Payment To the Alpha

Avery's POV

I woke up to the smell of hot chocolate and thought I was dreaming.

Wait a minute...

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" I bolted up from the bed and ran to the window to see that it was snowing.

I turned around when I heard someone chuckling and saw James standing there with a tray in his hands, looking amused.

"You're as happy as a child would be." He laughed, and I just smiled even bigger.

I started jumping up and down in excitement.

"Well, everyone has a child within them. Mine just happens to love Christmas." I said in a smart-ass tone.

I went over and sat on the bed as he laid the tray down and sat beside me. There was hot chocolate with whipped cream, chocolate, and tiny marshmallows. As well as pancakes with strawberries, raspberries, and syrup.

I drooled while looking at the food and quickly took a bite and moaned as soon as the piece of pancake touched my tongue.

"You made these?" I asked, hopefully not sounding as surprised as I was.

وو

Haha, yes, actually I did. Is that so surprising?" Oh, so he did hear it...

"No, not surprising. It's just. I didn't know you could cook."

"I can't. I can make pancakes, that's about it." He said, and I chuckled while cutting another piece.

We sat there and ate and talked until both our plates were clean. I then licked my lips and grabbed our hot chocolates. I gave James his cup and took his hand.

"Come on." I said with a smile.

I laid a blanket on the floor in front of the big floor-to-ceiling window. James' room was the only one that had this view.

James soon joined me on the floor, and we watched the snowfall and the snow-covered garden while sipping our drinks.

This was perfect.

"How come you like the snow so much?" He asked me. I shrugged and looked at him before looking back out.

"I don't know. There is just something so beautiful about the way that the snowflakes fall. And the way that they look. It's like they're dancing on their way down. It's soothing in a way. And beautiful." I smiled while speaking because I truly loved the snow. I felt a shiver and looked to my side to see James looking at me with an intense glare that's making my body heat up.

His eyes dimmed over, and I knew he was mind linking someone.

"Amber wants us all gathered downstairs in 20 minutes." He said mockingly, making me laugh. Amber tends to be a little bossy, but not in a mean way.

"Well, we should probably get ready then. Thank you for breakfast, by the way." James smiled back at me, and we both started getting dressed and headed down.

Everyone was already gathered in the main room, and the entire atmosphere was so cozy. I wanted this every year. I smiled as I looked around the room and at everyone in it, feeling blessed.

Whatever reason it was that had me ending up here, I feel that this is where I belong.

"Let's open presents!" Amber screamed, and everyone went to the tree. The gifts were given to each person, and then we went to it on the couches to open them.

"HAHAHA!" I looked up and saw Alex laughing his ass off. He looked over to me and held the frame with our picture in it against his chest.

"I love it, sis. Thank you." I smiled at him and nodded.

"Well, good because it wasn't easy accepting it." I said mockingly. It was true though, I still haven't accepted it, but I guess eventually I will. That's the thing when it comes to the people we love; we learn to accept even the things we don't like.

"NO WAY?!" I yelled as I opened my gift from Alex. James looked at me, and his eyes widened.

"Oh no..." I slapped his arm and gave him a mean glare.

"Thank you so much, Alex. I love it!"

"Dude..." James whined.

"Why don't you like it? I can finally play my music from something else than my phone."

"That's the problem." He groaned.

"My phone is the problem?"

"Not your phone, your music. Your taste in music is like Alvin's singing. You probably think it's excellent, but you shouldn't let other people suffer for it." My mouth dropped at his words.

"You little-"

"NO! It's Christmas, no bad words, no whining, only smiles, and happiness remember?" Amber said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Using my own words against me." I shook my head and glared at her before we both broke out in laughter.

"Avery... oh my goddess" amber looked starstruck as she opened the little jewelry box with her pendant in it. She wiped a tear rolling down her cheek and picked up the pendant.

"Avery, thank you." She said with the utmost sincerity.

I opened another one of my gifts, this one from Amber. It was a beautiful rose gold bracelet with the letters A & A on it.

"Amber, this is beautiful." I said while holding up the bracelet and looking at it.

"I always wanted a sister. Now that I have one, I'm never planning on letting you go."

I went up to her and hugged her. We hugged for a while before pulling away, and both of us wiping away tears.

"What the f...." I turned around and saw James with his mother's box in his hands. I walked up to him kneeled in front of him.

"I was putting the presents away in my closet yesterday when I saw a hatch in the bottom right corner. I opened it, and this was there. Open it." I encouraged him. All eyes in the room were on the box and James. He slowly lifted the top and took out the letter.

When he saw what was underneath it, his breathing stopped, and he swallowed hard.

"The velveteen rabbit." Everyone gasped, and Amber's hand flew to her mouth as her eyes started to water, as was Trish's and Jackson's mom.

James took out the letter from the envelope and started reading it. I saw his eyes start to water, and when he was done reading, he jumped up from the couch and stormed off.

I looked behind me in shock when Jackson's mom Anna spoke with a weak voice.

"Go after him, honey."

