Felix
There were no words to sufficiently describe how guilty I felt. I felt like the scum of the earth, the lowest of the low. Chasity was so sweet and special and fucking gorgeous. She deserved so much better. She had always deserved so much better. Now that Calix had revealed the reason for her outburst, I could not get the memory out of my head. I could scarcely believe I had acted like that. I followed Alex as he headed towards Chasity’s room. We had some wooing to do.
Christmas Past
Alex
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” I commanded.
Chasity always failed to meet my eyes unless I explicitly asked her to do so and that frustrated the hell out of me. Why could she not just look at me? Why was she always ignoring me? Every other teenaged girl in this pack had eyes for me besides thirteen-year old little Miss Chasity. I grumbled inwardly. She was too young for me anyway. I was sixteen.
Chasity had overslept on Christmas morning of all days. The only day we all rose early. Her eyes looked red and her eyelids looked puffy like she had been crying. I felt a pang of guilt. She seemed so delicate. My wolf was protective over her. I had begun to feel his presence more and more as I got closer to my eighteenth birthday. For some reason, my wolf had this obsession with Chasity. I was intrigued by her too but I did not want to admit it. She disliked me anyway so it did not make a difference how I felt.
Felix
“Are you even listening to us?” I asked, grabbing Chasity’s hand.
I had not been prepared for the strange calm that fell over me when our skin touched. That was weird. It was hard to remain angry around her.
My brothers and I had just finished opening our gifts and breakfast still wasn’t ready. That was Chasity’s job! I heard a vicious snarl in my mind. My wolf made my head throb. I was shocked at the power he had over me though I had not officially shifted yet.
“What’s the point of you being here if you’re not going to work off your debts?” Asked Mom. “It’s almost noon and no breakfast!” She said, rolling her eyes.
She went into the kitchen to “make” breakfast herself. Mom’s idea of making breakfast was pouring dry cereal into a bowl and giving us all a glass of instant hot chocolate mix.
My wolf was driving me crazy. He was snapping and snarling within, furious at the whole household except Chasity. I wanted to piss him off. I was tired of his bullshit. Ever since he made his presence known I had not had a moment of peace. He would get upset every time Chasity was upset and she was almost always upset.
I pulled her to the front door. I walked her outside. She began to scream as she tried to yank her arm out of my grasp. What was her problem? I was not squeezing her or being rough or anything. I knew she was pretty delicate. She was much smaller than I was so I wasn’t pulling her with much force.
“Ugh, I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m just putting you out of the house! If you’re not gonna earn your keep then maybe you’d rather be out here,” I snapped.
I let go of her hand and marched back inside, shutting the door behind me. The guilt was a bit overwhelming. I ran upstairs and just lay down in the dark. My temples were throbbing. I told myself Chasity would be fine over and over again. I took my phone and set an alarm so I could check on her periodically. I could not just leave her out there all day but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
Alex
Felix had put Chasity out of the house. I felt my wolf panic. I was worried too. What if she ran away? I went to the window and peeked out at her. She was hugging herself for warmth. She caught me looking at her so I quickly shut the window. I knocked on Felix’s door.
“What?!” He yelled.
“It’s Alex,” I said.
He opened the door for me. He did not look so good.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He shrugged. I could tell he was lying. Even if it was not an outright lie, he was probably lying by omission.
“You feeling guilty about Chasity?” I asked.
He sighed.
“I’ll go get her just now,” he said.
“She’s tiny. Don’t leave her in the cold too long,” I said.
“You think I’m an asshole, don’t you?” Asked Felix, his tone accusatory.
“No,” I grumbled. “How long are you gonna leave her out there?” I asked, not sure how much longer I could stomach.
My wolf and I were both starting to freak out.
“An hour?” Asked Felix.
I looked at him like he was crazy.
“It’s already been fifteen minutes so only forty-five more minutes,” he said.
He was blatantly lying unless he really had not checked the time. It had only been three minutes. Three agonising minutes for me and my wolf. Mom had put together some sandwiches and cereal but we had opted to eat it upstairs in our rooms. I could not eat though. I felt sick.
“I’ll go check on her in a half-hour,” offered Felix.
I shrugged. I went to my bedroom window and looked at Chasity. She was leaning against the far wall at the side of the house. I stayed there and kept an eye on her, anxiously checking the time every minute. I swore time was moving backwards. That’s how slow the time was passing by. I gasped as I spotted Calix going out to her.
Calix
“There you are!” I exclaimed as massive relief washed over me.
