Chapter 1
Ara ~ Emy ~ Kaile
December 25th, 2021 – 3:00 PM
The water stung as he scrubbed his hands furiously.
“This smell will never come off,” Kaile said, sniffing them from afar.
“That’s what you get for handling onions like a barbarian,” Micah said, leaning on the counter beside him fiddling with a carving knife. “Too bad you can’t touch silver; it’s supposed to remove the smell.”
“Lemon juice works, too,” Ara said as she entered through the swinging doors into the kitchen. “Is this what’s taking so dang long?”
Kaile smiled at her over his shoulder. “Hey, I don’t want to ruin my Christmas gifts with onion hands.”
“Fair,” she said, going to the fridge and rummaging around for a moment before procuring a bottle of lemon juice. “It’s concentrate, so hopefully it’ll still work.”
She tossed the bottle to Kaile and it slipped through his soapy fingers. Ara shook her head. “Now, hurry up, will you? The kids are restless.”
“I’m older than you. Much, much older, young girl,” Lucy shouted from the living room.
The tree of them in the kitchen exchanged looks, then let out small bursts of laughter.
Ara crossed the kitchen to Kaile as he opened the lemon-shaped bottle and poured the juice on his fingers. He massaged his hands together as Ara wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her face against his back.
“Hurry up, okay?” she asked with a soft voice.
He nodded and Micah’s eyebrows rose at him as Ara kissed his back gently, then left the room.
“So, uh, are you guys… ya know, official yet?” Micah whispered close to Kaile once she was gone.
Kaile shook his head, but a small smile graced his lips. He smelled his hands after rinsing them and shrugged. “Good enough,” he murmured.
“You’re lying!” Micah said, louder than a whisper.
Kaile shot him a look and Micah put his hands up and mouthed, “Okay, okay.”
“I’m not lying,” Kaile said, almost inaudible. “But nothing has happened yet.”
“Yet?” Micah raised an eyebrow.
Kaile smirked. “Yet.”
Micah nudged Kaile’s arm with an elbow and Kaile shook him off. On their way out of the kitchen, they passed by the island littered with dirty dishes, empty wine glasses, and nearly bare serving dishes of mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, and ham, among various other items.
“Get your asses in here!” Ara yelled from the living room.
Kaile laughed as he grabbed his nearly empty glass of whiskey from the counter and exited the kitchen. Micah followed behind while sipping his red wine.
A massive tree rest overly decorated in the middle of the room between numerous couches and loveseats. Gifts that previously surrounded the tree now sat in front of Ara, Emy, Lucy, Murray, Jamie – who sat almost uncomfortably close to one another – and Monique, who sat in a chair on her own little island off to the side. Ara, Kaile, and Emy argued for days as to whether or not they should invite her and ultimately decided it was Christmastime and she’d lost her life-mate. Prior to leading Ara to the beach where she’d been turned into a vampire, she’d been one of Ara’s best friends as well as a good friend to Kaile.
Kaile and Micah found spots by their group of friends in front of their own small stacks of gifts. Ara stared at Kaile; an enormous smile spread across her face.
“You took long enough,” she teased.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am ready to open some presents,” Lucy said, rubbing her hands together. “And I’d recommend you all start with my gifts to you.” She smiled wickedly and grabbed the gift on the top of her pile. It was Ara’s gift to her.
“Round robin or do we dig in?” Emy asked.
“Dig in,” Micah said, eyeing the stocking shaped present. “That’s my vote.”
The group nodded in agreement as they all reached for gifts and began unwrapping the goodies.
Ara chose the box from Kaile first. She peeled back the carefully wrapped Mickey Mouse Christmas wrapping paper and opened the medium-sized white box inside. Beneath tissue paper lay a black shirt. She lifted the shirt from the package and turned it around to reveal a unique Aerosmith tee with bold neon colors. Her heart warmed as she looked down at the box and a note with large print. It said:
Sorry I didn’t give this to you sooner. It was originally for your birthday, but it never seemed like the right time after everything happened. I had this made for you. Neon colors because you stand out. Aerosmith because well… they’re your favorite band to listen to when you’re working. I thought you’d like wearing it beneath your work shirt… but I didn’t think you’d wind up quitting immediately after your birthday. Oh well… I hope you still like it.
With Love,
Kaile.
