Felix
Ma marched me into the living room. Pa was sitting on the couch drinking whisky on ice. Dad and Mom sat next to him. Alex and Calix were sitting on the floor with wrapped presents in their laps like children.
“Sit with your brothers,” instructed Ma. “Get the camcorder, Victor,” she said to Pa.
“Camcorder? In this day and age?” Asked Alex, grinning.
Pa pulled out his iPhone.
“I got a camcorder on this here cellular phone,” Pa informed us.
“Where’s Chasity?” Asked Calix.
“Where’s the little one?” Demanded Ma.
“Go get her, Munch-munch! There’s scorpions in the hay. She could get bitten,” said Pa.
“We don’t have a barn, Dad,” said my Dad to Pa.
“Well, why the hell not?! You grew up with one,” argued Pa.
“CLAUDIA!” Yelled Ma, meaning Chasity. “Veronica, be a dear and go fetch Claudia.”
“It’s Ronnie,” said Dad in unison with me saying, “It’s Chasity.”
“LITTLE ONE! Where are ya?” Shouted Pa.
Chasity came scurrying into the living room.
“You stay away from that barn, Claudia!” Scolded Pa. “There’s scorpions in the hay. That’s how I spent a Christmas in the hospital when I was a young-un.”
“Dad, we don’t have a barn,” repeated Dad.
“That’s not the point!” Argued Pa.
Dad sighed exasperatedly.
“The kids need to be safe, Sonny-boy,” cooed Ma. “Claudia, sit on the floor with your big brothers.”
“That one is not our gran,” Pa reminded Ma.
“Oh, who is she then?” Asked Ma. “You’re not Claudia?”
“No one is named Claudia,” I said through gritted teeth, losing my patience.
“Munch-munch, relax,” said Ma sternly.
“Yeah, Munch-munch, pipe down,” said Pa. “You go first. You’re the eldest.”
“Mayor is the eldest,” corrected Ma. “That’s why he’s the Mayor.”
“Then why does Munch-munch eat so damn much if he ain’t the eldest?” complained Pa.
Calix was beside himself in a fit of stifled laughter.
“Hand out the presents to Munch-munch and this little one,” said Pa.
Ma gave me a present and handed another present to Chasity. I smiled. I was happy they got her something.
“Mayor, open your gift,” said Ma.
Alex took his time taking the tape off and unfolding the wrapping paper carefully so that it could be preserved.
“Lord have mercy, I’m old boy. You want me to croak before I see you open your present, Mayor,” complained Pa, despite the fact that werewolves were immortal.
We were not indestructible though. We could succumb to injuries, a small list of ailments and poisoning with wolfsbane or silver. Other than that, we would go on living indefinitely.
“Relax, Mayor likes things orderly,” said Ma. “Why aren’t you filming?”
“Shit, I forgot,” swore Pa. “Wrap it back and start over.”
“You just complained it was taking too long!” Alex reminded Pa.
I snorted with laughter. I felt Alex’s frustration. Ma took the gift and put the wrapping paper back on with some more tape. Pa started filming Alex opening the gift again. Alex looked at the box he had unwrapped. It was floral print. The label said Meet Henrietta Your New Best Friend. I peered at the transparent plastic front. It was a doll.
“Thank you,” said Alex, grinning.
He was a pretty good actor. I’d give him that.
“That’s for the little one. They’re not labelled,” said Ma with a smile.
“You play with dolls, Boy?” Said Pa. “You sure this is the eldest? This is youngest.”
“Mayor is the eldest. Claudia is the youngest,” said Ma.
“Calix is my youngest,” hissed Mom.
“You like the doll, Claudia?” Asked Pa.
Chasity took the gift. She smiled.
“Thank you so much, former Alpha and Luna,” she said politely.
“Are you presenting at parliament? Girl, call me Pa,” said Pa.
“It’s a collector’s doll,” gushed Ma.
The doll did look expensive. Ma took it out of the box and smoothed its hair.
“It looks like you, see, Claudia?” Said Ma.
The doll was redheaded with her straight hair in pigtails. It had pale, freckled skin and green eyes, and was clad in pink overalls. Chasity had dark blonde curls, golden skin and brown eyes.
