A Christmas under the stars – An Epilogue to We're in this together
I wanted to write a Christmas story for one of my stories. It suited best for "We're in this together". An epilogue to "We're in this together" is a natural way to get into the holiday mood and a lovely way to shed some light on how life has treated Bella and Paul, their twin girls, and their friends and family. No more vampires come to La Push. Cullens are the new leaders of the vampire world, and shapeshifters, apart from their alpha, aren't phasing. Fluff and some smut and holiday feel. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts.
A Christmas under the stars
"Daddy, is this good?" Luna asked, showing Paul a bowl containing whisked eggs for the omelet they made for Bella's birthday breakfast.
"Yes, Moonpie," Paul grinned at his daughter. "That'll make a perfect omelet for your mommy."
"Look, Daddy," Lumi said, and Paul turned to look at his other daughter, who was molding little animals with colorful modeling clay. All her tasks to prepare the breakfast were forgotten. "I made this for mommy."
"What is it, Snowflake?" Paul asked. Lumi showed him a pink figure with yellow and green stripes.
"Can't you see it's a unicorn? It just doesn't have the horn yet," Lumi told him, looking at him with her big brown eyes so much like her mother's. Her ink-black hair was a messy nest after a long night's sleep.
"It is a horse if it doesn't have a horn," Luna, her identical twin, piped in, brushing a strand of equally messy hair from her face.
"It's a unicorn; horses aren't colorful," Lumi told her sister.
"No, it's..."
"Have you sliced the bread yet, Moonpie?" Paul interrupted the girls before he'd have a row in his hands. He didn't want girls to wake Bella up yet. She'd come home late from Seattle last night and hadn't slept more than a couple of hours. He, of course, was guilty of not letting her sleep, but he wasn't sorry. His body was still humming with satisfaction after making love to his beautiful wife. He would probably wear this shit-eating grin on his face all day. Damn, what a night.
"Not yet, Daddy," Luna said and reached to take the bread from the other side of the island. "Do we make French toast for mommy?"
"Wouldn't that be a great idea? You know how much she loves French toast. Especially when you've made them."
Luna nodded with a pleased smile on her face.
"Lumi, could you come and finish slicing the fruits for the salad, please?"
With a heavy sigh, Lumi slid down from her chair. "Okay, Daddy. But I never finish my unicorn in time."
Of his two daughters, Lumi was less interested in making food. She was eager to take part in slicing and occasionally making dough for a pie or buns, but her mind was occupied with fairytales and drawings and making figures with all sorts of clay and Legos. Bella's brother and Lumi could spend hours building their universe, and half of the girls' playroom floor was covered with their buildings and whatnot.
"Would you like to slice the cucumber as well?" Paul asked.
"Yes, daddy. If I must," Lumi said with another heavy sigh and left her precious clay animals, giving a small kiss to each of them.
Yes, his daughter was a drama queen.
"Wash your hands first."
"Yes, Daddy."
"Do you think mommy hates having her birthday on Christmas?" Lumi asked while she washed her hands.
"No, I don't think so," Paul said, chuckling.
"I would hate it," Lumi said.
"Me too," Luna added.
"Why?" Paul asked, taking a sip from his coffee.
"I love having a birthday in April," Lumi said. "It's the best of best month to have birthdays."
"Yes, it is," Luna nodded eagerly. "All the trees have flowers in our back garden, and so many bees are in them. I love bees."
"Me too."
"So, you love having a birthday in April because of bees?" This was new. Birthdays were super important for the girls, as Paul guessed they were for all children, but he hadn't heard about bees before.
"Yes, Quil had told us how important bees are. They are so important that without bees, we wouldn't have any food."
"Ah, well, Quil is right about that."
"Is Quil, Neil, and Claire coming tomorrow?" Lumi asked.
"Yes, they are. Not sure about Claire, but if she can leave her school early enough, she will be here."
"And Sam, Emily, Joshua, and Ella?" Luna added.
"Yes," Paul chuckled.
