The Broken Wolf
Chapter 134

I’m awakened by the sound of the door closing and smell my mate. “Hey, is everything alright?”

“Yeah, love,” he says, coming over to k**s my head. “I’m sorry I’m so late. It took longer than I expected.”

“But it’s taken care of?” I ask, still feeling weird that he wouldn’t tell me what it was that he needed to do. “Are we still safe here?”

“Yes, absolutely,” he tells me and I can feel how bad he feels through the bond. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. You’re safe. Go back to sleep.”

I nod and pull the blanket back up towards my face, not needing to be told to go back to sleep twice.

I wake up to the smell of coffee and breakfast, the light from the sun leaking through the white curtains on the window. I hear Seth moving around the room and I crack my eyes open, looking around, trying to find him. He’s setting the small table in the room with beautiful red roses in the center.

“What are you doing?” I ask him confused. “You need to get to work.”

He turns around and almost looks embarrassed to have been caught, but he smiles at me so sweetly and crosses the room, sitting next to me on the side of the bed. “I’m not working today. You haven’t even realized what today is, have you?”

“Huh?” I ask him, thoroughly confused.

He leans down and k****s me gently, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “It’s November 13th, Molly. It’s your real birthday.”

“Oh,” I whisper. I can’t believe I forgot something that seemed so important to me just a few months ago, but I also cant believe that Seth remembered. “I’ve never had a real birthday.”

“I know, Love,” he says with a sad smile. “I wasn’t sure how you would feel, so I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. But I know it was important to you. Happy Birthday.”

He hands me a small box and smiles at me encouragingly to open it. “Seth,” I say, my eyes full of tears. “I… I haven’t had a gift on my real birthday before. Well, not since I was sent away.”

I gently open the box and pull out a delicate bracelet. It’s silver and simple, with a beautiful script ‘C and an ‘A’ on it.

“Thank you,” I whisper, running my finger across it gently. A small smile tugs on my lips at how thoughtful he is, yet again.

“There’s plenty of room to add more letters later,” he says, placing his hand on my leg. “If you want. The decision is solely yours.”

I nod at him and remove the beautiful bracelet from it’s box. Seth takes it from me and wraps it around my wrist. It takes him a moment to get the tiny, delicate hook to close in his large hands, but he does. I hold my arm up and smile, looking at him.

“You really are the best,” I tell him.

“Let’s hope you continue to think that,” he says with a chuckle. “I have another surprise for you later. It didn’t exactly turn out how I had hoped.”

I look at him confused but he just shakes his head a bit and holds his hand out to help me out of bed. I head to the restroom and once done, I join him for breakfast.

“You had Oliver make my favorite?” I ask him.

“Well, when he realized it was your actual birthday, he insisted. I can’t really take any credit for that one,” he says with a small chuckle. “I had mentioned I was going to get you flowers and some girl in the kitchen overheard and did it for me. I do have a request for you, though, and I’m not sure exactly how you’re going to feel about it. “

“What’s wrong?” I ask him as I feel anxiety come from him.

He sighs and drags his fingers through his hair. “Benjamin and Lily want you to visit tonight for dinner,” he says, looking up at me. “I know you’ll want to, but I’m concerned about you going to the rogue land. I… I don’t know if it’s safe. I offered for them to come here and Benjamin was not willing to entertain the idea. He said that their home would be safer than here.”

“Can’t Albert go with us?” I ask and he nods slowly, but I can tell he doesn’t think that’s enough. “I’m sure if we explain the situation he would allow more guards to cross with us.”

Seth smiles at me. “Molly, he’s already approved for anyone you desire to cross the border, at any time. I guess I didn’t tell you that. He’s relaxed on the treaty, especially with all the members of Lunar Falls going to help them.”

“It’s settled then,” I tell him with a smile. “We’re going with Gus and Albert and however many other wolves you deem necessary. I… I don’t actually remember having a birthday with them.”

“Alright, Molly,” he tells me with a small smile. “I’ll figure it out, but we’ll go for dinner tonight. Do you think you can cross from the border instead of going through the cave? I’d like to keep that as unknown as possible in case there’s ever an emergency and we need to use it.”

“I can!” I tell him, enthusiastically. “The tea Lily gave me is really helping. I feel like I could run a marathon.”

Seth shakes his head at me. “You’re supposed to take it easy. No running, just a nice walk to the rogue land. Stay here for just a second, I need to get something.”

I frown at him, wondering what on earth he’s doing as he gets up and walks out the door. I finish my tea and put a bit of coffee in a cup, trying to drink some before Seth comes back and gives me a disapproving look. He returns, carrying a tray with him. I try, but I can’t tell what’s on it.

He gives me a lopsided grin as he sets the tray down and I can see that it is a cake… or an attempt at one. It’s uneven and the top layer looks like it’s about to slide off. On top, in Seth’s nearly illegible handwriting, and in green icing it says ‘Happy Birthday’.

“I tried,” he says with an unsure shrug. “It’s, umm… surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. I’m sure if I weren’t the prince that Oliver would have kicked me out of the kitchen before it was even baked.”

I laugh at that. “He’s not very patient,” I tell him with a smile. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

Seth spent the entire day with me, only picking up his phone a handful of times and never opening his computer. We went and walked around the garden and I had so many ideas, but each made me sad as I remembered that it wasn’t mine anymore. We had lunch in our room and just laid in bed, watching movies… well, Seth watched movies. I kept falling asleep.

Finally, we head downstairs, waiting at the front entrance. I wasn’t quite sure what to wear, so I played it safe and just put on jeans and a tshirt, throwing on my hiking boots and a warm jacket and hat. It will likely be pretty cold when we walk back tonight.

Albert and Gus were already there waiting with a few men that I’ve seen before, but I haven’t actually been introduced. I turn to see my parents and Robbie walking down the hall to meet us. Robbie turns around, saying something, and I notice Oliver behind him.

“Are you guys coming, too?” I ask, walking away from Seth and into my brother’s waiting arms.

“Of course,” Robbie tells me, lifting me up, but promptly putting me back down on my feet when he hears Seth’s growl. “I wouldn’t miss your first real birthday!”

“But who is watching the pack if Dad’s coming, too?” I ask, confused at seeing everyone so ready to leave. Robbie releases me and Oli gives me a quick hug, turning me back over to Seth.

Robbie smiles, walking off to lead the way. “George isn’t leaving until tomorrow morning, so he’s babysitting the pack tonight.”

“Really,” I ask, following him, hand in hand with my mate. “Babysitting?”

“Molly, you know as well as I do that nothing ever really happens here,” Robbie says with a laugh.

We walk, reaching the territory line, but instead of having to stop, Seth leads everyone right across. Benjamin really must have lifted his ban on everyone from my pack. I keep looking around, waiting for someone to show up and tell us to stop, but they never come.

“Seth,” I say quietly, getting his attention. “There’s no one patrolling.”

He shrugs at me slightly. “They know we’re coming.”

We walk for quite a while and while I’ll never admit it to anyone, walking this distance really is making me tired. If I ever mention that to Seth, though, the secret cave entrance would be used and then less likely to be a secret.

Finally, I can see the little cabin in the distance but as we get closer, I notice there are tables and chairs sat outside and quite a few people around. Benjamin is standing on the front porch, his arm around Lily, speaking to a man I don’t recognize when he looks up at us, a huge smile growing on his face when he seems me.

He walks down the steps and over to me, pulling me into a huge hug. “Happy Birthday,” I hear him whisper into the top of my head as he makes no move to ever let me go. “It’s so good to have you home.”