You really don’t have to listen to this song for this chapter, but I wrote most of this chapter while this played in the background and it suits one particular scene really well.

So, for those who like music while reading, it’s Wildest Dreams the Duomo Violin Cover.

——————

Damon’s P.O.V

“Fuck,” I bite out quietly as a gust of wind comes swirling around Blaze and me. Unlike Blaze, I didn’t have the luxury of hiding in my hoodie pouch for warmth so I had to face the early morning chills on my own.

I pat the fat lump he made in my lap, smiling a little at the loyal bastard who refused to leave my side.

Somehow, my restlessness had taken us from the living room couch at 12 am to the rooftop of the packhouse at – I take a quick glance at my watch – 4 a.m.

Blaze had tried his best to stay awake and keep me company, but somewhere around one, the poor guy knocked out.

It was almost ironic that a year ago, Blaze was the one who’d been with me during the early hours of my birthday and now, exactly a year later, he still was.

“Nineteen,” I breathe out into the early morning air.

How was I only nineteen?

It was insane that there was still a ‘teen’ in my age when I felt like I’d experience several different lifetimes within the last 365 days.

Most years, getting older didn’t offer anything but a higher number to give people when they asked how old you were. There was no significant change and it never felt any different. You were just older and that was that.

This year had been the complete opposite.

My entire life had done a one-eighty and I… I was a completely different person.

I could hardly recognise the person I was now to the one I used to be when I really thought about it.

A year ago, I’d left a pack that I thought was full of serpents who wanted to take away my birthright. I remembered how I’d spent the entire day crying under the covers of a bed that wasn’t mine, in a town I didn’t know, thinking that I’d lost everything and everyone I cared about.

Today, I knew that my pack wasn’t crawling with assholes who were out to get me. In fact, most people really just wanted the best for me and the pack as a whole. And my ‘birthright’… I still wanted to be alpha but it wasn’t the first thing on my mind anymore.

That was now Will, always Will.

My beautiful, amazing mate who made me feel like I was worth more than all the realms’ treasures combined whenever he rolled over in the morning and smiled at me.

He always smiled, even before he opened his eyes and looked at me, he was smiling.

Because of him, I was happy now, and I was back home, getting to know my pack while I spent time with my family, my mate, and friends I would’ve never thought I’d have.

I had none of the things I wanted a year ago, and yet, I had everything I could ever need to live.

Well, almost everything.

I sigh as I give Blaze another comforting pat that was more for me so I didn’t have to follow in my quickly rising self-pity. While I was sure I’d enjoy whatever Will and the family had planned for me today, I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I would if Levi was here.

I tried, for weeks I’d tried, and still, I hadn’t managed to just press that phone icon on my phone.

I didn’t tell him that I missed him and just wanted to see him, and now, because of my own cowardness, he wouldn’t be here today. Making this the second birthday I’d have to spend without him, and I had no one else to blame for that but myself…

But when I didn’t let myself think about that particular hole in my heart, I was excited for today. Excited and anxious because I couldn’t help being a little scared too.

It was the first time I expected to see more people than just my family friends and siblings. I actually had friends now, friends beyond Amelia who I really liked and while I tried not to let my expectations get too high, I at least expected to see them today.

At least, I hoped I would.

It’s going to be fine – Theo insists, always the voice of reason – stop worrying so much when everything is going to be fine. It’s your birthday!

Theo’s enthusiasm and the resounding cheers that follow get me smiling reluctantly – I know, I know. It’s just…

You’re nervous – Theo fills in – and you have no reason to be! Those nerves need to be squashed and disposed of for the rest of the day.

Alright, alright, I’ll try to get my shit together – I promise and he cheers again.

Good, because you know how I feel about birthdays – Theo says with a displeased shudder – I don’t want to be around more than I have to today.

Theo’s distaste for our birthday was something I knew I’d never understand, but he’d had a wonderful day with Will yesterday so he was undeniably more chipper than usual.

Call me if you need anything, but please just enjoy today – he presses hopefully.

I will – I promise just as the elevator dings in alarm.

I crane my head back as Theo fades away to see who else couldn’t sleep at this hour, but the scent of Wild Honeysuckle answers that question before the doors even open.

I’m already smiling when Will steps out, but it grows when I take notice of the thick blanket tightly wrapped around him and bedhead so wild I had to laugh.

Will’s head snaps my way with tired eyes that immediately widen when he spots me. Our bond warms like the sun was shining on it alone as Will beams at me and runs straight to me, the blanket trailing behind him like a cape.

