Page 29 of Holiday Surprise

“Fred, just the man I wanted to see.”

“What is all of this?” he asked looking around in wonder.

“Merry Christmas, Fred. I got a little something for Tom to go under the tree in the morning. Think you could sneak it in from Santa?” I asked.

He kicked the snow with his boot looking so much like his son in that moment. “Luke, I’m afraid we don’t have a tree this year. Money’s been tight and we weren’t able to afford one.”

“Don’t you believe in Christmas miracles?” I asked him.

“Not for a long time now I’m afraid.”

“Well, it’s time you started,” I said, handing him the gift. “Merry Christmas.”

He looked at the gift and nodded. “Thank you, Alpha. I know this will mean the world to Tom.”

“It’s the season for miracles, Fred. You remember that.”

I walked back home to quickly change clothes. Sydney had said to meet her back at her house around five and it was already ten ‘til. I was going to be late.

Thirty minutes later I pulled up to Sydney’s. Her car was in the drive, but when I knocked, no one answered. I tried the doorknob and found it was unlocked. I cursed under my breath entering the house on full alert and expecting the worse.

I walked in quietly, listening for any signs of trouble. Why would she just leave her door unlocked?

My body relaxed as I heard the steady sounds of her snoring. I found her laid out on the couch, dead to the world. I wasn’t sure what time we needed to be at her parents’ place, so I shook her gently.

“Babe, it’s time to wake up,” I said softly so not to spook her.

She rolled over and groggily looked up at me. “Luke? What time is it?”

“Almost five-thirty. Your front door was unlocked.”

“Oh, I never bother locking that thing. This is Collier, who’s going to bother me here?”

I bit back a growl remembering the two wolves in the woods that were harassing her on the run. We’d be having a long talk about her safety very soon.

“What time do we need to head over to your folks’ house?” I asked her.

“Around six she yawned. I look a mess, don’t I?”

I laughed. “No, sweetheart, you look gorgeous.”

She always did too. She wore the most stylish clothes I’d ever seen on anyone in real life. She was so beautiful, and I couldn’t believe she was really mine.

She sat up so I could join her on the couch. She still looked exhausted as she leaned into me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Rough day at work?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “No, it was great, just really busy and a bit exhausting. I love it though.”

“Did you tell your parents I was coming to dinner?” I asked hesitantly. Sydney’s hatred of the pack had to come from them. She had briefly mentioned a fallout with Sid and her dad and how Jedidiah had torn her family apart. How were they going to handle the new Larken Alpha as their eldest daughter’s mate?

“No, but they’ll be fine.”

“Sydney,” I warned.

“Would you just trust me? They are going to love you.”

Call me Scrooge, but I had a bad feeling this night wasn’t going to end well.

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