19. Dario

Chapter 19

Dario

We were both huddled under the thick blanket. I was toasty warm and thankful I’d bought the warm clothes.

This was beautiful. The reindeer pulling the sleigh cantered along the road, the bells on their harnesses jingling. If I’d been anywhere else, I would have hummed or sung Jingle Bells. Or maybe the one about Rudolph.

Freshly fallen snow lay on the ground, and fairy lights in the trees lining the road twinkled as they trailed over the branches, though Chris corrected me and said at the North Pole they used the term elf lights.

Making the scene more spectacular were the northern lights glowing green with wisps of pink and purple. I squeezed Chris’s hand, wanting to embed the memory in my brain so in years to come I could fully recall it.

Chris held the reindeer’s reins, and my beast was in awe of the magnificent animals.

“Tell your reindeer if he pays attention, I might let him pull the sleigh around the North Pole.” He added he wouldn’t be on the Christmas Eve run because only the most experienced reindeer pulled the sleigh across the world.

My beast squeed and made my tummy jumbly. But my flip-flopping belly could have been the result of being at my mate’s domain at the top of the world.

Chris wasn’t wearing his Santa costume because he wasn’t acting as Santa. Though his red coat and red woolen hat did give him a Christmasy appearance.

The reindeer trotted up a hill and stopped in a clearing. Below us was the village where Chris and his elves lived and worked, the lights blazing as his team worked into the night.

“Thank you for taking time off.” I kissed his cheek and it was warm, unlike mine which was covered in snowflakes. “You’re hot.”

“That’s your fault.” He pulled out a flask and poured two cups of hot chocolate.

“Maybe warm rather than hot.”

Chris drew himself up. “Never.” His nostrils flared. “I’m hot for you.”

He held out a bag of cookies, and I bit into one. Multiple favors flooded my mouth. Chocolate, lemon, and a burnt sugary taste that reminded me of caramel and nuts.

“These are amazing. You must give me the recipe.”

Chris shook his head. “Can’t. It’s only revealed to those who reside here.”

Hmmm. I munched my cookie, because my mate had brought up a problem for which I didn’t have a solution. How could we live together when he was Santa? Would being mated to me ruin his reputation? There was no rule book for what to do when your mate was a culturally significant figure that could trace his history back centuries.

“Oh my gods! Are you immortal?” My eyes welled with tears as I imagined growing old and being on my death bed while my mate looked as young as the day we met. My reindeer hated thinking of the day we drew our last breath, and he covered his ears.

“No. When the role gets too much, there will be an election to choose the next Santa and give him the Santa powers.”

Okay. It was one hurdle overcome, but until now, I hadn’t considered that. The bigger obstacle was how we were going to make this work.

“Humans take weeks, months, or even years to fall in love.”

“Ahh yes.” Chris munched on a cookie. “But we’re not human, so we can’t compare our instant attraction to meeting someone, going on a date, more back and forth, until one or both declare their love.” He pounded his chest. “Our hearts recognized one another instantly.”

“You can’t live in my world.” I couldn’t imagine the hoops we’d have to jump through to hide an entire village of elves and reindeer. Though as Santa’s village was ringed with magic, it wouldn’t be possible to move it. He was here to stay, but where did that leave me?

“How would you feel about living here?” Chris took my gloved hands in his. “Your reindeer would be at home, and Max would love it.”

I didn’t reveal that while my beast enjoyed the great outdoors, he was more of a town reindeer who visited the countryside to shift.

I could mingle with the other reindeer. That would be a first .

That hasn’t occurred to me. I’d been around humans and shifters since I was born, but to have never experienced being with your own kind must’ve been hard.

“Could you work from here?”

I did PR with a large company that had based themselves in my town because the costs were lower than a big city. Some of my work was online, but I had to front up to many functions and glad-hand bigwigs. That wouldn’t be possible from the North Pole.

“Are you in need of a PR guy?”

Chris chuckled. “Not really. Santa has a pretty good reputation.”

Maybe I could change careers. Start my own business or help out at the North Pole.

“I’m good at organizing.” He had witnessed that firsthand at the spectacular.

“Our systems are a little outdated.” He pulled the sleigh around, and we headed for home. “But you can commute. In the blink of an eye and a twitch of my nose, I can have you back at your office every morning and home again in the evening.”

That might be the better option.

“Though if you choose to work with me, you could travel with us on Christmas Eve.”

“What?” Santa’s reindeer jerked at my shriek. “Sorry.” I tucked my arm in Chris’s. “Are you telling me I’ll fly across the sky with you while you deliver presents?”

“It’s the Mr. Claus Travel Benefit.”

“That. I want that.” I’d figure out a new job. Something would turn up.

“I can show you now how it works,” he offered.

Much as I wanted us to soar into the sky, I wanted my mate more.

“Raincheck?”

He grinned. “What could possibly be better than going for a sky sleigh ride with Santa?”

“Let me think. I’ve got it.” I tapped my lips. “How about Santa putting his cock inside me?”