“Happy Birthday!” He screams so loudly I was sure the entire pack heard it.

I get Blaze out of the way just before Will knocks the wind straight out my lungs with the death hug he gives me.

My heart pounds beneath my chest, struggling to cope with the abundance of love that comes pouring through our bond from my human. My human who shakes me like a fucking ragdoll while he held me in a vice grip I never wanted to escape.

“Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!” He says over and over, kissing my ear, head and cheeks as best as he can without letting me go. “Happy Birthday to my precious werewolf! I love you so much! Fuck! Happy Birthday, Damon!”

I laugh against him, hugging him back and thanking Goddess for the trillionth time for gifting me with a mate like mine last year and again this year.

Will would forever be my most treasured birthday gift.

Leaning back to focus his sparkling eyes on me, Will holds my face between his palms and caresses my cheeks with his thumbs. His bright smile turns gentle the longer he looks at me and his lips wobble just a little, “Happy Birthday baby.”

Will plants a kiss on me before I can get out a thank you but it quickly dies out from our laughter as we part with humoured grimaces at the undeniably grim morning breath coming from us both.

But that doesn’t stop us from drawing close for another.

Shifting to give him space, I prop myself on my side and settle Blaze behind my knees so he was at least protected from the wind. Will quickly snuggles in, spreading his blanket over the two of us as he curls into my chest, allowing me to wrap my arms around him and hold us close.

Will lifts the covers enough to check on Blaze before his head pops back up with a frown, “We won’t suffocate him, will we?”

I shake my head as I listen to Blaze’s soft snores, “He’s spent most of his life under piles of my clothes, he’ll be fine.”

Will hums a little before he nuzzles my neck and settles there, releasing warm puffs of air against my skin that had my heart skittering within my chest.

“Why did you wake up so early?” he asks while he passes a hand over my chest.

“I couldn’t sleep,”

He hums and peeks up at me, “bad dream or nerves?”

“Nerves,” I confess even though he already knew the answer.

“Well there’s no need to be nervous,” he whispers while he rubs my chest soothingly, “you’re going to have an amazing day, that’s a William Guarantee.”

“Ooo, a William Guarantee?” I tease with a chuckle.

“Yeah, and it would’ve started off amazingly already if you didn’t wake up before me and ruin my original plans.”

Smiling to myself, I pass my fingers through his hair and shiver with pleasure when he readily leans into my touch, “And what were these original plans?”

“Well,” Will starts on a yawn, “I was going to wake you up by singing Happy Birthday – very loudly. I have a birthday cupcake in the fridge and a candle in the fork draw just waiting to be stuck down the middle of it, so I’d have that lit in my hands.”

“That all sounds great so far, except for one tiny detail… you can’t really sing.”

“Because it’s your birthday, I’m going to let that one slide,” Will says with a pointed finger and narrowed eyes. I keep my mouth shut so he carries on, “You were supposed to blow it out and make a wish, and then I’d jump on you and kiss you a million times while I told you Happy Birthday,” he explains sleepily, “but it’s too early and I’m too tired to do that now.”

“To be fair, you kind of did half of that already and I loved it,” I offer as I kiss the top of his head. “But the cupcake is missed, so I am sorry for ruining your plans.”

“You should be, I was going to give you a Birthday Blowjob too… if you were up to it,” he adds before opening an eye to peek up at me again, “that was supposed to wake you up the right way.”

Both my brows jump up before I take a look around, “I mean…”

Sparks pass through us both when Will grazes his lips against mine, “it’s might still be on the table, but not here,” he whispers with a teasing grin, “you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Dropping my head to his shoulder, I whine gently into his neck, suddenly half-hard and aching while I’d been fine a minute ago.

Will only laughs like the evil human he was, clearly humoured when I felt like crying, “seriously though, once I’ve had a shower, I’ll be up and ready to give you the best birthday ever.”

“It’s already the best birthday ever,” I tell him which tugs a soft, questioning sound from him. “It’s my first one with you, so that automatically makes it a hundred times better than all the rest.”

In a second, small arms are wrapped around my neck again while soft lips lather my face with enough kisses to last a century, “Stop being so fucking amazing and sweet.”

“Sorry,” I say against his lips when he gives me one last kiss, “but it’s the truth.”

Holding my eyes with his, Will melts against me like butter, “How about you let me be the perfect one today?” He pouts just a little as if to beg, “it is your birthday after all.”

