Chapter 3
Polar bear shifter Hunter McAdams rolled his shoulders as he walked out of the security office in Northernmost, his shift finally over. He followed the hallway underground to his apartment to grab his bag and his brother, Winter.
As a Yuletide Guardian, one of nine shifters who worked for Santa keeping the Well of Magic—and Santa and his elves—safe, Hunter had been living at the North Pole since he turned eighteen and had been chosen to train for the important job.
His brother Winter was a Guardian, and their oldest brother Storm had been a Guardian until he met his truemate last December when she accidentally fell through the Portal into Northernmost. As a human, Seren wasn’t allowed to live in Northernmost, so they’d brought in a replacement for him, and the couple had headed to the clan’s home in Arctic Springs, Pennsylvania.
“How was your shift?” Winter asked. He was sitting on the couch in the gathering area for the polar bears that was connected to the individual apartments.
“Cold.”
“It’ll get worse since it’s Solstice.”
“I know,” he said, shaking his head. “But I don’t mind the cold since we get to go home for the night.”
Normally, because Jack Frost spent the time leading up to Christmas Day trying to kill his brother, Santa, and take over the Well of Magic, it was all-hands-on-deck in the security office, and no one took time off.
Santa had made an exception for Winter and Hunter because Storm’s little boy, Hale, had been born a week early, and the clan was having a big party to celebrate.
Jack Frost was too busy spreading ice and cold over the world to bother with trying to get into Northernmost or take out any of the security team, so they were fairly certain it was safe to be away for the night and return in the morning.
“I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes,” he said. “Lemme change and grab my bag.”
“Orin’s asleep,” Winter said, mentioning the polar bear who’d replaced their brother, one of the clan members. “He asked if we’d stop at his parents’ and drop off something his dad asked him to pick up for his little sister.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Winter changed out of his uniform and cleaned up, dressing in comfortable jeans and a thick hoodie.
While shifters didn’t tend to get cold, it was going to be very cold once Frost hit the States with his magic, and he didn’t want to get stuck outside waiting for the portal in the morning and freezing his nips off.
After running a hand through his white-blond hair, he grabbed his puffer coat and his backpack, excited to meet his nephew Hale.
The name made his chest tighten. He was so happy for his brother, but he also wanted that for himself. He wanted to find his truemate and start a family.
Someday freaking soon.
Striding from the apartment, he shouldered his backpack and grabbed the baby gift that the elves had helped him and Winter put together, while Winter stood with his own backpack and Orin’s package under his arm.
They made their way through the corridors to the surface, bracing against the cold and walking out into the chilly, frozen terrain.
The elves had cleared paths from the main building to the Well of Magic and the Portal.
While magical people could open a portal from anywhere in the world to Northernmost, they all opened at the Portal, and the security team ensured that there were staff to keep everyone safe.
Shifters weren’t magical so they couldn’t open portals on their own, which was why they were meeting their elf escorts at the Portal. The Portal was already glowing as its magic was being tapped, and three elves stood by it.
“Hey, guys, ready to go?” Griffin asked.
“Yep,” Winter said. “Thanks for opening the portal for us and covering my shift.”
“You bet. Say hi to Storm for us,” Ventura said.
The elves activated the Portal, and it opened, and they could see their clan’s territory. Once they checked out the area to ensure it was safe, they wished them well.
“We’ll open the portal here tomorrow morning at seven,” Griffin said. “If anything changes, just holler.”
“Will do,” Hunter said.
The portal closed and they turned around, seeing the freshly fallen snow. He took a moment to inhale the sweet smell of the snow and the trees.
Home.
“It’s good to be here,” he said.
“Agreed. Let’s go check in with the folks and meet our new nephew!”
The town of Arctic Springs was tucked in northern Pennsylvania, deep in the wilderness. They moved through the woods toward their parents’ home.
Hunter inhaled and grinned. “Smells like Mom made her cinnamon apple cider.”
“Hell yes,” Winter said.
They made their way to their parents’ home, which was next to their brother’s home. Since Hunter and Winter lived in Northernmost, they didn’t have homes in town and stayed with their parents when they visited.
After stomping the snow from their boots, they left their gear on the covered back porch and walked inside.
“Boys?” their mom called.
“Yeah, Ma,” Winter said.
“Come on back and say hi. We’re all in the kitchen!”
The living room was packed with family, all gathered around the newest member. Storm and Seren were on the couch, little Hale wrapped in blue blankets and snoozing in her arms.
Damn, he wanted that.
