Chapter 6
Mire inhaled Noelle’s sweet scent, which was mixed with the salt of her tears. He didn’t like her crying, but he liked that she turned to him for comfort. He cupped the back of her head with one hand. He placed his other hand on her lower back and drew her even closer. For a brief moment, it felt like they were the only two in the room.
And then Declan cleared his throat. “Why didn’t you know that Tobias was in the house with her when he was there at Christmas?”
Mire looked at SC, who was frowning.
“I don’t know. I should have been aware of one of our people.”
“Did your dad spend every Christmas with you?” Mire asked.
“Yeah. He’d come in early Christmas Eve morning and leave before dawn on Christmas Day.” She sniffled and linked her fingers behind his neck.
“Interesting,” SC said. “But irrelevant at the moment. Tobias is still unconscious, and we have a situation to deal with.”
Mrs. C said, “Come sit down so we can chat.”
Mire tried to move, but Noelle wouldn’t budge. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“You’re naked,” she whispered.
“Oh, right.”
“You forgot?” she leaned back and gave him an arched brow.
“Yeah. You were upset, and I wasn’t thinking about myself. Nudity isn’t a big deal for shifters.”
“Still,” Rhys said. “Pants would be nice.”
“You can put on this pair of Santa’s pants, I just finished mending them.” Mrs. C said, gesturing to a pair of pants on the coffee table.
Mire released his hold on Noelle and picked up the pants. He tugged them on and then led Noelle to the couch and sat next to her. Mrs. C offered hot chocolate, and Noelle took a cup topped with whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.
“Oh, man, this tastes like a hug in a cup,” Noelle said after she sipped the hot liquid.
“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. C said.
SC cleared his throat and said, “Your dad is a good man, Noelle, but I need to know how much you know about our people and where you are.”
She cupped her hands around the steaming mug and inhaled deeply. As she exhaled, her shoulders slumped a little. “I only know what I’ve learned since I got here. I had no idea that my dad was anything other than human, that I was anything other than human, or that you and Mrs. Claus were real.” She tilted her head and rubbed one ear at the top and winced. “My mom said that I was born with deformed ears. They were pointed at the tips. She took me to a plastic surgeon when I was six to get them fixed. They don’t look normal even now, but I keep my hair long to cover them.”
Mire looked at SC. “When I shifted, her ears hurt.”
“Do they hurt now?” SC asked.
“A little. They’ve been bothering me since I got here, but when Mire changed into a bear, they felt like they were on fire. It’s better now that he’s human.”
SC hummed. “I’ll see if there’s anything we can do to help.”
Mire put his arm around Noelle’s shoulders, and she leaned into him with a barely audible sigh. He asked, “What happens now?”
SC and Mrs. C exchanged a look. She smiled, and he nodded. Mire knew they weren’t psychic, but he suspected that being together for as long as they had been, they could nearly read each other’s minds.
“We have a date with the sleigh tonight,” SC said. “You have duties to attend to, but you have several hours to spend with Noelle before you go.”
“Go?” she asked.
“It’s Christmas Eve, sweetheart,” Mire reminded her.
“Oh. Geez, I have no idea what time it is.”
“Just after eleven a.m.,” Rhys said.
“You have a lot to discuss,” SC said.
Mire stood and said, “Do I need to pack?”
“Why would you pack?” Roi asked.
“Because she’s mine, and I want to be where she is. Wherever that is.”
“If she wants to stay, she can. You don’t have a lot of time to plan, though.”
“What’s going on?” Noelle asked as she stood.
“I’ll explain when we get back to my room.”
“Is my dad in trouble because of me?”
“He is,” SC said. “But I don’t want you to worry about that. When he’s awake and healed, I’ll deal with him.”
Mrs. C joined Noelle and Mire, and Mrs. C hugged her. “You’re a lovely woman. I’m so glad to meet you, and I look forward to getting to know you.”
“Me too. Thank you.”
Mire turned to face his friends. “Sorry I tried to take off your heads earlier.”
Declan shook his head. “I have to learn not to get in between fated mates. This is the second time I pissed off a couple. At least Noelle didn’t have a frying pan.”
Mire laughed, remembering when Arian’s mate, Charli, thought that Arian was in trouble and had come to save him, armed only with a frying pan. Mire made sure that Noelle was bundled up, and then they said goodbye, heading out into the cold. There were a million things he wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t really think past the overwhelming urge to take her immediately to bed and never, ever leave. Not even to do the Christmas Eve run.
