CHAPTER ONE
“My turn! My turn! My turn!”
Alistair watched with a smile as Elijah plucked Hazel off her feet and put her on his shoulders, lifting her higher to put an ornament on the tree.
She looked delighted by the height change, even though it was only two inches taller than Alistair, and she’d ridden his shoulders dozens of times.
Meanwhile, Thayer bounced from foot to foot, waiting impatiently for his turn as Elijah’s little helper.
The tree was a new addition, something the kids had seen at a human friend’s house that they wanted to try.
Their mother refused, she felt it was important to maintain family traditions, but after their time apart Alistair gave in without complaint.
He did discuss it with Edwina first, they both agreed to co-parent without holding any past grudges, but she said it was fine as long as they appreciated both.
Alistair included plenty of the normal traditions, but he didn’t see the harm in adding a few new ones.
Elijah agreed with him, it was just a bit of fun, so they ended up buying a replantable tree to decorate when the kids arrived.
Watching his kids put the colorful baubles on the tree with Elijah made his chest warm, and not for the first time, he was glad for the way things turned out. He never would have known what real love was if it wasn’t for Elijah.
Pink tinged Elijah’s cheeks as he set Hazel down, he could definitely hear Alistair’s train of thought, despite giving his attention to the kids. Alistair felt a smirk pull at his lips. Was it his fault his telepath was so sweet and sexy and perfect–
Alistair!
Even along the bond, he could hear the whine in Elijah’s voice.
He both loved and hated when Alistair showered him with compliments, because he wasn’t sure how to handle that kind of attention yet.
Six months together wasn’t long enough for Elijah to easily accept that kind of attention, not after a lifetime of the opposite.
“Children, I think your daddy has been sitting out too long. He should join us,” Elijah said, drawing the kids’ attention off the decorating and onto where Alistair had been stringing dried orange slices and cranberries for more tree decorations.
His compromise with the tree was that all the decorations were natural except for a handful of human types that the kids had picked out themselves.
Stringing cranberries wasn’t his favorite holiday activity, but the kids had wanted to play with Elijah, and he adored that, so he didn’t argue.
Thayer eyed him considerably, tipping his head to the side. “Daddy, you’re shorter than Eli, right?”
Alistair gave his son a mock-flat look. “Why are you pointing that out?”
“I’m taller than Hazel. If you pick me up, will we be taller than them?”
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. That wasn’t a terrible idea. “Let’s find out.”
Setting his task aside, he scooped his son up and put him on his shoulders like he’d done a thousand times before.
Both kids were turning eleven soon, it would steadily become more difficult, but he refused to say no when they asked to be picked up.
Even if Thayer always pulled his hair when he sat on his shoulders.
He straightened slowly, the ceilings weren’t exactly tall, and chuckled when he had to remain partially ducked to not squash his son.
“I don’t think we can do a fair comparison inside,” Elijah pointed out with a smirk. “Should we try again outside?”
Everyone agreed, and they set the children down so they could put on jackets and boots. When they opened the door, the kids shrieked, jumping up and down in their excitement.
“It’s snowing!” they shouted in unison.
It had been snowing for over an hour now, but the kids hadn’t noticed, too busy decorating and baking cookies.
They spent a good thirty minutes decorating Helios’s cat tree, much to the large cat’s smug satisfaction.
It was a good thing they hadn’t noticed before now.
The delay meant there was enough snow on the ground to play instead of just a light dusting.
The height test was momentarily forgotten as the kids ran outside, making tiny snow people and snow angels, while Elijah found a good stick to write their names in fancy script in the fluffy white powder.
Alistair added a little magic to the mix, making the letters sparkle, and he was glad the kids were outside with the screeches that followed.
He would have feared for his hearing if they’d been inside.
“Daddy! You and Eli have to do snow angels too!” Hazel demanded.
Elijah, happy to be included, went along without a fuss, but protective instincts made Alistair pause. Elijah’s jacket wasn’t as warm as his or the kids’. It was a cute little wool thing, but would definitely not keep him warm, or dry, for long if he got it all wet.
I guess you’ll just have to warm me up afterward, Elijah purred in his mind.
I won’t complain about that, he shot back with a smirk, letting Hazel lead him to a patch of mostly undisturbed snow.
He took Elijah’s hand as they sat down and laid back spreading their arms and legs to make a proper snow angel.
When they stood again, they were careful not to disturb their creations, stepping to the side to get a good look.
“Aw! They’re holding hands!” Hazel cooed, delighted.
Thayer made a face. “Gross.”
