A Holly Knotty Christmas (Knotty Holiday #2)

Chapter One – Noelle

Some people hate the snow. They hate the mess that comes with it when it inevitably melts, or they focus on the way it only stays nice for a few hours—until the plow trucks come and mix it with salt, until it looks a little less white and a little more brown.

When you focus on its drawbacks, there are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t like the snow.

The car accidents. The traffic delays. Flight cancellations during the worst time of the year for said cancellations.

But me? I’ve always loved it. Granted, that could be just because I don’t drive in it and I don’t have to shovel the sidewalks or work in it.

I love the way it sparkles when it’s freshly-fallen and the sun peeks out through the clouds.

I adore the way it makes the world so quiet, a rare thing these days.

When you step outside, from the warmth and coziness of your house, into a fresh world of pure white…

well, there really isn’t anything like it.

I love it. I love the holidays that come with it, especially Christmas.

My family never understood my love for its cheesy movies.

Christmas in my family is a day of exchanging gifts and eating a semi-nice dinner that my mom bitches about cooking half the day, but for someone like Miranda, my best friend, it’s so much more than that.

It’s a holiday retreat in the mountains. It’s a freaking cabin in the middle of nowhere—and by cabin, I pretty much mean mansion, since Miranda’s parents happen to be loaded.

It’s how we met, years ago, when we were both still kids and neither one of us presented yet, before we knew she’s a beta and I’m an omega.

My dad works for her parents, at their house, as their head groundskeeper.

He keeps the outside of their property looking perfect—you’d be surprised how much work goes into keeping a huge yard and all the greenery and flowers therein looking nice.

I still remember it to this day: I was five, and I had to go with him because my mom got called into work.

Both my parents were betas, so they weren’t expecting an omega daughter, but that’s not the point.

The point is I was too young to be left alone at the house, so I was under my dad’s supervision that morning.

Well, Miranda was seven months older than me, and when she saw me sitting on the patio outside, she hauled an entire tub of dolls out there so we could play together.

Never even asked me my name. Just brought out the toys, and we got along as easy as apple and pie.

Fifteen years have passed, and she’s like the sister I never had, and her parents are basically my second set of parents.

It’s the only reason my parents allowed me to go with her this Christmas, to their cabin. Typically, it’s a week-long event, but Miranda and I are getting there early.

And thank goodness Miranda is a confident driver in the snow. That, and her car is huge with nice, big tires. That always helps.

“How much longer until we get there?” I ask, drawing my gaze away from the snowy world outside of the car and glancing at my best friend in the driver’s seat.

She’s pretty short for a beta, only an inch or so taller than me.

At first glance, most people assume she’s an omega, too, especially since she’s always hanging out with me.

The similarities end there. Where my hair is shoulder-length and blond, hers is long, a dark brown, and her eyes are the color of warm amber, while mine are a vibrant blue.

She reaches forward and touches something on the screen in her car. She doesn’t have the GPS on; she knows the way by heart. She must put the address in right then, because suddenly a time appears on the flat screen. “Looks like a solid thirty minutes still,” she says.

Not bad, considering how far we’ve come. Turns out, even when you have money, there aren’t any planes that’ll take you straight to your mansion in the mountains.

She turns up the music after that, and we jam out for a while.

After a few songs, a message pops up on the screen, and the car lowers the music to read the message out loud: “Looks like a blizzard’s heading our way.

I’ll keep you and your brothers updated on our flight home. ” A message from her mom.

“Shit,” she says. “Hopefully they don’t get delayed too much.” Then she shrugs. “Oh, well. That’s what they get for flying to New York in the middle of December just to hang out with some high school friends.” The way she says it, you’d never guess those high school friends are Fortune 500 CEOs.

Or maybe you would.

“Whatever. It just means we’ll have the house to ourselves for a while, even if they are late to the party.” As Miranda goes on, I focus on the other part of that message.

“Wait,” I say. “What do your brothers have to do with it?”

My friend gives me a look that’s meant to be sheepish, but only turns out sly. Sly and mischievous. “Oh, I didn’t tell you? They decided to come after all.”

