By the time Christmas Eve came, the tree in the Garza family living room was loaded with presents. Most of the children had already gone to bed as the adults sipped cocktails by the fire and finished wrapping a few last-minute gifts.

Max was sitting next to Dean, watching as the Alpha and his brothers argued over some tabletop game they’d been playing for the last few hours. It was a relief to know that as stone-faced and serious as Dean could be, the Alpha was still human enough to sulk when he was getting his ass kicked at a game.

“That’s not even in the rules,” Dean grumbled.

“You’re just a sore loser,” David shot back. “Honey, what’s the score?”

“You’re ahead of Dean by two points and David by thirty,” Lan announced, sipping his cranberry mule as he looked over the tab he’d been keeping in a small notebook. “And Abuelita is wiping the floor with both of you.”

David’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Nobody likes a sore loser, Davey,” Abuelita said, grinning as she rolled the die in her hands. “Thirteen! My mage’s dragon eats your envoy and steals your treasure.”

“Can she even do that?” Antonio demanded.

“The old bird does whatever she wants, you should all know that by now,” Claudia huffed, stacking another perfectly wrapped box by the tree.

“You’re just salty because I won’t give you my recipe for flan,” Abuelita said matter of factly.

Claudia rolled her eyes. In the short time he’d been a part of the Garza family, Max had come to recognize sarcasm and traded jabs as the sincerest show of affection. He was just glad they were a bit gentler with the newcomer in their midst.

“I think we’re all done here,” said Carmen. The pretty young omega pulled Antonio to his feet, grinning at her mate’s protests. “You can always have a rematch tomorrow after the kids open their presents.”

The couple left to return to their room while Antonio mumbled halfhearted accusations of cheating under his breath.

Abuelita yawned as the others started cleaning up the board. “Global conquest tires an old woman. See you chumps in the morning.”

“Love you too, Abuelita,” Dean said dryly as his family members all retreated to their own rooms. Despite the house’s considerable size, Max had never been anywhere so full of love, except perhaps for the apartment he shared with his mate and their son. Life had finally settled into a delightfully predictable rhythm.

Every morning after he’d sent Gavin to the bus and kissed Dean before the Alpha left for work, Max found himself counting his many blessings on his own drive to the store Roman Enterprises had transferred him to in Sage. He always ran out of time before he ran out of things to be grateful for.

A mate who adored him and stirred his heart in ways he’d never imagined an Alpha could. A seemingly impossible reunion with the son he’d never given up on finding. A big, loving family who accepted him and his son despite his flaws and his checkered past. A job that he loved and gave him the freedom to come home when Gavin was out of school so the teenager would always have someone at home to talk about his day and help him with his homework.

There was another blessing that Max himself had only found out about that morning, and as he found himself alone in the quiet living room with his mate’s arm around him and the fire crackling peacefully, he knew it was the time to share that blessing with Dean.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he said softly. “It’s about your Christmas present.”

“You are my Christmas present,” Dean murmured against his lips. “But me first.” He pulled a small, thin box from his pocket and offered it to Max. “You know how impatient I am.”

“What is this?” Max asked, his eyes shining with curiosity as he looked down at the box in his hand.

“You’re just gonna have to open it to find out.”

Max plucked the lid off the box, revealing a key nestled inside. “Aww. You made me another copy of the house key,” he said, leaning in to kiss his mate. “Is this because it took me half an hour to find my keys last week?”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on, I’m not that lame. But I did make about ten copies of this one, just in case,” he chuckled.

Max’s eyes widened as he pieced it together. “Is this…?”

“My old apartment’s getting a bit cramped between the three of us,” he said, grinning. “Now, I know we talked about waiting until the adoption goes through to start growing our family, but I figured we could use the room.”

“You bought us a house?” Max asked in disbelief.

“It’s the one you always comment on whenever we walk by it on the park trail,” Dean replied, nervousness written all over his face. “I know it’s a big decision and I probably should have talked to you first, but as soon as it went up on the market, I felt like it was fate.” He hesitated, searching the omega’s gaze. “Thoughts? Comments? Questions?”

Max lunged, throwing his arms around Dean’s neck as he kissed him harder than he ever had. The Alpha wrapped his arms around Max’s waist, breathless when he finally broke the kiss. “I will definitely pass that comment along to management,” he said, grinning.

“I love you so much,” Max breathed, running his hands down Dean’s face.

“Back atcha, babe,” Dean growled, nuzzling the mark on Max’s neck as he pulled the omega onto his lap. “Now, what was it you wanted to tell me? Something about an early Christmas gift?”

Max smiled softly. “Actually, this gift is technically going to take a while to arrive. Eight months, give or take.”

Dean’s eyes widened as he looked down at his mate’s stomach. “Seriously?”

“Mhm,” Max said, pursing his lips. Dean captured them, digging his hands into the omega’s hair as he kissed him relentlessly. Max yelped in surprise as his mate lifted him into his arms and started carrying him towards their room. “Dean,” he whispered breathlessly, “it’s Christmas Eve.”

“And I want to unwrap you,” he teased in a husky voice that went straight to Max’s head.

As they closed themselves in their guest room, Max melted in his mate’s embrace. There was something different about the way the Alpha explored his body with his caresses and his kisses that night. They had only been together for a short time, but Max already felt a deeper bond with the Alpha than he had ever imagined possible, and it was growing deeper by the day. That night, as they reveled in the realization of the new promise they’d created together, he felt the mating bond between them like a tangible cord binding them together.

No matter how many nights he fell asleep in the Alpha’s arms or woke to find Dean gazing down at him in pure adoration, Max would never be able to bring himself to believe it was real. He decided it didn’t really matter. If it was all some crazy, wonderful dream, he never wanted to wake up from it.