Most Wonderful Time of The Year: Even perfect parties have hicups - 1. Even perfect parties have hickups

I stood in the center of my deck, jacket wrapped tightly around myself to try and ward off the cold, as I turned in a circle. I let my eyes flow over the decorations for the outdoor section of the party, going over the checklist in my head as my eyes passed each item.

√ -Canopy over the deck to keep snow from covering the wood planks

√ -Fire pit with a cheery fire crackling in the center

√ -Table set up near the fire, stocked with marshmallows and different goodies for roasting

√ -Standing heaters spaced out on the deck and patio to provide warmth for the smokers at the party

√ -garlands created from pine branches wrapped around twinkling LED lights

√ -Benches and chairs for outdoor seating

√ -Speakers hooked up to the sound system inside for continuous music entertainment

I hope against hope I have all the bases covered as I head back inside my heated house, shivering with bare legs covered in goose bumps. I hang my fake lambskin jacket in the closet as I set about making sure everything was ready inside. I scurried into the kitchen to check on how the appetizers were going, before I bounced into the ballroom to make sure the sound system was hooked up correctly. I checked over the CD player, insuring there were at least a two hours of music in the quay. Once all was set, I rushed upstairs to change into my party dress.

As I was rushing down the stairs to see how things were going in my brother’s domain, the heel on my right stiletto snapped, and I ended up tumbling ass over teakettle down the rest of the steps and onto the carpeted foyer floor. “OK…OW!” I complained loudly, laying there dazed. My first responder training kicked in, and I mentally went over every inch of my body to make sure there was no major damage as I slowly uncurled from the ball I landed in. I was working on shifting my legs underneath me to stand when my brother rushed around the corner from the bar area, panic clear in his voice

“Bella! Are you all right?” he stepped over to me and wrapped his arms gently under my armpits and lifted me to my feet, perching me on my one intact stiletto.

“Yes, I’m fine Declan.” I snapped, jerking out of his grip and sitting on the steps to remove the broken shoe. “My stupid heel broke, that’s all. I’m glad the stairs were pad….” I look at my brother for the first time since he came into the foyer, and I felt my jaw fall open in shock.

He stood there in what looked like a pair of brown leather shorts clinging to his scrawny legs. They were held up by a set of the most stupid suspenders I’ve ever seen, complete with a cross section covering his chest. The white shirt he had on had red and green embroidery around the collar and cuffs, and in combination with those ridiculous suspenders, hid what little definition he had in his chest. He wore a black fedora with a red feather perched on the top of his head. To make matters worse, he had paired everything with knee-high socks and brown wingtip shoes. The entire set up, when added to his glasses, made him look like he belonged on a bag of cough drops instead of at a Christmas party.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” I demanded, placing my now bare foot onto the carpeting.

“What? You told me to wear something festive. “He said, glancing down at his outfit.

“But Lederhosen? That was the best you could come up with?” I demanded, placing a hand carefully across my face and shaking my head. I eyed him through slightly open fingers, laying out the battle plans in my head. I removed my hand and glared at my brother. “We’re German AND Irish, you twit. You could have worn the family kilt and not look as dorky as you do now.” I threw the shoe I had in my hand at him and leaned over to remove the unbroken shoe, taking deep breaths as I did so. “How are things on your front?

“Everything is all set. The bar is stocked, the cups are ready, and Kason knows how to make all of the popular drinks, plus some of the unusual ones.” He looked down at his outfit again, his cheeks tinting a pink color as he grew more embarrassed. “Do I really look stupid? Kason was giving me odd looks as I was going over the inventory.”

“Yes, Declan, you do.” I placed my now bare left foot on the carpeting and planted both my fists onto my hips. I glared at him again, knowing my eyes shifted from my normal green to a gold flecked Hazel, a smirk touching my lips as I saw the fear creep into his face. “Those things make you look thinner than you really are. They do not flatter you at all.”

“Oh, no. I know that look.” He said, backpedaling down the hallway towards the bar. “You’re planning your usual Holiday Overhaul of me.” He spun and took off like a spooked deer. As the predator in me kicked in, I gave chase after my prey, calling out to the rest of my pack for help.

