“I really do—it feels so special.” Elli looked around the room again. She especially liked the twinkling star at the top of the tall Christmas tree.
“You know another Christmas tradition I bet you’ll like?” Roke asked. There was a mischievous twinkle in his dark eyes. “The giving of gifts.”
And he pulled a box wrapped in shiny gold and red paper out from behind his back and handed it to Elli.
“Oh Roke, you shouldn’t have!” she exclaimed, as she took the present. “I didn’t get anything for you.”
“Are you kidding, sweetheart? You gave me yourself last night.” Leaning down, he nuzzled her neck and nipped her lightly with his fangs, which had grown considerably since they’d become bonded. “I couldn’t ask for a better gift than that,” he murmured in Elli’s ear, making her blush.
“Thank you, Roke,” she said, blushing harder. “But what in the world did you get me?” she asked, looking down at the brightly wrapped gift box.
“Open it and find out!” Roke was grinning with anticipation. “I can’t wait for you to see it!”
With trembling fingers, Elli unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was a long scroll made of the official parchment they used on her home world of Torl Prime for property deeds. So she already had half an idea of what it was before she unrolled it. But when she read the elaborate script on the scroll and finally understood what Roke had done, a little scream of excitement bubbled up and burst out of her lips.
“Oh, Roke!” she exclaimed, staring up at him. “You bought me the wild lands where we dropped Demon off?”
“And a herd of zorels to go with it,” he said proudly. “Well, we will buy a herd—I didn’t want to pick any without you. But as soon as we get a house and stables built, we’ll go wherever it is they sell the very best zorels and you’re going to pick as many as you want.”
“Oh my goodness, but that’s so expensive!” Elli looked at him with wide eyes. “Can you really afford all this, Roke?”
He grinned.
“Sure, sweetheart—I just had to move some assets around. I sold my ship and bought a smaller one—won’t be needing one with smuggling space anymore. And I have quite a lot saved back. So please don’t worry—it won’t be a problem.”
“Oh, I just can’t believe it!” Elli’s eyes were filling with tears of joy. “My very own zorel ranch! Close enough to see my brothers and my father but far enough away that my stepmother can’t come over very easily—not that she’d want to.” She made a face. “And I’ll get to see Demon again—we can use him as our first stud buck. His fawns will be beautiful if I can find the right does to breed him with!”
“You will, sweetheart, and you’ll train them perfectly too.” Roke gathered her into his arms and kissed her again. “You’re going to do what you love for a living,” he murmured in her ear. “And I’m going to help you do it.”
Elli looked at him seriously.
“But what about you, Roke? Will owning and running a zorel ranch be doing what you love for a living?”
He looked thoughtful.
“Well, I know I don’t have nearly as much experience as you do, but I’d like to think I was getting the hang of it when you were giving me and the grooms lessons there on Pok,” he told her. “Running a ranch will be a nice change from thievery and smuggling. And what I really want is just to be with you, my little ex-priestess—all the days of my life.”
“That’s what I want too,” Elli murmured, snuggling against him. “Thank you, Roke—the chance to do what I love and be with who I love forever is the best Christmas gift anyone could ever ask for.”
“Then Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he sent through their link, since his lips were busy kissing her. “Now how about if we go back to our own suite and bond all over again?”
“Mmm, I think I’d like that,” Elli sent back as she returned his passionate kiss. “Let’s go!”
So they did. It was a somewhat belated but very, very Merry Christmas for both of them.
The End?
Of course not!
There are always more Kindred Tales and Brides of the Kindred books coming.