The Other Mr. Claus

Maggie Hemlock

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2020 by Maggie Hemlock. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.

The Other Mr. Claus is a spin-off book from the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. All of Maggie Hemlock’s books are set in the Hemlock Mpreg Universe. Characters, places, themes, and magic cross over from book to book and series to series within the Hemlock Mpreg Universe. All of Maggie’s books take place within this universe.

Chapter One

Noel

I’m a Santa Claus. They’re more than four dozen of us spread across the globe. We descend from the long line of the Snow Mountain Elf Clan. My ancestors long ago left the Other World, the birthplace of most elven clans, to avoid the constant battles of the others. It wasn’t easy to find a home among the humans and hidden shifters and vampires. The humans were nearly, if not more so, greedy as the bloodthirsty elven clans we left behind. So, we had to find a way to fit in or at least for them to like us a bit. Many many moons later, the human governments would fall, but for a long time, we had to play nice with those who only thought elves were appropriate around their winter holidays.

Our clan leader at the time, Santa Claus, came up with a plan to help the children of Earthside. Each Yule as many of our clan as possible would set out and deliver toys and other goodies around the globe. This bought our place in popular culture and our place in the hearts of the humans. They developed their own lore around us and endeared us to their hearts. Sure, there are as many versions of our story as there are families with gender, race, and a whole host of differences, but every ‘Santa Claus’ has been a member of the Snow Mountain Elf Clan. How do you think we appear at malls across the world?

We were all dubbed ‘Santa’ because of the popularity of our then clan leader. Now, wolf packs have Alphas, vampire covens have their lords and ladies, and we the Snow Mountain Elf Clan have our Santa. Speaking of which, I’m The Santa. Countless generations of the first magical red suit being passed down from generation to generation have led to the suit being hung in my closet and this is my first Yule heading out as The Santa. Sure, I’ve made my route all over the British Isles for over a century without ever missing a house. I always did my job. Though, this year might be the worst possible year for me to shoulder the first red suit. Last Yule I did what everyone dreams of – I met my true-mate. Yes, yes, I met the perfect omega. He was setting out gifts for his little sister and brother under a beautiful real tree done up proper. The lights twinkled and a magic orb held the roots of the evergreen so it could be rehomed outside when the world thawed and wiggled out from under its blanket of snow.

The whole house was done right out bloody proper with the hanging lights, snowflake decals in the windows, inflatable reindeer, and snow people in the yard. These folks really went out of their way to celebrate Yule. Here I was with my Other World reindeer on the roof waiting for this guy – this annoying guy – to get the hell outta sight and let me do my job. Seriously, if you are piddling around the decorated tree on Yule Eve you are an evil inconsiderate person. Leave the room if you hear the tell-tale sign of hooves on the roof. This is Earthside. It’s not an attack of flying centaurs. It’s me or another Santa trying to make Yuletide dreams come true for the little kids in your house. So, don’t be a dick, and don’t forget the cookies either. Anyway, I digress. Let’s get back to the point.

There he was. I could hear him humming “Jingle Bells” under his breath and puttering around. The kids were asleep in their beds. Their heartbeats gave that much away. His parents were out cold too having delegated the task of setting out the gifts to him. The reindeer were getting restless and believe me when I tell you – you don’t want flying Other World reindeer getting restless and antsy. That’s how you end up with a hoof-shaped hole in your ceiling. That’s never a fun thing and I hate the insurance paperwork that comes along with it.

Eventually, I decide he’s a big wolf and can deal with seeing a Santa Claus. Did I mention we left the Other World because wars were too easy for us to win? Seriously, they are. We are the break and enter champions of the world. Scratch that we’re the ‘entering’ champions of the worlds. We don’t need to break anything to gain access to anywhere. So, yeah, I caught a flash of the living room and the Yuletide tree through the brick house’s big picture window. I picked my spot on the carpet. I memorized that spot. Any spot we have memorized, a Snow Mountain Elf, can get to with a blink of an eye and a thought. Yep, we’re just that sort of magi.

So, I did the think of the spot and wink and was inside the house with my big red bag. Well, one of them. Our sleighs are built to hold a lot of weight, but they haven’t invented a sack big enough to hold gifts for every child in a city much less the large territories U.S. Santas deliver to. The annoying guy was on his way back in with a plate of gingerbread cookies. To be honest, they were the first thing I smelled. To be doubly honest, I never cared for gingerbread. It’s not a cookie! It’s a spiced rock. Cookies are chewie. Yes, cookie politics are a real thing in my clan and I’m team soft and chewie – remember that!

Then I dropped my sack. Yep, bang-boom-crash gifts spilled all over the floor. Then Mr. Annoying who smelled like Mr. Oh My F-ing Ancestors dropped the cookies and the milk. His face flushed pink and our eyes met. That’s the moment he stopped being Mr. Annoying and started being mine.