I had been so worried about her. Alex and Felt had put her out of the pack house earlier for not making Christmas Morning Breakfast on time. My parents should hire a cook and a housekeeper. I sighed. Poor Chasity. I was not going to let my brothers take advantage of her vulnerability but at the same time, I was not Alpha yet so I could not challenge my parents. Chasity flinched at the sound of my voice. I winced at how she cowered in my presence. Her eyes and cheeks were red. She had been crying and freezing her little tail-feathers off. I was outraged.
“Look, hurry up, my brothers are napping after lunch. Go to your room and lock the door,” I instructed.
After Mom and Felix had made a big deal about Christmas Breakfast being late, Mom had whipped up something for “brunch.” Her idea of cooking, however, was pouring cereal into a bowl or putting a slice of cheese and a slice of deli meat between two slices of bread. Cereal and sandwiches. Take it or leave it. My brothers had taken some of the food up to their rooms. My brothers usually went into hibernation after a heavy meal like Christmas Brunch but after a sandwich and half a bowl of dry cereal, they were probably wide awake in their rooms. I escorted Chasity to her little room to be sure she was secure. I waved my hands in the air to signal that Chasity should make a run for it. She obeyed and spent the rest of Christmas Day in her room, all alone.
Present Day
Alex
I took a deep breath to steady myself for this one. My hand was shaking as as I raised my fist to the door. I knocked. Silence. Felix broke the silence.
“Baby, you can put on a dominatrix outfit and spank the shit out of me just don’t ignore me,” yelled Felix, hoping Chasity was listening.
We could smell her beautiful floral scent. We could smell Calix with her. No answer came from the room. There was so much I wanted to say to her. I supposed there was no time like the present.
“Chasity, I’m sorry, I love you, I’m in love with you, and I’ve never felt that way about any girl,” I said honestly.
This was practically my thirty-first relationship but only my first love. Perhaps, that made me a terrible person but I could not change the past, I could only atone for it.
“I’ve had like…thirty girlfriends which is something I completely regret,” I admitted, hoping I was not talking to myself here. I needed her more than anything and I wanted her more than ever.
“Every couple of weeks, I cast them aside like it was nothing,” I said, feeling guilty.
Those girls and my Luna Chasity deserved better.
“Maybe this is my karma,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve never even given that a second thought but every night I think about you,” I told her.
Thoughts of her consumed me.
“Every single day you spent here. Every time you cried. Everything that was denied you and my heart breaks all over again,” I said, holding back the pent-up emotions. I was the eldest Alpha. I could not go around sobbing. I sighed, pressing my forehead to the door. Felix put a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“You break my heart every night, Chasity, and you mend it every morning,” I continued. “It beats only for you. I live for you. Please let’s talk,” I beseeched her.
I heard a little gasp from inside the room. I immediately perked up. Was she going to open the door for us?
Hey, little Chasity, please let us in, before we huff and we puff and we blow your door in, recited Felix, changing up the poem.
He was just trying to make me smile over mind-link. I could not hold back the chuckle at Felix’s silliness
The door swung inwards to reveal a stunning Chasity. I literally got down on my knees to beg for a chance. Felix did too.
“How do you wanna do this, Baby, with a whip and a gag or freestyle?” Asked Felix nonchalantly.
Chasity rolled her pretty eyes at him and then came to me. I was stunned. I stood up and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs round my torso and cupped my face in her hands. I kissed her urgently, ravenously, pouring all my longing into the kiss until we were both breathless.
I looked at her in awe. My Luna wanted me. I felt so at peace.
Felix
Chasity had come running to the door in response to Alex’s speech. I let them have their moment but then I snatched her away from Alex. She glared at me.
“Are you gonna tell me that you hate me again?” I asked bluntly.
I knew she did not hate me but my wolf and I wanted confirmation.
“Maybe,” She teased, brushing her nose against mine.
She made my heart flutter. There was so much I needed to say to her.
“I’ll never forgive myself and you never have to forgive me either,” I said honestly.
She could hate me. She deserved to hate me in peace but I could not let her out of my sight. Everyone with two brain to rub together would have figured out she was our fated by now. A Luna strengthened her Alpha and Chasity had three Alphas. She would be a huge target. It was not safe for her out there in the wilds of Wolf Country anymore.
“You can hate me, but you’re not going anywhere. If you leave, I’ll follow you. If you hide, I’ll find you. I’m never letting you go,” I said, looking deeply into her eyes, wishing I could read her thoughts.
Was I angering her, scaring her, comforting her or turning her on?