“Claudia,” said Pa. “Next year, no more dolls! You’re getting to be a big girl!”
“I swear I don’t even remember this one as a baby. It’s like she just shot up,” said Ma.
“She’s not your gran, Ma and Pa. She came here at aged nine,” said Mom.
“Don’t be rude, Veronica,” said Ma, narrowing her eyes. “We know Claudia is adopted,” hissed Ma in hushed tones.
“Don’t rub it in,” said Pa.
“Edit that part out of the home movie,” instructed Ma.
“Ronnie, stop ruining the home movie,” complained Pa.
“Chasity is not adopted,” quarrelled Dad, getting defensive over Mom.
“Sonny-boy, go get me some more whisky. Where’s this man’s whisky?” Said Pa, pointing at Mom’s Dad.
“No thanks,” chuckled Grandfather.
“I’ll have a glass of white wine,” said our super young step-grandmother.
“Nothing for her. She’s not the drinking age yet,” said Pa.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Pa,” laughed our prepubescent step-grandmother. “I’m thirty-two.”
“You told me you were forty,” said Grandfather under his breath.
Dad went to fetch the whisky with a sigh. Chasity actually seemed quite pleased with her doll. I opened my present next. It was a spider-like contraption that walked all over your body to massage you.
“Cool!” I exclaimed in earnest.
“That’s for Mayor. He’s the eldest and most stressed out,” explained Ma, taking my gift and giving it to Alex.
“You can borrow it anytime, Felix,” offered Alex.
“Thanks, Big Bro,” I said.
“Felix is a stupid name,” said Pa out of nowhere.
My inner wolf snarled.
“What’s wrong with it?” I demanded.
“I wanted you named Alexander,” complained Pa.
“He’s named Alexander,” said Ma, pointing at Alex.
“He’s not. He’s named Alex. Like my name, it’s not short for anything,” explained Mom patiently.
“Snookers, it’s your turn,” cooed Ma.
Calix ripped open the gift in a second flat, the opposite of Alex.
“I love it!” Said Calix excitedly.
It was a gun.
“Calix,” said Mom, alarmed. “Please be careful with that.”
“He’s an Alpha, Veronica,” said Ma. “He might have to shoot people here and there.”
“Yep,” said Pa.
Dad had his head in his hands.
“Thanks so much, Ma and Pa. You’re the best!” Grinned Calix.
“Claudia, go ahead,” encouraged Ma.
Chasity opened the gift in her lap. It was another gun.
“That one is Munch-munch’s gift,” said Ma, giving it to me.
I did not need a weapon to ice people but it could come in handy.
“Thanks,” I said, flashing them a grin.
“Where’s my gun?” Joked Alex. “I feel left out.”
Pa pulled another gift out of the sack he had brought.
“It’s here,” he said, grinning, handing Alex another gift.
“Alex gets two gifts,” complained Calix.
Alex painstakingly unwrapped his gun.
“You’ll get two gifts when you’re the eldest, Snookers,” cooed Ma.
“I’ll never be the eldest,” said Calix, wearing a bemused expression.
“Stop complaining and go outside to play with your gun,” said Pa.
“DAD!” yelled our father at Pa.
“Pipe down. There’s rubber bullets loaded in there. The real bullets are in here,” said Pa, pulling yet another wrapped gift from the sack. “We got ‘em silver and regular. Their skin will just push the regular out if any accidents happen. Now, the silver, be careful with those you hear!” Said Pa, enunciating his last warning.
“Don’t put the real bullets in when you’re playing ok,” cautioned Ma.
Ma and Pa were literally insane.
“I won’t,” promised Calix.
Pa ruffled his hair.
“Good boy,” said Pa.
“Did you get all of that?” Inquired Ma.
“Yeah it’s all on the cellular phone camcorder,” confirmed Pa.
“Should we watch it over dessert?” Said Ma.
“It just happened,” I said incredulously.
“We’ll watch it next Christmas,” said Pa dismissively. “Hey, do you want me to film the kids opening your gifts with my camcorder or did you bring your own?” Said Pa to Grandfather.
