyone live together peacefully. He told us that there were many places in Vale Valley like the lake Grace had talked about. Places where all sorts of magical things happened. He said this house was one of them.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed,” he continued. “Whatever object any customer who comes in is looking for, it can be found here. When I was a boy, I was entranced by the stories about this town and this house. I’d seen family members disappear into the back room, and they’d always emerge with the exact thing they, or someone else, wanted or needed. It didn’t seem to matter what it was, or if it was something we even owned. Things would just materialize.”

Rafe was still standing in the entryway, and with each word he spoke, I became more and more intrigued with this little town. I grabbed Chris’s pinky with mine, but neither one of us looked at the other. We stared at the tall, handsome man, who was telling us the most amazing story I’d ever heard.

“When I left Vale Valley and went to school, I let the real world influence me and I stopped believing. I chalked everything that happened to up to fairy tales and silly games my parents played with us kids. But then, when I came back and took over the estate, I started noticing things. I’d already planned on opening the antique store. After the usual market research and planning, it seemed like the obvious choice. Besides, there were so many antiques stored away in the basement and the attic, not to mention the back room,” Rafe said, gesturing to the doorway he’d disappeared through many times yesterday, “that it seemed silly not to put them to good use.

“It didn’t matter how many items I took out of that room, though. Every time I went back in, it seemed like there were the same number or more. It wasn’t until I’d been open for six months that I realized what was happening. Every single time I went into that back room I came out with the exact item requested. Even if it was something I’d never seen or heard of before. Even if I’d just been in there earlier in the day, when I went in to see if we had something a customer had requested, the very thing would be right there.”

“And you don’t know where any of the stuff came from?” Chris asked, startling me with the sound of his voice.

“No,” Rafe said. “I had no idea. I kept thinking it had to be items I’d overlooked. But the inventory I’d taken never matched up. Then I met Garrett. He’d grown up in this town as well, but he was ten years younger than I was, so we’d never met at school. He was much more in tune with the goings-on in Vale Valley. He was friends with some of the families of shifters, and he knew about some of the secret places, like the lake. He took me there one night. I remember it was during December and there was snow on the ground, like right now. That night we swam with Katarina, the wife of LaMarcus Vale, who’s the sheriff of Vale Valley. She’s a mermaid.” Rafe looked up at the two of us like he was waiting for us to laugh or point out how ridiculous it all sounded, but we didn’t. I wasn’t exactly sure what Chris was thinking, but I was completely in awe of what Rafe was telling us.

“As the years went by, I found out that only certain people can find Vale Valley. People who are in search of something they haven’t been able to find. People who need a home and a family and love. The reason I’m telling the two of you about this town is because I believe you were brought here. And I’m hoping, despite how all of this sounds, that you will want to stay. Permanently.”

I squeezed Chris’s hand, and he glanced over at me, but I couldn’t read his face. I smiled and opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, Chris turned to Rafe and cleared his throat. Then he took two slow steps toward him and stopped when he was close enough to reach out and touch Rafe’s perfectly starched shirt. Then he pointed at the ceiling and smiled. “You’re standing under the mistletoe.”

Rafe quickly glanced up, then down as a huge grin spread across his face. I couldn’t believe it, but I think the alpha was actually blushing. He laughed out loud and gripped both of Chris's arms, then moved his hands up to the sides of Chris’s head, pulling gently until their lips were touching.

I watched for a moment in awe as they kissed deeply, their bodies pressing into each other. But then I couldn’t contain myself for another second. “Yes!” I yelled, jumping up and running over to them. “We’re gonna live in a magic town!”

The two of them looked over at me and started laughing all over again. But then Rafe’s face became serious. “Do you feel any different this morning?” he asked.

“I feel great!” I said. But within seconds I went from wondering why he would have asked me such a silly question to realizing exactly what it meant. I had been in heat yesterday, and Rafe had knotted inside me last night.

“Oh, wow,” I said. “I’m not in heat anymore.”