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4

Grant

V elvet took her candy cane shaped meat stick to her bed. She wasn’t used to getting treats in the middle of the night. She deserved it. She’d alerted me to Sugar’s panic attack.

Sugar leaned back on the couch sipping his cocoa. Elves were sweet creatures. I’d always thought so. They didn’t seem prone to the same nasty politics that shifters had and aspired to work hard. It didn’t hurt that they were also adorable, each in his own way.

One of those adorable ones now sat on my couch drinking chocolate, scrambling to hold it together. What he’d already told me about himself was just the tip of the iceberg. I had a hundred questions battling to be asked. But now wasn’t the time.

Sugar placed his empty mug on the coffee table. He looked at me, gaze moving across my torso.

“You’re not cold?” he asked.

I wore tank tops and thin drawstring pants to bed, even in winter. I didn’t need more. Unless the winds came right off the glaciers like iced knives stabbing, I was okay in a cap and coat outside, and inside with much less. Tonight, it was actually warm because I’d turned on the heat.

“Reindeer shifter, remember?”

He looked down as if suddenly shy.

“Feeling better?” I asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Think you can sleep now?”

He nodded.

I helped him get settled again, drawing up the blankets. I liked the feeling of making sure he was comfortable. Maybe more than I should have. A twist of yearning pinched my insides.

“Thank you again, Grant.”

His eyelids were already drifting shut. He was tired from all that had happened, and I hoped now that he’d been reminded he was safe, he could get some real sleep.

“You’re welcome, Sugar.”

I wanted to stay and watch over him, but that seemed sort of creepy to consider. I turned away and headed back toward the hall. Velvet followed.

As I got back into my own bed, it seemed cold even to me. I couldn’t get comfortable. I allowed Velvet to jump up and curl at my feet. That helped.

When I closed my eyes, all I could see was Sugar half-frozen in the snowdrift. Then he was mumbling about being a figurine. And when he’d been standing before the dead fire keening, the pants I’d loaned him falling down around his thighs, he looked so lost and forlorn.

His neediness touched me on deep levels. But more than that, he seemed to have a big heart. He paid attention to Velvet. He kept thanking me. This wasn’t someone who seemed to instigate the sort of revenge a magic spell could cause. He’d said it was his father. Father/son problems were common. I’d even had problems with my own alpha father.

It disturbed me to think maybe his father had abused him. He’d called out for Sno. Could Sno be his elf father? Was Sugar a mixed-race elf? Was his alpha father a mage?

I didn’t sense magic in Sugar. I wondered how the son of a mage could be magic-null.

So many questions. I needed to settle my mind.

I turned onto my side, tucking my feet against Velvet’s sleeping weight, and thought only about falling snow and the beauty of winter. I let it suck me in until my mind quieted and I fell asleep.

I woke a little later than I usually did. Velvet had let me know that she was ready for breakfast by jumping on and off the bed.

My bedside clock said 7:30. Since I lived alone and worked my own hours, I never set the alarm. Within seconds of the clock-check, I remembered I wasn’t alone.

I hastily got up, went into the bathroom which was empty, and came out in my robe and slippers.

In the front room, everything was still and silent. The fire in the grate had burned to ash.

From where I stood, I couldn’t see if the couch was occupied or not.

Velvet stayed at my side, looking at me for guidance.

I tiptoed forward and peered over the couch back.

A cute little elf looked up at me with big brown eyes. He had a paperback book in his hand from one of the shelves by my front door. It looked like a science fiction novel.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Morning. How are you feeling?”

“Rested.”

He smiled for the first time, and my heart whipped about in my chest. His blond hair fell straight back from his temple like cornsilk.

“Ready for some breakfast?”

He nodded. “I can help.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it. Bathroom’s free if you need it.”

“Thanks.”

Sugar sat up as I headed for the front door.

“Prepare for some cold air for a sec. I’m going to let Velvet out for her run. She always comes back in about five minutes.”

When I opened the door and Velvet took off, I turned to see Sugar standing and fiddling with the drawstring of the sweatpants.

After I closed the door, I headed for the kitchen and got out eggs, bread and bacon. I turned and now Sugar stood by the island watching.

“I can do dishes. Um, pretty well, I think.”

I laughed. “I have a dishwasher, but thanks. How do you like your eggs?”

“Sno always did scrambled. Which I like. But I like fried on a piece of toast, too.”

“I can do that.”

“You said he is your other father?” I cracked some eggs into a skillet.

“Um, sort of?”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s okay. He raised me. Like a—like a nanny.”

“But not in any relationship with your father?”

