Christmas Delights 3 (11 page)

“I will marry you both and maybe then you can stop treating
me like I’m made out of crystal.”

Vien sighed. “You are sweet, my love, but I doubt even Santa
can grant that Christmas wish.”

Gabe shook his head as the twins laughed together.

* * * * *

 “What do you mean a fat man is going to sneak down the
chimney and give you toys?” Kylen stared at Sammy as the child spouted off an
improbable story that challenged the laws of physics.

“He always leaves extra if you give him cookies and milk,”
Sammy shared confidentially.

Kylen frowned. “If the man already has a weight problem, I
doubt millions of kids bringing him cookies is a good idea. Not to mention it
only encourages him to break into our house. Farro, did you hear this horrible
story? Don’t worry, Sammy, I’ll guard the house against this intruder. Maybe we
should barricade the fireplace.”

Farro tumbled off his chair and continued his laughing fit
on the floor.

“Daddy will explain it to you.” Sammy patted Kylen’s leg.
“I’m going to bed.”

“Night.” Kylen absently placed a kiss on Sammy’s cheek. He
watched as the small wolf shifter wandered down the hall before addressing his
mate. “Stop laughing. This is serious. How can people celebrate someone who
commits a crime? And what is he giving those poor reindeer to make them fly? I
bet it’s illegal magic pills.”

“Oh stop! Please love, my stomach can’t take it anymore.”
Farro pulled himself off the floor and plopped down beside Kylen. “It’s just a
story. It represents the magic of Christmas. To give presents to those you
love. Didn’t you celebrate Christmas in your palace?”

“No. We have Yuletide where you decorate the tree outside,
but we didn’t chop it down and haul its carcass into our house.”

“Ours is fake, dear. Silver called and warned me not to get
a real one.”

Kylen nodded. “Good. You people have weird traditions.”

Farro shrugged. “I’m not going to cancel Santa because
you’re afraid of intruders.”

“I’m not afraid.” Kylen squared his shoulders. “I just like
to be prepared.”

“Well stand down, soldier. The biggest concern is not having
enough wrapping paper.”

“Why? Won’t stalker-Santa bring some?”

Farro shook his head. “Let me go tuck in Sammy and make sure
he can’t hear us.”

Kylen stayed where he was, wondering what the hell was going
on. Had his mate completely gone insane?

He waited impatiently for Farro to return. Usually Kylen
enjoyed reading to Sammy, but he was too worked up to concentrated on
Fluffy
Bunny Goes to School
or whatever book Sammy currently wanted to hear twenty
times before sleep.

“He’s all tucked in. He’s so excited he fell asleep before I
finished the book.”

Farro settled comfortably beside his mate, Kylen soothing
him by merely being near. “What’s this Santa nonsense?”

Kylen listened as Farro told him the fable about Christmas,
which made absolutely no sense. He waited until Farro finished before speaking
just in case he missed some vital fact. In the end he had to state his opinion.
“Why would you lie to a child?”

Farro rolled his eyes. “It’s not really a lie; it’s a small
fib.”

“Really? Telling him a magical chubby elf is going to bring
him presents is a small fib? What do you consider a big lie?”

“That you are going to get laid tonight,” Farro said dryly,
his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

“It would be best if we just tell Sammy the truth. We can
tell him in the morning.”

Farro’s low, menacing growl didn’t encourage open
communication. The fact Farro didn’t tend to be an alpha wolf made it all the
more of a warning. “If you breathe a word to our son that Santa isn’t real you
will be sleeping on the couch alone until next Christmas.”

“But, Farro. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Farro folded his arm across his chest. “It doesn’t have to.
It is a Christmas tradition to lie to our children and make them believe in
Santa. Ruin it at your peril.”

Kylen sighed. “Is this how we are going to settle fights?
You are going to withhold sex?”

Another growl rolled out of Farro. Without warning he
pounced. Kylen fell back against the cushions beneath his mate’s body. “I
didn’t say anything about withholding sex. I just won’t let you cuddle with me
afterwards.”

“I still don’t like it.”