“True,” I acknowledge with a chuckle as I drop my head back and nod, “I’ll try not to outshine you with my greatness today, but it will be hard seeing as I’m so fucking am-”

I’m cut off by Will’s lips back on mine, effectively shutting me up in the best possible way.

Yeah, this was already the best birthday ever.

—–

When Will and I wake up hours later in our actual bed, I’m gracefully gifted with all the things that had been promised to me in the early hours.

An out of tune Happy Birthday song, a birthday cupcake with a single candle in it and my mate lathering me with enough kisses to last me for eternity. But best of all, I’m gifted with my birthday blowjob which was… fuck me.

Some of his finest work, truly. I think Will almost sent me into cardiac arrest.

“Alright, now that that’s sorted, we need to get you cleaned up and out of here,” Will says clapping his hands together as he slides off the bed, “it’s time for you to see exactly what we’ve got in store for you.”

I watch my mate with narrowed, curious eyes while he tugs me up by my arms, “We?”

“We,” Will confirms and I let myself drag on behind him while I try to work out what could possibly be happening.

I knew we’d probably see the family tonight, maybe hang out with our friends during the day, but it was only nine. There was no reason for anything to be ‘in store’ this early.

Still, I follow behind Will, always willing to do anything he asked and more than intrigued to see what this ‘we’ had planned.

I wasn’t sure what I expected to see at the bottom floor of the packhouse when the elevator doors parted, but it sure as hell wasn’t Mekhi and Amelia.

“Happy Birthday!” The pair say together though it was mostly carried by Amelia since Mekhi rarely raised his voice, for any reason.

“Thanks,” I say with an awkward chuckle before I glance at Will who was grinning up at me with barely contained excitement, “Should I be scared?”

“Maybe,” Amelia replies with a wicked grin as she steps forward and reveals the blindfold and headphones she had hidden behind her back.

That makes me frown and my suspicion spikes when Mekhi follows suit with a crooked smile and presents a golden birthday hat that had any lingering smile on my face flattening.

“I’m not wearing that,” I deadpan as he comes towards me with a sinister glow to his eyes.

“Oh, yes you are,”

I try to back but Will keeps me in place, letting Mekhi circle the string under my chin to snap the childish hat in place.

“Oh, now that’s perfect,” Will coos with a snort.

“Perfect,” Mekhi echoes devilishly.

(A/N – see what I did there, hehe)

“It’s almost like it was made for you,” Amelia says with fake awe as she hands Will the blindfold and headphones before digging in her pocket for her phone.

“Don’t,” I warn as she looks at me with mocking innocence.

“But I just have to record this,” she says with a pout, snapping a picture just before Will slipped the cloth over my eyes.

“That’s a good one,” I hear Mekhi whisper with a chuckle.

“Will,” I complain but all I get is a gentle kiss on my cheek.

“It will all be worth it,” he promises before helping the headphones over my head whilst being annoyingly careful not to send the party hat to the floor.

“You know I can still hear everything right?” I question as I look down at where I knew Will stood before me, “Werewolf babe.”

“Yeah, that’s just for effect,” he replies before whispering, “Mekhi.”

In the next second, the world around me goes mute, turning to an uncomfortable static that made me tense all over.

Without my hearing or sight, the hairs on my arms rose and Theo paced with alarm as we automatically prepared for an attack.

Relax – Will’s soothing voice comes through our link – I’m right here and I’m not leaving your side.

Small, smooth fingers slip between mine and Will tugs me forward, making me feel like Bambi on ice as I take a hesitant step forward.

I didn’t need to hear it to know in my soul that Amelia and Mekhi were laughing.

If I fall, I’ll never forgive you – I warn as I wrap an arm around him, finding it easier to use his whole body as a guide instead.

You won’t – he promises as he gets us walking a little faster.

And if Amelia spreads pictures of me like this, I’m not fucking you for a month.

We stop and nothing happens or comes from Will for far longer than I liked before we were on the move again and Will finally replied – she won’t.

If it was one thing Will would never risk, it was my dick in his ass.

That was lewd – Will points out but I could feel his skin heating under my palm.

I’ll show you lewd tonight – I promise with a squeeze to his arm.

The sharp scent of Will’s arousal spreads around us and I can’t help but smile to myself as I think of all the things I was going to do to him later.

Stop trying to make me hard! – Will whines and for once, I let my human be. I’d have my fun later – Damon!

Following Will’s directions, it’s not long before we’re out the packhouse and walking down the roads of the pack. In my head, I told myself I knew where I was, but in reality, I had no fucking clue.

I sniffed the air, hoping to pick up on some clue but Mekhi must’ve realised that I was doing that because soon that was taken from me too.

