Dasher's Fated Mate (Arctic Shifters Book 2) Page 5

  Rhys opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. SC already knew everything; that much was clear. Mrs. C would have told him about giving Merri the tracker, and he would have known that Rhys kept his soulmate to himself.

  “Holy crap,” Merri said, her voice high as she giggled. “You’re freaking Santa!”

  SC’s eyes twinkled as he chuckled. “That I am, Merri.”

  “Oh, you know my name?”

  He touched his temple. “I know everything. I’m Santa.”

  Rhys rolled his eyes. “May we come inside? Merri’s not used to the cold.”

  “Of course,” he said, stepping aside and gesturing to the interior.

  It didn’t surprise Rhys that the entire sleigh team was there, and also Arian’s fated mate, Charli, and their daughter, Hope, along with Rhys’s parents. Mrs. C walked out of the kitchen with a tray of steaming mugs and a large bowl of mini marshmallows, which she set on the coffee table in front of the couch. She straightened and said, “Hello, Merri. I told you that everything happens for a reason, didn’t I?”

  Rhys looked at Merri. “She did?”

  “Uh, yeah, right before the security goons shoved me into an alley and sent me hurtling through space.”

  Rhys’s parents joined them, and he said, “Mom, Dad, this is Merri Blevins, my fated mate. Merri, these are my parents, Flora and Dare.”

  His mom hugged Merri tightly and said, “Welcome to the family.”

  His dad kissed her cheek. “I think finding a fated mate on Christmas Eve is a special sort of magic. Congratulations to you both.”

  Rhys hugged both his parents and then said, “Mom, I took Merri into the toy factory and she saw a bear like you used to make and said she had one when she was a child.”

  “Oh! Maybe it was one that I made. That is so sweet.”

  “I loved it so much. It was my favorite. Unfortunately, when I moved out of the house, my parents packed up my things and put them in the basement. Then there was a flood, and it was ruined. I felt so bad.”

  Flora winked. “I’ll make you another one.”

  Merri looked up at Rhys with a big smile on her face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. He kissed her, so happy to have his family’s acceptance.

  His parents stepped to the side as the sleigh team stood as a group and moved toward them in a line, their gazes intense. They stopped a few feet away, and all seven of them dropped to one knee and pressed their fists over their hearts.

  “As the fated mate of the lead reindeer, we welcome you, Merri Blevins, to NPC. We vow to protect you and your young as we would protect our own,” Declan said.

  Humbled, Rhys swallowed hard and glanced at SC and Mrs. C, seeing their approval evident in their broad smiles.

  “Thank you,” Merri said. “It’s an honor to be here.”

  The males stood as one, and each member introduced himself to Merri, shaking her hand briefly and then clapping Rhys on the shoulder.

  Charli, with Hope in her arms, came last, offering a one-armed hug of welcome. “It will be so nice not to be the only human around here!”

  SC clapped his hands together. “I think you have something you want to ask?”

  Rhys nodded. “Merri needs to make arrangements for her move before dawn. We could use some help.”

  “As if you have to ask,” Sullivan said.

  SC said, “Be mindful of the time. I don’t want you all being stuck in the human world for the next year.”

  Rhys looked at his watch. They were down to ninety-seven minutes. It would be enough. It had to be.

  Rhys, Merri, and the team left the warmth of the house, hustled out into the cold, and gathered in a circle. Merri was at his side, sandwiched between him and Declan.

  “You’re leading us, Merri,” Rhys said. “Think of your apartment, and we’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

  She took in a shaky breath and then said, “Okay.”

  Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she gripped his hand. Rhys saw her apartment in his mind as clearly as if he were inside it. She let out a squeak of alarm and gripped his hand tighter as the magic took over and swept them away. Between one breath and the next they were inside an apartment. Merri wobbled and Rhys pulled her against him so she didn’t fall.

  “You okay, sugarplum?”

  She blinked slightly unfocused eyes at him. “Does that ever get easier?”

  “You’ll get used to it,” he promised.

  She straightened and said, “How much can I bring?”

  He glanced at the team. “Four bags at the most.”

  “Only cold stuff, right? No bikinis.”

  He winked. “There’s a hot spring.”

  “Oh,” she said with a sultry tone.

  “None of that,” Jack said. “There’s time for playing after.”

  She disappeared into her room, and Rhys turned to face his friends. These were the six males he would walk through fire for. They were his extended family, each as precious to him as a true brother.

  “Thank you.”

  “When we find our fated mates, you’ll return the favor, I’m sure,” Roi said.

  “You bet.”

  “What’s she going to tell her family and friends about why she’s leaving?” Mire asked, picking up on a framed photo from an end table.

  “Her parents are on a cruise right now, so she can only leave them a message. She’s going to tell them that she was offered a job opportunity in Canada through her company, and that they want her to start right away. For her job, she’s going to tell them that there’s been a family emergency, and she won’t be back to work.”

  Sullivan turned from where he was communicating through his wristwatch with NPC. “The computer team’s closing up her utility accounts as we speak, and when she’s ready, they’ll close her bank accounts. Her cell number will be patched into our network so it will still appear that it’s working.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “I’m ready,” Merri called.

