“We’re supposed to be working on that bitterness, brother,” Cole said as gently as he could.
Jack let out a breath. “Yeah, I know. I just needed to get that off my chest first.”
“You’re such a grumpy little elf,” I teased, dancing out of the way when he tried to tickle me in retaliation.
We hurried outside, and I stopped short as giant flurries fell from the sky. “It’s snowing.”
“It wasn’t supposed to snow until tomorrow night,” Jack said with a groan.
“Will you have to postpone?” I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.
“No, it’s Colorado. We plan for these things.”
“I kind of love it,” North said, taking a deep breath of the crisp snowy air. “The snow always makes all the lights sparkle just a little bit more.”
“Pine Ridge is magical,” I agreed. “Have I mentioned how excited I am that we’re staying?”
“A time or two,” Cole teased. “I’m excited to get this building up and running. I just have to go pitch it to the board after the holidays.”
“If you need help getting anything together, you know where to find us,” Jack promised. “Hell, I’m good at numbers if you need a consultation to help strengthen your proposal.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cole said, looking pleased.
Thanks to the snow, traffic was a little bit slower on the way to the town square where everything was being held. We had to park down the block, the police already partitioning off the roads to make sure it was safe.
It was already in full swing: the Christmas lights glowing, the big tree extra bright tonight against the snow, and the rides and food trucks all glowing against the overcast sky. The festival didn’t even start until noon, and we had skipped the first few hours since it was mainly for the kids.
It wouldn’t take long before it was dark. Even with the temperatures dropping, the crowds were growing.
The typical smells of fried food and sweets filled the air. We had just eaten, but I couldn’t help considering finding a little sweet treat.
“I need to check in with the mayor,” Jack said. “Make sure everything’s going well and remind some of our organizers to collect invoices properly.”
He brushed a kiss over my temple, then North’s, before rushing off and leaving us in Cole’s care.
My eyes immediately went to the ferris wheel that was spinning slowly, the lights all flashing red and green instead of the usual array of colors.
“Anyone want to go on a ride?” I asked, running toward the ferris wheel.
“Absolutely not,” Cole said, shaking his head.
North rolled his eyes. “We’ll let the alpha stay on the ground. Us badass omegas will go up alone.”
Cole didn’t even bother to argue as North dragged me into the queue at the ticket booth.
Of course, Cole was right behind us, sliding money over to purchase a huge booklet of them.
“No holding back tonight,” he said firmly.
“Maybe I could get used to this whole spoiling-the-omega thing,” North said as he took the tickets and stepped out of the way so Cole could collect his change.
We rushed off to the line for the ferris wheel. Thankfully, it was short, not taking long for us to get to the front.
The carnival worker gestured us forward and we climbed into the little cart, my eyes tracking over to Cole, who was waiting just outside the ride with a frown and his arms crossed. He wasn’t the only one standing guard. There was a whole row of surly alphas, staying on solid ground.
A small smile quirked up his lips when he saw me watching.
North’s fingers found mine, tangling together, and he leaned in. I turned just in time to capture his lips instead of him kissing my cheek.
