Page 2 of Tis the Season for Sass
“Think about it. What are the things the Gods respect?”
Rafe didn’t hesitate. As the Alpha, he already knew the answer. “Courage and strength. Determination and skill. At least those are what come to mind.”
“Ah, yes. But so much more. Loyalty, respect, and love for each other. The things that bind the pack together. Without them, all the courage, strength and skill couldn’t keep the pack together in the face of the harshest of times.”
“In other words, we either already have those qualities, or we don’t. I’m confident we do. For now, we can at least doublecheck the pack’s preparations for the winter to come.”
Grace warmed her hands on the hot cup, there was something more in her visions. But it was vague, and she wasn’t ready to disclose more information, or if she ever would.
1
Ginger looked around at the bare walls in her cramped apartment. It was almost Christmas—again. The time of year she hated the most.
She wondered if she’d always been like this.“Probably not, I’m sure at some point I actually liked it…long ago.”
“Yeah, right!”her wolf chimed in, interrupting her thoughts.
“Okay, fine. It wasn’t my favorite holiday as a kid either, but it sucks even more now,” she said aloud.
It wasn’t like she needed to speak out loud or anything. Her wolf knew every single thought before she even spoke it.
“You never liked any holiday as a kid,” her wolf reminded her.
“True. But I might have…” Ginger didn’t want to think back over her childhood—or what should have been her youth.
Unfortunately, once the memories started there was no stopping them.
Bouncing from home to home, stuck in the foster care system year after year sucked balls. Sure, there had been a few families who had put in an actual effort with her, but those were few and far between.
Most holiday experiences were awkward at best, sitting alone watching her foster parents dote on their biological children while wishing, more than anything, she’d had parents who would have loved her enough to keep her.
It wasn’t until Sofia’s parents had taken her in that her life started to change. She had finally found a home and a family who not only cared about her but loved her even though she didn’t have a blood connection to the family. None of that mattered to them. She had really lucked out.
For the first time ever, she felt like she truly belonged somewhere. She’d never felt protected or even wanted until her teenage years. Not until Sofia’s family had stepped into her life.
Sofia had always been there for her. They were, in every way that mattered, best friends—sisters even.
Maybe the way she was feeling had something to do with the fact that she missed her best friend and hadn’t talked to another living breathing person in a week or more. It was one of the true downfalls of working from home.
Maybe it was the fact that Christmas was right around the corner again, and she was feeling lonelier than normal because Sofia was off with her mate and living her best life. While she was stuck in the same place day after day, doing the same exact monotonous bullshit.
“We need to get out of this damn apartment so I can stretch my legs,”her wolf whined.
“I know. I know.”
She had been cooped up inside for far too long. But it was more than that. Ginger had spent every Christmas for the past ten years with her best friend. And now that Sofia was mated and had relocated to Black Paw, it sucked even more for Ginger.
“Would you quit sulking around already? You are killing me. Literally. I’m going to die from sheer boredom!”her wolf complained.
Ginger rolled her eyes at her wolf’s antics. The animal she shared a body and soul with always had a flair for the dramatic, but lately she’d found a way to kick it up a notch.
“Dramatic! We should be out with our pack and searching for our mate. Not stuck here in this ridiculously small apartment! I need fresh air. I need to feel the earth under my paws, the wind blowing my fur.”
Ginger sighed. She knew her wolf was right. They should be out living their best life possible. They were wolves, not hermits. So why did Ginger feel the need to hide out in her home?
She picked up her phone and reread the text message she had gotten from Sofia the night before.
Come spend the holidays with me. Please. I miss you so damn much.