My heart does something funny in my chest, and I’m too shocked to say anything right away.

Miranda knows her brothers are a… let’s just call them a contentious topic when it comes to me.

Three alphas. One set of twins, and one über alpha that puts all other alphas to shame.

All ridiculously hot, as alphas typically are.

You know the type: tall, muscled, growly. Something about them makes my inner omega sing in the worst way—it’s so embarrassing to have a crush on your best friend’s brothers. She clocked the crush years ago, before I even presented as an omega.

“They weren’t supposed to come,” I say, my cheeks heating up. It’s the only reason my parents let me come in the first place—her parents would supervise us, and her three alpha brothers weren’t going to be there. “My parents are going to kill me.”

“Oh, come on. They know my brothers wouldn’t do anything to you.

You guys have known each other as long as you’ve known me.

We’re like one big family.” Miranda flashes me a grin.

“Besides, it’s too late. I’m not turning this car around and taking you home now that we’re nearly there.

You can ask your parents’ forgiveness later. ”

It isn’t like my parents don’t trust her brothers.

Like she said, we are like family now. Still, it’s one thing to have a pack of alphas and an unmated omega under the same roof.

The last few times I’ve seen her brothers…

things were weird. Awkward, even. Maybe it was all in my head, or maybe they think I’m gross.

Or maybe they think I’m not gross, and they don’t know what to do with it. I sure as heck don’t. Things get confusing when her brothers are in the picture.

Ugh. So much for a relaxing Christmas.

Miranda must sense my thoughts, because she says, “Stop worrying about it. Everything will be fine. I’ll make sure those assholes are on their best behavior around you.” She shoots me a knowing look. “Unless you want them on their worst behavior?”

“I don’t even know what you mean by that.”

“Sure you do.”

“No, I do not—”

My friend rolls her eyes. “Come on, Noelle. We both know why you avoid my brothers like the plague, and it isn’t because you hate them.” Under her breath, she adds, “You haven’t exactly advertised the fact that you’re ready for a pack.”

My cheeks blush harder. “Because I’m not ready!”

“Psh. Okay, sure. You’re not ready for a pack, and snow’s not white.”

“Snow isn’t always white—”

“Stop. You know what I mean. If my brothers asked you to be their omega, you’d say no?”

I don’t understand how we’re talking about this. How did the route of the conversation wind up here? “Your brothers would never ask me to be their omega.” The denial comes out of me fast; this isn’t the first time we’ve discussed the possibility, which makes this even weirder.

Most girls would get the ick if their friend had crushes on their brothers, but not Miranda. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s been rooting for us to get together for years now.

“You’re impossible,” she mutters.

“Thanks,” I say, trying to sound happy about it, but I just can’t shake the nerves now that I know her brothers will be there. And with her parents possibly being late to the house…

No. I need to stop my mind from going to the gutter.

Miranda can’t seem to let it go. Not yet. “All I’m trying to say is, my brothers have been old enough for an omega for a few years now. They haven’t once gone to the Omega Garden, even though my mom has been begging them. They supposedly aren’t interested in getting to know other potential omegas.”

“That doesn’t mean they’re waiting for me.”

“No, it doesn’t, but I find it too coincidental.” She taps her chin, mulling it over in the most dramatic way possible. “I’ll get to the bottom of this, one way or another, mark my words. Inspector Miranda is officially on the case!”

“The case of what?”

“The mysterious case of the packless omega and the omega-less alphas.” She deadpans, “However will it be resolved?” She runs her fingers around her mouth, like she has a goatee or something. Ugh, this girl is taking this whole thing way too seriously.

Or maybe not seriously enough, depending on how you look at it.

With a shake of my head, I return my focus to the snowy outside world.

“Whatever. All I know is, you better not leave me alone in a room with any of your brothers. If I’m not with you, I’m alone.

” Even as I say it, I know for a fact it won’t happen.

Me being with Miranda all week is wishful thinking.

Something will happen; she’ll take any excuse she can get to leave me alone with them.