“What the fuck is going on?” I say growing stressed in a way that only worsened when I couldn’t hear my own voice.

We’re almost there – Will promises with a kiss on my hand.

I relax against him and bite my lip to stop myself from doing something stupid like actually clinging to him any more than I was already. I didn’t like being cut off from everything like this, it made me feel small.

But true to his word, it wasn’t that long before Will stopped us wherever we were. I couldn’t even guess how long we’d been walking because it felt like an eternity without anything to go by but Will’s hand on mine.

For all I knew, we were at the side of a fucking highway.

Okay, ready? – Will asks as he carefully peels my arms from around him and settles his fingers at the blindfold’s edges.

Please – I beg on a whine I would only let him hear.

Undoing the blinds, Will lets it slip off before he slides the headphones off in the same breath.

I blink as sunlight consumes the darkness, and Mekhi pulls his magic away.

“Happy Birthday Damon!”

My brain shuts down for a moment as everything comes crashing in all at once and my eyes dart from corner to corner, trying to take in the madness I’d been thrown into.

There were wolves all around me, cheering and screaming, clapping their hands together and jumping up and down for as far as my eyes could see. Wolves were everywhere and in the skies, witches rained, spreading balls of glowing black flames and releasing explosive bursts of confetti, like it was the fucking super bowl.

The whole pack was here. I couldn’t see them all, but the entire pack was surrounding me, screaming my name and saying Happy Birthday and… meaning it.

The pack bond was on fire with their joy and my heart threatened to melt through my ribs.

I clung to Will, needing something stable to hold onto while I tried to breathe as I looked at those closest to me.

There were those from my knife classes, beaming at me with true smiles, and then there was Colson and Quinn, standing next to Mekhi and Amelia who were all smiling at me like I was Goddess herself.

And in front of them all, was my family.

“Happy Birthday!” Pops says, rushing into me like a linebacker. Lifting me from the ground, he jumps around with me in his arms, “You’re one year older kid!”

I try to get down, not wanting to break his back but the old man was having a blast and from up here I could see it all.

There were gazebos set up all around with all sorts of food and games from the looks of things underneath, on another side, there was a massive platform with knives? Were those all knives? And was that a fighting pit?! A massive fucking fighting pit!

When Pops puts me down, I’m immediately tackled by Dad who squeezes me so tight I saw spots in my eyes.

“Happy Birthday Pup!” He cheers with a wobbly smile as he passes his hands over my face and kisses my forehead. “Happy Birthday.”

The twins get me next, along with Peter who was so excited he could barely get the word happy out. I hug them all, grinning over their backs at Will who looked close to tears as he smiled at me with enough happiness to contend the whole pack’s.

“I-I…I,” I stammer out over and over when I’m left standing on my own to look around at everyone who was here for me, here to celebrate me. “I can’t…” I laugh as I swipe at my eyes, “…speak apparently.”

My throat was horribly tight and my eyes were quickly growing blurry as the shock wore off to give way to all the wonderful emotions invading my heart.

“I-I don’t even know what to say,” I manage as I try to laugh and smile but only chocking out sobs instead. “I can’t believe you did this all for me.”

I’d expected a few balloons and a sign if I was lucky, not…

It was all so much, too much.

More than I ever expected and better than anything I could’ve ever imagined.

It was perfect because everyone was here. Well, almost everyone.

My chest tightened uncomfortably and my smile wavered a little. It would’ve been perfect if-

I stop breathing, and for a moment, everything stills.

My spine stiffens when the faintest hint of Jasmine brushes my nose.

No.

I turn in my spot, desperate to be proven right but it couldn’t be. He couldn’t really be here.

The wolves behind me begin to part and my heart makes a fatal attempt at trying to leap out of my chest when my eyes land on Levi.

Levi.

Levi was here.

He was actually here.

He steps forward with his hands rubbing nervously in front of him. Levi tries to offer me a smile but it shook and threatened to fall as his black eyes darted between my own, waiting and searching for some sort of sign that I didn’t want him here.

“I just wanted,” he starts on a shaky inhalation, his eyes falling to the floor before he drags them up again. “It’s your birthday and I didn’t want to miss it. I know we haven’t talked but I’ve missed you so much Damon, a-and it’s your birthday. But if you don’t want me here-.”

Levi’s rambles die on his tongue as I march towards him, the advance makes him stiffen in his place. He expected me to cast him out but I didn’t dare. I pull him into me and hug instead.