My eyes raked over his body. He was a head shorter than me with light brown hair and big sleepy brown eyes. He smelled like a wolf in the snow and something more alluring. Something I wanted for my own. The feeling was both strange and familiar. It was unmistakably the true-responding of mates. Magic tingled up and down my body shimmying from my spine into my limbs and making the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Yes, they’re white. They’re white just like the rest of the hair on my body and the body of almost every male in my clan. Women have a little more variety in their hair color. Then the blood went straight to my dick because of course, it did. My dick wasn’t aware that I was already behind schedule and that if I didn’t hurry up children across the British Isles would wake up without gifts from my clan the next morning.

We stared at each other for a moment and I groaned internally. Of course, I’d meet my true-mate, my omega, the man I’d spend the rest of my damn life with while I wore the magic red suit. The suit that made me look like the beachball of an elf the human lore came to know and love.

“Hi,” he said.

It was a little word, a common word even. It was two letters and one syllable, but it won my heart. Okay, my heart was won and devoted long ago. True-mates were just as real as shifters. It’s a fact of science and magic and lore that everyone knows the other half of their soul before they’re born. Then, if you choose to accept the mission, you spend your whole bloody life waiting for that moment when you’re reunited with them.

“Hey,” I grinned.

“You’re Santa Claus?”

“Noel, actually,” I stuck out my hand to shake his, but he scrambled over the presents and hugged me.

His scent wrapped around me tighter than any suit or blanket or boa constrictor could. I took a deep breath, but that was a mistake of course. It sent a fresh wave of his scent – that wolfy omega scent right to my brain.

“Noel Claus?” He asked looking up at me.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “And you are?”

“Bellum Montgomery,” he grinned.

“Perfect,” I whispered.

“Geez… You’ve spilled your sack all over the floor.” Color flooded his face because as soon as the last word left his tongue, he realized what he said.

“Well, excuse me, but I didn’t expect my true-mate to waltz into the room wearing Rudolph pajamas. Sheesh, you guys have turned that glowy-nosed reindeer into a saint. May he rest with his ancestors.”

“Rudolph’s dead?” His mouth dropped open and his disappointment was like a punch in the gut, not even the magical red suit could save me from.

“Sorry,” I shrugged. “He went through his door to meet his ancestors before I was even born. He was alive back in Santa’s day.”

“But you’re Santa.”

“I’m one Santa. I’m in line to be The Santa that’s like being the Alpha of a wolf pack.”

I squatted down and started raking the gifts back into my sack thankful that my elves worked hard to ensure they all had unbreakable charms until the moment the gifts were open. Yes, the elves in my clan that do not qualify or pass their Santa tests are the elves who make all the gifts for the good little boys and girls. They’re skilled. Bloody hell, most of them are more skilled than some Santas I know.

“Oh. What?” He blinked. “I know they say meeting your true-mate makes you all fuzzy-headed, but you’re the Alpha Santa?”

“That’s me and as much as I loved to rip off the fat suit and--- Well, you know what I mean without saying it. Sheesh. I’m trying to kill myself over here. I’m honor-bound to deliver these gifts. Through wars, famines, and all sorts of ungodly conditions the Snow Mountain Clan has delivered gifts to the children of Earthside. I cannot break that vow.”

“What? You can’t leave me now!”

“Grab your shoes. Come with me!”

“What?! It’s Yule Eve! How am I supposed to leave my family?” Even as Bellum spoke the words, he raced into the mudroom to grab his shoes.

“We’ll come back and tell them. Here, help me put these under the tree for Tessa and Barney.”

“How do you know their names?”

“I’m Santa. It’s my job,” I shrugged and winked at him. Truth be told, another reason Snow Mountain Elves are great at war is simply our memories don’t fade. Tell us once and we’ll never forget.

Not wanting his parents to wake up to the great gingerbread person massacre of Yuletide we cleaned up the milk and cookies before I shouldered my sack and wrapped an arm around Bellum. It was hard to stop there. I didn’t want to just wrap an arm around him. I wanted to push him up against the side of the fireplace and mark him as my own. I shook the thought and drawing on all the strength of my ancestors winked us back up to the roof and the restless reindeer.

“Don’t worry,” I said to Bellum as I lifted him into the sleigh, “they don’t bite. Yes, they know how to fly, and I’ve never wrecked. You’ll have time to meet them and all the others later when time isn’t so crunched. This is my team. They’ve been my team since I became a Santa.”

“Ooh! It’s warm in your sleigh,” Bellum said as I climbed in next to him and took up the reins.

“Come on, you lot! Fly!” I command my team and then answered my mate, “Elven magic is far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. At least, my elven magic.”

“Cocky.”

“I’m Santa. I get to be cocky.”

I didn’t need to glance over to know his eyes went straight to my crotch. Not that he could see much past the stupid magical suit of my bloody ancestors.

“I’m not really fat,” I said. “It’s the bloody suit.”

“I know. I felt the abs when I hugged you. Is that magic too?” He asked.

“Yep. It’s all to keep up with societal expectations of Santa.”

“Am I Mrs. Claus now?”

“Not unless you’re hiding a pussy,” I laughed.

“No!” He blushed hard. “Don’t make me whip it out!”

