Page 18 of Bah Humbug Mate

They began to charge up the hill, gathering speed. Dash could feel them lifting off from the ground, galloping on air and beginning to climb higher and higher.

Holy shit! We’re flying.

CHAPTER 8

DSSH

Sometime later, after flying over all of Windsong, Dash felt much like he had as a child with his shifted-self admonishing him that the exhilaration of flying could only be outweighed by the exhaustion that would follow. Reluctantly, Dash headed back to his vehicle, touching down at a gallop and then coming gradually to a halt. Exhaustion, muscle fatigue, and mental weariness beset him almost immediately. Choosing not to put his reindeer through the stress of a shift, Dash settled down in his altered form to rest.

Eventually he thanked his reindeer for the most amazing afternoon and asked him to retreat, which he did. Dash struggled into his clothes, his limbs having trouble doing what his brain told them to do, climbed into the truck, resting his head on the wheel for a moment. He decided to close his eyes just to rest them and was jarred awake by a knock on his window.

“You reindeer types do pick the oddest places to take a rest,” said Colby with a grin. “You look like you got hit by a Mack truck. Scoot over.” Colby turned to his own driver. “I’m going to take sleeping beauty here back into town. Why don’t you head into town and wait for me at The Workshop. We’ll be along shortly, and you can drive me back to Windsong.”

With Colby shoving and manipulating Dash’s body, Dash was able to sort of roll into the passenger seat. “I can fly, Colby. Did you know that? I can fly.”

Colby chuckled. “I suspected as much. You really didn’t know? About any of it?”

“What do you know?”

“I know that your grandmother’s herd has special abilities very few outside the herd and even fewer outside the reindeer-shifter community know about.”

“But you know.”

“Yes, and before you get on your high horse, when I found out, I dispatched two units of my men to keep them safe. Dash, you’ve been involved enough with the resistance to realize what the ability to bend time and space could do if it fell into the wrong hands.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking your cousin Rudy is far more dangerous than any of us thought. I don’t think Santa’s herd is safe on their ancestral lands. I know you want time with Noel, but you’re going to have to steal that where you can. We need to get that herd to safety, and you, my friend, need to lead them.”

Dash groaned. “I knew getting involved with you was a bad idea.”

Colby laughed. “So, you know I’m right.”

“Unfortunately. I hadn’t even thought of what could happen to them if the League learned of their abilities. I’m hoping you’ve thought of someplace we can move them.”

“Yes, but I think we’re safest to move them temporarily to Windsong. Once we can secure and fortify a place for them, we can move them there.”

“Where is it?”

“The western side of the island, about halfway between Mystic River and Otter Cove. It’s an old, abandoned fort and trading post at Angels Falls. That way they’ll have backup from both communities. Once we have them safely out of Ontario, we can figure out if we need to station a security force there.”

“You seem to know them better than I do. Do you think they’ll join us?”

“I think there’s a chance. I don’t think I have to tell you the edge it would give us to be able to bend time like that, but that is something they and you will have to decide for yourselves. No one will force them to share their secret.”

Dash groaned. “How the hell did I go from being a confirmed bachelor caribou to a flying reindeer with the ability to manipulate time, a fated mate, and the alpha to a bunch of reindeer I’ve never met? This is not going to go over well.”

“Probably not, and there may well be a challenge to your leadership. But you are Dasher. Your ancestors have always led the herd and showed them the way.”

“I thought Rudolph was the one who led them with his bright red nose.”

“Think about that—what self-respecting reindeer is going to follow a clown with a big red nose? Nice story to tell the kiddos, but it would be a real disadvantage in a fight.”

“Do you think Rudy is one of them—the League, I mean?”

“It makes the most sense. Talk to Noel. Trust me when I tell you, your fated mate is an intelligent powerhouse.”

They pulled up in front of The Workshop. Dash pointed at the sign. “That was my shifted self’s idea, you know. He insisted the tavern be called The Workshop.”

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