NOLAN POV

Christmas was only a few days away. I was trying so hard to finish my last-minute holiday shopping and get the cabin ready. I was rich, so I could hire people to do most things. But I never let anyone else handle tasks for my daughter.

I knew an Alpha who did that. He was always surprised by the gifts "he'd bought" for his wife and kids. Gifts should be personal. If a man couldn't buy gifts for his family, he was a terrible husband and father.

I had planned to finish everything yesterday, but I got sidetracked. Who would have thought the woman I bumped into could completely mess up my plans? I was already in a bad mood, just like now, because I had waited so long to shop. The holidays always seemed to sneak up on me. So, I was at the stationery store for little things to put in my daughter's stocking.

Yes, I still filled a stocking for her, even though she was a grown woman now. We were going to the house in the woods to have family time. I was set on making it special, just like I had done every year since I won custody of her when she was small.

Even if it meant knocking someone down.

I had stormed into the store yesterday but I knocked a woman down. It was my fault, but I was already angry, and I started to blame her. When I tried to help her she slapped my hand away and told me off, I was strangely affected by that small reaction when it should have made me angrier.

She was right that I usually dated women who were 'shapey'-meaning women with big curves, the kind who looked like models. Those women were simple. Shallow. Easy to have a night with and then forget.

Gwen was not like that. She was messy and complicated. It made no sense that the more we talked, the more I liked her. I thought she just wanted me to have a drink with her and then leave.

But I was surprised she agreed to have a drink with me, and then let me take her to the hotel. As I thrust into her tight pussy last night, I was shocked again to find out she was a virgin. She was incredibly tight, and she made me cum after just a few hard thrust. It was over too quickly, so I convinced her to stay for food, and then I took her again.

Just like outside the bar, I didn't want the night to end, even after we were done. It felt strange and a little scary that I wanted more. I actually thought about asking for her number so I could call her. If she had asked me to stay, I might have, and that was a rule I never broke.

Luckily, she said she had to get home. I offered to drive her, but she said she was fine. The snow had stopped, and her car, though old, had four-wheel drive.

The next morning, I woke up with a hard-on and happily thought about the night before as I touched myself. It was hard to decide what to think about most. I'd never been with a woman with her kind of soft curves before. It was a huge turn-on.

Her breasts were large, which wasn't new for the women I dated. What was new was that they were real. I focused on them, imagining myself covering her chest with my cum.

I got up, showered, and dressed. I made breakfast and tried to call my daughter. I loved her more than anything, but she was so hard to reach sometimes. Oh well. I would see her at the cabin. That's when I remembered I still had shopping to do. And that I had planned to go to the cabin today to decorate.

I was so tense from the experience that I went to the gym. The place was surprisingly full for two days before Christmas.

"Nolan." Watt, my business partner, my second-in-command (my 'beta'), and my best friend, came up to me.

"Watt, I didn't know you were coming here."

He shrugged. "I thought you were out of town with the clingy cat." That nickname was cute when my daughter was two, but not at twenty-two. But Watt was her godfather and closer to her than anyone besides me, so he got away with it.

"I'm leaving later. I wanted to get a workout first."

"Erica is here."

Oh, great. Erica was fit, strong, and looked like a doll. If I met her in a bar, I would definitely have gone for it. But I never slept with clients, and she couldn't seem to get that into her head.

"Maybe I'll work instead." I walked toward the office.

Watt followed me. "I tried to call you last night."

"I was out. I turned my phone off."

Watt laughed. "Only you would hook up with a woman while Christmas shopping."

I shrugged. "I'm lucky that way." I thought back to Gwen. Yeah. I was lucky to have found her.

Watt got serious. "Seriously, man, I need to talk to you. The guys are starting to ask questions."

I stopped at the office door. "About what?"

"About us," Watt lowered his voice. "The pack. You've been distracted lately. You smell... different. And that woman you were with last night. Did you notice anything... special about her?"

I opened the office door and walked in. "She was just her, Watt. That's about as special as it got. Tight, though. And she made me come fast."

Watt sighed, closing the door behind him. "Nolan, listen to me. I know your type. You like the easy ones. But you spent the entire night with this one. That's not like you. And last night was the full moon, man. You weren't here for the run."

I sat at my desk and rubbed my face. The truth was, I had felt a strange pull last night, a deep, animal hunger that wasn't just about sex. It was a need to claim. To claim Gwen as our mate.

