Page 24 of Cherished By Her Guardian

“I never get tired of it,” Ivy said.

They left for the barracks, and the males planned to be at the Well of Magic before dawn as part of their last duties as Guardians for the year to ensure that Jack Frost didn’t try anything before Santa had a chance to replenish his magic.

As they said their goodbyes to their friends, Winterlyn toed off her boots at the door to their apartment and said, “How long do we have before you have to be back to your post?”

He looked at his watch. “Five hours, give or take.”

“That should be plenty long enough.”

“For what, my sexy mate?”

“For a very Merry Christmas. Twice.”

When Winterlyn asked Declan if she could be outside to watch Santa return to Northernmost at dawn, he’d been tempted to say no because there was always a danger that Frost would strike at some point when Santa returned. But Christmas Day was also when the security was the highest of any point in the year, and his post was far enough away from the barn that it was unlikely she’d be in any actual danger.

So he’d agreed in the end because he really didn’t want to be away from her anyway. His wolf hadn’t wanted to get out of bed at four a.m. to get ready to watch the perimeter for danger. Winterlyn was a sweet temptation.

They dressed for the cold weather and checked in at the security office.

It was all-hands-on-deck for Christmas morning, so he wasn’t surprised to see the other Guardians there, including Ivy and Seren.

Winterlyn hugged the females with a grin. “You wanted to see him come back too?”

“Well, it’s my last Christmas here,” Ivy said. “Knox and I are moving to the leap later today, and I didn’t want to miss watching Santa come in.”

“And it’s my first time here,” Seren said. “I absolutely didn’t want to miss it.”

Winterlyn smiled at Declan, and he said, “I guess you all had the same idea. Just remember that we have to work to keep Santa and the Well safe.”

Winterlyn gave him a quick kiss. “It’ll be fine. Maybe Frost won’t try anything. You said more protections were in place this year than any other Christmas.”

“We never let our guard down on Christmas Day,” Knox said. “He’s a tricky male who takes every opportunity to come at Santa.”

“Why doesn’t he just save up his resources and attack on Christmas Day?” Winterlyn asked.

“What do you mean?” Declan asked.

“Well, he attacked a few times this month. Like when he took Seren thinking she was an elf, or when he tracked Ivy through the portal and took her. Why doesn’t he just wait until Christmas Day and mount one big attack?”

Declan shrugged. “It’s just the way he is. Every year he tries new things, new magic and assault tactics. Partly, he’s looking for magical people to steal so he can harvest their magic for himself, but he’s also looking for weaknesses he can exploit.”

“I think he’s just so clouded by anger at losing control of the Well to Santa in the first place that he thinks of nothing but revenge,” Storm said. “He’s obsessed, and obsessed people don’t always think clearly.”

“It’s always a relief when Santa gets back to the Well and replenishes his magic,” Ivy said. “There’s a hiatus and Frost doesn’t mess with the Well for a while. But it’s disconcerting that he’s always there in the darkness, planning.”

Winterlyn shivered and Declan hugged her. He kissed the top of her head and said, “Let’s get our females outside in asafe place so they can watch him return, and we can get to our stations.”

Their group headed outside.

“Oof, it’s freaking cold,” Winterlyn said as the wind hit them with an icy, unforgiving hand.

“I’d say you get used to it, but that’s just not true,” Declan said. “Every time I walk outside, I think it’s damn cold.”

They walked with their small group—the three males and their mates—leaving the other Guardians and elf security team to get to their stations, mainly focusing on the Well and Entrance, although Frost and those with dark magic, like his followers, weren’t able to use the portal or cross the perimeter.

From their vantage point between the barn and the barracks, he could see the Well and the golden glow of magic that pulsed from within.

“Have you ever touched the magic in the Well?” Winterlyn asked. Her head was tipped to the sky, her gaze on the Northern Lights.

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