Delivered to My Elves (Mail-Order Matings #18)

Chapter Twelve

Misty

I was exhausted but also invigorated, a state that made no sense at all. After such a long trip, I really needed to take a shower to get the stale air off me and then a nap, but how could I possibly sleep with these two under the same roof.

Riding in the front seat of the truck between them was intense. I was in so much trouble because my bear was already in love with them, and I was falling rapidly under their spell. The glow had dissipated while we were at the station, but as we drove along the highway, it was back, and I had no idea why. It was golden and pulsing, and no matter how much I rubbed my tired eyes, it wouldn’t go away.

“You live pretty far out of town, huh?” Way to be obvious. But I was trying to think of something to say to take the edge off the silence that surrounded us in the cab. “Is it very rural?” I tried to remember what they’d told me about it. Not much…

“Kind of,” Aerin answered, switching lanes. “We live in the elf village surrounded by a lot of land that’s jointly held.”

“Like a commune?” I shifted a little, but my thighs were still touching both of theirs. My body was far too aware of them. “Not religious right?” Most of the communes I’d heard or read about seemed to be either faith based or hippies.

“No. Just an elf thing.” Callon glanced past me at his friend. “Hard to describe, but don’t some bear clans own their land in common?”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true, but I grew up in the city, so not so much for my family.” We continued on down the highway, but I couldn’t see much with the much taller elves on either side of me. They were both tall, blond, and super attractive, but there were subtle differences between them that I had noticed right away.

Aerin had an easy way of moving that carried through to how he drove the truck, smoothly working his way through the traffic in town and then at faster speeds out here where no buildings bracketed the road. That much I could see.

And Callon’s intensity, his deeply searching gaze on me when we walked to the truck, made him quite unique.

“Is it very far?” I felt the need to continue the conversation, but anything deeper would have to wait until we were face-to-face.

“Not far at all.” Aerin flicked on his blinker and waited for a semi to pass before turning onto a two-lane road. “I hope you’re not too tired. I wish you’d let us give you a sleeper berth.” They had asked, but they were so much more expensive, I’d refused. Now I wished I’d agreed as well. The ride was nice and the seats comfortable, but a bed and a private space to get refreshed before arrival would have been a good thing. I was probably a mess.

“No, I’m fine,” I said, a fib since not only was I tired, but my emotions were all over the place. “But I will be glad to get a good night’s sleep.”

“The village is right up ahead.” Callon pointed, but he didn’t need to because I could see the adorable little houses arranged around a central green space. “I hope you’ll be happy here.”

“It’s so cute.” I pushed up off the seat to see better. “Which house is yours?”

“It’s at the far end. We have to go around the back to where everyone parks.” Aerin continued past the homes and ended up in a small, paved area. “At least those who have cars.” He parked and turned off the engine. “How about a quick stroll around the village before we go inside?”

And kill a little time before we were in their home and facing the future? Not that I was being dramatic or anything, but once we walked through that door, I didn’t know what would happen. Did they want to take some time to get to know each other or maybe leap right into the breeder portion of the relationship?

We had talked enough that I felt comfortable enough to be here, and if I had the least thought that they’d force me, I would never have come, and they had been perfect gentlemen since I arrived. Did they feel the least bit of attraction to me? Would it be a chore for them to do what was needed for the breeding?

The village was the cutest place I had ever seen. It truly was out of a fairy tale, with its small individual cottages of all different colors. At this time of year, the gardens were muted, but I could only imagine what they would look like in the spring with flowers and vegetables of all kinds filling the fenced-in yards.

As we passed each home, the guys told me who lived there, the husband and wife/mates and their children. The only ones that did not have children were those they referred to as elders, meaning, they probably had them but they were now grown and on their own. No wonder they’d been willing to take me on just to have babies. It must be awfully isolating to be the only people in your town who did not have a family.

“And this is the community hall where we gather for celebrations when the weather is too hot or cold. Mostly, we have them on the village green,” Aerin told me as we passed a long, low building. “There’s not much to see in there now but at the holidays, it’s all decorated and gorgeous.”

“Which holidays do you celebrate?” I asked, since it had been on my mind.

“So many, but the best is Yule.”

“Not Christmas?”

“Oh, yes, there’s that, too. Our people have many traditions that blend together.” Callon hefted my suitcase higher. They were carrying everything I’d brought like it weighed nothing.

“But umm…” How did I ask without sounding like I was echoing a stereotype? “That is, I mean, you know the stories about Santa and the elves?”

“Not us,” Aerin said.