The Oldest Elf Read online

  Henry spoke, “I am sure that she doesn’t hate you. She was just confused by whatever you did. Whatever that was.”

  “I do not wish to say.” He continued pacing. How could he explain to his friend of centuries that he had found his perfect woman and taken her up against a wall like a common whore, then left her alone.

  “Then stop whining and go to her and apologize. She needs to hear that you can admit to being an idiot. Stop walking out on her when the conversation doesn’t go your way.” Westa chipped in that piece of advice and took Henry’s hand as she spoke. “Honesty is always the best policy. Especially when you feel like an ass.”

  The couple shared a nauseatingly romantic kiss that made him want to have Anora in his arms. Damn. He was being an idiot. He had a warm and caring woman who was slowly turning cold emotionally because of his actions and he was half a complex away talking with friends. “Excuse me. I have to go.”

  As he swept from the room, he heard Henry mutter to Westa, “About fucking time.”

  —

  Tears were flowing from her as she sipped at her tea. It didn’t sooth her, but it gave her something to do while she ran the residue of the wishes through her head. She wanted to know how he was going to answer those desperate pleas. She would try to answer as many as she could herself when she got back to the city. If she ever got back to the city.

  A lacey handkerchief was placed in her hand and she absently blotted at her face as an arm wrapped around her to pull her in next to a hard masculine body that was all too familiar. “I am sorry, Anora. I was an ass and I am so sorry.”

  She sniffled and blew her nose. They were far beyond lady-like behaviour. That stopped at sex standing up. “Yes, you were. What got into you?”

  “Frankly? You did.” He scooped her up and put her on his lap. He had an erection, but seemed uninterested in using it. “I may only have known you for a very short time, but I am in love with you, Anora. I have been since the moment I touched you after the accident.”

  “How is that possible?” She was attracted to him, and trusted him more than any man she had met in a decade, but love? Was it likely that it was why his jealousy hurt so much?

  “Elves mate for life, once they have found their perfect mate. I used lust to occupy my time, but all it brought me was confinement. I didn’t think I would ever meet a woman, let alone my perfect woman, and the royal decree almost guaranteed it.”

  “The royal decree? They sentenced you to celibacy?” She rubbed her face against his shoulder and sighed deeply. She loved the smell of him.

  “No. But they only send me males for the Workshop, and there are no humans within three hundred miles of this facility.”

  “Why not take a lover from the guys if you were that desperate?”

  “I am not inclined toward males. Never have been.” He was matter of fact about it. “Several of the elves have taken others as lovers, but the thought did not appeal to me. I knew that I was waiting for someone. For you.” He tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “I love you, Anora. And I will love you until the last snowflake is gone from the earth.”

  “I don’t know what I feel for you, Sahn.” Anora put the truth of her statement in her eyes. She wanted to say the words. She really did. But if the words were too strong for her feelings, she did not want to lie. “I want to see what develops, but am afraid of what will happen if I do.”

  “Will you give me until the New Year?” His face was earnest, his blue eyes haunting.

  “I will.” The words came out without hesitation. She knew that she would let him show her that he could be trusted and loved. “Now, unless you want to use that erection, let me off your lap.”

  Chapter Seven

  He laughed. The open laughter of relief. “Fine, little one, I have a task for you.”

  “Oh, what is that?” Her mind was filling with lascivious images when he stood and put her on her feet. “Hey!” A light smack on her backside pushed her out the door.

  “Come with me, Anora.” He took her hand and together they walked down one of the ice cavern hallways. “Your task is to socialize with the workers in wrapping. Your knack for spreading joy is going to be your duty today.”

  “You trust me with your workers?”

  “Yes, and I trust them with you, something that I should have realized before. Neither you nor they would betray my trust.” He stopped in front of two doors marked Wrapping and took both of her hands to kiss them. “Have fun, my love. Just don’t get over stimulated by the charms that will be aimed at you.”

