🧛 Lean's POV:
If Christmas afternoon was my personal musical, Christmas night is the afterparty where logic dies and chaos rules.
I'm in front of the mirror, surrounded by enough fabric to clothe a small kingdom. The room looks like a battlefield-sequins, velvet, fake snowflakes, and one very annoyed werewolf sitting on the bed pretending he doesn't want to bite me.
"Puppers" I sing-song, holding up two jackets, "red velvet or black leather?"
He doesn't even look up from his phone. "Neither. You're not going to war with Santa."
I squint at him. "Rude. Santa loves me. We have similar fashion sense."
He groans. "You mean you both blind people with color."
I throw the velvet jacket at his face. "Fine. I'll wear both."
Five minutes later, I am a walking disco ball-red velvet blazer, black shirt unbuttoned just enough to scandalize the North Pole, shiny boots, hair glittering like I rolled in fairy dust, badass skull rings Puppers got for me this after noon. I look incredible. I also look loud. I love it.
Puppers, on the other hand, looks like he's attending a funeral for joy itself. Black turtleneck, dark blazer, silver chain which is definitely fake cause he is a werewolf and allergic to silver, his signature head band, and a pair of fingerless gloves, with few sprays of musky cologne, he "definitely didn't wear for me." The kind of outfit that screams "don't talk to me, I might bite" which of course means everyone will. He is looking like some damn Hot Daddy of every Gay teens wet dreams.
"Where are we even going?" I ask for the ninth time as we step out.
"Ray's," he mutters, locking the door.
"Ray's your bestie? My Emotional twin? Ray's what? Ray's café? Ray's dungeon? Ray's petting zoo-"
He cuts me off, "His house. Now stop asking questions before I turn this cab around and you can spend Christmas with the bathroom ghost whatever her name was."
"Bloody Mary listens better than you," I whisper dramatically as we slide into the cab.
---
The ride is an odyssey. I cannot shut up. I never do.
"So we are gonna meet Ray again? The cool Bi dude!!! Who planned our movie Date and share every brain cell with me!!!"
"My God Vamps you dont need to explain so much!!!"
"How big is his house, you went there before? Do they have pets? Can I tell stories to them!!"
"Lean!"
"Are there snacks?"
"Vamps!"
"Do I have to behave?"
"No!"
"Wait-yes. Yes, you do."
"...Too late, I already packed chaos, and Ray Understands me better than you!! We have 4 different kinds of hand shakes too."
"You guys met for just 20 minutes couple of days back you don't know each others!"
"Newsflash wolf!! I am spiritually his twin, and he loves vampires more than werewolves, deal with it you wild mutt!!"
By the time we arrive, he's gripping the seat like it's holding back his inner wolf.
And why the hell the driver is mid way through an heart attack?
And then-I see the mansion.
It's massive.(well gurls our Count Manor was as big as Hogwarts) Glittering lights, golden gates, a driveway that could fit my ego. My jaw drops. "Ohhh, Puppers. He's loaded."
Dom mutters, "Rich people make me itch."
I smile. "You're allergic to joy, confirmed. And I am a Rich Kiddo too, remember? Just wait till I find my family back!"
But for me... stepping into that estate feels strangely familiar. The wide halls, the marble, the faint echo of laughter bouncing off high ceilings-it reminds me of home. The family castle. My father's monster parties. The smell of wine and secrets and chandeliers burning too bright. For a second, my chest aches. Ok definitely I lived in a 15th century big ass spooky dusty dark marble laced castle with wide stretching Fields within in the estate.
Then Ray himself appears, breaking the nostalgia.
"DOMMY BOYYY!!" he bellows, tackling the wolf into a bear hug.
Dom looks like he's reconsidering murder. "I told you never to call me that."
Ray grins, all white teeth and chaos. "Oh, I missed you too, bro!" Then he sees me. "And Lean My GUY how you have been did this Dog troubled you!!!!!!"
"How many times I have to say in Am an ALPHA WOLF!!!" PUPPERS screeches.