"Jacob and Milly?"
"Ben and grandma and Patrick?"
"Yes. Everyone is coming," Paul laughed. "And also, one of Daddy's and Mommy's old friends is coming. He is bringing his family with him."
"Who?" both girls asked.
"Jared. He used to live here and was my best friend. He moved to Hawaii six years ago."
"Did he ever see us?" Luna asked. "We are six years old."
"He did."
"Why did he move to Hawaii? Doesn't he like La Push?"
Paul sighed. Remembering those days wasn't his favorite thing to do. The time when everything was a big mess. Bella and their babies had been in grave danger, the pack recovering from the deception of Old Quil and Billy Black. Kim dying, Jared losing his wolf.
"Daddy? Why did he leave La Push?" Luna's voice brought him back to the present.
"Jared wanted to live somewhere warm and see new places. His cousin lived in Hawaii and gave him a job."
"Where is Hawaii?" Lumi asked.
"It's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I'll show you it on the map later. Now let's get mommy's breakfast ready."
Paul turned the omelet on the frying pan and sprinkled cheese and parsley. He let the cheese melt while he opened a yogurt tube and scooped it into the ceramic bowl Lumi had made. Bella loved its bright orange and green colors.
"I want to make love hearts. I cut toast with my heart cutter," Luna informed him and hopped off the kitchen stool she'd been standing on. "Where is it daddy?"
"Isn't it in the sink? We used it yesterday when we made gingerbread."
"Here it is!" Luna said and climbed back onto the stool.
"I want to cut heart shapes, too," Lumi piped in.
Together, they prepared the birthday breakfast for Bella. It was her 28th birthday. She'd been away for a week in Seattle playing Christmas concerts with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. They were lucky she had no more concerts this year, so she could be with them at home.
It was still tough for Paul to let Bella be without him away from La Push. But he couldn't go with her every time, not only because of Luna and Lumi but also because he had his restaurant to manage. They had an arrangement with Bella's mother; she paid the travel fees and the hotels to the wolf who would be with Bella when Paul wasn't. It was the only way Paul could let her go without him, and it was what Renee wanted too: to ensure Bella was always safe. Bella had gotten used to having one of the pack with her and didn't complain about the arrangement anymore.
This time, they had all driven to Seattle a week ago, and after he and the girls had left back home, Embry and Katie had come to stay in the same hotel where Bella was.
All vampire activity had stopped after they had wiped the Italian fuckers from the face of the Earth, but Paul didn't take any chances when it came to the safety of his family. Carlisle Cullen and Jasper Hale apparently were the new leaders of the vampire world. The story went that the old rulers had been eager to leave everything for them and had destroyed themselves.
Paul didn't care. All that mattered was that leeches stayed away, and they would never hear from them again. He was the only one of the La Push pack who still occasionally phased, and it was only for the benefit of his family: all his girls loved his wolf. But his phasing kept him and Bella younger than their age, so he wouldn't continue much longer. They wanted to live a normal life and age with their girls.
Tomorrow, they will have their traditional Christmas party with their friends and family. Paul was damned happy Jared was finally coming home. They haven't seen him since he left after Kim's death. They had kept in contact, and Paul knew the first two years had been extra hard for his friend. The change of scenery had helped somewhat, but the loss of his wolf and imprint had caused many problems, depression being one of them. Meeting Julia had made all the difference, and now he was a married man with a small boy named Noah. Damn, he could not wait to see him tomorrow.
"Okay, is everything ready?" Paul asked his girls as he finished the omelet and put it on the tray with French toast, yogurt, fruit salad, and Bella's favorite tea, licorice.
"Wait! I'll get my drawing," Luna said and ran to the girls' room. She came back with a crumbled paper.
"Why is it all wrinkly?" Lumi asked.
"I accidentally slept on it," Luna said, looking miserable.
"It doesn't matter," Paul said, ruffling her hair. "Your mommy will love it."
"It is extra super nice," Lumi added, patting her sister's arm.
