Alpha Under The Mistletoe

Chapter 1

EMMA

The snow had barely begun to settle on the cobblestone streets outside, dusting the rooftops of Damien’s family estate in a delicate layer of white. I should have been breathless with wonder, heart swelling at the thought of a cozy Christmas in France. Instead, my chest felt hollow, my stomach pitched as I approached the suite Damien had insisted I stay in.

I had flown hours, crossed continents, sacrificed sleep, and left my apartment perfectly decorated in New York for this moment. For him. For Christmas.

And now, as the door swung open, all the warmth I’d hoped for came crashing down.

Damien. On the bed. His hands tangled with another woman. The one he had introduced to me as “my cousin, Charlotte.” Not just any cousin, mind you, the one he said had flown in from Paris to spend the holidays with the family. Only she wasn’t a cousin. Not by a long shot.

She looked up at me with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling in shallow panic. Damien froze, his guilty smirk crumbling into something almost unrecognizable.

“Emma…” His voice dripped the same fake concern he’d perfected over the years.

I didn’t speak. Words caught in my throat, thick as the snow outside. The room smelt like s*x, the bed, the champagne untouched on the nightstand, the delicate twinkle of Christmas lights Damien had insisted I’d love felt like a trap. Every ornament, every glowing candle mocked me.

“I—this isn’t what it looks like!” he tried, fumbling, tugging at the duvet like it could cover the truth.

“Oh really?” I croaked, my voice trembling despite my best effort to sound calm. “Because it looks pretty clear to me.”

Charlotte shrank back into the pillows, suddenly shy, suddenly innocent, as if the entire scenario could be undone with a flutter of her lashes.

Damien straightened, trying to compose himself. “Emma, you don’t understand…”

I felt a laugh bubble up, bitter and incredulous. “Don’t understand? I just flew hours to be here, Damien. I’m supposed to spend Christmas with you and your family, and this,” I gestured to the room, to him, to her, “this is what I get?”

From somewhere behind me, the faint tinkle of laughter reached my ears. Turning sharply, I realized we weren’t alone. Guests. Damien’s family and a few of his friends had wandered in, no doubt drawn by the sound of raised voices. And instead of shock or horror, their expressions were… amused.

Damien’s mother, elegantly poised with a glass of wine in hand, gave a soft chuckle. “Emma, darling, perhaps you’re overreacting. Christmas Eve is supposed to be joyous. No need to make such a scene.”

I blinked. Did I hear her right? “Overreacting?” I hissed, fury and humiliation boiling together. “He’s—he’s f*****g someone else! In the bed I’m supposed to sleep in with him!” My words faltered, shamed by the glare of the witnesses.

His father nodded slowly, lips pressed tight, eyes cold. “Emma, relationships… they’re complicated. You should be more understanding of Damien’s… needs.”

I took a step back, my luggage suddenly feeling heavier than ever. “Understanding? Are you serious? You all, this is unbelievable!” My hands trembled, clutching the straps of my bag like a lifeline. “I… I can’t take this anymore.”

Damien’s smirk returned, a predator sensing weakness. “Emma, don’t do this here. We can fix it. I can explain…”

“Explain?” I spat, the word sharp and bitter. “Explain why you lied? Explain why you’ve been sleeping with her while I trusted you? Do you even hear yourself?”

Charlotte, too, had gone silent, her wide-eyed guilt doing nothing to soften the betrayal. My stomach twisted. I had trusted him. I had believed in us.

“You don’t get it,” Damien pressed, taking a step forward, his hand reaching for mine. “I love you. I just… I made a mistake. Give me a chance to fix my mistake.”

I recoiled, horrified. “A mistake?” I laughed, dry and hollow. “Do you think that’s what this is? A mistake?”

“Emma…” His voice grew desperate, and for a moment, I almost felt pity. Almost. But the anger simmered hotter, fueled by the cold, smug faces around us. How could anyone side with him? How could anyone condone this?

I turned sharply, yanking my bag toward the door. “I’m done,” I said, my voice gaining strength with every step. “I can’t… I won’t stay.”

Damien lunged, his fingers brushing my arm. “Emma, wait! Don’t go, please! We can still fix this!”

“No!” I snapped, spinning around. “No more lies! No more pretending!” Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here, not in front of them.

“You can’t just walk away!” he shouted, fury mingling with panic now. “I’m… I’m your boyfriend! You owe me some respect.”

I laughed, but it was a jagged, bitter sound. “I owe you nothing, Damien. Absolutely nothing. And if you think I’m staying to watch you lie and manipulate everyone around you, you’re insane!”

His hand caught my wrist again, firmer this time, his green eyes flashing with all the charm he thought could win me back. “Emma, baby, just think about it.”

“Think about it?” I hissed, jerking free. “Think about the fact that you betrayed me the moment I trusted you?” I glanced toward the bed one last time, stomach twisting. “Think about the fact that I just gave up everything… my flight, my Christmas, even my sanity for this family, for you and this is how I’m treated?”

Damien’s mouth opened, but no words came. His family continued to smirk, unconcerned, some even rolling their eyes like I was being overly dramatic.

I slammed my suitcase down, the finality ringing through the room like a bell. “I’m leaving.”

The moment hung in the air, heavy with shame, anger, and disbelief.

And then…

The door behind me slammed open.

I froze.

A presence filled the room, one that didn’t just demand attention but claimed it. I hadn’t noticed him enter, yet suddenly every hair on my skin stood on end. He was tall, towering even, broad-shouldered and every inch of him radiated power. His dark hair was slicked back, neck and arms tattooed with intricate designs that spoke of danger, mystery, and some unspoken authority. His green eyes, piercing green, fixed on Damien, and the room seemed to shrink around him.

“Get away from her.”

The words weren’t loud, but they didn’t need to be. They carried weight, command, a threat that made Damien take an involuntary step back.

The stranger’s gaze never wavered from Damien, but then it softened slightly as he looked at me. His aura… it was protective, almost tangible, like a shield around me. I didn’t understand it, and yet, I wanted to.

Damien’s lips parted, but no sound came. He looked smaller somehow, diminished by the presence of this man who had appeared out of nowhere and yet belonged exactly here.

“Now,” the man said again, and his voice vibrated through the floorboards, through the walls, through me, “get away from her.”