Free Sleighing Her Elf (Operation Reindeer Retreival Book 3) by Viola Grace Page B

If it hadn’t been me, you might not have survived.”
    He licked his lips. “I tasted magic when I woke.”
    “Reindeer don’t get cold, so I shared a bit of that with you. I will need to reclaim it before I go home, but you should be fine by then.”
    “So, you are really going back, with or without me?” He scowled.
    She chuckled. “It isn’t something to prick your ego. I would never let down the children of the world or Santa. The team needs all of us to fly, so we will all be there.”
    Merkoss huddled in his blanket. “So, what was this exercise for?”
    She got up when the kettle shrieked. “I am fairly sure that the elves sent to get us are a form of sacrifice from Santa, to us. You are mine to toy with, my friend.”
    He looked startled at her levity. “You aren’t surprised that we were sent out?”
    “I would have been more surprised if you hadn’t. Christmas reindeer can’t properly mate with humans and have them remember us. There is no forever home for us away from the workshop. Elves are really our only choice.” She shrugged and prepped a pot of tea. She leaned against the counter until the tea was done, sweetened two cups and brought them to her unexpected guest.
    His hand appeared from the cocoon and accepted the mug with the reindeer on it.
    She wandered back to her seat on the couch and listened to the pitch of the soup as it heated.
    The tea’s scent was bright with citrus and cinnamon. She inhaled deeply and sipped.
    The soup started to bubble, so she put her tea down and went to stir it. With a smile, she got a huge mug down, put some crackers in a small dish and put a serving of soup in the mug.
    She heard a splashing of liquid on the wood floor and turned to him. “Damn.”
    Penny pushed his blanket aside and lifted his head. He was shivering and out cold. She grimaced, climbed into his lap, and kissed him again, breathing heat into him from her unending supply.
    His body jerked, warmed, and he put his hands on her hips. He returned her kiss with interest, and she slowly pulled back.
    Her voice was husky as she murmured, “Your soup is ready, and I will get you some more tea.”
    “What did you just do?”
    She climbed off him and backed away, “I am pretty sure you know what a kiss is.”
    “Not that. The magic.”
    “Oh. Didn’t we go over that already?” She scowled.
    He looked at her with glazed eyes. “Did we?”
    She hissed and got the soup, looked around and strained it into a watering pot. First, she was going to warm his core, then she would have to put him in her bed again.
    When she approached him, he looked at her with wary eyes. “What is that?”
    “Chicken broth. You need warming up, and apparently, you are resistant to my magic.”
    “From a watering can?”
    “Your hands are shaking too hard to hold a spoon. Now, open up.”
    She spent twenty minutes getting warm liquids into him and then carefully manoeuvered him out of the chair and back into bed.
    He was awake enough to wrap her in his arms and hold her close. She didn’t even have a chance to get her clothing off.
    Merkoss settled against her and breathed deeply and slowly.
    Penny gave up on her planned evening and let the even rhythm take her into sleep.
     
    She woke several times when he was shaking in her arms, but a quick check on him and another blanket, he settled. When dawn finally approached, she settled her back against him, and he wrapped her in his arms.
    He was aroused again, but his shivering had stopped. The arm around her glowed with warmth, and she was able to finally rest properly, knowing that she didn’t need to be on alert for his having a seizure due to cold was enough for her to actually get some proper rest.
    Penny sighed and grabbed her favourite pillow, pulling it to her face and snuggling in. She might only get an hour of solid sleep, but that was all she needed.
     
    Penny woke when she smelled bacon. She sat up and looked around. The other side of the bed was