Page 1 of Unwrapping Chase

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Is it truly Christmas?

I stared at the snow coming down at the perfectly programmed rate and the pine trees that were covered in the most wondrous layer of white, fluffy, cloud-like pillows, both lending a holiday air. Hells, there was even a sparkle in the snow that glimmered in the filtered sunlight. All made an utterly picturesque Western Christmas from ancient Terra.

It was all fake. One hundred percent fake, like space cheese.

My eyes flicked upward, but I couldn’t see the dome that covered the whole area, creating the biosphere that was this adults-only vacation paradise. I pushed up my plaid sleeves and grabbed the hulking tree the xok’zi couple had picked to decorate their cabin with. I grunted, attempting not to drop the candy cane I was sucking on, as I tried and failed to heft the tree onto the bright red sled.

I might be dressed like an ancient lumberjack, but I hardly possessed the physique of one, let alone the muscles required for hauling trees. I should have worked out more, but I was pathetically lazy. I shook my head to try to rid myself of the negative thoughts, but it didn’t really work. I missed the days I hadn’t had to work this hard, but I didn’t miss the person who was attached to those days.

The xok’zi couple, of course, had chosen the largest tree in the entire forest, but cutting and delivering Christmas trees was one of the many services we offered to our guests, depending on the package they’d chosen. No matter which package, all guests could buy a tree for a substantial fee.

With another deep grunt, I dragged the massive tree onto the back of a wooden sled that was hooked to an actual horse. A few ties later, the spruce tree was secured and ready for transport across the gently sloping terrain. I swung onto the beast, settling comfortably on the Western-style saddle, which came complete with a protruding pommel for roping cattle. Never mind the fact that therewereno cattle here, and that I hadn’t seen one since I was a child.

Learning to ride had been a struggle when I’d first come to Valojor—I’d thought it would be the horrid heat and the pink sky of the planet, but nope. It was horses. Of course, I didn’t interact with the actual planet outside the biosphere, as I would be burned to a crisp.

I hadn’t even wanted to come to Valojor when Jared, my older brother, had first invested in this franchise—Luxury Terran Domes: Christmas Edition™, a subset of the corporation Dome Adventures—but this had become my refuge when everything had gone sideways on Moxite and my world had come crumbling down around my ears.

Peaches, the sleek bay horse, plodded along, not even the slightest bit interested in moving faster than this sedate pace,and was seemingly unbothered by the sled. I was fine with that; speed wasn’t something I was comfortable with when it came to horseback riding. I wasn’t like some of my coworkers who enjoyed racing around the edge of the dome, where guests would never see.

Besides, the xok’zi couple had already returned to their log cabin. There was no reason to rush. I relaxed as much as I could on the horse, sucked on my peppermint candy cane, and tried to simply enjoy the nice weather. I wound through the woods, listening to the birds chirping and Peaches’ hooves breaking through the snow. A few bright red Northern Cardinals flitted through the pine trees, singing.

I had to say this for Dome Adventures: they heavily invested in authenticity. They had imported the birds from Terra, and they hadn’t stopped there. Reindeer, squirrels, rabbits, and other small wildlife filled the massive dome that covered acres and acres of pristine, terraformed land. Even the trees, holly bushes, and other flora were all from Terra, which wasn’t cheap. Humans who were born on Terra were ferally protective of the planet, and very rarely allowed any plants or animals off the surface.

When I reached one of the smaller log cabins that we offered for rent, I hopped off Peaches, and the gelding didn’t even react. I swore he was the calmest animal that I’d ever met, which made him the perfect horse for me due to my general terror of the creatures. It was unnatural to be so far off the ground. Of course, if I was being fair, I hadn’t met very many horses. Not a bad thing, in my opinion. I’d keep Peaches and forget about the rest.

I untied the tree, groaning and huffing as I pulled it off the sled and dragged it toward the generous porch, taking in the wooden swing with its fluffy plaid Sherpa blanket and white pillows that wished people “A Very Merry Christmas” in sparkly red words across the front. I cursed every step as my back twingedand threatened to snap, sweat soaking my plaid through my undershirt.

I knocked on the door, ignoring the fat Santa sitting beside the entry that began to dance and sing an ancient Terran song,O Christmas Tree. How perfectly timed.

One of the xok’zi opened the door, sending the over-decorated wreath swinging.

“Our tree,” she squealed, clapping her hands. Like most xok’zi, she was neon pink and covered in thick, shaggy hair that basically obscured her tiny face. I could still make out her shining blue eyes and her flat, feline nose.

Grunting, I dragged the tree in and ignored her excitement. It took forever to get the hulking thing in the metal stand while the couple squeaked and squealed in excitement. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and trimmed the bottom branches so the train that was in the vacation package they’d purchased could circle the base without impediment.

“If you need anything else,” I said, heading to the door and hoping to the gods they didn’t, “please don’t hesitate to call us at the B&B.”

They waved me off, not even glancing in my direction.

Being utterly ignored was one of the hardest things to get used to here, after the horses. The Luxury Terran Dome vacations weren’t cheap, and rich people sucked, most of the time. Most ignored me and the other staff, like we were nothing but another piece of furniture. Some, though, were kind, but that was the exception.

Even if they were utterly rude, I’d punch myself in the dick and smile like I was happy to wipe their rich asses with silk because Jared was incredibly lucky to have been able to buy into this franchise. It was going to set him up for life, which was more than I could say for myself. I was broke with a side of debt and debt for dessert.

I slipped outside and remounted Peaches, who didn’t even flick his black tail, then headed toward the B&B at the center of the dome. It was a classic farmhouse style with a wraparound porch and green roof. The two-story building looked like it had fallen out of an ancient Terran film. Some of our customers preferred to live the “bed and breakfast” style Christmas, and we offered it to them.

After I returned Peaches to his stall, leaving his care to Hank, the stable master, I headed in through the back entrance of the B&B, which led to the kitchen. Kicking off my work boots so I didn’t have Knokyu, the cook and housekeeper, shrieking and threatening death on me and any child I sired, I sat at the table and groaned.

Everything ached. It was hard work making Christmas for people, and I wasn’t the most physically fit. Why in the hells did people of all species come from all over the universe to experience the “perfect” Western Terran Christmas? It was odd, but then again, so were all of them. Christmas wasn’t even celebrated on Terra anymore, not that I thought it truly mattered to anyone.

Dome Adventures offered all sorts of holidays from many cultures. They took the most stereotypical version of it, packaged it in a dome, and then sold it to rich people. And it worked. Dome vacations were all the rage in Alliance space, though we did get customers from non-Alliance planets too.

“Chase,” a deep voice said from the door.

I looked over and saw my older brother. His rich brown hair fell over his forehead in soft waves and brushed his light blue eyes. We looked similar, with our pale, freckled skin, our wide faces, and strong noses and foreheads, but he was tall, muscular, and broad, whereas I was short, stocky, and soft. Also, Jared was ten years older than my twenty-six, and he often acted like my father.

“Yeah?” I replied, unable to keep my exhaustion out of my voice.