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7

Sugar

G rant made a wonderful beef stew and served it with hot, buttery rolls. It took longer than I thought for it all to be done. By then, I was hopping around the kitchen and getting in his way.

I had seconds of everything. For dessert, we had cookies and cocoa, of course.

The storm had come on fast. I heard it pushing and shoving at the closed window shutters and whistling through the chimney.

I’d seen many blizzards in my lifetime. But I had grown up in a mansion, not a cabin. I never heard any storms. Plus, Santa’s Village was protected by magical wards from the worst of the North Pole weather. It was still cold and snowy there, and the nights never-ending in winter, but I had never given storms or cold a second thought.

But here, in Grant’s cabin, the blizzard felt close and haunting. It sang outside like a banshee. Sometimes it roared.

Velvet curled up tight in her bed by Grant’s chair. The fire blazed high in the grate and Grant turned on the TV, volume up.

“Do you ever lose power?” I asked.

“Sometimes. But I have a generator in the garage if that happens. And the cables are all underground now for TV and Internet, which years ago wasn’t always the case. We’re all good here.”

I forced a smile.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“Spoiled, I guess. The power never goes out in Santa’s Village. And I’ve never heard a storm like this so up close and personal.”

“It can really wail out here.”

“It sounds so lonely. Like the storm is a creature searching for something. Or someone.”

“When the nights get really long and cold even I feel it. I snuggle up with Velvet. I read. I eat. I work a lot less in winter. It’s like the body just wants to sleep. So I make myself get up and shift more. I go outside and run in the wild winters. My reindeer is made for that. He’s like the storm, too, I suppose. Wants to run free. Gallop. Search.”

“Search?”

“He can’t fly, so he’s limited. Sometimes he’ll find some caribou and hang out for a while. They don’t mind,” he said.

“But there’s no one out here like himself? No other shifters, I mean.”

“Nope. Not that I’ve met. I moved here on purpose to get away from that crowd. So much drama and competition. In case you didn’t know, reindeer games are real.”

I hadn’t paid much attention to stuff like that, but as I grew up, I’d overheard my father talking about it sometimes.

“Even though you like it here, do you think your reindeer is lonely?” I asked.

Grant smiled softly. “Hmm. Interesting question. I’m sure he is.”

Grant sounded almost forlorn. He had said he was a loner, but even loners got lonely occasionally, right? We all craved some sort of family. And reindeer were herd animals.

If I hadn’t had Sno growing up, I didn’t know what I would have done. Probably turned out even worse than I already was.

For Grant, it must have been hard, too, growing up around shifters who could fly when he couldn’t. He mentioned cousins, proof he stayed in touch with some family.

I glanced at Velvet asleep in her bed as the storm railed. He had her, at least. That was good.

I wondered what kind of mate Grant might like some day. He had so much to give. He’d been giving so much to me, a stranger, for three days now. He was very enticing, aside from great hair and bod and a handsome face, he made delicious food for me. And he drove a truck. That was so sexy. He was patient and kind. And he had rescued me from freezing, so he was sort of like a real hero.

He could attract anyone he wanted. But who would he like?

When I thought about that, I got a little chill. And a feeling came over me like fear, like I didn’t want to see or know about it if it ever happened. It was strangely territorial, like right now Grant was mine. He was taking care of me, making sure I was okay.

I was being naughty to think that way, a selfish omega elf. I was an unruly kid compared to Grant. I shouldn’t think such thoughts.

Grant and I watched TV, but it was hard to concentrate with the sounds of the blizzard. I couldn’t get into the movie. Half-way through, a loud banging sounded.

Grant ran to the door, put on his coat and cap and went out to investigate. He took a giant lantern with him, but as I stood at the door I got afraid. The snow was so fast and thick on the air I worried he would get lost. But as I watched, he stuck to the side of the porch and house. I only lost sight of the light when he rounded the corner.

Velvet stood with me in the open doorway where the cold air was pouring in. Even she was smart enough not to run out. I tried to keep the door only ajar, but the wind was strong. I had to lean my weight into it.

The winds roared. Finally, I saw Grant’s light come back around the corner of the house.

Velvet let out a single bark.

Grant stomped his boots free of ice as he came across the porch. He was covered in white ice. Quickly, I opened the door and pulled him inside, brushing him off all over.

“Are you frozen? Are you all right?”

“Fine, just fine.”

“I don’t hear the banging anymore.”

“It was a loose shutter. I fixed it.” He smiled down at me as I reached to help him out of his coat. “I like that you worried, though.”

“I didn’t like worrying at all. It was scary.”

“It’s nice.”

“No. It’s not nice at all.”

“To have someone care? That’s nice.”

“Oh.” I shook his coat off and hung it on the hook to thaw and dry. “Of course I care what happens to you.”

Gloves off, he reached out as if to touch my face, but stopped an inch away. “Thank you, Sugar.” He let his hand drop.

My skin heated as if he had touched me. As if his touches had gone everywhere, all over me.

