“Thewhatmeeting?” I clutched the cookie, watching frost creep along its edges.
“Herd meeting,” Dash repeated, flopping onto my couch beside Rudy. “Nine reindeer, one North. That’s a herd.”
“We’ve got a lot to catch up on and wanted to make it comfortable for you.” The man from the grocery store opened a bottle of soda and took a swig.
I ran through their names: Dash and Dane, Pierce and Vix, Cole and Kip, Donner and Blitz. Rudy. Some part of me knew with certainty I’d paired them exactly how they were supposed to be paired.
I watched the grocery store man’s throat work as he swallowed. “And you’re Donner.”
He burped. Ugh. Men. “Excuse me, that hit harder than expected. I’m Don.”
I stood rooted to the spot while nine men made themselves at home, eating food, sitting on my furniture, and acting like this impromptu magical meeting was an everyday occurrence.
The cookie in my hand smelled devastatingly good, like childhood, safety, and something just out of reach. The scent wrapped around me, warm and familiar. My shoulders dropped, just a little.
“Eat it.” Rudy was watching me and waiting. I contemplated crumbling the treat in my hand in defiance, but his command and the look in his eyes told me to obey.
I examined it, my nose crinkling before I took a bite. The taste exploded on my tongue and made my eyes water with unexpected emotion. “Someone better explain why the North Pole’s mascots decided to stage an intervention in my living room with cookies.”
The men exchanged glances as if they’d witnessed a modern-day miracle. I tracked the silent communication passing between them. Could they speak to each other telepathically? Rudy could speak to me, so it wasn’t out of the question.
I took another bite of the cookie to steady myself. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Dane bounced on his heels, practically vibrating. “You saidit!”
“Huh? I was being sarcastic.” The words felt hollow even as I spoke them, like my mouth was operating on autopilot while deeper parts of my brain stirred. “It’s not like I actually believe in any of this.” At least that’s what I was currently telling myself.
“You’re beginning to remember.” Rudy looked both powerful and patient, like a mountain that had all the time in the world to wait for me to climb. And man, did I have the urge to climb him. “Your magic is reawakening even with everything stacked against it.”
“Magic tied to what? Christmas spirit? Coal distribution?”
“Joy.” All eyes were fixed on me as Rudy spoke. “True joy. Without it, you’ll never be able to reach… Jingle.”
The word “Jingle” made my chest ache, like someone had pressed on an old bruise I’d forgotten was there.
“We can’t force you to remember.” Kip’s voice was gentle, his green eyes earnest beneath those wild red curls. He moved to stand near me, and I had the strangest urge to let him pull me into a hug. “The magic won’t allow it. Some things you have to discover for yourself. We can only help you reconnect to what you’ve lost.”
I leaned against the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, steadying myself. “And what exactly have I lost?”
Vix snorted, crushing an empty energy drink can in one hand. “Your sense of humor is intact, at least.”
Rudy’s eyes seemed to glow as he spoke. “Your Christmas spirit… your joy.”
My legs felt too weak to support my weight. Pierce was already moving a dining room chair for me to sit in. I gave him a grateful smile and sank into it, cookie crumbs from my shirt falling onto my lap.
The room filled with the sounds of eating as I looked around at the nine reindeer men who had crashed into my life. My brain went through everything, and either they were really messing with me, or they were under some kind of magical gag order.
I was caught between laughter and tears. These men weren’t threatening me. They weren’t even trying to force me to do anything. They were just... waiting. Patient and determined, like this was their job.
“How do I know this isn’t some elaborate prank?” I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes.
Cole moved with silent grace to kneel beside my chair. He took my hand, turning it palm up. “It’s not. Do you feel that?”
Did he mean the weird tingle he sent up and down my arm? It radiated from where his fingertips pressed against my skin, like static electricity but warmer, more alive. The sensationskittered up to my shoulder and down into my chest, wrapping around some internal part of me.
I nodded. “What is it?”
“Connection.” Cole said only the one word, but it rang true in my mind.
