Christmas with my Off-Limits Alpha (Feuding Hearts Christmas)

17. Ava Mooney

Ava Mooney

Chapter Seventeen

I push open the heavy wooden door to Dad’s office. The scent of coffee and worn leather wraps around me. The walls haven’t changed, just more crowded, lined with his achievements, each frame and badge a testament to his dedication to law and order. To protecting everyone but me from what I am.

My fingers brush against the fox tattoo on my wrist. It tingles, a reminder of the power flowing through my veins. Power he’s never wanted to acknowledge.

“Sit down, Ava.” Dad doesn’t look up from his paperwork, his pen scratching across the incident report. “I need your statement about the race and the landslide.”

“I’m not here to file a report.” I remain standing, planting my feet firmly on the worn carpet. “We need to talk about what happened. About what I did.”

He sets down his pen, his weathered face tightening. “What you did was reckless. Getting involved in that race…”

“I saved lives.” The words burst out sharp and clear. “My abilities…” my voice waivers. I straighten my back and look him directly in the eyes—he has to hear me.

“My Kitsuné heritage—that’s what lets me sense danger and act. They would have died, crushed and suffocated beneath tons of dirt and stone debris. My ability to use my kitsuné powers saved us.”

“Your mother’s... gifts... they didn’t save her.” His eyes fix on the photo behind me—Mom’s memorial service. “They made her a target.”

“I’m not Mom.” The fox spirit inside me stirs, lending steel to my spine. “And pretending I’m only human won’t keep me safe. It’s time you understand and accept the truth of who and what I am.”

His chair creaks as he leans back, studying me with those cop eyes that see everything except what’s right in front of him. The same eyes that look away whenever mine flash gold with emotion.

“You want my statement?” I step up and drop a clipped sheath of papers in front of him, then press my palms flat on his desk, leaning forward. “There it is. I’ve written it out for you, but let me give you the cliff notes. I’m a Kitsuné. It’s not a curse or a weakness—it’s my strength. And I’m done hiding it.”

The coffee in his mug ripples as my energy fills the room. Not a threat, but a declaration. I am my mother’s daughter in every way that matters. And it’s time he faced that truth.

Dad pushes my incident report aside, his jaw tight. “This isn’t about your... abilities, Ava. You put yourself in danger racing those bikes. That’s what matters here.”

“No.” I slap my hands on his desk, the fox tattoo on my wrist glowing faintly. “You don’t get to brush this off. The abilities you can’t even name? They let me sense the landslide before it happened. They saved lives.”

“And what if someone had seen you using them?” His fingers drum against the polished wood. “What then?”

“Maybe it’s time they did.” The words come out sharp, crystallizing years of hiding, of pretending. “I’m tired of denying who I am—who Mom was.”

His face pales, the familiar mask of authority cracking. “Your mother…”

“Was like me. A Kitsuné.” I straighten up, claiming the word, claiming my heritage. “These powers aren’t a curse, Dad. They’re a gift. Her gift to me.”

He rises from his chair, turning toward the window. Beyond the glass, Snowy Pines spreads out below us, peaceful and oblivious. “A gift that got her killed.”

“No, Daddy. Fear and secrets got her killed.” I move around the desk, closing the distance between us. “I won’t live like that anymore. I won’t pretend to be what I’m not just because you’re afraid.”

His shoulders tense, the lines around his eyes deepening. I stand beside him at the window, waiting. The silence stretches between us, heavy with unspoken words and buried truths.

“You can’t protect me by making me hide who I am.” My voice softens, but holds firm. “I’m not asking for permission anymore. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. I want your blessing, but it’s happening with or without.”

My fingers trace the edge of my tattoo, drawing strength from the connection to my heritage. “Dad, let me show you something. Something of Mom.”

His shoulders tense, but he doesn’t turn away. The opening I need.

“I can share her with you. The way she was.” My voice comes out barely above a whisper. “The way I remember her.”

I close my eyes, drawing on the Kitsuné power that flows through my veins—Mom’s gift to me. The air shifts as I weave light and memory together, crafting an image that makes my chest ache.

The window we stand before disappears, replace by her, bathed in morning sunlight streaming through our kitchen window. Her auburn hair, so like mine, catches the light as she moves, humming a tune she loved. The scent of gardenias fills the room, her signature fragrance mixing with fresh-baked cookies.

Dad’s breath catches. His hand reaches out, trembling, before dropping back to his side.

“She used to dance while she baked,” I murmur, strengthening the illusion. “Remember? Even when nothing was playing except the music in her head.”

