North Pole City Tales: Complete Series Page 40

  Dasher couldn’t blame the king. High above them in the sky, the colorful lights continued, casting undulating blankets of green, blue, red, and purple among a sea of twinkling stars. It was peaceful, and although Dasher had no idea why he had been allowed passage, he was grateful.

  “Your lack of manners continues to astonish me,” the king muttered, his eyes remaining closed. “Has no one told you it’s not polite to stare?”

  “I’m sorry,” Dasher said, hiding a smile. He was hardly about to give away how amused he was by the king’s grumpy nature. That would certainly not go down well.

  “You’re not sorry at all.”

  No. He wasn’t.

  The king sighed and opened his eyes. His frown deepened. “Why are you here?”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Dasher admitted, dropping into the snow, drawing his knees up and crossing his legs at the ankles. “It’s all your fault, you know.”

  The king narrowed his eyes. My, but he was beautiful. Strong square jaw, tantalizing lips, thick black eyebrows, and thick pitch-black hair falling to his broad shoulders. And he smelled heavenly. A mixture of evergreen and spices.

  “I can’t seem to stop thinking about you.”

  A perfectly shaped black eyebrow rose. “And that is my fault how?”

  Dasher lay down in the snow and stretched out beside the chaise lounge to gaze up at the sky. “I didn’t know you’d be out here. I just wanted to feel close to you. What better way to do that than to be somewhere you love?”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” the king muttered, clearly ignoring Dasher’s reply.

  “How it’s your fault that I can’t sleep or stop thinking about you?”

  “I have done nothing to warrant such odd behavior.”

  “I suppose I’ve been called worse things than odd,” Dasher said, amused. “Are you certain you wish to hear the truth?”

  “I always expect the truth.”

  “Well, ever since that day in your throne room when Cupid came to you for help, I haven’t been able to get you out of my thoughts. For the first time, I saw past who you were, to what you were.”

  “And what’s that?”

  The king’s tone implied he was simply humoring Dasher, but Dasher had every intention of making him understand.

  “A lonely, broken soul in need of love and light.”

  The king sat up suddenly, and Dasher was forced to scramble out of the way as the king got to his feet, his hands balled into fists at his sides as he faced Dasher.

  “How dare you!”

  “How dare I what? See you?” Dasher asked softly, keeping his tone quiet and calm. “Want to get to know you? Want to spend every moment I can with you? Or do you mean how dare I be enchanted by you? How dare I not cower before the King of Frost?”

  The king lifted his arms, his eyes going white and his hair draining of color. The temperature dropped, the wind howled, and snow swirled around Dasher.

  Having another tantrum, are we?

  “I will not be pitied!”

  Dasher folded his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you done?”

  “You—”

  “Won’t be going anywhere. I know you only see me as an insignificant little Christmas elf, but I promise you I’m much more than that. I also know you want me to believe the worst of you. You want me to look at you the way others do. With fear. The reclusive, terrifying, heartless king of all winter.” Dasher stepped close, his heart in his throat as he gingerly reached up and placed his palm to the king’s cheek. All at once, the blustering ebbed, and the king’s eyes returned to their natural dark state, along with his hair. Dasher met the king’s gaze and smiled warmly. “But that is not what I see.”

  “What do you see?” the king asked, his voice low and gruff.

  “I see someone who deserves to be loved, to find joy in this life, because he is worthy of it. You lost so much, suffered a great loss, yet your heart still beats. I understand your fear and your pain.”

  The king took hold of Dasher’s wrist and moved him away. His nearly black eyes turned cold, and when he spoke, it was through his teeth. “How could you possibly understand how it feels to lose the other half of you? To have your heart torn from you and returned to you bloodied, battered, and damaged beyond repair?”

  Dasher swallowed hard. “I understand more than you know.”

  The king was visibly stunned by Dasher’s words. He studied Dasher, his hand still around Dasher’s wrist.