I cling to him, shoulders shaking as my tears escaped in full force and I hung on to the one thing I secretly wanted for my birthday.

“You came,” I repeat over and over like a broken, sad record that couldn’t seem to play right. “You came. Y-You came. I can’t believe you came.”

Levi remained still against me, not hugging me back and for a moment fear and dread wheels up inside of me. But then he wraps his arms around me and squeezes so tight all the fear seeped out of me.

And in that moment, I felt that last splintered piece of my heart pull itself back into place.

“Of course I came,” he sniffs, pulling back to offer me a brave smile before his eyes dart behind me, “well to be honest, I needed a little push.”

I follow his gaze and catch sight of Will who watched us with puffy red eyes while he hugged himself tightly as if to hold himself back from joining us.

William Evans was on a mission to own my heart, lock and key.

I look to Levi again and his smile threatens to break as he says, “Happy Birthday Damon.”

I hug him to me again, clinging to him like a lifeline I needed to breathe and in a way I did.

Somehow, I’d managed to go for months without seeing my big brother.

I hadn’t spoken to him, hadn’t seen his face, heard his voice, run with him or just laughed with him for so long and now… seeing him here…

“I don’t remember you being this fucking emotional,” Levi whispers hoarsely and my chest tightens at the memory.

“And I don’t remember you being this fucking ugly,” I whisper back on a rough sob.

Our bodies shake as our tears morph into broken laughter that made the painful ache of everything that had gone wrong, fade away.

Levi and I step back to face the rest of the family that was all snotty faced and shakey smiles as they looked between us.

“I’m sorry, I broke Damon,” Levi teases even as he wipes at his own tears.

“You broke me in the process, so thanks for that,” Will says, still managing sarcasm through his tears.

I smile at him, thinking of a million and one ways I could thank him for the rest of my life.

“Well, as much as I’d love to cry all day tomorrow and, today is about you,” Levi says wiping at his tears as he tries to shake us both out of the obscene wailing, “it’s your birthday! Let’s celebrate!”

Cheers and howls erupt all around us and the ground shakes beneath our feet as paws and feet stomp beneath us, celebrations taking place in every corner of the pack.

“Happy Birthday Damon!”

Now, it was truly the best birthday ever

——

Hours later, I’d still only scraped the surface of all Will and my parents had put together for my birthday.

Everyone had chipped in and done their part to make me the happiest werewolf in all the fucking realms.

And that was a fucking fact. I was happier than I’d ever been before.

I’d tackled the fighting pits first. I couldn’t remember the last time I fought with someone in my pack and a piece of me couldn’t believe I would when I stepped into the sparring space.

I thought Dad might be nervously watching on, waiting for me to fuck up or do something wrong, he’d been the one to ban me from fighting with the pack after all.

But then, I’d found out he was the one who set up the fighting pits today and my eyes had become blurry all over again.

It had been a whole lot of that – blurry eyes – as I was taken from thing to thing, given gifts, love and affection in abundance with my mate by my side.

And I didn’t try to hold it in. I didn’t try to pretend that every little thing my family and pack had done didn’t touch me deeply.

Because it did, it made all the pain go away.

After several, long overdue sparring matches where I was sure to hold back and just have fun, I was hauled to the knifing station that had rendered me breathless.

With the help of many, Colson had designed and commissioned hundreds of knives from one of my favourite blacksmiths and set them all up in a knife-throwing station for me.

I’d never hugged Colson, that wasn’t the type of relationship we had, but today, I almost snapped his neck when I did.

From there, the twins hijacked me to get some of the food they’d organised, down my throat. Hagen said he’d selected only the best for me and Josey confirmed that it was all edible, she’d triple checked.

And now, we were eating in a free patch of grass just as the rest of the family came over with their food. Peter came as close to me as he could manage and I smiled as I watched Levi sit down with Pops, Dad and… Jayson.

Apparently, Jayson was here…

“Behave,” Will whispers in the disguise of a kiss to my cheek.

I frown at him. I told Will very little about Jayson for a reason, so why the fuck was he acting like he knew he’d be here.

Dark eyes meet mine and I don’t look away as I stare at Levi’s mate.

Inside, I felt a familiar range of emotions brewing; the usual anger, hatred, contempt, but then I looked at Levi’s cautious face and it simmered a little.

I didn’t want Levi to feel uncomfortable when he’d just come back and he would if I said anything about the beast he called a mate.

Everyone had already gone quiet, watching us hesitantly and Will was doing that thing where he rubbed my arm and pressed love into our bond to calm me down.

