My heart warmed when he didn’t whine about me running away to work. I’d had guys get pissed once or twice when I would hole up and work for hours ignoring them. Hale got it automatically and was even happy to have given me the inspiration to break my block finally. We hadn’t talked about what we were going to do together, but I knew that conversation couldn’t be put off much longer. He was on vacation, but Christmas was coming next month, and he’d have to get back home and go to work. I could work anywhere there was wifi and a decent internet connection, so I would more than likely be moving up north when I left here. But that wasn’t for at least a month, and since I had the place paid up and finally had a story to focus on, it was the perfect place to work for now.
Hours went by like minutes as I sat and pounded out a quick outline of the first book idea, then fleshed out some character ideas and side characters along with the darker elements I could use for the plot. At some point, a plate with a sandwich, chips, and a cookie appeared next to me, but when I looked around, I saw Hale sitting on the sofa reading something on his phone. I ate and worked, and then the next time I resurfaced to reality, it was after midnight, and the lights had been turned off in the bedroom already. Figuring I could finish a few more things before I got too tired, I kept going.
The next morning, I woke up with a sore spot on my forehead from where it had lain on the surface of my desk. Papers were everywhere, and my laptop had come unplugged at some point in the night and gone into sleep mode. I crept into the bathroom to take care of urgent business, but needn’t have been quiet. Through the living room window, I saw Hale in the clearing where he’d shifted and was sunning in the crisp morning sun. He’d started doing that every day, and the birds and squirrels had befriended him in that time. Now, he was obviously dozing, and there were no less than six songbirds also sunning and resting on his antlers. Lois, the gray squirrel, had curled up next to the large right ear and was snoozing, too.
Inspired once again for my character, who was morally gray but had a heart of gold for the good in the world, I walked past my comfy bed and went back to my desk. I plugged in my laptop, went to the kitchen to get a huge glass of water, and then returned to work. Glancing back out the window, I vowed to one day doze in the sun with Hale like that. My owl could perch in his antlers, and we could enjoy the best the world had to offer. Together.
9
COMET
“Yes, I understand. I have something I need to handle before I travel back, but I can be on the road tomorrow.”
The text message I had dreaded had been waiting for me this morning. I had lost track of time in the cabin, but today was the day I told everyone I would be back from my vacation. I had gotten three texts from Santas to make sure I was alright, one from a former student to schedule a training session to get ready for his first big night flying for one of the Santas, and one from my dad just seeing when I was getting back.
I answered the Santas first and let them know I was fine, then scheduled the session with the student for next week. Dad was retired and had moved a few times in the last few years, so we didn’t get together as often as we’d have liked. He’d wanted to meet in the next day or two before leaving on another adventure somewhere. The last text had been to him, but I wasn’t holding my breath. We loved each other and really did enjoy spending time together when it worked out, but since he’d lost my mom years ago, his mate, he’d been drifting. I didn’t have the heart to tie him down just to be there for me, so if it was easier for him to go from one place to the next and chase happiness, who was I to ask him not to?
I was enjoying the morning sun and dozing now, but I was actually avoiding going in and having the tough conversation Alden and I had been avoiding. He had hit his inspiration yesterday after struggling for so long. I didn’t want to drag him away from that, but I needed to return to my home and life. I was hoping he’d thought about what we’d do when the time came. If not, this was going to be awkward. As much as I loved this place and the mountain, Alden didn’t own the cabin, and he’d said he’d let his lease on his apartment in Charleston go before coming up here for the year. He wasn’t destitute by any means, but he was also technically homeless starting next month.
“Hey, sleepyhead, come on in and have lunch with me before I lie down for a nap. I’m so sleepy, even though I just woke up.”
I gently moved my head to wake up the birds who’d rested in my antlers, then shifted my ears to wake up Lois so she could move before I got up. After everyone had flown and scurried to other trees and parts of the yard, I shifted and walked into the cabin.
“Sleeping with your head on a desk isn’t exactly quality sleep, my little owl. I’m worried you don’t take care of yourself when you’re working like this.”
Waving his hand and shaking his head, Alden slowly walked to the kitchen table and flopped into a chair. “I’m fine. I’ll get into a routine in a day or two. You’ll see. This place is perfect for me to write this story, and by the time the lease is up, I should be finished.”
