🌟A Yuletide Love - Part 2🌟

Author's notes: This is part 2. Please see the link below for Part 1. Thank you!

I’m a distracted mess in the days leading up to Yuletide, as I can’t stop thinking about the Green Man. Every time I’m outside, my eyes search for a hint of him among the trees, but I spot nothing.

Even when I make my rounds to check my traps again, he doesn’t appear, although I’m certain I feel his presence nearby.

To distract myself, I weave the normal red holly I picked into a simple wreath for my door. I enjoy the task so much that I return to the grove to gather more, and spin that into a garland for the mantel above the fireplace.

The magically changed holly remains on the sill and each night as I drink my tea before bed, I stare at it, anticipation rolling in my belly.

Three days before Yuletide, the snow lets up enough that Dobis rides out to see me. He’s left Mira and the wagon at home for ease of travel, but I scold him for risking his toes to frostbite just to check on me.

He curbs my ire with a basket full of baked goods from Mira and news from my son of my first granddaughter. I reward him with a hot bowl of soup and a sound kiss on his cheek. Thankfully, he doesn’t notice the unusually coloured twig of berries before I discreetly tuck them into the nearest drawer.

As he prepares to leave, I make him promise to only venture out to see me if the weather permits. He nods, holding his hands up in surrender.

The day remains clear as does the next. But the eve of Yuletide brings dark cloud, heavy with the promise of snow.

The anticipation of this day has my nerves tingling as I stand on my porch, blue holly in my hand, watching as the snow falls. My eyes scan the gathering darkness, but I don’t really expect to see him yet.

Turning to the wreath on my door, I deftly weave the blue berries in with the red, careful to make sure they are visible. I can hear my heart in my ears as I review my work before ducking back inside.

I blow out a shaky breath and lean against the door. “Good, gods… what am I doing?” I’m tempted to turn around and pull those berries from the wreath, but something stops me. A knowing… deep and powerful, that whatever happens next is meant to be.

“Maybe I should make sure they haven’t fallen loose.” A gust of frigid air sends swirls of snow into the house when I yank the door open to check. I gasp at the rich brown eyes that meet mine.

Snow lightly dusts his hair and antlers as well as the thin leather vest he wears, yet he shows no trace of being cold as he regards me. “Greetings, Dalia. The snow is falling fast, and the night promises temperatures that will have even the hardiest finding shelter. I would not suggest venturing out.”

It takes me a moment to register the teasing smile he wears as I’m once more stunned by his otherworldly beauty. “I wasn’t going far. I just wanted to make sure the holly…” I stammer before shaking my head and chuckling. “Oh, never mind that. Please come in.”

I move back to allow him room to enter. Ducking slightly to avoid hitting his antlers on the door frame, the Green Man slowly steps into my home. His head turns as he takes in the living space; kitchen, living room and the door that leads to my bedroom.

“It’s as I imagined. Cozy and filled with charm,” he says, reaching out to run his fingers over a wood carving of a wolf. “Beautiful. Did you do this?”

“No. The credit belongs to my son, Kastin. My talents lie more with weaving and stitching.” I pull out the new coat I’m working on to show him.

“A talented family, indeed,” he offers as he studies the intricate pattern I was attempting to sew onto the coat’s sleeves.

“This is such a strange sensation,” I blurt out.

Looking up from the garment, he tilts his head in question, clearly confused by my words. “Oh?”

“This… me… you… the Green Man, standing here talking about my stitching.” My hands sweep over the area as I try to emphasize my feelings.

Pursing his lips he nods. “Ah. First, please call me Cernunnos and I suppose this will take some getting used to.” He lays the coat on the chair as he steps closer to me. “I will leave if you wish.” His words hold no disapproval, no anger. Just simple understanding.

“No!” I bark the word at him, causing his eyes to twinkle in mirth. “Sorry! I just mean, well, we just met… isn’t all this strange for you, too?”

His eyes search mine. “Surely you feel the connection we share.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “But that just makes it even more odd. Why would I feel such feelings toward you?”

He steps closer, and I can almost feel his body’s warmth. “Let go of what your head is telling you, Dalia. Instead, listen to your heart.”

I suck in a breath when he lays his hand over my heart, just above my breast. Heat rushes through me at his touch, but I do as he asks.

As soon as I do, all the doubt leaves me. All the impossible questions become moot. I know him. My soul knows him. I gasp as the answer floods my being. “I’ve known you before this life…”

His slow smile confirms my musings. “And many more before that one.”

A delicious fire ignites in my gut, and I grasp his hand, the one still laying over my breast, bringing it to my lips. He watches, rapt, as I place a gentle kiss on his palm.

