Chapter Four
Their absence didn’t go unnoticed, and Elijah felt his cheeks burn at the whistles and catcalls when they re-entered the room.
He’d originally stepped out to help Alistair settle, but he had an inability to resist his mate when he started kissing him.
Even after six months of love and attention, he still felt touch starved some days, and Alistair’s easy affection always made him feel better.
During their time away, the party had moved back to the living room, dragging chairs in from the dining room so everyone had a place to sit.
The sun had gone down while they were enjoying their meal, and the tree by the window seemed to glow not only with lights but with magical energy, like it was soaking in the love and happiness in the room.
Elijah was pleased when Alistair sat them near it, taking the chair near his brother and Maverick, who were the only ones not waggling their eyebrows at them.
“Is that everyone?” Avery asked. He was standing near the overflowing pile of presents, Ozen at his side ready to assist him in handing things out.
Taron looked around, then squawked in protest when he realized one of his mates was missing. “Zeph! Get your gorgeous ass in here! It’s gift time!”
He seemed to learn from his prank because the pixies didn’t reappear, which was good. The room was crowded and many people would have gotten covered in glitter if Kian had included that word as well.
When Zephyr didn't immediately come out of the kitchen, Taron went looking for him, too impatient to wait.
What followed was a squeal and crashing, followed by deep laughter, and when Zephyr came back into the room, Taron was tossed over his shoulder like a prized deer, kicking his legs, his hands somehow bound with a towel behind his back.
“Hey, save the kinky stuff for at home!” Isaac called out.
Zephyr just smirked, dropping Taron onto the couch next to Tony and leaning to kiss the sweet man on the lips. “Brought you a present, baby.”
Tony chuckled, shaking his head. “You know he’s going to get you back for that, right?”
Zephyr shrugged, getting comfortable on the floor against Tony’s good leg.
It took some flopping around for Taron to sit up, and he needed Tony’s help to free his hands. Apparently, Kian helped by spelling the towel for Zephyr earlier, so it wouldn’t come undone unless someone else untied it.
“Oh, you’re so on!” Taron grumbled. “Both of you are officially going to get it.”
“Oooh, officially?” Kian taunted playfully. “Will there be paperwork involved?”
“Alright, alright,” Ozen interrupted before Taron could really get going, an amused smile on his face. “Let’s start with the exchange, shall we?”
Most of the gifts were simple enough. Elijah had knitted scarves for everyone, and they were accepted with appreciative smiles and words of gratitude.
Isaac, who had been dabbling in potions in his spare time, had something for everyone.
Nothing too crazy, pain potions, hangover cures, that sort of thing, but he’d put the time and effort into them, and everyone seemed happy with them.
Alistair had created ornaments for everyone.
The spells attached to them made the interior swirl and sparkle constantly, and the ooh’s and ahh’s made his anchor grimace, not fully comfortable with the attention.
He settled with a touch from Elijah, and Avery moved on to the next gift after noticing his discomfort. He was a good friend.
Gifts of treats and trinkets were handed out.
Elijah nearly cried when he received the art piece from Tony of him and Alistair looking at each other.
It was just their faces, but there was so much love in that look that Elijah felt overwhelmed with it.
Alistair’s carried just as much emotion, though it was a picture of his children laughing.
The way Alistair seemed to stare at it even as they moved on to the next gift told Elijah how much it meant to him, even if he didn’t have direct access to his anchor’s thoughts.
Doing okay?
Alistair drew in a shaky breath, nodding once. I’m good. It feels real, though, doesn’t it? Like it could come to life.
It really did. Tony had a grasp on realism that was outstanding.
He could be an artist full-time if he wished to.
He made a mental note to mention it later.
He doubted Tony would change careers, he was happy helping his mate, but he deserved to know how much his art meant to his friends at the very least.
The closer they got to the bottom of the pile, the more the anticipation seemed to dial up in the room. Elijah looked around, confused, at the way people were staring at a basket of envelopes on the table. He leaned toward Isaac, whispering, “Why does it feel like people are holding their breath?”
Isaac tipped his head toward the basket, his eyes narrowed on it. “Those are Taron’s presents. They’ve been getting weirder every year. We’re all waiting to see what insanity he’s going to gift us with next.”
Elijah shot a confused frown at Alistair, who just shrugged.
He was a little on edge himself, but he was picking up on the energy of the room, and it was making him uncomfortable.
Elijah focused on soothing him, using a little magic to ease his mind.
He gave his attention back to the proceedings when Taron swaggered up to the table, taking Avery’s place with a smarmy smirk.
“Thank you, Avery. Leaving the best for last is a good idea.”
Avery shook his head, stepping back to lean against Ozen. “That wasn’t why I waited. I wanted the nice part to be over before the chaos started.”
“Rude,” Taron chided. “You’re lucky this year’s gifts are already wrapped, or I’d consider switching yours out.
” Spinning on his heel, he faced the room, a beaming grin on his face.
“Alright, gentlemen. There are new rules with my gifts this year. Like last year, trading is allowed, however all coupons must be handed out first. You’re not allowed to get physical, no wrestling matches, and no magic allowed. ”
Elijah’s brows furrowed with every additional rule. “Is he making things up on the spot or–”
“No,” Isaac shook his head quickly. “Those rules are absolutely necessary. Last year got a little messy.”
