Page 42 of Gyft

She opens her arms. “I’m so glad, baby.”

I settle into her embrace and it’s the sweetest place to be. Behind us, I hear Minniel huff. “I’m willing to be the Santa Fe, too,” he says to Yvette, which earns him a kiss from her.

“It’s just Santa,” she says, as Olivia giggles. He glares at me as if I made him look stupid.

Idiot probably could have sat back and done nothing and Yvette would still have kissed him. But part of me is glad that he’ll suffer along in the red suit with me.

“Surprise!” Olivia says, pushing her way out of my touch and leaning into the sleigh. Her short skirt rises in back and my eyes are glued to the sweet curves of her tail-less bottom, covered by striped leggings of green and white. She pulls out the Santa suit... but it’s not in the dreaded blood-red.

It’s a rich, royal blue.

“What is this?” I ask warily.

“We appreciate you both volunteering,” Bride says. “But I can’t have such a handsome face look miserable! This is a new planet and we have more blended holidays, so we’ll start a new tradition. A blue Santa.”

As she speaks, she unfastens my brichet and pulls it off, then holds the jacket up so I can slip my arms inside the sleeves. She settles it up over my shoulders and fastens it in front. It’s a ridiculous garment, lined with white fur like an aging wildebeast at the cuffs and collar.

“Ooh, it’ll look splendid with the pants,” Yvette adds.

“I’ll try these pants on,” Minniel says quickly.

“Thanks, handsome,” Yvette says and he turns to me and smirks.

So right there in the hallway, I start to unbuckle my belt. Bride looks surprised, Yvette snorts, and Minniel narrows his eyes. Then it’s a race as he hurries to shed his pants before I do.

“Definitely brothers,” Yvette says, avoiding looking at me as Olivia turns her back to Minniel and hands me the matching pants to put on.

“They feel too big,” I say, sliding a leg in as she holds them up.

“Nah, they’ll feel just right as soon as we stuff you fat,” Bride says and when I look over my shoulder at Minniel, he looks just as resigned as Yvette starts stuffing garments into his waistband.

His breath catches, making me think Yvette touched something in his pants purposely.

“Eyes over here, baby,” Olivia says, snapping my attention back to her by lowering the neckline of her green elf dress. Her lovely cleavage is exaggerated by the way her breasts are pushed up and squeezed together. “We’re going to make you look jolly, and you’re going to be loud and boisterous, okay? Plop all these kids I bring you onto your lap, we’ll snap a picture and you’ll ask them what they want for Christmas. If they speak too softly for me to hear what it is, you repeat it loud enough for Brisa and Kyno to grab what they want out of the sleigh and presto, the kid’s wish is fulfilled. Any questions?”

“How long before we can go home?”

“We’re not going home. We’re going to the M’irshlak’s, remember?”

“Same difference,” I say, meaning I just want to be alone with her. I lean down to nibble her ear, licking across my fang bites to remind her of our mating. She shivers, her eyes becoming hooded.

“Show me a good time, baby. And I’m going to do the same to you.”

That’s all I need to put this show on the road.

And by the time we’re done making these seedlings and their commonfolk parents happy, I get it. I feel the Christmas magic that Bride has been trying to explain to me.

It’s real, it’s tangible, and there’s nothing like it in the world. Nothing like seeing little faces go from shy to lighting up. Nothing like seeing how much Kyno and Brisa have grown by trying to make the little ones happy. Their faces light up when Olivia assures them that they’re on Santa’s good list.

“I want to be a father,” I tell Olivia when we’re cleaning up.

This time, I get to see my beautiful bride’s face light up.

Epilogue

THREE YEARS LATER

“SHE’S SO cute,” Brisa coos.

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