Chapter 12
After Pixie woke up in the infirmary and made sure that Hunter was okay and they hadn’t lost anyone during the battle with Frost and his asshole followers, she was surprised to learn how her family had come to the aid of the Guardians and security team.
They’d stayed until she woke up, and her entire family—siblings and mates included—had been instrumental in turning the tide of victory and driving Frost’s forces away.
The good news out of everything, aside from the fact that her wings were unfrozen and still worked, was that Azure, Frost’s number two, had died. That was a blow to his chain of command and a chink in his armor.
After getting dressed and eating lunch in the dining hall with Hunter, her family, all the Guardians and the mates of those who had them, they said goodbye to her family and made plans to head to Pennsylvania to spend Christmas Day with his family.
While the Guardians got a week off from their duties at the North Pole to be with their families, she still had to work each night because kids didn’t take breaks from losing teeth and believing in the tooth fairy.
“So you’ve never had a vacation?” Hunter asked as he stuffed clothes into a backpack.
“Um, well, yeah, I have. There are fairies who can fill in when needed. Like, for example, if you and I were to go on a special sort of vacation, someone would cover for me while we were gone.”
He gave her a long, quiet look and then smiled. “The kind of special vacation where you might have some brand new jewelry and we might want to get away from everything for a bit?”
She nodded.
“Ah,” he said. “I’d say that it’s similar for the Guardians, too, because while there are security team members who can fill in, the only real, long vacation we get is right after Christmas.”
“It makes sense,” she said. She finished filling up her bag and zipped it closed. “It’s safest in Northernmost right after Christmas. Has Frost ever attacked during the year?”
“Sure,” he said. “He always seems to be testing the boundaries, looking for magical people to abduct. He doesn’t attack as frequently as he does in December, though.
There’s always a ramp-up of his attacks heading into the holidays, but he does seem to enjoy messing with Northernmost and his brother unexpectedly. ”
She shook her head. “I wish he wasn’t evil. My dad said that as far as he knows, he’s the first Jack Frost to turn evil. No others before him ever turned to dark magic and tried to take over.”
It must be hard for Santa to know that his brother was so twisted with dark magic that he wanted him dead and to turn everyone with magic to darkness too. Her siblings drove her nuts at times, but she couldn’t imagine hating them so much as to want to see them harmed.
“It’s rough,” he said. “They’ve both lost people they care about, but Santa’s determined to stop his brother.”
“Then there would be no Jack Frost though. What would happen to the balance in nature?”
“I’m not sure, but I know that Santa has a plan for every situation that might arise.”
She let that roll around in her head for a bit, but her attention quickly turned to her sexy mate. He was so precious to her. He not only rocked her world every time they tumbled into bed, but he was so protective. He’d saved her life and fought hard to get her to safety.
And he was pretty damn easy on the eyes too.
He shouldered his pack with a soft growl, his eyes flashing to the amber of his beast. “You’ve got something on your mind, beautiful?”
“Just thinking sexy thoughts.”
He wiggled his brows. “I’ve got a surprise for you when we get to Arctic Springs.”
“A sexy surprise?”
He nodded once, his eyes flashing again, and then he offered her his hand.
She took it, a little zing of electricity passing between them as they touched.
Had anyone in the world ever been so attracted to someone else? She doubted it. She could tell how much he was turned on too—his masculine scent deepened and his skin flushed.
She glanced at the bed and he chuckled in a knowing way.
“Let’s get to the clan first, and then we’ll see about that sexy surprise.
You’ve got work tonight, and I’m going to miss you like crazy.
” He hauled her close. Giving a nip to her neck near the spot where he’d marked her, he whispered, “You’ve made me the happiest polar bear on the planet, Pixie. I’m so glad you’re mine.”
Her heart swelled and she smiled, her eyes stinging a little. “I’m so glad you’re mine too.”
After a tense moment passed, where she was pretty sure he was debating if they should tumble in the sheets once more, he let out a low, sexy growl. “We should go. Surprises await.”
They caught up to Winter and Orin and walked through the corridors, making their way topside so they could get to the Portal and she could take them to their home.
Her new home.
The island would always be home to her because of her family, but she also had two new homes as well—the clan town and Northernmost.
As they passed by the offices, she saw fairy wings and paused.
