Page 1 of Dirty December

Chapter One

Ican’t have a thing for my boss... even if he won’t be my boss for much longer.

About twenty minutes, to be exact.

“Eirwen! Aren’t you coming?”

I look up, nose red (redder than usual) from crying, not from the cold.

“I’ll be right there, Juniper!” I say brightly.

I’m one of Klaus’ elves. I’m always cheerful.

So is Klaus.

I frown through my hidden tears as Juniper hurries to the dining hall, her braids swinging, bells jingling. When I think of Klaus’ big smile, his broad chest heaving with laughter, his ringing voice... I have trouble remembering when last I saw him give anyone a real smile. I think it’s been more than a month.

I would do anything to make him smile. He’s not just a good boss. He’s not just a symbol of love and generosity around the world.

He’s... everything I ever wanted.

That giant of a man with a booming laugh, magic in his hands, and a smile as wide as the Arctic Circle...

He’s been my crush since I started working with him almost forty years ago—even though back then there was a Mrs. Claus.

I know, I know. Workplace romances are so messy, right? Don’t worry, I’m not a workshop wrecker. I loved Holly Claus almost as much as I swooned over her jolly, friendly, sweetheart of a husband. I stayed strictly professional. Even though I was tempted, I never talked to Klaus about anything besides my job—head manager of the stable and eventually the head reindeer trainer.

“Eirwen! You’re not gonna let the girls miss my big moment, are you?”

“Kris! No, sorry. Cupid is a little cranky, that’s all. She misses Hades.” I jump when I see Kris standing in the stable doorway, looking like a young, dark-haired version of his dad. I quickly get up and pat Cupid’s nose. I’m telling the truth. This close to Christmas I can’t risk letting her be with her mate, the big black buck, Hades, or she might be too tired to fly tomorrow night.

Kris, who will be known as Santa Claus in about twenty minutes when he takes over from his father, doesn’t buy my story.

“I don’t think Cupid is the only one who’s cranky. You’re going to miss my dad, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” Elves come and go every couple of centuries, and each Santa can only hold his power for 100 winters. It doesn’t always pass from father to son, but it always passes, like a windup toy’s clockwork—every century on the stroke of midnight that starts Christmas Eve day.

I force a smile that softens to something natural. “We always miss the old St. Nick, but we love the new one. We’ve known you since you were born, silly. I’m sure the reins are in good hands.” I make a weak pun as I lead the team of eight through the stable and across the snow-packed ground.

“Eirwen. You know the powers don’t just switch on at midnight when Dad hands me The List. They’ve been getting stronger for days. I know all you want for Christmas.” Kris gives me a sweet, sad look.

I hang my head. He must be sick at the thought of me wanting his father for my heart mate. How could I, a tiny little elf and not even a Crafter, dream of replacing Kris’ mother, a human, an angel in mortal form, the most beautiful, gentlewoman I’ve ever met, and Klaus’ true heart mate, or what the humans call “one true love”?

“I’m sorry. I am foolish to think about such things,” I whisper. Humans don’t even have heart mates. They have husbands and wives, and many break their sacred vows.

Klaus hadn’t. Even though they were humans, all of us elves knew Klaus and Holly had been heart mates.

Not that it will matter soon. Klaus has mentioned that he’ll be taking some time away to let Kris settle into his new job and make the role of Santa his own.

Soon, Klaus might only be a visitor—and he certainly won’t make time to chat with me when he comes back to see his son and all of the elves who have served with him. His closest friends have always been the Crafters and Confectioners.

Kris shakes his head and stays the team with his hand on Dasher’s brow. “Santa makes wishes, too, you know. Haven’t you noticed him getting more and more surly with every passing minute? It’s not because he’s retiring. He has been waiting to see me take over and fill those shiny black boots and the big red suit for the last decade. He’s going to missyou.”

“Missme?” I know Klaus is leaving for a year or two in the sun after a century in the hidden snowy realms of Brightlund, a tiny snippet of the North Pole ordinary people can’t quite find on the map. He’s leaving, but he’ll beback. His son lives here. The elves are his family. And that doesn’t explain why he’ll missme.

Kris seems to read my thoughts. “Mom has been gone for fifteen years, Eirwen. Dad gets another century of mortal life, maybe even more. You don’t think it’s possible that he might want to meet someone to share that time with?”

“No! I mean, yes. Of course he might. Does. Would.” I shake my silver-streaked plum-colored curls. “A human lady.”

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