  Rhys led the way to her bedroom and found her dressed in tight jeans and a thick sweater, standing in front of her bed with open bags on the comforter.

  “We’ll pack, so you go make your calls,” he said, pulling her gently from the room.

  “Wait, I’m not sure I want your friends packing my undies,” she said, protesting as he tugged her into the hallway.

  “I wasn’t planning to pack them anyway,” he said, kissing her swiftly.

  “I’m serious, Rhys. If I get up to NPC and I have no undies, I’m going to be really ticked.”

  “I’ll be good,” he said with a wink.

  “I’m double-checking the bags,” she muttered under her breath as she turned to walk into the kitchen.

  “She’s a sweetheart,” Vaughn said, pulling sweaters from hangers in the closet and handing them to Jack, who was placing them in a suitcase.

  “I can’t believe how crazy this night was,” Rhys said, moving to the dresser and pulling open the top drawer. Dropping a handful of socks into a bag, he moved on to the second drawer and found undergarments. He paused, tempted to forget them but then opted not to piss her off when they’d only been together for less than a day.

  “Chicken,” Roi said.

  “Not chicken. Smart,” Arian said, returning from the bathroom with a half-filled bag of bath products. “Pissing off a mate is a sure way to make your life really miserable.”

  Rhys said. “I want her to be happy, even if I really, really like the idea of her being naked under her clothes all the time.”

  The males all groaned, and he laughed, emptying the entire drawer into her bag. By the time she returned from making her calls, the closet was empty of all the winter clothes, and the drawers were empty as well.

  She sniffled, and he moved to her quickly, wrapping his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

  “Even though I was only leaving voicemails, it just made me sad to say goodbye to my boss and friends.”

  “I’m sorry you had to make
that choice.”

  She blinked tear-filled eyes at him. “I wanted to make the right choice, and that’s you. I know that being with you is what I want for the rest of my life. It’s not every day a human finds her fated mate.”

  “Or a reindeer,” he said with a smile.

  “I’m ready to go home, Rhys.”

  He kissed her and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

  “Don’t you want to check the bags?” Declan asked.

  She laughed. “I trust you.”

  Rhys grinned. “It’s because I’m totally trustworthy.”

  “And you’re afraid to make her mad,” Sullivan said.

  “See? Smart,” Arian said.

  They walked into the family room, and she opened the front door and placed a key and an envelope under the mat. Then she locked the door. After securing her family photos in one of the bags, along with her laptop, she bundled up in her warmest coat and joined them.

  “All set?” he asked, glancing at his watch and seeing they had ten minutes to spare.

  “Yep. I left a message with my landlord and put the key and a check to cover the last month’s rent under the mat. I’m on a month-to-month lease, so it’s not an issue. The place came furnished anyway. My car is up in New York, but it’s paid off, so I suspect it will just get towed to an impound lot and eventually sold, which is no problem since I don’t plan to have use for one again anyway. I just don’t have my cell phone, though. I dropped it when I was grabbed.”

  “We’ve got a tech team who will handle that. Plus, you can Skype with your parents whenever you want.”

  “And come to visit them on Christmas Eve?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m ready then. For the first day of the rest of our lives.”

  They joined the circle, and within moments they were heading straight for NPC and their home. He couldn’t believe that what had started out as an ordinary Christmas Eve had turned out to be so life changing. If Merri hadn’t gotten stuck with a Mrs. Claus costume and hadn’t been in New York City at the same time as Mrs. C., then Rhys would never have met her. He couldn’t fathom his life without her in it. They’d only been together for a short while, but already she was the center of his world. He wanted to be the best mate to her, and, eventually, to be the best father he could be.

  When they landed outside of the barracks, his friends helped them carry in her bags. Rhys and Merri thanked each one of them for their help, and then he shut the door and turned toward his mate with a soft growl.

  “Got something on your mind, sexy?” she asked, shrugging out of her coat.

  “You. Naked.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  Lifting her into his arms, he kissed her slowly, wanting to take his time and get to know everything about her body. He wanted to map her body with his fingers and tongue until he knew every inch of her.

  “It’s dawn,” she said.

  He glanced over his shoulder at the clock and saw it was six a.m. “You’re definitely stuck with me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, with anyone else.”

  “Me neither.”

  Chapter 8

  Merri sat down in front of the laptop that Rhys had set up for her to video call her parents. She’d gotten used to the weekly calls with her parents after being in NPC for six months. She wished she could see her parents more often than once a year, but she was thankful that NPC had up-to-date technology so she could stay in close contact with them. After initiating the video call, she waited for her parents to answer and then greeted them.

  “I wish you could come sooner than Christmas Eve morning,” Merri’s mom said, her voice slightly scratchy over the Internet connection.

  Merri smiled at her parents. “I know, but work is keeping me busy, and it’s expensive to fly.” Which was partially true. She was learning how to make teddy bears in the toy factory. She wanted to make a special bear, and Rhys’s mom had been happy to teach her.

  “So what is this wonderful news you have?” her dad asked.

