AN: Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I cannot believe that it is 2013 and I am trying to start the year off right with another addition to the Choice Series. I did not plan on writing another story so soon, but this idea popped in my head and I could not get it out. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

December was Zach's favorite time of the year for several reasons. Humans did not venture into the wilderness of Alaska or the Olympic Forest of Washington frequently because of the bitter winds and chilly temperatures, which meant he was able to hunt and roam freely without fear of humans in the vicinity. His father enjoyed taking him into bear dens to wrestle irritable grizzlies that were hibernating. Benjamin would battle him in epic snowball fights, both using their abilities to pelt the other with snow. His uncles and grandfather would sit with him by the fire and recount tales from the past. He always looked forward to spending time in the garage with his mother, putting new tires and chains on all the cars so they would be prepared for the wintry conditions on the roads. Plus, every December, he would hang out in Renesmee and Nahuel's cottage and strategize how to get their Aunt Alice a present without her figuring it out. He would sit around the fire whispering with Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya about what plan could work and wait until Alice would skip into the cottage with a gleeful smile saying she could not wait to see her gift. They could never get one by her, but they always enjoyed the challenge of trying.

In December, much to the surprise of his mother, Zach also enjoyed going to the mall. He was fascinated by the masses of people bustling around him, staring when he passed before going back to their shopping. Alice would plan long excursions to different malls, sometimes in Victoria, sometimes in Seattle, but mainly in Alaska, and he would happily tag along with his aunts, mother, and grandmother. When his Aunt Alice would get too overzealous and attempt to make him try on heaps of clothing, he would escape to the bookstore with his Aunt Bella to find something to read, much to Alice's chagrin. Bella was always smug during those times and teased Alice about being his favorite aunt.

His favorite part about the holiday season in particular was buying a new ornament each year with his grandparents, Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya. It was Esme's idea to have a day each year where she would take her grandchildren to the mall in Victoria to buy ornaments for each family member. Zach looked forward to it every year and it added to why December was his favorite time of the year.

He was able to add yet another reason to why December was the best time of year for him and as he cruised down the road heading to Forks High School, he could not hide his dimpled grin. It had been months since Joshua phased into a wolf and joined his parents' pack, but when Joshua was in school, he could not play with his best friend as much as he did during the summer. He had to focus on homework, exams, and school events. Leah encouraged him to enjoy the experience of high school while he could, but Joshua preferred running around the forest instead of attending school dances. Luckily for him and Zach, the holiday break had arrived and Zach was more than happy to pick his friend up from school. The two of them would have eighteen whole days together to celebrate the holidays and neither could wait. Zach groaned and turned down the stereo in his BMW when his phone rang. He knew who it was before he even glanced down at the phone and immediately answered.

"Hey mom, I am about to enter Forks now. I will be at J's school in a minute."

"Did you remember to close the door at the dock?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Make sure to stop for gas on the way back. You don't want the tank to get too low."

"I filled up before I headed to Forks just like I said I would."

"Well good, did you…."

"Mom," he whined and she giggled.

"Just checking," she teased.

"I did everything you and dad told me to do. Don't worry so much."

"She is your mother, she is supposed to worry," informed his grandmother in the background.

"Hi grandma, love you," chuckled Zach as Rosalie giggled.

"We're baking Christmas cookies," said Rosalie and Zach gasped in mock horror.

"Did you run that by Seth? You know he is very picky about his cookies," teased Zach.

"He has been notified and assured it is the same recipe, just in the shape of Christmas trees and snowmen."

"He is such a mama's boy and a grandma's boy. You know what? He is just a baby in general. I cannot wait to pick on him when I get to Sue and Charlie's."

"Leave your brother alone. He loves his cookies. Does he pick on you when you whine about wanting me to go on a hunt with you and your father?"

"Um, yes, every single time."

"Yea, that's true. Fine you can pick on him."

"Thanks for the approval mom," he chuckled.

"I just wanted to call to make sure everything is going smoothly. Alice says it will be fine but…."

"Mom, I promise to be good. We will see you soon okay?" Rosalie sighed and he chuckled at her hesitation.

"I love you baby boy. Please be careful."

