I ended up as the one person everyone was quietly watching, measuring, comparing. My name’s Emma, and about a year ago, I was just a human girl with no family, no prospects, and a self-esteem so low that insults barely registered. I worked at a dingy bar where my boss greeted me every shift with, “You’re a piece of crap, Emma,” and I’d just shrug and say, “I know, right? ”
That was my life until Harry walked into it.
He was my infuriatingly hot archaeology professor, a werewolf, and my fated mate. I died, came back, got turned into a shifter myself, fought psychotic werewolves, and defied the laws of nature to be with him. And now, here we were, supposedly living our happily ever after. Except the “ever after” part meant my mate was three hundred miles away, hunting a psychotic vampire-shifter hybrid.
He’d been gone for six weeks, and he’d promised to be back before Christmas. Today was Christmas Eve, and I still hadn’t heard from him. My best friend Chloe, her vampire boyfriend Damen, and I had just pulled up to what everyone called the “family cottage. ” It turned out to be a three-story stone and timber mansion with actual turrets.
A ski resort for werewolves. I stared at it, feeling wildly out of place. “Chloe, you said cottage. This is a small hotel.
Do we need key cards? ” I said. Chloe had the decency to look sheepish. Damen, standing behind us in a cashmere coat, offered his opinion: “It’s very charming.
Very quaint. ”
I turned to stare at him. “When you call a property this size quaint, you’re just reminding everyone you were raised with an enormous amount of wealth. ”
He colored slightly.
I ignored him. That was my default setting with Damen. He was better than Chloe’s abusive ex, but he’d once used his mind-control powers on Harry, and I wasn’t in the business of forgiving people who messed with my mate. I pulled out my phone for the hundredth time, hoping for a message from Harry.
Nothing. The tiny flutter of hope in my chest died. The reception up here was bad anyway. Chloe tried to soothe me, telling me we’d be together with Harry soon.
Soon had meant a lot of things over the past six weeks—next week, a few days, yesterday. I shoved my phone back in my pocket. “Let’s get this over with,” I said, heading for the front doors. The inside was worse than the outside.
Exposed wooden beams, a stone fireplace big enough to roast a bear, and approximately seventeen thousand throw pillows. And people. Lots of people running around with boxes, garlands, and clipboards. It didn’t look like a family Christmas gathering; it looked like event planning for a small wedding.
I stopped in the doorway. “What’s all this? ” I asked Chloe, watching a woman in an apron hurry past with an armful of linens. “The staff,” Chloe said, like it was obvious.
“What staff? Why do we need staff for a family Christmas? ”
Before she could answer, a woman I vaguely recognized from pack gatherings made a beeline for me. “There you are, Luna.
Thank goodness you’re here. ”
“My name is Emma,” I said automatically. The woman blinked at me. Chloe made the face she makes when she’s trying very hard not to laugh.
“What? ” I asked. “Luna is a title,” Chloe explained carefully. “You’re Harry’s mate.
Harry’s the alpha. ”
“He is,” I said flatly. “Hadn’t noticed. He’s only constantly busy with pack business, has people trailing after him at all hours, and carries the weight of everyone’s problems on his shoulders.
But sure, news to me that he’s the alpha. ”
“Yes, and so that makes you Luna,” Chloe finished. I raised an eyebrow. Another thing Harry had forgotten to mention between saving the world and being mysteriously absent.
The pack woman was still standing there, looking increasingly anxious. “We weren’t sure about the seating arrangements. Harry always handles that, but since he’s not here…”
“But why are you asking me? ” I interrupted.
It was a reasonable question. I’d literally walked through the door thirty seconds ago. “Well, because you’re the Luna. ”
Chloe jumped in quickly.
“She means because Harry usually oversees these things, but since he’s not here and you’re his mate… you’re supposed to step in. You’re supposed to know what to do. ”
I stared at my friend, then at the woman, then at the people rushing around with clipboards and decorations. Another person appeared, a man with an actual clipboard.
“Luna, quick question about the dinner schedule. Are we doing the gift exchange before or after? ”
“Oh my god, they totally are,” Damen exclaimed. I turned to Chloe, panic rising in my chest like flood water.
