Chapter 24 Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Sofie
The Hen House glows like it knows what today is.
Firelight flickers against stone, soft and constant, the Christmas tree standing just off to the side with white lights that don’t blink or compete. Everything smells like pine and woodsmoke and something warm baking somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Aleks stands behind me, arms wrapped around my waist, his body a solid line at my back.
Not tight, not possessive, just right. His chin rests lightly against my shoulder, and I lean into him without thinking, like my body already knows this is where it fits best in times when you’re about to watch something sacred.
I know she’s okay, but I still worry that the last-minute change of venue shook her a bit, and when we rolled up in front, she lost it. I felt horrible. But now, as Claudia appears at the top of the stairs. She looks even more beautiful than she did before emotions took hold.
She pauses there, one hand on the banister, and for a second, it feels like she’s taking a breath for all of us. Ivory silk, elegant and straightforward, hair loose enough to still be her.
Paul waits at the bottom of the stairs, and so does our father, who Aleks has been very …
on top of his schedule, insisting that each morning before he heads to the arena, they play a game of chess, and when he comes home, they either come see me, or watch highlight reels together.
It depends on the day, of course. Some days, Aleks is my boyfriend; on others, he probably just thinks he’s part of my security team or the staff.
Thankfully, today is a good day.
Both Paul and Dad look up at her at the same time, and my chest tightens in the best way.
She comes down slowly, deliberately, and when she reaches them, she doesn’t hesitate. She links her arm through Paul’s, then through our father’s.
Aleks’s arms tighten just a fraction around me, like he felt it too.
They walk her together. No rush, no spectacle. Just three people moving forward because this is how life should be.
Deacon waits in front of the fireplace, Savannah in his arms. He’s in a tux, sharp and impossibly handsome, but it’s Savannah who steals the breath from the room, dressed in the cutest little velvet Christmas dress I could find, hands gripping his lapels like she’s anchoring him to the moment.
He doesn’t look away from Claudia, not once.
When they reach him, the minister smiles and waits until the room settles again before speaking. “Who gives this woman to this man?”
My father’s voice is steady, and Paul’s meets it at the exact same time. “We do,” they say together.
My eyes burn before I can stop it. Aleks notices immediately, his thumb brushing gently beneath my eye, grounding me without a word.
The fire pops softly behind them. The tree lights shimmer. Savannah beams like this is the best day of her life.
Aleks leans down, mouth close to my ear.
“Tsaritsa moya,” he murmurs, so quietly it’s just for me.
I close my eyes for a second and let myself feel everything at once. Love that doesn’t ask you to choose. A family that expands instead of fractures. Arms around me that promise to stay, no matter what the future holds.
When I open my eyes, Deacon is smiling like a man who knows he’s home.
And standing there, held exactly where I belong, I understand something simple and certain, so am I.
I wake Christmas morning to the sound of a text, and it’s Aleks’ phone, not mine.
He sits up carefully as quietly as he can, like he’s trying not to wake me.
I sit up and hold back the urge to say “Merry Christmas,” because I do not want him to change position.
Watching him feels like a gift. Domestic hot.
His back flexes as he reaches for his sweats, muscles loose and unguarded.
His glorious ass flexes as he bends to grab his sweats, and then I get the very rare look at his soft cock, which hangs and swings as he moves… It’s beautiful.
When he grabs his shirt, he must catch me out of his peripheral vision, and we both say, Merry Christmas at the same time.
I ask, “What are you doing up so early?”
“Your father’s Christmas gift is on its way up.”
“I thought the gift was the new clubs and the golf trip you, Deacon, and Paul were taking him on when the off-season starts.”
It better be, because that was the theme of his whole Christmas from me.
He grips my chin and gives me a kiss, “It is, this is a surprise, so stay here and—”
“Nope, I’m coming.”
“You’re a pain in the ass even on the holidays?”
I motion to myself, “This is 365, 24-7, AK, you think you can hang?” I know he can, and swing.
“Okay, but you have to follow the rules, or it becomes your gift and not his.”
“What did you do?” I ask, throwing on my Christmas jammies.
He holds out his hand, “Come.”
I lace my fingers through his, and he all but pulls me along.
When the elevator doors open, a man steps inside, calm and confident, holding the leash of a massive black dog. Not aggressive. Not anxious. Just… aware.
“This is Liam Ross,” Aleks says.
Liam nods. “Merry Christmas.”
Behind us, Matteo and James appear; they knew.
Liam kneels slightly, giving the dog space. “This is a Black Russian Terrier. Fully trained. Protection, service, and companion work.”
He explains what that means. How the dog reads tone and posture. How he anchors to routine. How his size is an asset, not a liability, even in a city penthouse. How he enhances safety without creating fear.
The dog doesn’t wait for permission.
He walks straight past all of us and settles at my father’s feet.
Not crowding. Not pushing. Just sitting.
Dad looks down, surprised, then smiles slowly, instinctively reaching out.
“Well,” he says. “Hello there.”
The dog leans gently into his leg, claiming him.
“Niko,” Liam says. “That’s his name.”
My chest tightens, and I hold my hand to it. Aleks’s hand slides to my back.
Dad looks up at us, eyes bright, present, full. “Is he…”
“A gift to you, from all of us.” Aleks smiles.
“I think,” he says carefully, “this might be the best Christmas yet.”
The kitchen is quiet today, so we decided to give all the staff a four-day mini vacation. Aleks was home for that time, and we had no plans to leave.
