Page 21 of The Cobbler and His Elves

Home. The word had never sounded so sweet.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my own bed, sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment, I thought it had all been a dream. Then I heard voices drifting up from the shop below.

I made my way downstairs, wincing at the various aches and pains that reminded me of the previous night’s adventures. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks.

Jack and Elijah bent over my workbench, their heads close together as they worked on a pair of shoes. Mrs. Thackeray’s pumps, I realized with a start.

“Well, well,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my voice. “What’s all this then?”

They looked up, matching grins spreading across their faces.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Jack teased.

Elijah’s smile was softer, filled with a warmth that made my heart skip. “We thought we’d get a head start on these. You’ve been through enough lately.”

I moved closer, examining their work. To my chagrin, it was actually quite good. “Not bad,” I admitted.

A wry smile tugged at my lips as I recalled my favorite bedtime story. As a kid, I’d beg Grandpa to tell it each evening before bed. “Seems I got my very own pair of elves.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Elves?”

I felt my cheeks heat. “It’s... it’s a story my grandfather used to tell me. About a poor cobbler and some elves. How sometimes, when a kind-hearted cobbler was in trouble, magical elves would come in the night to help him finish his work.”

“Elves, huh?” Elijah’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Is that what we are to you?”

The teasing note in his voice gave me courage. “No,” I said softly. “You’re both so much more than that.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted, charged with a sudden intensity. Jack set down the shoe he’d been working on, his eyes dark with an emotion I was only now beginning to recognize.

“What are we to you, Milo?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

My heart pounded in my chest. This was it. The moment of truth.

“Everything,” I whispered. “You’re everything to me. I... I love you. Both of you.”

For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then Jack moved, crossing the distance between us in two long strides. His hands cupped my face, and he kissed me with a passion that left me breathless.

When he pulled back, Elijah was there. His kiss was gentler, but no less intense. “We love you too,” he murmured against my lips. “God, Milo, we’ve loved you for so long.”

Joy bubbled up inside me, bright and effervescent. I laughed, the sound mingling with their own chuckles as we held each other close.

“So,” Jack said, his eyes gleaming with mischief, “about those elves...”

I grinned, reaching up to tangle my fingers in his hair. “I think they deserve a reward for all their hard work, don’t you?”

Jack’s arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against him. “What did you have in mind?”

In answer, I kissed him again, pouring all the love and desire I felt into the gesture. Elijah pressed against my back, his lips finding that sensitive spot just below my ear. I turned, my lips finding Eli’s and kissing him just as passionately. I leaned into him, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw. Our kiss deepened, a perfect counterpoint to Jack’s embrace behind me.

As we stumbled towards the stairs, shedding clothes along the way, I sent up a silent prayer of thanks. For unexpected allies and helpful elves.

And most of all, for two alphas who had stolen my heart and given me both of theirs in return.

7

The bell above the door chimed merrily as Mrs. Thackeray swept into Hart’s Shoe Repair, her fur coat rustling with each step. I looked up from the delicate beadwork I’d been repairing on her favorite pumps, a smile tugging at my lips.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Thackeray,” I said, setting aside my work. “Your shoes are almost ready.”