Alphas for the Holidays

by Mandy M. Roth

  “Very well, sir.” Kingsley physically relaxed and spoke freely, “It appears that Miss Winterborne has recovered well. Thanks to your heroic deed.” There was a hint of pride in his voice.

  “Heroic?” Lux harrumphed. “Anyone would have done the same.”

  “Just accept the praise, Lucifer.”

  He never called Lux by his christened name, except only on three occasions.

  When he was proud.

  When he was concerned.

  When things were out of his hands and required Divine intervention.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Kingsley reached into his pocket and pulled out two small objects and placed them on the desk in front of Lux. “Some gifts are much too precious to lose.”

  The truth was always hard to swallow.

  Kingsley left Lux to contemplate his words.

  Two hours later and the vintage cufflinks still remained untouched. Lux had grown much since the moment Arabella entered the gates of Beastly Estates. She’d taught him how to live again. Made him step out of his lonely cave to interact with people. Enjoy the precious world around him.

  He was a changed man. Love had changed him. All because of Arabella.

  That’s why he needed all his strength and concentration to face the months, years to come. It was best to rip off the band aid while he still had the will power to do so. Today he’d made the toughest decision in his life.

  Lux was going to set her free.

  A rush of excitement and anticipation flowed through Arabella as she made the last few steps to reach the greenhouse. She reached for the handle and pushed the glass door open. The soft glow of hundreds of tea lights greeted her. What stole her breath away were the rows and rows of roses of every shade and color imaginable.

  Arabella was well aware of the difficulties of growing roses during the winter, but if anyone had the heart and desire to make things happen, she knew Lux would find a way. She took her time exploring the exotic ones, the hybrids, and the delicate yet simple roses. The fragrance they gave off was harmonious rather than conflicting.

  She was startled by a noise nearby. She lifted her head and the familiar woman in the green cloak.

  “Who are you?” She watched as the woman gave her a warm smile before walking through the wall.

  Arabella rushed to catch up with her. She ran up the aisle and at the end of the row, she stopped in front of the door. Her heartbeat quickened and she inhaled deeply to control the rhythm. As soon as she entered, she fell in love with the space. The large room acted as a cozy informal living area for intimate entertaining and reading. On the opposite side, there was ample storage, a variety of tools, and a lengthy workstation to create. Everything was well maintained and cared for.

  She spun around and a flash of crimson caught her eye. Arabella walked in the direction of the fireplace. On the mantle sat a glass box. It held an exquisitely vibrant rose inside, appearing as if it had been frozen in time. Perfectly preserved. The energy it gave off instantly filled her senses.

  Arabella carefully pulled off the glass top and touched a petal. ZAP! Her body vibrated and hummed. In her mind’s eye, she was drawn back to a time in which Beastly Estates belonged to someone else. This was their story and she was a guest in their memories.

  “ARABELLA!” the angry voice came closer and closer.

  She felt a firm grip on her arms as he shook her out of her spell.

  “What have you done?” he demanded.

  The vision dissipated and everything came back into focus. Lux’s furious eyes were boring into hers. Yet, she saw through the anger as tears gathered in her eyes. As if in a trance, she reached out and cupped his face.

  Her lips quivered as she spoke. “I know the truth, Lux. I know everything now.”

  Chapter 9

  “I need to tell you everything.” Arabella took his hand in hers. “It’s not you. It was never your doing.”

  “What do you think you know?” His gravelly voice revealed his anguish.

  “I know that you can’t remember what happened that night and that you blamed yourself for your parent’s death.”

  Lux pushed her hands away and stepped back. He glared at her. “You know nothing! I set the place on fire!” he roared.

  Arabella shook her head. “No. You fell asleep in the closet where you were hiding. You’d blown out the candle when you heard your mother’s voice.”

  “You’re wrong. That’s not what happened!” His words were full of pain and anger. Anger toward himself. “I KILLED THEM!”

  She needed to make him listen, even if he refused. His mother wanted him to know the truth and Arabella was going to tell him before it was too late. She raised her voice. “You were eleven years old, Lux!”

  He turned his back to her.

  She kept talking so he was forced to hear her words. “Your father had worked late. You were trapped in the closet, so you wouldn’t get caught. When your mom came in it startled him since he’d fallen asleep. You father knocked the project over and it rolled off the desk. It was flammable so the properties ignited when some landed in the fireplace.”

  Lux moved to face her. “What do you mean?”

  “The place was in flames in a matter of seconds. Your parents were trapped.” She took a step toward him. Wanting so badly to comfort the man she’d fallen in love with.

  “But how did I get out? How did I escape?”

  “Kingsley heard you coughing and he found you stumbling out of the closet. A weak metal panel collapsed and the sharp edge caught you in the face. That’s when he carried you out.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “By the time everyone was able to pull your parents out, they’d perished from the smoke.”

  Arabella stepped even closer and when she looked in the blue-grey depths of his eyes, she could see a tear rolling down his face. She planted her hands firmly on his face and drew his head down for a kiss.