“I’ll never force you to show me love but I’ll never stop loving you. I’ll never stop trying to win you over,” I confessed.
This was it for me. Chasity or solitude. I’d won every battle up to this point. I’d always been a naturally gifted fighter, impossible to psyche out but Chasity’s little pissed off expression terrified me.
“Chasity, I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in and I’m not losing this one. You’re the most important fight of my life,” I said.
I was panting. Chasity brought my face to hers, kissing me passionately. That was more like it. Instinctively, I tightened my hold on her and pinned her to the wall, keeping my hand cradling the back of her head so I wouldn’t hurt her. It seemed like we could not get enough of each other. She was just as eager as I was. She rubbed herself against my hard-on, wrapping her legs more tightly around my waist.
I tossed her onto the bed and got on top of her, resuming our fiery kiss, my hands gripping her hips, encouraging her to move them. She whimpered and I snaked my tongue into her mouth. When she was too breathless, she pulled away and extricated herself.
She was panting. We surrounded her. Alex kissed her until Calix pulled her towards him. He pushed her down onto the bed and settled himself between her legs while they kissed. I was a little tiny bit hopeful that this was it. The day we would mate our Luna. I had hoped way too soon because she pulled away from Calix and put her palms up, giggling. She was done with our kisses. I felt like I was forgetting something. Chasity had a way of numbing my brain and I was sure she did the same to my brothers. It hit me. It was Christmas. I had forgotten about our parents waiting by the tree.
“You’re ready for your presents then, Baby?” I asked.
She nodded and I carried her to the Christmas tree, gently cradling her head to my chest. Alex and Calix came with us. Our parents did not look amused. They should get over themselves. I nibbled on my Baby’s ears and rubbed her shoulders to relax her. She was opening my gift first!
She looked at the small light blue box with the silver bow. I was glad she was not one of those people that shook gift boxes while they listened like Calix. I hated that. What if it was glass and they moronically broke it?
Chasity, like the perfect angel she was, carefully opened the box and she did not take a million years either like Father Time Alex, ageing us, while he opened atom by atom of his gift. She found the keys. She looked back at me questioningly.
“I don’t want you to feel trapped, trust me I’ll come after you if you run off but you should be able to get around if you need to,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck.
I was a bit nervous about her reaction. She was examining the keys. It dawned on her. She ran outside and I followed her. She spotted the new sixth car in the driveway. I was not expecting her to scream and jump for joy like a spoilt brat at her sweet sixteen who knew she was getting an expensive car because she had aggressively demanded one. However, Chasity looked totally confused. She hesitantly approached the light blue Range Rover as though it was a monster eating from the garbage. She touched the huge silver bow. Calix and Alex were standing behind me. I spotted Mom and Dad in the doorway. The vastly different reactions were almost comical. Calix was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, totally thrilled for Chasity. Alex was worried about her reaction like me, his eyebrows knitting together. Mom was quietly steaming, probably mentally calculating how much of the huge fortune we had inherited was being spent on Chasity. I had seen her peeking at Chasity’s gifts. She had had the nerve to ask Alex for the receipt for Chasity’s diamonds, claiming she was helping us with our bookkeeping. She did not know that Baby Boy Calix had gotten Chasity an expensive tropical vacay in the presidential suite of a fancy hotel. She was gonna flip the fuck out. Dad looked like he didn’t give a shit either way. I had overheard him telling Mom if we weren’t spending money on Chasity we would just spend it on some other girl anyway. He had said “At least they’re spending money on the future Luna and not some social climber like that Sandra.”
“It’s a Range Rover,” I said to my confused little minx.
She grinned at me. I knew she probably knew nothing about cars but she was starting to look pretty happy with this one. I had let her run out in her fuzzy bedroom slippers and her pyjamas. I needed to get her back inside.
She ran to me and kissed me.
“Thank you so much, Felix,” she whispered.
I gathered her up in my arms, shielding her from the cold. She pecked Alex and then Calix. She spotted a mug in Calix’s hands.
“Want some hot chocolate, my snow angel?” Asked Calix.
“She’s more of a snow bunny. She’s too mischievous to be an angel,” teased Alex.
“My Baby is plenty angelic. What’s wrong with you?” I said, laughing.
We took Chasity back inside. She set her eyes on Alex’s gift next.
Alex
I wrapped Chasity in a blanket and put her in my lap. I rubbed her arms to help warm her up. Calix brought her some hot chocolate and put the cup to her lips. Felix brought her some of the brunch the new cooks had made. Chasity was opening my gift. It was a set: matching diamond necklace, earrings and a tennis bracelet. I had picked yellow gold this time but I was thinking of white gold for her engagement ring. She gasped when she saw the diamond jewellery.
