"Merry Christmas, Wife." Jackson whispered to me when we woke up the next morning tangled up in sheets.

I felt content and safe. I placed my arms over my head and stretched my satisfied, aching body out.

"Merry Christmas, Husband." I leaned up, bringing the sheet with me and kissed him gently on the lips.

He smiled down at me, at ease. I gave him a lazy smile back and laid back down on the bed, throwing an arm over my face. I didn't want to burst our little bubble of happiness.

"Do we have to go back today?"

"The pack expects us to at least make an appearance," Jackson replied as he ran a hand through my tangled hair.

I nodded and played with the rings on my finger. Soon they would have to come off and I dreaded it. For now, I relished in their weight.

"We don't have to leave right away, we can at least have breakfast first. I called room service a few minutes ago. I think we deserve breakfast in bed."

I nodded again and sighed, turning and laying my head on his chest.

"Jackson, do you know why our packs hate each other? You never told me."

Jackson stiffened slightly beneath me and I turned to look at his face. He was staring at me, his brow furrowed. He took a steadying breath.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up again to look down at him. "I think I deserve to know. What was so bad that it's impossible for us to be together?"

Jackson sighed and relaxed a little bit. He sat up himself and leaned against the headboard of the bed. He reached out and pulled me to him, kissing the top of my head.

"Our packs used to get along fine, provided we stay off of each other's territory. It was your father who changed all of that for the worse."

I tensed and pulled out of his arms to look at his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father, before he met your mother, he was in love with my mother. Or that's what I'm told."

My mouth went agape. My lips moved slightly as I tried to formulate a coherent reply.

"What?"

"They dated for a long time and were convinced they were mates," Jackson continued, obviously as disturbed by the thought of our parents together as I was. "They were both members of the Cardaver pack and he was sure they were going to run it together. Then, at some meeting of the packs your father brought my mother along. That's where she spotted my father – her true mate."

"Oh , no," I said.

I knew the instant draw of mates. I knew that it would have been impossible to fight it. What would that have been like for everyone involved? I briefly felt pity and sadness for my father and what that must have felt like.

The I squashed the empathy I felt for him. He had used that hurt to turn into a monster. I couldn't forgive him for that, for what he was doing to the packs and to Jackson and to me.

"My mother tried to stay with your father, but you know what happens. The withdrawal from each other causes great pain to the female."

I knew. I knew all too well.

"So, your mother and father got together leaving my father alone," I finished.

He nodded grimly.

"Then my parents had me a few years later. It seemed that was the final straw for your father. A year or two after I was born he declared war on our pack for some stupid little thing no one remembers. Everyone knew the true reason was to get to my father."

Jackson shook his head and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Our fathers met during a battle when I was fifteen. My mother jumped in between them during their fight. I have no idea what she was thinking... Maybe at that point she just wanted the fighting to stop. She got in the way of an attack, I'm not sure whose, and it was a death blow."

Jackson took another ragged breath and stared at the ceiling for a minute. He had lost his mother at only fifteen. It was a decade ago, but I could tell the wounds were still fresh.

"My father was destroyed when he saw my mother. I'm told that's when your father struck, killing my Dad as well."

"Jesus Christ," I said for lack of any other coherent thought. "How could-"

I stopped myself. I knew full well now what my father was capable of. I honestly don't think he was above killing a grieving, distraught mate at his worst point. He probably relished in it.

"Since then, he has made it his life's mission to get rid of me as well. I'm the only thing left alive to remind him of what happened."

"I can't believe all of the blood that was shed in the name of some misbegotten love," I said and took a straggled breath. "I don't want that to happen again because of us. Why in the world did you break into our party to start with if you knew how much my father wanted your head on a silver platter?"

"I was trying to find out who the spies in my pack are, to no avail. I would do it all over again if I had the chance. You are worth risking my neck," he grinned seductively and leaned in.

A knock on the door interrupted us.

"Room service."