Ara looked at Kaile, who just finished opening his gift from her. A ceramic Hufflepuff mug. It was kind of lame in comparison to his. She hadn’t put a lot of thought into it, that was true. But the house represented him so well. He was loyal and kind. And good. He’d been so patient with her over the last few months while she dealt with her emotions. Her vampire heightened emotions. Her terrible bouts of anger, sadness, and manic happiness. He’d held her hand and given her distance. He’d been her ears and her shoulder to cry on. She’d left a note inside the mug. It wouldn’t be everything he wanted to hear, or read, but it was a start she hoped.
Kaile pocketed the note, holding on to the words that were left lingering on his lips like a soft kiss. Someday, someday soon.
He looked up and saw Ara staring at him with gentle eyes and he mouthed the words, thank you to her. She mouthed, No, thank you back to him.
Beside him, Micah nuzzled his nose against some cat nip in a stocking filled with cat toys and treats. Kaile was almost positive he was purring.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the gift,” Emy said, also watching Micah while letting out a small chuckle.
Micah looked up at him and cooed. It was strange to see him act so cat-like even in his human form. Some habits were hard to break. “Thank you, I promise you I’ll enjoy these later.”
“I’m sure you will,” Lucy said, scratching his head briefly, then turning back to her own gifts.
At her feet lay numerous opened gifts already. A Duelle University sweatshirt from Kaile, a flower vase from Ara, a new smartphone from Emy he’d had a hand in designing, a potted plant of some kind from Micah, and a beautiful small journal from Murray she’d just opened. She reached a hand over to his and they squeezed each other’s tenderly while locking eyes.
Emy’s stomach twisted watching them. Apparently, his parents had been in the process of separating months prior to the night on the beach that changed all of his friends’ lives, but she’d never even hinted it to him. Since that night she’d essentially moved in, along with Ara, Kaile, Murray, Jamie, and Micah. Honestly, though, Emy didn’t mind.
He’d never had such a full household, but it was nicer than he expected it to be. He’d always wanted Ara to move in. Mostly so he could keep a better eye on her and keep her safe. But now that she was what she was, and he was what he was, and everyone else was what they were… it only made sense for them to stick together.
Abruptly, Monique lunged at Ara, wrapping her arms around her and crying profusely.
“It’s so beautiful,” she kept saying – well crying – over and over. “So beautiful, Ara. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
In Monique’s hands was a small figure shaped like the country of Australia with the words, Forever No Matter How Far.
“I’m so sorry for what I did to you,” Monique said through tears that drenched her face. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“I know, Mo,” Ara said, rubbing her friend’s back. “I know.”
Mo pulled a small box from her pocket and gave it to Ara reluctantly. “I owe you this. I should have never taken it, Ara. I’m the absolute worst friend ever.”
Ara hesitated a moment before opening the box. Her breath, or whatever was in her lungs, dissipated and she felt empty of everything for the briefest of moments. That is, before the emotions overwhelmed her.
The rest of the group continued to stare and she knew only Emy and Kaile would understand the significance of the piece of jewelry she pulled out.
“Maddie’s necklace,” Ara said, her voice a whisper. “You took it?”
“Yes,” Monique answered, still in a disastrous state. “I know it’s awful. But I was just doing what I was told. I promise I’ll never betray you again. I promise.”
Ara nodded, in a daze while staring at the necklace before her.
Kaile scooted closer and wrapped his hand around Ara’s. He gently took the necklace from her and moved her thick red mane to one shoulder. She lifted it as he held the necklace in front of her and maneuvered it under her hair to clasp it in the back. Once it was fastened, he trailed his fingers softly across her skin.
“There,” he said, rubbing her arm. “Right where it belongs.”
She met his eyes, tears spilling over the edge. “I… I never thought I’d be happy as a vampire.”
“I never thought I’d be happy as a werewolf,” he said, chuckling. “But here we are.”
“Here we all are,” Emy said.
Ara nodded and grabbed Kaile’s hand and Monique’s who were sitting on either side of her. She looked around the room at her friends, at her family, and said, “Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done without all of you. Thank you. For everything.”
Everyone smiled and as the group raised their glasses to clank them against one another, a knock broke their laughter. A knock so loud, and so ferocious it made Ara drop her glass.
She didn’t catch it and so it fell to the floor, the red liquid staining the carpet before her.
