Corey took slow, measured steps as he made his way up the pathway to his Alpha's house. Ethan stood by his side, carrying the capsule holding their daughter in one arm, wrapping the other around Corey's waist for support.
Dr. Carter had let Corey and Ethan take Lizzy home late the night before after he was satisfied that Corey had healed sufficiently. Corey was under strict instructions to take it easy for the week while his body recovered from the trauma of giving birth.
As it was, he was making his way to his Alpha's house on Christmas day wearing trackies, as they were soft and comfortable and just about the only item of clothing that he could stand wearing right now.
Corey found it weird that he still had a slight baby bump. He'd expected it to disappear as soon as Lizzy had been born. Apparently, that wasn't how the body worked though, and he could expect to have it for the next week or so as his body righted itself once again.
Ethan didn't bother knocking when they reached the front doors. The large Christmas wreath hung over the top of the stained-glass inlay. Ethan pushed the door open. A wave of sound crashed into them, making Corey take a step back.
There seemed to be noise coming from every direction as they made their way inside, closing the front door behind them.
"How's she doing?" Corey asked his mate, concerned Lizzy would wake with all the unfamiliar sounds.
"Sleeping like a rockstar." Ethan smiled at Corey.
Corey sighed in relief. Last night had been an eye-opener as to what they had gotten themselves into for the next couple of years. Lizzy had woken every hour and a half, it had seemed.
Just as Corey was settling into deep sleep, another cry would rend the air, and he'd be wide awake once more.
Ethan had been wonderful, doing all the getting up to Lizzy and making of the bottles, allowing Corey the time to recuperate.
Neither he nor Ethan had really grasped what Ben and Tommy had tried to tell them about the sleepless nights. Both of them had thought it couldn't be as bad as the Alpha had made out. Surely the man had to have been exaggerating. Lizzy proved them wrong in just one night. Corey had a bad feeling he and Ethan had some long nights ahead of them.
They made their way into the large living room, an entire corner having been taken up with a massive Christmas tree with gifts scattered all around the base of it. Lights twinkled in pretty shades of white and light blue, leading to a magical effect. Soft Christmas carols drifted into the room from the direction of the kitchen.
The sound in the room dimmed by several decibels as their friends noticed them. Quiet greetings of Merry Christmas were bandied back and forth as Corey parked his sore and tired ass in one of the large, plush recliners.
Ethan placed the capsule with a still-sleeping Lizzy in it on the coffee table in the middle of the room so their friends could coo over her.
"I'll be back in a sec," he said to Corey as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss to Corey's lips.
Ethan disappeared back the way they had come. He had to collect their presents, their offering to the table gods, and Lizzy's baby bag. How Ethan had found time in the last twenty-four hours to cook something was beyond Corey. But his mate had managed it, somehow.
Corey watched for a second as his friends and brother all crowded around the capsule. He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes, just meaning to rest for a moment.
A baby's cry rent the air and Corey jolted awake. He looked around the room, surprised to find it empty. Lizzy, he had to find Lizzy.
Corey did not doubt that his daughter was safe, but he had to set eyes on her nevertheless.
He gingerly pushed himself up from his comfortable chair and slowly made his way down the passage towards the noise.
Friends and family were busy scurrying about, getting the last-minute lunch items ready.
Corey wouldn't have blamed the table for collapsing under the weight of all the food that sat on its top. Every year their Christmas feast seemed to get bigger and bigger. Corey wasn't complaining. He loved the variety of food on offer.
It wouldn't be an Aussie Christmas without prawns and turkey roll. It was just too bloody hot to have a full-on roast sit-down dinner.
Cold prawns and roasted meats graced platters to either side of the massive ham, which sat pride of place in the centre of the table, its top glistening with glazing. Bowl after bowl of every different salad imaginable filled in the gaps to the edges. A large basket of fresh bread rolls sat on the kitchen bench.
Corey's mouth watered at the scent of all the food. He was suddenly starving and couldn't wait to dig in.
He spotted Ethan, who had made his way outside along with the majority of others.
Out there, large tables had been erected and set up, red-and-white plastic tablecloths with green Christmas trees printed on them covered every table. Every setting had a cracker just waiting for everyone to sit down and start eating.
Corey made his way past the people inside rushing to get all the food on the table ready for lunch and headed outside. He closed the sliding door behind him, not wanting to let any of the air-conditioning out or any of the flies in.
Ethan spotted him as soon as Corey had opened the door. His mate walked over to him and gave him a tender kiss.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Corey asked.
Ethan handed Lizzy to him to hold. His little girl lay wide awake and staring at the sky, waving her little arms about.
"You looked like you could do with a nap, so it was decided to let you snooze for an hour or so."
Corey had to admit that he felt better for it.
"Come on, let's get you seated again so you can rest."
Just as Ethan led Corey to a seat at the long table, Tommy opened the sliding door and yelled, "Grub's up. Come and get it."
Ethan turned to him. "You sit with Lizzy. I'll grab you a plate."
"Thanks, babe," Corey said as he took a seat at the table.
Corey watched as his friends and family descended on the food like a pack of vultures picking a carcass clean. It was actually quite fascinating to watch.
Plates full to overflowing, one by one they made their way back outside to the table. There was an esky set just off to the side filled with ice-cold beer, water, and bottles of wine.
Ethan placed their full plates down on the table in front of Corey, then made his way to the esky to grab them a couple of beers.
"You want to hold her for a bit longer, or you want me to grab the capsule so you can put her down and eat?"
"I might hold her for a little longer, but if you could grab the capsule, I'd love you forever."
Ethan grinned at him. "You already do." Then he disappeared inside quickly.
Corey looked around the table. Opposite him sat Tommy with little Joseph sitting in a high chair with a bowl of food in front of him. The boy was growing up to look more and more like Ben every day.