I grin and shake his hand. "NAH Gurl! I know how to keep a wolf!!" I bat my eye lashes to Puppers and he chocks on air.
He laughs. "Come in, come in! Make yourself at home! Drinks, food, chaos, whatever you want!"
And we did our secret hand shake, Puppers mid way throw digging a grave!
"Chaos?" I perk up. "That's my middle name."
Puppers sighs. "Unfortunately, it's true. Lord why you have to put the very two jokers at the same place! Do you hate wolves?"
---
Inside, the party's wild. Music thumps, lights spin, people dance like they're auditioning for a soap opera. Ray's girlfriend, Linda, yup the crazy girlfriend puppers told me about, is already scolding him for breathing too loud.
"GUYS here Met my Man! MY Boy Dom AkA the Grump Man my crime Partner! And this is Lean the greatest Vampa-" Dom Slaps Rays Ass.
"Vamps! Vamps! His Name is Vamps! COOLEST DUDE" He laughs nervously Puppers Pointing his wolf claws behind his ass, when the hell he slided it out! Damn wolverine.
"Ray!! You Fucking idiot I told you not to invited anyone from the damn college!!!".
"DOM! You know I can basically absolutely get butchered if I dont call Linda! Its only her and she dont give a fuck! Girl already thinks I am fuck with ya!" he defends.
"BUDDIE you don't worr-" thwack! She hits him with a frying pan. Where did she even get that?!
Dom and I watch, horrified. "POOR Dude he definitely needs Someone better " I whisper.
"Yeah I told him once I could eat her up in one full moon, and he can label that as animal attack got eaten by wild wolf, but he is apparently in love with her" Puppers whispers back.
But honestly? They're fun. Linda drags Ray away by the ear, and I end up chatting with half his friends-apparently, I'm a hit. I tell one guy I'm a professional "Christmas spirit enhancer." (He believed me.)
I almost showed my fangs to one girl who was flirting with me not knowing I am a dude kisser!
Dom Lectures me for 5 minutes straight! No Gay!
Then I play few cards, apparently I kept winning, mortals! I am a vampire I can see the reflection of the cards on your eyes!
Dom stays in the corner, classic him, sipping soda like it's poison.
"You know," I tell him, sliding beside him, "you could at least pretend to enjoy yourself."
"I am," he lies, deadpan.
"You look like a statue at a funeral."
He raises a brow. "And you look like a disco ball exploded."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Puppers."
The Christmas party is blinding. Gold and red lights tangled like fairy guts across Ray's living room, a huge tree dripping with ornaments that look ready to commit suicide from the heat. Someone's spiked the eggnog, someone's kissing under mistletoe, and someone's cousin is sobbing over his ex again, ah someone is fucking behind the sofa. It's perfect.
And in the middle of it all-Puppers Quinn.
In a black shirt rolled up to his elbows, looking like sin wrapped in polyester. He's got that don't-you-dare-ask-me-to-dance face on, the one that makes me want to do exactly that.
I down the last of my sparkly punch (95% sugar, 5% regret) and march up to him like a man on a mission.
"Dance with me, wolfie."
He doesn't even glance. "No."
"Aw come on, it's Christmas! Baby, Big G's son would want this."
"He'd want peace on earth. You're the opposite of that."
I grin, snatching his cup. "Then let's give Him a show."
Before he can protest, I've got his wrist and drag him into the crowd. The music switches to something wild-bells clanging, bass thumping like a heartbeat, people screaming "Jingle Bell Rock" off-key. Perfect chaos.
Puppers stands stiff as a lamppost.
Me? I'm pure chaos incarnate. I twirl, spin, almost trip over the carpet but pretend it was intentional. He mutters, "You're going to die in my hands someday," which I take as a compliment.
I am literally pole dancing on his nearly 7th tall body!
Then the beat drops.
And something in him snaps.
He grabs my waist-roughly, like he's claiming ground-and spins me back. My breath catches. His palm is hot through my shirt, his scent all pine and smoke. I laugh, because if I don't, I might melt right here on the floor.
