Page 12 of Caught By Her Guardian
“A few weeks,” Tooth Fairy said, giving a knowing look to Santa.“Just until things get back to normal.”
“Of course,” Santa said, stroking his beard thoughtfully, his gaze flicking between Pixie and Hunter.“With Frost being such a problem this time of year, I don’t like the idea of you traveling alone through portals every night.”
“I don’t either,” Hunter admitted.“But I can’t fly or open portals myself, so I can’t go with her.Plus, I’m needed here.I can switch to the night shift so I can be there to get her safely through the Portal to come into and leave Northernmost, but that’s where my abilities end.”His stomach twisted with unease.He had literally just met her hours before, but she was already ingrained in his heart and mind because they were mates.It didn’t matter that they’d only just kissed, he didn’t want to be apart from her until Christmas Day and not have her with him.He knew she had a job to do, but the thought of her traveling alone every night when Frost was out there made his bear restless.
Pixie squeezed Hunter’s hand.“It’s not ideal, but I have a duty to my territory.There are children who are counting on me.”
“We can’t neglect that, but we also can’t risk Frost catching on to your routine and interfering or harming you,” Santa said.
“What if she had a safe way to get back and forth each night?Something that’s not as risky as opening a portal directly in and out of Northernmost?”Hunter asked.
Tooth Fairy’s wings fluttered rapidly.“A tether,” she murmured.
Pixie blinked.“A what now?”
“A magical link,” Tooth Fairy said.“Instead of using the main portal every night to come and go, you would have what is essentially your own private portal.It would be separate from our normal portal system.Instead of having to come here through the Portal, you would come in through a tethered portal inside Northernmost.”
“It’s like a hidden passage?”Hunter asked.
Santa nodded.Tooth Fairy said, “Yes!We can enchant a temporary portal that won’t be detectable by anyone.Pixie can use it to travel quickly between Northernmost and Pennsylvania, and it would only work for Pixie.No one else could use it.”
Hunter liked that idea a hell of a lot better than the Portal that they already knew Frost could track thanks to his magic, and he liked it far better than her not staying with him in Northernmost.“And it’ll be safe, right?”
“Absolutely,” Tooth Fairy said.“It will function like a back door, but only Pixie will have the ability to open it and use it.”
“So I will have this backdoor tether-thing until my time taking over Pennsylvania is finished?”Pixie asked.
“Yes.Then I have an idea,” Tooth Fairy said.
“Another one?”she asked, her brows high.
Tooth Fairy chuckled.“Yes.We don’t have anyone dedicated to collecting teeth at the top of the world here.It’s more ad hoc, and sometimes we are racing against time to collect teeth before the children wake up.After your tour of duty in Pennsylvania is finished, you could become the dedicated tooth fairy for the North Pole and surrounding areas.Northernmost, Northern Canada, Alaska, there are some remote witch and warlock covens in the Arctic as well, plus Greenland, Finland, Russia… all easily accessible by portal.You would still most likely be collecting between fifty and one hundred teeth a night, but many of these areas aren’t heavily populated so your time would be taken up with the portal traveling.”
“Oh wow, that would be amazing,” Pixie said.
Hunter cleared his throat.“Can you give us a minute?I’d like to talk to Pixie in private.”
“Sure, of course,” Santa said.“We’ll get to work on the tethered portal.Meet us in the subbasement in twenty minutes.”
Hunter nodded, taking Pixie’s hand and shouldering her bag.He led her into the main building, his mind spinning as they made their way to his apartment.
“I want to make sure that things aren’t going too fast,” he said, setting her bag down.
“Which part?”she asked, taking a look around his apartment.
“They’re assuming that you want to live here.We haven’t had enough time together to really talk about anything.It’s all been rush-rush since we met.”
“True.”She rocked on her heels and hummed, her wings twitching.“Are you worried about me?”
“I’m worried that we’re being pushed into making decisions before we’ve even really gotten to know each other.They’re talking about you changing everything after knowing me for less than twelve hours.We’re truemates, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s more important for me to have my job here than for you to have yours and live on the island.I don’t want you to feel railroaded.”
She stared at him, her head tilted slightly.Then she stepped close, her sweet floral scent making his bear want to come out to play.“Hunter, you couldn’t possibly be more sweet.I feel really lucky to have you in my life right now because you’re so caring and concerned for me.The truth is that I can do my job anywhere.It wasn’t like I spent time with particular kids and got to know them.I sneak in and out at night and try not to get busted.I can do my job anywhere.Your job is important too, and your job also helps keep me and my magic safe.I don’t have to live on the island full-time to be fulfilled, and I don’t want you to give up your job.”She looked thoughtful and then said, “I think I’m going to like being up here.And I’ll miss my family, but I can drop in on them when I’m collecting teeth and visit, and they can come up here too.The question is, are you okay with me storming into your life like this?I literally fell into your arms.”
He grinned.Sexy, sweet female.
He put his arm around her waist and drew her close with a soft growl.“I want you here.In Northernmost, in my apartment, in mybed.As long as you’re happy and safe, then I’m one happy bear.”
She stared up at him, her blue-green eyes sparkling.“I want to come home to you at the end of my shift.It’s really the only thing I care about.”
