Page 79 of Through The Woods

Chapter Twenty-Two

December

I stood up on my tiptoes to add the last gold ornament to the tree before stepping back to admire my work.

Tree number three was complete.

We had one in the living area, one in the dining room, and one for Charm’s room. I was just debating whether or not to go out and look for seven smaller trees to place in the other biker’s rooms when I heard the door slam downstairs, along with an exclaimed, “Holy fuck, Neve!”

So, I may have gone a bit overboard, but it was my first holiday sober. Amber had talked me into wrapping the banister in garland, claiming that it would give the lodge a cozy Christmas feel. From the sounds coming from downstairs, I was going to have some explaining to do.

The bedroom door opened and Charm strode in, shedding his leather vest on his way over to me. “Honey?”

I plastered a large smile onto my face as I stood in front of the tree, hoping it would convince him that the decorations were a necessity. “Yes?”

The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly, although it was obvious that he was trying to fight it. “Looks like you went shopping today…”

I nodded, refusing to give anything away.

He scratched at his beard. “And we needed all of these decorations why?”

“Because of Christmas. Did you know that you’re standing under mistletoe right now? And mistletoe is actually an interesting thing to kiss under, considering—”

“Considering that it’s a parasite that drains its host dry? Yeah, that doesn’t exactly scream romance.”

I stood there, dumbfounded. “You know that? How?”

He gave up the fight and let the grin take over his face. “Oh, honey. I read it in a book. A man has to find ways to keep up with you. Now tell me, do you know why people kiss under the mistletoe?”

I crossed my arms over my chest cockily and opened my mouth just as I realized that I had no idea. For the first time in quite some time, I was stumped. “Well, it’s because of—I mean, everyone knows about the thing…”

“Right. Come here.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his boots before gesturing for me to join him.

I climbed onto his lap. “Alright, Mighty Bringer of Knowledge, why do people kiss under the mistletoe?”

“Well, it goes back to Norse mythology. Baldr, son of Odin, dreamed of his own death. Turns out, his mother, Frigg, also dreamed of his death. She was afraid that it was prophetic and made every object vow to never come against her son.

“Well, every object obeyed, except for mistletoe. Loki, the trickster god, used that to his advantage. He fastened it to a spear and handed it over to Baldr’s brother, who inadvertently used it against Baldr, killing him. Luckily, the gods were able to resurrect him and Frigg declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to bestow a kiss on all those who passed beneath it.” His gruff voice lulled me into a relaxed state and I settled my head against his shoulder.

“So, because some god’s wife decreed it, a parasite that killed her son is now a symbol of love?” Mythology had always perplexed me. I think it had something to do with the fact that none of it was rooted in science.

Charm pressed a kiss against the top of my head. “I think you’re supposed to take away that love can conquer anything, including death.”

I slid off of his lap and back onto his bed—our bed— with a yawn. I hadn’t slept in my room since before the gathering. We’d slipped into a routine over the past couple of months—and the funny thing was that none of the guys seemed to care. The morning after the party, Charm announced that he’d claimed me and that was it.

In biker code, I guess it meant I was off-limits and no one was to mess with me. My relationship with the other bikers had gone on, much like it had before. They were like older brothers; always teasing, yet making sure that I knew I was safe with them.

Everything else was the same—except, at the end of the day, I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved. It was a strange thing, being in love. While I’d seen Charm angry plenty over the past few months, he seemed happier when he was with me. The other men noticed it too—so much so, that Rooster began calling me Charm’s ‘Xanax.’

If he was upset, they’d come find me and send me down to him. His face would light up and his body would relax the minute I entered the room. I swore I could visibly see the tension as it left his body.

He valued my input too. He started coming to me with the club books, asking me for help. I still didn’t know exactly what the club dealt in, but he and I had become a team of sorts.

I think he knew that I loved him, but I wanted the first time I told him to be special. I was kind of hoping that I’d come up with something spectacular while it was just the two of us over the next couple of days. The other bikers were going to be riding down to the Springs to help out another MC that had just lost their Prez. From what I’d gathered from the other bikers, they were considering bringing them on.

I rolled onto my side, facing him. “What do you want to do tomorrow? Pearl said we should check out the Parade of Lights over in Cedar Ridge. Have you ever been?”

Charm pulled his shirt over his head and I was momentarily distracted. He lay back with a sigh and stroked my hair. “About that—I think I’m gonna have to go with the guys. We just absorbed the Hell’s Horsemen and Blade thinks it wouldn’t look good to the other MC if I don’t show. You could come with us though, baby.”

---