Paul smiled at his daughters, picking up the tray they left the kitchen. "Try not to be too loud. Mommy slept very little last night and is still tired."
"We are very quiet," Lumi whispered and opened the door to Bella's and Paul's bedroom.
The room was dark, the shutters were closed, and Bella was still fast asleep. Paul wanted to let her sleep, but their little devils had had ants in their pants for a few hours already. They always woke up early, and this morning, Paul woke up with them, wanting to make sure the girls stayed away from their bedroom. Even though he knew they missed their mom.
The girls were giggling and whispering until they couldn't wait any longer and raced each other to the bed.
"Wake up, Mommy!" they shouted. That for being quiet, Paul chuckled.
Paul placed the tray on the nightstand and went to open the shutters. It was a sunny morning, a strange occurrence for late December.
"Oh, my sweet peas," Bella's voice, thick with sleep, came from the depths of the pillows. She looked adorable with her messy hair, much to do with last night's activities. Her eyes were half-closed, and she squinted them against the low sunray invading their bedroom.
She turned on her back, scooped both girls under her arms, and hugged them close to her, kissing their faces. Both girls were giggling. Paul was momentarily unable to take his eyes off his Bella and girls. The familiar current of belonging filled him with awe. This was his family. His girls.
"Mommy, mommy, look what I made for you," Lumi said as she gave the modeling clay figure to her. It was a miracle it was still in one piece.
"Oh, my darling, it's beautiful. Thank you so much," Bella said, kissing her cheek.
"It's a unicorn. I didn't have time to make the horn yet; I will add it to it later."
"What color will the horn be?" Bella asked, smiling.
"I think it will be blue."
"Blue. You know it's my favorite color, don't you."
"Yes. But you also love green and gray and red and…"
"This is my drawing," Luna piped in, not patient enough to wait for her sister to go through all the colors. "I accidentally slept on it last night," Luna said, offering Bella the crumbled paper.
"It is such a good drawing. What kind of butterfly is it?" Bella asked and brushed her fingers over Luna's cheek, tugging a string of hair behind her ear.
"It's a swallowtail. We saw it on TV," Luna told Bella.
"And are these bees?" Bella asked, pointing at the little figures with black and yellow bodies and wings.
"Yes! Quil told us all about bees. I love having a birthday in April because all trees are full of bees."
Bella laughed.
"Did you know that only girl bees can sting? Boys don't have any stingers," Luna asked.
"And they have five eyes!" Lumi added.
"No, I didn't know," Bella said, glancing at Paul, arching her brows.
"Quil has decided to start producing honey, and he's all about bees at the moment," Paul explained the sudden enthusiasm about bees.
"Daddy, what did you make for mummy?" Lumi asked.
Paul was tempted to say Mommy got his present last night but bit his tongue just in time. Bella guessed what he was thinking, and her cheeks blushed. Damn, she was beautiful. He loved his daughters more than his own life, but there were moments when he hoped to have Bella all to himself, and this was one of those. He was a selfish fucker sometimes. He would give anything to be able to make love to her again right now.
Clearing his mind, he said, "Daddy made this awesome breakfast all by himself." Winking at Bella.
"No! You didn't," Luna was outraged. "I helped. Didn't I, Lumi? You helped, too."
"Yes. We all made breakfast together," Lumi confirmed.
"Oh right, we did. Daddy forgot."
"What did you make? It smells divine," Bella asked and sat up on the bed, resting her back against the headboard. Luna moved to sit on her lap, and Lumi snuggled under her arm. Luckily, they had a big bed, so he had room in it, too.
They ate together. It was a messy business with the girls munching down the toasts, but it didn't matter. Special days like birthdays were all about breaking the rules; not eating in bed was one of them. Girls told everything that had happened the last week. About Joshua hurting his knee, Colin and Brady leaving on a holiday for Christmas. "They go all the way to Scotland. Do you know where Scotland is?" Luna asked. "Yes, Moonpie, I know. Mummy would love to go to Scotland someday."
