Hailey Black woke to the soft hum of voices downstairs. Not angry voices. Not annoyed.
Loving ones.
Worried ones.
The kind reserved for someone precious.
She blinked up at the ceiling of her room, realizing what day it was.
Eighteen.
Her first shift.
Her mate.
Her fate.
She pulled the blankets closer for one last moment of stillness. Because downstairs, her family would be pacing, fussing, and stressing over her like they always did—sometimes too much, sometimes too little, but always with love.
Hailey wasn't the star of the pack, not like her older sister Claire, who practically sparkled when she walked into a room. She wasn't as fierce as Jason, who was already one of the strongest warriors despite being only twenty. And she certainly wasn't the leader her father, Alpha Liam Black, wanted her to believe she could be.
But she was theirs.
And they loved her.
Sometimes so intensely that she didn't know what to do with it.
She dressed quickly and headed downstairs.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, her mother's voice floated upward.
"Liam, she didn't shift early like the others. What if… what if she's scared and trying to hide it?"
Della Black sounded like she was holding back tears.
"She'll be okay," Liam said firmly, but Hailey could hear the tightness in his tone. "She's stronger than she thinks."
Jason added, "Hailey worries more about us worrying. She hates being fussed over."
Claire chimed in next, lighter but heartfelt. "We just have to make her feel safe. Tonight is huge."
Hailey smiled softly.
They cared.
They always had.
Taking a breath, she stepped into the kitchen.
Instantly, four faces lit up like sunrise.
"Birthday girl!" Claire rushed over first, throwing her arms around her. "Happy eighteenth!"
Jason pulled her into a headlock-hug next. "Finally legal. Old lady."
Hailey laughed and shoved at him, but he kissed the top of her head anyway.
Her mother cupped Hailey's cheeks with trembling hands, eyes shining. "Sweetheart, how do you feel? Any pain? Any pressure? Any sign of your wolf yet?"
"Mooom, breathe," Hailey chuckled. "I'm fine."
Then her father approached. Alpha Liam Black—broad, tall, intimidating to everyone except his daughter. He rested his hands on her shoulders and looked at her like she was his whole world.
"Hailey," he said softly, "no matter what happens tonight—whether you shift right away or need more time—you are our daughter, and we are proud of you. Understood?"
Her throat tightened. "Dad…"
"We mean it," Jason said, nudging her. "Your wolf will come. But even if she takes her sweet time, you're ours."
Claire grinned. "And your mate? Whoever he is—he'd better adore you. Or he answers to all of us."
Hailey felt warmth flood her chest.
Loved.
Protected.
Cherished.
She wasn't Claire's dazzling glow. She wasn't Jason's warrior strength. She wasn't her father's commanding presence.
But she was Hailey.
And that was enough for them.
Still, the fear lingered.
"I'm just… nervous," she admitted. "What if I don't shift? What if my mate doesn't—"
"Hailey," her father interrupted gently, "the Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."
Della pulled her into a tight hug. "And you could never disappoint your mate. You're perfect."
Jason threw his arm around her. "And if he doesn't see it, he'll deal with us."
They were too much sometimes—loud, protective, overwhelming.
But they loved her.
More than she'd ever doubted.
Tonight would change everything, but at least she wasn't facing it alone.