“I know you’re not ready for an engagement ring yet,” I said quickly, “but I wanted you to have diamonds.”
“They’re so beautiful, Alex, thank you,” she said.
She pressed her lips against mine. I nuzzled her and she giggled.
“You’re welcome, Luna,” I murmured.
Calix
Chasity was opening my present. My wolf and I were so excited. He kept wanting me to suggest a snow run. I had to keep shushing him. Perhaps, after the gift giving, we could run if Chasity was up to it.
Chasity unwrapped the envelope. The envelope itself was a Christmas envelope with a snowflake pattern. Alex had said it did not make sense wrapping it but I had wrapped it anyway. Unwrapping was half the fun! Alex’s Christmas fun was over the moment he checked the last box on his Christmas Prep List. Christmas gave him anxiety.
Chasity peeked inside the envelope. She giggled. She read the plane tickets and the hotel brochure. The four tickets were for Chasity and my brothers and me. Her eyes widened. Her face lit up. It was not a competition but my present was the best. We were going somewhere warm, somewhere tropical, far away from the pack house and Mom and Dad. I loved them but I was an adult and my girl needed to relax and unwind far away from their watchful eyes.
“I want to take you away from here. Maybe the memories here are too painful. Maybe a change of scenery will help you heal and help us bond,” I explained hesitantly.
Chasity kissed me slowly. I savoured every second of it.
“Calix, Honey,” said Mom.
Oh God.
“Where are you going? I’m so excited for you,” she said unconvincingly.
Dad looked impassive.
“You know the place Mom. We’ve been to that island before with you and Dad. Dad has a…you know…docked there,” I mumbled the last part, eyeing Chasity.
Mom, the yacht is part of the surprise ok. I don’t want to discuss it in front of Chasity, I said quickly.
Oh, ok, Honey, we can discuss it later, she said.
There’s really nothing to discuss. Just a week or two of fun in the sun with Chasity and my brothers. No big deal, I said, hoping she would drop it.
“I don’t think Calix has ever been away from me for that long,” said Mom.
“A week?” Asked Felix dryly.
Mom scowled.
“We went to Summer Swim Camp that one time,” I reminded her.
“That was six weeks,” said Alex, nodding.
“You came home after three weeks because Calix was home-sick. I had to cut my vacation with your mother short,” grumbled Dad.
“We were thirteen,” said Felix pointedly.
“We’re twenty-one now. I guarantee we won’t come back early,” grinned Alex.
Mom frowned.
“You and Dad can plan a lovely vacay too,” I suggested.
Dad grinned.
“We can go too!” Said Mom. “All six of us!”
Chasity’s face fell. My wolf gripped me.
“NO!” We said, making Mom jump.
“I mean,” I said, calming my wolf. “You and Dad should go somewhere else so both trips can be romantic and we won’t step on each other’s toes.”
Chasity looked relieved. I pulled her into my lap.
“Alex and Felix are lucky they’re coming. I almost made it a two-person trip,” I said, winking at Chasity who giggled. “I already had to make it a four people trip and that’s that. I would love to organise a nice trip for you and Dad some place you’ve never been maybe,” I offered.
Dad opened his mouth but Mom cut across him.
“No, that’s ok. We’ll wait right here for you to come back,” said Mom somewhat ominously.
I held Chasity tightly. Sometimes, I thought about moving out with Chasity, Alex and Felix, or asking Mom and Dad to move out but I wanted to secure my relationship with Chasity first without wrecking my relationship with Mom.
“Mom, be happy for us, please,” I said bluntly.
“I am!” She said excitedly.
“Ok,” I said, nodding.
Chasity was in her own little world, daydreaming. I stole another kiss. She kissed me back.
“Mmmm, I’m gonna make this trip really romantic for you, Baby,” I whispered against her lips.
“We all will,” said Alex, grinning.
“It’ll be really hot and you’ll be sweating a lot, but it won’t be because of the weather,” said Felix cheekily.
Chasity blushed and hid her face in my chest.
“I wanna take Chasity bikini shopping the day after Boxing Day,” Felix said.
Chasity peeped out at him.
“We’ll all go with you to help you pick out some swimsuits,” said Alex, with a wink.
“Or we could just skinny-dip the whole trip,” I suggested, waggling my eyebrows.
Chasity giggled.
“So fucking cute,” growled Felix.
We kinda pounced on Chasity after that and thankfully, Mom and Dad left the room.