Chapter 178

"Why do I have to wear this sweater for the Christmas dinner?" I whine, unhappily scrutinizing said outwear in the mirror.

My mom's face falls at this. "You don't want to wear my Christmas present?" 

We had all given each other gifts the day before, knowing that on the actual Christmas day, they would all spend it with their families which was just fine.

"I do but it's so big, it's swallowing me up, I'm pretty sure if I don't walk right I'm going to trip and fall." I complain, exaggerating a little bit.

"Stop being dramatic or we'll miss the lighting up of the tree." She says to me, wrapping one of her knitted scarves around my neck.

Apple isn't left out of her knitting frenzy, the adorable cat in a sweater and kitty cap which she kept pawing off, uncomfortable with how it keeps rubbing at her ears.

The sun just set so it's not so dark out but the Dark Moon Pack members were also invited so it was wise to do it early enough for everyone to make it back to their houses.

"Fine, let's go." I agree, letting her take my hand and hurry me along like a child, smiling slightly when she stops occasionally to adjust my scarf or tug or my cap or rub my cheek.

"Is the scarf too tight?" She asks worriedly, looking down at me with concern shining in her pretty grey eyes.

"No, mom." I shake my head. "It's just fine." I reassure her even though I know she'll still adjust the dark blue strip of knitted cloth a couple more times before we get to the foyer.

She's wearing one of her sweaters as well - no surprise there - and I can't help but think that all of her free time actually went into knitting these beautiful sweaters that had different things printed on it.

Mine is a snowflake, gleaming against the dark blue backdrop of the sweater while hers is a santa hat, a matching one on her head.

"I was almost scared you had slept off and Renee was trying to wake you up?" Shana stage whispers after she squirms closer to me through the crowd after sighting my mom and I.

"Why would I be asleep?" I whisper back to her, hugging Mae who has a wide grin on her face, a candy cane printed on her dark green sweater.

"Because it's you." She shrugs, the elf on her sweater moving with her.

I roll my eyes, uninterested in humoring her. The tree was fully decorated but the moon hadn't been put up yet, apparently Dale's dad had been invited to do the honors if him walking towards the tree is any indication.

I look around as much as u can, which is more than a little difficult when everyone is so tall but there's two people I'm looking for…

"Looking for me?" Virgil pops into my line of sight with smiling eyes, in a black sweater with a snowman printed on it - my mom had said it was because he was cold and cuddly, that's why.

I unconsciously heave a sigh and smile at him. "Yeah."

Shana nudges him. "I figured your dad would make you give a speech."

"Virgil?" Dale's voice alerts me to his presence. "Not a chance, he has stage fright." He says simply.

Virgil kisses my nose, the only part of me easily accessible and not wrapped up by my mom, good thing they left the doors open or I'd have overheated, flakes of snow getting blown in occasionally.

"I'm not, idiot." Virgil mutters, slapping him upside the head.

"Sure." Dale agrees in a dry voice. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

We all settle in to watch Alpha Ascott climb up the ladder that would take him to the top of the tree, it's a little bit difficult because of the moon.

It isn't some glittery paper cut out like I had expected, instead, it's a 3-d version of a sleeping moon.

It's impressive enough now, I wonder how awesome it would look when it got lit up.

The moon is a huge globe that is a little difficult to hold with just one hand even for someone like Alpha Ascott but he manages just fine and a little cheer rises up when he smoothly settles it at the top of the gigantic tree.

There were a lot of pine trees to choose from and the Pack obviously took their time, fake snow is sprinkled all over the massive tree, big colorful balls hanging off its edges.

Everyone had the option to put up a trinket so it was a riotous design but somehow it turned out harmonious.

Apparently a speech is supposed to happen, I definitely wasn't expecting one so I'm a little disappointed to find out that I have to wait a little bit more to watch the tree get lighted.

Alpha Everett gives a speech, his mannerisms subtle and reserved but from the way the entire crowd gives him their rapt attention, it's easy to see that they loved and respected him.

I barely listen to him though, getting bored halfway through the first couple sentences when he starts talking about the plight of supernatural creatures, it's not like I don't feel like what he's saying is important.

Far from that actually, I'm happy that they've found a safe place to be themselves but I really want to see the tree get lighted up.

It gets even worse when Alpha Ascott also gives a speech, he's obviously more boisterous and charismatic than Alpha Everett but their personalities are a perfect match, each on complimenting the other.

It's no wonder they are able to easily work together.

Finally the speech gets finished and there's a polite smattering of applause, accompanied by cheering just as when Alpha Everett finished his own speech.

They were all obviously giving their own meaning to Christmas but that made it all the more beautiful.