Chapter 12
Dorian
On Christmas Eve, Nathan and Perdita held a birthday party for me in the event room of a local pub. For years, I had assumed that as soon as I was eighteen, I would be moved on to make room for new werewolves who needed help from the alpha. In hindsight, Perdita would never have allowed that to happen, so I wasn’t sure why I had been so convinced. Maybe a part of me had decided a long time ago that I wasn’t good enough to be kept. That voice had grown so small that I barely heard it anymore, and I intended to keep it that way.
That morning, my guardians woke me up with a pile of geeky gifts that made me weirdly emotional.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I protested. “You should be saving for the baby instead.”
“Yeah, right,” Nathan said. “We missed too many of your birthdays. We’re still catching up.”
“I made you your favourite breakfast,” Perdita told me. “Come down when you’re ready, okay?”
I hugged her. “Thank you. For everything.”
She patted my cheek, her gaze soft. “You’re technically an adult now, but you’ll always be our boy. No matter what happens or where you decide to spread your wings to, you’ll always have a home with me.”
A lump formed in my throat. Any pain or indignity I suffered in the past was worth it for the outcome. I had a family. I had a home. And soon we would be one more.
Nathan waited for her to leave before pulling me into a hug. I struggled at first, embarrassed for no good reason, before leaning into the hug.
“This is it.” His voice shook. Few things rattled him, so that got to me. “You’ve made it. And I’m so very proud of the man you’re turning into.”
“Stop,” I pleaded. “I can’t… I just can’t.”
He huffed out a laugh then pulled out of the hug to squeeze my shoulders and hold my gaze. “Be your own self, always. You’re so much smarter and wiser than you give yourself credit for. Trust yourself, and leave the world a better place than you found it. We’re so lucky I met you that day. You made me better when I thought I might sink. You and Perdita gave me so much to fight for. So thank you.”
I raised my chin to the ceiling, blinking back tears. “Stop acting like you’re about to drop dead, please.”
“It’s an important day,” he scolded. “I need you to remember how proud we are of you.”
I met his gaze then, letting a tear drop unheeded. “I remember. I will always remember. I’m not scared anymore, not of any of the things I used to be. No matter what happens with the pack, I’m going to be okay.”
He nodded as though reassured. “I know you will. Hurry up anyway. Breakfast is getting cold, and I’m starving.”
He left me to recover. They both took things so seriously sometimes, but I knew they meant well. They needed me to understand how they felt when I had misunderstood so often before. I took a minute to get myself together, checking my phone to see a cheery birthday message from Margo that had arrived shortly after midnight. Seeing her name pop up on my phone always made me smile.
After breakfast, the alpha arrived with Ryan and Amelia. They came with coffee, cakes, and even gifts.
“I didn’t expect anything,” I said, taken aback.
“You’re family,” Byron said firmly.
Amelia glanced at Ryan, looking sheepish. “And I needed a peace-offering.” She held out her hand to me. “Friends?”
I took her hand and shook it. “It’s all right.”
They stayed for a while, discussing the night’s plans. Amelia went over the top in her eagerness to do as much of the work as possible.
“It’s a pity my girls won’t be arriving until next year,” Ryan said. “A party would have been a nice welcome back to them.”
“It’ll be good to see Rachel and Meg again,” Perdita said. “Although I’ll feel like a garden gnome standing next to them both.”
Ryan smiled, looking satisfied. “I don’t blame you. I can’t wait to see them. Meg’s been doing great at college, and Rachel’s been working away. No guarantees, but if the trip goes well, they might want to spend the whole summer, maybe more.”
“Do you think they would stay for good?” Nathan asked.
He shrugged. “I’m trying not to pressure them. The pack can be a lot to deal with.”