Calix
On Christmas Eve, I made sure that Chasity slept in the same bed with us. She sometimes slept alone downstairs in her new room but I couldn’t imagine waking up without her on Christmas morning.
“Waking up to you is the greatest gift, Chasity, so I want to wake up with you on Christmas morning,” I specified, leading her up the stairs.
“What did you think of Ma and Pa?” I asked her.
Ma and Pa were Dad’s parents and they were awesome. Even though I was really close to Mom, I was not that close with her Dad and her new Stepmother who was almost Mom’s age so Mom was pissed.
“They’re colourful,” said Chasity as she entered Alex’s room.
Felix snorted with laughter and shut the door, locking it. Alex was sitting at his work desk, typing away on his laptop. How was he always so busy?
“What are you doing?” Said Chasity going over to peek at Alex’s laptop screen.
“Pack stuff,” mumbled Alex.
“Urgent pack stuff?” she asked, sitting on his lap.
“I guess it could wait,” he said, looking at her.
She kissed him. I had this sneaking suspicion that she liked Alex’s room the best. We seemed to sleep in here the vast majority of the time. It was the neatest room by far. I knew she was afraid of all the eyes in Felix’s paintings and I felt she was biased against my Jurassic Park Sheets because of the dinosaur eyes.
“Are your grandparents all sleeping over?” Asked Chasity.
She was on Alex’s lap but he had resumed typing. She would sharing the top spot in Alex’s love life with pack protocol.
“Nah, they’re not. That’s why we opened their presents tonight,” said Felix, stretching out on Alex’s bed.
Felix was like a cat. Eat, sleep, in heat for Chasity, repeat.
“What are you looking at?” Snapped Felix at me for staring at him.
“Nothing much,” I said snidely.
“Whoa!” Said Alex and Chasity in unison.
Felix tackled me but I had been anticipating that. I ducked out from under him and put my fists up. Felix jumped to his feet with his fists up, grinning.
“Not in my room,” said Alex.
I could sense he was one carpet wrinkle away from using his eldest Alpha voice on us.
“Don’t fight,” cried Chasity, pouting.
She came and stood between us.
“Baby, we’re playing,” said Felix, scooping her up into a hug.
I hugged her from behind.
“We’re not serious, Chasity,” I cooed, patting her curly head.
“I don’t care. I don’t like it,” she whined.
“Ok,” grumbled Felix reluctantly.
Chasity then forced us to watch a human movie with her.
“I love movies from the Human Realm! There have a channel called Lifetime…”
My eyes glazed over. Charming women involved listening intently or acting like you were. Tonight was a night for the latter.
I spotted Chasity playing with the doll she had gotten. She was brushing its hair.
“Aww,” I said.
“I know I’m too old for dolls but it’s a nice one,” she said sheepishly.
I smiled at her. I knew she had missed out on playing with dolls and just being a normal little girl since the day she had come here. Alex was looking at Chasity, his expression pensive. She slid the doll under her pillow.
“Why so glum?” I asked.
Chasity was quiet.
“Wait till you see all your presents tomorrow! We went all out!” I exclaimed, grinning.
“Thanks,” she said softly. “I got you three presents too.”
“Thank you, Baby,” murmured Felix, pulling her onto his lap. “But you didn’t have to.”
“The last time I got you something was my first Christmas here,” she said. “Do you remember?”
“I remember,” said Alex sadly. “Luna, I’m sorry. I hope you know that,” added Alex, caressing her cheek.
“I don’t remember,” said Felix. “What did you get us?”
“I made you paper dolls,” she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
“Hey, hey,” said Felix. “Shh, Baby,” he cooed, kissing her cheek and wiping the tear away.
“You three cast them into the fire. Why?” She asked.
Alex pressed his forehead against Chasity’s. I remembered what she was talking about all too well.
