An Alpha for Christmas

Chapter 8: Fa la la la Love

Chapter 8: Fa la la la Love

Dolly

Nick and Gloria both jumped. Nick was in his chair behind his desk and Gloria was sitting on the desk. 

“s**t, Dolly!” Gasped Gloria, clutching her chest. “You scared me!”

“What’re you doing in here?” I asked.

“What’s it to you?” Demanded Gloria.

Nick looked at me with wide eyes.

“We’re discussing the Holidate Auction,” he said.

Holidate? Clever name, said my wolf.

“We were just about done,” he continued, getting up and holding the door open for Gloria.

“We were also reminiscing about the good ole times,” said Gloria smugly.

“Good ole times?” I asked, a sinking feeling emerging within me.

“I’m his ex girlfriend,” said Gloria.

My jaw dropped.

“And now we’re both single, especially me,” said Nick quickly, trying to usher Gloria out of the room.

“Nick don’t be silly! Why’re you denying what we still have? You call this nothing?” She said, pulling down her sleeve to reveal what looked like a hickey on her shoulder.

My heart threatened to cleave in two.

“That’s fake!” Said Nick.

I tried to rub the mark, hoping it would smudge or smear, hoping it was makeup. It didn’t.

“Ouch!” Said Gloria, slapping my hand away.

“Oh, sorry,” I mumbled.

WHY ARE YOU SAYING SORRY TO HER?! SHE’S TRYING TO STEAL OUR MAN! Snarled my wolf.

He’s not ours, I told my wolf sadly.

“I did not make that,” said Nick, looking pissed off.

“Yes, you did! Just now outside the men’s room!” Said Gloria.

He really did hookup with her right after he found me. I realised a small part of me had believed him when he had said that she kissed him and not the other way around. I felt sick.

“I have to go,” I said, rushing out of the room.

“Dolly! Wait! WAIT!” Yelled Nick, even using his Alpha Voice on the second ‘wait’ but it was to no avail.

I wasn’t compelled to obey him.

That’s because you’re his rightful Luna and nothing that floozy does or says will change that, whined my wolf.

I didn’t listen to her. I had to get out of here. I grabbed my bag from my cubicle.

“Cesca, I’m really sorry I have to go,” I cried.

“Honey, what is it?” She asked, alarmed.

“Nothing,” I lied, holding back sobs.

“Go on home. I’ll hold down the fort here. Everything is basically ready for tomorrow anyway,” said Cesca.

I ran to the elevator and bumped right into Alpha Nicholas. It dawned on me just how much they looked alike. I hastily wiped my tears.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Barked Alpha Nicholas.

“I…I…”

He’s not the boss of us! Growled my wolf.

“HOME whether you like it or now!” Said my wolf, coming forwards before I could stop her.

Alpha Nicholas was taken aback. He burst into humourless laughter.

“You were showing promise, Molly!” He said angrily.

He knows it’s Dolly, snarled my wolf.

“Anyway, there’s more where you came from. You wanna go home. Fine. Go home! Permanently! Nick can help Cesca with the Christmas Carnival tomorrow. The cleaning crew will clean out your cubicle and you can collect the boxes on Monday! I don’t wanna see you on this premises for the rest of the day! And I don’t wanna see you anywhere near the pack house tomorrow during the Lollapalooza!” He bellowed.

Shit, said my wolf. We just got fired.

I didn’t bother calling my brother or anyone else to pick me up. I trudged home in the snow, hugging myself, shivering and sobbing in the cold. Nick didn’t even come after me. He was probably warm and cozy inside with Gloria. I finally made it home after more than an hour of walking in the bitter cold. When I walked in, Nole was shocked.

“Dolly! What happened?!” He demanded, quickly taking off his throw blanket and wrapping me in it.

My teeth were chattering.

“She’s shivering! Joy!” Called Nole.

Joy came bustling in the room.

“You’re home?” I said. “What time is it?” I asked.

“It’s noon. They let me leave early. My friend is covering for me since her kid is a student there so she has to stay anyway. Her kid is in the Christmas Play,” said Joy, leading me over to the couch and lighting the fireplace.

“Noel and I are going this evening. We were going to ask the whole family to come with,” said Joy.

I sniffled.

“That’s okay,” I said.

“Do you wanna tell us what happened?” Asked Joy.

Nole had gone to make me something hot to drink. He came back with hot cocoa.

“Are you hurt?” He asked.

“Emotionally,” I admitted.

“No one put their hands on you, right?” Asked Nole.

I shook my head.

“I…I just got fired,” I said.

I didn’t want to tell them the first reason for me crying so I just told them the second.

“Oh, you poor Dear,” cooed Joy.

“That’s outrageous,” snarled Nole. “They can’t fire you! Aren’t you the main organiser for the Christmas Carnival tomorrow. That La La Pa Pizza or something?” 

“Lollapalooza,” I corrected, sniffling, as I sipped the hot cocoa.

“Yeah! The whole family bought tickets,” said Joy.

“Well, I’m banned from going to the event I helped organise because I pissed off the Alpha,” I said, my voice cracking.

“That f*****g jerk,” barked Nole. 

“Why’d he fire you?” Asked Joy, rubbing my back.

“Because he’s a f*****g jerk, that’s why!” Said Nole.

“It’s my fault. I mouthed off to him,” I admitted.

“You?!” Said Joy and Nole in unison, both shocked.

