Chapter Twelve
Damon
Hemlock Mountain
Treg was a doting mate and sire. They spent the next few days ordering out and running around Hemlock Mountain to make sure I had whatever food I craved.
They even ran out a grocery order to my sisters who wanted to build a gingerbread house too.
I hadn’t known it at the time, but he took them a phone and that evening we built our gingerbread house at the same time they did while on a video chat.
I was too afraid of getting stuck up on the mountain to visit in person, but the video call made me feel as if my sisters were right there with me.
The Hemlock Mountain Winter Festival started one week after I met Treg.
I figured I was either one week or six days pregnant.
I still had a couple of days before it was time to hunker down and get fat with our pup.
Our social calendar was fuller than I expected.
We were going to the winter festival and the next day was my baby shower hosted by Chasten.
It was strange having our friends living so far apart after living in close quarters with my whole community for the entirety of my life up until now.
“So, just me and the omegas?” I asked Treg as I slid into the car to go to the Winter Festival.
They reached over and did up my seatbelt before closing the door and circling around to sit behind the wheel. The streets weren’t as snowy as they were the day we drove and I prayed to the mountain that no one got stuck in the snow on the way to the festival.
“No,” Treg shook their head as they started the engine. “Chasten and Abby planned it. I think traditionally it would be only the omegas but we’re a small group of friends. It’ll be them and their mates. Us, of course, and I think some of the nurses who Kirk works with will be there as well.”
“That makes me feel better,” I admitted.
“I like Chasten but we haven’t really had any time to talk, and I only met Abby for a minute.
On the one hand, our link makes me feel like I know them, but I know it’s more…
. I know what you know and they don’t know me at all.
I couldn’t stop imagining sitting at my own baby shower with no one to talk to. ”
“That wouldn’t have happened. Even if it was omegas only, I wouldn’t have let that happen.
If you didn’t click with Chasten and them, I’d have felt your discomfort over our mating link and came and got you,” Treg said.
“They’re my friends but you don’t know them yet.
I get it. If you don’t want to do the shower at all, I’ll let them know too. ”
“No,” I shook my head. “I want to get to know them. They’re your family. Just like I want you to know Loop and Sawe.”
“I’ve considered how to smuggle them down for it,” Treg said.
“We’ll see them on Yule, though, right?” I asked, double-checking for the hundredth time since we started talking about our plans for the future.
“Yes,” Treg said. “We’ll do Yule Eve at Chasten’s with the kids. Wake up there in the morning and then head straight up the mountain if the baby can handle it.”
“The baby will be almost two weeks old by then. At least ten days I think.”
“That’s not very old as far as babies go,” Treg chuckled.
“Old enough so that we’ll know what we can or can’t do,” I pointed out. “If we can’t go that’s when I might let you smuggle Loop and Sawe down.”
“Noted,” Treg nodded.
I didn’t know what I expected the people shifters’ Winter Festival to be like but I hadn’t expected to arrive to a giant snowball fight.
We drove by it to the access parking and part of me was terrified that they’d break out into an actual fight and the other part of me really wanted to pelt someone with a snowball just because.
Treg pulled in next to Chasten and Kirk.
We took the last spot of access parking and they took the first of the parking for families with young kids.
Treg put on their earmuffs before getting out of the car and scooping up a little girl who was stomping around in her pink snow boots.
Del was Chasten and Kirk’s eldest and at this stage of life she was the spitting image of Kirk.
Treg danced around with her, and she giggled asking what they got her for Yule.
I’d seen the giant dollhouse complete with a horse stable they’d gotten for the girls stored up in the attic.
They’d commissioned it from an artist friend online and it arrived a few days before we met.
I hoped they enjoyed all of its little interactive parts.
Treg carried Del in one arm while holding my hand. Chasten held the newest pup in a carrier close to his chest and Kirk carried the middle kiddo. Grina and Abby were running late since their daughter refused to put her shoes on and they’d yet to make it out of the door.
“Are we going to fight too?” Del asked.
“Nope,” Kirk said. “Those are big people and you’re a little person.”
“I could whoop ‘em!” she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Make ‘em eat snow!”
“We’re here for the games and the rides!” Chasten said, his voice more tired than his appearance gave away.
“And for the presents! Sky and Rune got everyone a present because it’s their job as mountain daddies!” Del squeed and another little girl ran by shouting ‘presents’ when she overheard the conversation.
“They’re the pack leaders of the mountain,” Kirk said.
“Mountain daddies! Daddies to the whole pack! Darian (pronounced Door-e-on) is the grandpa!” Del said.
“She’s still working out how the pack works and preschool doesn’t seem to be clearing up her misconceptions,” Kirk laughed as the toddler in his arms squirmed and said half-syllables that sounded like ice cream or something like that.