  She looked into his eyes for a long moment as something clicked into place in her heart. Another piece of the puzzle. He was learning to trust.

  She swung the doors open and took in the panorama of elves and wrapping. “Be still my beating heart. You weren’t kidding.” The elves were gorgeous. Turning to see his rueful eyes watching her, she lunged to him and gave him a kiss to curl his toes. She used her mouth, lips, tongue and teeth to get her point across. “See you for dinner. Go do your job, Sahn.”

  He had a bemused expression on his face as he left her. She giggled and turned back to the crowd of males who were now watching her with interest. “Hello, boys.”

  —

  Her afternoon was spent with laughter and learning the fine art of wrapping basketballs. Morn and Vaik, who had taken charge of her, informed her that it was a good way to learn. Boxes would have been too easy.

  She let her talent for spreading humour run free, and by the end of the afternoon, her sides hurt from laughing, as did the sides of the elves within one hundred feet of her, which incorporated everyone in the wrapping department. The few who had gotten handsy had been swiftly disciplined by their brethren.

  “What is going on here?” Sahn’s voice echoed in the room. Everyone froze.

  This made things rather uncomfortable for Anora as she was hanging upside down and wrapping a basketball. Morn and Vaik almost dropped her.

  “I am undergoing a stress test to see if I can wrap a gift under stressful circumstances.” Sahn’s boots came to a halt in front of her and she tried to look up at him while he aimed a puzzled smile at her. “Good news. I can.”

  “How are the workers doing? Everything ready for tomorrow?”

  “Yes, sir. We were done two hours ago. Now we are demonstrating the trials that we engage in during the year to hone our skills for wrapping.” Denro filled him in as she continued to dangle.

  “Uh, guys. Can you put me down?” An arm grabbed her around the knees and then she was swung up into Sahn’s arms the instant that the boys released her ankles. Dizzy, she gave him a quick kiss. “Hiya, sweetie. Did you have a good day?”

  “I did. Apparently, you did as well.”

  “Yup. We got it all loaded and firmly in the globes.” She wrapped an arm around his neck for stability. “And, I found out how you do your deliveries.”

  “The twisting of time that lets me deliver it all?”

  “No. The gift bombs that are sent through portals, that send the presents to the children in the various cities.” She sighed deeply. “It makes sense and answers the mystery of how you can deliver all those gifts.”

  “Ah. I thought you were referring to the answering of the other wishes.”

  “No. How do you do that by the way?”

  “You will have to come with me to find out.”

  They were nearing what she thought of as the dining room. “Are you serious? Come with you? On Christmas Eve?” She threw both arms around his neck and squeezed, nearly tipping him over.

  He laughed. “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes!”

  He deposited her in a chair and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

  “This is so neat. I get to ride with Santa. Hey, what do I wear?” She rotated from gleeful to womanly concern so fast that she startled Sahn into laughter once again.

  When the butler came in with their food, she asked him his name.

  “Walther.”

  “Ser
iously, Walther? Can I call you Wally?”

  “Yes, you may. If I may inquire, what is wrong with Sahn-Tah?”

  “He is caught up in the Christmas spirit. He will be fine in a few minutes.” The elf in question was howling with enjoyment on the floor. He writhed around and clutched his sides. She had him firmly in her power and she wasn’t letting him go.

  “You can go now, Wally. Thanks for dinner.” She waved him off and slowly let her power release Sahn. It was funny. Until she had ended up here, she thought that her talent was only a figment of her imagination. Today in the Wrapping department, she had learned it was a reality. Each time one of the boys made a joke, the whole room laughed. But it didn’t happen if she wasn’t in earshot. She wanted everyone to laugh at all the jokes, so they all did. But not the insults. Those she let blow right past her.

  “What the hell did you do to me?” Sahn was sitting up, sore and disoriented.

