Epilogue

Emery felt that she was late and sat up with a jolt. She was naked. Well, not quite. A thickly muscled arm was wrapped around her waist. A sleepy Rowen opened his eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“I am naked.”

“Clothes were bloody.”

“I am late for work.”

“I contacted Mark, and he called Sue in. It’s covered. Don’t worry. I told them a friend was in an accident last night, and you were helping out. They accepted that right away.”

She grabbed the sheet and pulled it to her chest. Rowen rolled to his back and stretched.

“Why do you look like that?”

He chuckled. “The bodybuilding?”

“Yes.”

“Before Autumn chose me as the avatar, I was thin, reedy, and king of my wheelchair. I had scoliosis so bad I was losing the ability to walk. When the season took me over, it made me whole. It pulled my spine together and strengthened my limbs. I went from weak to strong in a day. I became obsessed with keeping my new self in shape and mobile. Yes, I may have gone overboard, but doing this and helping others make the most of the body they are in became my life’s work.”

She chuckled. “See, that is way less creepy than telling me I could be more. I am already as much as I want to be.”

He sat up and looked at her. “Yeah, I get that now. I didn’t know you were hiding, or I would have been more careful with my words.” He paused. “Will you accept my apology?”

Emery blinked at him and stuck her hand out. “Apology accepted. Shall we start again, no surprises?”

He took her hand and held it as his eyes glowed. “Well, if you don’t want surprises...”

His head shimmered, and his features shifted to be more deer-like while still being human, but the huge rack of antlers was definitely not.

“Oh. Wow. Nice rack.”

He inclined his head and gave a soft snort. “You, too.”

She let go of his hand and pulled the sheet back up. “Well, I have to get to work. You need to tuck in all that horn.”

He chuckled. “I will see you tonight.”

“Why?”

“Aren’t you going to Yule at Hunter’s place?”

“Um. I don’t have an invitation, and I do know that I need one for that, or the doors won’t open.”

“I will call Hunter.”

“Don’t. He’s dealing with enough. Besides, Winter is his thing. He needs to have fun with the longest night of the year and all the jokes it brings.”

He sighed and nodded. He went to a drawer and grabbed a t-shirt and a sweatshirt. “Put these on. I will take you home. Do you remember where it is now?”

“Oh. Right. Denforth Road.”

She got dressed and blinked at the length of the shirt and then swathed herself in the sweatshirt. It was huge.

He showed her to the kitchen, got her a snack bar and bottle of water, and put her in his car without letting her feet touch the ground. As they drove through the city, she nibbled at the bar and glanced at him occasionally. He was back in his relaxed sweats and sneakers.

The streets were covered with glitter and lights, even with dawn making progress. The town was getting ready for a holiday, but only a small part of the population were fans of Yule, and for them, tonight was their night.

She thanked him when they were at her home, and he carried her to the door. She used magic to unlock it. He set her on her feet, and she nodded to him as he left her alone. For the first time in her life, her home wasn’t a refuge. It felt empty, but no way did it have room for those horns that he carried so effortlessly.

So, she either needed to give up her fantasies, or she needed a bigger house with higher ceilings. Maybe she could give herself a Yule present. She did have a ridiculous amount of money, after all, and it was the thought that counted, and she was thinking about the view she had gotten as he went to the dresser. It was definitely a view worth repeating.

Happy holidays to her.