“Sorry, elves are beyond all this classical heteronormative bullshit of the humans. Though, most shifters are too. Eh, I know, I know, the myth of Santa Claus includes a chubby adorable elderly woman. I guess if you took my last name, you’d be the other Mr. Claus.”

“Bellum Montgomery-Claus. I like how that sounds,” he grinned.

My heart melted right there in the sleigh faster than the winter elemental known as Frosty the Snowman would melt in July in the Sahara Desert. This man, this wolf-man, was going to be the death of me yet. As we went from house to house, landing on the roofs and winking into the homes I explained the situation of my clan to my true-mate. Even now thinking those words make me grin like a fool. I was honor-bound to deliver my gifts on time, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t distracted. I had to double-check the names on the gifts I pulled out of the bag to ensure I didn’t mess up some kid’s Yule Morning. Kids are more particular than you think when they write me letters. All of the letters come to me, of course. I don’t read most of them, though. I forward that to the head of toy engineering at the North Pole. Yep, we live up at the North Pole. It’s the closest we can find to match the snowy mountain of what was once our Other World Territory.

We dropped the last gift off, a dolly that shifted into a wolf plushie if it was bitten, for a little girl named Julia and winked out of her home as the first rays of the morning sun flickered through the blinds. Laughing, we fell into the sleigh. I pulled Bellum in for a long kiss unable to resist a second longer. His lips were even softer than they looked, and he sighed happily when my tongue slid through them into his warm mouth. He tasted like candy canes and hot chocolate because he enjoyed more than one adventure into exploring the contents of the sleigh’s mini-fridge.

“Happy Yule, Santa,” he whispered to me.

“Noel,” I corrected him. “Santa was my ancestor.”

“Noel,” he rolled my name around his tongue. The sound was never so sexy.

“Sheesh,” I leaned back against the soft leather of the sleigh’s seat and took a deep breath. Normally, the team and I would head home. I’d leave them in the capable hands of the elves who tended them year-round to be watered and fed. Then I’d strip out of my fat suit and hang it up. It wasn’t the original last year, but a copy. A real nice copy. Still, it was my magical red suit. Then when I looked more like me, I’d fall into bed and sleep until the next evening. This time around, that wasn’t in the cards. I couldn’t drag Bellum back to the North Pole in only his Rudolph nightgown. It would be rude and for all I knew, his parents would track me down and try to start a war, because I took their precious baby boy (now twenty-five if I remembered correctly from the old lists) and didn’t let them in on what happened.

“What are we going to do about the sleigh?” Bellum yawned.

“What do you mean?” I wrapped an arm around him as my reindeer team took to the sky. “No one can really see us. I mean, sometimes really little kids who believe really hard will see us, but it’s rare. Sometimes other elves, but they remember how we kicked their asses in the Other World Wars, and they leave us alone too.”

“I mean, back at my house, and how do I see it then?”

“Fate, probably,” I shrugged. “Claiming vows or not we’re true-mates. I have some emergency food and water for them in the back. I figured I meet your parents and Tessa and Barney and then after the whole morning thing of opening Yule gifts I’ll have to head back. You’re welcome to come with me, but I understand if you need more time.”

“Will I be able to come back and visit?”

“Where do you think I’m taking you to? The moon?” I laughed.

“Umm…. The North Pole, right?” He grinned sheepishly as he asked the question.

“Yeah and believe it or not we have an airport too besides the Other World flying reindeer.”

“Oh, so I’ll be able to visit?”

“If you want and they can come visit too. It’s hard for kids who grow up outside of the North Pole, though. They’re so many places, well buildings, they won’t be allowed in. I mean, your family. You’ll be able to see everything of course. True-mates have no secrets.”

“I won’t be able to tell them you’re The Santa?” He frowned.

“Oh, that?” I laughed. “Yeah, you can tell them that if you want. I mean, I think it’s a bit obvious with the suit. You’ll know if you’re saying something they shouldn’t know because the words will come out all garbled up and won’t make any sense to them. Old magic never dies.”

Speaking of old magic, I poked the guys back home over our clan web to let them know I’d be late and had big news. Of course, since the web was like a wolf pack link, that allowed our members to communicate despite the length most of them already knew. It was damn hard to keep big things off the web.

Chapter Two

Bellum

Being the other Mr. Claus sucks come Yule Eve. It wasn’t something I thought about right off the bat when I met Noel in my parents’ living room last year. Every Yule Eve he’d have to take off and deliver toys all over the British Isles. Even once our pup was born there was no way out of that. Noel was bound by honor and tradition. I watched from the window as he clad in his red boxer shorts and undershirt lifted the heavy Santa sacks into the sleigh preparing to take off for this year’s flight. Before my condition became obvious and my belly grew too heavy to risk a long arduous flight, I assumed I’d tag along again. I’d done it last year. So, why not this year too?

It might be my pregnancy hormones playing with my head, but Noel looks hotter than ever barefoot in the snow in only his undergarments. He hates the red suit that makes him fat and sweaty, but it’s his uniform. From my year at the North Pole, I learned that most Snow Mountain Elves were immune to the wind and the cold that drive me to the fireplace. The house was warm, toasty even most of the time. Noel assured I never got chilly. He was sweet like that even before we conceived.