"I will. I love you too. I have to go mom. I am pulling up to the school now, bye." He hung up the phone and parked by the curb in front of the school. As soon as he got out, the school bell rang and he leaned against the hood of his car. It was a half day at Forks High School, which was usually the case for the students on the last day before holiday and summer breaks. They attended school in the morning and were out by lunchtime. Zach grinned at his best friend as Josh ran out of the school with his backpack in his hand. They did their secret handshake and Zach nudged his shoulder.

"I have a surprise for you, but I'm not telling you what it is," teased Zach and Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Then why did you even tell me you had a surprise if you won't tell me what it is?"

"To torture you of course, what is the fun in just telling you right away?"

"It would make me very happy and make you the bestest friend I could have." Zach tapped his chin as he pretended to think about it.

"Nope, still not worth skipping the torture."

"Jerk."

"Pretty much, so where's Nina," sang Zach and Joshua's eyes widened as he gulped.

"Crap, I didn't say goodbye to her. Be right back," he called over his shoulder as he jogged back toward the school. Zach burst with laughter when he saw Nina exit the school with her arms crossed and a look that said she was not amused. Joshua stuffed his hands into his jean pockets with a sheepish grin.

"Um, sorry for not stopping by your locker sweetie, I just didn't want to keep Z waiting."

"Sweetie," laughed Zach and Joshua glared at his friend, but that did not deter Zach. His booming laugh echoed off the school walls and Nina waved at Zach before turning her attention back to Joshua.

"I am going to miss you. You won't be able to spend any time with me, not even a little," she pouted and Joshua pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, you know I want to, but I have to spend time with my family. We are going on vacation with Z's family. You know how it is, right?"

"I guess. Will you at least call me?" Joshua winced.

"I'm not sure I will get the best reception where I will be."

"Yea, sure, whatever, and I am sure the fact that your mom hates me has nothing to do with your….reception problems."

"Aw Nina, don't start that again. My mom doesn't hate you. Besides, when I get back, we will have lots of fun. I will take you to some of the basketball games and we can hang out at the movies more okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Will you miss me?" Joshua cringed as he felt Zach wrap an arm around his shoulder. He glanced over at his best friend who was wearing a smug smile.

"Yea J, tell her how much you will miss her," teased Zach and Joshua cut his eyes at him.

"Why don't you go wait over by the car Z?"

"Oh no, I am just fine right here. Tell her how much you are going to miss her. He told me just last night that he cannot wait to see his sweetie again, Nina." Nina sighed happily.

"You said that Josh," she asked as she pulled him closer and Zach hid his smile.

"Yes….I did," conceded Josh as he cut his eyes at his friend again.

"Aw baby, that is so sweet! I love you." Zach guffawed and Joshua nudged him before kissing Nina on the cheek.

"Love you too, have a Merry Christmas. I will try to call you whenever I can." Nina nodded and Joshua turned to leave, but then smiled mischievously at Zach as Nina's friends approached them. Zach's eyes widened.

"Casey, April, you remember Zach right," asked Joshua with a sly smile. Zach gulped.

"How could I forget? Hey Zach, I couldn't wait to see you again," said Casey and Zach chuckled nervously.

"Hello ladies, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, all that good stuff, um J are you ready to go?"

"What's the rush Z," teased Joshua as Zach pulled him away.

"Yea, what's the rush," asked Casey as she ran her hand over Zach's arm. She could feel the hard slab of muscle under the leather jacket he was wearing. Zach and Joshua were not small in stature. Zach was 6'4 and inherited his muscular build from his father. His dimples and curly hair gave him a boyish charm, but his deep voice made him sound older than fourteen years of age, which is why he said he was sixteen. Even that was a stretch for the handsome boy that looked like a college football player. However, he did not stand out when he stood beside his best friend.

Joshua passed his sudden change in physique off as a growth spurt over the summer. By the time he returned to school, he was 6'2 and had the build of a swimmer. He gained more muscle mass during the school year, which the females took notice of, including Nina. His shoulder length, black hair was usually pulled back in a short ponytail and his dark brown eyes made him even more attractive. Nina was ecstatic the moment he asked her out and the two started dating two months prior, much to the chagrin of his mother. Both Leah and Rosalie knew their sons would be heartbreakers, but Zach was not as willing as his best friend to use his looks to attract girls yet.

