Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Alfie had been to a few New Year’s Eve parties in his adult life, but none that felt quite so serious as the one at Myla’s parents’. Not only was it an annual tradition and would be full of her family and their friends, but he was going to meet her parents.
It wasn’t just the midnight-kiss that was looming ahead, it was meeting her family on their home turf.
He dressed in jeans and a sweater, and as he was getting ready in the apartment at the back of the park, someone knocked on the door.
“It’s open. I think,” he called.
“Yeah, it is,” Joss answered. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.”
He stepped out from the bedroom and met his alpha. Jeanie was with him and handed Alfie a coupon booklet.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“We printed up a set of tickets for the group safari tour for her family. Once the tours open back up in February, they can schedule a family tour with these coupons, and you can drive them or be the guide if you’d like.”
“Oh, wow, that’s cool. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s always good to bring a gift to a party, and tour coupons are definitely unique,” Jeanie said with a warm smile.
“Jeanie and I are going to be your escort tonight. We’ll follow you to their home, and then just send a text when you’re ready to head back to the park and we’ll meet you on the road.”
“Sounds good, thanks.”
“You bet,” Joss said. “I always feel like we could relax our security precautions sometimes, but then I’m reminded of terrible things that have happened to our people in the past and I’m not willing to risk anyone’s safety.”
“I don’t mind at all, honestly. Are you going out to dinner or just being my escort?”
“Dinner,” Jeanie said. “Joss promised he’d try sushi, so I found a place.”
Joss made a face. “Wish me luck.”
Alfie grinned. “Good luck. If all else fails, the California roll is pretty good.”
Joss nodded. “We’ll meet you in the employee lot at seven.”
“Thanks, guys.”
Alfie returned to the bedroom to finish getting ready. His wolf was anxious to see Myla again; he loved spending time with her. It was wild to him that he could feel so strongly about her so quickly, but he knew that was the pull of soulmates. He was certain she was feeling it too.
When it was time to leave, he grabbed the coupon book and headed out the door, walking across the park to the employee lot.
It was bracingly cold, and snow was due later in the evening.
His wolf loved the snow. He swore the beast was half husky.
He hadn’t been in his shift since the December full moon, but he hoped the next time he shifted it would be so he could show Myla what he truly was.
When he reached the lot, he saw Joss and Jeanie in one of the park’s unmarked SUVs, idling in the aisle. He waved and got behind the wheel of another SUV, put in Myla’s parents’ address, and pulled ahead of them.
Sending a quick text to Myla that he was on the way, he turned on a playlist and drove toward his future.
“Mom, Dad, this is Alfie,” Myla said, holding Alfie’s left hand tightly like he was a balloon that might fly away. “Alfie, these are my parents, Stacy and Joe. You remember my brother, Milo, and his better half, Alice.”
Alfie shook her parents’ hands. “It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for letting me join the fun tonight. I brought this for your family,” he said, handing over the coupon book and explaining how they could schedule a group tour once they opened again in February.
“Oh! This is so sweet, thank you! And you’re very welcome here,” Stacy said, showing Joe the coupon book. “Make yourself at home. There’s a card game in the garage, but it’s cold as heck out there if you ask me. And in the den, there’s a movie marathon with a terrible theme that Milo picked.”
“It’s not terrible,” Milo said.
“What’s the theme?” Alfie asked.
“Movies where the world ends,” he said, grinning. “It’s a great theme for New Year’s Eve!”
Alfie laughed.
“Let me give you the tour, and then we can grab some food. I’m starving,” Myla said. “Mom had me on my feet all day cooking.”
“You’re just so good at it!” Joe said.
“I’m not five,” Myla said. “You can’t tell me I’m amazing at mundane chores to get me to keep doing them enthusiastically! I know for a fact that I’m not the best potato peeler in the world.”
Alfie loved their banter. It made him miss his own family.
Time had a shitty way of robbing people of the ones they needed the most.
Milo and Alice joined them for the tour, talking about their Valentine’s Day wedding. He was aware that Alice kept elbowing Myla, and he was sure it was about the plus-one situation at the wedding.
Little did they know that he and his wolf were one hundred percent ready to spend the rest of their lives with Myla and he’d happily be her plus-one. Whenever she asked, he’d say yes.
They spent time watching one of the end-of-the-world movies, ate their fill of various appetizers, pasta dishes, and cupcakes that Myla had made special for the night.
When it was close to midnight, she suggested they put on their coats.
“Why?” he asked. “Do you want to leave before midnight?”
“No, I want to go out into the backyard. It just started snowing.”
He grinned, loving the idea, and followed her to the hall closet for their coats.
“Oh, yeah, I mean it was wild!” one of Myla’s parents’ friends said in the hall, speaking to someone else. “He got fired, and kicked up a fit, and they had to get security to escort him out.”
Myla paused. “Who got fired?”
“A guy at the bank I use to drop off the deposits from the shop,” the woman said. “His name is Eddie. He was a personal banker, so I never dealt with him, but he always struck me as a schmuck.”
“At Shoreset downtown?” Myla asked.
“Yep. Crazy, huh? Fired during the holidays.”
“Don’t mind her,” the other woman said with a laugh. “She’s a gossip.”
“I just tell it like it is,” the first one said.
Myla shrugged with a hum and continued down the hall. She handed Alfie his coat and he helped her on with hers first, then put on his. “Is that the same guy you went on that blind date with?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“That’s weird,” he said.
“For sure.” She smiled up at him. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer…schmuck.”
He grinned. “I agree.” But despite how unbothered she seemed by the news, Alfie filed it away in his mind. A male with a bruised ego could be dangerous. He’d be sure to warn her to keep an eye out for her surroundings, just to be safe.
They moved outside, closing the sliding door and stepping out onto the patio. The awning kept the concrete from being covered with snow, but Myla took his hand and led him out onto the snow-dusted grass, out from the awning and underneath the starry sky.
From inside, they could hear people getting excited for the last few minutes of the year.
“I’ve never kissed someone at midnight,” he said.
“No?”
“Nope. I’m glad I didn’t, though. Because it means it’s just special for you.”
She let out a soft sigh. “You’re so freaking romantic.”
“I’m not the one who suggested we come outside in the snow to kiss at midnight. I think you’re the romantic one.”
“I haven’t had a serious kiss at midnight before,” she said, taking both his hands in hers.
“With you, everything feels serious and special. Alice has been pushing me about it because she wants me to have a date to their wedding. And she also wants me to be happy. But I wasn’t worried about either thing, until I met you.
Now I want you to have my first serious, special midnight kiss.
And I want you to be my plus-one to the wedding.
Not because I think I need a date, but because I’m falling for you.
” She pursed her lips for a moment, then said, “It’s fast but it feels right. Do you…do you feel the same way?”
His wolf wanted to howl in happiness.
As it was, he was surprised his hips weren’t swaying with how hard his wolf’s tail was wagging in his head.
He heard the countdown to the new year.
Letting go of her hands, he cupped her face. “I’m falling for you too, Myla. My sweet, beautiful soulmate. Happy New Year.”
At the stroke of midnight, he kissed her, and the whole world dropped away, just like it should when two soulmates found each other.