Page 82 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
He shifted back and dressed quickly. Through the window of the back door, he watched Ruby bounce around the living room. Eventually, he knocked before letting himself in.
“Mads! You won’t believe who was here!” Ruby ran up to him and threw her arms around his legs. “It was Rudolph!”
Rudolph.
His nose wasn’t even close to red.
“Merry Christmas to you too,” he said.
“Can we open presents now? Everyone is here.”
Odessa gave him a tired smile. Waking Ruby up for a special reindeer delivery meant the calf would never be able to fall back asleep until she opened her presents. They knew the risk when they devised the plan.
“Sounds good. The people I love the most are here,” she said, echoing what he held in his heart.
Epilogue
Mads
One Year Later
He placedthe final figurine on the mantel, a reilendeer bull chiseled from smoky gypsum. It joined the glowing fire pearl doe and calf, completing their herd.
Their family.
Presents crowded the tree and the stockings on the mantle groaned with treats.
Much had changed in the last year. The house next door to Gerald and Patricia went on the market, the same house Mads grew up in. He purchased it because he craved wandering through the forest in his four-legged form and despite whatever sour memories the house held, he felt only affection for the landscape.
The neighbors were tolerable, too. Mads particularly enjoyed the way Gerald let himself into the house and then proceeded to complete several small repairs.
The kitchen and bathrooms showed their age and were updated in what Odessa called a “retro chic” style. He had no strong opinions. The shower in the master bath was large enough for two adults; that was his priority.
Fresh paint, new carpeting, and refinishing the floor removed whatever ghosts of his childhood remained.
Odessa protested the expense, but he had a not-inconsiderable stash of gold and precious gems and a desire to spoil his mate. She had spent too long on her own, struggling with expenses and renting a substandard abode. She was by far his greatest treasure and as such required suitable accommodations and finery. Pretty rocks could not compare.
A shop in the center of town sold his carvings, both wood and stone, and mostly animal figures. The reilendeer figurines did well during the holiday season, even if the shop mislabeled them as “reindeer.” Tourists had an insatiable appetite for crafts from local artists, even though Mads did not feel comfortable calling himself an artist. That was just… weird. He was a former soldier and bounty hunter. He did notart, even if his creations made his mate’s aura a bit brighter and that made him shine in return.
He set up a workshop in the garage, to contain the dust and mess of his not-art. Given the way Ruby eyed the chisels and power tools, the workshop needed to be in a separate location, preferably with a lock. In the spring, he could convert an old shed in the back.
Ruby thundered down the stairs and skidded into the living room. She wore a pair of felt reindeer antlers on her head. “She’s coming!”
“We match.” He pointed to his own antlers. He revealed his reilendeer origins to Ruby three months ago. Her response was that Sally Jean’s mom’s boyfriend was a regular boring guy and Mads was so much better because he was an alien. “Are you ready?”
She gave a longing look to the tree and nodded enthusiastically. “Mommy’s so slow. What’s taking so long? I’m aging down here.”
“Patience.”
“We’re wasting Christmas. I bet you got me socks. Those are the worst. Hurry up, Mommy, before Mads gets me socks.” She tilted her head back to shout the last sentence.
“I seriously doubt that.”
Ruby grinned. “Too much?”
“Just the right amount.” He held out a fist and she bumped it, then he lowered his head and they bumped antlers. He was adept at the latest in youth slang.
“What kind of nonsense hour is this?” Odessa appeared in the doorway, wearing red plaid pajama pants and a too-large shirt that slipped off her shoulder. Her dark hair was wonderfully mussed and her aura a soft gold. “It’s not even six.”
