Finding His Mate (His Mate Book 1)

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.