Chapter 16 Riven
Christmas Eve morning was sunny but oh so cold in the valley, and instead of going running, I leaned over my mate and checked our daughter before snuggling into Indigo who lay with one hand on Selene in her crib.
At three months old, our daughter had already changed so much from the tiny newborn who'd entered the world days ahead of her due date.
It was hard to believe that everything had changed from a year ago. Last Christmas Eve, Indigo discovered what I was. He’d run from me, and after exchanging heated words, he’d left. Those days following were the worst of my life, and I refused to drag up the melancholy emotions.
Today we were a family, celebrating our first Christmas together.
Christmas Eve was more important to shifters than the 25th, and my mate and I wanted to banish the memories from the 24th of last year.
Today we were giving our daughter her presents, meeting with the pack at the lodge, and enjoying a meal in the dining room afterward.
Selene stirred, and she scrunched her tiny fists before opening her eyes. She greeted me with a gummy smile and melted my heart as usual.
“Merry Christmas, little moon.” I called her that because her name meant moon. I kissed her cheek and picked her up to change her diaper. She gurgled and kicked her legs as I was putting on the diaper cream.
“Riven?”
“In here.” I picked up Selene and traipsed into the bedroom. My mate outstretched his hands and took our daughter, smothering her with kisses.
“Merry Christmas, my darlings.” He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“Merry Christmas to you too.” I pecked his cheek. “Our first as a family.”
“Such a change from last year.”
I put a finger to his lips. “That’s the past and this is now.”
“Mmmm, but we wouldn’t be where we are if we didn’t experience what we did in the past.”
True, but I refused to dwell on last Christmas, and I’d already told Indigo I didn’t want a gift because he and Selene were my presents and nothing would ever best them. But that didn’t stop me from giving him a present from our daughter and me.
“Speaking of gifts…” Indigo’s mischievous smile told me something was up. Maybe he could read my mind because I’d been thinking of presents.
“We weren’t.”
“Oh well, now we are.” My mate danced into the living room where the Christmas tree we’d chosen together in the woods was strung with decorations and lights, and there was a pile of gifts wrapped in silver and gold paper under the tree.
“Coffee first.” He headed to the kitchen. “Then presents.”
I bounced Selene on my knee while Indigo prepared coffee. These quiet domestic moments still caught me sometimes. The ordinariness of them contrasted with how extraordinary it was to have them at all.
Before we unwrapped the gifts, I had something for him. I led him outside. Garlands of mistletoe dangled from the porch.
“To make up for last year.”
He fell into my arms and stuck his tongue down my throat.
“Not now. Selene is awake.”
He skipped back inside. “You’ll keep till tonight.” He studied the presents under the tree. “Where should we start?”
“How about this one?” I passed him a present tied with gold ribbon. “For you, from Selene and me.”
He burst out laughing as he held up a Christmas sweater. It was a howling wolf wearing a Santa hat, surrounded by moons and stars. “This is so ugly. I love it.”
“I’m told there’s a human tradition of giving ugly sweaters.”
Indigo nodded, pulled on the sweater and grabbed a gift from under the tree. He giggled as I unwrapped it. My gift was also a sweater, with a wolf pack surrounding a Christmas tree and emblazoned with the words Alpha Daddy in glittering letters.
“It's hideous.” I put it on over my PJs. “And perfect.” But our baby made a face at my outfit.
“Wait until you see Selene’s.” Indigo pulled out a tiny package, unwrapping it to reveal a onesie that matched both our sweaters, with a reindeer on the front. I changed our daughter into her new outfit, and she giggled.
Indigo set his phone on the mantle. Instead of saying “cheese,” my mate and I howled, and Selene waved her fists.
I retrieved a small box from under the tree. Inside lay a clear glass ornament containing a tiny handprint in blue paint. We’d taken Selene’s handprints weeks ago, but I was one who’d arranged to have it placed in glass.
My mate hadn’t seen it yet, and tears filled his eyes as he brushed his fingertips over it. “We can have one done every year and watch her grow.” He flung his arms around me, and we smooched.
I hung the ornament on the tree, and Selene watched as it twinkled in the reflection from the fairy lights. Next I grabbed an envelope from behind the tree.
A letter to Selene it read.
This was Indigo's idea. We were going to write to our daughter each Christmas, telling her about the year and preserving memories. In the letter we’d described how we met, though we left out our trauma, how excited we were when we discovered she was on the way, how her omega dad was so good at howling, and the milestones she’s achieved since she was born.
“We’ll keep this in a special place.”
I wiped a tear trickling down my cheek as Indigo picked up a small velvet box.
Inside was a child’s silver bracelet with a crescent-moon charm attached.
We were going to add a charm each year, but we didn’t want her to wear it yet.
Instead, we’d wait a few years when she could choose if she wanted it on her wrist.
After exchanging presents, we got ready to go to the lodge where the pack would be gathering. Everyone cooed and oohed over Selene, and Uncle Lionel insisted on taking her from me and parading her around the room.
The Christmas welcome was an ancient tradition, one that had evolved over centuries. Each child born that year was presented to the pack, receiving a blessing for protection and growth in the coming seasons.
As the future Alpha's heir, Selene would go first. Indigo and I stood together at the center of the circle that formed, Selene nestled in my arms. Uncle stepped forward, his voice strong as he spoke.
“May the strength of the pack guide you. May the wisdom of your ancestors protect you. May the moon light your path through all seasons of life.”
One by one, the elders approached, each placing a hand briefly on Selene’s head, adding their own message of good fortune. When the last had finished, Uncle produced a small silver object. It was a tiny wolf charm.
“For the bracelet,” he explained, placing it in Indigo's palm. “A reminder of her heritage.”
“How did you know?” my mate asked. “We haven't shared our charm bracelet tradition with anyone.”
Lionel smiled, a rare expression on his usually stern face.
“A little bird told me of your plan.” He nodded toward Antonia, who grinned from across the room.
Of course, it was her cousin who’d made the bracelet. It was almost impossible keeping a secret from the pack.
“Thank you.” Indigo hugged Uncle Lionel, and he didn’t pull away, but instead held my mate close.
Later, back home with Selene sleeping peacefully in her nursery, my mate and I sat before the fire, still in our ridiculous sweaters, as we sipped mugs of mulled wine.
“Good first Christmas?” I asked.
“The best.” He leaned against my shoulder. “Though I hope Selene appreciates the sweater tradition more than she did today. She wasn’t impressed.”
I laughed, remembering our daughter's face. “She has good taste.”
“Next year she'll be walking.”
“And we'll add another charm, another letter, and another handprint ornament.” I wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer. “Building our history one Christmas at a time.”
We watched the flames dance. One year ago, I'd spent Christmas separated from my mate by secrets and fear. Now my world was full of love, family, and both new and old traditions.
“Thank you.”
Indigo looked up. “For what?”
“For trusting love.” I pressed a kiss to his temple. “For everything.”
His eyes met mine, taking my breath away because I was so lucky to have him and Selene. “We built this together, Riven.”
Outside, snow began to fall again, adding fresh white to the existing blanket.
Inside, wrapped in ugly sweaters and each other's arms, we had everything we needed—a sleeping daughter upstairs, a home filled with love, and the promise of Christmases to come, each building on the traditions we'd begun today.
THANK YOU FOR READING.