Nine Years Ago on Christmas Eve
Calix
I loved Christmas. Alex and Felix liked it too but I was crazy about it. Mom and I both were actually. We would decorate the house together. Felix liked helping with the lights and Alex liked going around straightening ‘crookedly hung’ decorations. This would be our first Christmas with the new girl. Chasity. She had come to live with us all of a sudden. It was weird. She came out of nowhere. She just showed up on our doorstep one day out of the blue. Her parents dropped her off. Our parents said she was not to be our playmate, she was to work off her parents debts. Her parents had been bad people according to my parents but that did not mean Chasity was bad.
I liked her. She was cute. She had pretty hair. I was peeking in on her. She was in her tiny room, cutting up some paper. She was making paper dolls. She was colouring them in. They were us: Me, Felix and Alex. There was a fourth one. A little paper doll Chasity. They were cute but I could not admit to liking them. My brothers would make fun of me.
Alex
On Christmas Morning, we all headed downstairs to open presents. Chasity was helping the current cook with making a huge Christmas breakfast.
“Once that girl gets the hang of things in the kitchen, maybe we won’t even need to hire a cook,” said Dad while he and Mom cuddled near the fireplace.
Chasity and the cook served breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, Christmas ham, a pitcher maple syrup, a stick of salted butter, toast, bagels with cream cheese, chocolate chip muffins. The list went on and on. I ate until I was stuffed.
Mom and Dad had gotten us every toy we had asked for. Calix was ripping open his gifts in record time. I unwrapped mine carefully, preserving the paper. Felix tore open his gifts but not with the speed of Christmas Elf Calix.
Chasity shyly handed us each a homemade envelope. She had made paper doll versions of us. Felix snickered.
“Boys don’t play with dolls,” he said.
“Maybe we could play with them together,” suggested Chasity. “See this one is mine,” she said, showing him the paper doll version of her.
He snatched it and held it up high so she couldn’t get it. She did not jump for it, she just watched him with wide eyes.
“Never mind, I don’t want to play with you,” she said, frowning.
Felix scowled. He threw the paper doll version of him into the fire. Chasity gasped.
“Get rid of yours unless you like playing with dolls, Baby Calix,” jeered Felix to our youngest brother.
Calix reluctantly handed over his doll. Felix threw it in the fire. Chasity was upset. She ran up the stairs. I quickly put my paper doll away.
“Where’s yours?” Asked Felix.
“I already tossed it,” I lied.
Felix
I didn’t play with dolls. I was tough. I was going to be Alpha one day. Chasity was trying to make me act like a wuss and play dolls with her. Yeah right. I threw the doll version of me in the fire. I threw Calix’s doll in there too. I asked Alex for his but he said he had tossed it already. He thought I was stupid! I saw him slip it into his pocket, just like I had slipped the paper doll Chasity into my pocket. After Chasity ran upstairs, I went to my own room and looked at the paper doll version of her. Chasity was pretty, just like a doll. I smiled at the doll. I wasn’t going to play with it. I was not a wuss. I put it in my drawer, hiding it carefully.
Present Day
Alex
I knew what Chasity was talking about. The first Christmas she had spent here must have been awful for her and such a departure from her life prior to this. Felix had tossed his paper doll from Chasity into the fire. He had been such a little asshole at that age. He had asked Calix for his and tossed that one too but I had lied and hid mine. I smiled at Chasity. I kissed her forehead. I went into my drawer and got my journal.
“I use this as a bookmark,” I said, showing her the paper doll of me, the one she had made.
Chasity sniffled. She looked at the doll in amazement. She launched herself at me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, kissing her neck and breathing in her delicious scent.
“I kept it,” I told her.
“All this time,” she murmured.
“I have always cherished every memory of you, Chasity, every single one,” I whispered.
Felix got up and left the room.
“He’s feeling guilty,” said Calix.
“Yeah, probably,” I said.
Felix returned with something in his hand. He gave it to Chasity. She grinned, tears still brimming in her eyes. It was the paper doll version of herself.
“You kept this one,” she sniffed.
“Yeah, Baby,” he purred, kissing her neck gently. “I liked it. It was pretty like you,” he said, smirking.
He caressed her cheek. “You made the doll version of me ugly as fuck,” he complained.
“No, I didn’t!” Exclaimed Chasity.