“Sure, sure,” she says, and we both know she’s lying.

An hour later, we’re unpacking our things in our respective rooms. Pulling up to the house that’s less like a cabin and more of a rich man’s idea of a winter getaway was a surreal experience.

I’ve seen pictures of the place before—Miranda loves taking pictures of everything—but it’s a completely different thing to experience the whole thing for yourself.

It’s freaking huge.

Ten bedrooms. Half as many baths. A giant kitchen with an equally ginormous dining room. Multiple stone fireplaces—gas ones, so you don’t have to worry about chopping wood. Multiple living spaces that make up great rooms, living rooms, and even a room with a pool table and other fun things.

It’s something out of a movie. Or a dream. I honestly can’t believe some people live like this, while other people, like my family, live in a tiny three-bedroom house with no basement and no attic. It’s crazy. And all because one of Miranda’s dads is a high-profile lawyer.

Since Miranda and I get there first, we have the pick of the bedrooms. We choose two rooms that are side-by-side, that share a bathroom.

We unpack our clothes, then head to the kitchen, where we unpack the food we brought.

I think we brought a ridiculous amount of food, considering we’re only going to be here a week or so, but according to her, you can never bring enough food to a place like this.

Never know when a snowstorm might come strolling along and delay your exit, and in the middle of nowhere, there is no such thing as food delivery.

It’s all going well so far, but that isn’t to say much, considering it’s just the two of us. The real question will be what happens when her brothers get here.

Felix. Nico. Matteo. Three alphas I wasn’t expecting to see this week, but at least they’re alphas I know. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m comfortable around them, but I have spent quite a lot of time with them, hanging out at their house with Miranda.

Felix and Nico are the twins, only two years older than Miranda at twenty-thee, meaning they’re almost three years older than me. They’re the nice ones. Felix will trip over himself to make sure you’re taken care of, while Nico will do the same, except with a witty comment.

Matteo, on the other hand… he’s the über alpha, a definite work in progress. He’s never given off the vibe that he likes me, let alone knows I exist, so I don’t know why Miranda would think he’d ever want me as his omega.

I mean, just because they’re alphas doesn’t mean anything. Alphas are a dime a dozen. If anyone is the special one, it’s me.

Yeah, yeah. No matter how many times I repeat that to myself in my head, it never rings true.

That night, Miranda and I watch a Christmas movie on the big TV in the downstairs living room, with the fire going. I’m glad she knows how to do all that stuff. We eat some pizza rolls and pretend we’re kids again.

Except we’re not, something she reminds me when she glances at me and whispers as the misfit toys learn the meaning of Christmas on the TV, “You know, all I’m going to say is, if you were a part of their pack, you’d basically be like a sister to me. You’re pretty much already there.”

I’m glad it’s dark out now, so she can’t see me blushing. “Do your brothers know you’re trying to set us up?”

“I’m not trying to set you guys up. I’m just stating the obvious. You know how when you’re watching a movie sometimes, the solution to the problem is so freaking obvious to you, but the characters take forever to reach the same conclusion? It’s like that.”

I sigh. “It’s because there’d be no movies if the characters always figured everything out instantly.”

“You’re right,” she admits with a shrug. “It’s no fun when it’s like that—still, sometimes a quick little sitcom is just what you need. Not a daytime serial that never ends. Do me a favor, please, and choose the sitcom.”

I don’t say much else to my friend that night, mostly because she keeps talking about her brothers.

As much as I can appreciate their attractive alpha-ness, I’m not dumb.

I’m a nobody. Her brothers can literally have their pick of the omegas at the Omega Garden if they wanted to—omegas who come from impressive bloodlines or rich families. Not little old me.

Although, I guess the same could be said of Miranda. She could have anyone as a best friend, but she chose me. Since we were kids, before cliques came into the picture, before we presented and got shipped off to different schools, we were inseparable.

Could her brothers like me? Maybe she knows something I don’t.

Ugh. See? The girl got in my head.

I go to sleep that night, though I don’t get much sleep at all.