Page 10 of My Omega's Miracle

“It is. We had to buy a special tote to store it in. We bring it out during the holiday season, and it is set up in a public area for everyone to see.”

“That sounds wonderful. Is that your favorite part of the holiday?”

“It’s fun,” Garrick admitted. “But my favorite part is Christmas morning. As a member of the Alpha family, we always open gifts later in the day. My dad wakes up early to check in on everyone in the pack, making sure everyone has what they need. Only after that does he come home, and then we have our meal together. You’d be surprised the kinds of last-minute things people need on Christmas morning. Mostly batteries and tools. People seem to forget the kids’ new toys need batteries. My dad always makes sure we’re stocked up.”

“Your dad sounds like a really great Alpha.” I could hear the pride in Garrick’s voice when he talked about him. Garrick probably took after his father more than he realized.

“He is,” Garrick said, a soft, faraway look in his eyes.

“You’ll do a great job, too,” I said, meaning every word. The man was the epitome of what it meant to be a strong, capable Alpha who was also kind. His pack was probably loyal to him and his family. They’d support him through anything. He would lead them well.

He smiled at me. “Thanks, Noel. I’m nervous to take over, but I’ve been training my whole life for this. Failure’s not really an option.”

I could tell he was worried, which made sense; maybe that’s why he’d needed this time away. And here I was, taking up his precious time that he had carved out to prepare for taking over his pack.

“I’d definitely keep those traditions,” I said, “and maybe add a little something of your own to make it yours.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?” He raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

My cheeks flushed. “Oh, I don’t know—maybe something for the day after Christmas. Like a big gathering for everyone to just enjoy each other’s company. Or something else to mark the transition from the holiday back to regular life. Maybe the families could all talk about what Father Snowcoat brought them, whether or not he ate the treats that they left. They could write thank-you letters or something. After all, the holidays are about giving and being thankful, it’s important for the kids to see that.”

“That actually sounds good,” he said, looking thoughtful. His gaze shifted to the tree, where I’d started absent-mindedly hanging bulbs. “That’s starting to look really nice.”

“Thank you. There’re plenty of decorations for the mantle, too.” I glanced over at him. “Not that we have to use all the decorations. I just thought…” I trailed off. If I kept talking, I was likely to babble on about the Christmas decor.

“What about your pack? Any special traditions?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing worth sharing,” I said quickly, brushing off the question. The truth was my pack had traditions, but I was never a part of them. My pack Alpha was a cruel man who led with fear rather than kindness. My father spent his whole life kissing the Alpha’s ass and hoping for scraps. The Alpha was the one who’d instilled the belief that omegas were inferior. And my parents were oh so eager to go along with it. Their three alpha sons, my brothers, learned from their behavior. It wasn’t their fault they were terrible, they were raised that way.

“I’m sorry that your pack was less than ideal, Noel. I promise that we’ll find you a place where you can be safe and appreciated the way that you should be. Not all packs are like yours.”

A lone tear trailed down my cheek, and I brushed it away. I smiled at Garrick, determined not to let memories of the past tarnish the amazingness of this day. For the first time since leaving my pack, I truly felt hope for what the future would bring. “Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”

Chapter 8

Garrick

Noel offered to make dinner after we spent the afternoon sort of lazing around the place. He would put up decorations, sit down, inspect them for a bit, then do a few more adjustments. Meanwhile, I sat down with my pad and paper, trying to list out my thoughts about taking over as Alpha. I didn’t know quite what I was putting down, but mostly anything that came to mind went onto the page—changes I wanted to make, traditions I wanted to uphold. I stopped short of writing out the fears that I had. If I did that then they’d be real and I’d have to face them.

The first thing that would come off the books was this whole idea that an Alpha needed to be mated. Though, if my mate was anything like Noel, then perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Noel called from the kitchen.

I closed up my notebook and tossed it onto the couch cushion next to me. Judging by the scent, I was in for one hell of a meal. There was also another scent in the air, one that wasn’t food. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. I got up and walked to the kitchen.

“Oh, wow,” I said, when I took in the sight of the table set with holiday dishes and colorful red napkins, a tall glass of water at each place. In the center of the table was a full chicken, a side of sweet potatoes, an assortment of other vegetables, and a basket of fresh rolls next to it.

“Oh, wow,” I repeated. “This is amazing. It looks like a Christmas dinner.”

Noel grinned. “Thanks. I couldn’t believe I had everything that I needed. The rolls are slightly dense because the yeast was out of date, but they still taste good. I might have sampled them.” His teeth tortured that bottom lip again, and his cheeks turned ruddy.

“They look delicious,” I said. I had the insane urge to lean over and press a kiss to his lips as a thank-you for this meal. Only… that was crazy, right? I was supposed to be keeping him safe and making sure he felt secure, not mauling him.

Only right then, I wanted to devour—and not the meal in front of me.

“I also made a meatloaf and another dish of macaroni and cheese for tomorrow. That way we don’t have to cook. It’s just ready.” He shrugged. “Not that I have anything else to do, except we have enough stuff to make cookies. So I thought that might be fun.”

“That sounds amazing,” I said. I never was much of a cookie person. My mom insisted on doing cookie decorating with the other pack kids and I always helped, but that was because it was part of my responsibility, not because I enjoyed it. With Noel it would be different. I enjoyed anything that involved him.

---