“Kason! Block his escape route. Don’t let him past you!”

“Yes, ma’am.” I heard the bartender call from the other room, and chuckled when I heard the sound of my running brother meet the solid brick wall I called one of my best friends. I rounded the corner to find Kason’s arms wrapped securely around a struggling Declan.

“Oh crap.” My brother cursed, struggling harder in my friends arms when he saw me enter the room. He began pleading with the man who had his arms wrapped around him. “Kason, please, you have to let me go. You don’t know what she’s about to do to me.”

“Actually, pup, I do. And from what I see, you need the help.” Kason looked up as I padded forward on silent feet, a feral grin playing on my perfectly painted lips. He looked back at my brother before leaning down and whispering something to him too low for me to hear despite my superior hearing. Whatever Kason had said, however, did calm Declan down enough I could grab him by the cross strap of his suspenders and drag him upstairs and into my bedroom with minimal heel dragging. I closed the door behind us, pushed my brother onto my bed, and began rummaging through my closet for the fashionable clothes I kept in there for him.

***

I sighed as the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the first guests. I clapped the rest of the parmesan cheese in my hands onto the tray of crab puffs before removing my apron. I snapped my fingers three times, signaling the staff of omegas to take their trays and prepare to circulate.

“Remember, gentlemen. Offer the food to them, but don’t push things on people. If they refuse the treat, simply move on to the next person.” I had just finished instructing the staff when the doorbell rang a second time. “Hang on! I’m coming.” I shouted, tossing my apron over my shoulder as I rushed out of the kitchen and across they foyer to the door.

I tucked an errant lock of my golden hair behind my ear as I put my hand on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I open the door to welcome the first guest into my house. I was pleased to find AJ standing on the steps. She looked very beautiful, if not a little uncomfortable, in a knee length single shouldered red dress, a matching shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She shifted from foot to foot, trying to keep warm in the frigid winter air. Standing beside her, huddled down in a leather jacket, was a strong looking young man who I had to assume was her date for the evening.

“AJ! I’m glad you could make it.” I said cheerfully, stepping aside to let them in. AJ stepped over the threshold first, her date following close behind, and I took the opportunity to study him closely. He looked like a decent enough looking guy, with broad shoulders slimming ever so slightly to his waist. His hands were well worn, the knuckles stained darker than the rest of the skin on his hands, which I could only presume had to do with whatever his profession was. I carefully sniffed the air, detecting no scent of tobacco or narcotics in the air around him. All in all, he seemed like a decent enough guy. I wasn’t to crazy about his hair cut, however. The top was long enough to be pulled back into a braid, while the sides were shaved close to his head.

I shook off my analyzing side. It wasn’t my place to say who my best friend could or could not date. All I could do was be there in case he hurt her, and be ready with my carving knives.

“It’s nice of you to include me, Bella. You know how often I tend to get overlooked when it comes to events like this.”

“Which, I might add, I tend to find unfair. Here, allow me to take your coat and wrap guys.” I took the coat and wrap as they were shed and hung them from the same hanger in the hall closet. “So, who is this young gentleman accompanying you tonight?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Bella. I completely forgot you haven’t met Gear yet. Gear, this is my best friend Bella.”

“Gear?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms.

“Yea, his real name is Anthony, but everyone calls him Gear because he works on buses for a living. That, plus when he started his first mechanic job, there was already a Tony there, so they needed something to call him.” AJ paused, a faint smile touching on her lips as she blushed. “You know, if it wasn’t for you dragging me out of my basement the night I met you, we probably wouldn’t be together now.”

“Then I owe you much, Bella.” Gear said, taking AJ’s hand and kissing the back of it, causing her to blush a deeper red that almost matched her dress. “It has been a long time since I found a girl I could trust with my heart.”

I openly eyed him up and down, making it clear I was sizing him up. “That’s all well and good…..”