Swallowing, I tear my eyes away from Jayson and look to Will, focusing instead on him as my anger slowly settled.

“I told you,” Hagen whispers to his best friend that was way too old for him, “Will’s like made out of elven magic or something, he’s powerful.”

I glare at Hagen, and he freezes in his place beside Jayson before he straightens up and refocuses on his chicken instead.

“Human-mate magic,” The old man says around a mouthful of hot potatoes.

“Here we go,” Will grumbles and Dad laughs.

“What’s human-mate magic?” I ask Will who looked just about ready to shot himself in the foot.

“You tell me, Damon,” he says looking up at me, “you tell me.”

Lost and confused, my eyes catch Levi’s but he only shrugs as he smiles a bit. I return it, feeling at ease now that the entire family was here and comfortable with each other, even if that did include Jayson.

“So, how do you feel being nineteen?” Josey asks with a raised brow, “is it everything you ever dreamed of?”

I chuckle as I sneak a glance at Will, “better.”

“Awww,” Hagen coos obnoxiously and Levi raises his hands in half a heart that Jayson completes.

I scowl at them all but they just laugh, rocking with it while Will snickered beside me.

“On a serious note though-”

I cut Pops off with a dry gasp, “You? Serious? I must be dead.”

“Funny,” he replies dryly, “but seriously-”

“Shit, there he goes again,” Jayson pokes and Pop’s eyes glow red while everyone laughs.

“Runt, I swear to Goddess,” he starts as he sucks in a deep breath. When no one interrupts again, he exhales, and drags his gaze back to me, “as I was saying-”

“Seriously,” Will inputs and we all erupt like a troop of monkeys that could be heard for miles, even Peter was having a hard time staying upright beside me.

Caught in a whirlpool of mocking laughter, Pops flat lips twist and turn while he stabs at the remaining meat on his plate.

“I was just going to ask if you were enjoying your birthday,” he grumbles like an upset child, “but shitbags will be shitbags.”

Dad sets his plate down to hug and console his mate even as he bit into his lip to stop himself from laughing anymore. How he stopped the shaking, I had no fucking clue.

“I am,” I answer when I’ve found my voice again.

I take a look around at our little circle. At Josey to my left who was grinning between Will and Dad, at Pops who looked like he would pout forever, at Levi and Jayson who were opposite me, and Hagen who was between Peter and his best friend.

I look around at my family and the pack that surrounded us, buzzing with laughter and joy as we all celebrated my birthday, and for the first time in my life, I felt like everything was exactly how it was meant to be.

“I am,” I repeat with a wider smile, “I am loving every second of it.”

Smiles are shared all around and as the family bond warms with all the soppy emotions, we fall into an easy conversation to catch up on all we missed over the months.

Levi’s pack was growing by the day as more news spread about the pack that took in rogues, runts and castaways. They were dealing with it well though, their pack’s size allowed for a tight unit so everyone pulled each other up.

It was nice, to hear Levi speak about something in his life with such passion. He hadn’t always, so to hear it now was nice.

It was even better to have Will ask him so many questions. Will was still learning about how packs worked and with Levi just starting, he was the perfect person to ask. But it was also nice to see Will and Levi get along.

I looked up to Levi, a lot, and having him like my mate meant a lot to me.

“Sorry to cut into the family time here,” Mekhi says as he approaches with a slight grimace, “but if I don’t give Damon his gift now, someone kid will ruin it and I don’t want to deal with that.”

“You got me a gift?” I question as I look up at the warlock who barely liked breathing.

Mekhi blinks at me and nods slowly as if the idea was crazy to him as well.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to everyone, getting up on my feet after giving Will a quick kiss.

Mekhi leads us away with one of his secret smiles that meant he was really excited but didn’t want to show it.

“Should I guess?” I question and his smile turns to a scowl.

“No,” he grumbles as we weave our way through the crowded fields.

My eyes find it before we reach it and my feet stop as I look up at the colourful strips of paper. Mekhi stops a little way ahead when he hears me laughing, turning, he notices me looking at what had to be the gift and he smiles.

“You are fucking sick,” I manage through my laughter as I wipe a hand over my mouth and stare at it, “no really Mekhi, you’re sick.”

“You’re worse for loving it,” he replies as he comes around me to push me forward.

Stopping in front of a tree, I stare up at the hanging piñatas that were pixilated, cartoon versions of Will’s mother and father.

“Mekhi,” I breathe out, half terrified and half thrilled.

Handing me a baseball bat that matched the one that appeared in his hand, Mekhi grins at me, “You pick this time.”

