“The authorities will handle this situation. Now, Deputy, can you please remove this troublemaker from the stage?” The mayor gestures to the deputy, who is now being cornered by Charlie and Finn, and at a loss on what to do.
“They’re stealing our Christmas!” I shout over him. “Are we going to let them get away with it?”
“NO!” The response is immediate and decisive, a unified roar from the crowd.
“Then help me move that tree now! I need men with muscles,” I say, earning chuckles from the crowd.
Several large alphas immediately surge forward, answering my call.
“Unhook the cables!” one of them shouts as they reach the tree. “Careful with the base!”
I watch in amazement as they work together, quickly dismantling the support system that keeps the towering pine upright.
Behind me, I hear the mayor’s indignant sputtering. “This is outrageous! I demand that you all stop immediately! As mayor of Snowflake Valley—”
His words cut off abruptly as Oxford sidesteps directly into his path, effectively boxing him in against the podium. The mayor tries to move around my fluffy bodyguard, but Oxford simply shifts again, blocking every attempt.
Charlie bounds onto the stage. She grabs the microphone from my hand, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Listen up, everyone!” she shouts. “Who wants to make snowballs? Let’s take these bastards down! Please follow Finn.” She points to him. “Everyone else, please stay away from Main Street.”
The crowd roars in response, and I feel a surge of pride watching how quickly this community rallies together.
I nod, following her lead as we jump down from the stage. Behind us, the mayor continues his protests, but they’re drowned out by the sounds of a town mobilizing.
“I can’t believe this is actually working,” I tell Charlie.
“Small towns,” she says with a grin. “We stick together. Plus, nobody messes with our Christmas trees.”
Then we hear the distant rumble grow louder—engines approaching fast. I squint down the road and spot them: two snowmobiles in pursuit of a large white truck with “Valley Artisanal Cheese” emblazoned on the side.
“They’re here!” I shout into the microphone. I look towards the tree team, who are just depositing the tree at the north entrance of Main Street. “Everyone, take cover!”
Charlie and I jog towards Main Street, where the townspeople have spread into a safe perimeter. These thieves are not getting away.
We all watch as the cheese truck barrels toward us. It’s moving too fast, the driver clearly planning to break through our tree obstacle.
“Now!” Finn’s voice rings out.
The air fills with dozens of snowballs, sailing through the air and pelting the truck’s windshield. The driver swerves, windshield wipers working frantically against the onslaught of snow.
“Keep throwing!” I yell as the truck slows, the driver clearly struggling to see through the snow-covered windshield.
The truck hits the massive Christmas tree with a sickening crunch. The front tires roll over the trunk, but the branches hold firm enough to trap the back half. The truck lurches to a stop, half-mounted on our festive roadblock, engine still running.
“We got them!” Charlie shouts beside me, pumping her fist in the air.
The truck doors swing open, and the men spill out, looking a little dazed.
“Second wave!” Finn yells, and another volley of snowballs rains down on the thieves, hitting them straight in the face.
Gabe and Everett leap off their snowmobiles, tackling the men. Gabe pummels his thief while Everett grabs the other by the collar and slams him against the side of the truck.
The remaining two thieves try to make a break for it, but they don’t get far. Two massive alphas from the crowd charge forward and take them down.
“Nobody steals our Christmas trees!” one of them roars, pinning his captive face down in a snowbank.
The crowd erupts in cheers as the thieves are subdued. Junior Deputy Harris finally springs into action, fumbling with his handcuffs as he approaches the scene.
