Chapter 24
They say time heals everything.
A year later, on Christmas Eve, Aaron stepped into Rachel’s old room for the first time
since she’d left the Pack.
Per his standing order, the house had been meticulously cleaned and maintained the entire time. Not a single frame, trinket, or book was out of place. It felt as though she might walk back in at any moment, like she’d just popped out to grab something and
would return any minute now.
Aaron had given the housekeepers the holiday off. He wanted to do this himself.
He rolled up his sleeves and picked up the cleaning supplies–determined, for once, to
tidy her room with his own hands.
That’s when the letter arrived.
A courier had already dropped it off and disappeared by the time he opened the front door. There was no return address, just his name and the Pack’s territory on the front of
the envelope.
He took a few steps outside, hoping to catch the delivery guy and ask for more details- but the street was empty. With no other option, he returned inside and carefully opened
the envelope.
Inside was a single postcard, the front of it printed with a bright, smiling Merry
Christmas.
That was when it hit him.
Christmas was the day after tomorrow.
He’d almost forgotten. For years, no matter what was going on, he and Rachel had
always spent Christmas together.
But not this year.
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last.
And not the one before either.
This year, it was just him.
Adam showed up right then, bringing the fresh linens and supplies Aaron had requested. He paused in the doorway, seeing Aaron standing still, eyes fixed on the postcard in his hands.
He didn’t say a word–just waited quietly by the door until Aaron finally spoke.
“Alpha… is that from Rachel?” Adam asked softly.
Aaron gave a faint nod.
He was holding the letter so gently, like it was something fragile, something sacred. As if even a small breeze might tear it apart.
The photo inside had slipped slightly from the envelope, hanging at an angle where Adam could clearly see its contents.
Rachel and Justin, both dressed in Santa costumes, standing close together in front of a giant Christmas tree, pulling ridiculous faces at the camera.
They looked silly. And happy.
Adam braced himself.
Here it comes. The breakdown. The rage. The devastation.
But surprisingly, Aaron’s voice was steady.
“She says she’s doing well now. That there was a time when she felt completely lost.
Hopeless. Like she didn’t have the strength to go on,” he said, almost as if reading her words out loud to himself. “And just when she was at her breaking point… Justin
showed up. Gave her a reason to hold on.”
His voice trembled near the end, but he didn’t break.
Not quite.
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Adam hesitated. “Alpha… maybe you should sit down?”
Aaron blinked, like he hadn’t even realized he’d been standing there so long. He finally reached out, gripped the table for support, and sat down slowly–his back stiff, like
someone who hadn’t let himself rest in years.
He leaned back into the couch, his whole body sagging with exhaustion.
“She said…” Aaron continued, voice barely above a whisper, “She hopes I can move on too. That I find peace. Joy, even. That I stop locking myself in the past. She… still thinks of me as her big brother.”
He stared at the picture for a long time.
Then he tried to smile.
But the muscles wouldn’t move.
In the end, he just covered his face with his hand.
Like he could hide everything that broke inside.
Adam shifted uneasily. He couldn’t watch this again–not like last year. Not again.
So he cleared his throat and offered, “Alpha, if you’d like, I can try to trace the origin. It’s a long shot, but with the right channels, we might figure out where it came from.”
It was the most rational solution. Clean. Efficient.
For a second, Aaron was tempted. He almost said yes. His fingers twitched.
But then he slowly shook his head and picked the photo back up.
“No,” he said quietly. “She’s living the life she chose. She’s happy. That’s all I ever
wanted for her.”
Then he looked up at Adam with a weary smile. “Go home. Spend Christmas with your
family. Take the holiday off.”
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Adam hesitated but nodded. He placed the cleaning supplies on the floor and turned to leave, closing the door softly behind him.
Aaron sat there alone.
Time blurred.
For a moment, he thought he saw her–Rachel–walk through the door, smiling like
old times.
But it was only in his head.
His fingers moved slowly over her familiar handwriting, tracing the simple words she’d
written at the bottom of the card:
[Merry Christmas, my big brother.]
No telling how long he stayed like that..
Eventually, he reached for a pen and pulled out a fresh piece of paper.
He didn’t write much–just a short reply:
[Congratulations on your marriage, my little sister.]
Chapter 24
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Jack gave her a new life but someone still wants Molly gone for good