  “It was a very long time ago, and I was quite young.” Dasher closed his eyes, drew in a sharp breath, and searched deep inside for memories long buried. “While I attended Claus College, I met an elf who was funny, smart, and sweet. His name was Wren, and we spent a great deal of time together. As the months turned into years, the years into decades, our affection for each other grew into love. He was my world, and I was his. No one knew about us, as such a thing was frowned upon at the time. Being discovered meant possible expulsion for Wren, because unlike myself, who had been personally chosen by Kringle for the Rein Dears, Wren had been accepted for training in the Helper Program. As it turns out, when we graduated, he was assigned to be my helper. We were inseparable. Every day was like a dream. Then the scandal hit.”

  The king’s eyes widened. “The scandal several centuries ago, the one where you were caught…?”

  Dasher nodded and blinked away his tears. “We were celebrating another successful Big Flight and had a few too many peppermint juleps. We didn’t notice the reporter who’d followed us home, and we were caught in a compromising position behind the Rein Dear estate. It was all over the papers the next day, our faces splashed across the front pages. Wren’s more than mine.” A tear managed to escape and rolled down Dasher’s cheek. “As a Rein Dear, I wasn’t exposed to nearly as much of the ugliness as Wren was. I did my best to shield him from it, but one by one his family and friends shunned him. It was all too much.”

  A gentle hand to Dasher’s cheek had him leaning into the touch. He closed his eyes and drew strength from the king’s solid presence. It had been so very long ago, yet on occasion his cruel mind conjured up images of Wren’s warm smile and gentle eyes.

  “I returned one evening from a test run, and toy soldiers were waiting for me in my hangar. Mayor Kringle had instructed them to watch over Wren in my absence. The toy soldiers came to inform me they’d failed to stop Wren from running into the Enchanted Woods. I knew then that I would never see him again, but I went in search of him anyway. I couldn’t simply leave him to his fate. The woods were filled with all manner of beasts and dark magic. My Rein Dear brothers were at my side that day. They didn’t know what Wren truly meant to me.” His throat felt tight, and when he spoke, his words were almost whispered. “A woodland faery had seen him devoured by shadows.”

  A soft gasp met his ear, and Dasher took comfort in the king’s touch. “I didn’t know,” the king said softly.

  “The papers never mentioned we were in love. Love doesn’t sell papers. All anyone saw was that I was a Rein Dear, and he was my helper, and we were both elves.” Dasher felt the king’s soft fingers on his face as he wiped Dasher’s tears, and Dasher released a shaky breath. “The rumors spread like wildfire, and by the end of the week, a love that spanned centuries had been reduced to nothing more than a scandalous tryst.” Dasher found it difficult to meet the king’s gaze, feeling ashamed. “If I had done something more, been more careful, perhaps…”

  “Stop that,” the king snapped, startling Dasher. He stared up at the king’s handsome face, taken aback by the heartache he saw there, heartache for Dasher. “Blaming yourself will not bring him back. Believe me. For centuries, I told myself my actions led to Vera’s demise. I spent every moment of every waking day reliving her death, telling myself I could have prevented it somehow, but I could no more have prevented her death than I could the Frost War. The Dockalfar were slaughtering our kind. How could I not act? Yet there are times when I still question my act
ions.”

  Dasher worried his bottom lip between his teeth before forcing himself to lift his gaze. “I’ve never told anyone, not even my brethren. Sometimes, it’s as if I can still feel his presence. For a long time, I felt so lost without him.”

  “I’m sorry you suffered such a loss.”

  Dasher nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Eirik.”

  Dasher blinked up at him. “Pardon?”

  “My name,” the king replied with a sweet smile. “It’s Eirik. Eirik Frost.”

  Dasher’s smile couldn’t get any wider, and his heart soared. “Eirik?”

  Eirik chuckled. “Did you think I didn’t have a name?” His smile was playful, and Dasher thought he might melt through the snow then and there. “Only my family calls me by my name and only in private.”

  “I understand.” Dasher closed his hands around Eirik’s wrists, loving that Eirik had not moved his hands from Dasher’s face. “Eirik. It’s beautiful. Like you.”

  Eirik released Dasher, but Dasher kept his hold on him. “Why do you say such things?”

