Christmas Three (6 page)

“I do,” another man cried and the crowd took up the chorus.

When the voices settled down, Dominic stepped forward and pointed at Vernon.
“You and Alex.
Let’s finish this now.”

“I thought we were fighting together?” Alex asked.

Dominic flashed a grin that made Tempest’s heart soar. “Nah, I killed two of the three idiots in the woods and you killed one. You need one more so we can be even. He’s all yours.”

Alex shifted and Dominic helped Tempest to her feet. “Hey, baby, you okay?”

“I’m more than good now that you’re here,” Tempest said. “I heard you when you told me you were coming.”

“We knew when he took you because we both felt it, and Alex ripped your tree out of the ground and threw it across the yard,” Dominic said solemnly.

Tempest smiled. “I'll forgive him; I think he had a good reason this time.”

Vanity brought her a blanket and offered one to Dominic. Tempest hugged her tight and kissed her on the cheek. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Always, my Beta.”
Vanity’s face was flushed with pleasure.

Vernon, as if sensing he couldn’t run from this fight and there was no use in trying, shifted and launched himself at Alex. Alex, in his golden brown wolf form, had no problem side stepping the mangy gray wolf that was now Vernon. They circled each other and Vernon went on the offensive, his muzzle was peeled back in a snarl and they met with snapping jaws and feral sounds. Unable to look away, Tempest saw Alex catch Vernon’s shoulder between his massive jaws and with a flip of his head tossed the wolf aside. Vernon came charging again and it was as if Alex said enough of this.

He moved then with such speed she almost didn’t see him. He was on the gray wolf’s back and he angled his mouth so that he bit easily into Vernon’s neck. The sound of the bones shattering beneath the pressure of his bite could be heard as Alex tossed him aside. Vernon’s limp wolf changed back to his human body and lay motionless.

The challenge was over and he was dead. Alex stood over his body and howled. Dominic joined in and the rest of the pack dropped to their knees. Their new leaders had spoken and all at once the howls of fifty or so people filled the night. Alex shifted to his human form and Dominic and Tempest joined him. She stood between her two men as Alex spoke.

“Dominic and I will be the leaders of this pack; we will lead together.” His voice was clear and firm. “Tempest is our mate and therefore she is the Beta and together we’ll try to heal what Vernon has mistreated and abused. We’re offering you a new start in
Cormina
, to cast aside the name that he destroyed and rebuild your lives. Claim your mates again. We have enough land that you can build actual homes and let your children grow and learn in the ways Jack would have wanted. We’ve never been leaders, but we swear on our wolves that no one will be mistreated, no one will be hungry and we will learn and be strong together.”

Jack’s daughters came to the front of the crowd. The once lovely girls now looked dirty, malnourished and tired, but relieved. They dropped to their knees and bowed their heads for a moment before they showed their necks to Tempest, Dominic and Alex.

“We accept and are honored to share our bond with you,” one said and smiled sadly but spoke again with pride in her voice. “Our father would have been proud of this moment and I’m sorry he’s not alive to see it.”

Dominic raised a cry and a fist in the air. “As of tonight we are
Cormina
wolves!”

The
pack howled their consent and Tempest felt an obvious shift from dread and doom
to hope for a new beginning. Alex and Dominic got everyone coordinated with plans and directions to the plantation. The pack then began packing up what they wanted to take with them. Before they buried the remnants of Vernon and his three companions, Tempest, Alex, Dominic and Jack’s daughters visited his grave in the clearing where he was buried.

After paying their respect, their truck was the first to leave the campgrounds and no one looked back, not one person; Tempest would have felt if they had. She was connected to them in ways that was unusual for a human. But Tempest figured out early on in her life that she was strange and not like others. Her visions now were manifesting to something new. She didn’t know what it was yet but she was ready to embrace it.

The truck that Vernon had stolen was now being driven by the true owner, Dominic, and the shattered window had been covered with plastic to keep the frigid wind from freezing the passengers to death.

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Tempest broke the silence. “We can’t let them have a miserable Christmas; they’ve been too damaged already. I need to head into town and get gifts for the kids, but I need to know how many kids there are. We need to start thinking about layouts for where houses can be built.” Tempest knew she was babbling but she felt like she’d drunk too much coffee. She assumed it was adrenaline and the feeling of being connected to so many people at once. “Then we have to think about schooling for the children. I say homeschooling would be best because people like Lorna will look down on them. I read American Indian wolf clans tend to teach on the reservations. Its historical lore, actually, but,
hell, now we know those stories are
mostly true, right?”

“Tempest, honey, how about you rest first? You’ve had a long day,” Alex said and chuckled softly.

“I feel fine actually, full of life, ready to tackle the big tasks. Hey, what are you doing?” she asked as Alex wrapped his arm around her and brought her against his shoulder.

