Page 26 of Wrong Number, Right Santa

He held out a bag of cookies, and I bit into one. Multiple favors flooded my mouth. Chocolate, lemon, and a burnt sugary taste that reminded me of caramel and nuts.

“These are amazing. You must give me the recipe.”

Chris shook his head. “Can’t. It’s only revealed to those who reside here.”

Hmmm. I munched my cookie, because my mate had brought up a problem for which I didn’t have a solution. How could welive together when he was Santa? Would being mated to me ruin his reputation? There was no rule book for what to do when your mate was a culturally significant figure that could trace his history back centuries.

“Oh my gods! Are you immortal?” My eyes welled with tears as I imagined growing old and being on my death bed while my mate looked as young as the day we met. My reindeer hated thinking of the day we drew our last breath, and he covered his ears.

“No. When the role gets too much, there will be an election to choose the next Santa and give him the Santa powers.”

Okay. It was one hurdle overcome, but until now, I hadn’t considered that. The bigger obstacle was how we were going to make this work.

“Humans take weeks, months, or even years to fall in love.”

“Ahh yes.” Chris munched on a cookie. “But we’re not human, so we can’t compare our instant attraction to meeting someone, going on a date, more back and forth, until one or both declare their love.” He pounded his chest. “Our hearts recognized one another instantly.”

“You can’t live in my world.” I couldn’t imagine the hoops we’d have to jump through to hide an entire village of elves and reindeer. Though as Santa’s village was ringed with magic, it wouldn’t be possible to move it. He was here to stay, but where did that leave me?

“How would you feel about living here?” Chris took my gloved hands in his. “Your reindeer would be at home, and Max would love it.”

I didn’t reveal that while my beast enjoyed the great outdoors, he was more of a town reindeer who visited the countryside to shift.

I could mingle with the other reindeer. That would be a first.

That hasn’t occurred to me. I’d been around humans and shifters since I was born, but to have never experienced being with your own kind must’ve been hard.

“Could you work from here?”

I did PR with a large company that had based themselves in my town because the costs were lower than a big city. Some of my work was online, but I had to front up to many functions and glad-hand bigwigs. That wouldn’t be possible from the North Pole.

“Are you in need of a PR guy?”

Chris chuckled. “Not really. Santa has a pretty good reputation.”

Maybe I could change careers. Start my own business or help out at the North Pole.

“I’m good at organizing.” He had witnessed that firsthand at the spectacular.

“Our systems are a little outdated.” He pulled the sleigh around, and we headed for home. “But you can commute. In the blink of an eye and a twitch of my nose, I can have you back at your office every morning and home again in the evening.”

That might be the better option.

“Though if you choose to work with me, you could travel with us on Christmas Eve.”

“What?” Santa’s reindeer jerked at my shriek. “Sorry.” I tucked my arm in Chris’s. “Are you telling me I’ll fly across the sky with you while you deliver presents?”

“It’s the Mr. Claus Travel Benefit.”

“That. I want that.” I’d figure out a new job. Something would turn up.

“I can show you now how it works,” he offered.

Much as I wanted us to soar into the sky, I wanted my mate more.

“Raincheck?”

He grinned. “What could possibly be better than going for a sky sleigh ride with Santa?”

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