“Chloe, they expect me to organize this. ”
“It’s going to be okay,” Chloe said in that soothing voice she uses when I’m about to lose it. “No, it’s not. ” My voice came out higher than I intended.
“Last year, I didn’t even have a family. I spent Christmas dressed as a goddamn elf at the bar I worked at for tips. And now I’m supposed to run this big family event for my boyfriend’s family? ”
“Emma,” Chloe said, reaching for my arm.
“The pack’s your family, too. You’re not alone. ”
“Well, she’s kind of alone, though,” Damen said. “Her boyfriend’s not even here.
”
Chloe sent him a glare that could melt steel. I sighed. Unfortunately, he was right. I took a deep breath.
Maybe I could do this. Maybe if I actually made an effort, integrated with the people Harry loved, tried to fit in, it would mean something to him. And maybe if I could make sure that when he finally got here, he got to actually relax for once instead of running an event on his holiday. “How many people are coming to this thing?
” I asked, trying to sound calm and reasonable. Chloe brightened. “Oh, it’s not even the whole pack. Just the really close members.
It’s going to be fun, you’ll see. ”
“Okay, that sounds manageable. How many? ”
“Only fifty,” Chloe said.
“Fifty? I don’t even know fifty people from this pack. ”
The clipboard guy cleared his throat nervously. “Luna, if you could just tell us about the—”
“I’m processing here,” I told him, holding up a finger.
“Just give me a minute. ”
I was trying to figure out where I could escape to when the front door burst open with a gust of cold air and raised voices. Harry’s adoptive parents, Ronan and Kila Harrow, had just walked in. I’d met them exactly once, three months ago.
It had consisted mostly of them looking at me like I was a stain on their expensive furniture. “Emma,” Ronin said, his voice neither cold nor warm. “I see you’ve arrived. ”
“Yep,” I said, because apparently my brain had decided single-syllable responses were the way to go.
Kila’s eyes swept over me, taking in my Nirvana t-shirt. “We thought something had happened. You arriving so late when there’s so much to be done. ”
The implication was clear: I should have been here earlier.
“Traffic,” I said, which was a lie. Two seconds later, Kila’s face transformed into a genuinely warm smile as she exclaimed, “There you are, my darling. ” I turned to see a beautiful redhead entering through a side door, one hand on her very pregnant belly. Vivien.
The perfect mate in all but title—Harry’s best friend, his sister-in-law, the woman everyone had assumed he’d end up with. Beautiful, poised, smart, elegant. Everything I wasn’t. Kila rushed over to embrace her carefully, mindful of the baby, while Ronin’s stern expression softened.
“How are you feeling? Is the baby—? ”
“Everything’s fine,” Vivien assured them with a warm smile. Her light green eyes flicked briefly to me, then back.
“Don’t worry about a thing. I know this is Emma’s first time organizing a pack Christmas, so I’ve made sure everything is under control. ”
I paused at that. Wait.
What? Everyone loved Vivien. Which was fine. I didn’t need to be loved by the pack.
I just needed to—
“Emma? ” I turned to see Vivien approach, and something was off. She looked anxious, which was weird because Vivien never looked anxious. “Are you okay?
” she asked, her voice having a nervous edge. “Why wouldn’t I be? ” I lied. Vivien smiled placatingly.
“I can help. I’ll handle it, okay? All of it. You won’t have to lift a finger.
”
This was worse than I thought. “Okay, you don’t have to be that worried, Vivien. I’m not a total disaster. I’m sure I can manage.
”
“Of course you can,” Vivien exclaimed, even more nervously. “I just thought… you haven’t seen Harry in a while. You’ll probably be happy to relax and spend time with him instead of worrying about all this. ”
It was too thoughtful.
Very unlike her. From the moment Harry and I got together, she’d made it abundantly clear I was nowhere near good enough for him. That said, she had mellowed out since getting pregnant. Still, this was extreme.
“Well, Harry’s not here yet,” I attempted slowly. “So you just relax, sit back. I’ve got you,” Vivien assured me, smiling a smile that was way too wide. It didn’t reach her eyes.
