The Alpha Lawyer Who Saved Christmas

The streets of Riverview glowed under strings of Christmas lights, the town decked up in golds, reds, and green. Seren Halwyn walked rapidly, gripping her coat to keep her nerves under control. Tonight was going to be ideal. She had meticulously prepared every aspect, down to the beautiful outfit she wore and the carefully picked words she would say when Daniel finally got down on one knee. Tonight was the night when she would say yes. But nothing about tonight felt ideal anymore. When she opened the door to Daniel's apartment, the scene before her made her stomach heave. He was not alone. Her heart stopped. The woman next him smiled in a way that felt too familiar, too intimate. Daniel's hand gently rested on the other woman's waist, the warmth of his touch intended for someone else. Seren's knees threatened to crumble, and the phrases she had studied all week slipped from her head. "What… what is this?" She succeeded, her voice barely heard. Daniel froze, guilt written on his face. The other woman turned, surprise flashing in her eyes. However, there was no explanation that could resolve this. Not now. Not ever. With her chest constricted and her heart breaking in ways she never thought possible, Seren whirled around and ran away. She needed to get away from the betrayal that had broken her, so she hurried to her car without even thinking about her coat or grabbing her purse. She fumbled with the keys, turned on the motor, and drove off, her fingers shaking. The snow had started to fall, little, sharp, crystalline flakes touching her cheeks. Barely did she notice. The confusion inside her was reflected in the snow outside: it was confusing, unrelenting, and oppressive. Thoughts of Daniel, the life she had imagined, and the hopes that had been taken in one terrible instant raced through her head. Then she felt panic tug at her chest. Her car's tires struck a slippery area, and all of a sudden she was sliding while everything around her spun. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to control the wheel. With a loud crunch, the automobile slid to a stop after colliding with the guardrail. Seren leaned against the driving wheel in an attempt to recover her breath, feeling shaky and cold. Outside, the storm roared, rattling her automobile and howling through the trees. She had no one. All by myself, lost in a sea of white. The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow reached her ears. Her chest tightened around her heart. There was an outsider. Through the snowfall, a tall, powerful figure emerged, moving with an almost unnatural grace. When he arrived at her automobile, he carefully opened the door. "Are you okay?" he inquired in a quiet, firm voice. Seren blinked, at a loss for words. He had a compelling, unsettling presence. For the first time in hours, she felt a glimmer of safety when his keen, sharp silver eyes met hers. "I... I believe so," she muttered, her voice shaking. He lifted her effortlessly, protective, cautious, and strong. Immediately, the warmth emanating from him pressed against her icy body. Her legs refused to comply with her instincts, which cried out for her to flee, fight, and resist. Even though the snow was blinding her and the wind was tearing at her face as she was dragged through the storm, she felt oddly fixed. He remarked in a stern but kind voice, "Hold on." "I will get you to a safe place." The outer world turned into a swirl of white, but at last, a cabin emerged through the storm, its lights filling the chilly night with bright warmth. He put her down and cleaned her coat of snow. The cabin was warm and welcoming, with a scent of pine and burning wood. But even in that warmth, there was something wild and uncontrolled about him, a power that lurked underneath his composed appearance. Seren's voice was hardly audible. "Th... thank you." His eyes never left hers as he bowed his head. He said, "I'm Alaric." "Now you're safe." For a brief while, Seren felt a tiny glimmer of hope because of this stranger's firm presence and his straightforward words. A spark she wasn't sure she trusted or deserved. Tonight, the person she thought she knew had deceived her, shattering her. Nevertheless, she felt something as she stood in this cabin's warmth, being carried through a storm by a stranger. A moment of security. A glimmer of potential. Seren shivered—not from the cold, but from an inexplicable, weird pull. Even though the world was harsh and brutal and the snowfall was raging outside, she came to the realization in that cabin that her life had changed irrevocably. It would never be the same again. And she wasn't totally terrified.