I run my hands over my belly toasty and warm under my big robe. I hate that he has to leave me tonight when my time is so soon. My wolf paces inside of me heavy with child too. So, I know it won’t be long now. He might not even be here when our little girl is born. I imagined her a ball of ginger fluff in her pup form curling up to me for warmth and wondering where the big-mouth man who sang to her for the last nine weeks has gotten off to. Okay, pups aren’t that aware, but I think she’ll know if one of her daddies are missing.

When Noel rises on his tiptoes his calves and thighs flex. I bite my lip and force myself to look away. It’s bad enough to be away from my true-mate while I’m pregnant on Yule Eve. I don’t need to be horny, slick, and hard up for him too. Trying to find anything else to occupy my mind with my thoughts turn to Yule of last year. It was my first day here and we slept most of it away in the bed I now call my own.

My parents were a little shocked that Santa was real at all. They always assumed the gifts marked from Santa Claus the other bought and just wouldn’t take credit for to keep the tradition alive. Of course, Tessa and Barney believed us right off the bat. We’d see them tomorrow evening after Noel caught some sleep. They’d fly up on a big fast dragon-made plane and be here in time for Yule dinner and the lighting of the Yule log. Tessa, now seven, remembered that Noel doesn’t like gingerbread and baked him gooey brownies instead. Noel is a chocolate fiend and I’m surprised he’s not as fat as his magical red suit would have everyone think from the amount of it, I’ve seen him consume in this year alone.

I barely had time to register we arrived at the North Pole last Yule. My eyes sprung open when the sleigh skidded across the snow stopping almost too close to the tree line.

“Watch it, Noel! For fuck’s sake! Are you tryin’ to bloody run me over? I should be in bed by now!” A tall dark-haired elf woman shouted from the ground.

“Aye! Shut your trap!” Noel waved her off.

“You better be nice. He’s up to be The Santa next,” a woman next to her warned.

“I’ll Santa him!” The first woman shook her fist in his direction when he climbed out of the sleigh.

“Oye! I brought ye your gingerbread, woman!” He shoved a bag full of it into her hands. “Now, feed my deer!”

They both broke out into a belly fit of laughter. It wouldn’t be until the next day that I found out Rissa was Noel’s younger sister, and they were always bickering at each other in London accents. When Noel lifted me from the sleigh, he didn’t put me down. I was dressed warmer now having had a chance to change for Yule morning and pack my suitcase.

“Bring his stuff in, you lazy lot!” Noel said as he carried me off into a big house that I wouldn’t remember what it looked like when I woke up. I dozed back off as he carried me through the maze, he called home. I remember two men wanting a peek at me, one his dad, Pine, was The Santa at the time. His door would come later in the summer and he practically sprinted through with his true-mate at his side after hugging all their many children and handing off his original red suit to Noel. It was a dark summer for us. Noel got moody for a while. His grief drove him to sit out in the forest with his team and he wouldn’t even talk to Rissa. He was back home by Halloween when our pup was conceived, but those days were so far away from me that Yule morning that I couldn’t even fathom them yet.

I wasn’t used to being up all night and the thoughts of sinking into bed and sleeping the day away made me smile. Inside his bedroom, decorated in earthy colors so contrasting from the Yuletide look of the house, Noel stripped naked and headed into his bathroom. I blushed catching a glimpse of him before he disappeared through the door.

“Bellum, you coming?” He peeked his head out to ask.

Blushing, I padded into the bathroom. The pull between true-mates is always strong and closing the distance between us was the only thing to ease the tension that hung in my belly. Without waiting for me to speak, Noel undressed me. His motions were quick but gentle. I didn’t even have time to tell him I could do it myself. Not that I minded his determination to get me out of my clothes. The room steamed up from the big walk-in shower with three heads before we ever stepped in. Okay, I didn’t step in that night. Noel scooped me up, in muscular arms no longer hidden by his magical red suit, and carried me into the shower. His scent was as sleepy as mine.

“There’s one thing I gotta do before we get clean,” he said stepping close to me.

I almost asked if that was to make me dirty, but wasn’t brave or awake enough to say it. Noel leaned in and kissed me softly. His lips were soft and demanding at the same time. His tongue slipped into my mouth. I stepped back leaning against the shower wall happy to be trapped between it and him. His muscles tensed and flexed against me as we kissed.

“You taste good,” he whispered when the kiss broke. “I could eat you up right here in the shower, but I’m going to wait until tonight after we’ve gotten some sleep. Elves and wolves live long lives and some memories really stick out. I imagine the claiming vows to be one of those memories and I want ours to be special not overshadowed by grogginess and you still adjusting to knowing the truth about Santas and the North Pole.”

“Okay, showers, but one thing first,” I smiled sleepily back at him.

“What’s that?”

I kissed him again, softly to close the space between us. My wolf brushed against my ribs excited for the arrival of our Alpha true-mate and the literal winter wonderland he swept us away to.