His other hand moves to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lips. “How patiently I’ve waited for you to come to me, love. I’m afraid I can no longer be so patient.”

That rumbled proclamation and the strain in his words fan the fire burning in me to a near inferno. Sensing my growing need, he leans down to capture my mouth with his.

My world turns black for a second before colours I never knew existed explode behind my eyes. This kiss is both familiar and wildly exotic, making every nerve in my cell weep with happiness.

I twine my arms around his neck as I deepen the kiss.

When his lips leave mine, I whisper a protest until I realize his focus has shifted to my neck, then still lower until my clothing halts his advances.

“Bedroom,” I moan, giving him a gentle shove in that direction.

His response is a frustrated grunt and a light nip to my neck before he scoops me up and carries me to my bed.

What follows is a night of passion and bliss I never thought possible.

****

The moon is high in the sky as I lay sated in the arms of my lover. My finger traces the lighter green swirls that decorate his chest, the pale shade of my finger contrasting with the emerald colour of his skin.

“Why come to me now? Why not when I was young… before I met my husband?” It wasn’t an accusation, just something that truly confused me. “If our souls are destined for each other, why wait so long?”

I feel him shift as he looks at me, and I tilt my head so our eyes meet. He brushes a stray hair from my cheek and pulls the blankets tighter around us before answering.

“Each light that comes to this earth has a path they must follow. You had lives to bring into this world. Lessons you came here to learn. You returned to me exactly when it was meant to happen.”

I nod at his words, even though I don’t fully understand. “But… I’m so old…” I whisper, tucking my face against his chest as I feel a sadness settle over me.

Not letting me hide, he places his finger under my chin and forces my gaze back to his. “Do you find me… handsome?”

Not expecting that question, I huff a chuckle. “More than any man I’ve ever met.”

His grin is wide. “You’ve obviously noticed these lines that twine about my body, the ones you’ve been devilishly tracing?”

“Obviously,” I repeat, moving my hand over his chest and the markings.

“What do you suppose they are?”

Curious, I drop my gaze to study the design on his skin more closely. The lines on his chest swirl inwards towards each other while the ones on his arms circle their girth completely.

“Aren’t they just a part of your skin? Something that was there when you were created? Whatever they are, they are beautiful.” I murmur, pressing a kiss to his chest.

He rumbles his pleasure at my touch. “Hmmm. Thank you. But I did not always have so many. Much like a tree that has weathered countless years, my skin marks the passage of time similarly,” he says, indicating his body.

“Really? But there are so many!” My surprised outburst makes him laugh.

“Are you calling me old?” His silver eyebrows arch mischievously.

I join in his laughter. “I guess I am!”

As our mirth settles, we snuggle closer. “My lines continue to appear, drawing me closer to the end of my time in this existence. But, as you have said, they only add to the beauty of my journey thus far.”

“So, I guess you're suggesting I should love my wrinkles and white hair?”

He nods, picking up a strand of my dark hair streaked with white, and rubs it between his fingers. “I know I do.” His voice has turned husky, causing a shiver to ripple down my body.

“Well, since neither of us is dead yet, let’s make the most of it,” I suggest, running my leg up and over his body to straddle him.

His hands splay over my hips, steadying me on top of him. “Such a wise woman. Your years have taught you much.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet,” I boast. His grin matches mine as I lean down to devour his mouth once more.

****

Cernunnos is with me every night thereafter and the chilly winter months fly by in heated bliss. Most daylight hours, he retreats to the forest, and I busy myself with my day-to-day chores.

My children visit as often as they can, and seeing my happiness, they soon resign themselves to the fact that I won't be returning to town. They never suspect that my contentment is because I’m with my soul’s mate.

Winter’s bite eventually gives way to warmer winds as spring approaches, and on our last night together, I clasp him all the tighter.

“Are you certain you won’t be able to visit me again until the Yuletide?” My voice cracks as he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

“I would if I could, my heart. As the ground thaws and seeds awaken, so does the full force of my nature. There may be brief times I can appear to you, but our nights will have to wait until the resting season once more.”

Our lovemaking that night is unhurried and filled with soft whispers. As the dawn approaches, he kisses me deeply. “Enjoy the green growing season, Dalia. And, as the season wanes, watch for a thatch of blue holly growing in the grove. Hang some on your door as a sign that we’ll be together again soon.”

My tears fall nearly every day for the first few weeks he’s gone, and I wander the budding trees for any glimpse of him.

But soon, with the news that my daughter was now pregnant, my focus slowly returns to the here and now and I do as he asked. I strive to enjoy the spring and summer months.