And how grandmother, Patrick, and Ben had visited with a new puppy. Paul didn't know how the girls could hold the news this long. It was a miracle they hadn't started to beg to have a dog of their own. Maybe it helped that Ben had promised they could come to take care of Finn, the puppy, whenever they wanted. He'd even promised they could have him over for a longer time.
Paul heard someone coming into their kitchen; it was Quil. He was the only pack member with a key and permission to let himself in without prior notice. Quil was very good at sensing when it was okay and when it wasn't to invade their privacy. He had made one mistake in six years, and he would never forget finding Paul and Bella fucking in the kitchen.
"Anybody home?!" Quil shouted.
"Quil!" Both girls shrieked and jumped off the bed.
"Yes, pumpkins, it's Quil and Neil! Would you like to go to the Christmas market in Forks with us?!"
Paul's cock twitched at the thought. He would be getting his wish after all.
"Yeeee! Can we mummy?" The girls stopped at the door, turning to look pleadingly at their mother.
Bella glanced at Paul, smiling mischievously, "Yes, you can. You can buy a Christmas wreath from Mrs. Thomas's stall, as we do every year. I trust your taste that you'll buy the most beautiful wreath she has made. Do you remember who Mrs. Thomas is?"
"Yes, mummy!"
And then the girls ran to meet their favorite person.
"I go see them off and give them some money," he kissed Bella quickly. "Don't dare move."
Bella giggled and stretched deliciously, arching her back. Paul nipped her other nipple with his teeth, puckering it.
"Go!" Bella said, pushing him off the bed.
Paul laughed and got up. He quickly collected the empty dishes onto the tray and took them to the kitchen. Neil was there pouring himself coffee. Paul heard Quil was with the girls in their room, helping them find appropriate clothes.
"Good morning, Neil. Whose idea it was to take the girls to the Christmas market?" Paul asked, grinning.
"Quil suggested it. He thought you might want to have some adult time here. And the girls have been bugging him when we could take them to the new playground in Forks. Today is as good a day as any." Neil winked.
"Thanks, man! You two deserve an extra… something. I'll figure out later what. A super dinner at The Tiderock. Next week?"
"You know we love having girls. You owe us nothing."
"I know," Paul said and clapped Neil on the shoulder. They were very lucky to have these two eager to be part of girls' lives. Claire was studying to become a lawyer in Los Angeles, but she too was always there for them when she was in La Push. It was as Bella had guessed all those years ago: Quil and Neil weren't only in a relationship with each other but also with Claire. "They were a throuple," Claire had educated Paul.
"Can Claire make it for tomorrow?" he asked Neil.
"Yes. She'll leave LA tonight and will be at the party with us."
"That's awesome."
"Quil, you push me in that big swing, don't you?!" Lumi asked as they ran out of the room. They were always running everywhere. "Me too!" Luna shouted. They were both wearing clean clothes, and Quil had managed to plait their hair as well. Paul was impressed. "Come on!" Luna shouted as she ran past him, pulling her sister with her. Paul's ears were ringing. "Please don't shout," Paul told her, but they were already outside.
"We'll take them to pizza after the markets and play in the park. Be back around two. I would take them to watch a movie at our house, but they probably want their mummy after all the excitement and getting tired." Quil told him as he filled girls' drinking bottles with the tap water.
"Yes, that's a good plan," Paul said, glancing at the clock on the wall; it was just after 10. His grin widened so much that his face hurt.
Quil winked at him and took the girls' hats from the floor where they'd left them yesterday and left the house. Neil followed him.
"Have fun," he said and closed the door behind him.
Paul didn't waste any time but jogged to their bedroom, pulling his T-shirt over his head.
When he entered their bedroom, Bella changed the sheet on their bed. "The bed was full of bread crumbs," she laughed. She was leaning over the bed, smoothing the sheet. Her ass moved deliciously, clad by the emerald-green silk dressing gown Paul had given her a year ago for her birthday.