NOLAN POV

"What's that look on your face?" Watt dropped onto the office couch. It was a huge, comfy leather thing. I sat behind my big wooden desk. We shared this office because we worked such different hours. The other one? We turned it into a steam room and spa. A man needs to relax after a long day of being in charge.

"What look are you talking about?" I asked, pretending to be busy with some papers.

"The one that says you were just thinking about some woman being nice to give you a bj on a first hookup." Watt grinned, his bald head shining under the office lights.

I snorted and shook my head. "She didn't do that." But damn, I wished she had. She was the kind of woman you thought about all day.

Watt leaned forward, his massive frame taking up most of the couch. He looked like a granite statue, all muscle and sharp eyes. He was my Beta, my second-in-command, a former bouncer built like a tank. Most people thought he was scary, but I knew he had a soft heart. "But something happened, right? Tell me."

"I don't know what you want me to say. It was good. Really good. Different."

Watt raised one eyebrow so high it almost touched his scalp. "Different how, Alpha? Did you find some secret thing you like? Some new way to have fun?"

"You're a complete pervert," I said, though I couldn't help but smile.

"First, being curious is not being a pervert. Second, you were supposed to be Christmas shopping, but you were out having fun instead. Third, my own love life is dead right now. I have to live through your stories! So, tell me, how was it different?" He made a quick, funny motion with his hand, pretending to be stroking.

I threw a stress ball at him, which he caught easily. "She was the total opposite of the women I usually meet."

"Short, fat, and messy?"

"No! Don't be an ass." I rolled my eyes. "She wasn't a fake blonde with silicone breasts. She was... natural. Curvy. Full. It was incredibly sexy."

He nodded slowly, seriously now. "Ah. Natural shape. I get it. Nothing beats strong, round hips to hold onto when you're fucking this humans the way you want."

"Exactly," I agreed. "And she was young. I think she might have been a virgin, even though she tried to deny it."

Watt's eyes went wide. "Whoa, Nolan. A teenager?" He sounded worried. As Alpha, I had rules. We protect the pack, especially the young ones.

"No! Fuck, no! Don't even think that." I ran a hand over my jaw. I never asked her age. "She was in her twenties. Old enough to drink, old enough to vote. Definitely an adult."

"Like your daughter's age?" Watt asked calmly.

I actually flinched. "Don't say it like that."

Watt just shrugged his huge shoulders. "Like what? It's the truth, isn't it? She's a young adult."

"Comparing me sleeping with a young woman to... my own daughter. That feels wrong. It feels disgusting."

Watt laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. "You're the one making the comparison, Alpha, not me. I'm just stating facts. So, how did you find this 'different' woman?"

"It doesn't matter," I said, trying to end that line of talk. "It was just a one-time thing. But it's been months since I've been with anyone. The tension is building up." I rubbed my shoulders.

Watt stood up, looking at the time. "You need to work that out before the shift. The moon will be full soon, you know. You need to keep your strength up." Watt was referring to the extra energy we got around the full moon-not that we had to shift, but the power was always there. "I'll go check if Erica is gone so you can hit the gym."

Watt left the office. I took a few minutes to clear my desk, putting away papers from the nationwide gym franchise Watt and I ran. We had the best managers and staff, so the work was easy.

With Watt's "all-clear" signal, I changed into my workout clothes and hit the gym we had in the building. First, ten miles on the treadmill, then I punished the weights until my muscles screamed. I pushed harder than usual, trying to burn off the restless feeling that the memory of the young woman, Gwen, had brought back.

By the time I was finished, the day's stress was gone, replaced by good, physical exhaustion.

I headed home, packed an overnight bag, and loaded my big SUV with presents and Christmas lights. It was time for my yearly trip to the cabin. I was starting the two-hour drive into the deep woods.

When I finally arrived, I got out and took a big, deep breath. The air here was so clean and cold. I grew up in this area, but when I turned eighteen, I couldn't wait to leave for the city. I still like the city best, but I couldn't lie: being away from the noise and dirty air was good for the soul. It calmed the wolf inside me.

I still had a little daylight left, so I quickly put up the lights outside the cabin. After that, I went inside and grabbed a cold beer. My friend-a local wolf I paid to watch the place-had stocked the fridge for me. Beer in hand, I started putting up the fake Christmas tree and the inside decorations.

