It was almost six by the time we finished decorating.
Streamers hung across the living room ceiling in uneven lines, courtesy of me and a step ladder that probably wasn't rated for my weight. Balloons were taped to the walls, clustered around the doorway, and a crooked "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH" banner stretched across the far wall. One side dipped slightly lower than the other, but I decided it added character.
It was meant to be a small party. Just family and a few close friends.
Billy was already here, parked comfortably in his wheelchair near the fireplace, watching the chaos with quiet amusement. Charlie stood nearby with a soda in hand, looking faintly overwhelmed but polite as always. Bella hovered beside him, hands folded loosely in front of her, smiling softly at the decorations like she found the whole thing endearing.
The house smelled like frosting and pizza. Sue had outdone herself, there were trays lined up on the kitchen counter, bowls of chips, homemade dips, and the cake waiting patiently on the table, still hidden beneath its box like a secret weapon.
Jacob, Quill, and Embry had been tasked with the most important mission: keep Seth distracted.
Which, in theory, should've been easy.
In practice?
I could've sworn I saw a pair of very familiar eyes peeking through the side window about fifteen minutes ago.
Leah noticed it too.
Her eyes had narrowed dangerously. "He's snooping."
I chuckled and gently caught her wrist before she could storm outside. "Let him be. It's his birthday."
She gave me a look that clearly said she disagreed but allowed herself to relax.
If Seth had figured something out, he was pretending otherwise. And honestly? That was half the entertainment.
"Mike, can you place those balloons a bit higher?" Sue called from the dining area.
I looked up at them dangling slightly too low over the doorway.
"Right away," I said.
I grabbed the ladder again and climbed carefully, adjusting the string and pushing the decorations up just a few inches. My head nearly brushed the ceiling.
"Careful," Charlie muttered automatically.
"I'm good," I replied, though I did have to duck slightly to avoid taking out another light fixture. Again.
From below, Leah folded her arms and assessed my work. "A little to the left."
I shifted it.
"Your other left."
I shifted it again.
"There," she finally said.
I climbed down, brushing dust from my hands. "Satisfied?"
"For now."
There was a knock at the door right on schedule.
Everyone froze.
Sue quickly dimmed the lights.
Billy wheeled himself slightly to the side to avoid being directly in the line of sight. Charlie shuffled awkwardly behind the couch. Bella slipped quietly toward the wall, trying not to laugh already.
Footsteps approached.
The doorknob turned.
The door opened.
And right on cue…
"Surprise!"
The lights flipped on.
Confetti popped somewhere behind Seth, courtesy of Jacob, and a balloon drifted lazily down from the ceiling like it had been waiting its whole life for this moment.
Seth stood in the doorway, eyes wide.
He gasped loudly.
It was the most dramatic gasp I'd ever heard in my life.
"Oh my gosh," he said in the flattest, least convincing tone possible.
He placed a hand over his heart like he was in a soap opera. "I had no idea."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Jacob lost it first.
Quill doubled over.
Embry slapped the wall trying to contain himself.
Leah's lips twitched before she gave up entirely and burst out laughing.
Even Sue covered her mouth.
Seth dropped the act immediately and grinned. "Okay, maybe I suspected something."
"You think?" I said.
He stepped inside, looking around with undisguised delight now, taking in the decorations, the food, the people. His eyes shone, not fake this time.
"You guys actually did all this for me?" he asked, softer.
Sue walked over and hugged him first. "Happy birthday."
Billy smiled warmly. "Thirteen, huh? Getting old."
Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Almost an adult now."
Bella added quietly, "Happy birthday, Seth."
Jacob threw an arm around his shoulders. "You're welcome for keeping you busy all afternoon."
"You were terrible at it, I slipped away for like twenty minutes and you didn't even notice," Seth shot back.
"Hey, I tried."
"We thought you were taking a dump," added Embry with a chuckle.
Leah stepped forward last.
She didn't say anything at first. Just looked at him.
Then she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Happy birthday, dummy."
He hugged her back just as fiercely. "Best sister ever."
She snorted. "Don't push it."
I watched them for a moment, something warm settling in my chest.
Small party. Close people. Laughter filling the house.
For a little while, nothing else mattered.
Not school. Not the future. Not lurking threats or ancient vampires or the weight of things we didn't talk about.
Just this.
Seth pulled back suddenly and looked around suspiciously.
"So… where are my presents?"
And just like that, the chaos resumed.
I exchanged a glance with Leah and we shared a laugh.
…
Sue narrowed her eyes at Seth's impatient bouncing. "After the cake."
"Then what are we waiting for? Bring out the cake," Seth insisted, already half rising from his chair.
"Food first, then cake." Sue crossed her arms in that way that meant absolutely no negotiation.
Seth pouted so hard his lower lip could've qualified for its own zip code, but the second the pizza boxes were opened, all resistance vanished.
The smell of melted cheese and pepperoni filled the small house almost instantly. Billy let out an appreciative hum from his spot near the table, while Charlie grabbed two slices like a man who hadn't eaten in a week. Bella carefully took one, blowing on it before biting in, while Jacob stacked three on his plate without shame.
Leah and I? We didn't even pretend to have manners.
I folded one slice in half and inhaled it in two bites. Leah matched my pace easily, grease already shining faintly on her fingers. She shot me a competitive look as she reached for another slice.
"You're not winning," she muttered.
"Oh, I am absolutely winning," I replied around a mouthful.
Across the room, Seth was eating like someone had told him the world was ending at midnight. Two slices disappeared. Then three. Then four.
I blinked.
Okay. That was… impressive.
