Iperched on the couch, legs tucked beneath me, surveying the bizarre supernatural board meeting taking place in my living room. Empty takeout containers littered every surface, evidence of the Mexican food massacre that had just occurred. Seriously, these men ate like they were prepping for hibernation—if reindeer hibernated, which I was pretty sure they didn’t.
Dane crunched into another tortilla chip, sending crumbs cascading down his shirt. “We should do something Christmassy tomorrow. Maybe caroling?”
I winced. The only thing worse than listening to Christmas music was being forced to sing it.
Don finished licking salsa off his fingers. “I think we’ve made excellent progress this week.”
Kip grinned at me from his spot on the floor, a knowing glint in his eye that made heat rush to my cheeks. Our cliff-side activities were apparently considered “progress.”
“Neve’s looking less like she wants to murder candy canes on sight,” Cole added, his teasing voice stirring something in me that had nothing to do with Christmas spirit.
I rolled my eyes. “I never wanted to murder candy canes. Just the people wielding them as weapons of mass cheer.”
Pierce snorted from his position by the window. “An improvement.”
My gaze drifted to the back of the room where Rudy stood, arms crossed, keeping his distance as usual. While the others had taken turns dragging me through their Christmas spirit boot camp, Rudy had remained conspicuously absent.
I watched him as Blitz cracked a joke, and eight of them laughed. Rudy remained silent with an indifferent expression.
Why did he keep himself apart? Why, when the others seemed so determined to pull me in, did he push himself away?
And why did his distance bother me so much?
I stared at my fingernails, picking at the remnants of sparkly black polish I’d applied before this had all started. The color was already chipping away, which felt oddly symbolic.
“So what exactly happens next?” I glanced up, finding all of them watching me.
Dash leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Your memories are coming at you faster now, and your magic is stronger. I think it’s time to move farther north.”
My stomach twisted at the word “magic.” The hot chocolate explosion had been bad enough. What if next time it was worse? What if I hurt someone who didn’t have superior healing?
“I’m not abandoning my life here.” I gestured around my living room, at the stupid yet somehow charming Christmas decorations my house was infested with. “Palm Springs is my home.”
Dash’s eyebrows pulled together as he studied me. “Is working on divorces really what you want? Spending your days watching people tear apart what they once built?”
The question hit a nerve I didn’t know was exposed. Before I could form a response, Vix swung his legs off the armrest where he’d been lounging. “You should quit and focus on studying for the bar. Third time’s the charm, right?”
My mouth fell open. “How did you know I haven’t passed?”
The room went silent as eight reindeer men found the ceiling,floor, and walls absolutely fascinating. All except Rudy, who was intently focused on me.
Heat crawled up my neck. “I’ve failed twice.” The humiliation prickled across my skin like tiny needles. I’d told no one except Mia about the second failure. My parents didn’t even know.
Blitz’s fingers drummed against the coffee table. “Your magic is fighting,” he muttered.
Dane slid closer on the couch, his thigh pressed warmly against mine. “You’re brilliant, but law isn’t your true calling.”
My throat tightened. “And what exactly is my calling? Professional reindeer wrangler?”
I couldn’t quite find what I really wanted to say. Even with the memories that had come back to me, the details faded quickly. I could remember skating, my dad wearing a Christmas sweater, and making hot chocolate, but all the finer details and imagery were fuzzy at best. It was as if a blackout curtain had been swapped out for one that let some light in.
I felt cornered, trapped between what my memories were hinting at and the person I’d spent over a decade becoming.
My gaze drifted to the one person who hadn’t weighed in.
“What do you think, Rudy?”
The towering man didn’t move from where he was leaning on a barstool at my counter, his ankles crossed. For the first time all evening, those dark eyes fixed directly on mine.