"Uh, we have to go meet up with my big bro," explained Zach and Casey's eyes lit up.

"You have a brother? How old is he," she asked and Joshua stepped in.

"Old, really old, well we should get going. Nina, I will call you when I get a chance, bye!" Joshua jogged toward the car and Zach gave the girls a charming smile.

"Merry Christmas ladies," he said with a wink before following his friend. The two boys quickly got into Zach's BMW and sighed in relief.

"Dude, you can't say that Seth is your big brother. They know that he is my uncle! They have seen him pick me up a couple of times."

"I know and that is why I didn't say his name. It isn't like they would put it together though. Oh, his uncle must be your brother, you all look so much alike," teased Zach and Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, so what do you think of Casey? She wants you so bad."

"We are not going over this again," grumbled Zach.

"Oh come on Z, she is pretty and she likes you. I think you should go out with her."

"She is pretty and she likes me, sounds like mate material to me."

"Z, you gotta live a little."

"I went for a swim in the Gulf of Alaska just last week. I live plenty."

"You know what I mean. Having a girlfriend is fun."

"Fun, I have fun without stringing some girl along, thank you."

"Hey I don't string Nina along."

"She isn't your imprint."

"Now you sound like my mom."

"Your mom is right. I can't believe you told her that you love her. Dude, the L word should not be taken lightly."

"Hey save the lecture, I care about Nina."

"Do you love her?" Joshua stared out the window and shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't! You can't even see her over the break and don't seem too sad about that by the way."

"I will miss her. I just will have more fun hanging out with you. You should be flattered."

"Oh I know I am awesome. I get it. Who wouldn't want to be around someone with just as much….if not more…alpha-ness as them and get to hang out with vampires and wolves? But you shouldn't tell her that you love her if you don't mean it. That isn't right J and last time I checked you didn't imprint, which is precisely why your mom is worried about your relationship. It is risky."

"Look, I can't just wait around hoping that I will imprint soon."

"Why not, what's your rush? You have eternity."

"I am ready now."

"You know what happened between your mom and Sam right?" Joshua sighed.

"Yea."

"They are the perfect example of what can happen when you get with someone else instead of waiting for your imprint. They didn't know about imprinting, but you do. You know better."

"Yea well my mom and dad are a perfect example of falling in love even though they did not imprint. What if I never find my imprint? Not all wolves do."

"That's true. You wolves are so complicated. You see with me, I know exactly how it will work. I will find my mate when the time is right and she will be my true mate. I mean sure you have that sticky situation with Benjamin and Tia, but hey they were under the rule of a crazy person most of their existence, crazy mate issues were bound to happen. They got that sorted out though and each has their mates, easy as pie."

"Should you really say easy as pie when you don't even know what pie tastes like?" Zach thought for a moment and nodded.

"Fine, easy as grizzly, no, elk. Elk is easier to take down. Easy as elk," announced Zach and Joshua chuckled as they pulled into the driveway of Sue and Charlie's house. As soon as they were out of the car, Joshua knew something was different. He expected to see his parents and some of the Cullens' cars, but only Seth and Kaya's car were in the driveway.

"You said you had a surprise for me," said Joshua and Zach happily nodded.

"Well, as you know, the plan is for everyone to spend the holidays on the island with my family, but first we figured maybe you would like to go on an adventure before the holidays."

"Adventure," questioned Joshua with a big grin and Zach rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh you know, maybe an Alaskan Adventure," revealed Zach. Joshua pumped his fist as Seth and Kaya walked outside to greet them.

"Feel like going for a run," asked Seth and Joshua's jaw dropped in shock.

"Are you serious? Run to Alaska, really," he asked excitedly and Seth ruffled his hair.

"It took some convincing…."

"More like pleading and nagging," teased Zach.

"But I convinced your parents and Rose and Em to let us introduce you to our home away from home," explained Seth. Kaya hugged Joshua and kissed his cheek.

"I promised to keep an eye on you boys and I think that helped," added Kaya and Seth smirked.

"I am a grown man. You would think they would let me take my little brother and nephew for a run without needing adult supervision. I am an adult!"