I quickly texted my daughter again, needing to check on her. This time, I got a one-word answer: "Fine." That was it. No mention of where she was or when she would visit. But she was alive and well. That was enough for now.

I made a simple dinner, and after I ate, I walked out onto the back deck. My local friend had cleared the snow and made sure the hot tub was ready. I planned to use it. Since there were no neighbors for miles, I stripped down completely, even though it was below freezing, and slowly sank into the warm water. I let out a loud sigh of pure pleasure. This was the life of an Alpha.

I grew up comfortably, but I didn't start rich. I worked hard. Today, between the gym business, the online supplement company I started in college, and smart investing, I had more money than I could ever spend. My daughter would never have to worry. If she had children, they wouldn't have money problems either.

Yes, life was good. Maybe not perfect, but what is? A perfect family? I tried the wife thing, and it didn't work.

But I got my amazing daughter out of that marriage, so it was worth the pain. The minute her mother left, things got better. I had to pay a huge amount of money to keep my daughter close, but now my ex-wife was off with husband number five, and I was happy to be free.

Since then, I decided marriage wasn't for me. My daughter was fine with me raising her, with Watt's help. I could cook and clean. And for sex? I could easily get that without a wedding ring.

It was just a simple, physical need. A biological function that had to be satisfied sometimes. And after how quickly I lost control with Gwen, I realized I needed to satisfy that need much more often than I had been. Maybe I should have gotten her number. I almost never slept with a woman more than once, but I could make an exception for the natural, curvy, and mysterious Gwen. The way she smelled... It was like a fresh rainstorm on a hot summer day. It made the wolf inside me restless for the second time.

GWEN POV

I woke up the next morning, and my private area was definitely sore. I brought my hands up to cover my face, partly in surprise and partly giggling with happiness about what I had done last night. I had lost my virginity to a complete stranger.

I know that people usually say one should wait until you get married to have sex. But let's be honest, that stopped being the rule for most people a long time ago. The other rule was that you should at least be in love or really like the person. But I decided, and I lost my virginity in the best way possible.

I got rid of my "V-card" with someone I didn't know. This way, I didn't have to feel embarrassed about being new to sex. I didn't have to worry that my lack of experience would make a boyfriend lose interest in me. Plus, the man I was with clearly knew what he was doing, and that made the whole experience much, much better. Even the soreness I felt today was softened by the lovely memory of the fun I had last night.

I looked over at my phone next to the bed. It was eight o'clock in the morning. April and I had planned to leave for the cabin around noon. That gave me enough time to shower, pack my bags, and stop quickly to see my father before we left. I had just finished putting the last of my clothes into my suitcase when I got a text message from April.

'Sorry, Gwen. I'm stuck at Cole's house. Is it okay if we go to the cabin separately? I'll meet you there at the usual time.'

I let out a small groan as I sat down on the edge of my bed. It was going to feel strange to arrive at the cabin alone. No matter how many times April told me she wanted me there, I already felt like I was crashing her family's holiday.

She had told me before, "I need you there as a shield between me and my dad. He's the best person in the world, but I don't want to spend my holiday listening to him tell me how disappointed he is that my grades went down."

Usually, I hate being late, but in this case, I thought I would leave later than planned. I wanted April to be at the cabin already when I got there. It would feel even more awkward if I arrived before her. I had never met her father. I couldn't imagine any parent wouldn't think it was odd for their daughter to bring a roommate home for the holiday.

I texted her back, saying I would meet her there. Then I put on my warm clothes, grabbed my handbag, and headed to my father's house. I drove through the working-class neighborhood where I grew up.

Most families here didn't quite make it to the middle class, but they got by. Most people lived by getting paid every week or two, which meant there wasn't a lot of extra money for things like keeping the lawn nice or fixing up the house. Because of this, the neighborhood looked a little worn out and tired. My father's house looked the same. The paint was peeling along the edges, and part of the rain gutter was hanging off the roof.

My father hadn't shoveled the snow from the driveway or the walkway. I parked on the street in front of the house and walked heavily through the few inches of snow to the front door. I stomped my feet on the front mat to knock off the snow before opening the door.

"Dad?"

"Gwen?"

I stepped into the tiny entrance area and turned right into the living room.

