Chapter 5
Gabriel couldn’t think of anything better than waking up with Ana in his arms. She was so warm and smelled so sweet, and he’d slept better than he’d ever remembered. The room was dark because there were no windows underground, and he didn’t keep any lights on while he slept.
When she woke a little while later, he’d been deep in thought about how they’d met, the threats from both Jack Frost and Nightmare, and what it all meant.
While shifters didn’t have magic to replenish at the Well, if Frost took it over and turned it evil, goodness would cease to exist, good magic users would become human, and evil would run amok.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?” Ana whispered.
He rolled to his side to face her, even though he couldn’t really see anything but a darker shadow in the darkness. “The word amok.”
“What?” she asked with a chuckle.
“It was a wild train of thought. I was thinking about how we met, Frost’s and Nightmare’s threats, and what would happen to good magic users if Frost took over the Well.”
“Ah,” she said. “Evil would run amok.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s a good word.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “Yeah, it is.” He sighed and drew a little closer to her, wrapping his arms around her.
“Every year, Frost gets more devious and more dangerous. Last year, he nearly killed one of the Guardians to save himself from a binding spell cast by Emberlin, who lives here in Northernmost. I don’t think anyone is safe, really. He has zero morals.”
“It’s safer here, and I feel very safe with you.”
“I’m glad. I would do anything to keep you safe.”
“Can I see you shift sometime?”
“Absolutely. My wolf would love to spend time with you.”
They snuggled for a bit, their gentle touches and chatting turning hot and heavy before the embrace led them to the shower, where she came apart with the sweetest moan he’d ever heard.
He was falling hard for her and they hadn’t even spent a whole day together.
They left the apartment and headed toward the cafeteria, which was staffed by elves.
“So what’s it like to use your magic?” he asked, holding her hand as they walked through the halls leading to the cafeteria on the surface level of the main building.
“I use something called slumber magic. Do you know about tooth fairies and their shadow magic?”
“Yes,” he said. “One of the polar bears has a tooth fairy named Pixie for a mate. She uses a special portal Frost can’t track to collect teeth so she can leave Northernmost and still be safe.”
“That’s cool,” she said. “So similar to shadow magic, my slumber magic is like a cloak I can pull around myself. It makes me invisible to anyone but other dream walkers. When I’m using slumber magic, I can see the dreams people are having and change them.
Make them happier, make them sweeter. I replenish my slumber magic with the joy and peace that come from the people having good dreams.”
They reached the cafeteria, and since it was late morning, the room was mostly empty. Grabbing trays, they selected food from the buffet, picked up coffees, and sat at one of the tables.
He lifted a maple syrup container and liberally poured it over his tall stack of pancakes. “Tell me about Nightmare and the magic that he uses.”
Her expression darkened and her upper lip curled in a grimace.
He’d heard of Nightmare, of course. He was Sandman’s dark counterpart.
Where Sandman gave good dreams, Nightmare corrupted dreams and made them scary and violent.
His followers were like Frost’s and gave up their goodness for the power that was promised to them.
She told him about the dark dream walkers’ dread magic, which corrupted good dreams and replenished Nightmare’s and his followers’ magic.
She explained how her magic, different and more powerful than traditional slumber magic, eradicated nightmares and sucked the essence of that magic from Nightmare.
“That’s why he targeted you?” Gabriel asked.
“I suppose, but he never really said why he wanted me by his side. I suspect he wants to use my magic to help Frost with his ultimate goal, but how that would work is anyone’s guess.”
They ate in silence for a while, then Gabriel said, “He’s a nasty guy. Dangerous.”
“Who is?” Sebastian asked as he and his mate Emberlin stopped at the table.
“Nightmare,” Gabriel said. “Guys, this is my mate Ana. She’s a dream walker. Sweetheart, this is Sebastian and Emberlin. She’s a fire witch and he’s part of the Guardians and in my pack.”
“I’m also his cousin, which makes us all family. Nice to meet you,” Sebastian said.
Emberlin smiled brightly. “Welcome to Northernmost and the family.”
“Are you taking off for a few days?” Sebastian asked.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Gabriel said.
“Why would you take off work?” Ana asked.
