Page 7 of Merry Cris Moose

“She can. She lives in Otter Cove. Either she’s a shifter, or she at least understands the need for secrecy,” Tinker said firmly. “It’s a small step from that to believing in magic… just ask Dash.”

What Tinker didn’t know, but Cris did, was that she was his fated mate. None of them needed to know that—not even Keely. She might not be aware, but she had to have felt the connection even if she didn’t completely understand it. He wasn’t about to let her slip through his fingers—especially not when she could be the key to saving everything.

“Then it’s settled. I’m bringing her here,” Cris said, his tone brooking no argument. “I think she’s our best bet.”

“Agreed,” said Tinker. “If we don’t find a way to stabilize things soon, we won’t have a Christmas to save.”

He would go to Keely. He would bring her here. And he would face whatever consequences came with it. Because something deep inside him told him that she was more than just a brilliant designer. She was the answer to everything.

Chapter

Four

KEELY

Keely sat in the center of her workroom, the soft glow of Christmas lights twinkling in the windows as the cold wind howled outside her cabin. The familiar tools of her trade surrounded her: bits of wood, screws, metal scraps, soldering irons and tiny gears strewn across the workbench. She should have been focusing on the final touches of her latest prototype—a mechanical elf that waved and played holiday songs—but her mind was far from the toy in front of her.

Instead, it kept wandering back to Cris Sutton.

With a frustrated sigh, she set her carving tool down and rubbed her temples. The design had been due days ago, but every time she tried to concentrate, thoughts of Cris clouded her mind, sending a wave of heat through her body that left her restless and unfocused. She hadn’t been able to shake the memory of their night together—his touch, his scent, the way he had made her feel as though she were the only thing that mattered in the world.

But then he had left. Without a word, slipping out of her bed before dawn with nothing but a hastily written note as an apology.

Keely exhaled sharply, trying to push the memory aside. She couldn’t afford to get distracted by Cris Sutton. Not now, with her career on the line. She wasn’t going to work for Vanguard. She’d given her notice, and this last prototype was the last thing she owed them. Warren had whined and said Vanguard wanted to keep her on, but Keely was ready to forge her own path, and she wasn’t about to let some enigmatic CEO derail her focus.

Just as she was about to force herself back to work, the sound of her phone buzzing on the workbench broke the silence. Keely glanced over at the screen, her breath catching when she saw his name flash across it.

Cris Sutton.

A video call.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers hovered over the phone, hesitation gripping her. Part of her wanted to ignore it—to let him wait, just like he had left her waiting after their night together. But the more professional part of her whispered that this was business. She couldn’t just ignore a potential client, even if he had left her feeling confused and a little hurt.

She sighed and tapped the screen, accepting the call.

“Keely,” Cris’s deep voice resonated through the speaker before his face appeared on the screen. His dark eyes locked onto hers through the phone, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Even over video, his presence was undeniable. His dark hair was slightly mussed, as though he had been running his hands through it, and the sharp line of his jaw was clenched in a way that made her heart stutter.

She quickly composed herself, lifting her chin. “Mr. Sutton. What can I do for you?” Her tone was cool, professional, despite the rush of emotions swirling inside her.

He exhaled, his expression softening just slightly. “‘Mr. Sutton?’ I suppose I deserve that, at least from your point ofview. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me right now, but I need to explain. I didn’t mean to leave like that.”

Keely narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. “You didn’tmeanto? What exactly did you mean? What, Cris? You just happened to disappear without a word?”

He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “I didn’t want to leave. Trust me, I would have stayed if I could, but something urgent came up—something I couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t personal, Keely. I didn’t want you to think... I left you a note,” he finished lamely.

He trailed off, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them. Keely’s chest tightened as she watched him struggle for an explanation. Part of her wanted to believe him, but another part of her was still reeling from how abruptly he had left.

“And I’m just supposed to believe that?” she said, her voice quieter now, less certain. “You vanish with nothing more than a note, then not a word, and now… what? You’re suddenly back in my life like that night never happened?”

Cris’s gaze softened, and his voice dropped, as if the distance between them mattered less than what he had to say. “Keely, I’m sorry. That’s all I can say. I read this morning that Schultz sold out to Vanguard Holdings. Are you going to stay?”

“I don’t know that that’s any of your business.”

“It might not be if I wasn’t calling you to offer you a job.”

A job? Did I hear him right?Keely’s resolve wavered as she looked at him, feeling the pull of his sincerity, the apology in his dark eyes. She knew she should stay firm, that she couldn’t let him off the hook so easily—but damn it, he made it so hard to think clearly. Her fingers flexed against the workbench, trying to grasp at some semblance of control.

“A job?” she asked finally, her voice steadying as she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m listening.”

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