There were a handful of males walking down the hall toward Santa’s office, and she recognized Tooth Fairy in the midst of them, talking in a low voice to someone Pixie didn’t recognize.
“Wonder what that’s about?” Pixie asked.
“Well, Santa is friends with all the most powerful people, like Mother Nature and Sandman. Maybe they’re having a meeting.”
“That makes sense,” she said.
They continued their walk down the corridor, heading outside where several security team members waited to ensure they were safe as they used the Portal to go to the polar bear territory.
“Say goodbye to Northernmost until New Year’s Day,” Hunter said.
“And then we can build my fairy garden, and I’ll be ready when my territory switches to the top of the world.” She touched the magical tattoo on her arm and smiled. So much had changed for her since she’d met Hunter.
It had only been a few days, but she felt like they’d lived a hundred years already.
They’d had their share of close calls, but they’d come out on the other side in triumph, closer than ever and looking forward to their time off.
The three words that she’d been thinking since he’d saved her life outside of Northernmost were stuck in her throat. She’d imagined something more romantic happening when she told him how she felt about him.
Walking through Northernmost to the Portal with his friends didn’t seem like the right moment. She didn’t want to rush it.
The moment would be right when it was right and not a moment before.
“Storm and Seren are hosting us for dinner tonight,” Hunter said as they waited for the security team to check that all was safe on the other side of the Portal. She could see the snowy woods through the Portal.
“Sounds fun. When do we get to exchange gifts?” she asked. “We kind of skipped the Christmas morning by the tree thing.”
“Gifts?” he asked, giving her a look that was all mock surprise and confusion.
“Nice try,” she said with a chuckle. “You’re too sweet to not get me something. It’s our first Christmas together.”
“It’s part of the surprise I have for you.”
“I can’t wait.”
The security team cleared them and wished them happy holidays.
“We’ll be back on New Year’s,” Orin said. “Take care, guys.”
The portal closed behind them, and she inhaled the sweet scent of pine and snow that surrounded her.
“See you later tonight,” Orin said. “My family’s waiting, and my little sister already texted me three times about taking so long to show up because she wants to open gifts.”
“Bye,” Hunter said. They said goodbye to Winter and stood in the woods for a few moments. “Ready?”
“Lead the way,” Pixie said.
She assumed they were going to his parents’ home because that’s where he stayed when he was in town, but they walked past their house and continued through the woods to a small home with dark green shutters and a pine tree in the center of the front yard, decorated with string lights and bright red poinsettias.
“Whose house is this?” she asked.
Hunter opened the front door and smiled. “It’s ours.”
“What?”
“I stayed with my parents because I was only home a couple times a year and never needed a place of my own. The clan’s construction company started building homes using materials from a big job that got canceled and used land my parents gave to the project.
This house was finished a couple months ago, and Storm told me he thought it was waiting for me to find my truemate.
He turned out to be right. When we met, I called my folks and asked if they could stock the fridge and get it ready for us so we could just come in, and they were so happy to do it. ”
She walked inside and stomped the snow from her boots before taking them off and setting them on a tray next to the door. He shut the door and followed suit, then took her hand and led her into the house.
As she stood in the family room with a sectional sofa and flat-screen TV, the fireplace crackling with a fire and the scent of cinnamon and sugar in the air, she was overwhelmed.
“Oh, sweetheart, are you okay?” he asked.
“Is this your surprise?” she asked. “Because it’s really great.”
“Part of it,” he said, brushing at the tears on her cheeks.
“You’re so sweet. I’m just… so very crazy about you.”
“I’m crazy about you too. But that’s not quite how I want to phrase it.”
There was a tense pause, and then they both blurted, “I love you” at the same time.
He drew her close, his bear rumbling in his chest.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Pixie. I love you.”
“You catching me when I fell out of that window was the best night of my life, but every night after that has been amazing too. I love you.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” He scooped her up into his arms and strode out of the family room.
“Another surprise?” she asked.
“A sexy detour. I’ve got a few more surprises up my sleeve, but we just said how we feel about each other and we need to celebrate.”
“Merry Christmas, sexy bear.”
He kissed her and then continued down a hall to the master bedroom, where they took turns driving each other wild.
It was the best Christmas ever.