Page 1 of The Twelve Knots of Christmas
CHAPTER ONE – Mariska
It was the most miserable time of the year. Snow on the roads causing accidents, people flocking to the stores buying junk, and Christmas music everywhere. Even in Miss Eloise’s utilitarian van I was subjugated to its torment.
From the front passenger seat, Lyla sang along with the radio in her sweet soprano, and Miss Eloise accompanied her from behind the wheel. My earbuds were meant to cancel all outside noise, but like with most products these days, I was a victim of false advertising. I could still hear the tinkling of jingle bells rattling around in my head.
“Sing with us, Mari!” Lyla bounced in her seat along with the music and glanced back at me, flashing her dimples. Most of the year, she was the perfect blonde beach babe, but in December, she broke out her collection of holiday sweaters and leggings. I’d say that it would help me not lose her in a crowded mall, but then half of everyone else was dressed like a crazy person too.
I gave her a death glare as she turned back around. Lyla was everyone’s biggest cheerleader, and I adored her, but I hated all things Christmas. “I don’t know the lyrics.”
Artemis, my Belgian Malinois, snorted from behind me and then pressed her nose against the back of my neck. I repressed a squeal and gave her a scratch under the chin. Her tail whacked against the side of the van.
“To Jingle Bells?” Lyla shot me a skeptical look and laughed, shaking her head.
“Emberlee knows the words.” I motioned to our friend beside me, desperate to throw the request onto someone else.
Emberlee raised her head, peering at me from beneath her curtain of fiery red hair. “Everyone knows the lyrics. I needto finish this text. I’m trying to work out with my dad the best roads to take to pick me up this Friday. He usually takes the highway along the east side of Lake Winnebago from Green Bay, but the roads are still pretty bad, and we’re due for more snow on Wednesday.”
“Yay for more snow!” Lyla hooted. I silently screamed in my head. Of course we’d get a record amount of snowfall this month. Wisconsin knew I was about to leave to move to California and was trying to bury me under a tomb of snow.
“East side lake effect snow.” I nodded. “He should come down on the west side of the lake through Appleton. They don’t get hit as badly.”
“They don’t?” Emberlee raised her brows and smiled. “I’m texting that to Dad right now. We all trust you as our environmental expert. I can’t wait to get back home and see everyone.”
She had ten brothers and sisters. Ten! And she saw them less than a month ago at Thanksgiving. They were a tight knit family though. Whatever Alpha she chose as a mate would have a giant redheaded army watching his every move and making sure he treated Emberlee right.
I envied her in a way. My family was a lot closer when I was little, but when my grandma passed away when I was nine, there was no one to hold us together. I’d see my parents and sister on Christmas day, but then Artemis and I were on a plane to California two days later to start my new job and our new life under warmer skies.
The van slipped on the road, and Miss Eloise corrected it with a flippant oops.
All I had to do was survive this holiday season and then I would have the life I’d always dreamt about.
“We’re here!” Lyla clapped her hands as we drove by a wooden sign half hidden behind the snow laden boughs of pine trees: Silver Tree Farm.
I’d worked nearly every day last December, so I didn’t have to be forced to pick out a tree with Miss Eloise and the other girls, but since it was my last year at Primrose House—Miss Eloise’s boarding house for unclaimed Omegas—she called my supervisor and got my schedule for the month to plan out the day.
Could I have refused to go? Nope, no way. Miss Eloise wouldn’t hear of it. I was hard headed, but I was no match for this sixty-something year old dynamo when she told us girls to do something.
I wanted to make her happy too. She’d given me so much the past few years I’d lived in her house. Not only had she helped me get my current job, but she charged me lower rent so I could pay off my student debt quicker than I’d planned. The new Omega who would move into my suite in January would be incredibly lucky to have Miss Eloise caring for her.
So here I was at a Christmas tree farm.
But I drew the line at singing Christmas carols.
The road was freshly plowed as we followed the winding drive which opened up into a big lot next to a cherry red barn. A huge wreath with a festive bow sat above the open double doors, and blinking lights fanned out across the front of the building. A slow stream of people came in and out. Some had steaming cups of drink and others had bags of decorations. Trees were being secured to the tops of cars and in the backs of trucks. Families were helped by employees wearing red fleece sweaters with the farm logo on the left side over their hearts. There was joy and laughter and, as Miss Eloise switched off the van, Christmas music being pumped through speakers in the barn.
Of course.
The second Lyla opened her door and hopped out, Artemis pushed between Emberlee and I to get outside. “Hold.”
No matter that my dog was full of energy, she was also well trained. She froze on the spot, her ears up and waiting for the next command. I attached her leash and opened the sliding side door. Only when I stepped out did I allow her to follow.
Artemis particularly loved kids and wagged her tail madly, but some people could be thrown off by how she looked. Her breed resembled German Shepherds, but they were more like sheepdogs in character. She was highly intelligent and a crucial part of my job. We were a team of environmental warriors. The bonus to having a big dog was I could put her between me and any Alpha that got too close. She was the best escort an Omega could hope for.
“It’s so beautiful.” Emberlee gazed around with starry eyes. She was the youngest of us at nineteen, and still had so much of her childish wonder left. “Look at that other barn. It’s full of trees!”
There was a second bigger barn a little farther from the lot. Pre-cut trees sat in rows and people sipped their hot cocoa as they went along the lines searching for the perfect one. Farther back, I spied the tops of two more barns and the pointed roof of a farmhouse.
“While there are pretty trees in there, we’re doing this the old-fashioned way.” Miss Eloise locked the van and pulled on her snowflake patterned gloves. Already her warm breath puffed out like little clouds in the cold. “We pick up a flag by the barn, and we can either drive or walk out to the area where they’re growing the kind of tree we want.”
