My Christmas Wish Alpha

Neviah “Do you really read all these?” I ask Maria, my best friend, as I’m thumbing through the strange collection on her bookshelf. “Of course I do,” she insists, flipping her auburn hair back and gathering it in slender hands to twist it into a bun. “It’s information I need to know.” “You need to know about—” I pull out the closest book and look at the dust jacket. “Wolf Shifter Lore for Beginners?” “Of course I do,” she says, wheeling out the bright purple handcart we call The Miracle Cart. She’s an amateur stylist, soon to be a pro since she has nearly finished cosmetology school. Said cart is loaded with brushes, curling irons, blow dryers, and a whole catalog of expensive hair styling creams, sprays, and gels. The bottom shelf is just as impressive, full of professional-grade makeup. “One day, when a wild pack of feral wolf shifters attack the town, you’ll be glad one of us is informed,” she says, completely seriously. But all I can do is laugh. “Seriously? Maria, they’re not real. Wolf shifters are something they made up for fantasy books and romance stories.” “Who says they’re not real?” she insists, gesturing toward her “hot seat” chair. It’s not a professional styling booth, but that wouldn’t exactly fit in her small apartment, so she uses a gaming chair she bought secondhand instead. “Most fantasy lore is based on something in reality. I’m telling you, there are things we don’t know about lurking out there. I would think you’d be curious to know about them, too, being a journalist and all. And speaking of lurking, we’d better get you ready for your Christmas Eve date, or you’ll be late.” I plop into the chair, practically squealing with excitement. “I cannot be late! Steve and I have planned this night for weeks! It’s going to be so romantic.” “It sounds like it,” she agrees, combing out my hair to get started on styling. “It’s so great that his family’s cabin is in the woods.” “And he’s already decorated it,” I add, “just for me. He used red and green lights, which I love, as you know, and he put up a giant Christmas tree in the living room.” “That sounds fantastic,” she says. “You’ve been cooking for days it seems.” I nod. “Yes. I’ve made a Christmas ham, some sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pumpkin and apple pies—the works—and it’s all ready in my refrigerator to take up there later. It’ll be a long drive, but I’m not worried about keeping it all fresh with the temps so frigid right now after the fresh snowfall.” “What about his present?” she asks. “Of course, I’ve also bought him the perfect gift: a set of diamond cufflinks that he can wear to his new job at the investment firm that he’s starting after the first of the year.” I just know he’s going to love them. “Hold still,” Maria warns me, her tone somewhere between an order and a giggle. “I can’t work my magic with you wiggling with excitement.” “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I’m just so thrilled about tonight. I think Steve might even propose.” She stops mid-brushing, holding a strand of my brown locks in mid-air. “Do you think so?” I nod like a little kid who’s been asked if they want to open a present. “Yes! I mean, it’s the perfect romantic setting for it, right? Maybe we’ll have a Christmas wedding next year on the anniversary of his proposal.” “Oh, that would be so perfect,” she says, continuing on with some styling gel. “You’re so lucky.” “I sure am,” I agree, smiling into the mirror at her makeshift workstation. “I didn’t think you two would last, to be honest.” I gasp in surprise. “What? Really? Why?” She chuckles and gives me a dismissive wave. “Don’t worry about it. I just didn’t think you two really fit together at first. But I guess you’ve been happy, so I was wrong. I’m not afraid to admit that.” “You’d better,” I warn her. “You need to be all in to be my maid of honor.” “Whatever you decide, I’m all in,” she assures me. “But you still need to hold still so I can get your hair and makeup done in time, or you’ll never get a ring on your finger!” It takes a lot of effort not to jump around excitedly, but I keep my cool so she can finish up. Later, when The Miracle Cart and Maria’s talent have transformed me into a suitable Christmas Eve date, she helps me carry all the food from my apartment, which is across the parking lot in the same complex as hers, down to my car. “That’s quite a fancy food storage thing you’ve got here,” she says, snapping the lid shut so we can close the trunk of the car. “Thanks,” I say. “I bought it especially for this night to keep everything safe from jostling around while driving up there.” “You don’t expect to swerve off the road, do you?” “No, silly,” I insist. “I just want everything to reach there in one piece, especially these pies I worked so hard on.” “He’s going to love it all,” she says, giving me a one-armed hug... carefully, so she doesn’t mess up my hair. “Drive safe, Nev. And text me when you get there!” “I will,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Don’t worry. Steve said the roads were all cleared.” “Still, text me so I know you made it,” she insists. “And have fun! I’ll be waiting to hear all about it in a few days!” After I get my phone situated with my Christmas playlist for the drive, I wave at her as I back out. The roads are a little slick in town, so I keep it steady until I hit the highway, which is constantly monitored by the road crews plowing and laying down salt and sand, so they always have the snow under control. It’s a long drive to the cabin, almost two hours, but the time goes quickly as I imagine everything I’ve ever planned for my life coming true: the storybook wedding, the romantic beach destination honeymoon, our first little house with the white picket fence, and the cute little babies that come after it all. “Eek!” I screech out loud to myself in the car. “I can’t wait!” Ever since I was a little girl, I’d called all of that my Christmas wish. And I can’t believe it’ll be happening for me soon. I’m sure that tonight’s the night Steve will propose. It’s too perfect, and from what he says, he’s set things up perfectly. Oh, he just has to propose on Christmas Eve! The cabin is far off the highway, so as I get closer, I have to admit that the roads up here in the mountains are a little scary. The December sun wanes quickly these days, so it’s already low on the horizon by the time I’m turning up the last long, winding mountain road toward the cabin. But when I pull up to the driveway, I have to stop. Steven’s car is there, but he has only shoveled through enough space for one car to fit. “What the—” Something’s wrong. The twinkling lights he’s added to the house aren’t red and green at all. They’re all white, and they only run across one part of the roof, nothing like he’d explained to me on the phone. I shrug, parking my car on the road for now, hoping no one needs to pass soon before he has a chance to clear a space for me in the driveway. Thankfully, the walkway is cleared. I leave my coat in the car, hoping Steve answers the door quickly so I can run back to my car to park it. It’s freezing out, and I shiver through my normally warm sweater. I’m just about to knock when I see movement inside the open curtains. The Christmas tree is there in the front living room, and a warm fire roars in the stone hearth. But someone else is there, someone who shouldn’t be... a beautiful blonde woman wearing a cashmere sweater and a wide smile. At least, I can see her smile for a moment, before her lips disappear into Steve’s....