“Enough Bella.” I heard my brother say from the kitchen doorway, and I spun to glare at him. He looked good in the shiny black leather pants and red silk shirt I had forced him into. Then I noticed he wasn’t wearing glasses, and came to the conclusion he decided to put in contacts. He stood there, one hand planted on his hip and the other pointing a finger directly at me. “Threaten this gentleman another time. This is the time of year meant for CELEBRATING with friends and family, something you do very well. Leave protecting your friends for another time.”

“But…”

“No Buts, Bella.”

I slumped my shoulders and huffed, letting my brother get the occasional win. “Oh, all right.” I conceded, before promptly spinning on the ball of my foot to eye Gear again. “But mark my words, boy; we WILL be having a discussion soon.”

All Gear could do was not silently as the doorbell rang again, and I went off to answer it. “Thanks man, I owe you one.” I heard Gear whisper to my brother.

“No problems. My sis can be a little intense. AJ is one of the two only true friend Bella has. She gets very protective of her.”

“I’ll be sure to stay on her good side. She is one scary wolf, that’s for sure.”

My attention was pulled away from the conversation by the guests at the door, so I couldn’t hear my brother’s response to him.

***

It was a couple hours later, and I found myself circulating through the guests, a Champagne flute containing sparkling apple cider in my hand, making sure the guests were enjoying themselves and receiving many holiday well wishes. I reminded them it was close to time for the entertainment, and there was a fire outside for them whenever they wanted. After sending one of my servers to take Kason’s place at the bar, a quick circuit outside brought all the smokers and marshmallow toasters inside and into the ballroom. There was a good size stage built against one wall, tinsel garlands hanging from the edges in arches. Poinsettias sat where the point of each arch was tacked to the wooden stage. On the stage was a complete band setup, minus the musicians of course. I wove my way through the crowd towards the stage, and with a little assistance from Kason, climbed the steps to take my spot behind the microphone.

“Excuse me, everyone.” I said, but my voice was lost over the chatter of the crowd. “Excuse me.” I said again, a little more forceful than before, but still my voice was lost. I sighed and gave Declan a look, and was unable to cover my ears in time before he let loose a shrill whistle. I watched as many of the people, including Kason and me, winced at the whistle, but it had the desired effect as the room fell silent. “Thank you Declan” I said into the mic, shaking my head to relieve the ringing in my ears.

“No problems, sis.” He said before leaning into Kason’s chest, and Kason wrapped his arms around my brother’s narrow waist.

“Now, can everyone hear me?” I asked, and heard a murmur of yes ripple through the crowd as I counted the number of people in the ballroom, coming up with 100. “Now that I have everyone’s attention, I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight, and welcome all of you to this year’s Holiday Extravaganza. I’ll have the band come out and play in a little bit, but there are some things to take care of first.

“As most of you may know, it was my mother who started the tradition of having a holiday gathering over 30 years ago, when she first moved to the area as a woman in her early 20’s. It was her way of meeting new people and making new friends, and it is a tradition we keep alive to this today. While she may no longer be with us on this plain of existence…” I paused, feeling my throat close up and tears come to my eyes. I cleared my throat and soldiered on, determined to keep the speech moving in the right direction “I know she will always be here in spirit. I am proud to have taken her place as the host of this magnificent event. So, let’s start the night with the traditional toast she created.”

A waiter walked out, carrying a tray with five Champaign flutes on it, one separated from the rest. He made a quick circuit around the band members, who stood just offstage. He was being careful to give them the proper Champaign flutes, before approaching me and handing me my sparkling cider filled flute.

“Thank you, Walter.” I said, giving a wide smile to my favorite butler before turning back to the Microphone. “Does everyone have a glass?” I watched as a sea of flutes, tumblers, and shot glasses rose into the air. I lifted my own and recited the toast my mother always gave.

“Once again, it’s that time of year

When we all gather from far and near

Though we vary, it’s perfectly clear

While in this place there’s nothing to fear

Let’s gather around, and sing with Christmas cheer,

As we celebrate the season with those we hold dear.

To friends and family, be they close or far

May the Spirit of Christmas shine on us like a star!”

