Falling For Her Guardian (Yuletide Shifters #1)

Chapter 12

When they left Santa’s, they didn’t have to walk through the elements to the portal, they were picked up in a small vehicle driven by one of the elves named Griffin. Willow, a female elf, was in the passenger seat, and she was going to escort them through the Entrance.

Seren was going to pack a bag so she could stay with him at the barracks for a while, but before they returned to Northernmost after meeting with her family, he was going to take her out on a date. He just had no idea where since he didn’t know Columbus that well.

Willow got out of the truck when they reached the Entrance. “Give me a couple minutes to get it started, and then you can join me so Seren won’t freeze while it powers up.”

“Thanks,” Storm said.

“When you’re ready to come back,” Griffin said, “just use your satellite phone to call the security office and we’ll send someone to come to the location to pick you up.”

“We’ll be a while,” Storm said. “We’re going to meet her parents, pack some things, and then go out on a date.”

Griffin nodded. “Sounds like fun. If you happen to see any of those candy Buckeyes, the chocolate and peanut butter ones? Grab some for me. I’d be eternally grateful.”

“We can totally do that,” Seren said. “There’s a shop near my apartment that sells them.”

“Cool,” Griffin said.

Willow opened the door where Storm was sitting. “I’m ready. Let’s get you two to Ohio.”

They said goodbye to Griffin and hurried to the Entrance, now glowing and pulsing with power.

Storm held Seren’s hand and followed the elf. She stood just outside the portal alongside a stretch of road and said, “Call when you’re ready to come home. If I’m not busy, I’ll pick you up, but if I am, someone else will. Have fun and good luck meeting the parents!”

“Thank you,” Seren said.

Willow waved and stepped back through the portal opening, which disappeared with a whiff of ozone and a whooshing sound.

“It’s a heck of a lot warmer here than it was in Northernmost,” Seren said.

“Definitely. I always appreciate the nicer winter weather in Pennsylvania when I head home.” An SUV was idling at the side of the road. “There’s our ride,” he said.

They got into the passenger seat and he thanked the human male for waiting. “No worries,” he said. “I’ve got the address as 135 Wicker Street. It’s about twenty minutes away.”

“That’s right,” she said. She settled into the seat and pulled off her hat and gloves. “Are you nervous?”

“About what?” he asked.

“Meeting my parents.”

He frowned. “I hadn’t actually thought about it,” he said. “Should I be?”

“They don’t like shifters.”

“What?” He knew his mouth was open because he was genuinely shocked.

“Well, okay, hold on,” she said with a light laugh. “They don’t like shifters because of how that asshole treated me. When I talked to Noelle this morning, I told her that I met you and we were mates, and she was a little skeptical because she didn’t want me to get hurt again. My parents would feel the same way. They never liked the other guy, and when he treated me badly, it made them feel how I did about shifters…that none of them could be trusted.”

“Shit,” he said. “How can I get them to like me? I certainly can’t do to them what I did to you last night.” His voice dropped into a low growl, and she blushed and swatted his arm.

“No, you can’t. But you won’t have to do anything but be yourself. I thought you might be nervous to meet them because we’re mates, but also because they will probably give you the third degree. I didn’t want you to be caught off guard.”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair and then laughed. “I’ll just be my most charming self. Hopefully they’ll come to like me in time. When they see I’m not an asshole.”

“They will, I know it,” she said.

When they reached her parents’ home, the front door opened as they were getting out of the SUV. He used the satellite phone to tip the driver well with the car service app and then shut the door.

“Come in, come in, you’ll catch your death,” a woman said from the house.

“We’re coming, Mom,” Seren said. “And it’s much warmer here than the North Pole, trust me.”

Jack Frost stood in his office and stared at the large flat screen, which showed a glowing blue dot that had just left Northernmost via the Entrance. They were in the States, in the center of Ohio. It appeared that the human female had come through the portal from there, and since she wasn’t alone—his spies had seen a shifter Guardian go with her—he knew they’d come back through the portal again.

He wasn’t sure when, but it didn’t really matter.

Valeth appeared, dressed in human clothes. Jack wore all black, and so did his followers, but Valeth looked like a lumberjack in red plaid, jeans, heavy boots, and a golden-colored, thick coat. A stocking cap covered his pointed ears, but nothing would help the gray hue that dusted his skin and the black of his eyes. He didn’t need to make friends and have a conversation, he just needed to wreak havoc on Northernmost.

Jack tapped the screen where the blue dot was now moving away from where the portal had opened to let them leave Northernmost. “Go here and stay out of sight. Do you have what you need?”

