Chapter 9

MONDAY

"Happy birthday, Dylan!" The whole pack announced to me in one, booming voice. The sound echoed across the open fields.

My birthday wishes were followed by a round of cheering and applause. I could see my friend group in the front row, who were cheering overdramatically and leading the hype.

"Wooo!" Justin cheered. "Your future Alpha just turned 18, baby!"

"That's my friend!" Mikaela shouted.

"That guy up there stole my crayons when I was 5!" Riley announced. "Let's give a round to the crayon thief!"

"Thank you, everyone," I announced loudly into the microphone, and in an instant, everyone in the pack quieted down. "It means a lot to me that all of you showed up. I feel so honoured to be a part of such an amazing and supportive pack."

I gestured towards Liam, who stood shyly beside me. "I just wanted to announce that early this morning, as soon as I turned 18, I discovered that my best friend was also my mate. For those who don't know him, I'd like to introduce everyone to Liam Tully Marshall, my mate and the future Luna of Ivory Crescent."

Another round of applause went out at the news, and the Omega blushed from all the attention. Being in the spotlight in front of hundreds of werewolves was probably new to him, and I couldn't blame him for being nervous. Riley gave Liam a loud whistle, which earned himself some chuckles from the other guests.

"I pray the Moon Goddess watches over every single one of you, and that she'll protect the integrity of our pack," I continued. "Thanks again, and I hope you all enjoy the barbecue!"

Another round of cheers and howls from the crowd, before everyone dispersed and headed off to do their own thing.

All the werewolves hung out with each other, conversing and laughing as they chowed down on all the food. The kitchens did an excellent job preparing all the food, and they cooked everything to perfection. The decorations, which had been set up by my mom and her friends, really spiced up the venue.

I headed on over to the DJ, who had been diligently cracking out the top hits for hours.

"Hey, man, thanks for the amazing songs," I told him, giving him a bro handshake.

"No problem, birthday dude." DJ Rico flashed me a thumbs up. "How's the party?"

"It's going well. How's the DJing?"

"Also pretty good. I've gotten quite a few song requests." He skimmed the list of songs. "One of which is 'Tying Your Shoes' by Mr. Wolfy. I wonder who added that."

I could almost picture my mom laughing in the background as she requested all these childhood songs to the DJ.

"Oh, Dylan," she would tell me if she were here. "You used to love Mr. Wolfy! Especially the 'Brush Your Fur' song. I still remember you dancing to it after your bath time. You always insisted I play it."

Leave it to my mom to be overly nostalgic on my 18th birthday.

Overall, though, the barbecue was everything I had envisioned in my mind, and more. My mom really went above and beyond for this - spending countless hours having the venue meticulously decorated, making sure the food was prepared on time, and arranging for all the entertainment. I was eternally grateful for all her hard work. I owed her some flowers and family fun time once this was all over.

For the rest of the evening, I wandered around the pack, trying to personally thank each and every guest for coming. It was a long and tiring process, but I was happy to hear that most of my pack members were doing well.

"Debate club's doing good," Gisa said proudly. "We're headed off to the board debate."

"Congratulations," I told her honestly. "I'll know you'll do great."

"Oh, I know I will," Gisa grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder. I will argue my way to that first place certificate if it's the last thing I do."

"I don't doubt it for one second. Good luck."

"Thanks! And I'm happy for you and Liam. Gotta wish you two good luck."

A few moments later, I bumped into my friends, who were babbling excitedly and hoarding large quantities of candy from the candy bar.

"Happy birthday, man," Riley clapped my back. "How did you enjoy your Lunar Week?"

"Oh, it was good."

"What did you end up doing, anyway?" Justin frowned. "You never really spoke about it much."

"I just kept it simple, really. Did some fun activities around town and in Toronto."

"Fun activities?" Riley raised his eyebrows. "Let me guess...you went clubbing in Toronto? Went to those karaoke things? Got VIP tickets to a concert?"

"Nah, you don't need money to have a good time," I glanced over to where Liam was chatting it up with some of his family members. "You just need to be surrounded by the right people."

-

Before I knew it, the sun had set and people were preparing for the grand finale of the night - the fireworks show, which served as a final tribute to my (and technically the dead Queen's) birthday.

I decided to head back to the pavilion house for some fresh air, where I took a seat on an outside bench and relaxed for a few moments.

What a day. Even for someone with high stamina and endurance, I was exhausted after today's events. I couldn't wait until I could sink into a nice, warm bed, and wrap my soulmate in my arms as we descended into a relaxing slumber.

"Look at what I've got," Liam announced from the doorway from the house.

Speak of the vampire, I thought to myself. I turned around to greet him, noticing that he was lugging a giant box across the ground. He deposited the package right in front of my feet.

"Is that for me?" I asked, looking at the jumbo-sized, expertly-wrapped gift.

"No, it's for Queen Victoria."

I rolled my eyes at the sarcasm as I grabbed a hold of the shiny gift. I carefully peeled off the tape on the sides, wincing slightly when a small piece of paper tore.

"Open it!" Liam said eagerly.

"I feel bad about ripping the paper, it looks as if you put a lot of effort into this," I told Liam guiltily.

He sighed. "Dylan, it's wrapping paper. It's meant to be ripped, so don't worry about it."

I carefully unraveled the wrapping job anyway, so I could expose the large present that was underneath.

"How...how..." I was momentarily at a loss for words as I laid my eyes on the gift. "How did you know?"

I took a look at the travel kit Liam had assembled for me. He had gotten me a suitcase - not just any suitcase, but a high-quality, durable, and large Muskoka suitcase. On top of that, he also got me several other travel accessories, including a baseball cap, sunscreen bottle, and some earphones.

"How did you do all of this?"

"You don't think I have some tricks up my sleeve?" He laughed lightly before burying his face in my chest. "I've got what it takes to surprise people, too. Did I surprise you?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Maybe I'll beat you at your own surprising game."

"Not a chance."

I crushed him in my embrace, grateful for his thoughtfulness. "This is a nearly perfect gift, Liam. Thank you, thank you. I love it so much."

His face fell. "Nearly perfect?"

"Yes. And that's because you're my perfect gift. Nothing in this world can top having you by my side."

"You're the best mate in the world, Dylan," he said.

"You're even better," I said softly.

We both headed straight for the kiss, letting our passion consume us. The energy of the mate bond pulsed through our bodies with an electrifying twist. Everything in me screamed to claim him as my territory, to make him feel like the happiest little wolf in the world.

"Mine," I growled as soon as we pulled apart.

"Prove it," Liam teased me, and we went in for part two.

I could hear the fireworks begin going off in the background, but I didn't care. I was too preoccupied with the current sparks igniting between Liam and I.

"Dylan, you're missing your birthday fireworks, we're all - wait, he and Liam are making macaroni noises, they're occupied," I heard Justin say, and the voices quickly quieted down as my friends scurried off.

We deepened our kiss, feeling every inch of each other. His hands were all over my body, gripping my hair and exploring my arms. My hands aimed for the more mischievous places, causing him to jump a little bit.

"Let's wait until our mating ceremony," he gasped, leaning away from me and breaking apart our contact.

"I can't wait that long, Fluff," I pouted.

"Well, you're going to have to. The entire pack, our families included, are just on the other side of this house. And they all have super hearing."

"We can be extra quiet," I said innocently.

He shook his head, a faint smile dancing on his lips. "Mating ceremony."

I sighed. "Well, I waited 18 years for this moment, I suppose I can wait a little while longer. Although, I hate how long everything takes, you know?"

"Perhaps so. But was all your waiting worth it?"

I pulled him back to me, where he belonged.

"Yes. It was."