“Yes, you did!” Insisted Felix. “It had bushy angry eyebrows drawn like two thick straight lines sloping inwards almost meeting in the middle.”
Chasity stifled her laughter.
“That’s how I saw you I guess,” she said, shrugging.
“You made Calix’s doll look like a dope. Alex got the good-looking doll even though we’re identical,” continued Felix.
Chasity giggled.
“But I am sorry, Baby,” he said earnestly.
Calix looked upset. He sat back against the headboard.
“What’s up, Little Bro?” I asked.
“You two made me get rid of mine and you kept one each in secret,” he mumbled.
Chasity got up and went to my desk. She took out a sheet of paper and started to draw a paper doll version of Calix.
“My little Picasso,” cooed Felix.
She had ripped that piece of paper out of one of my planners. It took everything in me not to say something. I really was in love with her. I gasped inwardly. I was in with her. I was in love with Chasity.
I decided I would tell her on Christmas Day. It was all I could think about later when she snuggled up to me, spooning me. Felix was spooning her. Calix was on my other side.
“Do I get a goodnight kiss?” I heard Felix whisper to Chasity.
After Calix had gotten his new paper doll, Felix had demanded one since the doll he had was of Chasity herself. I had the Alex doll but it was of the little me. Same for the Chasity doll. Chasity drew new adult paper doll versions of me and her to match with the new Calix and Felix dolls. We then enacted a drama written and directed by Chasity. In it we were humans in the Human Realm and only one of us could marry Chasity who was our boss’s daughter. Felix kept trying to make the plot and scenes kinky. It was practically Paper Doll Porn. Calix wanted it to be a romantic comedy in which doll Chasity married his doll in the end. His character was bumbling but charming, a happy-go-lucky paper doll. Felix was fine with their impending marriage, saying he was the side guy who doll Chasity was truly in love with. She almost married my doll to whom she was engaged for most of the film as my doll was the favourite of her father and was what was good for the family Company. In the end she followed her heart and proclaimed her love for all three dolls and the four of us ran away together after quitting our jobs at her father’s company. Her father showed up in the epilogue to forgive her and us and give his blessing.
Now, we were all about to drift off to sleep. The Paper Doll Drama had tired us out.
Felix
After I, a twenty-one year old stone-cold killer Alpha, finished playing dolls with my mate, I had more than earned a nice big bedtime kiss. Chasity turned to face me and kissed her tenderly at first. I deepened the kiss, nipping her lip so that she opened her mouth for my tongue to slide in. There was something so appealing about invading her mouth with my tongue. It reminded me of other places I wanted to invade with my tongue, fingers and another important part of my body. I climbed on top of Chasity, settling myself between her legs. I was grinding against her. My member was rock hard. She moaned as the moisture pooled between her legs. I rubbed her sides and tangled my hands in her hair as we kissed until we were breathless. She had made us wait and work for these kisses.
“You were very much worth the wait, Baby,” I whispered to her.
I was still on top of her, nose to nose. It had taken us about six weeks to get a kiss from Chasity. We’d been trying since November 11th and it was not until late December that we had first kissed her. She was a slippery little minx, that was for sure. I spooned her while she spooned Alex. Baby Boy Calix had the end tonight. Chasity’s perfect ass was cradled by my pelvis. Sometimes, I though about handcuffing our ankles together so she could not slip away in the night but she genuinely seemed to be falling for us though not as hard as we were falling for her.
“You’re so beautiful, Chasity,” I whispered in her ear.
She smiled.
“I love you so much. Alex and Calix love you too. Very much. I hope you know that. I can’t wait till the day you bear my mark and my heir,” I breathed against her earlobe.
Her breathing was even. She might have fallen asleep and I might have been talking to myself but I added one more thing.
“One day, hopefully soon, you’ll be my wife. Our wife. We’ll make sure you’re the happiest bride in the world, Chasity, like you deserve. I know it’s corny but you deserve all the happiness in the world and I wanna give it to you,” I whispered.
I kissed her earlobe and her neck. She was sleeping soundly. I resisted the urge to slap or pinch her ass. I nuzzled into the side of her neck and fell asleep.