  “I’ll help you remember,” she vowed against his lips. That was all it took before his warm mouth covered hers.

  She tasted the tears. Tasted his pain. That’s when she focused all her energies to connect to him. Arabella bared her soul and when she felt his senses opening up, she transferred all the memories she’d been given.

  The woman in green materialized with the familiar red rose in her hand. She pressed it to her heart. She started to fade, but not before a vision of his father appeared. He smiled broadly at Lux and mouthed, We love you, son. We always will. The man took his wife’s hand and they strolled away, floating toward heaven’s garden.

  “Was that…” he could barely ask.

  She nodded. “Yes, they are finally at peace now.”

  His tears flowed freely now. They were no longer from pain, but from pure happiness and a sense of relief. The beautiful transformation in his energy stole her breath away. She couldn’t fight back her own tears at the newfound revelation.

  Lux was no longer a wounded bird and it was time for her to set him free. Just as he’d wanted to do for her.

  She was still in his arms when they both heard the commotion coming from the front of the greenhouse. Lux pulled her behind him, so his large body shielded her. Sounds of shattered glass made her lean into his back for support. She’d dreaded this moment for days. Even though this scene played out exactly as her premonition, she’d still managed to change the course. There was still one thing that she couldn’t determine.

  Their future.

  Among the sea of men in dark suits, police officers, and staff, there was one familiar face that stuck out at her.

  Randall.

  His eyes blazing with revenge. His aura black as his heart.

  It had been a week since the police took Lux away in handcuffs. Her stepfather had fabricated enough evidence to pen the embezzlement on him. Arabella hadn’t expected the man would act on his devious plan so quickly. She didn’t get the chance to warn Lux.

  Randall may have thought he’d gotten away with his crimes but revenge was best served cold. Ar
abella was only thankful that Kingsley had been able to smuggle her off the estate during the commotion. He’d kindly prepared for her to stay at his own private home that was hidden under the radar. She knew there was nothing she could do at that time, but she’d waited patiently to make her move.

  A few days after the shakedown at the greenhouse, Arabella had called her father’s housekeeper. Had asked the woman to mail a particular package hidden in her closet. The staff had always respected and trusted her, so they never had reason to question her requests.

  The contents of the mail were confidential documents that her stepfather hadn’t known she’d copied. Arabella had located the secret laptop and unlocked it not long before her journey to the Beastly Estates. She’d discovered more skeletons in there than the Catacombs of Paris.

  Those unaltered papers would be exactly what the attorneys and authorities needed to clear Lux’s name. However, the additional documents stored in Randall’s safe would secure his spot in a special kind of hell. She didn’t need to predict to know that he would be the one on the receiving end while in prison.

  Arabella would finally have her own personal justice. Not just for her, but for her parents. Everything they worked so hard for to secure her future would be rightfully returned to her. It was a fresh start. A new beginning without always looking over her shoulders and Arabella swore she’d make every day count.

  She shouldn’t feel like a criminal in her own home but she couldn’t help it. She glanced at the door every few minutes, finally deciding to ground herself with a few solid breaths to reign in her anxiety. Earlier she’d called the house and learned that her stepfather was out. This was her chance to get all her prized possessions out of her room before he came home.

  Arabella grabbed a gym bag and shoved a couple of outfits into it. She collected all the valuable trinkets that her parents had given her. She kept glancing at the clock and knew she didn’t have much time before Randall came home. Once she had everything she needed, which wasn’t much in the years she lived there, she zipped the bag.

  “I should’ve done this a long time ago.”

  Glancing around one last time, she slung the bag over her shoulder and started to leave. She didn’t get far. Randall was standing at the doorway with a menacing look. As if he had waited forever for this opportunity.

  She shivered from the intensity of his gaze.

  “You thought you’d get away from me,” he said in a dangerously low voice.

  She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her. “Get out of my way.”

  Arabella tried to pry past him but he pushed her into the room. She stumbled back but regained her composure. “I don’t owe you a damn thing anymore. I paid your debt and you still had to destroy him! You got what you wanted out of this so you should get the hell out of my way!” She spat out.

  “You bitch! After everything I’ve done for you, you’re leaving just like that?” His features took on a frightening one she hadn’t seen before. She’d seen many versions of the man, but this time he seemed to have taken on a truly scary persona.

  Arabella replied coldly, “You’ve done nothing for me.”

  “I raised you. Fed you. Kept you off the streets when your mother died.” His voice rose, “Without me, you’d be no better than the servants.”

  She shot back, “No, without me, you wouldn’t have everything you do now! Including stealing my inheritance.”

  Arabella had been nine at the time, and all she’d ever wanted was a father to love her. She’d stayed on only because she’d made a promise to her dying mother. Arabella’s word was her oath. One she couldn’t break.

  Not now. She was much wiser and understood what it meant to have free will.

  Randall had always manipulated her. Used her. And when he couldn’t do that, he sacrificed her many times over for his own gain. This time, she wanted to make sure he got his just desserts.