Jackson hopped up and threw on some jogging pants before leaving the bedroom of the suite to answer the door and collect our food. I let my head sink back into the plush pillows and closed my eyes.

----------------------

A couple of hours later we had our overnight bags packed up and ready to go. I took a deep breath as I took in the suite and relished in our last few moments of just being us - Jackson and Rosemarie Merphate.

Jackson produced a long, velvet jewelry case and opened it for me to peek inside. Two white-gold necklaces lay inside and he pulled one out with his large fingers.

"I couldn't bear being parted with the rings," he confessed. "This way, we can wear them on a necklace until we clear things up enough to wear them where they belong."

I couldn't say anything, I was both touched by his thoughtfulness and saddened by the necessity of it. Instead, I gently pulled my rings off of my left hand ring finger and placed them in Jackson's palm. He threaded the rings onto the necklace and came around me. I pulled my hair out of the way as he did the clasp on the back of my neck.

I felt the rings fall between my breasts as Jackson leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my mark, sending a chill through my body.

"Remember to keep them hidden under your shirt," he reminded me sounding pained.

I tucked the rings into my shirt and turned to Jackson looking angry at where the rings sat hidden on my body. Neither one of us liked this.

Instead of addressing it again, I pulled his chain out of the velvet box and held out my own hand. He hesitated for only a moment before removing his own band and putting into my awaiting palm. I deftly threaded his own chain through the band and motioned for him to turn around. He turned and got down on his knees so I would have easier access to his neck.

I walked over to him and clasped his own chain on his neck. I placed my hands on his shoulders before slipping them around him and embracing him soundly. I never wanted to let go. I never wanted to leave here.

Jackson's tanned hands came up to my own pale, freckled ones as he squeezed them gently. I held back my tears. He undid my hands around him and stood up turning to me.

"It's time to go, Romy."

"It is," I said with finality.

-----------------------------------------

It was surreal returning to the pack house with Jackson pretending that nothing had happened when our whole world was changed. People were bustling through the whole place exchanging gifts and chatting. Christmas music was playing loudly in the common areas and the scent of Christmas dinner wafted throughout the house.

Jackson led me straight to the large, 10 foot Christmas tree that had been put up before I had even arrived. My eyes bugged out of my head. There had to be hundreds of gifts under there! There was no way to get through the presents to even get to the tree, they extended throughout most of the living room.

"Is this all for you?' I exclaimed with wide-eyes.

"Well, it is all for us. I try to buy something for everyone in the pack so I guess they all feel the need to reciprocate."

"You buy something for everyone?"

That was astonishing to say the least. There had to be close to two hundred pack members in the Merphate lands and that was only counting adults. Jackson bought all of them a present at Christmas?

"Well, yeah." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I like to make them all feel like they are appreciated and that I know them. It isn't much most of the time, but I like to give back. They are as much family as anyone who lives here in the pack house."

I wrapped my arms around my gorgeous, generous, caring husband.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" I asked.

"I believe you have, but a reminder is always nice." He leaned down and kissed me.

"Looks like the love-birds are back," Allison said as she sat on the couch. "You guys going to opening your presents soon or should I come back later? It's gonna take a couple of hours to get through them at least."

Bradley came in and sat down beside her, followed by a few more of the pack members that resided in the house. Mostly the higher ranked wolves lived in the pack houses, but Jackson also let new members and members who were working on or building their houses stay as well.

"Well, we may as well start. This might take us the rest of the day," I joked and sat on the other side of Allison.

It did take us quite a few hours to get through all of the presents. The majority were for Jackson and he took genuine interest in each one he got. There were some for me as well. Jackson said it was because they were recognizing me as their Luna.

By the time we were done with the gifts it was dinner time and we all sat down at the least formal Christmas dinner I had ever had. I loved it. I loved being here, I loved my husband, I loved his pack and I dreaded the end of December.

--------------------

Please remember to share and vote!

Also, check out the Pinterest Board:

https://www.pinterest.com/kris_black1/jackson-romy/