Naughty Elf: Evan (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

13. Evan

Chapter 13

Evan

The next morning, I woke up early and made pancakes and eggs again, but this time, we were both much more comfortable and able to sit down and enjoy them together. After that, Holden and I went out to the shed because he had some work to get done. He had a list of orders, a few of which were needed for the holidays, but most were for retail buyers that weren’t urgent.

But Holden was like me and didn’t like to leave projects lingering either. He was itching to get to them as he shuffled me inside the shed and went straight to his bench.

I ran my finger along one of the strips of leather. It was soft like butter. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He was looking at a list of measurements on his phone. “Yeah, in a bit. Right now, I just need to get these cut, and then there’s a fairly intricate pattern I need to stamp into it. If you’d like, I’ll show you how and you can work on that with me.”

I beamed at the opportunity to work with my alpha. Helping him create something beautiful for a person who deserved it was the greatest privilege he could give me. “Okay, I’d love to.”

While he was busy measuring and cutting, I walked over to the stack of logs he’d saved for me and looked around at my options. One piece was about two feet in diameter and equal height. I ran my fingers over it and considered what I might be able to do with it. I’d never spent much time using a chisel, but I suddenly had the urge to attempt a sculpture. The drawers and cabinets had practically everything I could ever need, so once I had a few of the tools used in sculpting laid out in front of me, I sat at a table across from Holden and began to chip away at the block of wood.

At first, I felt a little silly, trying to do something I’d never attempted before. But as I shaved off piece by piece, my fingers just seemed to know where to go and how much pressure to apply. I could have done it with my eyes closed, completely mesmerized by the action of changing the shape of this wood the way Holden changed his shape into his wolf.

I flinched when Holden placed his hands on my shoulders from behind me, bringing me back to the present. “Oh, hi.”

“That’s so good, Evan.” He ran a finger along the top of it. “I can’t believe you did that so quickly.”

“You like it?” I hadn’t taken a look at the overall creation, focusing on each little piece I was touching and nothing else. I shook my head and leaned back to see the full picture and had to stifle a gasp.

The head of Holden’s wolf was staring at me in perfect detail. Apparently, my magic was at work because I had no idea how I was able to capture the intensity in his eyes or the exact shape of his snout, but it was right there.

“Yeah. It’s truly incredible. You could sell that.”

Frowning, I shook my head. “No, this one’s not to sell.” I brushed some sawdust off the side of one ear. “This is for you. For me.” I smiled and looked up at him. “We can put it outside and let the world know that our home is guarded by a fierce wolf.”

He chuckled and leaned down to kiss me. “I love that idea.” His hand moved down to my belly and he brushed his thumb across it. “Are you hungry? We’ve been out here for most of the day.”

“Yeah.” I suddenly realized how hungry I was. “I could definitely eat.”

There were a few rolls left over, so I whipped up some sandwiches and found a bag of chips in the pantry. We took everything outside and sat on the porch, watching the sun set behind the trees. “It’s so nice out here. How can it feel warm when there’s so much snow around?”

Holden chomped on a chip and shrugged. “It’s usually colder this time of year, but some days are like this. Sunny and almost warm, and then the next day, it’s twenty below and we’re in a two-day blizzard.”

I took a bite of my sandwich and leaned against his side. “Do you really think we created a baby?” Holden‘s hand slipped to my belly again, pressing it as if he might feel something happening already.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He kissed the side of my head. “Either way is fine with me. The longer I have with you feeling good and energetic, the better.” He ate another chip and then chuckled. “We had a neighbor once who was pregnant with triplets, and she couldn’t get up from a chair after a few months. Poor thing was miserable.”

I took a minute and thought about what it might be like to be carrying a full litter of pups. To my surprise, the thought was kinda exciting. “Triplets might be a little much, but one or two would be nice.” I shrugged. “But yeah, there’s no real rush. Whether it happens now or in a few years, I’m just happy to be here with you right now.”

Holden pulled me closer to his side and then cupped my cheek with his big palm, looking straight into my eyes. “I haven’t felt real love since my mother passed, but I think I feel it now.”

I swallowed hard and held his gaze. “Yeah, I think I do too.”