Valeth patted a strap across his chest belonging to a large satchel.

“When it’s done, open a portal to outside the perimeter of Northernmost, I’ll be waiting.”

“How long do you think I’ll have to wait?”

“I don’t know, but you don’t have anything better to do, right?” Jack asked, arching a brow.

“No, of course not. I just…I’m your right hand, and I should be with you.”

“The reason you’re doing this is because I don’t trust anyone but you to get it done right. And if it works like I think it will, there isn’t anything we’ll need to do but sit back and watch the fallout.”

Valeth straightened his shoulders and smiled. “I won’t let you down.”

“Don’t worry, if you do, I’m sure Azure will happily step into your role.”

Azure smiled in a lazy way at Valeth, looking like a cobra about to strike.

“I won’t fail,” Valeth said.

“See that you don’t,” Jack said. “Now, off you go.”

Valeth hustled from the office with his precious cargo.

Jack turned his attention back to the screen. The blue dot was stopped several miles away from where they’d opened a portal. Family, perhaps, or her own home. Jack wasn’t sure how long it would take, but Valeth was going to put into motion a plan that would see his brother dead and the Well turned to evil by Christmas Day.

Jack was going to rule, no matter what.

Seren hugged her mom goodbye. “He’s sweet,” her mom whispered. “Much nicer than that old dog who broke your heart.”

“He is,” she said. She leaned back and smiled at her. “I’m really happy.”

“Good. What about your apartment? Where are you going to live? Are you going to stay up North or join his clan?”

“I don’t know all the details yet, but I’m going to pack some things now, and then we’ll make plans. He’s taking a few days off work, and since I lost my job anyway, I don’t have to worry about that.”

“Your taxi is ready,” Noelle said, shaking her keys. “Where are we going first?”

“My place,” Seren said. “And then the candy shop for some Buckeyes.”

“Buckeyes?” her dad asked, eyes lighting up.

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “I’ll buy extra for you and send them with Noelle.”

They said goodbye and followed her sister out to her car.

“I can drive you on your date tonight,” Noelle said. “You don’t have to call a car service.”

“We don’t want you to have to wait,” Seren said. “We don’t know how long we’ll be for dinner.”

“I don’t have anything else going on, I don’t mind.”

Seren looked at Storm and he shrugged. “If it’s okay with her, it’s okay with me.”

“What do you want in exchange?” Seren asked, catching her sister’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Dessert from wherever you’re going and your undying appreciation for me.”

“Done and done,” Seren said.

While her sister drove them to her apartment, she snuggled against Storm’s side and said, “It wasn’t too bad meeting my parents, right? They definitely like you.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “I was hoping they would.”

“It helps that you saved her life, twice,” Noelle said.

Seren hadn’t really wanted to tell her parents that she’d nearly died at Jack Frost’s lair, but she knew it would go a long way to them seeing that Storm was a good guy. Because he was. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him.

Her heart clenched when she looked at him and her whole body warmed.

His eyes flashed and he growled softly. He cupped her face and kissed her, whispering against her lips, “Watch your thoughts, sweetheart. I told you that you already smell good enough to eat.”

“I can’t help that you’re sexy,” she whispered, but clearly not quiet enough for her sister because Noelle said, “Ugh gross, I don’t need to hear that. Keep it in your pants until you get back to Northernmost.”

“Sorry,” Seren said with a laugh.

“No, you’re not, you lucky bitch,” Noelle said. “I’m so happy for you. Maybe I’ll be the next one to find my forever guy. Keep your fingers crossed.”

“I promise.”

After Noelle parked in front of her apartment, they walked inside together, and she gave her sister a hug. “Do you really like him?” Seren whispered.

“I do. He’s great and so sweet with you and protective. Does he have a brother?”

“Two. Hunter and Winter, and they’re both single.”

“When can I meet them?”

“Probably at our mating ceremony if they come,” she said, explaining that they hadn’t set a date yet because they were waiting to get to know each other better.

“Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I find my forever guy soon, because my bed is cold and my nights are lonely.”

She watched as Storm leaned over and looked at a family photo on the TV stand. “I know exactly what you mean. I waited a long time for Storm. I was nervous at first because he’s a shifter, but he’s already proven that he’s not like anyone I’ve ever met. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and not just because he saved my life.”

“That’s pretty damn cool, Ser.”

They smiled at each other and walked to the bedroom, arm in arm, to figure out what Seren was going to wear for her first date with Storm and to pack up enough things to last a while up in Northernmost since she wasn’t sure when she’d be back to get everything else.

Their first date was going to be a night to remember, she was sure.