  “We found out we’re having a boy!”

  Her mom clapped and squealed in glee, and her dad grinned broadly. “Really honey? That’s wonderful!” her mom said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

  “I just had the ultrasound, and everything is looking good.”

  Rhys stepped behind her and leaned down so he could be seen in the monitor.

  “Congratulations,” her dad said.

  “Thank you. We can’t wait to meet little Rhys.”

  “Stop saying his name is Rhys. I haven’t agreed to anything!”

  “It’s a great idea. You can call him RJ,” her dad suggested.

  “Don’t you start!”

  While Rhys and her dad laughed, Merri shook her head.

  Her parents had met Rhys over Skype a month after she’d moved to NPC. Before that, she’d kept up with her weekly calls to her parents and had casually mentioned meeting a guy named Rhys. Once they’d met him over Skype, she’d told them they were getting serious, and then a month later, she explained they were living together and that Rhys had asked her to marry him. The timing had coincided with her finding out she was three months’ pregnant, and the joyous news was celebrated in NPC with a huge party.

  Fated mates, according to Rhys, carried a stronger bond than a human marriage, because marriage could end in divorce, but fated mates were forever. In NPC, when Mrs. C mate-matched, the couple had a joining ceremony, which according to Rhys was a lot like a wedding. But she couldn’t have a joining ceremony in NPC and invite her parents, so they’d agreed to have a wedding in the human world so her family could join in. They were planning a Christmas Eve morning wedding at Charli’s cabin. The small gathering was being handled by Merri’s mom and Charli’s sister, Kerri. All Merri and Rhys had to do was show up and tie the knot.

  “Are you sure we can’t take your baby for you so you can enjoy your honeymoon?”

  “That’s sweet of you to offer again, Mom, but we have to head back that same night because Rhys has a work thing.”

  “On Christmas? You must have some kind of taskmaster for a boss!”

  Merri stifled a chuckle, and Rhys pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.

  “He’s great, really. My folks will be watching RJ for us,” Rhys said.

  “I like the name already,” her dad said.

  “Oh my gosh! Stop naming my baby.”

  “Our baby,” Rhys corrected, bending to kiss her cheek. He waved at her parents and stepped away.

  “He’s so sweet with you,” her mom said.

  “I know. I’m really lucky to have him in my life.”

  Rhys cleared his throat, and she glanced at him. He pointed to himself, and she knew he was telling her that he was the lucky one. They would just have to agree to disagree on that point. She was certain no other woman in the world was as loved and cherished as she was.

  After chatting with her parents for a little while longer, she ended the video call and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. She stared at the blank screen for a moment and then said, “In three months, we’re going to have a baby.”

  Rhys joined her again, and she stood, slipping into his embrace and resting her cheek over his heart. “Are you nervous?”

  “About being a mom? Kind of, but also not really. I’ll miss not being able to be around my mom, but your mom is great.”

  “It’s not the same, though.”

  “No. But you know what I want the most? To be where our baby and any other kids we have can be with their own kind. I’d be terrified for them to be in the human world if they have the ability to shift.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “You gave up so much for me. Don’t think I’m not humbled every day to know that you love me that much.”

  She tipped her head back to look at her sexy mate. “I knew you were worth anything that I needed to do.”

  “No regrets?”

  “Aside from you occasionally leaving b
eard trimmings in the sink, no.”

  “I’ll work on that.”

  She snorted. “Do you have any regrets?”

  “Only that I didn’t meet you years ago.”

  Rising onto her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. What started out as a sweet kiss slipped quickly to passionate, as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

  * * *

  “Did you want to use a blue ribbon for the bow?” Flora asked as she sat next to Merri and watched her finish sewing the teddy bear closed.

  “Yes,” she said, glancing up at nearby shelves in the toy factory with hundreds of rolls of ribbon, organized by color and pattern.

  Flora pushed back her chair and stood, moving to the shelf that held blue ribbons. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, which exposed the pointed tip. All the females in NPC were elves, but aside from the ears, they looked human. There were male elves as well. The only males in NPC who didn’t have pointed ears were the shifters.

  “How about this one?” Flora asked, pulling a length of powder blue ribbon from a spool.

  “That’s perfect.”

  Cutting the right length, Flora returned to the station and sat down. The toy factory was full of busy workers, making different toys for the children of the world. Merri had been entranced with the toy factory from the beginning, happy to sit and watch the workers make everything from stuffed animals to dolls to train sets.

  “Have you decided on a name yet?”

  Merri smiled. It was a great source of amusement for her that Rhys, and all the quads, liked to argue about names for their baby.

  “Not officially. Rhys keeps mentioning how much he likes his name. How did you choose it?”

  “It was my grandfather’s name. He was a quad, and the Cupid position on the team. He and my grandmother were not fated mates but were joined by Mrs. C.”

  Only Mrs. C and SC were immortal. Everyone else in NPC was mortal. Merri thought it must be difficult for the couple to be immortal and watch their friends grow old and die. They never had children of their own, part of what Mrs. C called the “curse” of being immortal – the inability to have young.