  “I never say anything I don’t mean.”

  “You truly think I’m beautiful?”

  “Yes.” Dasher chanced stepping closer, his heart beating rapidly. “I find myself completely under your spell.”

  “Release me,” Eirik commanded gently, and with a heavy heart, Dasher obeyed. He remained exceptionally still as Eirik searched his gaze. Dasher thought he would expire at any moment if Eirik didn’t say or do something, and then Eirik did something completely unexpected. He lifted Dasher’s chin and pressed his lips to Dasher’s.

  The world stood still, or so it seemed. Dasher gasped, his lips parting, and Eirik took that as an open invitation to slip his tongue inside Dasher’s mouth. Not even in his wildest dreams had Dasher imagined how good Eirik tasted. He closed his eyes, his body no longer his own as he melted against Eirik, thrilled by the feel of Eirik’s strong arms around him. Their kiss was sweet as they explored each other’s mouths, tongues tangling and tasting.

  Dasher clutched the lapels of Eirik’s frock coat, fearing if he didn’t, he would slip away. Forced to come up for air, they parted. Dasher licked his bottom lip as he attempted to catch his breath. He dared to glance up at Eirik, and a shiver went through him at the desire he saw in Eirik’s eyes. The heat coming from Eirik was enough to melt the greatest of glaciers.

  “Eirik…” Dasher was desperate to kiss him again, but he was afraid of scaring Eirik off. Instinctively he tightened his grip on the frock coat’s lapels. He opened his mouth to speak to reassure Eirik in some way, but then Eirik cupped Dasher’s face.

  “I’d like to kiss you again.”

  Dasher nodded fervently. For months Dasher had longed to taste Eirik, and now Eirik’s mouth was on his, taking everything Dasher offered. His scent enveloped Dasher, his hard body pressed against Dasher’s. It was astonishing how well they fit together, even though Eirik was bigger and taller than Dasher. Oh, but he tasted so good. Dasher wished this moment would never end.

  “Your lips are soft,” Eirik murmured against Dasher’s mouth. “I didn’t expect them to be so soft.”

  “I dreamed of this,” Dasher said, breathless. Perhaps he was still dreaming. What else could explain him being in Eirik’s arms?

  “And did the reality meet your expectations?”

  “Oh, darling, it surpassed them.”

  Eirik smiled, and it reached his eyes, forming creases at the corners. Dasher couldn’t help but reach up and run his thumb across one little crease.

  “You should smile more often.”

  “Oh?” Eirik turned his head and kissed Dasher’s palm. “And why is that?”

  Gods above, the winter spirit was trying to kill him. “Because it’s breathtaking.”

  Eirik released a bashful laugh. “You’re very good for my ego, you know.”

  Dasher stood mesmerized by Eirik’s gaze. How could Eirik not see how incredibly beautiful he was? The king might have been around since the first snowflake floated down from the heavens, but he looked young, only slightly older than Jack. Anyone who didn’t know what the King of Frost looked like would assume, upon seeing him, that he was Jack’s older brother rather than his father. Eirik was stunning, and as Dasher laid his palm over Eirik’s heart, he knew without a doubt he was losing his own.

  “I haven’t felt this drawn to anyone… in a very long time,” Eirik admitted. “I still don’t quite understand it.” He brushed a lock of Dasher’s hair away from his face. “Come. It’s very late, and you’re shivering.”

  “I am but not from the cold.”

  Eirik let out a huff, but his eyes were alight with amusement. “What am I to do with you, Dasher Rein Dear?”

  Love me.

  Eirik snapped his fingers, and the pane of ice he’d etched shattered.

  Dasher gasped. “But it was so beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” Eirik said sincerely. “But I feel inspired to draw something… different.” He escorted Dasher down the path, the frolicking forest ice creatures prancing and pouncing around them, making Dasher laugh.

  “What will happen to them?”

  Eirik turned to him, his smile kind. “They are only ice.” He balled his hand into a fist and held it before Dasher. “Make a wish.”