***

Later that day I woke up before Noel. He slept soundly spooned around me still naked as we hadn’t bothered to get dressed after our shower. Alphas usually needed less sleep than their omega counterparts, but he used a lot of magic delivering gifts and carrying around his sack and I was too excited to go back to sleep. It was early, but this far north it was already dark outside. I got dressed in some jeans and a plain green sweater. Usually, I’d wear a Yuletide sweater but didn’t want to offend anyone by wearing the likeness to someone’s ancestor. Folks all over the globe did it, but I wasn’t sure of how things worked, and I didn’t want to piss anyone off my first day here.

I peeked out of the room. Down the hall, the woman who Noel gave the cookies to sat reading on a big red sofa. She glanced up from her book, dogeared the page, and grinned at me.

“You’re up!” She grinned. “You must be starving. Noel will be out for a bit yet. Yule Eve always sucks the energy right out of the Santas. All of them are still out cold because Dad made everyone wait up for you and Noel to get back. It’s not every day a Santa meets their true- mate.”

“Are you a Santa too?” I yawned.

“No,” she shook her head. “Come on let’s get you some coffee.”

As I followed her through the winding halls down to the kitchen Rissa told me about her job. She was a reindeer whisperer. It was a gift some of her clan was born with and it was even rarer than the ability to be a Santa. Reindeer whisperers didn’t just talk to reindeer they spoke most of the animal languages.

While I ate the bacon and eggs Rissa seemingly pulled out of thin air Noel made his way down to the kitchen wrapped in a thick green robe. Rissa slid a plate of food and a red mug full of black coffee in front of him.

“Thanks, varmint” he grinned. “Good morning.” He leaned over and kissed me. “If you haven’t figured it out this pain in the ass here is my kid sister. She’s not as old as she looks either.”

“She doesn’t look all that old, Alpha,” I blinked.

“She’s barely older than you.”

“How old are you?” I shot the question back at him.

“Eh, Rissa, how old am I?” He laughed.

“Er…. Shit! Why do people always ask these questions,” she laughed and rummaged through a drawer looking for a book.

“We quit counting once we hit one hundred,” Noel explained.

I was only twenty-five. I had moved out and did the Moonscale Academy thing. I came home with a degree in early childhood education. I planned to teach eventually but hadn’t been home long enough to find a job. Besides, my parents liked having me around to help with Tessa and Barney.

“Well, fuck, Noel. Almost seven hundred,” Rissa looked up from the book she found.

“And how many siblings do you guys have?”

“It’s only us,” Noel shrugged. “My parents have so much to take care of that when I was born, and it was clear that I had the magic to be a Santa and eventually be The Santa they didn’t bother having more kids. Rissa came along recently. Well, recently to me.”

“I wasn’t planned,” Rissa offered.

“And I mostly raised her. My parents are great with the other kids, but eh…” he shrugged. “Anyway, that’s not how I plan to be. I mostly raised her and she turned out okay enough and that’s why she’s my varmint.”

My heart sank a little. I felt bad for Rissa. Planned or not her parents should’ve stepped up to the plate.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she slid into the chair opposite of Noel and me. “I’m the youngest reindeer whisperer to ever work with a Santa. I’m going to most likely be the youngest reindeer whisperer to take care of The Santa’s team. My parents love me in their own way but were bullied into having children when if their lives were different and they weren’t expected to produce an heir they likely wouldn’t have kids at all. And don’t you worry – this one,” she pointed to her brother, “he wants kids. He’s raised enough of them too. It started before I was born. This one taking little kids and bringing them home to raise.”

“Rissa!” Noel hissed at her.

“That’s the reason you’ll see so many round ears around here. He brings them home.”

“I don’t kidnap kids,” Noel growled.

I flinched away. Their bickering was normal for them, but I didn’t like when his energy went all crunchy.

“He doesn’t,” she laughed, “but I like to tease him about it. Every couple of decades he finds a baby left out in the snow or some kid that’s not coping at an orphanage and brings them home. He’s a good guy like that.”

“No kid deserves to be left out in the fucking snow,” Alpha growled.

“Shit. Now I’ve got you all worked up. I didn’t mean to,” she laughed, but it was clear she had.

“Do you have kids now?”

“I haven’t sired a child if that’s what you’re asking, mate,” he said, his voice softer without all the jagged edges when he spoke to me. “And no, it’s been a while since I needed to bring one back to the Pole. With shifters taking over more of the world less kids are left out. At least, in the British Isles.”

“That’s good,” I grinned at him. “That’s really sweet.”

“Nothing sweet about it,” he shook his head. “There will always be assholes and our founder Santa Claus took up the charge and mission of taking care of the children on Earthside. That’s a year-round job. I can’t save them all, but I can make a difference for some of them and those who have enough should share.”

I teared up a bit. I had a good life. My parents could afford to send me to Moonscale Academy and to let me move home when I was done and wait a while until I was ready to start teaching. They loved me and never let me forget it. I decided to go into teaching, because I know if they hadn’t loved me so much when I was a little kid, I might’ve turned out differently.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Noel glanced at my empty plate and mug and scooped me up.

“What’s going on?” I laughed.