After I finished the toast, I brought my flute to my lips and took a sip, watching out of the corner of my eye as my guests did the same. I lowered my glass, but kept a hold of it instead of handing it to Walter who came forward to claim it.

“Merry Christmas everyone!” I declared, earning a round of gentle applause. “This year, I wish to start a new tradition to accompany the old ones.” I snapped my fingers four times, and eight well-built men dressed in only black pants and vests came out, carrying four tables covered with gifts between them. “This year we had may additions to our invitation list. When the RSVP’s began flowing in, I was pleased to see there would be many new faces here tonight. Unfortunately, this will extend this little tradition a bit, so I decided to get it out of the way first. Then we can enjoy the rest of the evening’s Festivities.”

I waved my brother and Kason up onto stage, and my brother and I took turns calling out the names on each gift Kason handed us. It took about 20 minutes to call all the names, and once every gift was handed out, I realized there was one person missing a gift, AJ’s boyfriend.

“I want to apologize to those who did not get a gift.” I said in general, although I was only talking to one person. “You were a last minute add to the guest list, so I did not have time to get you a gift like the other’s got. If you see me at the end of the party, I promise I will have something special for you.

“And now, I wish for you all to put your hands together for THE YULETIDE CAROLS!” I said, holding my hand out to the left side of the stage. I heard a chuckle come from the crowd at the band’s name, and I felt a chuckles rise in my own chest. I looked at the band, which stood at the doorway to the ballroom, and it was clear they were not happy with the name change I did for them “All right everyone, settle down.” I said, smiling. “‘The yuletide carols’ was a little bit of holiday humor that seems to be lost on the band. So let’s try this again. Please give a warm Holiday welcome to THE COUNTRY-ROCK ATTITUDE!”

The band filed onstage this time once their real name was chanted among the crowd, and took their spots. “Now, for those of you who are new to this shindig, we start out with the traditional choral holiday songs, accompanied by the band and sung by volunteers who have been working together for a couple of weeks. From there, I come back onstage and sing some of the non-traditional songs. Once I’m done, I’ll turn the mic over to the bands lead singer, and the dance truly begins!” There was a resounding roar from the crowd, and I laughed out loud. As I scanned the room, I saw a guy about my age standing in the corner. He had his arms wrapped tightly around himself, and seemed to be too afraid or too hurt to do anything except stand there. “ALL RIGHT THEN! Let’s bring up the choir so we can get this party moving along.” I said, and turned the stage over to the choir master before sitting on the edge of the stage and landing carefully on my feet.

“Keep me on time Kason. Come get me when the choir is on their second to last song. And please give my song list to the band the first chance you get.”

“Yes, Ma’am” Kason responded, and turned his attention back to the choir on the stage

I wove my way through the crowd to the corner I saw the guy standing in, but by the time I got there, he was gone. I spun in a quick circle real quickly, and tried to think. If I were shy and didn’t like to be in crowds, where would I go? I asked myself. It was several seconds before came up with the answer. I’d go outside to the fire! I exclaimed, rushing to the closet and grabbing my coat.

I peeked out the back door to find him sitting by the fire, his hands stretched towards the flame. I snuck out the door and walked across the deck, staying at the top of the stairs. I watched for a couple minutes before saying anything.

“Beautiful night out, isn’t it?” I said in a quiet voice, making him jump. When he turned to me, I found myself staring at a pair of piercing blue eyes, and I lost words for a minute. I recognized the guy as Blake Adamsen, the son of the multi-millionaire T.W. Adamsen, who owned a good portion of the businesses in the city.

“Yea, it is.” He said, sadness touching on his voice as he turned back to the fire. “What do you want?”

“Well, I wanted to see why it was one of my guests isn’t having fun at the party, and what I could do to make him feel better.” I said, walking down the steps to stand behind him.

“Unless you can get my girlfriend to un-dump me, there’s not much you can do.” I watched his shoulders hunch as he talked, as if he was trying to shield himself from the pain.

“When did this happen?” I asked sympathetically, settling down carefully onto the opposite side of the bench.

“Tonight, during the gift distribution.” He stared into the fire.