Farro flashed a fang.

“Fine. But when Sammy finds out the truth on his own I’m
going to tell him it was all your idea to lie.”

“Deal.” Farro struck, sinking his teeth into Kylen’s neck.

“Oh fuck, that’s good.” It should’ve hurt having sharp
incisors digging into his neck, but instead endorphins pumped through his
system and Kylen dug his heels into the couch cushions to find resistance and
push back against his mate.

“Let’s take it into the bedroom,” Farro whispered against
Kylen’s ear, his breath hot.

“O-okay.” He’d be willing to swear under oath that a giant
pink bunny delivered presents if it made him the focus of Farro’s attention. He
was a sucker for his mate’s touch.

He let Farro pull him from the couch and followed him down
the hall. He barely avoided slamming into the door when Farro entered their
bedroom.

Farro released Kylen’s wrist to strip off his clothes, exposing
a well-muscled torso and acres of smooth skin. Kylen was glad he’d agreed to
have Christmas at Farro’s old house. They didn’t get to visit it often with all
of Kylen’s responsibilities as king, but he didn’t want Sammy to miss his usual
holiday festivities. Now with Farro dropping his clothes on the floor, Kylen’s
brain scrambled. All his worries vanished along with his mate’s clothing.

“You are way too dressed to ravish me properly.” Farro’s
eyes went wolfy in the way only shifters could.

“Damn you’re sexy.” It needed to be said. Kylen knew the
past few months had been frantically busy trying to settle two kingdoms
together, but he never could’ve done it without his mate.

“I’m glad you think so.” Farro sprawled out on the bed
displaying his body for Kylen’s pleasure.

“Oh, I definitely think so.” Tired of his clothing he waved
his hand and removed them from his body.

“Cheater, where’s my striptease?”

“I’ll give you one later. Right now I want to show you how
much I appreciate you.”

Kylen climbed onto the bed and settled beside his mate,
close enough they touched chest to toe but not so close he put any weight on
Farro.

“You can lie on me. I won’t break,” Farro teased.

“No, but I prefer my mate breathing. You might be a big bad
shifter but we are about the same size.” Kylen dragged his tongue across
Farro’s nipple, inwardly grinning when Farro sucked in a breath.

“Keep that up and it won’t take long for me to shoot.”

“I’m sure you can get it up again.” The shifter’s rebound
was amazing.

“Hmm, true, but I’ve got a bunch of packages to wrap.”

“Take it easy, Santa. I’ll just relax you a bit, and then we
can get everything ready together. If there isn’t really some creepy elf coming
down the chimney I’ll come and help, otherwise I’m going to get my sword.”

Farro’s chest shook from laughter. “Gonna off Santa?”

“Mm hmm, got to protect my family.”

Farro stopped laughing. He cupped Kylen’s cheek and slid his
thumb across Kylen’s lips. “I love you, mate. Even if you are afraid of Santa.”

Kylen didn’t bother correcting him. He feared a lot of
things. He worried about mutants taking over both worlds, about Sammy growing
up lonely, and he worried about Farro hating living among the fae. “I’ll do
anything to keep you happy, even lie about a fat elf.”

Farro’s smile brightened Kylen’s day. “Now that’s true
love.”

Kylen nodded. “Yes it is.”

Farro rolled them over, then kissed Kylen. “Merry Christmas,
mate.”

“It is a Merry Christmas.” Kylen clutched Farro close to his
heart and knew was lucky to be closing out the year with the people he loved.

THE END

Amber Kell

Amber Kell has been dreaming of
stories for as long as she could remember, or use as an excuse for slacking
off. Her first love is paranormal writing but occasionally her gorgeous men dip
a toe in the every day. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two boys, three
cats, and one completely stupid but lovable dog. I remember sitting there
staring at my email, completely in shock that other people were  interested in
reading about the odd things that wander through my mind.

Email:
[email protected]

Full list of published books:
www.amberkell.com
 

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/amber.kell.7

Twitter @amberkell

"Hey," Aiden calls.