“Shhh!!” He said sneaking out through the other kitchen door. “If they find us, we’ll be forced to stay down for a feast, and I have other plans.”

“Claiming vow plans?” I whispered back to him.

“Exactly.”

Upstairs inside Noel’s bedroom, the bedroom that was technically both of ours now, we heard the start of the celebration. Every year that night of Yule is celebrated on the North Pole. There is lots of drinking and shouting and eating and gift exchanges. I’d find out later from the claiming vows that Noel loved those parties because they celebrated a job well done. Only, that night his mind wasn’t on the job. It was on unwrapping me like a present from the universe.

He didn’t leave me dressed for long once he shut and locked the door behind us. We undressed each other and alone in the room with his scent I forgot all about Yule and everything else. I was a romantic teenager who dreamed of the day he met his true-mate. I made up scenarios in my head – he’d be the single dad of a child I taught or the principal of a school. He’d be the farmer that came in to speak to the class about sustainable living and what we needed to do to save our planet or he’d be the rich benefactor writing grants for low-income schools because he didn’t have children of his own. I never dreamed that he would be Santa Claus.

Once we were naked our lips met in a hard kiss – both ready for the claiming vows that would unlock our true-mate link and allow us to communicate privately even in a crowded room or across oceans of space. His dick was already hard as he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled me into his lap. My head reeled from the night and day I had, and nothing was slowing down yet. I was too slick to think too far ahead. Hell, I didn’t want to think beyond Noel’s kisses and his hard dick underneath me.

“Have you done this before?” He whispered in my ear.

“Yeah, a couple times,” I nodded.

“Good. Did you enjoy yourself?” He asked leaning back to meet my gaze.

“Yeah,” I blushed feeling more like a virgin in his lap than I had my actual first time. I hadn’t dated anyone seriously while I was in college, but just like the heart – the body wants what it wants, and I wanted to romp sometimes. Nothing serious, just enough to make me feel alive and skim the edge off my loneliness.

“Good,” he whispered and kissed me again.

I almost asked about his past lovers but realized I didn’t really want to know. It was nice that he cared enough to ask if I was experienced. The first time took some figuring out for some omegas. It was a raw feeling of opening up and being conquered and enjoying the hell out of it while also being a little terrified of how good it felt. I was glad he asked, but I didn’t wanna know who came before me. It didn’t matter who our firsts were – it only mattered now that we were together, we’d be the last lovers for each other.

Reaching between our bodies I gripped his cock. Usually, I loved foreplay, but the draw between us as true-mates was too strong to put off. I gave him a few promising strokes as he claimed my lips for another hard kiss. Then I led him into my body. Big, thick, and strong his dick opened my slick omegahole marking his territory as he slid along waking up nerve endings and sending my nails into the flesh of his shoulders.

We didn’t speak as our bodies found the rhythm, I imagined them knowing in the Other World. I leaned my forehead against Noel’s and looked deep into his eyes. I wanted to see his soul and know his mind. I didn’t give a damn, Santa or not, that was just a title he wore, the same as me being a teacher. My wolf whimpered as the pleasure of riding Noel’s cock spiraled through me to him. We were one in this as we were in all things. I tried not to think about how I only knew Noel a day. Things between true-mates usually moved quickly and the claiming vows made up the ground that most people had to cover through dating and conversations. It was as if our lives were a save file from the Other World. Once we put the password in we could resume being to each other here what we were to each other before this life. If Noel was almost seven hundred how long ago had that been? What was I doing while I made him wait for me? I shook my head. It didn’t matter now.

Pleasure spiraled from my omegahole up my shaft as Noel thrust up hard into me. His fingers played over my shoulder finding my claiming gland swollen with the magical fluid necessary for our ‘save file’ to open up. He had one on his shoulder too, but in most traditions, Alphas took the first bite. I always figured that was because in the past knowing what we knew would help them protect us and take care of us. Maybe not so much with modern omegas, but I didn’t care if he made the first claiming bite or I did. It didn’t matter as long as he stayed with me and we could figure out life together as true-mates.

The bite didn’t hurt as his elven canine broke through the stretched skin over my claiming gland and the clear magical liquid oozed out. For a moment, I wondered what I tasted like to him and grinned against his shoulder when I realized once I made my bite I’d probably find out. He lapped at the clear liquid as he held me close. Our bodies fell still with him buried inside of me. He caressed my shoulder and back as he licked away. I knew some of my memories and probably all of my emotions flooded into him.

Then it was my turn to place my claiming bite. I kissed his gland and ran my tongue over it. The fluid under the skin made it malleable. One prick from a slightly shifted wolf tooth brought the flood of clear claiming liquid. I lapped it up hungrily letting his passion, pleasure, and memories of flying through the sky flood over me. Noel loved his job and didn’t see it as a career. For him, being Santa was the way he made the world a better place. It put him in a position to help kids and adults alike and that was important to him. He loved his family even if he wished his parents would have been more deserving of the title. I felt his longing to start our lives together. Noel wasn’t a man of many words when it came to his emotions, but with our mating link open I could feel how happy he was that I was there with him.

