Page 4 of Naughty Elf: Shimmersnap

I gave the lady running the sale my money. She offered a bag, but I held the gnome—no, the elf—close to my chest.

“I’ll carry him,” I said.

The minute I got home, I took him directly inside and placed him on the mantle. From there he had a view of the large living room and the pass-thru window that led to the kitchen.

“You look good there,” I said.

The elf wore a pointed red hat with a green scarf and a red shirt with gold cuffs. His green pointed boots sparkled under the dome light above the mantle.

I could put him away, since it was February. Then again, no one was going to visit my house, so what did it matter if I kept my only Christmas decoration up?

He looked perfect exactly where he was.

Chapter 3

Shimmersnap

Being a figurine was not the worst thing in the world, I supposed. I mean, I had always wanted a vacation where I could relax, and this was exactly that. I was perfectly relaxed—so relaxed, it was like I didn’t move at all. If I could, I would’ve let out a very frustrated sigh, but all I could do was sit there and stare at the bland white walls and beige carpet.

The mantle in Walter’s home had very few items on it: just me, a picture frame that I couldn’t see the other side of, and a vase of some sort that looked to be blown glass with just a hint ofsparkle inside. Not a ton—not nearly enough, in my opinion—but it was there. I saw it. Surely a man who put up sparkly things couldn’t be all bad.

Now, the rest of Walter’s home I hadn’t yet seen, and unfortunately, I couldn’t even see the TV to entertain myself. The rest of the house’s decor seemed rather bland. White walls, beige curtains, beige carpet. Even his blankets were all tan and beige. Not a single stripe, polka dot, or hint of color—and not a speck of sparkle. This would not do.

How could this man possibly be my mate? Someone who could love me?

Santa, arguably the jolliest man on Earth, had fired me. How the hell was I going to get a boring human alpha to put up with me? I would not dull my sparkle. That was not going to happen. I would simply have to find a way to get Walter to shine—or at least accept some shine.

Walter was diligent in his schedule. He went to work every morning wearing a white shirt, black pants, a tie that was some shade of blue, always. He came home in the evening, sometimes late, sometimes not. He either cooked himself dinner or made a sandwich and sat down. He didn’t have friends over. He didn’t seem to call anyone. The poor man was just alone all the time.

He seemed to enjoy reading, though I couldn’t tell what, because it was always on his e-reader. And he watched some television, but again, I couldn’t tell what since I couldn’t see the television and he kept the volume low. I really needed a better view. I needed to see more of his house.

His closet couldn’t be all white shirts and blank pants. Surely there was a pop of color somewhere.

Walter came home, coming in the door with a sigh. He kicked it closed with his foot, kicked off his shoes, and put them perfectly in line with all the others—all two pairs that he had. He loosened his tie on his way to the bedroom. He never let any of his things drop anywhere in the house except for where they belonged. Once he was done in his bedroom, he came out wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt.

Instead of going to the kitchen, he plopped down on the sofa, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it to his chest. The worry lines on his face seemed to be a little bit deeper, and if I wasn’t mistaken, his eyes were just a touch glassed over, like he might cry. I didn’t know what to do with a crying human alpha.

I couldn’t move. I could only observe.

Sure, I could change to my elf form and talk to him, but it would likely cause more harm than good. People didn’t react well when their possessions suddenly took form and started talking.

His phone pinged, and he picked it up. His fingers flicked over the screen, then he tossed it back down.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re all having a fantastic time on your cruise. Didn’t think to invite Walter. Not that I would have said yes.”

His head dipped back, and his eyes closed.

“You did this to yourself, old man. You could only decline so many invitations to go out before people stopped asking. You hardened your heart so much that you forgot to live.”

My chest ached for him. I itched to put a hand there to ease the pain, but I couldn’t move. Figurine, remember?

Walter grabbed the remote, flipped on the TV, and rolled to his side. His head landed on a pillow and his feet rested on the sofa. The familiar sounds ofRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the popular movie amongst humans, filled the room. His lips quirked into a smile.

“Christmas movies in July. Who would have thought?”

I watched him for a long time as he watched the television. He chuckled a bit at the antics of the elf on the screen. A man who enjoyed holiday movies couldn’t be all bad, could he? Eventually, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. That was my chance to get some friendly advice.

With a blink, I popped over to my friend Dancer’s house. He was a reindeer for one of Santa’s teams—I forgot which one—but he had recently mated to another reindeer shifter, not the magical kind. I meant to blink directly to him, which was exactly what I did, only I didn’t account for the late hour, and I landed inside his bedroom...where he and his mate were enjoying some private time.

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