Paul's cock twitches in anticipation. Four hours just for them. Paul helped to tug the sheet under the mattress and tossed the pillows and quilt back to the bed. Then he pulled Bella into his arms.
"Happy Birthday, baby," Paul whispered and kissed her.
"Thank you, Paul. The breakfast was so lovely." She leaned against him, melting into his arms. She was so warm and soft. Paul moved to nuzzle her throat, inhaling her scent. She smelled of the orange marmalade they had had with the French toasts. Paul chuckled.
"What are you laughing?" Bella asked.
"You have marmalade here," he said, licking the spot.
"Oh. That's the new sexy."
"It sure is," Paul said, capturing her lips again. He tasted the tea she'd drank earlier and the marmalade. The sexiest taste in the fucking world.
Paul opened her robe and skimmed her shoulders, pushing it off. The robe slid to the floor. He brushed his hands down her arms, over her breasts, teasing the nipples and hardening them. His mouth followed the hands nipping, licking, sucking. Bella's fingers twined into his hair, pulling his mouth closer to her skin.
Paul pushed her to sit on the edge of their bed and knelt between her thighs, spreading them wide. Bella pulled his mouth into a hungry kiss. His erection throbbed in his jeans. He opened the buttons, easing the pressure. He palmed his weeping cock and kissed his way to his mark on Bella's shoulder, and sucked it hard.
Bella moaned loudly, and Paul smelled her arousal heavy and thick. It made his head spin.
"I want to hear you, baby," he said and sucked it again.
"Paul!" She moaned louder, pushed him back a little, and leaned to kiss her mark on his chest, over his thumping heart. She traced her tongue over the scar before sucking the puckered skin. Paul's eyes rolled back into his head.
"I need to taste you," he said, his voice heavy with lust and need.
Kissing down her body, he spread her thighs wider and plunged his tongue in without any preamble. He lifted her feet on the bed and spread her even wider. And he ate at her, licked and nipped until she came. She was lying on her back, moaning his name.
He made her come again until he could not wait any longer. He got up from the floor and quickly took off his jeans. Bella scooted up on the bed, and he followed her. He kissed her other knee, moving up to the hipbone, swirled his tongue on her belly button, and nipped her ribs with his teeth.
"Please, Paul, I need you," Bella said, twining her fingers in his hair and pulling him up.
Moving his knee between her legs, he pushed her thighs wider and sank to the hilt in her wet, hot sex.
They moaned loudly, and for a moment, Paul stayed unmoving, feeling her tightness adjusting tightly around his shaft. The feeling was out of this world. He took her other hand and, entwining their fingers together, moved their arms over her head. He pressed his body inch by inch against hers; he wanted to feel all of her.
"Paul… you feel so good, please move," Bella panted, moving her hips under him.
Paul groaned and pushed deeper, grinding his pelvis against hers, rubbing her clit. Rocking slowly, maddingly slow, against her. The sounds Bella made told him he was doing it right. He did it again and again and again. He took her mouth into a deep kiss, swallowing her sounds. And he kept rubbing his cock against her clit until he needed more. Changing the angle of his thrusts, Paul started to move faster in her with long and hard strokes. She was insanely wet and tight. She was always so tight around his big fat cock.
"Paul!" Her back arched, and her whole body started jerking with the power of her orgasm. Paul clenched his jaw tight, concentrating on prolonging his release. Feeling her tight pussy clamping tightly around him, squeezing so damn fucking good. Tensing his muscles, he kept from coming; he needed more.
He moved up from bed, taking Bella with him without disjoining them. He pinned her against the wall and started to fuck her hard.
"Take this, baby," he grunted.
"Ah… Ah…" Bella's hot breath fanned against his throat, driving him on to take her harder.
"Mine!" he panted and slammed into her deep.
"Yours!"
"Oh my God... oh my god.." Bella moaned at the same time her pussy gripped his cock tightly again, pulsing, milking him. He didn't hold anything back this time but let her take him with her. Arching his back, he came hard, groaning loudly.