With the claiming vow complete, Noel rose to his feet, lifting me with him. He turned and lay me down on my back on the bed without ever letting his dick slip from my body. I wrapped myself around him savoring in his warmth and the new flood of pleasure washing over me. With our mating link open it was difficult to tell where his pleasure began and mine ended.

“Bellum?” Rissa’s voice cut into the memory of the first time I blushed red hot as Noel’s warm sticky seed poured into my body. That wasn’t the time we conceived our little girl. That night came later.

“Everything good with the reindeer?” I ask Rissa.

“Yeah. I just wanted to check on you. Noel’s all on edge about leaving you home alone tonight.”

“Me too. I’ll be okay, though.”

“Well, I might have a plan,” she whispers to me. “I just need a few minutes to talk to Noel alone.”

“Huh?” I blink.

“Trust me. You go lay down and rest your ankles before they swell again. You’re carrying the future Santa after all.”

“Thanks, Rissa,” I give her a quick one-armed hug before padding off to my favorite plushy red armchair in front of the fire.

Chapter Three

Noel

Rissa lurks behind me as I load the last of my sacks into the sleigh. There are others who would gladly do this for me, but unlike my father, I don’t want to take advantage of their loyalty to The Santa.

“I won’t forget to bring you back the gingerbread cookies, varmint,” I laugh.

“It’s not about that.” Her voice is serious. Rissa is full of life and more comfortable running through the snowy tundra and woods with my team than inside with the rest of us. I should’ve dubbed her my little reindeer instead of varmint, but she really was a bratty child in her adorable ways.

“What’s wrong?” I sniff the air ensuring Bellum’s water hasn’t broken. I’m hoping to beat nature and be back home before my daughter lets out her first wail of life. My own father missed my birth because I came on Yule day. He was passed out from delivering presents. They never celebrated my birthday either, because it overlapped with the big day for the rest of the world. I wasn’t going to be that man, but still, I couldn’t let the kids down. Some of them would have nothing come morning if not for me and the work my clan put in to make it possible.

“Nothing yet,” she says stepping up next to me. “He’s resting. I sent him to sit in front of the fireplace. Noel, let me go tonight. I’ll take one of the toymakers with me. I know I’m not a Santa. I can wink places, though. We all can. I know you don’t trust anyone with your team, but I feel like they’re my team too. All year I’m with them almost all the time. I can get them to the British Isles and back. Sure, I may not have your speed down, but if I take a toymaker, I’ll have help.”

I almost tell her no without thinking. I almost tell her I can’t risk her fucking up a long tradition. Except I can’t say that to her. Her whole life was overshadowed by my parents almost audibly regretting her birth. She bites her lip and screws up her face waiting for my rejection. It would break so many traditions. Reindeer whispers don’t deliver presents – not even in emergencies. No one but The Santa is supposed to dawn that suit passed from generation to generation.

I can’t shake the image of her as a four-year-old kid dressed in her hooded footy pajamas with the reindeer antlers on the hood. She kicked at the ground after trying and failing to get either of our parents’ attention. She looked up and asked me why they didn’t want her. I’d mostly raised her to that point – feeling more parent than older sibling even before those words came out of her innocent little mouth. I lied. I told her that she was born for me. They had her because I hadn’t met my mate and didn’t have babies of my own. I told her that she was born to be my kid. Later she’d figure out that I loved her to the moon and back, but that wasn’t how anything went down. Still, I’d lay down my life for Varmint as if she were my own kid. Our family was too fucked up for our own good.

“We’ll need to hurry. I need to explain the maps. You have to take my path, or you’ll run out of dark. Who do you want to take with you? We’ll need to make sure we have a red suit that fits them.”

“Really?” Her eyes light up and her mouth hangs open making her look like that four-year-old I’ll always remember her as.

“I think it’s time for some new traditions starting with me being here for the birth of my daughter.”

There’s no more time for talk. I send her upstairs and start shouting orders to the others. Behind my shouts, I feel the first twinges of Bellum’s labor, and know if I left, I’d carry not only the mantle of being The Santa with me, but I’d pick up the torch of missing out on the important moments of life. I could go next year and take Bellum and our little girl with me. The British Isles weren’t going anywhere. I have to put Bellum out of my mind until I have Rissa and Cella in the sleigh. They’re beautiful sitting side by side in their matching red suits. On them, they’re the beautiful dresses and cloaks more associated with the Mrs. Claus from the human-made lore.

All around me my clan whispers half-excited and the other half think I’ve lost my mind, but I know Rissa can pull this off. If she needs help our clan has a web link like every elven clan. I’ll be able to talk to her and guide her through any sticky parts. I have faith in her, after all The Santa raised that young woman.

Laughing, Rissa takes the reins of the team and lays them in her lap.

“Come on, herd!” She calls her voice the jolliest I’ve ever heard. The reindeer run kicking up snow as their hooves gain speed and they take off into the sky. They fly as one unit even with the reins slack. They know Rissa. She’s one of them and they’d do anything for her. She waves from the sky and blows me a kiss.

