3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Shimmersnap

Being a figurine was not the worst thing in the world, I supposed. I mean, I had always wanted a vacation where I could relax, and this was exactly that. I was perfectly relaxed—so relaxed, it was like I didn’t move at all. If I could, I would’ve let out a very frustrated sigh, but all I could do was sit there and stare at the bland white walls and beige carpet.

The mantle in Walter’s home had very few items on it: just me, a picture frame that I couldn’t see the other side of, and a vase of some sort that looked to be blown glass with just a hint of sparkle inside. Not a ton—not nearly enough, in my opinion—but it was there. I saw it. Surely a man who put up sparkly things couldn’t be all bad.

Now, the rest of Walter’s home I hadn’t yet seen, and unfortunately, I couldn’t even see the TV to entertain myself. The rest of the house’s decor seemed rather bland. White walls, beige curtains, beige carpet. Even his blankets were all tan and beige. Not a single stripe, polka dot, or hint of color—and not a speck of sparkle. This would not do.

How could this man possibly be my mate? Someone who could love me?

Santa, arguably the jolliest man on Earth, had fired me. How the hell was I going to get a boring human alpha to put up with me? I would not dull my sparkle. That was not going to happen. I would simply have to find a way to get Walter to shine—or at least accept some shine.

Walter was diligent in his schedule. He went to work every morning wearing a white shirt, black pants, a tie that was some shade of blue, always. He came home in the evening, sometimes late, sometimes not. He either cooked himself dinner or made a sandwich and sat down. He didn’t have friends over. He didn’t seem to call anyone. The poor man was just alone all the time.

He seemed to enjoy reading, though I couldn’t tell what, because it was always on his e-reader. And he watched some television, but again, I couldn’t tell what since I couldn’t see the television and he kept the volume low. I really needed a better view. I needed to see more of his house.

His closet couldn’t be all white shirts and blank pants. Surely there was a pop of color somewhere.

Walter came home, coming in the door with a sigh. He kicked it closed with his foot, kicked off his shoes, and put them perfectly in line with all the others—all two pairs that he had. He loosened his tie on his way to the bedroom. He never let any of his things drop anywhere in the house except for where they belonged. Once he was done in his bedroom, he came out wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt.

Instead of going to the kitchen, he plopped down on the sofa, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it to his chest. The worry lines on his face seemed to be a little bit deeper, and if I wasn’t mistaken, his eyes were just a touch glassed over, like he might cry. I didn’t know what to do with a crying human alpha.

I couldn’t move. I could only observe.

Sure, I could change to my elf form and talk to him, but it would likely cause more harm than good. People didn’t react well when their possessions suddenly took form and started talking.

His phone pinged, and he picked it up. His fingers flicked over the screen, then he tossed it back down.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re all having a fantastic time on your cruise. Didn’t think to invite Walter. Not that I would have said yes.”

His head dipped back, and his eyes closed.

“You did this to yourself, old man. You could only decline so many invitations to go out before people stopped asking. You hardened your heart so much that you forgot to live.”

My chest ached for him. I itched to put a hand there to ease the pain, but I couldn’t move. Figurine, remember?

Walter grabbed the remote, flipped on the TV, and rolled to his side. His head landed on a pillow and his feet rested on the sofa. The familiar sounds of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , the popular movie amongst humans, filled the room. His lips quirked into a smile.

“Christmas movies in July. Who would have thought?”

I watched him for a long time as he watched the television. He chuckled a bit at the antics of the elf on the screen. A man who enjoyed holiday movies couldn’t be all bad, could he? Eventually, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. That was my chance to get some friendly advice.

With a blink, I popped over to my friend Dancer’s house. He was a reindeer for one of Santa’s teams—I forgot which one—but he had recently mated to another reindeer shifter, not the magical kind. I meant to blink directly to him, which was exactly what I did, only I didn’t account for the late hour, and I landed inside his bedroom...where he and his mate were enjoying some private time.

Thankfully it was dark, so I didn’t get an eyeful of things I shouldn’t see.

They let out a yelp when I popped in. The glitter that seemed to follow me everywhere danced in the air and landed on their carpet. Oops. They probably weren’t going to appreciate that.

“What the fuck? Dancer, who the hell is this?” his mate asked. I knew they had a child in the house somewhere. I hoped we didn’t wake them.

“Oops, sorry! I’ll, wait until you’re done.”

I popped into the living room and sat down on their couch. This was the living room of a happy couple. The walls were colorful, the carpet was rather bland, but you couldn’t see much of it thanks to the children’s toys that filled the room.

Christmas must be extra magical when there was a child in the family. I longed to experience that for myself, but if I didn’t secure my alpha before then, I could kiss that future goodbye.

After a moment—or maybe five—I tried not to listen. The shower started, and then ten minutes later, Dancer came out.

“Shimmersnap, is that you?”

“Yes,” I winced. “Sorry. I needed advice.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well… My situation is a little… different, and I’m not sure what to do.”

“So, it’s true. You were fired?”

I nodded. “Yes. It seems Santa got tired of my glitter.”

He snorted.

I glared. “Everyone loves glitter.”

Dancer shook his head. “Not as much as you do.” He took a seat on the other couch, carefully stepping over the blocks on the floor. “What brings you here...to my bedroom?”

“I need advice. I’ve heard that your mate is grumpy.”

Dancer laughed. “One would describe Milton that way, yes.”

“How did you make him happy?”

“Well, it’s not quite that simple. Milton wasn’t unhappy, exactly. I didn’t need to change him. We bring happiness to each other. I don’t need to change anything about my mate. I love him exactly the way he is.”

I thought that over for a moment. “And he doesn’t mind that you’re not grumpy?”

Dancer snorted. “No, he doesn’t mind. There are times where he gets annoyed with the endless optimism, but we make it work. Shimmersnap, what’s going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

I jumped at the sound of a voice I didn’t recognize.

Dancer’s mate, Milton, walked into the room. He was shirtless, and I could see the appeal—the man might be grumpy, but he was hot. In his arms was an adorable red-cheeked toddler with bright eyes.

My cheeks flushed. “Sorry to drop in on you. I’m Shimmersnap, one of Santa’s elves. Former elf. Well, I’m still an elf, but I don’t work for Santa anymore. I’m a figurine.”

Milton’s eyebrows raised.

“I’ll explain later,” Dancer said, then he turned to me. “Have you tried introducing yourself to your mate?”

“Like, just appearing in his room?”

Dancer shook his head. “No. Don’t do that. You’ve been observing him, right? You could run into him at his favorite coffee shop or bookstore or whatever. Set up your own meet-cute.”

“Walter only goes to work and comes home.”

Dancer shrugged. “Sounds like you need to get a job in his office.”

I grinned. “I could do that. What better way to put some sparkle in his life than by brightening up his workday! Thanks, Dancer, that’s a great idea!”

“Wait, Shimmersnap—”

I didn’t let him finish. I popped back to Walter’s house in my place on the mantle. I had some planning to do and a sparkling resume to create.