Catching their breath, they stayed locked together, holding each other tightly.
"Damn, Bella, I love you," Paul said and kissed her cheek, her nose, and forehead.
"I love you too, Paul."
If one could die of happiness, Bella would've expired ages ago. Her life was full of joy and love and occasional hardship that made her appreciate it all the more. But she felt especially blessed at this moment as she watched her family and friends gather around their living room. Over the years, when they all had grown closer together - the pack and she and Paul - they had extended their living room so they all could fit in. They didn't hold big parties very often, a few times a year, girls' birthdays and Christmas being one of them.
Her eyes misted when she saw Paul and Jared deep in discussion, Paul holding Jared's sleeping four-month-old son in his arms. Luna and Lumi were fussing over the baby and would no doubt start asking for a little brother or sister again. When Sam's and Emily's Ella had been born a year and a half ago, they were planning on kidnapping the baby since mommy and daddy didn't give them little siblings to play with. Bella sighed; their family would always be a family of four.
She was happy and content with their number but understood why Luna and Lumi craved someone to take care of. Of the pack, only Sam and Emily had children, and now Jared, of course. But Bella was pretty sure the time would come soon when other pairs would also start having kids. Johanna and Seth had told them they didn't want to have children. It would be interesting to see if they would stick with their decision. Johanna was still only 22 years old.
Watching Jared made Bella remember when he'd been full of hate without understanding why he felt it. None of them had understood. All the pain he had to go through squeezed her heart.
"Paul is an amazing guy," a woman's voice said, pulling Bella away from her thoughts. Bella turned to look at Julia, Jared's wife.
"Yes, he is. But so is Jared," Bella said, turning back to watch the men with all the girls around them. Ella had woken up and was now asking to hold the little baby. "It is so great to see him happy and content. And it's all because of you."
"I wouldn't say that, not only because of me anyway. He was on his way to getting better when we met."
Jared had told Bella and Paul that Julia knew everything. Jared had told her when she'd become pregnant, and they decided to marry. Julia had said it was all so utterly mad that it had to be true.
"Jared told me that Paul is still phasing," Julia said tentatively, not sure if it was an okay topic.
"Very rarely, but yes. The girls and I love his wolf, and it's sad to think about not seeing him again. But he'll have to stop soon. We want to live as normal as possible, and not getting older isn't part of that."
Julia laughed. "And there are people who would do anything to stay young forever."
"I guess," Bella laughed.
"Um..." Julia started, "Sorry if I'm too insensitive asking this, but I've been dying to know how on earth you did not die of horror when that vampire kidnapped you."
"I don't mind. Let's sit over there," Bella pointed at the snug seating area in a glass conservatory, their latest addition to their home.
"I love your home," Julia said. "And you have such a beautiful family. Would you be able to separate Lumi and Luna from each other if they didn't have the tattoos on their wrists?"
Bella chuckled. The girls, indeed, were strikingly identical, even more than identical twins typically were. It was most likely due to the magic when they were conceived. But she would always be able to tell them apart. "Yes, there are many little things. In my ear, they sound slightly different; Luna has a pitch in her voice, especially when she's excited that Lumi doesn't have. Lumi has a smile that brings out deeper dimples and quirks her eyebrows funnily when confused. Luna pulls her earlobe when nervous and has a little mole behind her left ear. And I don't know how to explain it; I just feel them."
"That is amazing," Julia sighed, looking at the twins cooing at her baby boy. "They are probably able to fool everybody else."
"Yes, apart from me and Paul, only Quil and my brother Ben know which is which without seeing their tattoos."
"Quil seems like a big brother to the girls."
"That he is," Bella said, feeling especially grateful for Quil. "We couldn't actually have managed without him. He's been helping so much with the girls when I've been traveling with my music, and Paul has been setting up and working at his restaurant. Quil is part of our family, and as he comes in a pack with Neil and Claire, they are too."
They were silent for a while.