“Good luck, varmint!” I shout over the wind that’s picking up.

“Alpha,” Bellum’s voice pokes into my thoughts over our mating link. “I need you.”

I head into the house dressed in jeans and a goofy Rudolph t-shirt Bellum ordered me online at the start of the holiday season. With Ms. Claus off to save Yuletide, I head inside to the other Mr. Claus – right where I want to be.

Chapter Four

Bellum

My heart jumps into my throat when Noel walks into the sitting room muscular and sporting the t-shirt I ordered him via Moonscale drone. During my time at the North Pole, I discovered most of the clan loved the silly stuff the world came up with about their ancestors and the powerful and magical Other World reindeer.

“Alpha?” I gulp.

Pain radiated around my back, landing square between my legs. My water hasn’t broken yet, but from how hard my wolf is panting inside of me I know it’ll be soon.

“Don’t you need to get dressed?” I whine, hating myself for sending him away.

“No,” he shakes his head. “I don’t think our baby is going to remember what I wore on the day she was born.”

“What? How? Rissa? What did she do?” I blink trying to think past the dull ache quickly morphing into a roar. I push myself to my feet. I have to fix things. Those kids mean so much to Noel. I can’t let them down. I can do this alone if I have to. Wolves have been delivering pups for centuries now.

“Rissa and Cella are taking my route. They’ll be okay.” Noel is by my side before he finishes speaking. “Easy there.”

“Is that okay? Will she be okay?” I pant.

It was hard to think past the pain.

“Don’t you worry about that. Let Rissa and Cella take care of it. I’m here with you, right where I wanna be,” he whispers in my ear. “Now, let’s get you into the birthing pool.”

We decided on a water birth early in my pregnancy. The house was toasty, but we live in a cold place and a warm bath was the perfect place to bring our little girl into the world. Noel offers to carry me, but I need to move. My wolf paces inside my chest whimpering and growling – his sounds echoing the pain I feel. Sometimes while we tiptoe through the house – our private section where the others gave us space to be a family – my water breaks. The edges of my vision blur, and instinct takes over. I’m all wolf and primal energy. I’m carrier bringing life into the world and nature doesn’t care if it’s Yule Eve. Later I’ll care, but for the moment, I’m glad it’s Rissa and Cella delivering presents to the British Isles and not my mate because I need him here with me. I can’t do this without him.

Inside the room remodeled just for the occasion and made to mimic a stone wolf den in the wild, Noel helped me strip out of my clothes and slide into the pool. The warm water eased the squeezing pain of the contractions just enough for me to breathe.

“Like we practiced with the midwife,” Noel whispers and pants along with me riding out the contraction. He leans his forehead in against mine and I realize we’re both crying. The others have gathered outside of the door. For them tonight is the birth of an heir. For us tonight is so much more. It’s the night our family grows – the night where the love we found and nurtured brings forth a tiny little person who neither of us can wait to meet. We’ve only seen her in colored sonograms printed by the midwife. Now she’s on the way into the world and our arms.

“You are so strong, mate,” Noel whispers to me. “You are so strong.”

Strong. The word becomes my mantra as I deliver our little girl with pointy ears and big blue eyes into the world. She smells like a wolf, like me. She looks like him. She’s ours and she’s perfect.

“Merry,” I whisper her name we’d chose at the beginning of my pregnancy. Noel assured me then that we didn’t need to follow the tradition of holiday names, but I didn’t mind. I liked Merry – the play on words somewhere between sounding traditional but also happy as hell.

“Looks like you’re The Santa delivering gifts tonight,” Noel smiles.

I laugh despite what a cheese ball he is. Next Yule, we’ll be on the sleigh with him. Our little Merry will see the world before she’s old enough to realize what a privilege it is. Noel won’t follow in his parents’ footsteps and when Merry has a younger sibling she’ll get to be an older sister instead of a mother to her. Noel didn’t choose Yule over us. He didn’t choose us over Yule either. He did the one thing all good leaders can do – delegate and ask for help. I’m proud of both sides of our baby’s lineage. She’ll grow surrounded by love and laughter and all the good stuff so many people push aside while trying to make a living. Sitting in the water with my mate and newborn, I’ve never been happier to be the other Mr. Claus.

About the Author

Maggie Hemlock calls the Appalachian Foothills home currently. Maggie has a bit of a travel bug and is in the process of figuring out where she wants to live long term.  She enjoys spending time in nature to recharge her batteries and get inspired.

Her career started in freelance journalism and expanded into fiction as the years passed. While reality may be stranger than fiction storytelling is her first true love. Her tall tales caused her trouble during her early years of childhood, but soon with chubby-pencil to paper, she began story writing.

Decades later this love matured into a passion and she’s written across many genres. Her current love is MPREG. It’s so much better to read about men falling in love, making babies, and raising happy families than it is to read about them killing one another off. So, when it comes to writing the male specimen, she prefers adorable omegas with bellies plump with future generations and the sexy and sometimes arrogant Alphas who love and protect them.

With a strong belief in live and let live and all love is love, Maggie Hemlock is both a member of and an advocate for the LGBT community.