I dug into the sandwich he’d made me so I wouldn’t have to answer right away, but I knew it was a chicken shit way to act. We were mates, it wouldn’t be that bad. “Actually, I won’t see. I was supposed to be back today. I lost track of time and thought I had to be back next week, not this week. I got five messages today checking on me, so I need to head back.”
Alden set his sandwich down, then took a big drink of his water. He looked green all of a sudden, and before I could ask, he ran to the bathroom and threw up everything he’d just eaten and then some. I ran to get him a cold, damp cloth, but he just took the cloth and waved me back to the kitchen. Eventually, I heard him brush his teeth, and then he walked back to the table looking paler than usual, but there was a smile on his lips now.
“Sorry about that. You’re right. Sleeping on the desk was a bad choice. So was waiting so long to eat. Anyway, you’re going home tomorrow? What does that mean for us?”
With a deep sigh, I held out my hand, and he immediately placed his fine-boned hand in mine. “I was hoping my mate would consider moving to the North Pole with me. I mean, no offense, but you’re basically homeless come next month anyway, right?”
Alden laughed, then squeezed my hand. “I would love nothing more than to move to the North Pole with my reindeer shifter mate. Only, and I know this might be weird, but would you mind if I stayed here a few more weeks before I moved up there? I can work now, and you can get things situated there. I’m sure it’s a busy time for you, so we can plan on me moving right after Christmas. Would that be okay?”
I pulled his hand, and he easily slid onto my lap, straddling me so we could sit, foreheads touching. “If that’s what you want, then that will absolutely work for me. I’ll miss you like crazy, but we can both make up for the time lost when you’re finally home with me.”
“Well, we don’t have to wait until I move in to make up, do we?”
With a growl, I picked him up and walked him to the bathroom. Turning on the water, I held up a hand in answer to his silent question. When the bubbles were added and the candles lit, Alden smiled, stripping in the low light streaming in from the living room and the candles around the tub. I had been wanting to do this since that first night, but this seemed appropriate—one more romantic night before our first separation.
Alden slipped into the hot water and giggled. When the bubbles were as high as his nose, I slid in behind him and helped him pat the bubbles down to a manageable level before turning the water off and leaning us back to relax. I massaged his strong shoulders, getting groans that should be illegal in return. Moving down, I rubbed his arms, then his hands, one at a time, until he was limp and pliable against my chest. “Just relax, babe. I don’t want you to think, just feel.”
A quietmhmwas all he responded, so I ran my hands further down his sides, then massaged his upper thighs one at a time. By this time, he was squirming, trying to get me to stroke his hard cock that was poking up from the water and bubbles, demanding immediate attention. I grabbed the body wash from the side of the tub, poured a dollop into my palm, then finally took his length and began to massage. I took my time, varying my speed and grip over and over until he was begging and whining for me to let him come.
“Please, Hale, please.”
“I like to hear you beg, my little owl. But you only have to ask, and I’ll always give you what you need.” Whispering by his ear, I could feel the goose bumps rise on his skin from my words. I gripped him tighter and increased my speed on his cock, making sure to twist slightly at the tip the way he liked it. It took less than a minute for him to come, spurts flying up from the water now that the bubbles had long since popped. His juices covered my fingers, but instead of washing them off immediately, I watched as Alden traced a finger through the mess, then tasted his own cum. Fuck, that was hot. He reached down again, but this time, he took my whole hand and licked every single finger except for one. Turning around now and lying on my chest, he directed my hand to my own mouth to taste this time. Watching his eyes, blown wide with desire in the candlelight, I licked every drop, savoring the flavor of my mate before pulling him up to kiss him thoroughly. His flavor on my hand was one thing, but the flavor of him in his own mouth sent me over the edge. Roughly, I pushed between his closed thighs above me and came into the water between us.
Giggling now with release and exhaustion, Alden looked at the mess in the water and the bathroom and stood up. “As much as I would have liked to have tasted that, too, I think it’s time for a shower and bed. I’m still feeling slightly icky and need a good night’s sleep.” He held out his hand to me and helped me stand up, and then we walked to the shower and finally got clean after being very dirty. We stumbled to the bed, barely drying off, then snuggled under the covers for a good night’s sleep. It was a great send-off for the days to come.
10
ALDEN
“Look, I don’t know, Mom. If I knew what was wrong, I’d tell you. All I know is I have some kind of flu, and I won’t be able to make it to Thanksgiving this year.”
