Page 41 of Mistletoe and Mayhem
Still chuckling, Elijah leaned into his arms, his entire body at ease and happy. When Taron had originally invited them to this party, he’d seen the way Elijah had lit up. Every invitation Taron gave his mate made a difference, and Alistair appreciated it. With that in mind, he whispered a spell, creating a wall of air that blocked Kian’s path. He squawked in protest, but the delay was enough that Taron caught up to him, tackling him to the floor while shouting “Presents, Presents, Presents,” so that they were both covered in glitter and laughing.
Dorian sighed from beside them, his tone exasperated but his smile fond when he said, “Glitter. It just had to be glitter.”
He joined them as they headed back to the kitchen, Helios having abandoned his perch to start his rounds of being spoiled with pets and affection. Alistair joined Zephyr at the stove, starting the stuffing and pulling the potatoes off and setting them aside to be mashed. The movements were familiar and comforting, and he found himself relaxing into it. He wasn’t sure he would, he didn’t love crowds since the incident, it was hard to protect Elijah with so many people around him, but these were their friends. They cared for Elijah and went above and beyond to make him happy. He was safe here, and Alistair felt like he could relax knowing that. Though he would keep his mate away from the dynamic duo. He didn’t want Elijah pulled into their pranks.
The turkey was replaced by the pies in the oven, and more people streamed into the kitchen, helping take everything to the dining table. The Hawksley’s formal dining room was decorated with reds and golds, fine china and crystal already set out, with spots open for the food. Everything was transferred to fancy bowls to be served, and bottles of wine and cider were brought out as well.
“Time for dinner,” Avery called, linking arms with Elijah and pulling him toward his seat. After setting down the potatoes, Alistair followed them, pulling out Elijah’s chair and sitting beside him as he tuned into his and Avery’s conversation.
“Mulled wine is a really old Christmas tradition. My parents didn’t make any, but I read about it somewhere, and I thought I’d try it. Do you want a cup?” Avery offered. His seat was beside Elijah’s on Ozen’s right. Their fearless leader sat at the head of the table, carving the turkey, with Maverick and Isaac across from them. The devious duo were at the other end of the table, a few seats down from Alistair, but far enough away from Elijah that he didn’t think he had to worry about them causing trouble.
He watched Avery pour Elijah a glass of the wine, then leaned in while he was taking a sip.
“Just one tonight.”
Elijah paused with a frown, and Alistair could feel the swirl of confusion and worry as his thoughts went haywire. He really needed to work on his mate’s self-esteem.
You don’t embarrass me when you drink, but I have plans for you later, and you won’t be able to enjoy them as much if you’re drunk.
Glancing at him, Elijah murmured along their bond.What kind of plans?
The kinds of plans that require you to be naked and fully able to consent.
“Oh…” Elijah breathed, that gorgeous flush taking over his cheeks again. “I’ll, uh, just have one, then.”
They shared a heated glance, and it took all Alistair’s concentration to not share with his mate the plans he had set up. Keeping secrets when your mate was literally in your head was harder than it seemed.
The sound of twinkling and leaves unfurling made him look up sharply. Snickers filled the room as he frowned at the plant hanging above their heads.
Elijah looked up as well, confused. “What…?”
“It’s a human tradition,” Avery explained with a shrug. “If you stand under mistletoe with someone else, you’re supposed to kiss. I found one at a local market that will pop up over people’s heads when they’re being flirty. I thought it’d be fun.”
Elijah looked embarrassed, but Alistair wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to kiss his mate. He caught Elijah’s chin, turning him and capturing his lips in a soft kiss. And like he always did, Elijah melted into it, touching Alistair’s wrist and letting out a happy sigh.
“You know, with this many mated pairs in the room, I get the feeling that thing is going to be busy,” Kian pointed out with a smirk.
Alistair pulled back, smirking at the blissed out expression on Elijah’s face before glancing up. The conditions satisfied, the floating mistletoe disappeared, reappearing farther down the table where Taron was leaning close to Tony and whispering something in his ear. He no doubt did it on purpose, and Alistair got the feeling Kian was right. People would flirt on purpose just to get the mistletoe to show up and give them an excuse to kiss their mates.
Sure enough, the meal was interrupted every few minutes with the mistletoe popping up over a couple’s head, one person always having a grin on their face that said they’d done it on purpose. He’d assumed Isaac would be the one to flirt on purpose with his mate, but Isaac seemed deep in conversation with Dorian across the table and squeaked in surprise just before the mistletoe popped up, while Maverick had a shit eating grin on his face.
Alistair wasn’t stupid enough to ask what Maverick had done. Nope. Nuh uh. He didn’t want to know.
Elijah snickered beside him, having heard his thoughts, and Alistair punished him by sliding a hand up his thigh, making Elijah choke and splutter a little on his wine. The mistletoe popped up over their head again, and Alistair grinned wickedly at Elijah’s wide-eyed look. Playing with his mate was always fun.
“I’m starting to regret the purchase,” Avery muttered after his third round of steamy kisses with Ozen. “We’re going to accidentally start an orgy, and that wasn’t my intention.”
Alistair barked out a laugh, shaking his head. “Maybe not an orgy, too many mated pairs, but I definitely think no one will go straight to bed when they get home.”
Avery’s nose wrinkled, his expression remorseful, but amused. “Sorry?”
Brennus, who was seated next to Isaac, sighed dejectedly. Isaac patted his shoulder with a smirk. “If you bring home treats and presents, you might get lucky, too. Don’t give up just yet.”
That made their friends laugh, and Brennus’s mood lightened a little at the teasing. Alistair couldn’t imagine being away from his mate during the holidays, even for just a few hours, so he didn’t envy the griffin.
Most people seemed to feel the same way, because they all offered him words of comfort and support. Taron suggested a video call so they could all say hello to the kids and Phoebe. Brennus was quite pleased with the idea and seemed to relax a little more when his wife and children spoke to him over the phone and made him promise to bring back sweets and presents.
Elijah’s fingers laced in his, his magic soothing that mild ache he got whenever he was away from his children. He shot his mate a reassuring smile.
