Page 41 of Holiday Surprise

I gulped. “Yeah, I do.” We had no home and no place to go.

Just as I finished up with the chief, Oliver drove up with Brady and Kenneth in tow. Kenneth immediately ran to Chasity to check on her and assure himself his girlfriend was okay. Oliver walked over and hugged me tight.

“Peyton wanted me to tell you that we’ll make room for you as long as needed. Thomas is gathering cots and air mattresses now. Whatever they can find. He suggested you stay there, but I knew you’d never go for that.”

I nodded numbly. “Get your brothers, we need to talk.”

Oliver stepped back and I knew he could tell something was wrong, but he obeyed my order without question.

When I had been talking to the chief everyone else had been too stunned and preoccupied by Sydney fussing over them to pay much attention to my conversation, but seeing me pull the Smith boys aside, I knew had captured every single ear and though by human standards we were too far away for them to listen in, they would hear everything.

“What’s this about?” Brady asked defensively. I knew they were all bracing for bad news.

“I’m so sorry,” I started. “I didn’t know he was home.”

“Who?” Kenneth asked.

“Your father,” I told him solemnly. “I just didn’t know. The last I spoke with him he said he wouldn’t be back until New Year’s.”

“Okay, so what’s this got to do with him?” Kenneth asked again.

I looked at Oliver and nodded sadly as he raked a hand through his hair.

“I’m afraid your father did come home. The chief told me the fire started in his trailer and they found a body. Looks like he got drunk and passed out while smoking a cigarette. They don’t think he even woke through it all,” I added trying to give them some sort of peace to hold on to. I knew they weren’t close to the man who had largely left Oliver to raise his three younger brothers for most of their lives, so I wasn’t sure how they were going to handle the news.

Brady shook his head. “Stupid asshole.”

“Don’t say that,” Kenneth replied showing obvious shock. “So, he’s gone? Dad’s dead?”

I nodded. “One of you is going to have to verify the body, but that’s what it sounds like. I’m so sorry. No one knew he was back. We thought we’d gotten everyone out.”

This was my fault. I was the Alpha and they were my responsibility, even old man Smith. Knowing one of my wolves died on my watch was tearing me up inside, but I pushed it down knowing I had to stay strong for the rest of them.

“I’ll do it,” Oliver said.

“We all will, together,” Brady said.

Ollie shook his head. “No. I don’t want either of you remembering him like that.”

“I know you’re trying to protect us, but we already don’t have any good memories of the man,” Kenneth said.

“You’re not doing this alone,” Brady said, trying to protect his brother. “That man put you through enough hell already. You’ve shouldered every burden alone, but not this time. We do this together.”

“I already texted Tim. He’s on his way,” Kenneth confessed.

Oliver glared at his brothers, then grabbed them both into one big hug.

By the time the fire was out, and we were told to leave as they put up yellow caution tape around the entire place, everyone was exhausted and covered in soot from the dark billowing smoke we had stood by to witness as our homes burned to the ground.

Sydney tossed her keys to Brady who had ridden over with Oliver and climbed up into the cab of my truck. I just sat there staring out of the window. Some of the other vehicles had been destroyed or badly damaged at best, so people were piling in wherever they could. I had half a dozen huddled together in the bed behind me.

“Turn the key and lead them to Peyton’s,” Sydney said. “Lily called and they have temporary shelter setup there. One day at a time.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. There were tears in her eyes and she swiped a stray one from her cheek.

I wanted to take her in my arms and forget any of this had ever happened. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare pressing down on me. I looked around at the cars that had survived crammed with people, my people, all looking to me for answers that I didn’t have.

With a deep breath that did nothing to calm the hysteria within, threatening to overtake me, I turned the key and drove to Oliver’s. I pushed down all emotions. I couldn’t allow myself to feel anything right now. I needed to harden myself and act accordingly. Already a checklist of things I had to do started forming in my head. My body was rigid, my jaw set. This is what it meant to be Alpha. I’d asked for this, and now it was my burden to bear alone.

Sydney

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