“Who?!” Del pointed to me after a few seconds of us walking in silence.
“How do we ask that nicely?” Chasten asked before I had a chance to answer.
“Who are you?” she tried again.
“Why don’t we tell him your name first?” Chasten tried again.
“Because he’s a stranger,” Del shook her head.
“That’s my mate,” Treg said and butterflies tumbled around my belly.
“So another godsire?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Or are fairy god parent like in the stories?”
“Uh…. I’m not a fairy,” I laughed.
“It’s fay, baby,” Kirk said.
“God fay parent then! Sheesh! I’m Del! It’s short for Delanie!” she declared to the universe.
The story behind her name was a sad one.
While Chasten was pregnant with her, Kirk ran out to get him some ice cream during a storm.
A car slammed into him, and he spent some time in the hospital recovering from relatively minor injuries while the young driver of the other car passed through her door of life and death. That driver was Delanie’s namesake.
Treg glanced at me out of the corner of their eye, and I wondered if I crossed a line by thinking about it too hard.
“Oh! I’m Damon,” I said and Del held out her little hand and we shook.
“Hi! I’m Del. I’m almost four and I like snow, presents, turkey, and deer. I only sort of like my sisters but that’s because they’re loud. I also like my bike, but I can’t ride it in the snow!”
I almost offered to get her a snowboard. Kids back on the mountain loved them but I was pretty sure Chasten would either bite my ear off or beat me with the snowboard I offered his eldest daughter.
“It won’t be snowy forever,” Treg said. “But the snow season brings more feast days, and it brings the festival.”
“And Yule!” she cheered. “And you got me a present, right?”
Kirk flashed Treg an apologetic look, but my mate was amused.
“It’s bigger than you!” Treg said.
“Is it a pony? I’ll move in with you if you buy me a pony!” she said, grabbing a hold of Treg’s sweater.
This one was a blue knit with two snowmen on it holding hands. The cursive lettering above it read ‘Let it Snow!”
“It’s not a pony and you have to live with your daddies! They’d miss you so much!” Treg said.
“Yeah, but ponies!” she sighed.
As we wound our way through the games section, I thought about how our little one would be nearly one by the time this festival rolled around again.
They wouldn’t be old enough for most of the activities here but we’d still come and I’d take them for a ride on the ferris wheel and of course the merry-go-round too.
Treg was better at the games than I thought anyone could be.
I’d never come to the festivals before but I’d heard people talk about how the games here were rigged on the bus whenever I ventured out while one was ongoing.
Their aim was impeccable and they had patience to show Del how to play them all.
Kirk vetoed the BB gun game where you shoot ducks off the moving rows and I was glad for it.
It was an antique little game but in a world full of violence and wonder, I hoped Delanie and her sisters always chose wonder.
Instead, we stopped by the photobooth and took turns squeezing in all sorts of combos and got so many little printed out rows of photos.
I took one with all silly faces to give my sisters the next time I saw them.
One day I hoped they could come to the Hemlock Mountain Festivals too.
I didn’t think anyone would kick them out but their yeti forms would definitely draw in some strange looks.
We took Del on the Ferris Wheel and Chasten rode with her on the merry-go-round while Kirk held their youngest. I almost offered to help but asking to hold someone’s pup felt like the ultimate trespass.
Then we circled around to where the food was and Del ended up eating some of everyone’s like most curious pups would.
Then it was off to the ‘mountain daddies.’ I didn’t expect Rune and Sky to actually be there.
I expected that they’d send someone in their place to hand out gifts to the kids. They had jobs to do after all, right?
Rune’s eyes narrowed in on me straight away as soon as Del stopped shouting ‘mountain daddies!’.
“So the elf remembers us?” my wolf chuckled into my thoughts.
“Nice to see you out and about,” Rune said in lieu of hello. “I heard you might’ve met your mate after crashing the ceremony for the Snow Demon.”
I introduced Treg but didn’t bother to explain why I crashed the ceremony.
I didn’t dislike Rune, but he knew more than I liked.
What if he pointed out where I came from or who I was?
Would it cause a scene? He grinned and pulled me into a hug like we were long-lost buddies.
The kids all got boxes to open that were appropriate to their ages and the adults all got gift cards that were useable at any pack owned business.
Sure, they were technically just cycling money through their own stuff, but pack owned businesses supported all the packs social safety nets.
So, it was the pack’s money given back to the pack so everyone could have a little extra around the winter holiday.
Del insisted on riding back to her house with us.
I was tired and hungry again, but it was impossible to tell the happy little girl ‘no.’ She was out cold before we made it back to her neighborhood.
Kirk carried her inside, and we hugged Chasten goodbye.
We’d be back the next day for the baby shower and we’d see them again then.