I did as she said and walked after James. I was by the entrance, unsure where he had gone when I heard sobs coming from the kitchen. I walked in there and saw James sitting in a crouched position on the floor by the island.

I went and sat by his side, putting my arms around him like a protective wall.

Slowly but surely, the sobs eased up, and he looked up. His eyes were red, but other than that; you couldn't tell that he sat on the floor crying his heart out.

"You okay?"

"Have you read it?" He asked me.

I nodded as I wiped a tear from my cheek. He leaned in and kissed my cheek before getting back on his feet. He extended his hand for me to grab.

"Let's get back. I just needed a moment." I took his hand, and together, we walked back to the others.

Everyone looked at us as we entered the room, and we took our seats on the couch.

"The letter, it's from mom, it's from the day she and dad died." Alex was twisting uncomfortably in his seat, and his eyes were starting to get glossy. Amber was crying, and everyone else wasn't far behind.

James unfolded the letter and cleared his throat.

"Dear James, Alex, and Amber. I hope this finds you someday so that you can have some closure. I am so sorry for the things that have happened to you. I'm so sorry that you lost us. The truth is, your father and I know what today will bring. Natasha had a vision of the war and deaths. She told us to stand back or to run. But if there's one thing that we do not do in this family, it is to run.

Your father and I will fight beside the pack, whatever the outcome. We thought that now that we know what we know, maybe we can change the vision, but in case we can't, I'm writing you this.

We love you children so, so, so much. And there is no one I would rather die to protect than you three. You have so much life left to live, and if something were to happen to either of you, it would be much worse than death. So I need you to know that this wasn't how we envisioned it; none of us did, but we have to protect the pack, and most importantly, we need to protect you.

James, I don't know if Avery is with you just yet, but if she is, hold on to her. She is an extraordinary girl. And please, my wonderful children, never stop smiling. Life is too short to be mad and unhappy. Find your happiness and hold on to it with your lives. I love you so much, my soul will always be with you, and my heart will always belong to you.

PS: just in case something happened to the house, I wanted to keep the book safe. You will always find me in the story, my beloved James.

With all my love- Mommy."

I looked around the room, and everyone was crying. They were tears of sadness mixed with tears of happiness.

They just heard from their mother one last time.

James put the envelope down and embraced me in a big hug. I don't know if it was because of the book or because he needed the comfort; either way, I'm glad he did.

*****

Everyone had opened their gifts, and we had eaten our Christmas dinner with Jackson's dad Alan and James reminiscing about the days when James' parents were alive. The rest of us listened eagerly with the occasional laughter and tear.

Now it was time for one last gift.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." I told James, who was standing by the stairs. I ran up to our room and grabbed our coats and hats before heading back down.

I handed James his coat and his hat. He lifted an eyebrow at the gesture.

"Babe, it's snowing, and it's cold. I'm a werewolf you're not; you're gonna freeze." I rolled my eyes and buttoned my coat.

"Just put on your jacket and come." I said as I took confident steps towards the doors.

However, as soon as I opened them, the confidence was swept away by the bone-chilling wind.

"It's Christmas, so I won't say I told you so." He said with a glum look on his face as he strutted past me and walked outside as if it were nothing.

"You coming or what?" I looked around me, trying to muster up the confidence I had 30 seconds ago.

I pulled my coat over my mouth and closed the door. We started walking to the clearing.

Alex had told me before that it was all cleaned up and ready. The lake was there too, which made me really happy.

When we had walked for fifteen minutes, my hands and toes were numb. Maybe I could've given him this as a birthday present next year instead.

"Where are we going?" James asked as he looked around his surroundings with a scrunched nosed squinting his eyes from the snow hitting us.

"Almost there." I replied.

Another ten minutes, and the clearing was just behind a few more trees. James stopped, and I did too.

"Where are we going, Avery?" He asked me again, but this time, his facial expression was angry, and his voice was much more serious. I must admit I was a little scared and starting to wonder whether this was a good idea.

"Do you trust me?" I asked him.

He looked at me for a while before nodding.

"Good, let's continue."

When we reached the clearing James' mouth dropped open and his head was spinning around trying to take everything in. The sun was about to set and the wind had become tamer. Soon the moon would be on full display right above our heads.

"You did all this?" He asked me

"Oh god no! There were trees and rocks James how the hell would I... never mind. No, I asked Alex for a favor. He and a few of the warriors did this." I said with a big smile on my face.

James walked around before going up to the lake and sitting down.

"Your ass is gonna freeze." I told him as I stood beside him.

He grabbed my arm and in one swift motion I was sitting down on his lap with our faces inches apart.

He leaned in. This is it.

Our first real kiss.

It's happening.

James' lips pressed against mine in the most romantic, sweet kiss I have ever had.

I put my hands on his cheeks deepening the kiss. James' hand tangled in my hair at the back of my head and heat filled my entire body.

We pulled away to catch our breaths and stared into each other's eyes.

Merry Christmas." I said as I giggled.

"Merry Christmas." He replied in that dark, husky voice.

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year.