Page 10 of All I Want For Christmas Is An Alien
“Me too,” Emily and Ruby say at the same time.
That gets the warriors’ attention. “Both of us against thirteen of you?”
“You mean a couple of warriors can’t handle a bunch of women and children?” Ruby mocks.
Mak and Torin turn their back on us, forgettingtheir brotherly feud as they commence to strategizing. The kids don’t wait for them to reply. They launch the snowballs. An all-out war ensues and I run for cover behind a tree. My little one, Cris, follows me and I pull him in close against my legs, watching from the safety of the tree.
“You can throw snowballs at Uncle Torin and Makov, sweetie. It won’t hurt,” says the mother who’s too chicken to do so herself. That, plus I have terrible aim. Can’t hit a hamper with an oversized towel.
Cris’s little face tilts up to me. “I miss Daddy. Will he be home for Christmas?”
“I hope so.” I hoist him onto my hip and kiss his cold cheek. “But we’ll save some food and presents for him, and you can show him how to make snowballs too.”
His little face lights up, brighter than any Christmas tree. Which reminds me, we need to hang the lights Melikk made for us.
“I’m going to throw snowballs at Daddy when he comes home.” Cris wiggles out of my hold and runs off to join snowball-ageddon.
Get in line behind me, kiddo.
Holding a piece of metal up as a shield, Mak and Torin charge at the children. One by one, the males capture three of the kids, toss them onto the sheet metal, and start pulling them through the snow. A makeshift sled.
That’s one way of ending the snowball fight.
“Let’s go, Jade,” Ruby calls. “While the coast is clear.”
I race over to her, watching as Torin scoops up Cris and tosses him into the lap of one of the older boys on the sled. Makov’s pulling the sled by two chains already loaded with six kids, while Torin collects more kids as they go. I don’t think Mak’s even breaking a sweat.
Torin stops long enough to survey the area. The snowball fightturned into a game of hide and seek. “I will find you, you little gruds.”
“Really, must you call them gruds?” Ruby asks. “You’ll give them nightmares.”
“They’re sturdy younglings. I promise you, they will be fine, my sholani.”
I catch Torin’s eyes. “Warriors don’t break their promises,” he says.
I don’t know if he means a promise Havok made to me to be home before Christmas, or Torin’s promise that Havok will return home safe.
I narrow my eyes. “What aren’t you telling me, Torin Kaitel?”
“Now you’ve done it. She’s using your last name,” Ruby says.
“Only that Havok is not easy to kill.” Torin grins. “I’ve tried.”
Ruby kisses his cheek. “Save that story for when he returns.”
“He will return,” I say with fervor. These kids, these people here, have all traversed adversity to be here. Havok will arrive in time for Christmas, even if we have to stretch the holiday a wee bit. But that’s the best part about being married to zyanthan warriors. We learn to blend our cultures in a way that works for us.
“Come on in, everyone,” Emily calls. “I have hot chocolate. Made with quirty fruit.”
Quirty? Seriously? That’s tart. Nothing like hot chocolate. Well, nothing’s perfect.
But the kids run inside, smiling and laughing.
I gaze at the stars disappearing behind the snowfall. “You’re missing all the fun, my love. Come home soon. Nothing’s the same without you.”
CHAPTER SIX
HAVOK
