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Chapter Twelve

Christmas Eve

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly!”

Niera laughed, hanging the last ornament on the Christmas tree as friends old and new sang wildly off key to the music playing over the speaker. Alistair snaked an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her lips as he handed her another cup of spiked eggnog. She had no idea what was in the drink, but it went down nice and smooth, leaving her warm and tingly.

“Are we ready to light the tree?” Alistair asked.

“I think they’re having too much fun singing.”

“Trying to sing and wrecking our eardrums while they’re at it.”

They sipped their eggnog, watching the spectacle before them. Danny and Annise draped in colored garlands, elf-ear headbands settled haphazardly on their heads. Brayden and his new girlfriend swaying as they sang loudly, wearing matching Santa hats and elf slippers. Batches of cookies left the air smelling sweet, with a hint of pine from the tree. A fire flickered in the electric fireplace, where stockings dangled off deer-shaped hangers and a pine garland boasted twinkling fairy lights. Holly and her tabby friend, Masey, lay stretched out over the sofa, tails swishing softly, eyes half-mast.

Niera never knew a Christmas like this, and she anticipated many more to come.

“Guys, the tree?” Alistair asked, his inquiry was drowned out by the cringe-worthy karaoke. He chuckled and shook his head, tugging her closer. “Too much spike in the ’nog.”

“So it seems.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “We can always light it ourselves.”

His shaded gaze lowered to hers. “We can.”

“And then we can slip away…”

His smile grew. “Into the kitchen.”

Niera pressed up on her toes, teasing his jaw with her lips. “Alone.”

“They’ll be too busy singing.”

She nuzzled her nose to his cheek. “They’ll never realize we’re gone.”

“Until half the sugar cookies are gone.”

“Exactly.”

Alistair stole a kiss that left her entire body a tingling mess.

“Let’s save the tree for when our drunken friends come to their senses. In the meantime, I do have a little something for you. An early present.”

“Really?”

Excitement flooded her as she folded her hand in his and let him lead her into the kitchen. He placed their eggnog mugs on the counter and faced her.

Answers to questions never came in a straightforward manner. But curses weren’t known for being straightforward. Instead, Alistair came to forgive the mischievous Sherwood cats for keeping him from the sea, understanding now the reason why.

Niera had a vision shortly after the events from the full moon that explained, in a twisted, nonsensical way, that the lifting of Alistair’s curse allowed them both to accept each other for who they were. Since they both declared love before the first snowflake hit, it satisfied her quota of one hundred matches, and granted Alistair his true desire—to live in the human world with her.

Holly confessed to planting the wishing coin in the planter after being refused a bowl of milk. Her nefarious friend did, in fact, have a milk addiction. She also confessed to waiting for Niera’s arrival in Cat’s Paw Cove so she could adopt her human, er, fae.

As for the spell cast by the sea fae?

Love truly did conquer all.

Years of struggle, days of challenges, had brought them both to this point in time. This moment.

A moment where they were together and nothing could tear them apart.