  “Just made your laughter last a little longer than normal. I was practicing on the boys in wrapping today.” She smiled and started to cut the steak on her plate. It was served with some nice mashed potatoes and a side of green beans. “Lovely dinner, by the way. Come and have some.”

  He pulled up the chair across from her and smiled. “So, you believe me about your talents?”

  “I got proof today. I used the Wrapping department as my lab. Try the steak.” She turned her attention to devouring her food, only now realizing that she had worked up quite an appetite.

  Silence reigned as they ate, their focus on the food only broken by the arrival of Wally and glasses with wine, juice and water. Anora partook of all three.

  Her dinner was sitting heavily in her belly and she was on her second glass of wine when she started to yawn. Sahn was watching her carefully and then she yawned again. His eyes were glowing.

  “Are you working some kind of mojo on me?” She yawned again, a deep fatigue taking over her body.

  “I have talents of my own beyond those assigned to me by Underhill. Once upon a time, I was a love talker.”

  “A what?”

  “A love talker. I could convince any woman anywhere to come to bed with me, or just to engage me in sport for a few hours.”

  “You mean sex, don’t you?” It was so hard to stay awake.

  “Sex, companionship, taunting a jealous lover. Yes, I was a wicked jerk, but I did them all.”

  “So, love talker is a euphemism. You are a convincer.”

  He smiled, but watched her carefully, she yawned again. “Yes. But now I am convinced that you have had a long day and need to rest.” He pushed back his chair and removed her from hers, then carried her off into his bedroom. She was so drowsy that she let him strip her piece by piece, only absently noting that he was in a servile mode, not a seduction mode. He really was just tucking her in.

  With her naked and between his sheets, he took off his own clothing. To her appreciative gaze, his erection was still at full attention as he crawled into his own side of the bed. “Get some sleep, Anora. You will need all your energy tomorrow.”

  “You get some sleep yourself, Sahn-Tah Kelas. You have to deliver hope for a lot of kids tomorrow.” She nestled into the pillows and had to resettle when he spooned up against her. His erection was hard to ignore, but she turned to look at him. “Kiss. I am not going to share your bed without a kiss.”

  He complied. A sweet, touching of the lips and soul. “If I ever forget the kiss again, kick me out. I will remember.”

  She settled back into his arms. “I will. Don’t you worry about that.”

  Chapter Eight

  Excitement burned through her the instant her eyes opened. It wasn’t simply because of the hand between her thighs, teasing at her sex. Two fingers stroked, slid and dipped into her with a madding lack of rhythm. They circled her engorged clit and she realized that he had been at this for some time. His fingers brought her to orgasm in a few sharp strokes and she shivered hard as her body gasped for air.

  She settled slowly back into normal breathing and turned to confront her lover. She went still with shock to find that he was already gone. Had she dreamt his touch? She was all alone in the bed and the room.

  Anora sat up and held the sheets to her breast. “Sahn? Sahn-Tah? Are you here?”

  He came through the door that instant.

  “Where were you, I thought…”

  He gave her a wicked grin and smiled at her. “I was practicing.”

  “Practicing what?”

  “Moving time, or rather, moving within time. Did you like waking up like that?”

  “So, that was real?”

  “Oh yes.” In a move that had her face flaming, he sniffed his fingers. “I can still smell you on my fingers.”

  “Sorry about that.” It seemed the polite thing to say.

  “Why? I am not. The surprise of waking alone must have been a little weird for you.” He sat on the bed and draped the objects that he had been carrying over one arm onto the bed. He then moved in to give her a proper morning kiss. The bugger had time to brush his teeth.

  Anora returned the kiss and then sprinted naked to the bathroom. She had things to attend to. She was in the shower and scrubbing her hair when she poked her head out from behind the curtain and yelled, “What time do we leave?” She needn’t have yelled, he was right in front of her.

  “As soon as you are ready. The more that we can get done here, the better.”

