A Special Christmas (Part One)

**Lily**

"Lily."

"Lily."

"Lily!"

I sigh through my nose, "What!" I lift my head to glare at the culprit.

"What crawled up your butt and died?" Vanessa, Victor's mate, glares at me while slicing the onions without breaking eye contact.

"Well..." Using my hands, I hoist my upper half up by grabbing the back of the sofa. My legs slowly let my feet hit the ground. I sigh in content. "... I'm carrying life, Vanessa." I point my thumbs to my round belly. "I know we're werewolves but I think I'm carrying more than one life here."

"You are not," Keely, my twin sister, grunts. "You're just mad because Brandon and Diana had twins in one try."

"And Jeremy wants three kids." Megan, who is my sister and Hunter's wife, points out. "So now you want to knock them all out in one."

I push my lips together and make a weird sound that sounds like a gargle. "I do not." I wave them off. Megan and Keely make an "Mm-hmm" hum. I blow out a breath. "Is that a crime? I can't see my feet. And every time I turn around, I end up dropping something." I put a hand to my belly. "I love this baby but I swear I can't wait until it's over."

"Amen, sister." Vanessa hollers. "I am so glad I'm not having any more children. I popped out Aiden and I'm done. No more factory. It's closed." She puffs out her cheeks and pokes a hole in both sides, making a cute expression.

"Does Victor know?" Alexis, Nick's wife, asks while bringing out a tub of vanilla ice cream.

"So no chocolate?" Jenna, Jesse's wife, mutters. "Do I not exist?"

"No." Megan deadpans.

"Victor wants more kids but Aiden is enough." Vanessa grabs a spoonful of ice cream. "He's independent, he makes his lunch, he is well-behaved and he is only two. Why would I risk getting one as dumb as Victor is?"

"He makes his lunch?" Jenna's jaw drops in shock. "Kyle is the same age but instead, I make his lunch." She shakes her head in thought. "I married Jesse, who is smarter than Victor but Victor got the most advanced child?" Her back hits the sofa. "What a weird world."

"Ditto." Megan takes the spoon out of her mouth, waving it around as she talks. "Erza's about to turn two but he still wets the bed. And the only lunch he makes is the clay one." She scoffs.

"Right." I snort. I find myself looking down at the ice cream in disgust. "Where's the chocolate ice cream?"

"That's what I said!" Jenna replies, eyes shooting daggers at Megan.

"Joanne ate it."

"Well, dang." I cross my arms over my belly. "Didn't Chase stop her? Why the hell - " I feel a tear rolling down my cheek. " Why would he marry someone who just... eats ice cream like that?!"

Jenna looks away. "She's getting emotional." She sings.

Her comment somehow makes me angry and miserable at the same time.

"I'll grab some napkins." Keely walks to the kitchen.

She's so sweet!

"You know what?" Alexis places her elbows on her knees, leaning forward. "Caleb is kind of dumb. I saw him try to steal Ana-Lynn's toys but Ana-Lilia bit his arm."

Megan glances at me in confusion, "What does he have to do with my child?"

"Well, Exel and Keely aren't dumb but they have kind of a dumb child, you know?" She whispers, grinning.

"Are you talking about my son?" Keely walks out of the kitchen, peering at Alexis with curious eyes. "Because I will take you out now."

"Puh-lease." Alexis waves her off. "I'll rip out your head in two seconds."

"And I'll do it in one." Keely cooly responds.

I nod in agreement.

"Wait, whose Ana-Lynn and Ana-Lilia?" Vanessa scratches her neck. "Do I know them?"

"You babysit them, Vanessa."

"...Oh."

I groan, "You're so stupid. I hope Aiden survives." I shake my head and pop some nasty ice cream in my mouth. Oh wait, it's not so bad. But it would taste better with salted pretzels.

"They are Brandon and Diana's twin daughters," Jenna responds with a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"They are like one," Megan adds.

"Oh them." Vanessa chuckles. "Why did I think they were called Leslie and Anabelle?"

I roll my eyes. "Because you're dumb as dirt." I lean my back against the sofa. I think rolling my eyes made me light-headed. Is that possible?

Vanessa bares her teeth at me. I feel the corner of my lips lift. She's as dumb as Victor.

"Did you cut the onions?" Alexis asks her. "Diana and Joanne are going to be back soon to cook the deer for our Christmas dinner."

"Yep." Vanessa nods. "I didn't cry either."

"Let's throw you a party." Jenna mumbles.

"Okay, you have got to stop talking crap or I'll make those nasty lips stretch to your ears." Vanessa moves her hair behind her shoulder, eyes dark with annoyance, her fork tightly crushed in between her fingers.

I gasp, my hands crushing my cheeks in excitement. "Like the joker."

"I don't have nasty lips."

Vanessa is up in a second, body ready to strike, and eyes pinned to Jenna's smug smirk.

"Did we interrupt something?" Joanne wonders, head tilted to the side. Diana, our husbands, and mates are behind her.

"Nope!" My stomach grumbles at the deers on Brandon and Exel's backs.

