Chapter 5

Aileen

I went back to join Mom. And the cake arrived in front of me brought by the maids. It was a three-layered cake with a Barbie girl standing next to Prince on top of it.

I was watching in amazement.

Mom lit up the candles, and I stood in front of the cake with Mom and Dave on both sides.

“Make a wish,” Dave said, patting my shoulder and smiling at me.

I nodded and blew on the candles.

I wish….I could be together with you, if not in this life, in the next life.

The gathered crowd clapped and yelled “Happy Birthday, Aileen.”

This may be the first time, I’m attending such a big birthday of my own. Usually, it used to be me and my mom only with a small cake that she would sometimes bake for me.

I’m getting to experience things that I never experienced before because of Dave.

“Cut the cake,” Mom whispered.

“Will you two do it together with me?” I pleaded.

Dave joined in without hesitation, grabbing onto my arm.

Mom joined next. “Sure.”

I had cut up two slices, and held the two pieces of cake in both hands, holding it in front of Mom and Dave.

They ate it and fed me some.

Out of nowhere, Dave held out a box towards me. “Here you go.”

I became puzzled, blinking at him several times.

“He’s giving you a gift!” Mom said, patting my head. “Take it.”

A gift? For me?

Is that what he had brought from outside?

I reached out my hand hesitantly to take it.

He smiled at me when I took it.

“Open it and see if you like it or not.”

I opened the box and saw white stoned earrings and a beautiful petal-shaped necklace matching it.

It was shining under the light from the chandelier.

“It’s pretty,” I mumbled out loud.

“Glad you liked it,” he added.

“But, this seems too expensive. There was no need to buy it for me!”.

“You are underestimating him, Princess,” a voice remarks drawing our attention.

Everyone looks at the person only.

It was Marshall. He came over to our side, standing next to Mom.

“Our Alpha can gift you diamonds. Why do you think this is too expensive for him?” he asserted.

“Right?”. He pointed to Dave when he did that.

Dave narrowed his eyes at him. “Yes, I can do that.”

The situation became heated at that moment.

Mom broke the silence by pinching Marshall on the cheeks.

“Hey, I have to show my gift as well.”

“Ouch….hey, stop it.”

Mom turned to me with a gift box.

“Here you go.”

“Open it.”

I took it and opened it. They were shoes, red shoes with bows which I had been wanting to buy for a while.

“Mom! How did you-“.

“Yes, you kept it wishlist for a while, you were telling me about them.”

“Thanks,” I gave her a quick hug.

After that, the other guests gave me gifts one by one.

I was having dinner with Mom and Dave after the guests left.

Marshall stayed behind. But, he was eating on his own.

“You loved the steak?” Mom asked, eating right next to me.

“Hm…yeah.”

“The mac and cheese is the best.”

“Have some tart, Dave ordered peaches for you.”

I glanced at the tart, then looked at Dave.

He avoided my gaze when Mom said that.

Does he know I love peaches?

That’s nice.

We talked a lot after that and finished dinner.

“Marshall, will you be staying here tonight?” Mom asked Marshall who was standing in a corner of the room.

“Uh, no. I’m staying in the outer house.”

“Thanks for asking.”

“I see, goodnight then.”

“Aileen, you are heading to bed as well, right?”.

“Um…let’s see, I don’t feel tired yet so can we-“.

Mom’s phone rang in her purse the next second on the table.

Dave finished eating first and headed towards the kitchen to get something.

She picked it up and answered, “Yes?”

“An emergency? But, I’m on my day off.”

“How can I-“ she looked at me with a saddened expression.

“Hm…I understand.”

“Yes, alright then.”

“I’ll come over right away. Give me 20 minutes.”

She hung up the call and turned to me.

“Um….Aileen, I have something to say-“.

“Did something happen at your workplace?” I asked, standing up from my chair.

“Um….yeah…”.

“one of the nurses fainted because of cardiac arrest, and they need someone to take care of a patient who’s refusing to take her meds as I had been taking care of her all these while.”

“And they are short-staffed also.”

“But, it’s your birthday today and I was supposed to spend the whole day with you.”