I studied her face. “Vivien, if I let the heavily pregnant woman do all the work, I’m going to look like the world’s most incompetent fool at best, or a total bitch at worst. ” I paused. “Though perhaps that’s what you want.
”
Vivien’s face crumpled. Her eyes went wide and hurt, and she looked like she might cry. “Not at all, Emma. I just want to help.
I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t sabotage you like that. ”
She looked so genuinely devastated that I immediately felt terrible. “Okay, sorry. It’s just that… you know.
”
I trailed off, catching Vivien’s expectant expression. It was just that from the moment Harry and I got together, she’d made it clear I wasn’t good enough for him. But she hadn’t really done that since she’d gotten pregnant. She’d been different, mellowed out.
“We can work together, I guess,” I offered. Vivien’s entire face lit up. “Okay, so I’ll handle the seating arrangements and the food coordination and the decorations and the schedule, and making sure the staff knows what to do, and coordinating with the caterers… Oh, and Emma, you can be in charge of making sure there are enough napkins. ”
I blinked.
“Napkins? ”
“It’s very important. We need cloth napkins, obviously, not paper, and they need to match the table settings. And I’ll make sure you have a list of exactly how many we need and where to put them and where to get them.
”
She squeezed my hands one more time, then bustled off toward a group of staff members. I stood there gaping after her. “Chloe,” I said, not taking my eyes off Vivien’s retreating form. “I know what you’re going to say.
”
“You do? ”
“Yes. You’re going to say people change and it’s Christmas, and maybe Vivien just wants to be nice. But no.
That was weird as hell. Something’s up with her. ”
I turned to stare at my best friend, the person who always saw the best in people, who could find a silver lining in a natural disaster. If even Chloe thought something was wrong, then something was definitely wrong.
I pulled out my phone again. Still nothing from Harry. This was going to be a disaster. I could feel it.
From her perspective, I’d get to see all of this from a different angle. Vivien: The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and stress. I was making a list at 4 a. m.
, unable to sleep, the baby kicking against my ribs. Every year, Harry and I co-hosted the pack’s Christmas Eve gathering—a huge, fancy affair disguising pack politics as holiday cheer. This year was the first Harry wouldn’t be here to oversee it. And the reason I couldn’t sleep wasn’t just the pregnancy.
It was Harry. It was Emma. It was the thing we didn’t talk about. Because I remembered something no one else did.
In another reality, a world where Harry and Emma never got back together, I’d sabotaged their relationship so I could stay with my mate Jake. I’d deliberately separated Harry from his mate. And getting Emma out of the picture had put her in danger. She’d almost been killed because of me.
In this world, I’d gotten my happy ending with Jake and our baby on the way. Harry and Emma had no memory of the other reality, of what I did to them. Only I remembered. And I could never let it go.
Jake found me in the kitchen, still holding my clipboard. “Babe, go back to bed. You’re stressed. It’s bad for the baby.
”
“I can’t, Jake,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “There’s too much to get done for the party tonight. ”
“You mean the enormous pack gathering my parents insist we host every year? ” he asked, his voice climbing an octave.
“Which is exactly why I have to organize. ”
He pointed at my stomach accusingly. “It’s too stressful. You should be resting.
”
“Jake, do you know what day it is today? ” I asked firmly. He blinked. “Christmas Eve?
”
“It’s the day the alpha comes home,” I said. Harry was due back today. He hadn’t seen Emma in nearly two months. He deserved to walk into a functioning event, not chaos.
And Emma—Emma needed to not look like an incompetent fool in front of his entire family. Jake grew serious. “Viv, this is about the thing, isn’t it? ”
My hands started shaking.
“What thing? ” I asked, but my voice cracked. He gave me a knowing look. You know.
“Because you’re being weird about Harry’s return. ”
“I’m not being weird. I’m setting up the event I’ve helped Harry set up for years. We always co-host.
”
“Yeah. And this year, you’re pregnant with my child,” Jake said. “And Harry has a mate now to co-host. ”
“Jake, Harry hasn’t even begun explaining to Emma what being Luna entails.