"Did... I think that deer moved." Keely mutters, grimacing.

"They are dead, right?" Alexis stands up. "I mean, I'm not eating live deer."

I lick my lips as a sudden urge to eat them whole crosses my mind. "Who cares." I rub my hands together.

"I do!" Jenna raises her hand.

"Do you smell dead deer?" Jeremy, my mate, asks. He places a hand on the deer's stomach. "Do you smell it?"

Her shoulder drops, "No."

"There is your answer." Jeremy claps his hands together. "Now, how is my baby?" Jeremy makes his way towards me, face bright.

"Fat," Victor snickers.

Why do I have the sudden urge to shove him against the wall?

Jeremy places his hand on my belly, "Has he moved?" He asks. I shake my head "no".

Why is he touching my stomach like a creep?

"He's probably sleeping." Jesse states. "I mean, I should know." He looks proud.

He is also shovable.

"There he goes." Megan groans.

"I am a father." Jesse rolls his eyes. "If you were a mother, you'd also think about your child all day."

"I am a mother."

"Barely."

As Megan is about to charge, Hunter places a hand on her shoulder, sternly shaking his head, "Not today." Megan sighs and places her fingers on her temples, and plops her body on the sofa.

Probably the only person who can control her. Good thing they are mates.

He glances at Jesse with dark eyes. "Megan is a great mother."

"So scared." Jenna mocks, wrapping her arms around him. Jesse grins and kisses her on the cheek.

"Gross," Megan fake gags.

"Why can't we have a quiet holiday?" Chase wonders. "We should be skinning the deer and prepping the grill."

"Word." Nick agrees.

"Shut up, Nick!" Alexis scolds. "Let's see how this plays out." Alexis grabs the ice cream container and hugs it against her chest, eyes going from Jesse to Megan and Hunter.

Nick sarcastically says, "That's my mate, guys." He shakes his head and grabs the end of a deer. "I'm going to skin this out with Exel."

"Sure," Exel rolls his eyes. "I don't want ice cream."

"I will go too." Brandon awkwardly states. He motions Chase to grab the end of the other deer. Together, they follow Nick and Exel to the backyard.

"Joanne and I should go to." Diana tsks. "They don't know how to grill right."

Joanne nods in agreement and follows behind her. Vanessa glances around the room, stands up and heads towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside." Vanessa is curt. She pauses misstep, shoots a dark eye dagger at Victor, and walks out.

I sigh. "What did you do now, Victor?"

Victor's eyes avoid mine, looking at anything but me. "I don't know."

"I think he does." Jesse sighs. He takes a seat on the other side of the couch. "Did you forget an anniversary?" He raises an eyebrow, using his hand to hold his chin.

"No."

"Did you call her "fat"?"

"No."

"Maybe she's tired of how dumb you are," Jenna suggests.

We all glance at her. I'm the pregnant one, why is she moody today?

"I'll stab her." Victor takes out a fork.

"How are you still holding on to that fork? You're a father!" Jesse looks like he might use Victor's fork to stab himself.

But Victor doesn't react. His eyes are dancing with emotion. I bet he has thought of one hundred ways to kill Jenna already.

I can't say I haven't been there. Luna or not, she can be a real jerk.

Jenna smirks.

Victor charges forward.

"Okay!" Alexis stands up, blocking Victor's vision of Jenna. "Why don't Hunter and I take you outside, okay?" Her hands pull Jenna on her feet.

"Maybe you need air." Alexis squeezes the last words out of her mouth, forcing a smile.

"But I don't want to."

"And why do I have to go?" Hunter frowns.

"Because," Jenna pushes their shoulders towards the front door. "I said so."

"Actually," Keely clears her throat. "Maybe we should go check on the kids. The babysitter just texted me."

"But I don't have kids," Alexis mutters.

"Now, I didn't ask." Keely grins, fingers politely intertwined at her front. To others, she looks normal, but I know she's not playing around.

Hunter looks at Megan with the blankest face I've ever seen.

"Don't make a scene!" Megan calls, her head tilts in the direction of the front door.

Jeremy and I glance at each other in confusion. That's his angry face?

Hunter follows behind Keely, Alexis, and Jenna.

"Why did they leave us alone?" Jesse grabs a spoon and places it in the tub of vanilla ice cream. "Do you have something planned for Lily?"

A tick of annoyance makes me glare at Jeremy.

"I didn't!" Jeremy raises his hands defensively. "It might be Victor's childish fork."

Victor, eyes fixed on the fork, holds it to the light. "It worked, didn't it?" He seems to be trying to make a triumphant pose.

"It's her baby shower." Megan says, eyes pinned at the screen of her phone.

"Megan!" Jeremy closes his eyes.

"You did what?!" My hands twitch.

"Hello?"

Is that my phone?

"Yes, this is Lily."

"Why are you holding my phone?!" I whisper yell at Victor.

He shushes me. "What?" Victor begins to laugh out loud like a hyena. "I think you have the wrong number, sir. I can't be having triplets." He slaps his forehead. "I am a man!"

"What?!"