“Nothing, honey.
Just rest your head here while you talk,” Alex said.

Dominic looked over and grinned and she smiled back before laying her head against his chest and continued speaking. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, only that someone was putting her in bed and then she was cocooned by the two warm bodies that she knew so well. They were together and safe at last.

* * * *

Christmas Eve and Christmas day was filled with a flurry of activity. Tempest made sure that every child had a present, every camper had lights and decorations and that there was enough food made to feed the small army that was now the
Cormina
pack.

Heath and Vanity came to the main house on Christmas day and asked to be officially mated. Giving their consent was Alex’s and Dominic’s first act as the new leaders. Now Vanity would be sharing the little cottage with him. It was meant for children, love and happiness, so Tempest was glad that Heath looked past who the baby’s father was to the woman he fell in love with.

Alex and Dominic looked over what little finances the pack had and came up with an idea. They would open a construction company. The pack had enough able-bodied men and women willing to work and build. Those who could teach children and handle childcare would do so. There were so many intelligent minds in their midst, it was an absolute shame what Vernon had forced them to become.

With the chance to work and become useful again, Tempest saw a change in the pack—a renewed sense of life. The housing problem was solved with two words: prefabricated houses. All they needed to do was build the foundations. She found out
that years
after the military, her guys worked as contractors and security for firms in the middle east. They had a sizable nest egg that had been nurturing and accruing for years, so they had more than enough money to give everyone the start they needed.

By the end of those two days, they were all completely exhausted but happy. Their own Christmas gifts were exchanged later that night as they shared their bed. Alex and Dominic each gave her a silver ring that fit and locked into each other on her finger. She gave them each a golden pendant on a golden chain that they could wear around their neck.

“What’s this?” Alex asked as he put it over his head.

Tempest sat back with a smile. “It’s a representation of the Lakota medicine woman who was known to live and commune with wolves. It was said she was as fierce a protector of them as they were of her and in the end she could understand them better than humans. The reason why I chose this is because of the both of you, I now understand who I am and I finally don’t feel alone in the world. It’s a promise that I will be a warrior for my two wolves for the rest of our lives.”

“We love you. Do you know just how much we love you?” Dominic asked.

Tempest nodded, smiled and covered her heart. “I feel it in here each and every day.”

“
Wanna
make love?” Alex asked.

Tempest laughed. “As much as I love you both, I’m too pooped to get freaky with it tonight.”

“Thank God,” Alex said and fell back on the bed.

“Second that. Getting the
Cormina
wolves situated is exhausting work.” Dominic lay back and took her with him. “Let’s catch some Z’s, for tomorrow is another day of work.”

They fell asleep embracing one another and in the midst of the warmth of their bed she began to dream. She was running as fast as her legs would carry her. She was frightened as the loud howl of wolves came from behind her.
Why would I fear wolves?
she
wondered and why did the sound of their howls scare her to no end? She felt smaller and very low to the ground, as if she was on all fours instead of two legs. In her dream, Tempest stopped abruptly and looked down at her body. She saw fur the color of white and black.

Again, the howls sounded and were closer this time. She knew she had to keep moving, for if she was caught she would be killed. She came up to a body of water too clear to be the bayou she was accustomed to seeing.
Have I run away from home?
she
wondered and almost feared looking into the lake that was bathed in moonlight by a full moon that was larger and brighter than she had ever seen before. But she stepped closer to the water, almost as if she was entranced and spellbound to the spot, even as the howls were almost upon her, and she stared down at the yellow eyes that seemed to glow back in return.
I’m a wolf!
she
thought and turned as the cries chasing her turned into snarls of anger. They had caught up with her and as they jumped at her throat, Tempest woke with a scream.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Dominic was holding her the moment her dream made her bolt upright in the bed.

“Was it a vision or a nightmare?” Alex asked. He was on the other side of her, rubbing her shoulders. “Baby, you’re as cold as ice and how the hell did the sheets
get wet? Dominic did you—”

“Fuck no, man, give me some credit!” Dominic said. “Take a whiff. This is lake water. You can smell the algae. Tempest, are your visions manifesting?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know. It’s never happened before!” she cried out. “But we have a bigger problem than wet sheets!” She took a deep breath and asked in a scared voice, “How would it be possible for me to become a wolf?”

Dominic and Alex looked at each other and frowned. But the question still hung in the air.

“I’ll get dry sheets,” Dominic said and scrambled out of bed.

“Luckily we got the mattress that has pillow top on both sides. We can flip it and—” Alex began to say and followed suit out of the bed.

Tempest yelled and stopped them mid-action. “Stop, both of you. No avoiding the question! Tell me if it is possible for me to become a wolf!”

The silence that hung between them scared her more than the answer they were not giving her.
What the hell was coming?

The End

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