He told us to shield her from it because she’s already learning what it is to be a shifter. ” I remembered his exact words: “I don’t want Emma troubled with all that Luna stuff when she’s still learning to manage her new abilities. It’s too much. She’s already overwhelmed.
”
“That was before you became pregnant,” Jake argued. “Less than a year ago, Emma was a human student with no family and no prospects,” I said, my voice sharp, defensive. “Obviously, she does not have the skills to run an event this big. If I don’t step in, she’ll mess it all up and it’ll be up to poor Harry to compensate for her total lack of abilities again when—”
I noticed Jake pointing behind me.
I turned slowly. Emma was standing in the kitchen doorway, spine straight, jaw tight, shoulders squared. “Emma,” I exclaimed. “How are you doing?
”
She gave me a smile that was all teeth and zero warmth. “Stellar. I looked into your napkins. You wanted paper, right?
”
For a second, I was confused. Then I remembered I’d asked her to check on the napkins. “Cloth,” the word burst out of me, scandalized. “Paper napkins at a pack Christmas?
We need cloth napkins matched to the table settings, properly pressed. ”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Right. Must have escaped me with my poor background and total lack of skills.
”
Jake snorted beside me. I sent him a death glare. “Oh, come on,” he said. “You literally just said she was no help.
No wonder she’s annoyed. ”
Emma was already turning to leave. “Emma, wait,” I called, moving to follow her, but my pregnant belly made me waddle more than walk. I couldn’t let her do this alone.
I remembered what I did to her in that other reality. How I dismissed her, undermined her, treated her like she was nothing. And I couldn’t do that again. I wouldn’t.
I turned to Jake. “You know what? How about you help me? ” I gave him my biggest, brightest smile, the one that meant I was challenging him.
It worked. He squared his shoulders. “Fine. I’ll help.
”
“You’ll run the kitchen with the caterers,” I said sweetly. His face fell. “What? ”
“Didn’t you know we always give the staff the holidays off and organize everything ourselves as a family?
The alpha and I always thought it was more convivial that way. ” It had been Harry’s idea originally. The staff set everything up, then left around three, and the pack handled the actual event. I knew full well Jake had never paid attention to these details.
Now he would be too busy to hover over me, too busy to ask uncomfortable questions about my feelings. Perfect. “Emma! ” I called out, already moving toward the door.
“Let’s talk napkins. ”
Back to me. I was practically vibrating with fury in the guest bedroom I’d claimed as my refuge. “Can you believe her?
Because I used to bartend, I can’t pick out napkins? Is she for real? ”
I was pacing back and forth, my feet wearing a path in what was probably an antique Persian rug. My audience was Max, Chloe’s twelve-year-old cousin, who was busy playing some Super Mario game on her console.
“Max, are you even listening to me? I’m having a crisis and you’re focusing on some stupid game. ”
She finally looked up, expression fed up. “I’m a twelve-year-old kid, Emma.
What did you expect? ”
“You’re like the wisest person I’ve ever met,” I said, because it was true. “I trust no one’s opinion more than yours. I mean, Vivien is being a total pain here, right?
”
Max made a sharp shushing noise. She went still, her eyes unfocusing slightly, her head tilting as if she were listening to something. Then she glanced briefly to her left and nodded, like someone had just told her something. “Look, I think you should keep in mind that Vivien is pregnant right now and so in a vulnerable place.
Her entire life is going to change. You can’t blame her for wanting stability, reassurance. ”
I shook my head. “Excuse me, but how would you even know about that?
You’re twelve. ”
“You just said I was wise. ”
“Doesn’t mean you need to sound like the Dalai Lama. It’s freaky.
”
Max rolled her eyes. “Hormones. She’s feeling sensitive. Also, every wolf in the vicinity is going to be smelling her soon-to-arrive innocent child on her and feeling extra protective.
Yes, even your mate. So if I were you, I wouldn’t go face to face with Vivien right now. You’ll lose by default. Everyone is going to be on her side.
”
I groaned. “Everyone is always on her side, Max. She’s little miss perfect. ”
“So what?
” Max met my eyes. “You already pale in comparison. Nothing new. ”
I grimaced.