Embry, sitting beside Quill, wasn't far behind. In fact, I noticed something else too, Embry's shoulders seemed broader than the last time I saw him. His t-shirt stretched tighter across his arms. There was a restless energy to him, like he couldn't sit still for long.
Yeah. He's next to shift, I thought.
Between me, Leah, Seth, and Embry, the pizza supply was being decimated at an alarming rate. Sue watched the massacre with a look that hovered between resignation and fond exasperation.
"With two wolves in the house," she muttered, "we should've ordered double."
I snorted.
Ten minutes later, there were only a few sad crusts left in the boxes.
Seth's eyes flicked toward the kitchen every five seconds.
Sue sighed dramatically. "Fine. Before you vibrate through the floor. Cake."
"Yes!" Seth fist-pumped.
Leah disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the cake: chocolate, layered, with thick frosting and thirteen slightly crooked candles stuck on top. The lights were dimmed, and for a moment the room glowed in warm orange flickers.
We all sang together, some on key, most not. Billy's voice was deep and steady. Charlie's was loud. Jacob intentionally went off-pitch just to annoy Seth, but Bella elbowed him for it.
Seth turned bright red halfway through the song.
Thirteen.
Old enough to understand embarrassment. Old enough to pretend he wasn't enjoying this.
When the song ended, he leaned forward and blew the candles out in one breath. Applause filled the room.
"Make a wish!" Leah teased.
"I did," Seth said quickly, suspiciously quickly.
The cake was cut and distributed. I finished my slice almost as fast as the pizza. Leah scraped extra frosting off hers with her finger. Embry had already asked for seconds.
The second everyone had cake in hand, Seth bounced in his seat again.
"Alright," he declared, unable to contain himself. "It's time to open the gifts."
Laughter rippled through the room.
He started tearing into the pile.
Clothes from Sue, which he politely thanked her for, even if his excitement dipped slightly.
A soccer ball from Jacob.
"Dude! Yes! We're playing tomorrow!" Seth said.
"You're on my team," Jacob replied smugly.
Then Bella handed him a small wrapped box.
Seth opened it carefully, inside was a PSP game.
He stared at it.
"It's cool and all…" he said slowly, raising an eyebrow, "but I don't have a PSP."
I grinned. "Then open my gift."
Seth froze.
"No way."
He lunged for it like a predator spotting prey, tore the wrapping apart in seconds, and revealed the box.
The blue letters were unmistakable.
PlayStation Portable.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then…
"Yes! This is the best gift I've ever gotten! I love it! Thank you, Mike!"
He launched himself at me in a hug so hard it nearly knocked me backward.
"Careful," I laughed. "You'll break it before you turn it on."
After Seth calmed down enough to breathe again, Harry cleared his throat.
He stepped forward, holding a long, wrapped object.
"Maybe this isn't as exciting as a game," Harry said, voice steady but proud, "but it's tradition. When kids reach adulthood, they're allowed to join the hunt. As your father, I need to give you a weapon for it."
He handed Seth the package, and he unwrapped it more slowly this time.
Inside was a knife.
The blade caught the light.
Seth's eyes went wide, not with childish excitement, but something deeper. Respect.
"But Dad… I'm just thirteen."
Harry chuckled. "Old traditions had a different definition of adulthood. Just be careful. And please don't poke your eye out."
A round of chuckles followed.
"Thanks, Dad," Seth said softly, hugging him.
Harry held him a little longer than usual.
Then I clapped my hands once.
"There's one last gift."
Seth turned.
Leah had slipped out quietly while he'd been distracted.
Now the door opened again, and she wheeled it inside.
The bike.
Brand new. Glossy black frame with deep red flames. Still shining like it had just rolled out of the shop.
Seth stared and his mouth fell open.
His entire body began vibrating.
Actually vibrating.
My smile faltered.
Wait.
That's not from excitement.
I knew those signs.
I'd seen them before.
Seth's hands clenched.
His breathing hitched.
His body shook harder…
…and then it happened.
Clothes exploded outward.
Gasps filled the room as fur replaced skin in a blink.
Where Seth had stood now towered a tall, gangly wolf the size of a small pony, sandy colored fur shining under the lights, legs too long and paws too big for his still-growing frame.
"Holy shit!" Quill shouted, stumbling back.
"What the fuck!" Embry added, knocking over his chair.
The wolf blinked, disoriented for half a second, then spotted the bike and its tail started wagging.
Fast.
Faster.
So fast it blurred like a propeller.
The massive wolf trotted toward the bike, sniffing it enthusiastically, circling it, tail still going at full speed.
I burst out laughing. "He imprinted on the bike."
"Don't you dare say that," Leah snapped automatically, though she looked seconds away from laughing herself.
Amid the chaos, my eyes suddenly snapped toward Harry.
The older man had gone pale, one hand clutching his chest.
Sue was at his side instantly. "Harry."
"I'm fine," he insisted through clenched teeth.
Fortunately, he'd been taking his medication regularly. After a tense few seconds, his breathing steadied.
Charlie ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. Bella's eyes were wide but oddly calm, like this wasn't the strangest thing she'd ever seen lately.
Billy, meanwhile, looked almost proud.
"Another one joins the pack," he murmured.
The wolf, Seth, finally seemed to realize everyone was staring and froze.
His ears flattened.
Then, very slowly, he looked down at himself.
And let out the most embarrassed wolf whine I had ever heard.
"Well," I muttered, staring at the pile of shredded clothes on the floor, "that's one way to end a party."
And just like that, Seth's thirteenth birthday turned into something none of them would ever forget.
…
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