Grant walked back to the couch like nothing had happened. I ran ahead of him and built up the fire with wood from the bin. Wood I had chopped. It made me feel good that I could do that for him, like maybe I could repay his kindness just a little.

It felt so great to rejoin him on the couch and finish the movie. Now, I barely heard the storm. Instead, I was focused on Grant and how good it was to be sitting next to him. I was glad we’d been prevented from going to Pawtree today. Thinking about being all alone in a strange place looking for a job and trying to date someone was overwhelming. Scary. One more night with Grant was like a gift. I would savor it.

Later, Grant helped me make up the couch again. The fire was still going and as he pulled the blankets over me sweetly, the comfort and warmth was so great it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Did I deserve such care?

My father had created his spell to teach me a lesson. He’d never approve.

As comfortable as I was, I vowed to leave after the storm was over and the roads cleared. I didn’t want to turn back into a figurine forever. It was a cruel spell, but I was stuck in it. Involving Grant in my problems would not be fair to him.

After being so comforted by Grant, then ruining that by my dark thoughts, I fell into a restless sleep, worried about my future.

I woke shivering in total darkness. The power must have gone out after all. The fire had died and the blankets were askew. I pulled them back up to my ears trying to get warm. My feet were like icebergs even with my thick socks. My legs were bare. I’d taken off my red pants and blazer and slept only in my sweater and jockey shorts. It wasn’t enough.

I tried to still my shivering, and listened to see if Grant was up at all, if he’d noticed the power was out. But all I could hear was the crying wind so angry and sad. So destructive.

I got up, wrapping myself in the thickest blanket, and moved toward the hall. I didn’t have a plan. Simply, I was drawn to Grant’s bedroom. He was the person who fixed everything and made my problems seem solvable.

My teeth chattered. I could barely feel my feet. In some bizarre part of my mind, a horrific image formed. Maybe my feet were slowly turning to ceramic. That was why they were cold and I couldn’t feel them.

I sharply reminded myself I had until Christmas. Father had been firm about that. I wasn’t a figurine yet.

I felt my way down the short hall to his doorway. The door was open. I stood for a long time looking through the thick darkness, debating what to do.

Suddenly, a flash came from the bed along with the sound of sliding cloth. Grant had turned on his cell.

“Sugar, is that you?”

“Yes. The power went out.”

“I see that. But it can wait until morning to start the gennie.”

“Yes.”

“Unless—are you cold?”

“Yes.”

A chuckle. “The couch is not the best place to keep warm. I can start up the fire again, but it will go out unless you tend it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Do you want to climb in here? There’s room. It’s a double and would be warmer with the heat of two people.”

I’d never slept with anyone before. Well, when I was very tiny, once in a while I’d climb into bed with Sno after a nightmare. But he didn’t count.

When I didn’t immediately respond, Grant held up his phone with his flashlight app on.

“Can you see?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Come on, then. I can hear your teeth chattering from here.”

I didn’t want to intrude any more than I already had. But I was freezing and all I could think about was that bed and someone else’s warmth as an added plus.

I walked over to the side of the bed. He had already turned down the covers for me, always so caring.

As I dropped my blanket over the other ones on the bed, the freezing air hit me like an anvil. In response, I literally jumped in, immediately curling into a ball. It was hard to breathe for the next few seconds. I could barely feel my feet.

Grant drew the covers around me. “You’re a little ball of misery right there, aren’t you?”

“My feet are so cold.” I had my knees drawn up to my chest. Immediately, his leg crossed over my stockinged feet, his calf brushing the naked skin of my shins. It was like the heater had just been turned on. The railing of the storm seemed to be softened in here.

Grant was so warm I instinctively snuggled closer to him. Reindeer shifters sure were lucky they handled the cold well. But in human form, even Grant had lots of blankets. He still felt it.

I turned my head into his chest as he rearranged the blankets.

“Better?” he asked.

“Lifesaving. You’re so warm.”

Another chuckle. “Coming from the North Pole, you should be used to the cold.”

“I’ve told you. I’m spoiled. I never went without heat and my coats were the best that could be bought.”

“Well, you’ll get used to it fast here.” He paused, his voice lowering. “Or in Pawtree.”

I didn’t want to think about Pawtree right now. That meant I would be on my own, away from Grant and anything friendly. Everything would be colder. Strange and scary and hard. Not safe.

I wanted to learn to live like Grant and be able to take care of myself. Be stronger. Be responsible.

But right now, I needed Grant to take care of me and warm me up. I was pathetic. My father was not wrong to be angry. But the spell had been cruel. The worst part of all wasn’t the figurine—which was horrible in itself for sure—but that he’d cut me off from Sno. That wasn’t fair to Sno. Or me, even if I was a completely awful elf.

Grant said, “Do you think you can sleep better now?”

“Yes, thank you. Much better!”

Another chuckle. Then I felt warm fingers brush across my exposed forehead. Tingles of delight spread throughout my body.

“Goodnight, Sugar.”