The Alpha's Eden

So creepy

Eden pov

I laid safe in the joint embrace of my mates as they slept soundly on either side of me. Deep down I knew I couldn't stay here like this regardless of how much I wanted to. It was so peaceful. There was nothing but the occasional light snores of Jace and Blake, they moved around so slightly now and again but that was it.

Jace's body radiated so much heat that it was almost too much but with Blake's much cooler body temperature pressed against the opposite side of me the spot I laid in was absolutely perfect. It was safe. I was safe. It seemed crazy to even consider leaving and going through with everything that was planned.

But I knew I had no choice.

People always said 'you always have a choice' but in this instant that was false. There wasn't a choice, not really. Not if I wanted to live a happy life and keep all of my loved ones, my friends and family, our pack safe.

So I'd do what I had to do.

Eventually.

All I wanted was just a few more minutes to bask in this moment with my mates. Just a few more minutes. That's all I wanted. All I needed.

This was our first Christmas together. It should have been an incredibly happy time, full of festive activities shared with the people we held most dearest to us.

But I wasn't that lucky.

Really I should have seen this coming a mile off.

I was stupid.

Christmas had never been a joyful day for me and my brothers, not in the way it should have been at least. Our parents never cared. Our happiness wasn't their priority. I'm not sure they'd even given much thought about us in that way.

No matter how much we'd hoped and prayed for a normal family day, it had never turned out that way. Maybe I'd been foolish to think anything had changed now.

I was so stupid.

My family Christmas has always been a rather somber affair. In private that was, in public in front of the rest of the pack my parents made a huge song and dance about what a special day it was. How important it was to spend it with your loved ones and shower them with love and demonstrate just how much they meant to you.

My dad would even dress up as Santa on Christmas Eve and hand out gifts to each and everyone one of the children in the pack. Along with the outfit and the grey beard he'd put on a huge act of being the real life jolly, kind, good old saint nick. But that was exactly what it was, an act.

My dad spent most of the day locked up in his office or drunk with the warriors that didn't have families of their own yet. My mum often went for a fancy Christmas lunch at a ritzy restaurant with her posh friends and we often didn't see her for a few days.

My brothers and I were usually just left to our own devices so most years Logan took us to spend the day with Iris and Harry. We'd get spoilt rotten with more gifts than we'd ever dreamt of and the most incredible food I'd ever tasted. It wasn't the conventional family but to us it was the closest thing we ever had to a family.

Even after Cole left we still did it and it felt more important to me than ever because it was another painful moment in my life.

Last year was no exception.

Sawyer turned up late and got majorly scolded by Iris as Logan watched and went red in the face as he tried to hold back his laughter. Harry and I were too busy checking out each other's gifts to get involved in that particular drama.