Meadow Falls - Book One

Pack Party

“Wait a second. You’re saying that the pack is organizing a birthday party for us?” I ask Gwen. Celine, Wally, Antoine, Emma, Rick and Cassie left the house hours ago. Gwen, Nate and I are the only ones at home.

“Yes! Now go and change. We have a bigger cake and you can open your presents in the pack house! Nate and I are also going to announce our pregnancy,” she says excitedly.

“Did you see the pack doctor yet?” I look at Gwen’s stomach, surprised to already see a small bump.

I smile at the thought Victoria is in there.

“Yeah. Yesterday. She told me that it’s a girl! Can you believe it? Nate and I are still discussing names. It’s either Jamie or Victoria.”

I smile and pat her belly. “I like the name Victoria.”

Gwen grins so widely that I bet her cheeks would be hurting. “Tell me something, Mel.”

“I don’t have the answers to all questions but I’ll try my best,” I warn.

“I’m sure you can answer this: Is everything alright? Nate has been acting weird since two days ago. So are you and Grace. I know it has something to do with the hunter business and it’s troubling Nate a lot. Can you tell me what’s going on, Mel? Nat refuses to tell me.”

I stare into her brown eyes to see tears falling. She looks emotionally exhausted.

“I’m sorry, Gwen. I can’t tell you. It’s Nate’s choice whether or not to tell you since you’re his mate,” I explain.

“This is concerning life or death, right?” she asks.

I stay silent.

“Answer me, Melanie!” she snarls at me. Her brown eyes turning black, indicating that her inner wolf spirit is taking over.

What if I tell her everything?

“Yes! This is concerning life or death! This is why Nate didn’t want to tell you! He’s loves you and your daughter too much that he won’t let harm will come to your and your daughter’s way!” I say coldly.

Gwen’s mouth hangs open in shock. She rarely sees me this angry before.

“What are you guys doing here? We have to leave for the pack house now – Is everything alright?” Nate looks from me to Gwen.

“Yes,” I say in relief. Thank goodness for Nate’s timing. “We should head now.”

Gwen stares at me, trying to figure me out. “Yes, we should.”

Nate smiles happily at us and leads us towards the door.

"Uh, Mel? Where is the Ferarri?" Nate asks, staring at the empty driveway.

I blush, remembering that I lent my car to Grace. I still wonder what is she up to...

"We should call a cab," I suggest.

Luckily for us, cabs are easily to catch in Meadow Falls although the fees are more expensive than usual. Outside of the house, there’s the whole pack, including Beta Goldsmith, Alpha Green, Emma and Antoine.

“Happy birthday!” Alpha Green tells me, giving me a fatherly hug.

I stiffen. I have never had a father figure for too long that I’m not used to simple gestures, except from Nate.

I am like a pillow tonight, being hugged by almost everyone and they wish me ‘Happy birthday’. I look over at Nate to see that he’s worse that me. All the old ladies gush and pinch his cheeks like a little kid. Poor Nate.

“Cake time!” Gwen’s mother, Beta Goldsmith announces. I chuckle at how similar Gwen and her mum sounds.

When Nate and I awkwardly stand in front of a huge cake with our names on it, the whole pack starts to sing the Happy Birthday song. I blush hard unwillingly. I have never had this large number of people singing Happy Birthday for me.

“Blow the candles!” Emma yells, causing many to laugh.

“You blow,” I tell Nate.

“No, you blow.”

“I’m not going to blow.”

“For the love of the Moon Goddess, blow the candles already!” Gwen snaps, glaring at the both of us.

Nate and I chuckle and blow the candles together, making the pack clap in applause.

“Present time!” Beta Goldsmith says. “The twins should give each other their presents first.”

I grin at Nate, who grins back.

“Happy birthday, bro,” I say, handing him a small package that fits my palm.

“Happy birthday, sis.” He gives me a small package too, just a little larger and longer than his present.

I wait for him to open his present first. A belly laugh is just about to come out when I manage to control myself.

Nate’s face is priceless and he starts to scream loudly and high-pitch like a girl. That’s when I can’t help and laugh out loud until I fall on the floor.

“Spider!” Nate shrieks. Nate throws the package into the air and a plastic toy spider flies out, hitting Antoine in the face. Antoine starts screaming almost as girly as Nate when the spider is smacked into his face.

“Take it off me! Take it off me!” Antoine screams, running in circles.

Emma tries very hard not to laugh and help her mate remove the spider.

You should have seen Antoine’s face when he realizes that it is a toy. He blushes so hard that his pack mates laugh at how unnaturally red his face is.

“That is my present?” Nate asks, picking up the spider with two fingers as if it has germs on it.

“No,” I say. “I just want to see how your reaction is. Here is your present!”

Nate glares at me but accept the present. He opens it to see a watch with a small picture of a violin. This is the only present that I can think of. After all, Nate loves his violin.

“Thank you,” he tells me, giving me a hug. “Although the spider is unnecessary.”

“Totally worth it though,” I say with a smile.

He rolls his eyes. “Your turn to open your present.”

“Are you sure you don’t have any toy lizard or shit in it?” I ask, glaring at Nate.

He shrugs. “Just open the damn present.”

I tear open my present to see a harmonica.

“I thought that you would like to learn how to play a simple instrument,” Nate says.

I sniff. How thoughtful of him. Maybe the reason why he bought me the harmonica is so I wouldn’t mess around with his violin.

Well, I don’t have time to mess with his violin or learn to play the harmonica anymore anyway. One more day.

“Thanks, bro,” I say. I will cherish this harmonica no matter what. This is my last present from Nate.

“Now open my present!” Gwen requests, shoving two presents to Nate and I. We chuckle together at how eager she is to see what she got us.

This is the best birthday ever.

Author's Note

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-M.