Tis The Season for Secrets (Village of Yule #2)

11. Will

W atching as Juliet left the room, Will lost track of the conversation. He didn’t want to run out immediately, but the tears he’d glimpsed in her eyes tested his willpower, and he desperately wanted to know what had caused her to become so upset.

“Sorry you didn’t get to spend more time together. Perhaps we can arrange another get-together over the holidays?” Mr Frost said, clearly eager to bring them together again. Not that Will would complain. He needed an in, and her father was throwing the door wide open.

“That would be great,” he agreed, “but if you’ll excuse me—” Unable to think of an excuse, he simply left the table.

Once he was in the clear, he hurried down the corridors, hoping he wasn’t too late to catch up. He was about to give up his search when he spotted Juliet sitting on a bench in front of the elephant exhibit with her back to him. He heard sniffling as he approached her and felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her, and strangle whoever had upset her.

“Are you okay?” he panted.

“You frightened the life out of me!” Juliet’s hand flew to her chest, and he noticed her necklace. He tried not to react. She has the Yule bell necklace! So she’s been in the chest . The bell wouldn’t work for its intended purpose unless she truly believed in the spirit of Christmas.

“I’m sorry– I got worried when you disappeared. I wanted to make sure you weren’t upset with me about the other night,” he explained, wishing his arrival into her life hadn’t been so rocky. It wasn’t exactly winning her over.

“I didn’t leave because of you. I just needed to get away from that room, so I found some other mammals to hang out with.” She wiped the smudged mascara from under her eyes, as though trying to conceal her tears from him, and moved over on the bench so he could sit down.

He eagerly accepted the silent invitation, relieved she wasn’t pushing him away, given how she’d run off the dance floor like a woman possessed.

“Elephants?” He wanted to distract her from whatever had upset her. “I’m more of a lions and tigers kind of guy.” Her teary eyes increased his desire to wrap her in his arms. Not the most professional urge to have, but screw it. He’d already gone too far to turn back now.

“Claws and sharp teeth. How about wolves?” She looked to the grey wolves in the corner of the exhibit.

Will shivered, having had first-hand experience with the wolves of Yule. “No, definitely not wolves. I do have a soft spot for pandas,” he admitted, taking his phone from his pocket to reveal his wallpaper was a panda eating bamboo.

Her soft smile was a warm welcome after the tears. “Elephants have always been my favourite. I watched a documentary in school where a mother elephant who had lost her baby returned to the same spot every year in hopes of finding them. That type of pure love makes it hard not to love them.” The sadness in her words tugged at his heart. “I just find it unfathomable how an animal with less intelligence than us can’t stand to abandon their child, but a human can.”

He wondered if the sudden mention of motherly love and her earlier questions to her dad, though successfully interrupted, were because she’d read her grandmother’s letter and learned about her contact with Eloise.

“Ignore me,” Juliet whispered. “It’s the champagne making me emotional.”

Will gripped the edge of the bench, resisting the urge to confess.

“I just want to forget tonight and go home,” she sighed, fidgeting with the small bell on the end of the necklace.

Will didn’t say anything; there was nothing he could say. He simply put his arm around her, and she leaned into his embrace.

And then his blood ran cold as he heard the chime of the bell.

“What the hell is happening?” Juliet held onto him tightly as the museum slipped away.

Will cursed himself for not removing the Frost bell from the chest before he’d given it to his courier. Then again, he’d never expected it to work. She must not hate Christmas as much as she’d claimed, because not ten seconds passed before they found themselves transported to the heart of Yule’s Village.

Of all the places the bell could’ve taken us – her flat, Frost Manor – it took us to her true home. She must have been thinking about her mum and home, and the bell did its damn job. My job, on the other hand, just got a hell of a lot more complicated…

“Are you alright? Take a few deep breaths. Travelling by bell can be disorientating the first couple of times,” Will said firmly as Juliet swayed slightly, steadying her. He was afraid she was going to pass out or, worse, scream.

