Page 21 of Cherished By Her Guardian

“I think I didn’t look away from the night sky for a week when I first came here,” he said. “The Well is pretty damn cool too, but not like the Lights. It’s like something is alive up there and playing with the colors.”

“It’s after midnight,” she said. “It’s not the solstice anymore.”

That meant Jack Frost was done spreading winter around the world and was back in his lair replenishing his magic by stealing good magic from some unfortunate magical person.

She turned in his arms and rested her head on his chest. “This was the best solstice I’ve ever had.”

“Oh?”

“Once I couldn’t shift, I was never included, always on the outside. A part of things but also not, like a ghost that can’t leave the place they died.” She tilted her head up to look at him. “But this solstice, I found you and now we’re marked mates.”

“It’s the best solstice for me too, sweetheart.”

She was warmth and love personified, sweet as the day was long, and as awe-inspiring as the lights that moved in the sky above.

It was the best solstice of his life, thanks to his mate.

The morning after winter solstice, Jack Frost was back to full power, fully replenished. His first stop after bringing winter full blast to the world, was finding the witch who’d fucked up everything. She’d hadone job,and she’d failed at it miserably. If she’d just waited until Christmas Day, she might have had a chance at taking out his brother, but she’d jumped the gun and attacked him when his power wasn’t even a little depleted.

Fucking useless waste of time and energy.

She’d pleaded for her life and the life of her grandfather. He’d taken no joy in telling her that he wasn’t going to help anyway.

Well, he tooksomejoy in it. He was a villain, after all.

Not the hero in Annette’s story.

After taking her magic and ending her life, he’d discovered several of Santa’s elves watching Annette’s home, and he’d decided it was time to return to his lair and change his plans.

What a disappointing turn of events.

His brother was still breathing. The audacity!

Valeth was waiting in his office. “I’m glad you’re here,” Jack said as he took a seat at his desk. “I’ve got a job for you.”

Valeth’s chest puffed. “Whatever you need, boss.”

Mentally he rolled his eyes and envisioned stabbing him in the chest for being such a kiss ass. “I need a new blade. This time, pyrite. I have an idea and you’re just the male for the job.”

“I’m on it.”

Valeth turned and hurried from the room.

Rolling up his sleeves, Jack got to work on a spell that would get him exactly what he needed: his brother dead and the Well in his possession.

His brother’s days were numbered.

Over the next few days, Winterlyn explored the buildings in Northernmost with Ivy the elf and Seren the human, while Declan worked his security shifts. When the trio wasn’t finding their way around the various buildings and getting to know each other, Winterlyn hung out with the elves who built the toys for the kids.

She found it fascinating that they could make toys for so many children and that Santa’s magical red velvet bag could hold so many toys, some as large as bicycles, without looking like it had anything in it at all.

On Christmas Eve, Declan invited her to the barn where the reindeer were kept and where, at midnight, the sleigh would leave Northernmost with Santa at the helm and fly all over the world, faster than the eye could track.

The sleigh was even more magnificent than she’d imagined, all gleaming apple red and bright copper, with red velvet seats and reins of braided gold rope. The reindeer all had harnesses with bells on them.

“So do you have a favorite reindeer?” she asked as she stroked the soft, short fur of Dasher’s nose. The big reindeersnorted and snuffled her hand, asking for a second carrot after she’d already given him one.

“I don’t spend that much time with them anymore,” he said, leaning on the gate of Dasher’s enclosure. “But when I first came up here, I spent time with them off-season. They’re all pretty cool, but Vixen can be a brat, which I swear is where he got his name. I think Blitzen is the nicest one, and Dasher here is the bossiest one, which is why he’s the lead.”

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