Page 15 of Saved By Her Guardian
“Hard core.”He rubbed the space over his heart as he crossed the snow and ice to the building where Santa’s office was.Once December began, the big male was always in his office reading through the Naughty and Nice lists with the help of his elf staff.He took off his coat and hat and stored them in the security office, then headed to Santa’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come,” Santa called.
“Hey, do you have a minute?”he asked as he opened the door and found the male standing at the window, looking out over the Well and the Northern Lights.
Santa turned and smiled.“Of course.What can I do for you?”
Maverick rested his hands on the back of a chair and stared at his boss and the most powerful warlock in the world, and then he launched into his story about finding Aralyn, much the same way that he’d blurted out the story to Knox earlier.
His leopard was pacing in his mind by the time he finished his tale, all the talk about the beautiful female making him anxious to see her again.He rubbed the space over his heart again as a pang of longing filled him.It had only been hours since they’d parted.How the hell was he going to make it to Christmas without seeing her?
“Well,” Santa said, clearing his throat.“First, I’m happy for you finding Aralyn.And I’m sorry that this time of year is such that you can’t be with her down in Kentucky and she can’t be with you up here because of her assignment.”
“Do you know much about reapers?”
“They’re neutral.Being a reaper is about balance, you know.We can’t have life without death.Reapers are essential to the balance of nature.Grim tends to lean a little more toward the evil side of neutral though.He’s not evil per se, not like Jack, but he’s definitely not one hundred percent neutral.He’s made questionable decisions over the years, and it sounds like he’s made one with his niece.It’s not that he doesn’t have the right to punish a reaper who doesn’t want an assignment, but I’m sure there had to be a better way to go about things rather than send her to a place where her magic would dwindle to nothing.Not to mention,” he said, his tone turning grave, “that without reapers, souls will linger, and the fabric of the world would be thrown into chaos.”
Maverick could understand how she wouldn’t want to reap the souls of children.It sounded like such a sad job.“I don’t want to change what she is, I just want to help her.”
“And have her with you,” Santa said.“She can’t utilize the Well because with reapers, it’s only for those who aren’t under assignment, such as youths before they can reap or the elderly or infirmed who aren’t able to.Her magic is the sort that’s too neutral.It’s the same with Sandman and his people who don’t replenish at the Well because they replenish their magic naturally with their abilities to bring dreams to people.She’d be unable to use the Well.”
“I wondered,” he said, pressing his lips into a thin line.
“Listen, she doesn’t really need saving.Her situation sucks, but the truth is that she has a job to do just as all other supernatural groups do.Some warlocks and witches have crappy jobs, it’s part of being low on the totem pole of a hierarchy and working their way up to better things.”Santa came around to him and put his hand on his shoulder.“She needs someone who believes that she’s strong enough to handle whatever job she’s assigned because, as the truemate of a shifter, I know she is.You can’t change her fate, Maverick.She’s a reaper and she must reap.But you can stand with her so she knows she’s not alone, and she can come here to see you.I’m certain I can provide enough magical protection for you to visit her again before Christmas too.As long as everyone is being safe and careful so we don’t attract attention from my brother.Then, when the holidays are over and we have a reprieve, you and Aralyn can make some decisions about the future.”
Maverick nodded.
Then his heart clenched and his leopard let out a snarl.
He saw the glow of the Portal being engaged.“Someone’s coming through the Portal,” he said, moving to the window.
“I don’t remember seeing an appointment for replenishment for this time,” Santa said.
Someone opened the door to Santa’s office and one of the security elves said, “We’ve got an unauthorized person coming through the Portal!”
“Let’s go,” Santa said.
Maverick followed Santa out of the office, rubbing the space over his heart.
Maverick and Santa hit the door of the security office and skidded to a halt.
“What’s going on?”Santa demanded.“Who’s come through the Portal?”
“A female,” Hunter, one of the polar bears, said.“And she’s asking for you.”
He looked pointedly at Maverick and his brows rose.“Is it Aralyn?She came here for me?”
“Yep,” he said.“Griffin and Willow were out on patrol and they’re bringing her here.You might let her know that she should definitely tell you she’s coming here.”
“Yeah, I will.”He looked at Santa.
Santa smiled.“Well, I guess you don’t have to wait to talk to her.But do be sure to let her know our protocols and that we need to ensure her safety and the safety of everyone up here before she goes opening portals willy-nilly.”
It was strange to hear the most powerful warlock in the world say the phrasewilly-nilly, but Maverick ignored the urge to point it out and instead nodded.He walked out into the hall and could feel that Aralyn was close.
Had something happened?
Why hadn’t she reached out to him?
