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“You know, Beautiful. I think the perfect way for us to finish off our Hallmark Christmas is by having a Christmas dinner. Do you think your friends will be able to come?”
My words have her gaze shooting up from the table to my eyes. She smiles softly, realizing that I just heard her internal debate and posed the question as my idea so she wouldn’t have to face the anxiety that asking us would cause. One day, I hope that she will see that our house is her house, and she never has to ask us to invite anyone over or throw a party. Alas, today is not that day, so I’ll claim her idea as my own to the guys for her sake.
“Really, you guys wouldn’t mind having my friends over for a Christmas party? They may bring their mates, is that okay too? I’d really enjoy having a big Christmas dinner and getting everyone together.”
Cy and Jack immediately start agreeing with the plan. The two of them claim Belle’s attention with questions about her friends’ mates. Derek, however, is giving me a dirty look, and thankfully Belle doesn’t see it while talking to Jack. Under the table, I kick him hard and send him a thought.
Don’t be a dick, Der. Belle wants to do this, it was even her idea, but she was too scared to ask us herself. Just go with it!
Der nods his head in understanding and bends down to rub his shin where I just kicked him. He huffs out a sigh and rubs his eyebrow. He is clearly unhappy with the thought of people he doesn’t know coming to the house. Giving me one more look, he addresses Belle’s question.
“No, it won’t be a problem. My family was asking if they could come over Christmas day anyway. I was going to ask if you’d be here to meet them, but having a big dinner just solves all the problems.”
So that is the source of his frustration. He hasn’t told his parents he met his mate, and they have been pestering him for the last few weeks about getting together for the holidays. Usually Derek will go to their house on Christmas Day. Sometimes I’ll even go with him, but usually that is the only time of the year that he spends any significant time with his family. I’m glad that he agreed to invite them over and I hope with Belle around, she can convince him to see his family more.
Good job, Der. I’m proud of you.
Smirking, Derek flips me the bird without turning his attention from Belle. She is rambling again about her friends and their mates, asking us what we should cook and babbling about how many people we should expect to come. Derek is the only one that still talks to his family, even though Belle does ask Jack if he wants to invite his brothers. I think it bothers her that he doesn’t have a relationship with Santa and Krampus, but I know that is one bridge that has been thoroughly burned.
“So, five for us. Between Lee, Tali, and Chloe, that’ll be another… seventeen or so. How many family members will be coming, Derek?”
Belle blinks her big green eyes at Derek, waiting patiently for him to answer. The grimace on his face screams how unhappy he is to be having his family over, but I don’t get why he is so reluctant. His mom and dad are a joy to have over; they are so positive and cheerful. His youngest sister is a little ball of energy, bouncing from room to room all the time. The older of his sisters and her mate are more serious, like Derek is, but they have the most adorable twin girls. They also aren’t as mean and grumpy as Derek. They have just lived in the human world long enough to understand that not everyone is as positive as a Tinker.
“Well, my mom, dad, and baby sister for sure. My middle sister should come with her mate and their twins, and I think my brother-in-law mentioned his sister is in town, so he may bring her as well. So in total, it’d be around eight for my family as well.”
“Okay, five plus nine, plus sixteen….” Belle waves her hand around in the air, doing math in her head. I want to laugh at how freaking adorable my mate is, but I know she will take it the wrong way, so I bite my lip between my teeth and stay silent.
“That gives us a total of thirty people here for a Christmas dinner. We need to figure out the menu, go shopping… Oh, and we have to make sure everyone has a gift to open. Maybe we can get the kids presents to open, and the adults can do a white elephant game. There is so much to do and only a few days to do it in. We need to get started right away.”
Belle jumps up from the table and starts rushing around the room. Her mind is racing with plans and ideas. Jack is looking at her as if he has never seen her. Derek still looks like he’d rather chew on nails than have a Christmas party, and Cy is practically asleep at the table. I stand up and grab Belle by her arms, trying to hold her still and get her attention. Her mind is still buzzing away, so I do the only logical thing I can think of.
I push my lips against Belle’s and use my tongue to get her to open up to me. Kissing her passionately is always the best way to get my beautiful mate to slow down, and this time isn’t any different. Over the last few days, all four of us have gotten braver in touching her, and she has also really opened up and allowed herself to relax around us.
Breaking the kiss, I finally have her attention. “Slow down, Beautiful. You don’t have to do it all on your own. We are here for you, to help you and support you in everything you do.”
She nods her head, and her eyes are glassy and distant as she stares up at me. Her brain hasn’t started firing again since my kiss, and now I really can’t hold back the chuckle. Hearing the amusement from not only me, but Derek and Jack as well, Belle snaps out of her daze and is finally looking at me.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, I did get a little crazy there, huh?” Now she is chuckling along with us, but she’s finally calmed down a bit.
“Derek, I think you should call your family and invite them. I’ll call my best witches and they can tell their mates. Cy, you and Jack need to go to the store and get all the food we’ll need. Nickie, darling, can you help with the menu? Only the kids are going to get presents, so Derek and I will go shopping for them. The rest of you can come and get one gift for the adult present exchange. How does that work for everyone?”
Me and the boys nod, smiling at our little mate for giving up a bit of the control and trusting us to help. Derek whips out his phone and immediately begins texting his family. Cy and Jack put their heads together and come up with a menu without any input from me. Belle just lays her head against my chest and relaxes into my arms, letting me hold her while the guys work to make her dinner a success.
Belle sits up, kisses me on the cheek, then walks over to Der and plops herself in his lap before pulling out her phone. Derek whispers something to her, and Belle starts to laugh, her head thrown back and her face flushed red. I can’t get over how beautiful she is. Jack and Cy pull the two of them into a conversation about what to cook, and I lean against the wall, watching my best friends and our mate interact.
A feeling of contentment settles in my chest and I realize that for the first time in a long time, I’m actually happy. I don’t have to pretend to be enjoying myself, because I truly am. I don’t have to read the minds of those around me to see what they expect of me, then do it. None of them expect me to be anything other than myself, and it is more refreshing than any of them will ever understand.
This is what I always dreamed having a mate would be like. Energy, fun, and a loving heart all mixed into one person. Belle is everything I ever dreamed of and so much more. I’m so glad we met her.
Sure, her magic is crazy and her friends scare me just a bit. Her past is a mess that I plan on cleaning up soon, with or without her knowledge, but Belle is perfect despite everything she’s been through in her short life.
Chapter Seventeen
Derek
IhateChristmas.Ithink it’s official.
Before, I was indifferent to this holiday. I used the opportunity to have a set time that I have to see my family and that was about it. Now, Belle has us at this mall filled to the brim with humans, shopping for gifts for my nieces and little sister, and I can safely say that I do not like Christmas, or humans, or shopping.