"No, you are a mama's boy and a grandma's boy. I am so glad we have Kaya or they wouldn't let you take us anywhere," exclaimed Zach and Seth playfully glared at him.

"How many other ways do I have to put this to you little bro? You are the mama's boy and the grandma's boy. I simply enjoy their company."

"Oh is that what mama's boys call it these days, enjoying their company, instead of whining until you are coddled?"

"You know what, we can take this to the forest and…."

"Alright you two, that's enough. I don't know how you would get anything done without me," scolded Kaya.

"He started it," grumbled Seth.

"Did not!"

"Oh did too!"

"Did not, you are such a baby!"

"Takes one to know one."

"Okay, while these two whine and pout about being called mama's boys, I am going to say hi to grandma and grandpa before we leave," informed Joshua. Kaya giggled at her mate and Zach as they continued to tease each other like only siblings could.

"Whenever you two are done, we should go say goodbye to Sue and Charlie. We need to head out if we are going to get to Alaska when we planned to," said Kaya. Seth kissed his wife's cheek and nodded before ruffling Zach's hair.

"She's right. I will be the responsible adult and take the high road…..mama's boy."

"I will be a mama's boy. That's fine. I am her favorite after all."

"You are not her…."

"About to call mom and check in," called Zach as he jogged inside and Seth rolled his eyes. He and Kaya followed the boys into the house so that they could say goodbye to Charlie and Sue and head to Alaska where Joshua would get to experience the frozen tundra for the first time.

Rosalie ended her search for Alice on the porch of the Denali house. Her sister was perched on the wooden railing with her eyes closed and a small smile on her face.

"The boys will be fine. Josh is very excited to get to Alaska. Zach left his car at Charlie and Sue's so that Renesmee and Nahuel could take it back when they go pick them up for Christmas."

"Zach called a few minutes ago. I just want to make sure they don't get into too much trouble on the way here. No avalanches that I need to worry about?"

"No, they plan on saving that until you can create some with them."

"I am never going to live that one down am I?"

"It made you even cooler in Zach's eyes."

"Good to know, so what are you doing out here? Thinking about the lavish gift you are going to get me for Christmas," questioned Rosalie and Alice giggled.

"I already did my Christmas shopping and no I will not tell you what Emmett is getting you or what Zach got you."

"Not even a hint?"

"Nope," sang Alice.

"Fine, then what are you doing out here?"

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"I don't know."

"Well that narrows it down for me, thank you."

"I just….I don't know." Rosalie looked at her sister curiously and arched an eyebrow.

"Alice, what is going on?"

"Nothing….I don't think. I don't know. I just feel like something is missing, like I am missing something."

"We are in Alaska with our family, including Leah and Jake. Zach, Joshua, Seth, and Kaya are on their way and you said they will be fine."

"They will."

"Okay, we are going to spend some days here letting the boys play in Alaska and then everyone is heading back to the island for Christmas with Charlie and Sue. What exactly is the problem?"

"It is just a feeling. Haven't you ever felt like you are missing something and you can't explain what it is?"

"Sure, but I also know that worrying about it constantly doesn't help. Everything is fine Alice. Come inside, tease mom about the ridiculous amount of cookies she is making. No I have a better idea, help me annoy Edward, that is always fun!" Alice giggled and winked at her sister.

"How could I pass up an offer like that? Annoying Edward is my favorite pastime."

"It is certainly up there on my list," laughed Rosalie. Edward opened the front door with a scowl on his face as Bella tried to hide her smile beside him.

"Must you two always bother me," asked Edward. Rosalie and Alice shared a look. Edward groaned as he read their thoughts.

"Why would he ask such a silly question," wondered Alice out loud and Rosalie shrugged.

"Maybe he just likes to hear us say it. Edward, as your sisters it is our right…."

"And duty," added Alice.

"True, it is our right and duty to annoy you to the best of our ability. If you don't know this by now then we obviously haven't been annoying enough. Should we amp it up a bit," questioned Rosalie with an innocent smile as Bella snickered. Alice gasped as an idea popped into her head.

"We should have him try on the new outfits I bought for him! He has to pick one for Christmas. Oh Edward you are going to look so handsome."

"Alice we have been over this. I don't need you to dress me," whined Edward.