I sighed.

Nick

“What the f**k is wrong with you?” I yelled. “Why would you do that?!”

Gloria shrugged.

“As if you don’t want me,” said Gloria.

This couldn’t go on. I had to get concrete evidence that Gloria was a lying conniving snake otherwise Dolly would never really believe me enough for us to reconcile.

Do I have to do everything around here?! Said my wolf.

My wolf had a plan.

Dolly

I spent the whole of Christmas Eve crying. I dragged myself out of bed for an hour to do some last-minute gift wrapping but I just ended up crying and getting the wrapping paper wet.

“The presents are all soggy,” I said when my Mom came to check on me.

“Oh Honey,” said Mom. “Joy and Nole told us what happened. I’m gonna call Uncle Frosty and get him to make Alpha Nicholas give you your job back! Uncle Frosty is really well-respected by the whole pack…”

“Mom, no,” I said.

“Honey, trust me, Uncle Frosty…” began Mom.

“Mom, please, don’t do that!” I said. “I’m not going back there. I’m humiliated enough as it is.”

I curled up in bed.

“How about some hot cocoa?” Asked Mom.

“I’ve already had some,” I said.

“Need some help wrapping gifts,” she offered.

“Actually yeah,” I said.

What would I do without my Mom? She wrapped all the gifts I’d gotten for the family. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wrap hers. Everyone was handling me with kid gloves like I could break at any moment.

“We don’t have to go to that stupid Christmas Lolly pa loser thing since Dolly is fired now, do we?” I heard Fern ask Ginger outside my bedroom door.

I opened the door making both my sisters jump.

“Please go!” I insisted. “It’s really a great event. At least, my family will get to enjoy it! I wanna know how it goes!”

I managed to convince everyone to still go to the Christmas Lollapalooza. I didn’t come down for Christmas Eve dinner and Nole brought me up a plate which I didn’t eat but I fed the meat to Rudolph to make it look like I’d eaten something. I kept hoping Nick would just show up unannounced. 

Why did I still want him? He was a cheater. Cheating was my non-negotiable dealbreaker. I looked at the bracelet he had given me when he was hot Santa. It was supposed to fall off when it granted my wish. My wish of an Alpha for Christmas (oh and not losing my job) was impossible now so I tried to take the bracelet off but it was stuck. I couldn’t get it off no matter what I tried. I even used butter to slide it off but it was too small. I gave up and went to bed with it on.

Christmas morning was always a chaotic time at my house. I usually loved that about it but I just couldn’t get into it this year. Not after all that had happened in such a shot space of time.

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Asked Nole.

He was sitting next to me at Christmas Breakfast. Almost all of the presents had been torn open with the exception of Fern’s. She had carefully unwrapped hers, painstakingly salvaging all the wrapping paper.

“Nope,” I said.

“I don’t believe you,” he said.

“Oh you missed one, Joy!” Said Mom.

“I did?” Said Joy going over to the tree. Low and behold, there was a tiny pink box with a red and green bow.

I nudged Nole. Was this it? I could still be excited for them even though I was doomed to be forever alone. Everyone was bug-egged, just gawking at Joy opening the gift. There wasn’t a ring in it. Huh?

“Huh?” Said Joy. “It’s empty.”

“No, this fell out of it,” said Christian.

Christian and Klaus grinned at each other, clearly in on whatever Nole’s plan was. They handed her a little pink note.

“Go outside,” read Joy.

Joy ran outside in her socks in her excitement. Everyone rushed after her. When I got outside, I was shocked. There were a lot of snowmen in our yard each one of them holding up a lit up sign. They each had only one letter. Joy gasped when she realised what the snowmen spelled out.

Joy will you marry me

Joy turned around to look at Nole who held up the final sign which was just a question mark. Aww. He got down on one knee. Joy nodded. They were tears on her eyes.

“Yeah? Yes?” Said Nole, holding up the box with the engagement ring sparkling in the morning light.

“Yes! Yes!” Said Joy, finding her voice.

Everyone cheered as they embraced even some of our nosy neighbours who had come outside to eavesdrop. Joy and Nole kissed. They were a beautiful couple. Then Ginger and Klaus started kissing and Fern kissed Christian even though she usually did not like PDA. Even my parents started making out.

“It’s after nine!” I said, trying to part everyone. “Please go to the Carnival! I want you to video call me from there! I’m banned but I can still see how it looks.”

“You should show up,” said Nole. “What are they gonna do if you show up? Besides isn’t the Alpha’s son the one who gave you that?” Asked Nole, looking at my bracelet, the one I couldn’t get off.

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered.

“What did he do?” Demanded Nole.

“Nothing!” I said. “Calm down! Go get ready!”

Nole went to get ready. I hugged Joy.

“You’re already my sister but I’m glad it’s official now,” I said.

“Aww, thank you, Dolly,” said Joy. “About you and Nick…”

“Go get ready!” I said quickly and then dashed inside. “Video cat me!” I called from inside.

Yeah, I was not the picture of maturity when it came to communication. I just didn’t want to talk about that. Nick and Nicholas had both messed up my holiday season enough. I sat with Rudolph on the sofa near the fire waiting for Joy’s video chat call. It never came. I received a frantic voice call from Christian.

“Hello?” I said, alarmed.

Christian almost never called me.

“It’s Fern!” He said.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“She’s in labour!” He cried.