To Love a Monster

|| Chapter Sixteen ||

|| Chapter Sixteen ||

“Is everything ready?” Trent asked as he surveyed the hall around him. The place was transformed from a sophisticated area where meetings occur to Santa Claus’ home.  A huge ‘Merry Christmas’ hung nicely on the wall and caught everyone’s attention as it flashed from red to green and vice versa.  Bags full of gifts were being shuffled under a large Christmas tree in the middle of the hall where everyone will circle later on and look for gifts printed with their names on it.

I smiled holding my own bag of gifts tightly in my hand. I loved Christmas. It was truly my favourite holiday.  Nothing could compare to everyone getting together and sharing Christmas stories, then having hot chocolate while watching Christmas movies. Later on, everyone would get their chance to open their presents and gift cards.

Except... I was planning to leave all that behind this year.

Walking over to the workers near the Christmas tree, I handed over the gifts that I bought but made sure that one gift is still securely in my grasp. I wasn’t going to give them this one. Studying it carefully, I contemplated if it would impress Daniel. Would he like it? Did he even celebrate Christmas?

I decided to wrap the hat in gold wrapping paper but I couldn’t build the courage to write his name over it. I was scared of the reaction if someone found out that I was getting Daniel Collins a Christmas gift. I can’t begin to fathom what they might do.

“Here you go young lady,” I heard one of the workers say. He had his arm outstretched with an empty bag hanging from it. The same one I had given him a moment ago full of gifts. I took it thanking him politely then put as much distance between us as I can.

Slowly, I put Daniel’s gift in the bag before anyone questions me of what I’m doing. There were a lot of curious eyes around here, I swear.

“Hey princess,” someone said.

I jumped slightly from the sudden voice but managed to compose myself.  “Hi James,” I mumbled.

“You alright? Look a bit nervous if I do say so myself,” he questioned studying me carefully.

I nodded. He was right. I was nervous. Only because the only thoughts that ran through my mind was that I might not find Daniel, especially after he had disappeared so easily last time without a clue if I was going to see him anytime soon.

But I had to see him.

My wolf was craving to be near his and I was losing my mind. Had Drew done something?

He couldn’t have. I mean this was Daniel we’re talking about. He just can’t be killed so easily. Over the last few days Drew didn’t make any signs of attacking my pack either which should have relaxed me but, for some reason, it didn’t. In fact, everything seemed so normal that it scared me.

However, I gave James a small smile and took a deep breath in the process. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Good,” he replied. “Have you seen Trent? I really need to talk to him!”

Silently, I pointed towards the entrance of the hall where Trent was standing surrounded by a covey of people chatting freely at him. James quickly recognised him and gave me thumbs up as he started to walk towards him. But returned quickly and said, “By the way, nice hat.”

Instinctively, my hands reached for the hat that was balanced over my head. It was the Christmas hat I bought from Kayla, similar to Daniel’s but with an ‘R’ sewn on it. If James liked it then Daniel would, right?

Damn, I really needed to stop thinking about him.

*.*.

“Then Santa with his fat belly hanging out from his red costume appeared out of nowhere and decided to scare me with gifts full of mouldy food and blood. It was not a Merry Christmas that night.”