Jessica nervously handed me the pristine, perfectly wrapped present. Harold came up and rubbed her back. I gently opened it and gasped, “Oh my god.” Jessica said, “I just thought custom carolers of your family would be cute. I included Hank as the pup in your arms.”
I told her, “This is perfect.” I began to fan my face because this was our Christmas card from last year, with the addition oflittle Hank in my arms. I reached over and squeezed her hand, “Thank you. This is so thoughtful.” Jessica smiled and Harold kissed her temple.
Kiara sniffed, “I’m only crying because of pregnancy hormones.” I snorted, “Uh huh.” I admitted, “I can’t believe you did this. This must have taken months.” Jessica blushed, “I had them start working on it the second I was emailed your name.”
Kiara said, “Ok, we are officially going to help re-program whatever Mommy Queenie Meanie broke in this woman. I thought she was standoffish and mean. Clearly, I was wrong. She’s nice and Mommy Queenie Meanie was always the problem. It’s honestly my least shocking revelation of all time.” It easily was.
Damn. Were Shana and Jessica actually not that bad of people? I’d never really gotten to know them and just assumed they were like Cassandra. They acted like it, but maybe that was all a carefully crafted facade Cassandra built up until eventually they were just her little clone mouth pieces. Poor things.
Kiara snorted, “Well, they should’ve stuck up for themselves.” I agreed, “Yeah, but think of how weird that had to be for them. To realize these last several years that Cassandra never had their best interest at heart. Then wonder what advice was right versus not. Something will be right, but probably not a lot of it.” Kiara hummed, “Well, we will help them now.” Yes, we would.
I already knew Haley was closer to them and always invited them to events, they just usually stuck together. Now, I was going to get them out mingling with other people. It was my new goal, and Alphas always accomplished their goals.
Jessica said, “So, I guess I’ll take my shots now.” I laughed, “Good lord, these rules were not emailed to me.” Jessica shrugged and took her two shots. I told my reindeer, “Alright, now go back to my spot.” I looked around, but no one else was having me wait.
Dylan rejoined our group happily then everything kicked off. Emmaline linked, “What on god’s green earth is that ominous sound?” I admitted, “I do not know.” Then we all saw Krampus on his black sled with skulls on the side of it. There were even horns.
Lucas linked, “WE HAVE TO SAVE CHRISTMAS FROM KRAMPUS?!” I replied, “You do. Isn’t that kind of fun though?” Lucas replied, “Had I not had so much to drink, yes. The point of these was to get sloshed. I followed the rules.” I snorted, “You still think it’s fun.”
Lucas conceded, “Fine.” Dad linked, “We are saving Christmas? Well, that’s fun.” The Trolls and bad elves broke in; except they didn’t because the glass wasn’t actually glass. Kiara chuckled, “Of course not. The Fairies would never let anyone get hurt by actual breaking glass.
A massive screen appeared on my sleigh, and the reindeer took off into the air. I was getting multiple live feeds of the action. Emmaline linked, “Because leaning over would be too hard.” I laughed, “Well, that does sound like it could hurt my back. This is way better.” I pulled my blanket around me.
I told Hank, “Daddy’s fun is kicking off.” I snickered while my mate riled up every single Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Male he could. Kiara teased, “He threw in a Male Lead Warrior too.” Yeah, my husband was going to get everyone he could.
The wolves were showing out in full force to protect the presents the pups had made. My sleigh moved outside because Dylan did. Dylan was nearly to Krampus when a snowman with fire for buttons and eyes appeared. I gaped because it was ten feet tall.
Dylan squealed, “You’re cool! I had no idea you were coming. FUN! A twist for little old me. SGAP, GET THE SNOWMAN!” Eric asked, “Fucking how?! It’s a goddamn snow man!” Dylan replied, “Umm by being creative. Obviously. I don’t usually haveto tell you how to kill someone. It’s not a good time for you to be malfunctioning.”
The snowman punched Dylan in the gut and he flew backward. My husband rolled up, “Wow. They pack a punch.” It drew an ice weapon that touched a Warrior from our pack. She was suddenly in an icehouse with a little fire to keep warm, but there was no way out.
Emmaline immediately shattered it, and the Warrior was free. Dylan screamed, “OH MY GOD! SOMEONE ELSE ACKNOWLEDGE HOW AMAZING THIS IS! There are twists even for me!” Aiden started to use his fire and melted the snowman down.
The group moved on, but more snowmen appeared and the Trolls kept on coming. Dylan threw paint cans that hit Krampus and began building traps for the elves with other people. I watched as the snowman Aiden melted started using its arms to make itself again.
I shouted to the group, “Remove the arms! Maybe the nose too! If you destroy the arms, then it can’t regenerate!” Dylan linked me, “You brilliant woman, you. If I could kiss you right now I would.” My mate still blew me a kiss.
Lucas linked, “Good idea, Lacy Loo!” My brother and Emmaline were taking on a snowman with my parents. I shouted, “GO TEAM LYONS!” I saw Danver fighting and setting up traps with Kris and his mom.
I cheered, “Go Grandmama Christmas!” The woman winked at me, looking like she was having the time of her life which would make my mate very happy. Kris was in a literal Santa outfit now. I’d imagine Dylan told Haley that was paramount to him.
Bjourn had himself launched up at the snowman and grabbed its nose. The head crumbled, but it rebuilt it. I wracked my brain thinking what it was. I whispered, “With a corncob pipe and abutton nose and two eyes made out of coal. Haley watched that movie for the pups.”
I shouted, “DYLAN, THEY ARE EVIL FROSTY’S! THE SONG IS HOW YOU DEFEAT IT! THE THINGS THAT MADE FROSTY COME TO LIFE! OH MY GOD! IT’S THE HAT!” That was what brought the snowman to life.
Dylan shouted, “YOU BRILLIANT WOMAN!” Eric jumped out of a tree he’d climbed and snatched the hat off the snowman Dylan had been fighting. The snowman melted. I shouted, “Tucker needs help on the lake!”
Eric and Dylan took off together. Tucker’s foot was encased in ice, and the snow monster was coming towards him with his ice stick. Eric grabbed Dylan, spun him around and launched him like a cannon. Dylan shouted, “I AM FLYING!!!!!!!” My heart lurched in my chest.
Dylan sang, “I HAVE COOOMMMMEEEE TOOOO SSAAAAVVVVEEE CCCCHRISSSSTMAS DAAYYYYYYY!” My husband snatched the hat off the snowman that then crumbled to the ground before reaching Tucker. Dylan hit a massive inflatable that someone had conjured.
I told Hank, “Thank god someone did that or daddy would have hit the ice far too hard for my liking.” The battle raged everywhere with the snowmen, evil elves, Krampus, and the Trolls. Eric shouted, “Haley, send a tornado at them.”
Haley admitted, “I thought no one was going to fucking ask.” Well, she’d planned it so she might not find it fair. Haley created her tornado, and it was set loose. I gasped, “Lexi has fire arrows?!” Lexi was shooting them, and they would explode once it landed. Ok, then. I wasn’t even remotely sure I knew what kind of fire it was.
Emmaline was totally in her element with all the other Water Fairies. I cheered for my sister in law, “YOU GO, EMMALINE!GET THEM!” Krampus loudly bragged, “I’m practically inside and once there I’ll steal all the pups presents.”
The entirety of Black Mountain snarled. Eric asked, “Dylan, do you remember the time you made us all run that drill?” Kiara snorted, “Thor could mean so many drills.” That was true. Dylan constantly had them running drills before they took over. Afterwards he’d send memos about them.