My father was leaning back in his comfy chair with a beer in his hand, even though it was barely eleven in the morning. The TV was loud with sports commentators talking about football.

My father sat up straight, moving the chair back into place, and stood up. "I didn't think I was going to see you for Christmas." He walked over and gave me a big hug.

My father wasn't old in years; he was only fifty. But he looked much older, maybe closer to eighty. He started looking old like this after my mother died. When he first started seeing his ex-girlfriend, Mira, he had tried to look better, but when she left, he stopped caring again.

I had supported his dating, knowing he was lonely and that when he was alone, he didn't take care of himself very well. Sadly for my dad, Mira turned out to be the worst kind of partner.

I hugged him back, noticing how thin his upper back felt. "Have you been eating enough?" I asked, worried.

He pulled back slightly. "When I'm hungry. Are you planning to stay? If you are, I need to call the guys and tell them I can't meet them later."

I shook my head. "No, I'm still going up to the cabin with April, just like we planned. But I wanted to stop by, wish you a Merry Christmas, and see how you're doing before I leave."

"You don't have to worry about me, Gwen." His eyes showed a little bit of playful mischief.

I took off my coat and walked toward the kitchen to make him something to eat. "I can't just stop worrying about you, Dad. It doesn't work that way."

He followed me into the kitchen and laughed. "I think that's supposed to be my line, kiddo. But I'm doing perfectly fine. The last thing I want is for you to hang around here when you have your own life to live." He smiled like the proud father he was. "My baby girl is going to get a college degree. The first one in the family. You are moving on to bigger and better things, and I don't want to stop you from doing that."

I rolled my eyes as I spread mayonnaise on two slices of bread. "Being with family doesn't stop a person from moving forward." I finished making the cold sandwich, then poured him a glass of milk and gave both to him. "Now eat something. You can't live on beer alone, no matter how hard you try."

He took the plate and the glass, setting them on the counter. "I did get you a little something for Christmas."

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to exchange presents this year."

"It's not much, but I still hope you like it." He quickly walked out of the kitchen. I picked up the sandwich and his milk and carried them out to the small table next to his reclining chair.

He came back a moment later holding a plain brown paper bag with handles. He gave me a shy smile. "You know I'm terrible at wrapping. I hope this is good enough."

I laughed softly. "It doesn't need to be wrapped at all." I took the bag, reached in, and pulled out a long, flat, rectangular box. I sat on the couch, put the box on the coffee table, and lifted the lid. Inside was a picture frame.

"People who get college degrees frame them and hang them on the wall. That's for you, for when you get your degree."

A wave of emotion hit me, and my eyes filled with tears. No matter what other presents I got this Christmas, this would be the best gift of all. This simple gift showed all of my father's love and pride in me.

I stood up and walked over to where he was sitting in his chair, leaning in to give him another hug. "Thank you, Dad. I love it. I absolutely can't wait to put my degree in it. Maybe I'll hang it right here."

He patted my arm gently. "Well, I wouldn't mind showing off and bragging about you to my friends by having your degree hanging on the wall here, but that is supposed to go in your office when you get a job. It tells everyone how important you are."

"Well, if I'm so important, you need to eat that sandwich right now."

"Yes, ma'am." He grinned, picked up his sandwich, and took a big bite.

I stayed with my father for a little while, and we watched a holiday movie together. It was my father's favorite Christmas movie. It had scared me when I was a little girl, but now I enjoyed it as much as he did. It had been a yearly Christmas tradition until my mother died. Watching it now made me wonder if this meant we needed to start making Christmas a bigger deal again.

Maybe I shouldn't go to the cabin with April for the holiday after all.

My dad's phone rang, pulling me from my thoughts. "It's Dominic," he said, poking the button to answer the call. I couldn't hear Dominic's voice, but my father said, "Yes, we're still on for tonight."

I guess if we were going to start our Christmas traditions again, it would have to be next year.

Around one o'clock, I decided it was time for me to get on the road. "I've really got to go now. I'm sorry I'll miss this part of the movie." I stood up and put my coat, hat, and gloves back on.

"You be safe on the drive," my father said as he got up to give me one last hug goodbye. "And don't let the bogeyman get you."

I smiled at the old joke. "I've packed my peewee darts, don't worry."

He laughed warmly as he walked me to the front door. After one last, quick hug, I walked heavily back out to my car, feeling the love of my father settle comfortably in my heart.