She stared, wide eyes taking in her surroundings and the giant Christmas tree glowing beside them. Will let her adjust, not wanting to overwhelm her with explanations.

“This isn’t… I don’t… I feel a little sick,” she stuttered, her eyes darting from the snow-covered cobbles beneath their feet to the surrounding stores and workshops.

“That’s normal– you get used to it,” Will assured her.

“Travelling by bell?” Her hand flew to the bell around her neck. “This brought us here!” Thankfully, it was a little past eight in the evening, so the streets were mostly empty and there was no one close enough to hear her panicked squeal.

“Juliet, it’s okay,” he said, gently turning her so she was facing him – and because he was worried she’d run off. Her eyes frantically jumped from the candy-striped lamp post to a passing reindeer sleigh; he couldn’t make out the occupants, so hopefully they wouldn’t notice anything unusual. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders as her teeth started to chatter, either from the sudden drop in temperature or the shock. Keeping her warm was key.

“Breathe, Juliet. You’re safe here; no one and nothing is going to hurt you,” he said, unsure if she’d even heard him. He let her process for a minute, her breath steaming between them.

“I’m fine. I need some space.” Juliet backed out of his grasp slowly as another reindeer-pulled sleigh passed by, taking a couple home after a romantic night out. Her brow furrowed. “I think that last glass of champagne really did a number on me. This can’t be real.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

Will wished he could tell her this was a dream. It wasn’t every day you learned about a magical Christmas village hidden within the North Pole. It would take her some time to adjust, and this certainly wasn’t what he’d wanted her first impression of Yule to be. He’d planned to introduce her to this place slowly, once he had her complete trust.

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” Juliet rounded on him, her eyes wide with confusion. Her lips were faintly tinged with blue as the climate took its toll on her in the strapless gown, though she seemed unaware of her shivers. “What is this place?”

“This is Yule, my home. In the simplest terms, it’s a protected village in the North Pole.” Will settled his hands on her waist, trying to stop her from moving in case she slipped on cobbles slippery with ice. A head injury was the last thing she needed. Also, he needed to protect her from being seen by anyone still out this late. He didn’t want people asking questions about a newcomer. No one could find Juliet here. A Frost hadn’t stepped foot in Yule for three generations, and she was nowhere near ready to learn the whole truth.

“You live here? In Christmas land?” She frowned at the giant Christmas tree, thankfully not pushing him away.

“I come and go, but yes, Yule is my home. That small bell charm on the necklace you’re wearing took us here. You weren’t supposed to find out this way.” He was surprised by how well she was taking this. Some people screamed; others went silent.

“A bell took us to the North Pole? There isn’t anything in the North Pole. This is insane. You’re insane, or this is a dream.” Juliet let out a long breath, grasping the bell.

He wished they’d landed somewhere more private. “I’m sorry this is happening this way, but Yule is very much real, and the bell is the only way in or out. I wish this was a dream, but it’s not. I’ll explain as much as I can to you, but for now, we need to go.” He tried to get her walking, but she refused to budge.

“You make it sound like the bell is magical.” Her laugh was staggered with panic.

“Exactly like magic.”

That did it. Juliet paled and swallowed. He wasn’t sure if she was going to be sick or pass out.

“C’mon, let’s get out of the cold and find somewhere to sit down.” He held out his hand; she ran hers through her hair, her unfocused gaze telling him she was deciding whether to trust him or bolt. She glanced at the dimly lit alley next to them, but there was nowhere to go.

“Juliet?” he asked, trying to get her to focus.

“I don’t understand,” she mumbled, and he knew he had to get her somewhere warm. He caught her before she hit the hard cobblestones and pulled her into his arms.

“I’ve got you, don’t worry,” he said softly.

He’d have to wait a few hours before he could bring her back to her apartment; travelling by bell soon after a shock wasn’t recommended. He turned down Cane Lane and walked until he reached the red brick townhouse marked 59. This certainly wasn’t how he’d imagined bringing her to his place for the first time.

Then again, nothing in the past few weeks had gone to plan.