Winter handed the gift to Storm. Storm stood and hugged them both and then rejoined his mate. Hunter squatted down and patted Seren’s knee. “Congratulations, you two. He’s gorgeous.”
“Have a seat and hold him,” she said. “I’m ready to stretch my legs and get a refill of that awesome cider.”
“I’ll help you, babe,” Storm said.
Hunter sat and took Hale in his arms while his brother and sister-in-law went off into the kitchen. When they returned, they opened the gift—a quilt made by the elves depicting polar bears romping under the Northern Lights and a soft, squishy polar bear stuffed animal.
“Oh, you guys,” Seren said. “Thank you so much.”
“You look amazing. How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Good. Tired. But the clan healer gave me some amazing tea that was infused with fairy magic, and oh my gosh, I feel incredible considering I had him two days ago. I’m so glad that you could come to the celebration tonight.”
“I’m glad we could too. Orin sends his congrats. I’m sure he’ll visit after the holidays.”
He gave the baby back to Seren a little while later and helped his mom in the kitchen with dinner.
After the big meal, they walked as a group to Alpha Klaus’s home, where he welcomed the baby to the clan.
The clan gave gifts to the couple for the new baby, and then everyone stayed to hang out except for Storm and Seren, who headed home to rest with their little one.
After it was well past midnight and he’d immensely enjoyed hanging out with the clan, he stepped outside into the cold night air, resting his hands on the rails of the back porch. It was snowing heavily now, and the moonlight made the falling snow look like stars.
He’d been feeling strange for the last hour or so, and couldn’t figure out what was going on with him.
He wondered if his polar bear was just ready to find his truemate, especially after seeing his brother so happy.
But how the heck was he going to meet his truemate if he didn’t leave Northernmost that often?
He took a deep breath, and his heart clenched, a prickle of unease gripping his neck.
Something wasn’t right.
Frowning, he scanned the area but didn’t see anything at first.
He walked back into the house and grabbed his coat, telling his parents he was going for a walk. He wasn’t sure there was anything wrong, but his years as a Guardian urged him to investigate.
Hopefully it was nothing.
But if it was something, he’d be ready.
* * *
He followed his polar bear’s lead, looking around as he moved through the area. Movement caught his attention near the edge of the territory. Someone was leaning out of a window.
His instincts kicked in. A burglar? Here?
Only an idiot would try to steal from someone in the clan, but he couldn’t dismiss what he was seeing. Someone, who he couldn’t quite make out because of the shadows, was exiting the second-floor window of the home.
Moving on instinct, he crossed the snow in quick, silent strides and reached the house just as the person let out a startled yelp and plummeted toward him. He surged forward, arms outstretched, and caught the falling figure.
A feminine oof as she landed in his arms told him it was a female he’d caught. She smelled like flowers and starlight and his heart pounded as he made eye contact with her.
A beautiful female with pale hair gazed at him in surprise, and the tops of her wings, trapped against his arm, shimmered in the moonlight.
He felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest.
No fucking way.
His whole world tilted as the truth of what had happened was playing on repeat in his mind. His bear let out a roar of recognition.
Truemate.
The word hit him like a freight train, and he found himself overcome with the desire to fall to his knees and thank his lucky stars.
She blinked at him and said, “Well, that was unexpected.”
He stared at her in surprise and then chuckled. “You always go sneaking out of people’s houses in the middle of the night?”
“Only when I’m collecting teeth.”
His brain misfired for a moment as he stared at her. Then he realized what she’d said. “You’re a tooth fairy.”
“Yep. And you’re… a polar bear? You smell like snow.”
She wiggled in his arms, and he put her down, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. “Yes, I am. I’m Hunter.”
“Pixie.”
“I’ve never seen a tooth fairy,” he said. “I actually just figured you guys somehow called the teeth to yourselves and didn’t actually go into houses.”
“Normally you wouldn’t see me or any other tooth fairy because of our shadow magic, which makes us relatively invisible.
I tripped in the bedroom on a toy car and nearly fell out of the window.
Then I felt someone nearby, and my grip on the ledge slipped.
I’m usually not so uncoordinated. Thanks for catching me. ”
“Anytime.”
They stared at each other for a long, quiet moment, and then she smiled at him. “You’re my truemate. It’s why I felt you. I… this is crazy. I was just assigned to this territory, and I’ve never even been in Pennsylvania before! Holy crap.”
Holy crap indeed.
If he hadn’t come home, he might have missed seeing her.
Fate was on his side tonight, thank freaking goodness.