**Aria's POV**

At six in the morning, my phone buzzed, waking me from my nightmares about Marcus's malevolent grin.

The text from an unidentified number said, "Emergency at the resort." "The Christmas tree is down. I urgently need you here.

With my heart pounding, I leaped from bed. I had no intention of doing this. So far today, I hadn't ruined anything.

I hurried through the resort's front doors twenty minutes later and came to a complete halt. Broken ornaments littered the lobby like glittering tears, and the enormous Christmas tree that had stood tall in the lobby yesterday was now lying on its side.

"I'm glad you're here."

Dominic was standing behind me when I turned around, his hair disheveled as if he had been raking his hands through it. He had bloodshot eyes. He appeared to have had no sleep at all.

"What happened?" As my heart pounded against my ribs, I asked, attempting to sound professional.

"We're not sure. Around midnight, security cameras stopped working. This is by morning. He pointed to the devastation. "The employees are going crazy. The resort is cursed, according to half of them.

I bent over and carefully examined a broken ornament. The tree trunk cut was too neat. Too ideal. Instead of using an axe, someone had used a saw.

"This wasn't an accident," I muttered.

Dominic was crouching next to me, and even through my blockers, I could smell his scent. Despite my brain's efforts to ignore it, my wolf's soft whine indicated that she had found her mate.

"What do you mean?"

I gestured toward the trunk. Take a look at this cut. This was planned by someone. To bring down the entire tree without injuring anyone, they knew precisely where to strike.

Dominic's eyes darkened. "Who would do this?"

I nearly said "Marcus," but I stopped myself. "Someone who wishes to spoil your Christmas celebration. Do you have any adversaries?

He remained silent for a while. "More than I'd like to admit."

"Anyone in your own pack?"

It was a slap of a question. He quickly got to his feet, separating us. "What are you suggesting?"

"Nothin'. Simply put, the people who hurt us the most are sometimes the ones closest to us.

Dominic's eyes flickered. Pain. Recognition. As if my words had triggered a memory he had been attempting to ignore.

"There was someone once," he uttered quietly. "I seriously hurt someone. She would have every right to seek retribution if she were still living.

My throat tightened. He was referring to me. About the girl he believed to be dead.

"What did you do to her?" I muttered.

"Instead of choosing love, I let fear guide me. I believed falsehoods about her because I was naive and young. It was too late when I discovered the truth. She had left.

My eyes were burning with tears. I had been telling myself a different story for the past five years. In my version, Dominic was the bad guy who had thoughtlessly thrown me out. I wasn't sure anymore, though, after listening to him and hearing the anguish in his voice.

"Maybe she forgave you," I said cautiously.

"You have to earn forgiveness. I was never given the opportunity.

Luna Catherine Stone stormed into the lobby like a winter storm before I could reply. Her dark hair was streaked with silver, and she was older now, but her commanding presence remained the same.

"Aria Blake?" With a genuine smile, she held out her hand. "My name is Catherine Stone. I appreciate you coming at such short notice.

I looked for any indication of recognition on her face as I shook her hand. Nothing. My new look and the scent blockers were working like clockwork.

Mrs. Stone. I apologize for your tree.

She gestured with her hand. "Trees are interchangeable. The important thing is to keep this festival alive. The entire pack is depending on it.

"What makes this festival so significant?" I asked, even though my research had already given me the answer.

Dominic and Catherine looked at each other. They had a silent conversation of some sort.

"Pack politics," Dominic finally uttered. "I'm not strong enough to lead, according to some members. They want to pick a new Alpha, so they're waiting for me to fail."

"Who would take your place?"

"My brother Marcus."

The name was like a blast of cold water. Marcus wasn't merely attempting to harm me, then. He was trying to destroy Dominic and seize control of the pack by utilizing my plan of retaliation. In his larger scheme, I was merely a weapon.

I inquired, "Where is your brother now?"

"Away on pack business," Catherine blurted out. Too soon. "Christmas Eve is when he won't return."

The phone rang for Dominic. He said, "I have to take this," and turned to leave.

After observing him leave, Catherine turned to face me, her eyes filled with concern. "He holds himself responsible for every mishap. has been for years.

"Since when?"

"Since the night he committed his life's greatest error." She hesitated. "Ms. Blake, do you think that second chances are possible?"

I was surprised by the question. "Yes, I do. Everyone deserves an opportunity to put things right, in my opinion.

"All right. For my son needs someone to have faith in him once more.

Dominic returned with a pale face before I could ask what she meant.

"That was the pack doctor," he stated. "Last night, three of our elders were involved in a car accident. They're in the medical facility.

I felt sick to my stomach. "Are they okay?"

"They'll survive. However, they were expected to conduct the bonding ceremony on Christmas Eve. Without them. He combed his hair with his hands. "This could be a pretext for the pack council to call for a vote of no confidence."

"When would that vote take place?" I inquired, already fearing the response.

"Christmas Day."

Catherine touched Dominic's shoulder. "We'll work something out."

But Dominic's eyes showed me that he had lost. He believed that everything would be lost.

All of a sudden, I no longer desired that.

I was struck with the realization like a truck. My hatred had begun to erode somewhere between witnessing his real suffering and discovering Marcus's true identity. I didn't want to see Dominic go through this. I wanted to assist him.

which was the riskiest thing I could possibly desire.

I heard myself say, "I might know someone who can help." "A Colorado pack elder in retirement. If I asked, she could conduct the ceremony.

Dominic's eyes glowed with hope. "You'd do that?"

"It is my responsibility to fulfill Christmas fantasies."

The same unknown number that texted me last night buzzed my phone: "Little Omega, are you reconsidering your plan of retaliation? Remember the fate of the girls who attempt to save Dominic Stone.

Dominic and Catherine were both looking at me worriedly when I looked up.

"Everything okay?" inquired Dominic.

I made an effort to smile. "This is just my business partner checking in."

However, as I put my phone back in my pocket, a horrifying query kept coming to me:

What else did Marcus know about my plan if he was keeping a close enough eye on me to notice that I was reconsidering?

And how could he prevent me from saving the man I was meant to destroy?