I placed my hand on her shoulder in assurance. “It’s alright. They need me more than I need you.”

“Go to them. I have no problem.”

She seemed to be a bit shocked but smiled at me warmly.

“Thanks, Aileen. I know you are a lot kinder than I know you are.”

“I’ll probably be back in the morning. See you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mom.”

“And tell Dave to head to bed after that as well.”

She picked up her coat and rushed out through the front gate.

Marshall watched her go.

“I bought strawberry-flavored ice cream for us all. Who wants some?” Dave asked, coming out of the kitchen.

I gave a glance at him. He bought a tray with four bowls of ice cream.

He looked around and saw mom wasn’t there.

“Where’s she? Did she go to bed already?”.

I picked up one bowl and stared at him.

“The hospital called her in for an emergency.”

“She had to go.”

He seemed unfazed. “Uh…Oh….”.

“I see….”.

“Then, shall I put one back in the fridge for her?”.

I nod at him.

“Marshall, do you want ice cream?” Dave yelled, giving a blank gaze.

“No, I’m leaving,” he grunted. “Goodnight.” As he walked out of the door.

The maids had left for their quarters as well, leaving the house for the two of us only.

Both of us were silent, so I spoke up first, “Want to watch something in the living room?”.

“I’m not feeling sleepy yet.”

He placed down the tray and gave a puzzled yet surprised look.

“Uh….sure…I wasn’t feeling sleepy too.”

We both went to the couch and turned off the lights as the light from the T.V. was too bright.

I sat right next to Dave, with each of our ice cream bowls in our hands.

This isn’t exactly what I expected all of this to turn out as. But, this isn’t bad either.

“Do you want to watch something romantic?” Dave asked, trying his best to avoid his gaze as he was flipping through the channels with the remote.

“Um….sure….”.

Yes, just put on something hot that’ll make me feel crazy!

The movie started playing and the start scene was so inappropriate that I felt like digging a hole and just putting my face in it so he couldn’t see how flustered I was.

He was staring at the ceiling the whole time the scene played.

It was a wrong decision to watch this with him.

A few minutes passed, and I started feeling comfortable around him.

I wanted to talk with Mom for a while, but she had to leave.

I do understand her work is important, but I’m as important as her work too.

I feel bad getting jealous of a patient. Jack was right. My jealousy is too much.

Out of nowhere, A warm hand was placed on top of mine.

I jumped out of my seat out of shock.

Only to see Dave looking at me with a concerned face.

“Are you alright?”.

“I had been calling you for a while.”

“W-were you? I didn’t hear.” I replied, laughing nervously.

“I’ll go and grab a can of juice. I’m thirsty,” I said walking out of there feeling nervous.

He knew that I wasn’t feeling good.

That’s why he asked this question in the first place.

I took a detour around the kitchen and came back empty-handed.

Before I walked past the living room, I saw the moonlight entering through an open window in the middle of the corridor.

The lights were off, making the sight look more mysterious and memorable.

I just stood there, basking in the moonlight, lost in my thoughts.

“Did you find your drink?” a voice whispered from behind making me a jerk.

I turned around to see Dave standing, crossing his arms.

“You?”.

He came and stood next to me.

“Are you watching the moon?” he asked, staring out at the window.

I nod in response. “Yes.”

“It’s a full moon on my 18th birthday.”

“Guess, I’m lucky.”

He went silent, giving no response.

When took a closer look, I noticed that he looks more mysterious whenever he’s not talking.

He almost looks like a different individual when he does that.

Usually, he has a warm, parent-like aura around him. But, other times he looks like a wolf who can bite you at any moment.

I’m all alone with him in this house. I’m feeling kind of excited and scared at the same time.

There’s no one….but us…..

Hey, this is romantic. My heart is throbbing as well. Can he hear it?

He relaxed his arms and placed them in his pockets.

“If you are turning 18 then,” he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes.

“Aren’t you supposed to find you-“.

My body tensed up and my wolf howled, “Mate!”.

And I heard his wolf do the same.

His jaw dropped the next second as he looked at me in disbelief.

He’s my mate? My stepfather?