He sits at his computer as Matt stands in the kitchen,
making a snack of some kind. Kitchen is too nice of a word, really; it's more
like the corner of the single dorm room that has the microwave, coffeemaker,
and mini-fridge. Aiden is at his “office,” which is really a desk by the window
all the way across the tiny dorm. The “bedroom” is in the middle of the room
and consists of a long single bed stretching out from the adjacent wall and
creating a divide down the center.

The two of them have just finished their winter exams and
are about to start their end of term celebration before they are separated yet
again by Christmas holidays and family obligations. The microwave's beep drowns
out Aiden's initial call. He sighs, and should know better by now than to try
and get his boyfriend's attention when he is making food.

"Hey," he calls again when Matt sits on the bed,
which is now being used as the couch.

"Mmm hmm?" Matt answers, shoving half of a burrito
in his mouth without blinking. Having just finished a biology final without
eating dinner, Matt’s a little more than starving and willing to compromise his
gentlemanly image in front of his boyfriend momentarily.

Aiden shifts anxiously in his chair, waiting for Matt's full
attention. He's wanted to show Matt this all day, but he was occupied in books
about anatomy, cramming last minute for his final. As an English student, Aiden
had no exams and only numerous pages of essays to complete. It drove him crazy
writing the same format again and again (point, example, point, with the
occasional block quote and witty remark to temper the monotony), and he made it
easier by taking breaks with YouTube videos. He spent far too much time
reviewing John Green and his brother's contribution to Blog Brothers, then to
Drunk History and My Drunk Kitchen to at least feel like he's celebrating and
hammered, before he finally stumbled onto the sweetest Christmas video that he
now wants to show Matt.

 If only Matt would actually pay attention.

Ah, good, Aiden says to himself as he watches Matt eat the
second half of his impromptu dinner in a blink. He's about to ask him to pay
attention again when he gets up and heads to the mini-fridge.

Breathe in, breathe out, Aiden tells himself. He clicks idly
at the computer and watches a few laughing babies and cute animals with the
volume low to pass the time.

"Are you ready now?" he asks as Matt cracks a can
of coke. Matt swallows a few huge gulps and then shakes his head, as if he has
just woken up from a daze. He sees his boyfriend from across the room, and
though Aiden is still visibly annoyed, Matt smiles at him.

"Yeah, thanks for waiting." He walks over to the
bed and lays down on it. His attention is still not on Aiden and his new
loading YouTube video.

"Come on, Matt," he whines.

Matt laughs and then props his body up on his elbows.
"What? We have all night! Finals are over and there is still a few more
days before we have to leave."

"Technically less than forty-eight hours now,"
Aiden sighs, reiterating the dorm room’s policy for Christmas break. Two days
after a student’s last exam, they are expected to pack up and be whisked away
so that the college can shut down and clean.

"Shhhhh." Matt waves a hand in the air
dismissively. "You worry so much."

Aiden rolls his eyes and then goes to check his email
instead. His mom is complaining about the weather and before even finishing the
unnecessary diatribe about blizzards, clicks away from it. This is not how he
wants to spend the next less than 48 hours. He's been on YouTube, and not YouPorn
or any other place like that, because he wanted to wait for Matt to finish his
exams. Those precious 48 hours are supposed to be for real sex, not the kind
through a computer. And lots of it. Can he really be any more explicit than
that?

Aiden opens the video clip in his other tab and sighs.

"Come on, Matt. Humour me for a moment?" Aiden
says, and Matt finally listens. Whether or not it's because he's finally
satisfied, or because he hears the slight waving tension in Aiden's voice, he's
not quite sure. They've only been together for six months and are still trying
to figure out the whole nuances of the relationship.

Matt pulls up a spare chair and places an arm around Aiden,
who presses play. Already he feels his cheeks go red with embarrassment. Damn
his English major sentimental self, he thinks. He feels far too exposed showing
this romantic side of himself. It's bad enough he likes dicks, but he really
doesn't have to act gay, does he? Oh well, he thinks. Matt is probably aware of
all this romantic stuff anyway, and if not, he will be soon.