  “How long have you known that I forged the papers?” His eyes blazed with contempt now that he could drop the charade and reveal his true nature.

  “Always.” Arabella’s lips curled into a cruel smile before she made a step toward the door.

  He closed in on her. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “You don’t scare me anymore.” She screamed, “You can’t stop me!”

  He snapped and punched her in the face. She fell onto the hardwood floor but she wouldn’t give up without a fight. She struck back, clawing at him as he wrapped his hands around her throat. Squeezing so hard she could feel the airflow cutting off.

  Arabella closed her eyes, going in and out of consciousness, but she made one last effort. She focused on the object on her dresser, a ballerina music box. Using all her energy, she felt the item shake, float, and lock onto the target.

  She heard a loud crack and then Randall slumped over her. Arabella gasped, choking, trying to inhale as much oxygen as possible. She used what was left of her strength to shove him off her.

  After a few minutes, she was able to get up and pick up her bag. She looked down at the floor and the music box was shattered next to him.

  She wiped the blood from her lip.

  The memories were bittersweet. She kicked at a broken piece with her shoe. Ironic. That was the only present Randall had ever given her. He’d tried to buy her love the day he married her mother. She was too young then, but that was the day he gained control of her family’s entire inheritance. One that rightfully belonged to her.

  New beginnings never tasted sweeter.

  She stepped over Randall and never looked back.

  Chapter 10

  Three Years Later

  Arabella stretched out her arms, paint stains up to her elbows, and brushes still in her fist. She stepped back to review the progress from another perspective. The large canvas was taking shape and she liked the direction she was headed. It was going to be her first solo art show and this was the very last piece of art to finish out the collection. In fact, it was the most important one out of the entire series.

  This painting was very personal. Left her vulnerable while she worked on it. In fact, everything about this show had been therapeutic. It was time to heal and move on.

  “It’s incredible,” the fatherly voice said from behind her.

  She whirled around to find the face that she’d missed so much smiling back at her. “Kingsley!”

  He didn’t conceal his delight. “Arabella.”

  Dropping her brushes into the water jar, she ran over to give him a big hug. “I hadn’t expected your visit today. If I’d known, I’d at least make lunch.”

  “It’s certainly fine, dear.”

  She tucked her arm through the crook of his arm. “Let’s go inside the house and I’ll make you some organic tea. Then, you can tell me what’s been happening. Deal?”

  He laughed. “Deal.”

  Arabella loved her functional kitchen. The place was a total artist’s dream. She’d earned every penny to purchase the modest home. After escaping Randall’s attack, she moved from state to state in search of herself.

  After a lot of searching, Kingsley had located her. She was informed that before she’d been forced to flee Beastly Estate, Lux had set up a bank account, acquired a home, and made every possible arrangement so that she would be able to live in a lap of luxury. She’d want for nothing. Arabella had refused the help from Lux and made a promise that she’d continue to keep in contact with Kingsley. She made him promise to hide this arrangement from Lux. Over the years, their friendship had cemented and he’d morphed into the father figure she’d always wanted.

  Arabella placed a cup of steeped black tea in front of Kingsley before taking a seat across from him.

  He poured in some cream and stirred the drink. “I’m sure you’ve heard.”

  She didn’t show any expression. “They found him in his jail cell with a knife in his back.”

  Kingsley nodded. “Randall dug his own grave, I’m afraid.”

  “I know.” She palmed th
e cup. “It’s finally over.”

  “It looks like it.” He took a sip of tea. “Why are you still running then?”

  Arabella shook her head. “I’m not running. I’m living.”

  The man observed her for a moment. “And Lux? Don’t you want to know?”

  She reached out and covered his hand. “Not yet.”

  “Do you love him?”

  She didn’t answer. Just got up and walked over to a drawer to retrieve an envelope. The invitation had been sitting there for weeks. Arabella brought it over and handed it to him.

  Kingsley looked at the gold envelope and tucked it inside his jacket pocket.

  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. Would you like me to fix you something to eat?” Arabella boasted, “I’ve managed to build a small organic garden, so you know it’s going to be good for you.”

  “How could I refuse?” Kingsley winked. “Show me the way.”

  “It was a smashing success tonight!” Arabella’s manager handed her a glass of champagne.

  “It was. Wasn’t it?” She was pleased with the turnout. The entire staff at Beastly Estates showed up for support.

  All except one particular person.

  “I wanted to wait to tell you this, but you’ve sold out!” Josie squealed.

  They hugged and Arabella couldn’t be happier. All the proceeds were going to a charity dear to her heart, Victims of Domestic Violence.

  “That’s wonderful. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  Josie raised her glass. “It’s all you.”

  They clinked glasses and sipped their bubbly.

  “Well, I’m heading out.” Josie rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s been a long day and I could go for a bath.”

  “Do you mind if I sit here for a moment?”

  Josie shook her head. “Not at all. The clean-up crew will be here in half an hour. I’ll tell security you’re staying a little longer.”

  “Thanks. I just want to really soak it in, y’know?”