  “I will just be a minute.” She finished a quick scrub and rinse, then stepped into the warm embrace of a towel held by her elven lover. He ran his hands over her nicely cleaned hair and, in seconds, it was dry and tangle free. “Neat talent.”

  “I have my uses.”

  She glanced down, but he was wearing a tunic that would keep her from seeing if he had any interest in her wet and naked body. Dang. It was all red and white and Christmasy.

  “Anora, we have to get going.”

  “Fine.” She dried herself off and then went to check out what he had thrown onto her bed. “Oh. Very pretty.” The fabric was a rich red with a white fur trim. Just like what he had on. “Are we supposed to match?”

  “If anyone sees us, yes.” He helped her sort the layers out and soon she was wearing the robe, trousers, socks, boots and tunic. The underwear had been her personal choice of black satin bra and panties. “Are you ready?”

  “I thought we had more time.”

  “We are going to travel the world, we need to race the moon to get it all done.” Sahn looked her over from head to toe and nodded. “If anyone sees us, they will think you are Mrs. Claus.”

  “Well, I certainly look the part.” She twirled in place and then sent him a big grin. “This is the most fun I have had at Christmas in years.”

  Sahn went quiet at that and held out his arm for her to take. Formally, they walked through the halls to a silent workshop. All of the elves stood at attention, watching them pass with a look of respect that had not been there in her three days. They were off on a mission and she knew it. They promenaded through each section of the complex and she knew at this point that it was part of some ritual.

  Finally, they arrived in a section of the complex that she did not remember. Reindeer pranced in their harness and the sleigh looked ready for launch. With old-world grace, Sahn handed her up into the sleigh and then turned to take the crystal ball from Galmor. A shimmering gong rang somewhere in the building and the roof above them shattered into glittering shards.

  “Time to go.” With practiced ease, he flicked the reins and they were in the air in seconds.

  Anora gasped and held onto Sahn as they climbed into the sky. The jingling rang in her ears as the cold air bit into her lungs. She fought back a scream as they dipped and wove through the air. She was just beginning to relax again when they dropped suddenly and she squeaked.

  “Don’t worry. It is always a little rough when we start. You will get used to it.” He didn’t seem to mind her clinging to him, he wrapped his arm around he
r to keep her steady and held the reins with the other.

  It was a good thing that he was hanging on to her because he flicked the reins and their steeds shot forward. Faster and faster they flew until the world beneath them became a blur. “This is the speed we were going at when you drove through the clearing.”

  “It was a miracle I survived then.”

  “Thank goodness for airbags.” He gave her a light squeeze. “If not for them and your seatbelt, you wouldn’t be here and I would never have met you.”

  She warmed from the inside out. His voice was genuine, the emotions sincere and she had to admit that she was in love with him.

  As suddenly as they had accelerated, they stopped. Sahn raised the crystal globe into the air and a pulse of power blasted through it in a burst of light. He stopped for a second to look at her, then gave her a sweet kiss. “That was the first stop, now we really have to hustle.”

  It was a routine acted out all over the world. They raced from city to city and he raised the globe for a moment to let the power flow. By the time the moon had set, they had covered the globe. The sun was just creeping over the horizon when they returned home. Anora was exhausted and she had slid down on the sleigh seat to lay her head in his lap as they flew. When the idea hit her, she smiled evilly. She slid a hand up his thigh and freed his cock from his trousers. When her mouth covered his rapidly swelling erection, she chuckled around him. A few sucking strokes and he was on the edge. As they shot through the night sky, she heard his infamous, Ho ho ho accompanied by the pulsing of his flesh as he emptied into her mouth.

  “Wow. You are tired.” She wiped at her bottom lip. “And you taste like a candy cane. What the heck is that about?” She sat up and he cuddled her against him again.

  “It comes with the job, my sweet.” He gave a jaw-cracking yawn and rested his chin on her head. “When we get home I will need to sleep for a day or so. Don’t get into trouble while I am out, alright?”