“But maybe if I step up and plan a really nice evening for all those fancy shifter people, maybe for once people will see Vivien isn’t like a gazillion times better than me. ”
“That’s a big maybe. Only achievable if you pull it off, which is a big if. ”
“Fine.
I give up. Competition over. She wins. ” I stomped toward the door.
Halfway down the hall, I realized I hadn’t thanked Max, so I turned back, walked toward the kid’s bedroom, and froze at the door. Max was looking to her left again, at that empty space, and talking quietly. “I told her what you said about Vivien feeling vulnerable or whatever. What else would you have me do?
”
A pause, like she was listening to a response. Except there was no one in the room with her. “Nah, Emma’s right,” Max affirmed. “Vivien is kind of a bitch.
”
I slipped out silently, my new shifter hearing picking up more of the one-sided conversation even as I closed the door. I made it three steps down the hallway before nearly colliding with Chloe. She’d gone to pick up Rose, Damen’s younger sister, from the train station. A massive crashing sound erupted from somewhere downstairs.
Even with walls and floors between us, I heard it clearly. Chloe and I hurried down, following the noise and the smell of something burning. Multiple somethings burning. We rounded the corner into the kitchen and stopped dead.
It looked like a war zone where the losing side had been armed exclusively with baking supplies. There were two small fires, actual flames crackling in two different pans on the stove. Flour coated every surface. Eggs were smashed on the floor.
Something that might have once been vegetables was scattered across the counter. A pot boiled over, sending starchy water cascading onto the stove top with an angry hiss. In the middle of all this stood Jake, his blonde hair dusted white with flour. “Jake, what is happening?
” I asked, my voice climbing. Chloe was already moving, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall. “The catering staff left me this list, right? ” Jake gestured wildly at a piece of paper covered in complicated instructions.
“They were like, Jake, you just need to do these simple things. And then Vivien came in and gave me additional instructions, which were different. And I tried to do both, and then everything started burning at once. ”
Chloe sprayed white foam over the fires.
They sizzled and died. “Your three roasts have been carbonized,” she reported, checking the ovens. Jake’s face crumbled. “Well, at least there’s a fourth one.
”
Chloe checked another oven. “Nah, it’s burnt, too. ”
“My god. ” Jake slammed his hand on the counter, sending up a poof of flour.
“We have fifty people coming in less than two hours, and we have nothing to feed them. Vivien is going to kill me. ”
Damen, who’d moved to the bar area, mixed something and handed Jake a glass. “Down this, mate.
Looks like you’ll need it. ”
Jake knocked it back in one swallow. “Good stuff,” he said automatically. “But seriously, what are we going to do?
”
I started opening cabinets, checking the fridge. “What’s actually salvageable? ”
Chloe joined me, and together we took inventory. Most of the roasts were burnt beyond recognition, but there were vegetables that were only slightly charred, untouched bread, cheese, and some pre-made appetizers that just needed to be plated.
It wasn’t enough for fifty people. But it was something. “Okay,” I said, turning to face the group. “Jake, you’re going to plate these appetizers.
Make them look nice. Chloe, you’re going to help me salvage what we can from the vegetables. We’ll call them rustic and roasted. ” I turned to Damen.
“Cocktails? Make everyone loads of cocktails. A big pot of mulled wine, a big pot of eggnog. ”
“Can you make punch?
” Damen asked. “Make it work. ”
Rose, Damen’s sixteen-year-old sister, stepped forward. “What can I do?
”
“Help Damen,” I decided. “Keep him from tasting things. ”
“Okay,” Jake said. “But what about the main course?
We can’t just serve appetizers. ”
He was right. I couldn’t avoid it. “I think we need to ask for Vivien’s opinion, Jake.
”
His expression crumbled. “No, you’re right. You’re right. We should tell her.
” A pause. “Can you tell her? ”
I wanted to say no. But looking at him, flour-covered and panic-stricken, I couldn’t.
“Fine. I’ll find Vivian. But Jake, we need to figure out a backup plan like now. ”
I went to find her, trying to track her scent through the olfactory assault of a house full of people, food, and decorations.
Everywhere I went, people stopped me. “Where should we put the gifts? ” “We’re having a debate about the children’s activities. ” “Where’s Harry?
