5. Merry

Chapter 5

Merry

I dragged myself through the workdays that were getting longer as daylight grew shorter. With Christmas looming, people in the village worked in shifts around the clock. This was the frantic part of the year when nothing could go wrong or the big day would be spoiled for the first time in history.

Humans were only just getting around to thinking about Christmas, but our schedule was months ahead of theirs. We didn’t run around at the last minute buying overpriced gifts nobody wanted.

Though we were busy, it was a joyous time of year. Not for me. I was on rote as I went through each day and sank into bed afterward, hardly eating. Sleep was my only comfort because I could dream about meeting my mate.

I had to give up on the idea of having a life partner. I kept repeating that, and I imagined that future for five minutes, but my mind kept returning to me being coupled and happy.

My phone dinged. A message to all the elves from every Santa about the Letters to Santa. Gods, I’d forgotten. If work had been busy up until now, it was going into high gear and full speed from tomorrow. Kids around the world would be sending us their Christmas wishes, and we’d ramp up production again.

Working hard would push everything else from my mind, so that was positive. I’d have no energy to wallow in my loneliness.

Except… unless… I leaped up, suddenly full of energy, thoughts of the future with my mate in it filling my head.

What if I wrote to Santa and asked for a mate? Those letters were distributed to any of the many Santas in Christmas Village because humans and shifters alike weren’t aware there was more than one! How could one Santa fulfill all the worldwide orders? It wasn’t possible.

Turning on the lamp on my desk, I pulled out writing paper. Christmas Village was wired for tech—it made our life much easier—but I loved thick white paper for writing letters and used a fountain pen engraved with my name. Instead of sending it by email, I’d pop it in the village mailbox.

Dear Santa, I began and paused. I’d never written one of these letters, and I was supposed to say I’d been good all year. That was a fib. I couldn’t lie.

I have worked hard this year and been a loyal friend .

That was two points in my favor. What else? I was clever at coming up with pranks, but I had to put a positive spin on it.

My favorite pastime is playing pranks, but I never hurt anyone or make them sad. The aim is to get them to laugh so they’ll forget any problems in their life and bring them joy .

Tapping the pen on the desk, I considered how to continue. This was the hard part where I had to ask for something.

But despite making other people happy, I long for something I don’t have . A mate. Someone to share my life with. If you have the power to grant me anything, Santa, this is what I wish for .

I signed my name with a flourish.

Merry, the elf .

Not wanting to waste a minute, I stuck it in an envelope, and putting on my coat and hat, I raced into the driving snow. Having forgotten my gloves, my hands trembled as I posted the letter.

I’d been proactive and asked the universe—well, one of the Santas, but they were as good as the universe—to intervene in my life. Despite the cold, I bounced through the snow and returned to my quarters.

Sleep eluded me as I lay with the covers pulled under my chin and imagined my life if my wish came true. My mate and I would be spooning, his arms wrapped around me as I pressed my butt on his crotch.

My eyes slid closed as my dream mate yanked at my PJ pants. Yes, gods, yes. The bed was cozy and toasty as his hand tugged me, and my cock swelled. The warmth lulled me to sleep until I woke, the darkness enclosing me from every direction.

Being winter, there’d be no daylight until the days got longer, but the lights outside my quarters must have gone off. A power outage? Did that happen in Christmas Village?

The room was stifling hot, and what was that weird smell? It was an earthy aroma, reminding me of wet dirt. It clogged my nostrils and made it hard to breathe. We were at the North Pole in winter. A thick layer of snow coated the earth. The scent of winter here was one of pine from the trees around the village.

I sat up, or I tried to. My head hit something solid. Damn, I’d played so many pranks lately that my friends were paying me back. Odd, because they’d been worried about being turned to a figurine and hadn’t been tricking anyone. Guess they got over that or maybe they also wanted a mate.

My legs were curled under me, and when I pushed out my hands, I hit a wall or some sort of solid surface. Except maybe it wasn’t so solid. If I pushed hard enough, my fingers could leave an impression. I was cooped up inside a jar. Oh, like a genie but I had no magic powers to get out.

I yelled, but my voice echoed around the small space. I was going to be late for work, and I tried rolling one way and the other, hoping to tip over the container.

It wobbled, but I had no luck. I hoped this wasn’t a prank gone wrong ‘cause I didn’t want to lose my job, or worse, my life.

But as I sat cross-legged, an idea formed in my frazzled mind.

What if this wasn’t a prank but one of the Santas had read my letter and granted my wish?

I wasn’t a figurine, though, but perhaps I was inside a figurine.