“What is her name?”

“Twila Beaumont. Why?”

“Oh, her.” I said, distain clear in my voice.

“Do you know her?” he asked, turning to gaze at me.

“Only by reputation, and it isn’t a pleasant one at all. I hate to tell you this, but your ex is a gold digger and a user. She finds some rich guy and dates him for a while. When she finally tires of him, she dumps him like last month’s Chinese food. Sometimes they disappear, never to be seen again. If there’s some event she wants to go to, but can’t get in because of her social standing, she finds some unwitting Millionaire’s son…..”I paused mid-sentence and blushed, realizing to whom I was speaking.

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Blake said, waving his hand in a dismissive way. “I figured out she was a gold digger myself. I didn’t know about the disappearing exes, though.”

“Anyways. She’s done this to many guys.” I rested my hand on his shoulder, but I doubted he felt it through his thick winter coat. I opened my mouth to speak, but Kason chose that moment to stick his head out the door.

“Five Minutes, Bella.” Kason said.

“Thanks Kason.” I said over my shoulder, my eyes never leaving Blake’s. I heard the door shut, and could only assume Kason had gone back into the mansion. When I was sure I was alone with Blake again, I voiced the idea I had been about to before Kason had interrupted.

“Blake, how does this sound. You come in and enjoy my set, and then when the band starts playing again, I’ll be your date for the rest of the night. Normally I’m rushing around during the party, so I don’t get to enjoy it too much.” I held out my hand to him as I stood, hoping he would like my idea.

“I think that is a great idea, Bella.” He said, taking my hand and standing himself. “And if it gets you out on the dance floor, instead of running around like a chicken without a head, then it will have been worth the heartache I experienced earlier.”

I smiled, glad he had agreed, and we walked back inside. Kason was waiting by the door when we walked in, and took both our coats as I scurried through the crowd. The choir was finishing their version of the Hallelujah Chorus, which was always their final song, so I scampered up the stairs and crossed the stage to stand in front of the mic. A round of applause sounded as the final note faded, and I clapped along with the rest.

“Well, weren’t they wonderful?” I said into the mic, smoothing my skirt and hair. “Now, we move into the portion of the night I’ve always enjoyed, the time when I get to come on stage and sing myself. Before I begin singing the songs I selected, are there any requests from the crowd?”

I smiled when AJ was lifted onto Gear’s shoulder so she was clearly visible as her voice rang out above the rest of the crowd. “I want to hear your version of ‘where are you Christmas’!

I laughed, knowing full well it was on my songs list for my set. “Be patient, AJ.” I said into the mic. “That one is already on my set list, so you will hear it tonight. And as for the rest of you, I haven’t heard anything which isn’t on my set list. I believe I will begin my set.”

I turned away from the mic so everyone else in the room could not hear me. “Did Kason give you the set list?”

“Yes ma’am.” The lead singer said to me, while everyone else nodded.

“We ready?”

“Yes, we are. You gonna count us off, or should the drummer?”

“Wolf can do it. It’s better that way.” I shifted my eyes to stare at the drummer. “Watch my hand signals for speed up and slow-downs, got it?”

“Got it.” The band said in unison, and I turned back to the mic giving the thumbs up behind my back. I heard the count of drumsticks before the band launched into the introduction of ‘most wonderful time of the year’, which was always my opening song for my Christmas set. I lifted my alto voice and picked up the melody easily, letting my voice float along with the music.

As I sang, I removed the mic from the stand and began dancing as best I could while still singing. As the song came to its last strains, I settled myself onto the edge of the stage. I crossed my ankles and held the last note until I almost ran out of air. When the music faded, I smiled brightly as the band faded into mellow ‘fill in the gaps’ music that always comes between songs.

“This next one means a little more to me than most of my other songs. It’s the song that let me discover how strong my love for singing was. Hope you enjoy it.”

The band picked up the slow, gentle tune, and I closed my eyes as I began singing ‘silent night’.

