Page 15 of Comet

“He’s a reindeer shifter, that’s obvious, but how are we supposed to believe the rest? It’s implausible and unreasonable to believe that there are actually reindeer that fly a sleigh around every Christmas.”

Alden’s dad was a practical sort, but I was going to have to prove him wrong also. I turned around and, with a running leap, flew up into the air, circled the cabin twice, and then gently landed again before shifting back and hugging Alden back to my side once again.

“Any more questions?” Santa giggled after he asked, then tipped his knit cap to Alden’s parents, gave me a nod, and walked toward the woodshed door. “If not, I’m going to leave you all to talk out the particulars. Alden, it’s very nice to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you very soon in the village. Hale, I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ve got a Zoom for everyone to discuss the teams for the twenty-fourth.”

“I’ll be there, Santa, and thank you for everything.”

“You’re very welcome, my boy. And congratulations on the next member of the Comet team. He’ll be an asset just like his father one day.”

Santa walked through the wooden door and was gone. Alden’s mother looked at us both but still hadn’t spoken, so his dad took charge now.

“So, Hale, is it?” I nodded and shook his hand when he offered it. “Welcome to the family, Hale. I’m sure my wife will have a million questions once she learns how to talk again, but for now, tell me. Do you ever get a chance to play golf?”

I walked to the cabin beside Alden’s dad, not believing the way things had worked out. I was one of the family now. But according to Alden’s dad, I desperately needed to learn to play golf.

……..

I was a nervous wreck. It was Christmas Eve, and I had to go to work, but I wasn’t alone anymore.

“Hale, I’ll be fine. Go to work and do your thing. I’m just going to sit here and write for a while before I get to bed early. I promise you it’s just a little cold, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

“But what if you start throwing up and…”

“Haley, guaranteed I’m going to throw up again. You heard Misty, it’s normal for a shifter to be this sick in the first trimester, especially when the baby is different. Now stop worrying and get going.”

I kissed him softly at first, but the urge to deepen the kiss, sink into our nest, and say to heck with Christmas Eve was stronger than ever. Alden wouldn’t have any of that. He pushed me toward the door and closed it in my face, so I was forced to leave and go to work. As I flew Santa through the skies this time, however, I was happier than I’d ever been before. Sure, I was flying Santa so he could reward all the good kids in the world, but for the first time ever, I had someone waiting for me when I got home. It was my very own Christmas wish come true.

12

ALDEN

“Hale, could you please hold Chase for me? They’re getting ready for the signing.” I handed my beautiful baby boy to his daddy, then turned to get his bag from the floor to hand it over, but before I could, he was already nestling Chase into the baby carrier on his chest and pulling out the spare pacifier he had put in the attached pocket.

“You have got to be the best mate and best dad that ever lived.” I gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, then dropped a soft kiss onto our newborn’s soft blond curls.

“I would have to disagree with you there. You’re much better than me. Look at all this. You not only finished the book during a hard and long pregnancy, but it’s a bestseller. This is all you, little owl. Enjoy your night. Chase and I are going to walk around the village for a while, and we’ll be back to help you pack up.”

I waved goodbye to them, then walked to the table set up for my very first signing. Hale’s idea for a reindeer shifter assassin story had become a massive hit, and I had been in demand since the day it debuted. No matter how many places asked to be the first signing, I insisted it be here in the village. Everyone here knew who the character had been based on, and what better way to honor not only the Santas but also my husband for helping make Comet: Santa’s List Book 1 a success?

The lovely elf who owned the bookstore got me comfortable at the table with a pillow for the chair. It was a sweet thought since I was still only a few weeks post-birth, and things were still pretty tender. Chase had indeed been a bouncing baby boy, and a big one at that. Things had been touch and go for a while, but at last, Chase had entered the world as a whopping ten-pound bundle of joy. If we had any more kids, I was praying for an owl. Eggs would be so much easier to carry and deliver. Mother had been by my side for the birth and had marveled at the way a body could cope with the change pregnancy asked of it. Magic helped a lot, too, but since she was still trying to get used to the whole Santa was real situation, I didn’t fill her in on the particulars.

The signing was a huge success, and I was having a blast meeting everyone from the village who came out to help me celebrate until the next to last person in line came up, dropped the book on the table in front of me, and sneered.

“I’m interested to see how you could make someone as uninteresting as Hale Comet a bestseller. You must be the best writer in the world to make that happen.”

Startled by the tone and the harsh words against my mate, I tried to hide my annoyance with professionalism. “Thank you for the compliment. I try to do my best with every book I write. Now, who do I make this out to?”

He looked me up and down in a way that made my skin crawl. “Like you don’t know who I am. Make it out to Tundra. The first love of Hale and the one who realized what a terrible mate he would be. It’s a good thing I found my mate in time before he got any more ideas about us and a future, or I might have been stuck with the big himbo instead of you.”

I looked at the last person in line and motioned for them to go with the owner of the store, who told them they won a prize for waiting so long. They both knew what was about to happen but cheerfully walked a short distance away to enjoy the show.

Pushing my chair back, I stood, then very deliberately placed the cap back on my pen before setting it on the table and turning around. I knew he would be pissed by the slight, so when he reached out to touch me, I grabbed Tundra’s wrist and wrenched back until I heard it pop. Squealing like the weakling he was, I slammed his wrist down on the table, pulling his face closer to mine.

“Listen here, asshole, you ever talk shit about my mate again, and I won’t stop when it pops, I’ll break it. And I won’t stop there. I’ll fix it so you can never shift again, and your career ends. You’re a piss poor excuse for a shifter and not worth the spit your mother swallowed instead of swallowing you. My husband is smart, loyal, loving, and the best of all the things Santa’s reindeer stands for, and he deserves more than just a book written to make him a hero, but that’s the best I had to offer him. Maybe one day I can see him in a movie or a TV series, too. I’ll look forward to that day because somewhere in the contract I’m going to insist that the pussiest character in the show be named Tundra, just for you. Now, have the night you deserve.”

I let his wrist go and threw my weight at him to knock him back and toward the door. Just as he was leaving, Hale came in, still carrying Chase in his carrier. He was softly singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to him and telling him one day he’d teach him to fly high in the sky just like the stars.

Glancing to my left, I caught the owner and the last reader in line watching Hale whisper sweet things to our baby, and they both had a tear in their eye. I walked over, signed her book, and congratulated her on winning the special poster that had been made exclusively for the signing. After the business was over, I waved goodbye and gathered the baby bag. As we walked home arm in arm, I thanked all the Christmas magic in the world that led me to my very own hero.