Page 45 of Believe
Kane, with his broad-shoulders and quick with a joke, kept the crew entertained. He’d slip little notes into the packages, each one with a pun or a doodle, ensuring the laughter lasted long after the paper was torn away.
Miller volunteered for the furthest deliveries—his massive frame somehow blending into the moss and shadow when he ducked under porches, stacking gifts neatly by the door.
Luc, with his infectious grin, always rode shotgun. He’d tap the dashboard to the rhythm of zydeco music and remind the others that they were the Gray Wolf elves tonight.
Gabe, sported a camo beanie and a perpetual smirk, handled the tricky deliveries—the houses with barking dogs or squeaky gates, where stealth was key. No one could quite figure out how he was able to get the animals to quiet but he did it without an issue.
Adam and Max, worked as a duo. Their playful bickering could be heard over the crackle of the radio as they argued about the best kind of pralines or whether alligators could really climb fences. Their energy was contagious, and even the grumpiest teammate found himself smiling in the darkness when they were near.
Rory became their storyteller that night, weaving tales of legendary Gray Wolf heists (of cookies and cakes, mostly) as they drove. It didn’t seem the night to recount their actual missions that were a bit more horror and a lot less joy. His voice set the mood, turning each delivery into a little adventure.
Wilson seemed to have an uncanny knack for delivering every family’s favorite treat and would often slide an extra candy cane or a tiny toy into the right bag at just the right moment.
The night air was thick with the scent of cypress and sweetgrass as they made their rounds. Sometimes they’d pause by the water’s edge, watching the glow of windows reflected on the bayou, listening to the low croak of frogs and the distant laughter from within the houses they’d just visited.
Whenever they spotted a child’s drawing taped to a mailbox or a hand-painted sign reading “Merci,” the men exchanged proud glances. They never took credit and never knocked on a door; their gifts were found in the morning, like magic, or that night if their parents heard any rustling outside. Afterall, the mystery was half the fun.
Some deliveries were straightforward, while others required true ingenuity. When Mrs. Broussard’s front steps creaked, Gaspar insisted on a back window operation. When a hound dog named Buster threatened to give them away, Max lured him with a leftover sausage biscuit, declaring it an “emergency snack tax.”
Rain started to fall, drumming softly on the truck’s roof, but the men pressed on—laughing, teasing, and sometimes singing off-key. They couldn’t believe how much fun they were having.
Alec, his jacket already soaked, declared, “Nothing stops a Gray Wolf gift run. Not even a bayou monsoon!” Their boots squelched in the mud, but their spirits never flagged.
As dawn crept over the cypress trees and mist rose above the water, they made their way back to Belle Fleur. The beds of the trucks was empty, their hearts full. They exchanged high-fives and tired grins, each man knowing he’d played a part in something as mysterious and heartwarming as any tale told by Rory in the dark.
They thought they’d see Matthew waiting for them but it was Irene standing in a misty fog.
“Y’all did good, babies,” she smiled. “Go get some rest and we’ll have breakfast ready in a few hours.”
“Mama, I don’t know what was different about this year but it was magical and wonderful and the best Christmas I’ve had in a very long time,” said Gaspar kissing his mother’s cheek.
“It was different because y’all are different. You understand what you did for those people. It’s not the big gifts, it’s the little things sometimes that people remember and you figured that out tonight. You were together, family, and you knew what you had to do and you did it. I’m proud of you and so is Matthew.”
The men all stared at one another, nodding. They kissed Irene as they all headed toward their own homes. The sun would be up soon and hopefully dry up some of the rain and cold. Until then, they would rest knowing that they did amazing work tonight.
In fact, some might say it was their best work ever.
In the weeks to come, stories would swirl through the bayou about the secret gift givers—about the mystery elves who made Christmas brighter and hearts lighter. Only a few sharp-eyed folks suspected the truth, but the Gray Wolf crew never let on.
After all, the best gifts, much like the best guardians, are the ones given quietly, with laughter and love, beneath the southern stars.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
After the chaos of families opening gifts, the entire Belle Fleur family gathered for their usual Christmas day meal. Filled with favorites for everyone, it was a time to slow down, laugh, truly have conversations and enjoy the company of those around them.
“We did good,” smirked Gaspar looking at Nine, Ghost, Ian, and Kane. “We did really good last night and I had more fun than I can possibly remember.”
“Same,” laughed Ghost. “I swear, that was seriously the most fun I’ve had in years and we’ve had a lot of fun together.”
“This was different,” said Nine. “Maybe because this year we owned the process. Under the direction of the Matthew, of course, but we had to make it happen. It made me appreciate what my parents did for me. The magic they created that I never understood.”
“I felt the same way,” said Ian. “All the Christmas mornings waking up to those wonderful smells and sounds. The gifts that I’m sure my mother spent hours shopping for and even more hours wrapping, that I just ripped through.”
The men all laughed, nodding as they looked around.
“We’ve done well,” said Gaspar. “We’ve done well by our families, by our brothers and by our country. We’ve earned this retirement.”
“Amen,” nodded Nine. He looked along the wall of the heated tent to see the senior wives together, laughing. “They’ve earned it. Although I suspect they’re scheming about matchmaking.”