I snort and crashed into unfiltered laughter as I look between them, “I think Karen again.”

Chuckling to himself, Mekhi takes his place with Richard and stretches his arm. Apparently, we weren’t bothering with blindfolds and thank fuck for that because I was laughing too hard to try multitasking.

With grins stretched miles wide, Mekhi and I swing the bats into our piñatas, reliving some of our greatest memories in the sickest way I knew.

Was it wrong that this was suddenly one of my favourite parts of my birthday?

When the broken pieces of cardboard crash to the floor with nothing inside of it, I look to Mekhi, more disappointed than I really had any right to be.

“What?” He asks, his pierced brows coming together.

“Where’s the candy?” I question as I gesture to the broken bodies.

Mekhi frowns, “What candy?”

“The candy inside of a piñata, Mekhi,” I explain with narrowed eyes, “did you not know that there’s usually candy inside?”

“No,” Mekhi mumbles as he looks down at the broken, empty boxes before he chuckles, “the last one didn’t have candy.”

I shouldn’t have laughed as hard as I did.

“We’re going to burn forever,” I whisper.

“Without a doubt,”

——-

“So, not Jayson, why does my mate hate you so much?” I hear Will ask as I make my way back to the family huddle.

“Well not Aiden, I’m not as amazing and perfect as you might think I am,” Jayson says with a feigned misery that sounded a little too real.

“That’s impossible,” Will’s dramatics were out to play so that meant that he liked him.

Fuck. That wasn’t ideal.

“I know, I know,” Jayson says with raised arms that he settles around Levi as he drapes himself over him. “But before this wonderful man found me,” he gives Levi a kiss and I struggle not to gag, “I wasn’t… myself, and I did some horrible things over the years.”

“Things that have long been forgiven,” Dad makes sure to point out.

“Your shitbag mate just has a hard time forgiving them,” Pops adds from his place in Dad’s arms, “which makes sense cause this runt is fucking annoying.”

“True and true,” I confirm as I stop behind Will.

The others had surely heard me coming but Will jumped a little in his place before he tossed his head back to look at me.

Dark brown strands that were starting to grow out fell back to clearly show his bright blue eyes that drew me down to my knees to wrap my arms around him and kiss the back of his neck tenderly.

Will tried to fight it, he wasn’t a fan of being too affectionate in front of my family, but I just needed to have some part of him, even if it was just a fleeting kiss to his skin.

“And I don’t hate Jayson,” I start to say but I could hear the lie on my own tongue before Hagen made a challenging whale noise. “Okay, I do hate him, but not at much as before. It’s going down, I guess.”

It was the best I could do and that was the honest truth.

“Really?” Levi and Jayson ask together, their disbelief obvious.

I sigh as I settle myself properly before I haul Will into my lap, ignoring his protests, “I don’t want anything to force us apart anymore after all that happened this year, and that’s exactly what I’ll do if I keep making Levi feel like he can’t come here without his mate. So,” I sigh again, hating myself for even letting out the words, “I’m willing… to work on it.”

Everyone stares at me, silent and shellshocked, but then Hagen made that whale call again.

“I’m dead,” he declares seriously, “Damon’s being mature, so I’m dead.”

“Here’s to hoping,” I grumble tiredly.

Hagen’s nonsense breaks everyone out of their surprise but Levi and Jayson stare at me, mouths parted and eyes so wide they looked a little creepy.

Then Levi’s eyes focus on Will who was smiling proudly at me and he huffs, “Human-mate magic, I get it now.”

“Told ya,” Pops says, raising his chicken wing in a mock toast that Hagen mistakes for an offered piece.

When the old man bites into the wing, Hagen sinks back into his place with sad eyes.

“Well that’s…” Levi falters as he looks at Jayson who was doing a weird nod-circle thing with his head, “we really appreciate that Damon,” he says with his lips picking up into a smile. “Ireally appreciate that.”

I nod, not trusting myself not to say something completely dickish to ruin the moment.

I didn’t know if it was maturity or if I just missed Levi enough to do anything, but when I looked around at my family, the only person who was holding onto what happened to Dad was me.

Dad, who’d been the one to be attacked, had forgiven Jayson,

Hagen adored him like he hung the fucking Moon,

Josey was close to him too now,

Pops loved him in his own weird way,

and Peter got excited every time he heard his name.

Peter! If Peter, who’d been in Dad’s womb when it all happened, could forgive Jayson and move on, then I could too.

Shit, maybe Human-Mate magic was real.

