Page 23 of Merry Cris Moose

Keely’s heart raced as she stepped in front of the workbench, instinctively shielding the miracle toy they’d just finished. She couldn’t let Frost get his hands on it. This toy was the key to saving Christmas, the one thing that could restore the magic. And she was pretty damn sure Frost knew it.

"Stay back," Keely warned, her voice stronger than she felt. Her palms were clammy, her pulse thundering in her ears. She had faced Frost’s minions before, but this was different. Frost radiated a power that was ancient, dark, and terribly cold.

Frost chuckled, his icy gaze flickering between Keely and the toy. "You’re bold, I’ll give you that," he said, stepping closer, frost spreading across the floor with each step. "But surely you don’t think you can stop me. I’ve been planning this for centuries. I’ve drained the magic of countless Christmases. I’ve stolen the heart of this place right from under their noses. And now..." His gaze darkened. "Now I’ll take what you’ve created."

Panic surged through Keely, but she swallowed it down, forcing herself to think. She wasn’t magical like Cris or the elves, but she had something Frost didn’t—belief. Belief in the magic of Christmas, in the people here at the North Pole, in the spirit of joy and wonder that had brought her into this world. She just had to find a way to tap into it.

As Frost took another step forward, Keely felt a surge of energy deep inside her. It was faint at first, but as she focused on the feelings—the joy, the love she had found here, and the deep bond she shared with Cris—it began to grow. She wasn’t powerless. She had brought her own kind of magic here—her belief.

"You don’t understand," Keely said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. "You can’t destroy Christmas magic because it doesn’t come from a place or a toy. It comes from the people who believe in it. And as long as there are people who believe, you’ll never win."

Frost’s smile faltered, just for a moment, but the brief flicker of uncertainty was enough to make Keely push harder. She could feel the energy inside her building, a spark of magic she hadn’t known existed until now.

"I believe in this place," Keely continued, stepping toward him now, her heart pounding with the force of the magic surging through her. "I believe in Cris, in Santa, in the elves, and everyone else here. Christmas isn’t just about presents and toys. It’s not about a certain date or even a season—it’s about hope, about love, and the magic that connects all of us. That’s the real magic. You’ve never understood that, and you’ll never take that away."

As the words left her lips, she could feel it—a powerful surge of pure warmth and energy. It wasn’t just belief—it was the very essence of Christmas. The workshop around her seemed to glow with it, the air humming with energy as her conviction turned into something more. Something real. Something magical.

Frost staggered back, his eyes widening as the air around them crackled with power. He raised a hand as if to shield himself, but it was too late. Keely felt the magic rush out of her, a pure burst of energy that filled the workshop, radiating from herlike the Northern Lights above. It was blinding, overwhelming, and filled with every ounce of belief and love she held inside her.

The magic slammed into Frost with the force of a super nova—brilliant and blinding. His form seemed to flicker and waver, and he struggled against the onslaught of power, but he couldn’t hold on. With a furious snarl, he whirled around, wrapping his long coat around him with a flourish and vanishing through the door into the frost-laden wind, the icy presence he’d brought with him dissipating like snowflakes melting under a warm sun.

As the energy faded, warmth slowly returned to the room, but Keely’s legs buckled beneath her. The rush of magic had drained her completely, leaving her dizzy and light-headed. She barely registered the sound of the door slamming open, or the hurried footsteps rushing toward her. Her vision blurred as the world swayed, her body collapsing to the ground.

“Keely!”

Cris’s voice was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

When Keely awoke, she was wrapped in a warm blanket, her body cocooned in softness. The steady crackle of a fire and the familiar scent of pine filled the air, and for a moment, she didn’t know where she was. But then she felt the comforting weight of a strong arm around her, and the warmth of a familiar presence beside her.

Cris.

She blinked her eyes open, finding herself in his arms, his face hovering inches from hers, his expression a mix of worry and relief.

“I really have to quit doing that—the whole fainting dead away,” she said.

“Keely,” he breathed, his voice thick. “You’re okay.”

She nodded weakly, her throat dry, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “I did it,” she whispered, the memory of the confrontation flooding back. “I found the magic inside me and drove him away.”

Cris let out a shaky breath, his hand cupping her cheek gently. “You did more than that. You used magic—real magic—and a lot of it. Everybody felt it.”

Keely’s body was still weak, but her spirit was stronger than ever. “I believed,” she whispered. “I believed in you, in this place, in all of it. That’s where the real magic came from.”

Cris’s eyes softened, his thumb brushing over her skin. “I’m so proud of you,” he murmured.

There was so much between them now, so much more than just the bond of fated mates. What they had was real, powerful, and unbreakable.

But as much as she wanted to lose herself in him and in the warmth of his arms, Keely knew the battle wasn’t over. Frost had been driven away for now, but he wasn’t gone for good. There was still so much to do, so much at stake.

“We need to finish this,” Keely whispered, her voice stronger now as she pushed herself to sit up, her fingers curling into Cris’s shirt.

Cris nodded, his expression darkening with determination. “We will. But right now, you need to rest.”

Keely shook her head. “Not yet.” Her eyes locked with his, her heart racing at the sight of him so close, his presencegrounding her, his touch sparking something deeper. “There’s no time to waste. We have to stop him before he comes back.”

Cris’s hand tightened around hers, his lips pressing against her forehead in a lingering kiss that sent warmth flooding through her. “We will,” he promised. “But you dealt Frost a harsh blow—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. He’s going to need time to recover. And next time, you won’t have to do it alone.”

Keely smiled faintly, the love between them palpable. “Never intended to.”

---