The image of Mom twirls, flour dusting her apron, the bright laugh I miss so much rings through the air. My eyes burn as I maintain the connection with the past, pouring my heart into every detail: the sparkle in her amber eyes, the way her nose crinkled when she smiled, the energy surrounding her and spilling over to everyone she touched.

“Elara.” Dad’s voice cracks on her name. He takes a half-step forward, his stern mask crumbling as he watches her dance in their home.

The fox spirit inside me purrs with satisfaction, recognizing the truth in this moment. This is what Mom’s power was meant for—not for illusions and tricks, but for sharing joy, preserving love.

“This is who the Kitsuné are, Dad. What we can do.” I let a hint of gold seep into my eyes, embracing rather than hiding it. “Mom’s gift wasn’t a curse. And neither is mine. We help people of all species be better than who they think they can be.”

The scent of gardenias blooms as Mom’s image pauses in her dance, the gentle smile I remember well gracing her features. Dad stares, transfixed, his weathered face softening in a way I haven’t seen since we lost her.

Dad stares at Mom’s image for a long moment, his shoulders dropping as the stern mask he wears cracks apart. The illusion shimmers between us, a bridge across years of silence.

“Your mother talked about balance.” His voice comes out rough. “How our town needed both the ordinary and the extraordinary to thrive.”

The image shifts, showing Mom in her garden, fox-fire dancing around her fingers as she tends her herbs. I remember this day and am grateful I can share it with my father.

“She believed her powers were a gift.” Dad’s hand reaches for mine, calloused human fingers wrapping around delicate Kitsuné. “I was too afraid to see that. Too afraid of losing you the way I lost her.”

My throat tightens. “I’m not going anywhere, Dad.”

“I know that now.” His grip strengthens, anchoring me. “Watching you use your abilities today, hearing from Diggs and Liam how you used Kitsuné power to save them and you, seeing how you’ve grown into the power your mother said you would find... Ava, you’re so much like her. And that terrifies me.”

The fox spirit inside me purrs at his words, recognizing the truth where there was once only fear.

“But she was right about balance.” Dad’s eyes meet mine, clear and present. “This town needs both sides of who you are. And it’s time I stopped being selfish and stop fighting the truth.”

My vision blurs as the walls between us, built of grief and silence and fear, crumble as the memory vision fades away.

“I can’t promise I won’t worry.” His thumb brushes over my knuckles. “But I can promise to support you. To help you understand these gifts, instead of asking you to hide them.”

The illusion of Mom is gone, but a stronger reality takes its place. Love and understanding blooms between father and daughter, as natural as spring after winter.

“Thank you, Daddy.” The words come out barely above a whisper. Looking at him now, I see what this journey has cost him too—every moment of fear, every instinct to protect warring with the need to let go.

Dad squeezes my hand one more time before releasing it. “Your mother would be proud of who you’ve become. And so am I.”

I step out of Dad’s office into the bright hallway and beyond onto the holiday decorated sidewalk, my mind still processing our conversation. A familiar voice cuts through my thoughts.

“There you are!” Kat leans against the wall, her pixie-cut black hair catching the fluorescent light. “I thought you’d never come out. I’m here to pick up the pieces after giving your report to the Sheriff and to kidnap you for lunch.”

I laugh and connect my arm with hers. “No pieces to pick up. But lunch sounds great. Let’s go. I have tons to tell you.”

The diner buzzes with the lunch rush crowd, plates clinking and conversations mixing into white noise as we slide into our usual booth. The vinyl seat squeaks under me. It’s our favorite because it’s an oval.

We used to come here after school and do homework together, shoulder to shoulder. Now, we sat an adult distance apart along the booth’s half-moon bench, but still connected in the way lifelong best friends are.

“So.” Kat stirs her coffee, the spoon clinking against the ceramic. “We haven’t really talked since... you know. The garage.”

The memory of Diggs and his men cornering us flashes through my mind. The fear in Kat’s eyes when Benny shifted, revealing his wolf nature to protect us.

“How are you dealing with it?” I lean forward, studying her face. “Finding out about Benny, about all of this?”

Kat’s fingers trace the rim of her mug. “It’s a lot. I mean, he told me about being a wolf shifter when we knew it was serious between us, so that part was not a surprise, but actually seeing it...” She takes a shaky breath. “I love him. That hasn’t changed. But it still feels like I’m only getting half of who he is.”

“Because he has to hide part of himself?” I ask gently. I know exactly how that feels, the weight of keeping such a huge secret, of having to conceal your true nature from the world. My fingers absently trace the fox tattoo on my wrist, the mark of my Kitsuné heritage that so few understand.