He scrunched up his face. “No one’s ever asked me that before. My first answer is no. He has his own room on the first floor. But now that I’ve been away, and I’m remembering what he said to Chri—um, my father, it was like they’d talked about this. Argued, even. And well, now I don’t know if my father and Sno were lovers or are or what. Sno’s a hundred and two. As far as I know he’s been with my father his whole life, so I guess I don’t know. Maybe his room’s on the first floor because stairs are hard for him.”

“You’re an only child, then.” I didn’t want to seem prying, but I couldn’t stop my curiosity.

“Adopted. Left on their doorstep.”

“Wow, that’s romantic for sure. The stuff of heroes.”

“It is?”

“Well, yes. I think so. I read a lot, so don’t mind me.”

“I thought it was more like no one wanted me, so they had to take me in.”

The frown on my face must’ve startled him.

He burst out, “I’m not whining or anything.”

“I didn’t think you were. But you must know if they took you in and kept you, they wanted you.”

He blinked rapidly, shrugged. “Maybe Sno did. He would have been eighty-two when I appeared. As far as I know, he didn’t have any kids or he would have told me.”

“So you’re nineteen.”

“I’ll be twenty in June. I’m a June elf.”

I smiled at that, putting slices of bread in the toaster oven. “What does that mean?”

“You’ve never read the poem?”

I shook my head no. The bacon was sizzling nicely. The eggs were almost done.

“… ‘just June’s elf always looking for home.’ You know. Well, that’s sorta how it goes. It means June babies are journeyers. I don’t really remember the rest.”

“Like Thursday’s child with far to go,” I said.

“Is that a poem?”

“A very common human nursery rhyme.”

“I don’t know if it was a Thursday when they found me, but I celebrate my birthday on June 25 th .”

The toast was ready. I hustled getting everything onto plates. “That’s a lovely story. Can you imagine? Two people finding you and keeping you as their own. It’s like magic all by itself.”

Sugar stood with his hands clasped in front of him. His head was down. When he lifted it, there were new tears in his eyes.

Me and my big mouth.

I reached out and touched his upper arm. “Hey, food’s ready. Can you let Velvet in? I’ll take all this to the table.”

He nodded, going to the front door. Velvet made a little happy bark and rushed in out of the cold.

Sugar came to the table and sat down.

I went back to the kitchen, poured some food into Velvet’s bowl, then returned with a tray of juice and mugs of more cocoa. Everyone from Santa’s Village drank it like coffee.

Sugar took a bite of his bacon. I’d put two eggs on two pieces of toast for him. He took a bite and swallowed hard.

“Not to your liking?” I asked.

“No.” He took a sip of juice. “It’s wonderful. Really good. No one’s ever cooked for me except Sno. It’s just—I don’t know if I ever thanked him. Like really properly thanked him. That makes me pretty ungrateful, right?”

I cleared my throat. “Look at it this way. You have your whole life ahead of you.”

“But what if I never see him again?”

“I can’t believe that would happen.”

“He’s old.”

“Elves live long lives.”

“I know, but—” He sighed. “Well, at least I can tell you thank you.” Quietly, he went back to eating his food.

After breakfast, without a word, Sugar helped me load the dishwasher. “I know how,” he said.

“Okay. Go for it.”

Once that was done, I got dressed in my usual jeans and flannel shirt. I came out to find Sugar folding the blankets and gathering up the sheet from the couch.

“Would you like to go for a walk?”

He shuddered as he looked up.

“Okay, let’s keep you warm for one more day before we go out.”

“Plus, I don’t have any boots.”

“We’ll get you boots online. Just give me your size and they can be delivered tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to wear out my welcome. You’ve already done too much.” He folded the sheet and set it on top of the blankets.

“I like the company. Sure, I might be a loner.” I chuckled. “But even that gets old after a while. Right, Velvet?” I reached down and petted her. She gave a little happy whine in response.

Sugar glanced about the room. “Where are my clothes?”

“Folded on top of the washer. I didn’t wash them yet. They’re very nice. I wasn’t sure if they had to be dry cleaned or what.”

“Oh, those are my work clothes. I wore them to the Toy Factory. I worked there September and October. And a little bit of August, too. They can go in a washing machine.”

It surprised me he wore such expensive clothes to work in a toy factory. But I kept my mouth shut.

“If you have any chores around here you need done, I can help,” Sugar offered.

“Not today. I’m giving myself the day off and we’re just going to laze around a bit. Watch some TV. Play some games. Eat popcorn. Sound okay?”

Though he looked unsure, he nodded, giving Velvet a pat on her head as she gave his hand a little lick.

If there was a better invitation for Sugar to stay and get well, I didn’t know what that might be.