My family visits often and I even strike a deal with the clothier in town, selling him some of my finer cured leathers.

As lovely as the warm months are, my excitement builds as the leaves change colour and fall. The first snow has me dancing in my kitchen and I’m out nearly every day, looking for the blue holly. The relief and elation when I finally see it leaves my head spinning.

Our Yuletide joining is as spectacular as the year before.

The years continue thusly and I’m full to overflowing with the amount of happiness in my life. My children continue to bless me with grandbabies, keeping my summer months busy, while Cernunnos keeps me busy in other ways during the cold season.

Even as my hair turns completely white and my body slows, we hold each other close. Tucked under thick blankets, we share stories as the wind howls and ice crusts my windows.

The day finally comes when I can no longer deny my daughter's concerns as age saps my vigor and soon her and Dobis are constructing a home close to mine. Having made a lucrative living with the hides I dye and sell, they can watch over me and keep the business going.

Their nearness doesn’t stop my love’s winter visits, and each year I continue to find blue holly growing in the grove. As I’ve done each year since, I dutifully place a sprig on my door come Yuletide.

“My eyes are dimming, my love,” I whisper one night with his arms wrapped around me and his chin resting on my hair. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find my way to the grove next year.” The deep sadness I feel at this revelation makes my heart hurt.

His hand strokes my hair before he leans down to place a kiss on my head. “I’ll bring you the holly when I come next year, my sweet.”

But as the year wanes, and spring blossoms into summer that fades into fall, a rattle in my chest brings my Green Man to me early.

My daughter has tucked me into my bed with heaps of warm furs, but chills still rack my body. Tonics, which help but a little, lay on my nightstand. “It’s not yet Yuletide, my love,” I whisper, offering him a sad smile.

“I’m missing you far too much to wait this time,” he rumbles, placing a branch of blue holly next to me before sitting and clasping my hands.

“Will you light the lantern so I might see you better?” I ask.

He nods and as brightness fills my room, I gaze at his still handsome face, now decorated with swirls. “What fun we’ve had. What joy you’ve given me,” I say and squeeze his hand, offering him a watery smile.

Stretching out beside me, he pulls me against him. “My nature is such that I intrinsically understand the balance of life… and of death. But each time we part like this… my heart is ripped from me.”

His voice cracks on the last word, and I reach up to graze his cheek with my hand. “But it’s not forever, is it? I’ll always come back to find you.”

“Not if I seek you in the veil beyond this one first,” he says, pointing to the lines on his face.

We hold each other tightly until the pain in my chest sets me to coughing. He places a hand on my chest, his warmth easing the pain into a dull throb and allowing me to breathe a little easier.

“Take me to the holly grove.” I croak out my request in a sort of desperation.

He says nothing as he picks me up, wrapping a blanket securely around me before slipping out of my bedroom and through the front door.

The moon is full and bright and the air cool against my cheeks as he carries me through the forest. His heat keeps the worst of the chill at bay, and I allow myself to enjoy just being in his arms and hearing the steady beat of his heart.

All too soon we are at the grove. Taking care not to jostle me, he lowers us to the forest floor and cradles me against him. I sigh at the beauty of this place as the glow of the moon washes everything in its silvery light.

“Thank you for being with me tonight. And… for loving me all these years.” The words are a struggle to say as a heaviness I’ve never experienced before settles over me.

His arms tighten around me briefly before his hand takes mine, his thumb brushing over my palm. “I’ve loved you for an eternity. It will not end simply because your light has returned home. This parting is simply an interlude.”

A slight tingle washes over me, and my eyes widen as Cernunnos’s magic turns the entire holly grove blue. “For now, I will have this place to remind me of you.”

I smile as his lips find mine, and we share one last tender kiss. “I love you, my Green Man.”

****

I feel the moment her light leaves her frail body, and I moan my sadness to the wind. The air around me shimmers in reaction to my emotions, and a pack of wolves off in the distance takes up my lament.

Gazing down at my soul’s love, I stroke her hair back from her face, taking a final moment to memorize everything. Her outward appearance has never mattered to me, but I cherish it none the less.

I carry her back to her room as carefully as I carried her to the grove and tuck her into the bed we shared many a cold winter’s night together.

It takes me several trips, but I fill her room with sprigs and bunches of the blue holly until it appears as if she’s asleep in the grove itself. Her family will wonder at it, but perhaps the beauty of it will offer them some small peace at her passing.

As my steps take me away from Dalia’s cabin and back into my forest home, I feel an unseasonably warm breeze caress my face. I stop to gaze into the star-filled sky, a smile stretching my lips. “Until the next time, my Yuletide love.”