"Oh? He moves!" I tease.
He leans in, voice low. "You're going to regret making me dance." in a damn husky voice.
Challenge accepted.
The next few seconds are a blur. He's surprisingly good-sharp, controlled, every movement precise. I, on the other hand, am a flailing Christmas miracle. At one point I accidentally elbow a guy carrying nachos, spill half of it on Dominic's sleeve, and slip on tinsel trying to apologize. He catches me before I hit the ground.
Our faces end up inches apart. The lights flicker gold across his eyes.
"You're trouble," he mutters.
He spins my like a DC generator on my toes, then yanks Me close, holding my waist.
"And you like it," I shoot back.
He snorts, but his grip doesn't loosen. Instead, he pulls me closer, lets the music guide him. Suddenly, we're... actually dancing. My clumsy steps fall into rhythm with his. People around us are cheering now, phones flashing, chanting something like "Grump and vamp, Grump and vamp!"
I'm dizzy-half from the spinning, half from him.
Dom dips me dramatically, smirking like the smug bastard he is. "Still think you can lead?"
"Only if you keep holding me like this," I grin.
Someone yells, "Kiss! Kiss!" from the crowd, and my heart jumps. PUPPERS goes still, eyes narrowing, jaw tightening. For a split second, the world goes quiet-just his breath, my pulse, and the soft ring of a distant bell. He Pulls my face close, I can feel his warm breaths on my cold damp face, his mint chewing gum flaring my nostrils, noses almost brushing, lips almost touching. He smirks, I sweat.
Then he lets me go.
Smooth. Effortless. Like nothing happened.
"Dance over," he says, walking off, leaving me standing there, hair in disarray, glitter in my mouth, and about twelve people screaming for an encore.
I grin after him, chest aching in the best way.
He can run all he wants. I'll catch him on the next song.
Then Ray claps his hands. "Alright, folks! Time for the annual Wine Challenge!"
The crowd cheers. I cheer louder. Quinn groans like a man witnessing his own execution.
Ray lines up bottles like a mad scientist. "Winner gets bragging rights and this-" he holds up a ridiculous Santa trophy.
I grab a glass. "Oh, you're on."
"Careful, Lean," Ray warns. "That's real wine. Strong stuff."
I wink. "Ray, sweetie, I'm a vampire. I bathe in wine." I whisper in his mind! Ok apparently sometimes I don't need to open my mouth, I can just whisper into people head, privacy maintained!
Dom mumbles, "You're gonna drown in it."
Ten minutes later, I've downed 7 bottle and still look fresher than snow. The crowd's hyping me up, chanting my name.
Then someone shoves a glass into Dom's hand. "Come on, man! One drink!"
He tries to refuse. I grin mischievously. "Do it for Christmas, Puppers~"
He glares. "You're the devil."
"Ho ho ho," I purr.
He drink, like a damn bottle just to mess with me.
And instantly regrets it. I regret more than him
--
Thirty minutes later, my boyfriend-but-not-boyfriend is gone. Like, feral-gone.
His tail's out. His ears too. He's halfway transformed, pupils glowing, hair wild. He growls at a balloon. A balloon. Babbling curses, like nursery rhymes drooling like a rabid baby, half giggling, half rolling on the floor, shirt almost gone girls going feral over his Abbs!
Ray nearly drops his drink. "DUDE, HE'S WOLFING OUT-"
"NO SHIT, RAY!" I shout, grabbing Dom's arm. "Help me before he eats the nativity scene!! Or maybe eats your girlfriend or your not so officially boyfriends."
Together we somehow herd him down the hall. He's heavy, hot, and mumbling absolute nonsense. Poor Ray is sweating.
"Puppers," I hiss, "you're in public! Do you wanna get us exposed?"
He slurs, "You're... loud...I....will...fuck you bad bitch...."
"I'm always loud! That's not the point!! And you can fuck me! But that's too not the point" why the hell Ray banged his head on the wall?