Aleks is at the island in socks, sleeves pushed up, moving with that calm competence that makes everything feel handled. He plates breakfast like it matters, like this is a ritual and not just food.
I slide a platter of toast toward him. Thick-cut sourdough, still warm, butter already melting into the cracks.
“What made you think of a dog?” I ask, handing him the eggs next. Soft-scrambled, glossy, the way Dad likes them, even though he pretends he doesn’t care.
Aleks doesn’t look up right away. “The men from the Legacy group mentioned it.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Of course they did.”
He huffs a quiet laugh. “As a deterrent. Something visible. Something that changes the equation without escalating it. Alarms can be ignored. Cameras can be avoided. A dog makes people rethink their choices.”
He arranges smoked salmon on a platter, careful and neat, lemon wedges tucked beside it, capers in a small bowl. There’s already a bowl of berries waiting, strawberries sliced, blueberries rinsed, pomegranate seeds scattered like they were placed deliberately, because they were.
“But that’s not why I chose him,” he adds.
I pause with the coffee cups in my hands. “Then why?”
He turns to face me fully. “Because of what it would do for your father.”
I swear I fall deeper and deeper, not just every day, but every second.
“He needs routine,” Aleks continues. “Presence. Something that grounds him in the day. And something that chooses him every morning, no matter what kind of day it is.”
My throat tightens.
“He’s always wanted a dog,” I say softly. “Since I was little. It was always a someday thing that never happened.”
Aleks nods. “Niko is good with kids. Exceptionally. That was non-negotiable.”
I smile despite myself. “Of course it was.”
“He’s three,” Aleks adds. “Which means he’s been through more training than most military personnel before they step into the field. Obedience. Protection. Socialization. Crowds. Noise. Kids pulling tails and grabbing fur. He doesn’t react, he assesses.”
He reaches for the bacon, crisp and perfect, lines the platter with a cloth napkin, and presentation still matters even when no one’s watching. Who’d have thought?
“He knows how to read people,” he says. “Especially when they’re vulnerable.”
I swallow.
“That matters,” I say. “Dad loves the black bears at the zoo. Always has. Says they’re calm and powerful and mind their business.”
Aleks smiles faintly. “You sent that to me in a text, and a picture from the Zoo. That’s why I knew.”
Niko. Big. Grounded. Gentle unless he needs not to be.
We move around each other easily, setting out yogurt and honey, oatmeal with brown sugar and walnuts, because Dad will eat it even if he claims he won’t. I pour the coffee, rich and dark, steam curling up between us.
“You didn’t just think about security,” I say quietly. “You thought about his heart.”
Aleks doesn’t deflect. “I did.” He leans over and kisses me on the top of my head. “What matters to you, now matters to me. That will never change.”
We carry the platters into the dining room together.
Dad is already seated. Niko is at his feet, settled like this has always been the arrangement. Dad’s hand rests on the dog’s head, fingers moving slowly, rhythmically. Niko leans into the touch just enough to be felt.
Anchored. Present. Loved.
“You gave her a house?” Nalani laughs.
“In Switzerland?” Noelle asks.
He totally did, and that gift was given to me right before he opened the small box with my genetics test results, specifically the APOE genotyping, and the doctor’s note that I am not at high risk.
He didn’t have to ask what that meant, but I did tell him, one, and then we can adopt as many as you want.
The way he beamed made it more of a gift for me.
“Family is important to her, and this is one of the few places I am allowed to see my brother.”
“How many bedrooms?” Claudia asked.
“Seven, you’re all welcome.”
“Where is Niko?” Nalani asks.
“He’s with Arthur. Doesn’t leave his side until it’s time for his walks.” Aleks says.
“A dog that size is actually walking the person, right?” Dash chuckles.
“He’s very well trained.” Aleks says.
“He won’t let me take him out alone,” I add.
“That’s because you want to put that ridiculous coat on him.” Aleks shakes his head.
“It’s not ridiculous, it’s adorable.” I huff, “And warm.”
“He’s a dog; he came with his own coat. You don’t need to accessorize him.”
“You two are adorable,” Noelle states. “Do you have a song?”
Deacon holds up his hand, “Before you answer,” Claudia’s laugh interrupts him, but he continues. “We need you both to find it on your playlists and play it on the count of three.”
“What is wrong with you?” Aleks scowls at him.
“Just do it.” Deacon scowls back.
“We don’t have a—”
Claudia cuts me off, “Okay then, just play the one you were humming that day.”
I mimic Aleks’s accent, “What is wrong with you?”
Everyone laughs, and Aleks rolls his eyes.
Deacon points at him, “The one you let play in the—”
Aleks cuts Deacon off, “I know what song you’re referring to, but this is a stupid —”
“One,” Nalani says, and I pull it up on my phone, hiding it from him.
“You’re a child too?” he asks me. I nod and grin. “For fucks sake.” He pulls his phone out.
“Two.” Noelle giggles.
“Three.” Claudia smiles.
Daylight by Taylor Swift plays, and hell no, I don’t hide it, I’m a Swiftie and proud of it.
We show each other our phones, and I pout out my lower lip when I read his screen, Daylight by David Kushner.
He sighs heavily, “Does this song mean I love you any more or any less?”
“Oh my God, you two may be my favorite,” Noelle pauses and looks at Claudia and Nalani, “Non-married couple.”
“Why is that so offensive to me?” Dash asks.
“And unengaged,” She adds, holding out her hand.
“What!” The three of us screech and tackle-hug her.