The rest of my set seemed to fly past quickly, the tempo and style shifting between every song. I Sang everything from ‘ Do you hear what I hear’ to my absolute favorite Christmas song ‘Belleau Wood’ by Garth brooks before ending my set with ‘Where are you Christmas’ from the live action version of ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’. The crowd erupted in applause and whistles as I stood there breathing heavy, a huge cheek-splitting smile plastered on my face. “Thank you everyone. Now it’s time for me to hand over the mic to Nate from The Country-Rock Attitude so we can get this party rolling!” even more cheers sounded as I gave Nate the mic, and I walked across the stage to the stairs, trying to hide the discomfort these dam shoes were causing. I cursed myself mentally for grabbing my brand new shoes, but gave myself a get-out-of-jail-free card by saying they were the only other heels that matched my dress for the evening.

I was relieved to find Declan standing at the foot of the steps, a pair of flats hanging from his fingers. Kason was standing a half step behind him, “I thought your feet might be hurting by now, so I sent one of the maids upstairs to grab you a pair of flats.”

“Why didn’t you go grab it?”

“You kidding me?” he scoffed. “If I had tried to get the shoes for you, one of two things would have happened. Either I would have gotten yelled at for going into your room without permission, or I would have grabbed the wrong shoes. I thought it was safer to send the maid that takes care of your closet.”

I thought about it for a minute before nodding in agreement. “I guess you’re right, bro. Which shoes did she bring down?”

“Black flats with gold buckle on the toes.”

I laughed, placing a hand on Kason’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around mine, balancing me as I lifted my foot. “She knows me too well. Those were the ones I was about to go after anyways.”

I was removing my shoe and putting on the first flat when Declan’s eyes went wide. “Uh, Bells?”

“Yea, Dec?”

“You might want to hurry up, because there’s a fight brewing over by the fire place.”

“Shit! Kason, grab a couple of the gift table carriers and follow me.” I cussed, quickly replacing the second heel in a set of hopping steps before rushing toward the fireplace, using my elbows to cut through the crowd. “Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry. I need to get through please. “

As I drew closer to the fire place, I slowed down enough to hear what was going on so I didn’t rush in head first and get myself knocked flat on my ass.

“I told you this already, sweetheart.” A syrupy-sweet voice with a slight southern twang said. “I did not dump you. I merely found some friends I haven’t seen in forever. I wanted to catch up with them.”

“And I know what I heard. You told me you were leaving me while Bella was giving out the presents.” Blake replied, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the girl.

“Why would I do that, sweetheart? I love you.”

“And if I believed that, would you tell me another one? I know who and what you are, Twila. You’re a gold digger, and it’s all you’ll ever be.”

“How dare you! Who told you such an outrageous lie!?” Twila shouted, the nails on her hands shifting into claws, and I knew it was time for me to step in before she went too far.

“He figured it out for himself, Twila. I suggest you leave now, BEFORE you do something you’ll regret later.”

“Stay out of this, PRISSY.” Twila snapped, all the sweetness in her voice gone as she turned a now venomous glare at me. “I should have known you would be involved with this. You always thought yourself better than me, simply because of your birth. You must have been the one who told him that outrageous lie.” I watched as her muscles twitched beneath her skin, and I knew she was close to losing control. I needed to do something to get her outside, and fast.

“All I told him was the truth. It isn’t my fault the truth is a harsh one.” I glared at her. I felt three of the table carriers come up behind me with Kason joining them as they stepped into place. With me standing in the middle, I knew there was a wall of pure intimidation staring her down. “Boys, would you please escort her out onto the deck.” Kason and one of the other men stalked forward and grabbed her, firmly but gently, leading her out the door with me close behind. We stepped outside, the two guards who were free staying inside to guard the door to prevent the other guests from coming out and getting hurt.

“I know what you are, Twila, and I know how to keep you from ruining the rest of this party.”

“No need, bitch.” Twila snapped, twisting out of the hands of the men who held her. “I’ve had enough of this. All this sweet, loving, touchy shit is sapping my strength.” A smirk touched her lips as she shifted form. Her cream skin took on a deep cherry tone as a pair of horns two tones deeper in color emerged from amongst her ebony locks. There was a sound of ripping fabric as her wings tore through the back of her black dress, and she used her claws to shred the rest. She launched her shoes at my head as her feet became hooves, making me duck.

