Page 69 of Holiday Surprise

I was glad he didn’t mention the monthly stipend they would each be given. Of course, they were expected to pull their own weight too, but money would never be a concern for any of them.

“It’s twenty minutes to midnight and I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to put this year behind us and move forward. I think we should call for a vote,” Luke said.

“Now?” I asked.

“Now. First are there any questions or concerns?”

“I don’t love you stepping down as Alpha, but I do understand it, and as long as you are still amongst our leaders and you think this is for the best, I’ll accept,” Cruz said.

With that endorsement all the ranchers already working for Collier and their families agreed.

I knew Fred had been one of the biggest holdouts for incorporating Larken and Collier just for work. I wasn’t sure how he would handle this change.

Uncle Sid started first. “Jessica and I will stay. For those of you that do not know, this is my brother Vern, his wife Charlotte, and their youngest, Jessie. Of course, you all know my niece and namesake, Sydney,” he said proudly. “We’ve been seperated for far too long. I’m ready to come back home and be with my family.”

Fred rose next. “You all know I’m not the biggest Collier fan. I have my own reasons for that, but I won’t leave Nettie and Tom stranded without a Pack. We will follow your lead, Luke. If this is what’s best, then so be it.”

Each family agreed to change allegiance. It should have felt like a rejection to both me and Luke, but it didn’t. It was a fresh start and time for celebration. I think knowing we were doing this for the greater good of all had made the biggest difference.

The last to weigh in was Oliver. “Collier’s openly accepted my brothers and I already. As a family, we were ready to leave here and follow you anywhere, Luke, but I’ll admit, staying would make my mate very happy.”

We all laughed. I started to cry again. It was five minutes to midnight when a new knock sounded on my front door. I went to open it and was surprised to find not just Thomas and Lily, but all the Collier family there. I welcomed them in, and Peyton squealed and introduced everyone.

“We were out driving around looking at the Christmas lights one last time and missing Peyton and her family’s presence. We just weren’t complete without them, so I hope it’s okay to intrude on your party like this,” Thomas said. “Holidays are about family.”

“Amen,” I said.

“We already took a vote,” Luke told him.

“I thought you weren’t telling them until tomorrow,” Thomas said.

“Well, thanks for Vern’s protest when he heard we were moving the pack, it got expedited. In fact, since you’re here, if you’re up for it, I say let’s make this official, right here, right now. We can start off the new year on the right foot, as Collier.”

“As Collier,” the pack responded cheerfully raising their glasses in a toast.

Thomas looked a little overwhelmed as we all gathered around him and dropped to one knee. Luke led the way as he bared his neck to him and the rest of us followed. I had never technically given my allegiance to Larken Pack, but as their former Pack Mother, I felt it was important to join in.

Lily squealed and hugged both me and Peyton. It wasn’t going to be easy, but families never really are, and that’s what we were. Family.

Someone turned on the TV and we watched the last few seconds of the ball dropping in Time’s Square.

As the clock struck midnight, Luke grabbed me by the waist and kissed me as Auld Lang Syne played in the background. It was a new year, a fresh start, and my first New Year’s kiss with my handsome mate. I knew our future looked bright and there would be many, many more to come.

Sydney

Epilogue

One month can pass quickly when you’re in love. It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. We’ve certainly had our trials during the early days of the merger, but life was finally settling back down.

Over the last few days I hadn’t been feeling very well. I was constantly sick to my stomach and at first, I thought it was the flu or something, but couldn’t remember the last time any wolf shifter I knew had come down with the flu. Our immune systems generally protected us from such things.

With a few other symptoms surfacing, like a change in appetite, body aches, and my breasts were constantly aching to the point that I didn’t even want Luke touching me, I was starting to get freaked out.

Before I called to set an appointment with doc, I decided to plug into an internet search my symptoms just to see what it came back with. I was floored by the results.

I drove to the store in town to pick up a few things, then called Lily on my way home.

“Hey girl, what’s up?” she answered on the first ring.

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