* * *
Noelle looked around the room that Mire called home, in the building he referred to as the “barracks.” All the unmated men in North Pole city lived in the barracks, which reminded her of a hotel, with its long, interior hallway and rooms on both sides. Mire’s large bed, with a carved, wooden headboard that matched a nightstand and dresser, sat in one corner. The room was nice, but it wasn’t spacious, and it didn’t have an ensuite bathroom. When she mentioned this, he told her about the shared bathroom down the hall.
He growled softly, and the sound shivered down her spine. Whatever part of her was connected to him and this place recognized the sound as one of arousal. She wanted to talk to him about his life, and what it would mean if she chose to stay, and why she’d been told they didn’t have very much time. But instead, as she turned to face him, all she could think about was making love to him.
She unzipped her coat and pulled it off, dropping the gloves and hat with it. He stared at her in mute surprise with his brows lifted. But then she reached for the hem of her sweater, and she saw his eyes flash to gold and heard the purr of his beasts. He moved so fast she gasped when he was in front of her, his hands pushing hers away and his mouth lowering to brush her lips.
She opened to him eagerly, sinking her fingers into his thick, soft hair. His tongue swept into her mouth, and she groaned at the way her stomach twisted when they kissed. He lifted her against him and walked several steps until she felt the bed hit the back of her legs, and then he set her down, pressing her against the soft blanket. He kissed her, delving his tongue into her mouth to stake a claim that she was more than willing to give.
He pushed up her sweater and broke the kiss, gazing down as he bared her stomach and lace-covered breasts. He hooked his thumbs under the cups of her bra and pushed them up over her breasts, sucking in a sharp growl when her nipples hardened under his gaze.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
His fingers trailed light paths on her skin, making goose bumps appear in their wake. He brushed her nipples with his thumbs and then lowered his head, licking first one and then the other, before sucking one into his mouth. She wiggled on the bed as heat filled her from his sexy touching. He tended to her other nipple with a rumbling growl in his chest, and she laughed as it vibrated against her.
“That’s such a sexy sound,” she said. “I feel like I know what you’re thinking.”
“Only sexy thoughts.”
“Of course.”
He flicked his tongue along her skin, slowly dropping down to circle her navel and kiss across her belly. He unfastened her jeans and pulled them off her body along with her panties, and then he was on his knees between her legs, his eyes glowing gold and a sweet, sexy smile on his face.
She whispered his name. It was a plea and a demand wrapped up together.
“Whatever my sweetheart wants,” he said, sliding his hands up the inside of her thighs and pushing them open. She gasped as he kissed her clit and then licked a circle around it. He slid his hands up her sides and held her gaze as he worked her clit, licking and sucking until her hips were flexing frantically and her body was creaming. She grabbed a handful of the blanket over her head with one hand and grasped her breast with the other, digging her fingers into her flesh as he drove her to the height of pleasure. He growled softly and his tongue vibrated, making her arch her back as he rolled his tongue over her again and again until she came, crying out his name as pleasure pulsed through her.
She was vaguely aware of the sound of clothing being tossed aside, and then he lifted her and moved her farther up the bed before rolling to his back and taking her with him. She let out a surprised squeak as she found herself straddling his thighs. She brushed her fingers lightly over the tops of his thighs, watching as his erection bobbed. He was thick and long, the head glistening, and she bent and licked the drop of pearly liquid. He made a sound in his throat, a growl and groan combined. He tasted sweet and salty, and she smiled as she straightened and rose over him. Grasping his cock, she rubbed the hot head against her slick folds, savoring the moment just before she took him inside.
Lowering herself slowly, she felt an awareness snap into place in her mind as their bodies touched and he was firmly, deeply within her. Her nails bit into his stomach as she absorbed the feeling of being so full and so connected to him, even though they’d known each other only hours.
He cupped her face and lifted his hips, pushing deeper. She scraped her nails along his stomach and then grasped his wrists, moving on him. She twisted her hips slightly with each pass until she felt a pulse of bliss shoot through her. He put one hand on her back and pressed the other to her belly, rubbing her clit with his thumb. He helped her move on him, and she planted her hands on his chest. Her skin prickled and heat pooled in her core.
