Page 34 of Reindeer Flames
Inside my box was a stack of boxes. "That's not fair," I whined.
"Oh, Hart." Silver lifted the emerald-cut amethyst from the box. The loose stone glittered like a million stars as it reflected the tiny lights strung around the living room. "It's beautiful. Thank you."
"Gold said amethysts are your favorites."
"They are." His cheeks flushed crimson, and he cuddled me to his side. "Open your gifts, and I'll show you the rest of my hoard."
Gold had explained that a dragon's hoard was often hidden away, though sometimes in plain sight, and that a dragon rarely showed it to another. "I'd be honored," I said. Even though we were fated mates, I hadn't expected Silver to show me so soon.
"Open your gifts." Silver nudged my knee with his and released my waist so I could bend over to grab the first box.
Inside was a beautiful purple suit coat with three buttons down both sides. When I slipped it on over my t-shirt, it fit perfectly. The next box had a white dress shirt, a bowtie and long tie matching the purple jacket, and a purple vest with vertical black stripes. Another box held two pairs of pants, one purple and one black. At Silver's insistence, I stripped out of my sweats and into the purple pair. When I twirled, his eyes seemed to glow in the low light, a sign his dragon hovered beneath the surface.
In the largest box at the bottom, I found a pair of black boots. "I can't wait to wear these," I said sincerely. "Thank you!"
"I noticed how you envied my gray suit," he said. "Even reindeer need to dress up sometimes."
I laughed. "I didn't realize house hunting was such a formal occasion. Now that we have the perfect house, when will I wear it?"
"Your parents invited us for dinner this evening," he said. "I'll dress up if you do."
"Sounds wonderful." Granddad had insisted we dress up every Sunday, and to go all out for Christmas. "Did my parents put you up to this?"
He grinned so big, his eyes were slits above his apple cheeks. Instead of answering, he pulled me to my feet. "Come see my hoard!"
He dragged me to his bedroom and kneeled beside the large trunk in the corner. A key appeared in his hand, as though by magic. He shoved it into the lock beneath the lid, turned, and it clicked open. A light in the lid shone down on its contents, making the gold and gems sparkle like a treasure chest. "Were you a pirate before you came north?"
"We're the reason their maps said not to wander too far from known shores." He winked. "Here there be dragons."
I yawned, my need for air so powerful it cracked my jaw and swallowed up my witty retort.
Silver placed my gift on the small top shelf that raised and lowered with the lid. The flawless amethyst looked at home between an emerald-cut diamond and a pear-shaped amethyst. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "I didn't have one of these yet."
"Gold said you wouldn't mind created amethysts."
"I've been slowly replacing all my jewels with created stones. They have fewer imperfections." He closed the lid, locked the chest, and the key vanished into thin air. "Some dragons think humans are wrong for creating stones in labs, but they're so pretty, and they save the environment from mining."
"The price isn't bad either." I'd been so surprised by the cost, I'd ordered two emeralds, which would be our babies' birthstones, according to Gold. I'd asked her to hang onto them for me until the special day came, when we would meet our little ones in person.
Though I protested, Silver ushered me to his bed and tucked me in. "Sleep. We'll have time to play before we have to dress for dinner at your parents' place."
Before he turned off the light, I swore I heard him say, "It's time to build a vault."
CHAPTER 17
SILVER
When offeredthe choice of several birthing assistants in Christmas Village, I picked the only one who laid eggs, a giant griffin named Cuthbert. His office was close enough to walk from our new home, but we took the subway for our first visit on the day after Christmas. Hart was still groggy from being up all night on Christmas Eve. I loved the way he curled against my side and rested his head on my shoulder while the train sped toward our destination.
I loved Hartley Comet. Somewhere between our first date at the bakery and the moment he stepped in front of me and let his bullying cousin have it, I'd fallen hard for my reindeer alpha mate.
I hoped he loved me, too. If he regretted choosing me over his cousin and extended family, that rift would only grow the longer we stayed together.
He could still choose his freedom. He hadn't marked me yet. We hadn't even talked about it. If he ever wanted to leave, I would buy his share of the house and let him go. It was the right thing to do, but it would break my heart in two.
"Your heart rate is elevated," Cuthbert said after my physical examination. "Do you drink enough water?"
"I could do better," I admitted.