“Because when a Guardian finds his mate, he usually takes a few days to celebrate. A mini honeymoon of sorts,” Gabriel said.
“Oh,” she said with a hum. “I just want to know if I can go home and pack some clothes. I think I’m here for a while, until things settle down with Nightmare.”
“I have clothes you can borrow,” Emberlin said. “Or there’s a shop in the building with clothes and supplies that should tide you over.”
“Thank you,” Ana said.
The couple said goodbye and walked over to the buffet, and Gabriel said, “I should take at least the day off so we can spend it together.”
“Just one day?” she asked, her eyes glittering with humor.
“It is our busy season with danger, but I will definitely make it worth your while.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear.”
After breakfast, they went to Santa’s office and spoke to him about the next few weeks. He asked Ana not to go home for the time being and suggested that Pixie could stop and pick up a few things for her because she was protected with wards.
“And,” he said thoughtfully, “so is Aralyn. If Pixie can’t make time to stop at your home, Aralyn could do it when she goes out reaping.”
“She’s a reaper?” Ana asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Santa said. “Her mate is Maverick, and her uncle is Grim. Frost has sworn to leave Aralyn alone, and she has a special ward to keep herself safe as she travels. I wouldn’t trust my brother in any way, but he is definitely afraid of Grim.”
“Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of Grim,” Gabriel said.
Santa nodded. To Ana he said, “Would you be willing to use your magic around Northernmost? You and Gabriel could work the same shift and you’d be safe, not just with a Guardian as a mate but because the territory is protected with magical wards.”
“That sounds good to me,” Ana said. “After we take the day to ourselves? Since we just met.”
“Of course,” Santa said. “Take a few days if you’d like, it’s still early in the month and we have the staff to cover.”
They left his office and stopped to visit Aralyn, the reaper, and her snow leopard mate, Maverick. Aralyn was happy to stop at Ana’s home to pick up whatever she needed when she headed out that night for her shift.
As Gabriel took Ana on a tour of Northernmost, she said, “I’d like to video chat my family so I can tell them about you.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” he said. “My family will be so happy to know I found you.”
Once they reached the apartment, she video chatted with her family first, and her mom offered to pack a suitcase with clothes and toiletries.
“Promise you’ll keep each other safe,” her dad, Jared, said.
“Nightmare is on the prowl with his people. There are more bad dreams than we can shield people against.”
“I wish I could be there to help,” Ana said with a sigh.
“No, you need to stay in Northernmost and be safe,” Meadow, her mom, said. “He targeted you because you’re special and powerful. It would be foolish for you to be out and about. We’ll manage. Hopefully Santa will be able to stop Jack Frost sooner rather than later.”
“I hope so, I miss you guys,” she said.
“We miss you too, honey,” her mom said. “It was so nice to meet you, Gabriel. Be safe, you two.”
“You too,” Gabriel said.
When he called his parents next, they were equally thrilled to know he’d found his truemate and were excited to see them on Christmas Day.
“Well,” he said, as he put his phone on the coffee table and stretched with a groan. “Both our families are happy.”
“For sure,” she said, snuggling into his side. “I wish we weren’t stuck up here and could go meet them in person, but if I had to be stuck anywhere, I’m glad it’s with you.”
“Me too,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her. “I’d like to take you on a date, but since we can’t really go anywhere, I have an idea for a fun night out, if you’re game.”
“I’d love that. I can borrow something from Aralyn.”
“Give her a call. You’ll want something warm since we’ll be outside.”
She giggled and fished her phone from her tunic pocket.
He watched as she called Aralyn and made plans to get together with her to find something to wear before the female left for her overnight shift reaping souls, during which she’d be able to stop at Ana’s home to get her things.
He decided he was the luckiest wolf in the world to have such a beautiful and powerful mate.
He loved the way her hair shone like moonlight and how her pale gold eyes grew luminous whenever she was turned on.
They fit together like they’d been made for each other, and he was sure that was exactly how it was supposed to be. They might be stuck in Northernmost for a few weeks, but he’d do anything to keep her safe.
Turning his attention to the night ahead, he reached out to Matthias, one of the elves who worked in the cafeteria.
When the call was answered, he said, “I need your help to plan something incredible for my mate for dinner.”
“I’ve got just the thing.”