Not too heavy. Something delicate inside based on how carefully they're all watching me handle it. My fingers shake slightly as I pull at the ribbon, letting it fall away. Tear the silver paper with careful precision. Lift the lid of the plain white box underneath.
I gasp audibly, my hands flying to my mouth.
Inside the box, nestled in tissue paper, is a glass tree topper in the shape of a large star. But it's not just any star. It's absolutely stunning—holographic glass that catches the light and refracts it into tiny rainbows across the walls. The craftsmanship is incredible. Each point of the star is perfectly symmetrical. The glass is thick and substantial and clearly expensive.
But it's not the shimmering holographic beauty that brings instant tears to my eyes. It's what's inside the glass.
Photos.
Tiny detailed photos embedded somehow into the glass, preserved and protected forever. Photos from the last five incredible weeks of our lives together.
I can see us at TechSavvy Electronics on our very first day together. Me looking nervous and uncertain. Them looking interested and warm. The beginning of everything.
At the Winter Pine Lodge with snow falling around us like a movie scene. Hot chocolate and cozy sweaters and that feeling of being completely safe and warm despite the blizzard outside.
The massive snowball fight where I nailed Theo directly in the face and he looked so shocked and then started laughing. His military training apparently didn't prepare him for sneak attacks from enthusiastic Omegas with good aim.
Making gingerbread cookies in Patricia's professional kitchen. Flour everywhere. Laughter and baking and the smell of spices. Learning family recipes. Feeling like I belonged somewhere for the first time.
The Pilates video shoot where Theo filmed me and I felt simultaneously self-conscious and empowered. Pink tights and controlled movements and discovering strength I didn't know I had.
Skiing and falling repeatedly but laughing every time instead of feeling embarrassed. Finally making it down the bunny slope without crying. Small victories that felt enormous.
The pottery class where I made that absolutely terrible lopsided mug that Grayson uses every single morning anyway because he says it's perfect because I made it with love.
Ice skating on Mirror Lake with Nash holding me up the entire time because I have zero balance on ice but he never complained once. Just held me steady and skated backward so he could watch my face and make sure I was having fun.
The gingerbread house competition in the town square where we won first place and I felt so proud I almost cried, feeling valued for my skills.
All of us snuggled together by a fireplace. Building snowmen in the ranch yard. Decorating the ranch house for Christmas.Movie nights. Baking days. Lazy mornings. Passionate nights. Every single adventure. Every precious moment. Every beautiful memory.
All of us together. Happy. Laughing. Living fully. Being a real pack.
They made this.
They took all our memories from the past five weeks and turned them into something physical and permanent and beautiful. Something that will sit at the top of our Christmas tree every year for the rest of our lives. Something that will remind us of how we started. How we came together.
How we became a real pack.
They commissioned this. Probably spent a small fortune on it. Found someone who could embed photos into glass. Chose which memories to include. Made sure every moment was represented. Did this all in secret while I was struggling through the social media nightmare. While I was crying and panicking and feeling like everything was falling apart. They were planning this. Creating this.
Making sure I knew that no matter what Kael did or said, we had this.
We had us.
Tears spill down my cheeks. I can't stop them. Can't even try.
My hands are shaking as I hold the box.
I look up at the three of them through blurry vision. They're all smiling at me. Warm and genuine and full of love.
"This isn't going to taint our first Christmas together," Theo says firmly, his voice steady and sure. "Kael and his lies and his lawsuit aren't going to ruin what we've built. What we have."
"We're going to have the best first Christmas as an actual pack," Grayson adds with conviction. "We vow it. We promise you. No matter what happens tomorrow in that courtroom,we're coming home and we're celebrating and we're being happy together."
Nash gestures toward the tree.
"Come here. Let's seal the deal by putting the topper on together. Make it official."
