A Mate for Christmas

Planning

Treyton was almost home but had previously stopped at Tacos Giyo for a late dinner after Aidoneus called, saying he had a craving for tacos. The Alpha couldn't deny that he was getting hungry again, even eating before his date with Maeve. However, he couldn't blame himself and his son; werewolves had large appetites. When driving up to his driveway, another car was noticed, a car Treyton knew too well. "Damn, I thought my night was going to end peacefully." He parked his car in the driveway, where the living room lights were still lit; a couple of shadows were inside.

An annoyed, wolfish groan escaped his lips again as Treyton got out of his car and went straight to the door; it was unlocked. Inside were Aidoneus, Garret, and Trinidad sitting on the sofas. There were some bags of Yoshinoya and six boxes of chicken teriyaki with white rice. "Well, I see that you guys made yourselves at home," said Treyton, closing the door behind him. 

Trinidad had finished her first plate and waved to the Alpha. "Well, you always said to make ourselves at home, so we did just that!"

Aidoneus slumped at one of the sofas, looking at his father apologetically. Treyton chuckled as he put the bag of tacos down. Two plastic plates were inside the bag; the father and son got ten tacos of carne asada each, along with their salsas. Aidoneus got two diet cokes from the refrigerator and gave one to his father. "I'm amazed that you two got your food as quick as you did."

"Well, what can I say? My husband is a fast driver!"

"She made me drive fast. You know how crazy my mate can get when she doesn't get her way," Garret said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Trinidad gasped and did a fake, painful look. "Honeybun! You should be defending me, not exposing me!" She stuck her tongue out but then kissed him on the cheek. "Anyway, Garret and I wanted to know more about Maeve!"

Treyton ate two of his tacos as he eyed the couple. "I find it too much of a coincidence that you two found us. I know you guys are staying in my home in Norwalk but the house is not too close to the auditorium, unless..." The Alpha looked at his son, who was eating his tacos, and looked down on the floor. Treyton looked and felt betrayed. "Son, how could you?"

Aidoneus looked up, slightly embarrassed. "Pops, it wasn't my fault. You know how Trinidad gets. If I didn't tell her, she was going to come here and nag me to death unless I told you where you were going to take your mate."

"Don't blame your son, Alpha. You know that even I'm no match for my mate."

"Tee hee! No one can stop me when it comes to gossip!" Trinidad let out a bright smile. "I had to know how she looked like. I must say, she is quite beautiful. She looks young for her age. A bit too young."

The Alpha knew what Trinidad was trying to convey. He realized that their age would always be questioned. "She is thirty-two."

Trinidad's outgoing demeanor changed into a serious one. Even Garret didn't feel comfortable seeing his wife serious. "Does she know your age?"

"Yes, she was unsure if going out with me was right, but she gave me a chance, and here we are. Unfortunately, Maeve doesn't know about my werewolf identity. My son and I thought it was a good idea to give her some hints until I'm ready to tell her the truth."

"I see. Well, the Moon Goddess does things for a reason. It is quite an age gap, but Maeve seems like a lovely young lady. Well, I approve."

Treyton rolled his eyes as he ate another taco. "I never asked for her approval," the Alpha told himself. Everyone ate in peace; Garret and Trinidad spoke about their adult twin son and daughter who would arrive for the Pack's Annual Christmas Party. Treyton and Garret spoke about having a meeting to plan for the festivities, but Aidoneus was quiet during the talk. It didn't go unnoticed. "Son, are you okay? You look thoughtful."

Aidoneus flinched as he noticed everyone looking at him. "Huh? Oh, sorry, Pops. It's just that...well..." The young man was hesitant, but with his father's insistence, he took a deep breath. "While you were on your date, Mom called me."

Everyone became silent and stiff. Trinidad dared not to say anything; she and Garret looked at Treyton. Treyton was quiet as he stopped midway from finishing his taco. "And...what did she say?"

"Well...she wanted to see if she could join the pack's festivities."

Trinidad scoffed as she put down her plate. "She asked to join the pack's Christmas party!? Is she insane? She caused a lot of riff-raff within the pack! She's no longer Luna!"

Garret patted his wife on the back, trying to calm her. "Although you are right, Calista was still Luna and did so much for this pack. We can't deny that she was a good Luna." He looked at Treyton. "It will be up to you, Alpha."

So many thoughts trailed into Treyton's mind. He never expected Calista to ask to join the pack's festivities. Although Treyton found his mate and all the love and care for his ex were gone, the memories of the pain he felt couldn't be denied. However, this was an excellent opportunity for them to move on from the pain and be on friendly terms, especially for the pack's and their son's sake. It would also allow him to tell his ex about Maeve. There would also come a time when Maeve would meet Calista. "You can tell her that she and her mate are invited to arrive."

Everyone's eyes widened. "R-Really, Pops!? Are you serious!?" asked Aidoneus.

"Positive. We can't drift into the past. I want everyone to get along and have a nice Christmas this year." The Alpha looked at his son. "Tell your Mother that and inform us when she is arriving."

"Uh, yeah, I'll do that Pops."

"Good. Now, if you shall excuse me, I will eat my tacos and get some rest. Tomorrow, I have some reports and meetings to do tomorrow."

Everyone wished him a good night as Treyton went to his room. "Wow, that is mature of him. Still, having Calista and her mate at the party is kind of awkward. I kind of said some mean things I can never say back."

"Well, you could always apologize, love," said Garret.

Trinidad eyed her husband and smiled. "I would rather kill us all." Garret and Aidoneus shook their heads. "Anyway, I'm glad that Treyton took my advice of taking Maeve to the Holiday Ice Rink this Friday! They're going to have a wonderful time!"

"An ice rink? My pops can't ice skate. He tried once, and he fell on his butt more times that I could count."

An amused smile formed on Trinidad's lips. "Well, that will be interesting to watch."

Aidoneus and Garret looked at her. "Wife, what are you up to?"

"Oh, nothing much. I have something plan for us this Friday." The men let out annoyed, wolfish groans.