His eyes were a beautiful, deep gold, and fangs parted his lips. She wasn’t afraid of the fangs, and some part of her knew that he wanted to bite her. How she knew that, or what it meant, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. Mire was hers – boyfriend or mate or whatever the term – and that was all that mattered.
She let out a sharp gasp as his thumb continued to rub her clit, driving her to the edge of pleasure. Her whole body shook as she came, gasping and writhing on top of him as her climax hit and everything within her turned to molten lava. He drew her down to his lips with his hand on the back of her neck, still surging slowly into her as her fingers and toes tingled and her body responded to his assault.
She felt the heat of his breath and saw the striations of bronze in the depths of his eyes. She kissed him and then tilted her head to bare her throat to him.
He growled softly and brushed her hair aside, and then he struck, sinking his fangs into her throat. She cried out at the burst of pain, but just as quickly as it happened, the sting eased, and warmth filled her. He lifted from her throat, and then he licked across the fresh mark, and it soothed the ache that had remained. Then he rolled them so she was on her back, and he drove into her again and again, hard and fast. The headboard smacked against the wall rhythmically. He roared as he came, covering her with his body and holding her close as he climaxed inside her. The heat of his come filled her, and rightness settled over her as she stroked his back and closed her eyes.
She’d finally found her true home. And it was nothing like she’d imagined, on top of the world in a frozen place of snow and ice, with a man who could transform into animals at will.
* * *
Mire pulled the blankets up over them and rested his head on his upturned hand. Noelle was so beautiful, especially when her cheeks were rosy with passion and her eyes glittered with happiness. He felt elated himself, too. Not only had they made love, which was an experience he could honestly say he’d never had before, but also he’d marked her. He knew she didn’t understand marking or fated mates, but she’d tilted her head in the throes of passion and offered her throat to him. Whatever made her the unique blend of human and shifter gave her a subconscious knowledge about their people, and she’d instinctively known what to do.
The mark on her neck was healing. He stared at the two puncture wounds and felt pride but also a strong sense to protect her. Noelle was his to love and care for, and he’d spend the rest of his life ensuring that. He’d certainly never been happier.
She smiled drowsily at him, and although he was tempted to let her rest and to snag a few hours of sleep with his arms around her, he knew that talking now, before he had to leave for the Christmas Eve run, was paramount.
“So about the bite,” he said.
She hummed. “It kind of hurt, but then it felt good. Weird, right?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but normal I think, for fated mates.”
“I’ve heard that term a few times. What is a fated mate?”
“Think of it like a soul mate on steroids. I’m a quad, which means I can change into four different animals. A polar bear, arctic fox, snowy owl, and reindeer. After I bit you, I scratched my tongue with my fangs and licked the mark, which pushed some of my blood into your wound.”
“Why?”
“It completes the bond between us, and it’s like a supernatural GPS. I can find you anywhere now that we’re fully mated.”
She hummed. “That’s cool.” She was quiet for a moment and then she asked, “So my dad isn’t a quad because he only has three animals he can change into?”
“Yes, only quads can change into reindeer.”
“And that’s important because of Santa?”
“Right. There aren’t a lot of quads in NPC.”
“NPC?”
“North Pole City. Sorry, we use a lot of abbreviations. Like SC and Mrs. C, for our leaders.”
“Am I supposed to call him SC?”
“You can call him Santa if you like.”
She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “I can’t believe he’s real.”
“You believed in him when you were a kid.”
“Yeah. But people expect kids to get over that belief. It’s okay to believe in Santa and elves and reindeer until you’re maybe eight or nine, and then if you still do, it’s considered babyish.”
“That’s sad. There’s nothing wrong with believing in magic.”
“I definitely believe in magic now,” she said with a smile.
“We can leave NPC for twenty-four hours from six a.m. on Christmas Eve to six a.m. on Christmas Day, but that’s it. If one of us were to be stuck outside of NPC after six a.m. on Christmas Day, we’d be trapped in the human world for a year until the city was open again.”
She was quiet for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. “It’s why Santa said we didn’t have a lot of time?”
“Yes. But also because I have to do the Christmas Eve run tonight. We’ll be back around three a.m.”
“And then I have to leave?”
“What? No!” He pushed back his beasts, who had rushed to the surface at the idea of her leaving. “Sorry, I mean, no, you don’t have to leave. You’re my fated mate, Noelle. That alone means you belong with me, but you’re also half-shifter which makes you an elf. Or half-elf, since females are elves and males are shifters, and your mom was human. SC said you were welcome to stay here with me. If you want to go back to your home, though, to stay, I’ll leave here and come with you.”