"It was Paul," Bella said, remembering the moments she was sure she was going to either die or be turned into a vampire.
"Huh?" Julia asked, watching her son, who was now in Luna's lap.
"Keeping my mind on Paul all the time helped me when Edward took me. Edward was obsessed and wanted to change me so we could stay together forever."
"That's terrible," Julia gasped.
"He was so cold, so hard," Bella shuddered at the memory, closing her eyes. "I pictured Paul's warm body, his big hands holding me tightly against him, blocking the cold and terror out of my mind. And when Edward bit me, I lost consciousness."
Julia shuddered visibly next to her and didn't say anything. What was there to say?
Loud shrieking split the room as Joshua and Ben ran into the living room, puppy trotting after them. Lumi and Luna forgot about the baby and joined other kids to play with the dog.
"Would you play for us?" Renée asked. Patrick was sitting next to Bella's mom, holding her hand. She and Patrick had been married for three years now, but it still felt weird to see them together.
"Why not? I'll get my violin."
Paul followed her. "Hey, do you think we could get everybody to leave after you've finished playing?" Paul asked. "I have a plan for us four for tonight."
"What plans?"
"I want to take you and the girls up to the mountain. We're going to spend the night under the stars. It's snowing up there, but it will clear for the night. Imagine all the stars we can see from up there?"
"Seriously?" Bella shrieked. "Wolf is taking us there?"
"Who else?"
"Oh my God, Paul. Girls will be so excited. It's going to be the best Christmas present for us."
They returned to the living room.
"I'll play a couple of songs. The first piece of music is from my new composition. I'll play the first three moments. And then I play Silent Night. After that, we want to see you all safely on your way with a wish for Merry Christmas."
Bella looked at all the people around her and began to play.
Bella was in the backyard with Luna and Lumi, waiting for the wolf to show up. She was carrying a back bag that held food Paul had packed and clothes for Paul. Both girls were stuffed with warm clothes. Under their thick snow suits, they had layer after layer warm merino wool clothes.
"When is the wolf coming?" Luna asked impatiently.
"He'll be coming soon," Bella assured the girls.
Paul had been pretty vague about what they would encounter at the mountain, saying only that he'd organized a place for them to spend the night.
Then they saw him, a big majestic grey wolf standing at the edge of their backyard and the forest.
"Wolf!" both girls shrieked.
"Shhh, The Wolf has excellent hearing, and loud noises hurt its ears," Bella shushed, and to her surprise, the girls quieted down.
They walked to meet him. His yellow eyes glinted in the dark, the light on their porch illuminating his silvery fur. The girls weren't at all wary about the animal. They've connected with him as small babies, getting their best sleep with him curled protectively around them. He was their father, and once again, Bella was in total awe of this mystical creature and the way he was connected to her and their daughters. Bella felt a lump in her throat as he watched the wolf sniff his pupps as a content rumble echoed from his chest. Then he sniffed her, his hot breath fanning on her face.
"Hello, wolf," Bella whispered, brushing her hand through his neck and scratching him behind his ear. He pressed his snout on her shoulder over his mark and nipped it. "I missed you too," she said.
"Can we ride him?" the girls asked.
"Yes, we all can. He's taking us up to the mountains."
"Yeeee!"
Wolf lowered himself to the ground, and Bella helped each girl onto his back. She threw his leg over Wolf's backside and sat behind the girls, sliding closer to them.
"Hold tight onto his fur," she told them. "We're ready, wolf."
"Woohooo," the girls laughed as the wolf slowly got up from the ground, and they rocked along with his movements.
This was the first time they were all together on his back. Both girls had ridden him a few times; it was the best thing in the world. Their intuition was very strong in knowing to whom they were allowed to talk about the wolf. Not to their school friends, parents, or kids they met at playgrounds or wherever, but only to the pack members, the elders, and Bella's family, who knew about the shapeshifters and vampires.
