Adley is an unusual elf. He prefers skiing to parties, doesn’t like to sing, and cares so little for elf conventions that his brother despairs of him ever getting married. Which is fine, because Adley has no intention of marrying just anyone.<br><br>When he meets Keru at the annual Christmas Eve party, the two are drawn to each other. The party may be the most important event of the elvish social calendar, but neither Adley nor Keru minds leaving early to take a walk. They enjoy an idyllic and romantic first date under an aurora, rescuing a reindeer calf along the way, and a relationship seems promising.<br><br>But their second date takes a dire turn when a skiing trip brings them face to face with a polar bear. They’d like to keep seeing each other ... if they can make it through their second date without being eaten!

Christmas Kisses at the North Pole

“It’s something to try, at least,” said Keru, still rummaging through his backpack.


“You aren’t going to try singing?” It was a bad joke, but Adley couldn’t help himself.


“On second thought, that was a bad idea. It might decide to eat us in revenge for being subjected to my caterwauling.”


Elves were blessed with excellent hearing, useful for speaking over the wind, which meant they heard the bear walking around and sniffing. It was the sound of doom.


Their doom was moving slowly. If Adley was going to die, he’d rather get it over with quickly, all things considered, and he wondered why the bear was taking so long. Did it prefer to enjoy the smell of fear before it finally pounced? For all Adley knew, terrified prey was more fun or tastier to a bear.


“Maybe it’s not hungry,” said Keru, his whisper almost inaudible.


“If it is, we’re the luckiest elves in living memory.”


Chapter 12