Page 25 of Awakened By Her Guardian

“Dress warm,” Winterlyn said. “We can visit the reindeer stall too, if you’d like.”

“I’d love that,” Ana said.

They said goodbye to his family and left the cafeteria to head to Santa’s office.

“So we need to talk,” she said.

His heart skipped. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh sure,” she said with a chuckle.

“You sounded a little grave right then.”

“I didn’t mean to,” she said with a smile. “But I was thinking about living arrangements after the holidays.”

“You mean whether we live here, with my pack, or with your family?”

“Yep. What do you think?”

“I think that wherever you are is where I want to be.”

She made a face. “Don’t leave the decision up to me. I want to really talk about it.”

They stopped outside the main office, where elves were working through the naughty and nice lists.

“I’m not trying to,” he said. “It’s just that I don’t really mind where we live as long as we’re together. I like being a Guardian, but there is also a place for me in the pack on the security team. And I’m sure I could find work if we lived near your family. Truthfully, as long as I get to come home to you, the location doesn’t matter.”

Her gaze softened. “You’re so freaking adorable.”

His wolf let out a disgruntled snarl. “Bunnies are adorable.”

“Okay, you’re amazing and the sexiest guy ever,” she said, laughing. “I like being up here, but it hasn’t even been a week yet. So maybe we agree to stay here since we’re stuck anyway until Christmas Day. Then we can spend time with your family and mine and make our decision after that.”

“That works for me.”

She let out a breath as if she’d been holding it. “I think the people of Northernmost will enjoy having a dedicated dream walker here. Especially if Nightmare starts targeting us all. He seems like the kind of guy to hold a grudge.”

“Yeah, he’s definitely an ass.”

“Do you think our kids will be a combination of dream walker and wolf or lean more one way or the other?”

“I’m not sure. I would suspect they’ll lean more one way or the other, but maybe we’ll have a few combos, wolves who can use slumber magic.”

“A few? How many is a few?” she asked.

He hooked his arm around her waist and drew her close. “However many you want. I’m an only child. My cousins are only children. They feel like brothers to me, but I’d like our kids to have siblings.”

“Me too.” She went onto her toes and kissed him and his wolf rumbled in approval.

“Let’s talk to Santa and then see where the day takes us,” he said.

“I have a few suggestions,” she said, her voice dropping.

“I’m sure they’re the same as mine.”

They walked through the offices and reached Santa’s door, knocking and waiting for him to call them in.

Inside the large office, a fire crackled in the fireplace, lending a warm glow to the space. Santa was at his desk, and the male Gabriel had seen several times was at the picture window looking out at the Well.