Chapter Five #2
I might be putting up a fuss, but I still planned to make sure little Miss Ruby from wrapping knew she’d best keep her hands off my elf.
My Bal. Bal. Anyone in general. I would make sure she knew that you didn’t just go around randomly touching people.
Yeah, that. “And don’t you dare think you are going to start going around calling me honey. Not happening.”
He quirked one silver brow at me, the corner of his lip twitching. “Sure thing, red.”
Narrowing my eyes, I took a step towards the doorway. “I’m going in there and telling everyone you’re an absolute obnoxious pain in the ass and we just broke up.”
Grabbing my hand in his, he pulled me closer to him. “Please don’t. I promise not to call you any cutesy names, just please help me. Besides, them thinking we are dating will benefit you too.”
“How so?” If I sounded highly suspicious, it was because I was.
“Your parents are planning to retire and move here, but they are worried about you being alone. This way they won’t worry about you. If we’re together, I mean.”
Even knowing it was coming, my heart sank a little hearing him say it out loud.
Bal was head elf and had been for a long time.
The Kringles also considered him one of the family, practically like a second son.
He was in the know of all the inner workings of things in the village.
If he said it was happening, it was happening.
“I kinda guessed that already,” I mumbled glumly.
“They want you to move here too,” his voice was low, quiet, and his eyes searched mine for my reaction.
After a few seconds, I told him, “I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Well, you can’t,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” I breathed the word out on a sigh. I wasn’t sure what any of it meant for me, but it suddenly felt like there was a boulder of dread sitting smack in the middle of my chest.
I didn’t even know if I wanted to leave my life in Sweet Alps to live here.
Didn’t know if I was okay with essentially disappearing from my friends’ minds like I had never been to come here permanently.
And even though I knew I would still be able to communicate with my family, and even see them, somehow this change felt different.
“Keegan lives here and he’s a human.” Well, he was sort of still a human. I knew that when he mated and married Nik, some of the Christmas magic passed to him, and essentially his lifespan would last as long as Nik’s. Which was hundreds and hundreds of years. “And my parents are human.”
“A one-time exception is being made for them,” Bal said softly. “Because of Keegan, and the grandkids.”
“But it can’t be made for me?” Why did my voice sound so small and forlorn?
He stared at me for what felt like a long time, before reaching up one finger to push a stray lock of my hair out of my eyes. “There is one exception that will be made for you, but…I don’t see that happening.”
The skin of my forehead practically burned where his finger had touched me ever so lightly. We were standing so close, I could feel his body heat wrapping around me like a fuzzy, warm blanket. “What is it?”
“You’d have to fall in love and mate or marry someone from the village,” he said, looking up and taking a step back when we heard footsteps coming towards us from the other room.
“There you two are,” Nik’s deep voice called. “We were wondering where you had disappeared too. Turkey is ready.”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Bal told his long-time friend, giving him a steady look over my head.
“Kendrick,” Nik’s voice held a bit of merriment. “Bal gave us the…surprising news about you two. We’re all still a bit in shock to hear you’ve been dating for…what was it, Bal? Six months?”
Bal’s eyes narrowed, the silver in them gleaming. “Four months. We’ve been seeing each other four months.”
“Ah, right.” Nik clearly wasn’t buying what we were trying to sell. “Well, food’s on the table.”
Turning, I started to leave the room, not waiting to see if Bal was following. I had so many thoughts running through my head, I didn’t know if I’d even be able to eat.
Nik gave me a grin, his blue eyes twinkling, as he pointed up at the room’s doorway. “Oh, look! Mistletoe!”
“That wasn’t there earlier,” Bal ground out from what I suspected were tightly clenched teeth.
“Wasn’t it?” Nik did a really poor job of feigning surprise as he casually leaned against the doorway in question. “Keegan has been hanging the stuff all over. You probably just missed seeing it.”
“I did not miss it. I don’t miss things.”
“Well, regardless, you know what that means,” Nik waved his hand between the two of us. “You have to kiss. It’s tradition.”
Why did I get the impression that the mistletoe has magically appeared thanks to Santa?
Kendrick
Past…
Me: I can’t be with an alpha that can’t kiss.
Grumpy Elf: Have you ever thought to start a conversation with hello, how was your day?
Me: Hello. How was your day? I can’t be with an alpha that can’t kiss.
Grumpy Elf: I guess we’re talking about this then. What brought this revelation on?
Me: Not a revelation. It’s a fact. I met an alpha at the club tonight. Tall, good looking, hot body. We danced, flirted, blah blah. Then he kissed me. And it was a no. Hard pass.
Grumpy Elf: Is blah blah code for sex?
Me: What? No! I just said he was a terrible kisser. If you can’t kiss, you sure as hell aren’t getting anything else. Keep up!
Grumpy Elf: I’m trying. Okay he was a terrible kisser.
Me: Do you think I’m being too picky? Sadie said I’m being too picky. That if an alpha checks all my other boxes, his kissing skills shouldn’t be that big of a deal. You’re an alpha. What are your thoughts on the subject?
Grumpy Elf: I don’t think you should ever settle for sub-par kisses.