"Of course you do silly, it will be fun!"

"Lots of fun," agreed Rosalie and Edward's eyes widened. He sped inside the house.

"Esme help," called Edward. Alice and Rosalie rolled their eyes.

"He is such a tattle tale," grumbled Alice.

"And a mama's boy," grumbled Rosalie. Alice suddenly clapped her hands happily.

"It will be fine. I am a mama's girl! Esme, he is being mean," called Alice as she ran inside and Bella laughed.

"A hundred bucks says Edward gets mom to side with him," said Bella.

"I will take that bet sis. I will never bet against Alice."

"Usually I wouldn't either, but I don't bet against my mate," giggled Bella and the two of them walked arm in arm to the kitchen where Alice and Edward were pleading their cases to their mother.

Running was one of Joshua's favorite things about being a wolf and he thoroughly enjoyed running with his best friend and uncle. Kaya giggled at the three of them as they jumped over boulders, streams, and blurred by trees with big smiles on their faces. The farther north they headed, the steeper the drop in temperature. It was in the forties when they departed from Forks, but by the time they ran through Juneau it was snowing. Joshua wanted to take the longest route instead of taking the ferry up to Bellingham and running the rest of the way, so they crossed through the Olympic Forest, down to Olympia, and then headed northeast until they crossed the Canadian border. They had a straight shot to Mount McKinley once they entered Alaska and Joshua was in awe of the wilderness of Alaska. The group passed by grizzly bear dens, gray wolves and caribou. By the time they arrived at Mount McKinley, it was pitch black outside and the only illumination that could be seen was from the massive house where the Denali Coven resided. When the house came into view, Joshua and Seth ran into the brush to phase. Zach and Kaya ran onto the porch and neither was surprised to see Rosalie and Leah waiting on them. Rosalie pulled her son into her arms for a big hug and he kissed her cheek.

"I wasn't gone that long mom," he chuckled and she winked at him.

"Too long for me, did you have fun?"

"Yep, what did you do while we were gone?"

"I won a hundred bucks from Aunt Bella. What did I always tell you about Aunt Alice?"

"Never bet against her."

"That's my baby boy," she giggled and kissed his cheek. Joshua and Seth jogged over to them and greeted Rosalie and Leah with hugs.

"Mom, thanks for letting me go. That was so cool, where is dad," asked Joshua.

"Your father and I knew you would love it. He is upstairs with Emmett, Nahuel, and Garrett playing video games." Zach nudged Joshua.

"Come on, let's go beat their high scores," suggested Zach and Joshua happily followed him into the house. Leah shook her head with a smile.

"We bring the boy to Alaska and he wants to play video games," laughed Leah as Seth wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I know. There is so much to do here and all he wants to do…..oh, I smell cookies! Esme, they smell delicious," yelled Seth as he ran into the house while Rosalie, Leah, and Kaya laughed.

"I should go grab a few before he devours them, do you want some," asked Kaya and Leah smiled appreciatively at her sister-in-law.

"Try to save a plate for the rest of us," said Leah.

"I'll try but that will not be an easy feat," teased Kaya as she entered the house. Rosalie and Leah sat down in two of the wooden chairs on the patio as they looked out at the picturesque view from the mountain.

"I can see the appeal of this place. If it wasn't in the middle of nowhere, we could bring my mom and Charlie up here for Christmas, but the island is an easier trip for them."

"I am surprised you were so willing to stay here for a few days. You usually don't stay in the area for that long."

"Josh has talked about seeing this place for so long. It was just a matter of time before we ended up here with him."

"And to think when he was a baby, you didn't even want him around us. You have gone soft in your old age." Leah smirked.

"I know you are not talking about old age. Anyways, it will be a good way to start the holidays. You know my mom is excited about spending the holiday on the island. She rarely gets to travel and see new places. Charlie is such a homebody, which is fine, but I think Seth gets his sense of adventure from her."

"She is 74 years old. Shouldn't she be over the adventure by now?"

"I like that she enjoys being active. It keeps her healthy and young at heart. Charlie likes to go fishing with her and hunting, but she wants to get out of Forks for a while. That's why she is so excited about spending the holiday on the island," explained Leah. Edward and Bella exited the house with thoughtful smiles on their faces.