What in the world?
“A new rule this year. The coupons can only be traded three times. Afterward, they’ll be attached to their owner, and no one else can take them, not even after the party is over.
And as a reminder, only one coupon can be used per person.
And only one coupon per day!” he added quickly.
“You will not hand them all to me at once like last time!”
Snorting, Alistair murmured, “Now I really want to know. What is he offering that requires this many rules?”
Taron, who heard him, winked. “You’re about to find out. Remember, you can look once they’re handed to you, but no trading until everyone has their gift.”
He started with Ozen, handing him a colorful envelope with a smile. “To my oldest friend. I hope you enjoy it.”
Ozen opened his coupon, raising an eyebrow at the contents. “Dramatic bed time story?”
Taron beamed, unfazed by his flat tone. “I know sometimes you have trouble sleeping, so I thought that might help. And to my favorite author.” He handed Avery another envelope, chuckling when Avery only looked confused.
“What makes a picnic aggressively enthusiastic? Why does this feel like a threat?”
As Taron went around the group, Elijah began to understand why people were both excited and terrified of Taron’s gifts. The coupons were all chaos and playfulness, but with just enough thought in them to be considered sweet. By some people anyway.
“Dramatic kazoo serenade?” Maverick grumbled. “What the hell is that?”
“You’ll have to use the coupon to find out,” Taron chirped happily before stepping in front of Elijah. “And you, my favorite telepathic friend. Your gift.”
“Do you even know any other telepaths?” Elijah asked, amused, as he opened his envelope.
“Nope. It doesn’t matter, though. You’ll always be my favorite.”
Pulling out the fancy white cardstock with the intricate handwriting, he read aloud the contents like everyone else had. “Use this coupon for a friend date. Meal is on me and entertainment is guaranteed.”
Warmth spread in his chest and he swallowed hard.
He hadn’t expected to even be invited to this party, much less be part of the fun.
Even after Taron had invited him, he’d expected to remain on the outskirts like he always had before.
But not only did Taron pull him into his playfulness, he also made the coupon with Elijah in mind; nothing too intense, just a simple outing with a friend.
It meant more than Taron probably knew, and when Elijah looked up at him again, his smile was genuine. “Thank you, Taron. It means a lot.”
Taron, who had been pawing in the basket for Alistair’s coupon, froze, jerking his head up in surprise. “You… You like it that much?”
Elijah nodded, hugging the coupon to his chest. “I love it. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait too long to use it.”
Taron looked a little confused by Elijah’s response, but a slow smile spread across his face, and when he spun around, he pointed at Elijah and crowed, “Elijah is officially my bestie. Kian, you’re out.”
Kian just snorted. “Uh huh. Remind me, who is going to play pranks with you?”
Taron hesitated, looking questioningly over his shoulder at Elijah, who shook his head. He liked being friends with Taron, but he wasn’t interested in participating in all the pranks Taron pulled. As he worked in SR, he’d end up being a buzzkill.
“Fine. Kian’s my prank bestie. Elijah, you’re my Christmas bestie.”
Laughing, Elijah nodded. “I’ll take it.”
Taron still looked a little stunned by Elijah’s genuine happiness over his gift, and it took him a second to hand Alistair his coupon, some of his flourish missing as true joy took its place.
Taron shook his head like he was trying to clear it, that easy smile coming back as he spoke. “And to you, my newest partner in crime. You’ve had a long year, so I decided you deserved to be spoiled a little. Behold, the golden ticket.”
To his and Alistair’s surprise, everyone leaned forward a little, watching with intense eyes as Alistair pulled an actual gold coupon out of his envelope.
Elijah leaned to read it, even while Alistair read it out loud.
“The owner of this coupon gets one day of no chaos. No pranks, no work interruptions, no surprise home visits. In addition, Taron will also protect you from any outside stressors, giving you one day of peace.”
The clamoring started immediately, people holding up their coupons for trade and shouting at Alistair, offering him additions on top of their coupons to get him to trade with them. It was too much for Alistair, who stepped back automatically, pulling Elijah with him with a growl.
Unwilling to let his anchor suffer, Elijah let out a pulse of his magic, just enough to silence the room. He turned to Taron.
“Can we make a new rule? Trading volume should be kept at an appropriate level.”
Taron nodded in agreement. “He’s right. Cool your jets, people. I’ve still got coupons to hand out, and there’s no need to shout.”
His friends didn’t panic at Elijah’s use of his magic or get angry.
It surprised them, but it was meant to do just that and whispered apologies followed after they realized what they’d done.
Elijah felt a profound sense of relief that he could truly be himself with this group without fear of scaring them off.
While Taron handed out the rest of the coupons, Elijah turned to Alistair, rubbing a soothing hand on his chest until he let out a breath and the tension eased from his face. To relax him a little, he teased, “How’s it feel to have all the power?”
Alistair huffed, raising an eyebrow at him. “My mate just silenced a room full of powerful supes with just a thought. Do you really think I need a coupon if I want a moment of peace?”
Elijah shrugged, grinning at him. “I guess that means you can hold out for the best trade for it.”