"Oh! Ra..ayyy... m..y boeee...broo...I...I can kiiisssss you.... you....winged me to the ....juiciest vam...vamp...vampire...."
"Dom Shut up!!!!!!" RAY IS HAVE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS, Me? I am about to Combust, some throw holy water on me! I will burn first.
"Brooooo.....raaaayyyy...I...I s..swear.....if you di....Didn't set...me up with...wi...that crack head, I....wo....would, have mar...married you....cause it's....it....be.better than nothing...."
"Lean he don't Mean what he say!!" RAY Squeaks.
"NAH Bro, if I Die you marry him!!" Ok listen I am not letting my dog go in bad hands if I die, atleast I know Ray will keep him alive!
Anyways.....
We drag him into a private room while Ray, the traitor, is laughing so hard he can't stand.
"Okay, okay," he gasps, "I'll- I'll switch off the cameras-"
"Good idea!" I grunt, trying not to drop the horse-sized wolf currently drooling on my shoulder. And half chewing my ears and golden locks.
"How are you carrying him?" Ray asks, awed.
I grin, fangs flashing. "Baby, I might be sparkly, but I'm still a vampire."
He whistles. "Remind me not to piss you off."
Dom mumbles, "Too late....I will fuck you... and you...and Both...and me ... and trum..."
"Shhh, my big bad wolf, we're going home, you get to fuck everyone" I coo, patting his fluffy head.
Ray gapes. "You're babying him."
"I'm surviving him," I correct, still dragging his fuzzy ass out the back door.
To be honest I am freaking out I need an adult!!! Mommaaaa!!
And he is now by this time completely in his wolf form.
---
Outside, Ray pulls up in his absurdly fancy car-something black, shiny, and big enough to fit Dom's wolf form. (Ray calls it a Range Rover SV Autobiography-I call it "the Batmobile but for dudes with trust funds.") ok we got some bunch of vintage Rolls-Royce, back in my castle.
We load Puppers in the back. He flops like a tired dog, I need to push him up holding his hind legs up head butting his ass, like a confused corgi getting shoved into a car by his parents.
"Alright," Ray says, grinning as he starts the engine, "Christmas mission complete. Wolf secure, vampire intact. Where to?"
"Our place," I say.
As we drive, Dom snores, more like whines and wimpers cutely, his tounge is Peeking out off his big muzzle a bit, and pointy ears flopped down, tail wagging mid jerks, he is giving little drunken howls too, so cuteeeee..... like a drunken wolf is the cutest thing alive!!!
Loudly. I brush snow off his fur and sigh. "You know, Ray, this was supposed to make him relax, not turn him into a furry drunk tank."
Ray laughs. "Eh. Worked out, though. You two look closer already."
I smile softly. "Yeah... maybe. So you worked as his wingman aye?"
"Ahg crazy story! These dude is a complete fuckboy but he got somehow really smitten with you, he got a bad past, but have a golden heart I swear, well he lost his bro, he blames himself for it, so I try to be his bro! Difficulty handling but yeah Millers never give up!
Anyways after years I saw him actually happy, just keep him happy, he means a lot to me!" Ray grins as he gives his messy red-brown hairs a ruffle while driving.
I gave him a smile and silent shook, Queer-Bro code.
He drops us off. I wave "Byeee Pupper's half husband!", then half-carry, half-drag my overgrown mutt inside. Dom's tail thumps once, weakly, before he passes out completely.
I sigh. "Merry Christmas, Puppers."
I kiss his furry forehead.
He whines softly in his sleep, curling closer to me.
And just like that, all the noise fades. The laughter, the chaos, the mansion, the wine-it all blurs into the background.
The Fat orange is judging me and the oversized Doggo with his team of fish robbers.
It's just me and him.
A vampire and his wolf.
Christmas night, and the warmth of something that feels suspiciously like love.
I kick the door open and drag him in quick so no neighbors catch us, and think i hunted a horse in dark. Pull him in and kick the door shut off, (ok I kicked his balls in the process he whines but he will never know sorry puppers).