"We have been thinking about what we could possibly get them for Christmas. My dad is so picky, but that gives me a great idea. We should book a trip for them somewhere like we did for my mom and Phil. They love to spend Christmas in warmer climates, so we bought them an all-inclusive two week vacation in the Caribbean. If I would have known sooner that Sue was looking to travel more, we could have given them something like that as a gift. I do love having them around during the holidays though, so how about a trip for sometime early next year," suggested Bella.

"I think Charlie would go for an Alaskan Cruise. Do you think Sue would enjoy that," asked Edward.

"Yea, if Charlie was excited about it, then she would be," assured Leah. Alice poked her head out of the front door.

"I'm on it," she called before running back inside.

"Having her around certainly comes in handy doesn't it," laughed Leah.

"It has its perks, especially when I want to bother Edward," teased Rosalie and Edward smirked at her.

"I better go make sure she doesn't go overboard with the….." Edward hissed as his mind was filled with flashes of the vision Alice was receiving. His eyes widened with horror and Bella gripped onto his hand tightly.

"Should I….." Started Bella, but Edward interrupted her.

"No, keep my mind unshielded," said Edward. Rosalie and Leah looked at him cautiously as Rosalie stood up.

"Edward, what is it," she asked, but she was afraid to hear the answer. She could hear Jasper inside asking Alice to speak to him as he held her closely. Carlisle, Esme, Eleazar, and Carmen were rushing down the stairs, along with Benjamin and Tanya. Emmett, Jacob, and Garrett paused their video game while Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya dropped their cookies onto their plates. Zach gasped and Joshua asked what was going on. The entire house was on high alert, sensing Alice's distress. The pitter patter of feet sped toward them as Zafrina and Keegan returned to the house from their hunt. Zafrina noticed the frantic look on Edward's face and turned to Bella.

"What is it," asked Zafrina. Edward snapped out of his daze and sprinted inside to Alice, who was already pulling out her phone.

"Connell, he will be able to….."

"I know Edward. I am on it, but there isn't much time. Why didn't they tell us? Why didn't I see it," shouted Alice as she franticly dialed Connell's number. He picked up with a groan.

"What is it Al…"

"Connell, you have to save Alexander and Lena now," shouted Alice and Edward grabbed the phone from her as she scanned her vision for more clues.

"They are in an extremely cold climate. Alice is trying to get a read on them," added Edward.

"Whoa there gingernut, what the hell are you talking about? I haven't heard from Alexander and Lena in months. I don't know where they are and I can't exactly….."

"You can sense them if you try hard enough. We can narrow down their location with Alice's visions. You have to want it, you have to desire to find them as soon as possible, but you can do it Connell, focus," demanded Edward and Connell huffed.

"Hey, you cannot just call me and….."

"They are about to die," shrieked Alice and Edward handed her the phone.

"Russia, somewhere in Russia, Alice that peak, what is it? Why does it look familiar," asked Edward as the others gathered around them.

"What type of peak Edward? We know Russia very well. Maybe we can help," suggested Tanya as Kate nodded.

"It is a mountain," said Alice.

"Russia has numerous mountains," said Kate.

"Alice, that's more than a mountain. It is a huge volcano. It towers over the others in the area," informed Edward.

"Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a stratovolcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. It stands out amongst the others because it has the highest peak," explained Tanya and Alice put the phone back up to her ear as a vision flashed through her mind.

"That's the one. Connell get there, they are in danger," yelled Alice and the line suddenly died. Alice held her breath as she read through her visions. The silence in the house was deafening as everyone waited for a sign that Connell found the two guards. The moment she let it out, Connell appeared with Alexander and Lena. Edward sighed in relief as he knelt down beside the two battered guards. Lena looked around the room in utter shock at her surroundings before tending to her mate's shoulder, which was hanging precariously out of place. Carlisle was immediately by Alexander's side as Esme helped Lena to her feet.

"What happened," asked Esme, but Lena was still too stunned to speak. Edward read her thoughts and answered for her.

"They were ambushed by an army," confessed Edward. The others glanced at one another, knowing that a peaceful few days in Alaska was suddenly out of the question.