  Dasher did, and he nodded to let Eirik know he had. He watched, enthralled as Eirik blew on his hand. Slowly he opened his fingers, and Dasher could have sworn pink spread across Eirik’s nose and cheeks as if he hadn’t expected to conjure up what he did.

  In the center of his hand was a heart made of chiseled ice. The heart appeared to hold a galaxy of stars, much like those found in the night sky. Dasher was in awe as a ribbon of green, blue, purple, and red pulsed across the heart, reflecting the northern lights.

  “What did you wish for?” Eirik asked, sounding almost timid.

  “If I tell you, it might not come true.”

  Eirik nodded. With a sigh and a warm smile, Eirik held the heart out to Dasher. “Take it. It’s yours.”

  Dasher’s head shot up, his eyes going wide. “You’re giving it to me?”

  Eirik nodded. He took Dasher’s hand and gently placed the heart in Dasher’s palm. “Guard it well.”

  “I will. I swear it. But won’t it melt?”

  Eirik shook his head. “Not while I live.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Dasher walked with Eirik toward the palace, he held Eirik’s heart close to his. He would cherish Eirik’s gift, and perhaps one day Eirik’s heart might even be filled with love for Dasher.

  Chapter 4

  “Do you remember when we used to play such games?”

  Eirik turned away from the window to face Malachi. “Don’t be ridiculous. We were never that young.”

  Malachi threw his head back and laughed. “My, but you are in rare form today. What has you in such high spirits?”

  “You must be mistaking me with someone else,” Eirik grumbled, though he couldn’t keep his lips from curling up on one side. It was more of a who. Eirik still couldn’t believe what had transpired the other night. It had started much like any other evening. When he couldn’t sleep, he went out into his garden to create art, to lie beneath the stars, and to marvel at the vastness of the universe. He hadn’t expected to see Dasher, nor had he expected what came after. Their kisses lingered on Eirik’s lips, and his pulse quickened every time he thought of them.

  The truth in Dasher’s words had struck a chord deep inside him, and Eirik had lashed out as he always did. A terrible habit. To his astonishment, Dasher did not allow it. Not only had he not been frightened, but he’d challenged Eirik. Eirik couldn’t explain what had gotten into him when he’d kissed Dasher. When he’d come up for breath, he truly believed he’d feel regret or shame, but instead all he’d felt was a burning desire threatening to consume him if he didn’t do it again, so he had. The taste of Dasher’s soft lips and his warm body pressed to Eirik’s had flo
oded him with a passion he never thought he’d feel again. Not since Vera had Eirik yearned to feel another’s skin beneath his fingertips. How long had it been since the embers of his desire had been stoked? Should it matter that it was Dasher who fanned the flames inside him or that Dasher was an elf and not a fairy?

  That evening, after he’d walked Dasher to his bedchamber, Eirik kissed him again, unable to part ways without tasting those sweet lips once more. It was both exhilarating and terribly frightening. When he’d finally laid his head on his pillow, he found his thoughts once again consumed by Dasher, and Eirik pleasured himself to thoughts of Dasher’s sculpted body and tender lips. His own wanton behavior astonished him.

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Pardon?” Eirik turned, his heart pounding fiercely as Malachi joined him at the window. “You see what?”

  Malachi rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Eirik. I am not as oblivious as you believe me to be. I am your brother after all. I know you better than anyone.”

  Eirik swallowed down his growing panic. “And?”

  “And if you wish to pursue an amorous union with a certain elf, you should do so. I fully support you.”

  “And do you think Jack would support his father having an amorous union with an elf just barely older than he?” Wait. Crabapples!

  “Ah-ha! You do care for him.”

  Eirik glowered at his brother. “I loathe you.”

  “Hardly. I know you love me with every fractal of your icy being.” Malachi’s grin stretched from ear to ear. He wrapped an arm around Eirik’s shoulders. “I love you, Eirik, as does Jack and the rest of our family. We only wish to see you happy. It’s all we’ve wanted for so very long. Don’t you think it’s about time?”

  “He’s an elf. And what’s more, he’s a Christmas elf.”

  Malachi peered at him. “I fail to see your point.”

  “I’m a king!”