“Kat, there’s something I need to tell you.” My tattoo pulses in response to my intention, and I am certain this is the right move.

“I understand what Benny’s going through because...” I look into the face of my beautiful best friend since kindergarten, who I’ve lied to everyday. She wears a warm, expectant look and I hope, I pray, it does not change to horror in a few moments. Taking a deep breath, I force myself not to lower my eyes and I continue.

“Because I’m like him. Not a wolf, but a Kitsuné, a fox spirit. I sense things others can’t. And it’s why I know things I shouldn’t.” My voice grows quieter. “Dad wanted me to keep it hidden, to stay safe. But seeing you accept Benny for who he is... I want to stop hiding, too.”

The silence that follows stretches for an eternity. I watch Kat’s face, searching for any hint of fear or rejection, but what I see is a deepening understanding in her eyes.

She reaches across the space between us and takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “Oh, Ava,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “All these years, you’ve had to carry this alone?”

The acceptance in her tone makes my chest tight. She scoots across the curved bench and pulls me into a fierce hug. And just like that, years of tension melt away. “It must have been so hard,” she murmurs against my hair. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”

And magically, tears turn to laughter as we pull apart and begin talking at the same time.

“Did you ever suspect…?” “So many little things make sense now…”

I should have been brave enough to tell her a long time ago. If there’s any person who would accept me no matter what, it’s Kat.

“Wow.” She meets my eyes. “My mind’s still blown. My man and my best friend, both supernatural beings. Huh! Who knew?” She frowns slightly and turns to face me, a serious look in her eyes. “How do you do it? Living between two worlds?”

Her question hits close to home, especially after my conversation with Dad. It echoes in my mind as I remember asking Liam the same question. “By not choosing between them. They’re both part of who I am—just like Benny’s wolf is part of him.”

“But what if I can’t be part of his world? What if I’m not enough?”

“Being human doesn’t make you less.” My fox spirit stirs, responding to the conviction in my voice. “Love isn’t about being the same. It’s about accepting each other completely.”

Kat’s green eyes shine. “When did you get so wise?”

I think about Dad, about finally showing him Mom’s memory. About acceptance and understanding blooming where fear once lived. The words coming out of my mouth are feelings I’ve been too afraid to face.

“Let’s make a pact. Let’s both stop letting fear hold us back.” My fingers brush my fox tattoo. “Whether it’s fear of the supernatural or fear of being vulnerable.”

Kat tilts her head, a knowing smile playing at her lips. “Are we still talking about me and Benny?”

Heat rises to my cheeks as Liam’s face flashes through my mind. My advice rings in my ears—about acceptance, about not letting fear dictate our choices.

“Not entirely, no.” I smile. “I think lunch is over. Come on. There’s a man I need to find.”

I find Liam at the Shadow Claw garage, his sleeves rolled up as he works on his bike. The late afternoon sun catches the snow outside, casting prism patterns across his concentrated features.

“Hey.” My voice comes out softer than intended. “Got a minute?”

He straightens, wiping his hands on a rag. “For you? Always.”

I lead him outside, away from curious ears, into the pristine blanket of snow coating the back lot. The fox spirit inside me dances with anticipation, lending me courage.

“I had lunch with Kat and been thinking about something she said about not letting fear hold us back.” My fingers trace the fox tattoo on my wrist. “I’m done being afraid, Liam.”

His blue eyes lock onto mine, intense and searching. “Afraid of what?”

“This. Us.” I step closer, breathing in his scent of leather and motor oil. “Most of my life, I’ve hidden who I am, what I feel. Today I showed Dad the truth about my powers, about Mom. And it made me realize… I don’t want to hide anymore. Not from him, not from you.”

Liam’s hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing my skin. “You never had to hide from me, Ava.”

“I know. But I was scared. Of being vulnerable.” My fox spirit purrs as I lean into his touch. “I’m not scared anymore.”

The space between us disappears as Liam pulls me close. His lips find mine, gentle at first, then deepening with hunger. My fingers tangle in his hair as the kiss ignites something wild and bright inside me. The snow crunches beneath our feet as he backs me against the garage wall, his body pressing into mine.

I break away just enough to meet his gaze. “I want all of you, Liam. The alpha, the protector, the man who thinks he has to carry everything alone.” My hand rests over his heart. “Let me in.”

His forehead touches mine. “I already have.”

The fox spirit inside me unfurls with joy as our lips meet again, snow falling softly around us. For the first time, I feel completely, utterly free—no more walls, no more hiding. Just this moment, this man, and the promise of everything we could be together.