Elijah snickered, shaking his head at the protest. Thayer was at the age where anything lovey dovey was gross, and if he caught Elijah and Alistair kissing, he acted like he was dying.
It was entertaining to say the very least, and sometimes Alistair pulled Elijah into a kiss just to see Thayer’s theatrics.
It was the way Elijah shivered that told Alistair it was time to go back inside. He’d be buying his mate a new coat as soon as the kids went back to their mother’s. Elijah deserved to have fun, but he shouldn’t have to suffer to accomplish it.
Elijah leaned into him, his smile full of love and devotion. “I’m alright. I promise.”
“You’ll be better inside. Who wants hot cocoa?” The last part was asked a little louder so the kids could hear. They both threw their hands into the air.
“Me! Me!”
It was a quick and easy way to get them inside, and Alistair didn’t feel bad doing it. But before they could head in, Thayer stopped them by running ahead and throwing his hands out, blocking the path.
“Wait! We don’t know who’s taller yet!”
Elijah nodded seriously. “That was our original intention coming out here. We’ll make it quick, then go have something warm to drink.”
Together, they kneeled, giving the kids the ability to clamber up their backs and onto their shoulders. Once he was sure Thayer was steady, he stood, straightening to his full height with a smug smirk.
He must have momentarily forgotten that Elijah had hunched for so long to keep his head down that he didn’t often straighten to his full height. They were working on that, but it still surprised him when Elijah straightened fully.
Maybe he was being kind to himself by saying there was only two inches between them…
Hazel shot a smug grin at her brother, her own back straight as an arrow to add more height. “We win.”
Thayer stuck his tongue out at her, crossing his arms with a grumpy pout. Rolling his eyes, Alistair summoned some magic, lifting him off the ground a few inches to hover there. It was cheating, but no one seemed to mind, and they all laughed at his attempt to even the odds.
That was sexy, Elijah told him as they stripped off their coats inside. I love watching you use your magic.
Alistair winked at him, sneaking a kiss while the kids weren’t watching.
He’d needed to regularly exercise his magic after the bands came off, the time cut off did some damage, and he needed to recuperate, but he knew Elijah loved to watch him practice and didn’t judge him for not immediately having the same strength he used to.
He needed that constant reassurance sometimes when he got frustrated with himself.
Pushing that thought away, he focused on what he had now.
He’d been terrified at one point that he’d never get to have moments like this again.
Terrified enough to take the bands and cut himself off from his magic, just to get his kids back.
Now, thanks to Elijah, he had his family back and his magic, and he couldn’t ask for anything else.
“Are the cookies done cooling?” Thayer asked, peeking at them on the cooling rack while Alistair warmed a pot on the stove for hot cocoa.
“Well, let’s see,” Elijah replied, washing his hands first before coming to join him and carefully picking up a cookie. He offered it to Thayer, who held his breath as he placed it in his palm.
“It’s not hot anymore!” he cheered. “That means we can decorate them, right? I want to bring some to Mommy!”
Elijah nodded, smiling. “That’s a good idea. Let’s get the decorations pulled out while your dad is making cocoa. Hazel, do you want to help?”
They looked around with a frown. Where was his daughter?
“Hazel?”
A giggle caught their attention from the living room and they all crept out together, poking their heads out to see what was happening. His heart melted at what he found.
Unlike his son, who showed off whatever magic he’d learned the second he learned it, Hazel had always been a little shy with it.
She let her brother hog the stage, only doing what was expected of her in her classes and keeping her head down.
However, while she was alone, she apparently had a lot more control than she let on.
She stood by the cat tree, using her magic to make feathers they’d brought inside a few weeks prior dance in the air so Helios could bat at them.
Her control of them was amazing. It wasn’t just swirling wind, which was expected at her age.
She made the feathers jump just out of reach of Helios’s paw, tickling his ears and belly with just enough magic to control them.
It was intricate magic, the kind of magic Isaac could do, and it took his breath away.
Thayer, oblivious to the quiet moment, scurried into the room, demanding his sister teach him the spell. She looked startled for a moment, she hadn’t expected to be caught, but with an encouraging smile from Elijah and Alistair, she set aside her shyness to help her brother.
Watching the two of them do magic, surrounded by sparkling lights and the smell of green earth and citrus, with soft music playing in the background, was exactly what he’d hoped for this holiday season.
And when Elijah leaned against his side, watching the twins practice with a happy sigh, he had to close his eyes for a moment to pull himself together.
He never thought he’d be this happy. He had his kids back, the love of his life by his side, and the connection to his family and the spirits thrummed happily in his chest, keeping him grounded and connected in a way he’d never thought he’d get back. He couldn’t ask for a better holiday.