Wolf started to the forest, and soon they flew over the ground. The girls were exhilarated, laughing and whooping. It was a smooth ride. When they started their ascent up the mountain, the air became colder, and soon it was snowing.
"Mommy, look, it's snowing," Luna shouted.
"It is so beautiful," Lumi sighed.
"It is," Bella agreed. Big fluffy snowflakes filled the air, and everything had turned white. It had been snowing for some time already up there.
They reached a campsite that had a full fire and a low structure with three walls and a slanted roof. The fire was blazing in front of the opening of the structure.
The wolf let them off his back, and Bella took Paul's clothes from the bag. She left them on the rock and went after the girls who had run to the campfire.
"Girls, please be careful," Bella shouted after them.
Bella looked around; turning full 360, she lifted her face toward the sky, letting snowflakes wet her face; big, white, fluffy flakes melted on her skin. The air was cold but not freezing. The fire cracked, and the girls were excited beyond anything she'd seen before. It was magical.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Paul came behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
She leaned against his chest and sighed. "Oh yes!" She turned around and wound her arms around his neck. "You came here to set the fire, didn't you?"
"Yes. It took only 15 minutes to run here and 10 back."
"Aren't you cold?" Paul was wearing only a T-shirt, jeans and boots.
"Not yet. Phasing releases so much energy; it will keep me warm for the next few hours."
"But you must put on more clothes. Watching you makes me cold," Bella said, snuggling deeper into Paul's chest, his arms tightened around her.
Paul chuckled.
"Daddy, this is so nice," Lumi said, running to her father. He scooped her up. Luna followed her sister, and Paul took her up into his arms.
"Are you girls hungry?" Bella asked.
"There are meat pies and cheese sticks," Paul told the girls. "And after you've eaten, we can roast marshmallows."
"Yay!" Girls shouted.
"Here is some hot chocolate as well," Bella told the girls. "And..." Bella opened the other bottle, sniffed it, and grinned, "Mulled wine for mummy and daddy."
Paul pulled on his jacket and took a beanie Bella handed to him. He grinned and pulled it over his messy hair. "Happy?" he asked.
"Very happy," Bella smiled and sat on the bench next to the fire.
"Has this always been here?" Bella asked.
"No, I built it this summer. I thought about bringing you and the girls here exactly on this night."
"Why?"
"Kal-Lape wrote in the papers he left behind about the Cold Moon and Lunar Eclipse both coinciding today. He believed that the alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth during the Cold Moon strengthens the connection with the spiritual and physical worlds. He wrote that it brings good luck to us and our tribe. I wanted to bring you up here to see it fully."
"Oh, that's..." Bella felt strong emotion thickening her throat. This was her life. This amazing man was her husband, part of something ancient and sacred. She was his mate, and their daughters were a blessing from this connection.
"I know," Paul murmured, pulling her tightly against his arms.
"Look!" Luna shouted. "My tattoo is shining!" "Mine too!" shrieked Luna. Girls had removed their mittens, and their tattoos had a green phosphor-like glow.
Bella glanced at the sky; it had gone all clear, and the full moon shone brightly. Wow, that was fast, Bella had never seen the sky clearing up so suddenly.
"What does it mean?" Bella asked Paul. "Should we be worried?"
"No. Look, my tattoos are shining as well. Check out yours."
Bella moved her sleeve, and the tattoos on her wrist were shining. They both had the same tattoos their daughters had on their wrists: a crescent moon and a simple snowflake. Bella looked at Luna, Lumi, and then Paul. Paul's eyes flashed yellow before turning back into his own deep brown.
"What does it mean?" she asked.
"Don't you feel it?" Paul asked.
"What?"
"It tickles," Luna said.
"Feels funny," her sister added.
And yes, a small electronic current warmed the tattoos, and the warmth spread to her heart.
Paul picked the girls onto his arms, and Bella snuggled close and wrapped her arms around her family.
Together, they watched as the shadow slowly crawled over the moon. A wolf howled in the distance, Kal-lape's spirit wishing them well.
the end
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!