Page 25 of The Grinch Who Stole Orcmas

“We have to go back to the warehouse,” Joy insists. “We can’t let him get away with this.”

I shake my head firmly. “No way. It’s too dangerous. You should stay at your store while we handle this.”

Joy’s eyes flash and I see that when Miss Joy to the World lets her guard down, she can be absolutely feral.

“Not a chance, Grum. I may wear ugly sweaters and jingle bell earrings, but I’m no frail flower who needs protection. I’m in this till the end.”

Before I can argue further, Sarah pipes up. “Oh, I almost forgot! Joy, when Thornn and I were thanking Mr. Frost last night, we mentioned the toys stuck in the police evidence room. He said he’d use his connections to have them delivered here within 24 hours.”

Joy’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Really? Oh, that’s wonderful news!” In her excitement, she turns and plants a kiss right on my lips.

The table falls silent for a moment, then erupts in cheers and laughter. Kam whistles loudly, while Emma and Sarah exchange knowing looks as though they both won a bet.

I feel my face heat, but I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Alright, alright,” I grumble, trying to maintain some semblance of my Grinch persona. “Don’t you all have some detective work to do or something?”

As the laughter dies down and we plan our next move, I catch Joy’s eye. She winks at me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

I guess I needn’t have worried about what happened between us last night. It certainly doesn’t seem that she has any regrets.

Chapter 14: Wrapping Frenzy

Joy

“Grum, catch!”

A roll of shimmering gold wrapping paper soars through the air. Without missing a beat, Grum snatches it with one hand, his green skin contrasting beautifully with the metallic shine. My heart does a little flip as he flashes me a grin, tusks gleaming.

“Nice throw, Miss Mistletoe. Now, let’s see if you can handle this,” he calls back, tossing me a bundle of ribbons.

Laughter bubbles up as I fumble to catch them, ending up with a red bow “accidentally” stuck to my nose. Who would have thought the big, green Grinch would be capable of having fun? But the longer I know him, the more he lets down his man bun, the more I like spending time with him.

Vakra and Tyler zoom past, arms laden with tinsel. “Coming through!” Tyler yells, narrowly avoiding a collision with Brokka, who’s attempting to untangle a massive string of lights.

“Easy there, kids,” Brokka chuckles, shaking his head. “This isn’t a race.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Emma pipes up from her station, where she’s furiously wrapping gifts. “We’ve got a zillion presents to wrap before tomorrow.”

Kam flexes his impressive muscles. “Don’t worry, babe. With these guns, we’ll finish in no time.” He places a wrapped gift in the “boys 9-13” pile and says, “Now it’s only a zillion minus one.”

Rolling my eyes, I can’t help but smile at their banter. The room is alive with the spirit of Christmas—and something more. Pride swells in my chest as I watch Grum direct a group of volunteers, his gruff exterior softening with each passing moment.

“Hey, Bold!” he calls out to one of the wolven helpers. “Can you and Courage get that star on top of the main tree? Use the ladder, for Goddess’s sake. We don’t need any accidents today.”

Bold salutes mockingly. “Aye-aye, Captain Grinch!”

Grum’s growl is more playful than menacing. “Watch it, fuzzball. I can still take you in a fair fight.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Sarah stage-whispers as she passes by with an armload of stockings. “You’re practically Buddy the Elf at this point.”

Warmth spreads through me as I watch Grum interact with everyone. It’s like seeing a flower bloom in fast motion—the grumpy, isolated Grum I met just days ago transforming into this… leader. This friend. This… My cheeks heat up as I remember our elevator encounter.

“Earth to Joy!” Thornn’s deep voice snaps me out of my reverie. “You gonna stand there daydreaming, or are you gonna help me with these ornaments?”

Shaking off my distraction, I hurry over to help. As I reach for a box, Thornn leans in close, his voice low. “Got some new intel. We need to talk later.”

My stomach coils with anxiety. In all this happy holiday rush, it was easy to forget the danger lurking right around the corner. Nodding subtly, I get back to work, but now there’s an undercurrent of tension beneath the festive atmosphere.

As the day progresses, I notice similar whispered exchanges between our core group. Emma and Sarah huddled over a clipboard, faces serious. Kam and Grum having an intense discussion by the computer we’re using to track inventory. With every one of those interactions, my anxiety ratchets up a notch.

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