“I do think I’ll leave you with a little ‘Christmas’ gift.” She spun to her left, using her wings to knock down the table carrier while aiming her claws strait for Kason’s neck. I leapt forward to try and stop her, but I was too late. Thankfully Kason’s quick reflexes kicked in, and I watched him lift his arms up and twist. Twila growled as her claws missed their target, ending up slicing open his shoulder instead. She leapt into the air as Kason fell to the ground, opening a portal to wherever she was going as she took off.

I stood in a crouched position over Kason as I watched the demon fly through the portal, protecting him in case she decided to circle back. When she didn’t, I relaxed my stance and sank to a knee, gently placing a hand to Kason’s sliced shoulder, earning a hiss of pain from my friend. I looked it over, finding the edges had been cauterized by the claws as she sliced, and I sighed. Kason would always have these scars. There was no amount of healing that would take them away.

“Shhhh, it’s all right Kason. I’ll send for the healer right away.” I soothed. I heard heavy footfalls rushing across the deck, and my head whipped up to watch Declan run towards us, having heard the thud of twila’s shoes against the wall.

“What happened?” Declan demanded, falling to his knees next to Kason. I looked at my brother carefully, and saw the look of pure horror on his face as he stared at the gashes on Kason’s shoulder. He ran a finger across them, a little firmer than I had, but instead of a hiss coming from Kason, a quiet moan escaped his lips.

“Twila took a swipe at Kason as she was leaving. We’re lucky Kason has quick reflexes.” I sighed, and glanced at the door. “Declan, I hate to say this, but I think….”

“No. Don’t cancel the rest of the party. I can take Kason upstairs and see to it he’ll be comfortable until the healer comes. There’s only about an hour left of the party. Go enjoy it.” I looked at Declan, not entirely sure what I saw in his face. Concern for his friend, certainly, but there was something deeper. He stared into my eyes, a fierceness I’ve never seen before flickering in them. “Besides, I can protect him just as well as you can.”

I smiled at my brother. “It looks like you found your lion’s heart, little bro.”

“Yea, well, when someone I care for is threatened or hurt, I can get really protective. In this case, both happened.” He paused, and ran his fingers through his own hair. “I’ve always been on the receiving end of the threatening though, you know. I never got a chance to show it.”

I leaned over and hugged him, planting a kiss on his forehead and leaving lipstick stains. “Go take care of Kason. I’ll see you in the morning.

***

I stood by the door about an hour later, thanking everyone for coming as they walked out to their cars. Everyone raved about how good the party was, and how they couldn’t wait for my next event. I gave a small smile, and wished them a Merry Christmas, but the wishes and spirit never touched my eyes.

AJ and Gear were the lasts to leave, and as she walked past on her way to her boyfriend’s pick up, I caught her arm. “Could you and Gear stay tonight, please?”

“I can certainly stay, but Gear has work in the morning. You’ll have to drive me home.”

“No worries. Meet you in the sitting room upstairs?”

“Sure.” AJ said, giving me a brief hug before kissing her boyfriend good night and walking up the stairs. We both watched AJ go, and I turned to Gear. “Sorry to steal your girlfriend, but I need my best friend.”

“Your beta got hurt in that altercation with the demon. I completely understand” he said knowingly, earning a shocked look from me.

“How…”

All Gear did was allow his eyes to shift from a bright blue into a deep chocolate brown. “I’m a fox.” Was all he said before walking out the door and climbing into his truck. I watched him drive away, perplexed at how he hid his scent from me.

I shook my head and walked up the stairs, walking past Declan’s door. I paused when I heard the unmistakable growls and grunts of mating. A small smile touched my lips. “Merry Christmas, Little Bro. Enjoy the bliss of being newly mated.” I whispered before walking into my room and flopping on the sofa in the sitting area. I spent the rest of the night chatting with AJ, eventually falling asleep sitting right there on the sofa.