When is the alpha arriving? ”
I didn’t know. I wanted to yell. Maybe he was stuck in traffic.
Maybe he was fighting a vampire-shifter hybrid. Maybe he’d decided to become a hermit. All equally plausible at this point. A woman I vaguely recognized stopped me, her painted-on smile stretching across her face.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask—what are you getting Harry for Christmas? ”
The question caught me off guard. “Oh, um, nothing big. ”
She laughed, a sound like windchimes made of condescension.
“I completely understand. He’s impossible to shop for, isn’t he? It’s like he doesn’t like anything. ”
“Excuse me, he does like things,” I started, feeling defensive.
“It must be so hard,” she interrupted, not listening. “Having to find him a gift when you’ve only been together for what, a few months. I remember when Harry and I were dating…”
My brain screeched to a halt. This woman dated my mate?
Before I could respond, there was a massive cracking sound from outside. Everyone went quiet. Through the window, I saw the enormous fifteen-foot Christmas tree that someone had spent all afternoon decorating had committed suicide via gravity. Lights tangled, ornaments scattered, branches splayed across the driveway.
“Oh my god,” someone whispered. “Where’s Harry? Harry would have checked the stand. ”
“Of course he would have,” I muttered.
Did these people need Harry to tell them when to go to the toilet, too? At this point, he was my mate, and even I was more independent than this crowd. Someone came near me, ready to ask a question. “No, Harry isn’t here,” I told him before he could speak.
“Yes, the tree fell. Deal with it. Keep calm. Move on.
”
Then all the lights went out. The entire house plunged into darkness. Someone screamed. “Calm down!
” I shouted. “Everyone stay calm. It’s probably just a blown fuse or the generator’s out. ”
“The backup’s not kicking in!
” someone yelled. “Of course it’s not. Anyone have a flashlight? ”
Small lights started appearing, phone flashlights creating little pools of illumination.
“Okay, someone go check the generator. Someone else find candles. Everyone else, just stay where you are and chill. ”
While I was internally screaming, someone appeared with an armful of emergency candles.
“Great,” I said. “Start lighting them everywhere. Make this place look romantic and intentional instead of like we’re having a power crisis. ”
“Intentional?
” the guy asked, sounding confused. “It’s called fake it till you make it, buddy. Trust me, I’m an expert. ”
People started moving, lighting candles.
Soon the house was glowing with warm flickering light, casting dancing shadows on the walls. It actually looked kind of beautiful. I could work with this. Damen appeared, carrying a tray laden with steaming mugs of mulled wine.
Chloe was behind him, they were all carrying trays filled with drinks. “I can’t find Vivian,” I told Damen quietly. “Well, we finished a few appetizers, but there’s barely enough for everyone. We’d need more and an actual main course.
”
I turned to survey the room. People were settling in, talking, adjusting to the candlelight. They hadn’t noticed the lack of dinner yet. But they would.
“Keep making eggnog,” I told Damen. “It’s filling, and hopefully the guests will be too wasted to notice the lack of food. ”
Damen nodded, committed. “I’ll make everything extra strong and hide the taste.
They won’t know what hit them. ”
“Great. ” I squared my shoulders. “And I’m going to go find Jake and tell him we should get pizza.
”
I started tracking Jake by scent, following his particular pine-and-whiskey smell through the maze of other scents. His scent led me upstairs, away from the main party, down a hallway lined with family photos. Generations of Harrows staring down at me with serious expressions, probably judging me for the pizza plan. I followed his scent to a door that was slightly ajar.
A private reception room. I was reaching for the handle when I heard voices inside. Vivien’s voice, high-pitched and hysterical: “I can’t do it anymore, Jake. I can’t keep this to myself.
I have to tell them. ”
Jake’s voice, lower and urgent: “You do not have to tell them. I can’t keep lying to Harry. ”
Vivien’s voice cracked, close to tears.
“I’m telling him. I’m telling him I purposely broke him off with Emma in the alternate timeline and that I nearly killed her. ”
My hand dropped from the door. I stood there, frozen in the hallway, my heart hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears.
Vivien nearly killed me in an alternate timeline. What the hell does that mean?
