~

 

“And this is for you,” Angelique announced as she placed a platter full of chicken legs down on the table just above the elder’s plate. Leo frowned down at it before he turned questioning eyes up to the witch.

“Chicken legs?” Leo didn’t understand.

“I thought they were your favorite — every time I see you, you have a chicken leg hanging out of your mouth,” Angelique offered back.

She knew why there were so many legs on the chicken — it was because the refrigerator was full of platters of meat, including several chickens, and the refrigerator was always well-stocked.

“That’s because they’re easy to rip off,” Leo offered back.

“Heaven forbid he should have to trouble himself to get a knife out,” Isobel offered him a scathing look.

“Well, if you don’t want them…” Angelique reached to take the plate away, and Leo’s hands snapped out in front of him to grab it.

“It’s all mine, you say?” Leo asked with a look of suspicion.

“Every last one,” Angelique offered back.

“Well,” Leo grunted. He was coming around to the idea of liking the witch.

“I think you just made a friend,” Mirabelle chuckled.

Leo grunted again.

Goddess, I hope not!” Angelique said, and offered Leo a big beaming, teasing smile when his eyes snapped in her direction.

“Right back at you,” Leo grumbled. But he couldn’t help but smile to himself.

“Sit!” The alpha demanded of his mate. Angelique’s eyebrows shot up toward her hairline.

“Use your words, puppy,” Angelique grinned back at her mate.

“Puppy!” Jett chuckled and got an elbow in his side from his mate. He cleared his throat and looked anywhere but at the alpha who was growling at him with annoyance.

“Would you please come and sit down beside me?” Luke asked. His face might have been a blank mask, but his eyes were smiling at her.

“You know, I think I will,” Angelique grinned as she joined her mate at the table.

Angelique looked around at her new family and felt a sense of peace deep inside of her. She liked how everyone in the pack felt like family to her. She hadn’t had that in a very long time.

She was expecting to be lonely again at Christmas. A microwave ready meal of turkey and yuck — but now she would have a real family Christmas with a real family of her own.

That was a true Christmas miracle.

 

~

~

~

‘I thought I’d find you here, George.’ The fairy godmother settled on the branch of the Christmas tree next to him and George cleared his throat.

‘Busted.’

‘I read Jessica’s report…’

‘About that…’

‘I also read your report. I have to say…’

‘I had to tell the truth. I know Jessica went easy on me…’

‘Not so much as you would think.’

‘She told you what really happened?’

‘Not so much as I would think.’ Miriam didn’t sound best pleased, and with her clipped tones and her steely gaze, George thought that he was in for a long Christmas.

‘I didn’t get it then…’

‘But you get it now?’

‘I guess I do.’

‘And that’s why Jessica went easy on you.’

‘You were teaching me a lesson. Lesson learned. Now give the Christmas fairy honor back to Jessica.’

‘Not so fast…’

George turned his head and offered the fairy godmother a confused and questioning glare. The sound of her chuckles lightened his mood slightly.

‘I really don’t think…’

‘Good. Don’t think — act from your heart and you will do just fine.’

‘But…’

‘I will be sending Jessica out with you.’

‘But…’

‘You two seem to make a good team.’

‘But…’

‘Merry Christmas, George.’ Miriam announced, and then in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

George sat there with his mouth hanging open. The scene in front of him with Angelique and her new pack was a happy family one, and yes, he’d had a hand to play in that, but the Christmas fairy — again?

George groaned.

The End.