She sat up and turned to face him.
“You’d walk away from all of this for me?”
“Of course. Where you are is home for me, sweetheart.”
“But your life is here, and your family…You do have family, don’t you?”
“Yes. My mom is an elf and works in the clothing guild, and my father is a builder.”
“And he’s a quad?”
“No, a regular shifter. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to meet you.”
“I’m human.”
“Half-human.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re my fated mate. Our people find our mates in one of two ways – either we find our fated mate or we have Mrs. C mate-match us. That means that a male or female goes to Mrs. C and asks to be mate-matched, and part of her power is that she can choose the perfect mates for our people.”
“You don’t date?”
“Not really. There’s a bar where our people gather, and there are hookups, but we don’t date like humans do.”
“What’s the other part of Mrs. C’s power?”
“She can evoke fond memories of Christmases past with her hug.”
“Did you ever want to be mate-matched?”
“I might have considered it, if the quads hadn’t started finding their fated mates. With you, I’m now the fourth quad to find his fated mate. Arian, the Blitzen position, Rhys, the Dasher position, and Sullivan, the Prancer position, have all found their fated mates, and their mates are all humans.”
“They live here?”
He nodded. “Arian lived in the human world with Charli for a year, and then they moved here. Rhys and Sullivan both live here with their mates, and there have been babies born to two of the couples.”
“Would our kids be able to shift?”
“If they’re boys, yes. If they’re girls, they’d be part elf.”
She rubbed at the top of one ear, something he noticed she did when she was thinking or upset. “What’s going to happen to my dad?”
“I don’t know. SC said not to worry about it, so you shouldn’t. For now, we need to talk about the future. I have just a couple hours before I need to get ready for the flight.”
“What will I do while you’re gone?”
“You can rest here in my room. But we need to figure out our plans.”
“Right.” She looked around the room and pressed her hand over her heart. “You didn’t really ask me.”
“Ask you what?”
“To be your mate. You just keep saying that I’m yours, but you know, a girl likes to be asked.”
She smiled at him in an all-too sexy way, and he growled. Sitting up, he took her hands and kissed the tops, and then said, “Noelle, please say you’ll be mine. We’re fated mates, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Build a life with me here, in NPC.”
She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, pretending she didn’t know the answer right away, and he snarled softly, knowing she was teasing him. With a laugh, she hugged and kissed him. “Yes, I’ll be yours, and yes, I’ll stay here. But we have to talk about this room, because it’s kind of like an efficiency apartment, and I can’t even cook in here.”
“Mated couples get a house. Our builders are always working on new homes, and I’m sure that if one isn’t ready right now, it will be soon.”
“Good. I’m not sure I want to share a bathroom with a bunch of guys. No offense.”
“None taken. I don’t want to have to bust any heads because someone accidentally sees you naked.”
She made a face. “I don’t want that either.”
They discussed going to her apartment after he got back from the run so she would be able to pack her belongings.
“That’s not enough time, though,” she pointed out. “You’re talking about two hours to pack up my life and say goodbye, to make sure people don’t worry about me. Fortunately, I had already talked to my friends about asking my dad if I could move up to Canada to live with him, so I don’t have to worry about them thinking it’s weird that I’m taking off.”
His mind spun. “I’ll take you to meet my parents, and then they can accompany you to your apartment along with a few of the shifter guards, and they can help you pack up.”
“They won’t mind?”
“We’re fated mates, sweetheart. Of course not.”
She blew out a breath and glanced at the clock. “How much time do we have before we meet your parents?”
He looked at the clock. “An hour, give or take.”
“Good.”
“Oh?” he asked, loving the sexy gleam in her eye.
“That’s just enough time to make love again. And maybe I’ll bite you.”
“Bring it on, sweetheart. I’d love to feel your teeth in my neck.”
And he did. Although she didn’t break the skin with her blunt teeth, he loved the hell out of the way it felt to be claimed by his mate. She’d practically purred as she’d bruised his throat, and he’d reveled in the claiming. Nothing had ever felt as good as Noelle’s teeth pressing into his flesh, and although the bruise would heal with his quick-healing abilities, he’d ask her to bite him again. Again and again.