The entire inner circle and their mates were here, as was any member of the pack who had no family or plans for Christmas day.
Ben had always had an open-door policy with his pack and welcomed everyone to come and dine with them, especially on special occasions such as this. All up, there were over twenty of them celebrating the day together.
Ethan came back and placed the capsule on the ground next to Corey for when he wanted it, then took his seat. Ethan was the last to take his place at the table.
"Now that we're all here, how about a little Christmas spirit?" Ben asked as he picked up his cracker, crossed his arms, and held it out to Tommy. Everyone around the table followed his actions until they all, except Corey, who still held Lizzy, gripped a cracker in each hand.
Corey placed his hands over Lizzy's ears as everyone pulled. The sounds of the small explosions going off up and down the table were loud. But it was nothing compared to the toys, paper hats, and joke sheets that went flying in every which direction.
When the majority of the table had their colourful paper hats on and had read the bad jokes to one another, Ben stood and tapped his knife against the neck of his beer bottle.
Everyone quieted down and turned to face the Alpha.
"I won't make this long, as I'm sure you all want to get stuck into the wonderful food we have before us. Welcome to everyone, old and new." Ben tipped his head in Corey's direction before continuing. "I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your efforts and hard work in the last year, I know it hasn't been easy, but I honestly believe the changes we've made are for the best.
"Now, I believe that's enough talk, it's time for food. Merry Christmas, everyone!" Ben picked up his beer saluted the table with it.
Choruses of Merry Christmas followed as everyone clinked glasses or bottles together.
"Merry Christmas, babe," Ethan said as he leaned in close to whisper to Corey.
"Merry Christmas, Ethan," Corey replied, then kissed his mate.
Corey groaned and rubbed at his belly. "I look bloody pregnant again," he complained. Wearing sweats to Christmas lunch was the best idea Corey had ever had in his life.
Ethan laughed beside him.
"So full… Please tell me I don't have to move until at least New Year's."
"Sorry babe, can't tell you that."
"I'm dying." Corey swore it was the truth. He'd eaten so much he didn't even want to think about food, or he might be sick. Everything on his plate looked and smelt so delicious he just couldn't help himself.
"This is all your fault," Corey told his mate.
"How do you figure that?" Ethan asked. Corey purposefully ignored the snickers he could hear coming from the other side of the room.
"You're the one that filled my plate with all the yummy goodness, then went back and got me seconds and then thirds."
"You asked for it," Ethan shot right back.
"That's beside the point." Corey's argument was sound.
"You're an idiot, but I still love you." Ethan bussed his cheek. Corey was too full to consider returning the favour.
"Here, feed your daughter. 'She's hungry." Ethan said as he passed Lizzy to Corey.
Corey groaned at the mere mention of food. He placed a pillow under his arm and rested Lizzy in the crook of his elbow. Ethan passed Corey a bottle, and he placed the nipple to Lizzy's lips. She latched onto it like they'd been starving her.
Satisfied his daughter was content and eating her own version of lunch, Corey looked up and glanced around the room.
After lunch they'd all retired back inside, it being just too hot to stay outside for any longer. The air conditioning was working overtime with so many people in the house, but it was definitely better than outside. Especially right now, when the sun was high in the sky, and there wasn't a cloud about to shelter them from its harsh rays.
Everyone was lounged about, the television sitting blank, the stereo still pumping out Christmas carols on a low volume. They'd turn it off soon and put on Die Hard, a tradition they'd started years ago.
"Time for presents, I think," Ben said from where he sat, Tommy curled up against him. Joseph had gone down for his afternoon nap not long ago.
"Bags not it," Corey said quickly.
Within seconds the room was filled with others calling out their desire not to be the one that had to move.
"I'll do it, you lazy buggers," Declan announced.
Corey didn't care who played Santa as long as he didn't need to move his ass off the couch for the next several hours.
Presents started flying across the room, as everyone seemed to be in a similar state to Corey and didn't want to move, so Declan started throwing the gifts to people. Ethan was nice enough to catch Corey's, as he currently had his arms a little full.
Corey glanced down to see his daughter's sucks were losing momentum as her eyes closed. He took the nearly finished bottle from her mouth and gently manoeuvred her up and over his cloth-covered shoulder.
He started to firmly pat Lizzy's back, hoping she'd burp quickly, then go back to sleep.
He watched as his friends and family unwrapped their presents. The room was soon covered in discarded paper and ribbons. Corey wasn't in any rush to open his present. He had everything he could ever want right here in front of him.
To him, Christmas wasn't about the gifts he received or gave but the coming together of friends and family. The only ones missing were his mum and David, but they'd be there tomorrow, and Corey couldn't wait to introduce his mum to her first grandchild.
"What you thinking about?" Ethan asked as he gently nudged Corey.
"Just how lucky I am."
Corey leaned in and Ethan met him halfway for a kiss.
"Get a room," Daniel called out to the amusement of others.
"I wouldn't, but I'm still too full to even think about moving," Corey shot back.
Laughter filled the room, followed quickly by acknowledgement from many others.
"That must mean it's the perfect time for Die Hard," Liam said.
"I second that," Corey said. He couldn't think of anything better right then. It was the perfect way to end what had been a wonderful day. Corey wrapped his arm around Ethan, and his mate settled in close, Lizzy fast asleep against his chest.
"Love you," Corey whispered in Ethan's ear.
Ethan hummed and snuggled in closer as they turned their attention to the movie.
Corey sighed. He didn't think he'd ever been this happy or content. The telltale music started as Ben pressed Play on the movie, and Corey settled back. Another Christmas drawing to a close. Corey couldn't wait to see what all the ones in their future had in store for their little family of three.
THE END