I would’ve never even considered talking with Jayson before Will and now he was sitting across from me and I hadn’t said one bad thing to his face yet.

The conversation continues to circle around us and I rest my chin on Will’s shoulder, looking up at his strangely pale face.

It was only then that I noticed how he’d tensed in my arms and was as rigid as a pole against me.

“Will?” I question with budding worry.

Will turns his head to me but it takes a few seconds for his eyes to follow. He looked lost, confused like he’d left this world ten years ago and just returned.

“Will?” I say again, pressing a hand to his cheek, “what’s wrong?”

He shakes his head a little but the lost look doesn’t leave his face as he opens his mouth, “you… in your head, your thoughts.”

“Yeah, we share thoughts,” I confirm slowly, “it’s one of the things you loved about the bond. It ‘evens the playing field’ if I remember correctly.”

“Yeah, no,” he mumbles as his forehead begins to crease into a frown, “just now, you were thinking about the Jayson stuff and you said… Peter.”

I try and track down my thoughts but they were long gone, fleeting as all thoughts were.

“You said Peter was in your Dad’s womb, Damon,” Will whispers very slowly and very quietly, but the conversation around us had already dipped as everyone focused their eyes back on us.

But Will’s eyes were solely on me as he awaited an explanation.

An explanation to something I quickly realised I’d never told him.

Theo – I call hesitantly, being sure to keep my face neutral while my systems began to malfunction.

What did you do? – He asks instantly as he comes forward with reluctance. Oh Goddess Damon, what did you do?! Why is Will looking at us like that?

Do you remember that one time, I forgot to tell Will that you existed and that I had a wolf inside of me?

Yeah…

“Damon,” Will whispers shakily, his voice sounding a little panicked.

I think I did that again – I say quickly as I reflexively tighten my arms around Will to keep him from bolting – well, to be fair, we both did. This was a partnered fuck up.

“Damon,” Will presses, his eyes wide with alarm.

Shit.

“Is everything okay?” Dad asks, his worry not making things any better as Will looked at him and then to his stomach and then up to his face again.

“Tell me you’re drunk and thinking crazy Damon,” Will begs, his voice cracking again as he shakes his head adamantly, “Damon, please tell me that you’re drunk! Please!”

“I’m drunk,” Will glares at me and I try not to die on the spot. “I’m not, that was a lie, a bad lie.”

“Damon?” Pops asks this time and with all the eyes on me, I panic.

I panic and it just comes out.

“I forgot to tell Will we could get pregnant,” I rush out like my ass was on fire and Will’s breathes immediately pick up in desperate gasps for air.

“Oh my fucking God!” He screams, eyes wide and horrified.

“Damon!” Everyone groans like I was a fucking skin infection.

“What? Shit! I forgot!” I shout back, trying to defend my case while Will hyperventilated. “Will, hey baby, its not as crazy as it sounds.”

“Preg-” Will wheezes, the alarm not wheening.

Shit! Shit! Shit! – Theo curses like he’d suddenly bene possessed by a sailor.

“Damon, are you fucking insane?” Hagen asks, his food for once in his life, completely forgotten.

“I forget sometimes he’s human and doesn’t know shit!” I shout back, “Its harder than it looks and I forget! Sue me!”

“How did you forget the pregnancy part?!” Dad yells, his eyes on Will and full of fear.

“That’s like a pretty major part Damon!” Josey adds unhelpfully.

“I know!” I shout back as I try to get Will’s drifting gaze to focus on me, “Will, just breathe.”

“What if you got him pregnant?!” Someone decides to ask which was the thing that made Will’s eyes widen to saucers before they rolled into his skull and he passed out in my arms.

Shit…

———————-

This might be the best/worst cliffhanger I’ve ever done!!!!

Thoughts??????????

I know you guys have been waiting a longgggg time for Will to find out about the male pregnancies and I knew how I wanted to do it. So despite all your messages and comments, I’ve waited very quietly to get to this moment, I hope you guys loved it.

This chapter had soooo much going on and it’s the 3rd version, but I’m really happy with the final project.

Despite Levi coming back and all the sweet moments, my favourite part was the fucking piñatas. I screamed writing that lmfaooooo.

What was your favourite part?

I’ve got to get the Patreon extras done before I can think of updating Delicate again so you guys are just going to have to bare with this cliffhanger – sorry not sorry – I’m actually cackling imagining the frustration.

I’ve got 2 more weeks of my internship and then some NEWS!!!!

Until next time,
Byeeeeeeee Humanssssssssssss