We walk to Caleb's house, which is basically next door, so it only takes us a couple of minutes, Soren tries to get a peak at the a cake but each time I catch him I shove him in the other direction. 

 Grey knocks at the front door excitedly, and when Tyler opens the door, his face lights up at the pup who launches himself at him. Tyler picks him up just in time and tickles him, making grey squeal with laughter.  

"Feels like I have not seen you in forever"  Tyler tells Grey planting a kiss on his cheeks. 

Soren had packed Grey a suitcase so he can stay with Caleb and Tyler now that he was coming with me to my pack. I was afraid Grey might not be happy about his brother leaving  but when he found out he was actually thrilled, because according to him, that meant I would certainly come back. 

Tyler sets Grey down and looks at us with a welcoming smile. "Come on in." We step inside, and Caleb appears from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "Got everything you need, Grey?" 

Grey nods enthusiastically. "Yep!"

Caleb ruffles Grey's curls. "You're going to have a great time. Oh! Luca is hiding and wants you to find him."

Grey's eyes light up, and he runs off to find Luca. Caleb turns to me. "Luca is Grey best friend" he says taking the cake from my hand. 

I glance at Soren and nod. 

Soren wraps his hand around waist. " Tyler are you and your mate prepared?" 

Tyler nods. 

I look between them, feeling confused. "What's going on?" I ask.

"Nothing. We just have to prepare for the worst-case scenario," Soren says, turning to me. 

"I am practically giving myself up to your brother. Who knows how he'll react? What if other packs see that as an opportunity to attack the Dusk Moon Pack? If they do, I need to make sure the vulnerable wolves are safe. I have put Caleb and Tyler"

I nod, taking in Soren's words. "But my brother is a good person," I tell him, hoping to ease his worries. 

I know Timothy, he will not hurt anybody especially not children and wolves that can't defend themselves. 

"Okay, that's enough!" Caleb cuts in before Soren can respond. 

He tangles Soren off my body and drags me with him. "I'm taking your mate, Alpha. He needs to help me set up."

Soren looks like he's about to protest, but Caleb gives him a look that brooks no argument. "Fine," He mutters, but his eyes remain watchful as Caleb leads me away. 

As we head to the kitchen, Caleb leans in, whispering, "Don't worry Sam. We're just being cautious. It's good to be prepared for anything."

I nod, " I know" 

He smiles. "let's get this dinner ready. We have a lot to do, and I can really use the help."

We start setting up, and I can feel the tension slowly dissipate. Caleb's Idea to bring the cake out and sing 'happy birthday' to Soren makes me laugh because right after he says it, he takes it back shivering in fear.

When the table is set up, Tyler and Caleb take a seat followed by Grey and a blond boy about his age. This must Grey best friend. I try to say Hi but he avoids my eyes and hides behind Grey. 

Luca looked smaller and more timid, unlike Grey who was full of energy all the time. 

"Sam!"  familiar face walks in that I recognise it as William, the warrior I met at the meeting. 

 He extends a hand and just as I am about to shake it, Soren grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers together. He let's out a low growl at William, who raises his hand in a placating gesture.

"Easy, Alpha. No need to be so possessive. He's all yours," William laughs.

I felt embarrassed by the display of possessiveness, especially in front of others. I glance at Caleb and Tyler, hoping they haven't noticed the tension. 

Just then, Luca comes over and hugs William's legs, breaking the moment. "Papa, can I have milk?" he asks innocently.

'Papa?' I think to myself, surprised to realise  that William has a son. They do have similar blue eyes. Sensing my confusion, William smiles warmly and scoops Luca up into his arms.

 "Sam, you haven't met my son Luca." He turns to Luca and kisses him on the cheek. "Say hi to my friend, papa."

Luca, feeling shy, buries his head into William's neck, his small frame trembling slightly. "He's very shy," William chuckles softly, before excusing himself and heading to the kitchen to get Luca his milk.

Watching them, I feel a mix of emotions—mostly  envy for the easy bond between father and son. We take our seats, Tyler serves the food, and soon we're all enjoying dinner together.

The atmosphere at the table is warm and welcoming, despite the underlying currents of concern about what the future holds for all of us. I steal a glance at Soren, who is sitting next to me, his hand still firmly holding mine.

 He meets my gaze with a softening expression, silently reassuring me that it's all going to be okay.  

After we finish dinner, Tyler starts packing up while I quietly get out of my seat and walk over to Grey.  Leaning down, I whisper in his ear, "Let's give Soren his surprise." Grey's eyes widen with excitement as he nods enthusiastically. 

Soren is engrossed in a low conversation with William, completely unaware of our plan as we tiptoe to the kitchen where our cake was hidden away. 

Caleb had warned me but I figured if Grey does it, Soren might not be too upset. Plus, after Soren's display of possessiveness earlier,  It's only fair I get him back. 

"You take the cake and bring it over to where Soren is sitting and We're going to sing 'Happy Birthday,' okay?" I instruct Grey quietly. 

"Tell him to blow out the candles and make a wish after we finish singing. Okay?"

"Okay!" Grey whispers back

With a mischievous grin I follow behind Grey who trots over to where Soren and William are engrossed in conversation. 

Caleb and Tyler catch on quickly, exchanging amused glances. William tries to suppress a laugh as he watches the scene unfold right in front of him. Grey stands in front of Soren, holding the cake up for him to see. "Soren!" He announces loudly, causing Soren to look up in surprise. 

The room falls silent as Grey begins to sing, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

I join in, trying not to laugh at Soren's increasingly bewildered and embarrassed expression. William chuckles softly, clearly enjoying the unexpected turn of events. 

Grey finishes the song with a flourish, and everyone claps and cheers. "Blow out the candles and make a wish, Soren!" Grey prompts eagerly, holding out the cake towards his brother. 

Soren looks around at everyone, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment before meeting my eyes briefly,  I give him an apologetic smile, hoping he understands it's all in good fun...for me..

Taking a deep breath, he leans forward and blows out the candles on the cake. The room erupts into applause again, and Soren manages a small, awkward smile, clearly touched by our gesture.  

"So this was the surprise?" He chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief as he looks at the cake.

"Yeah!!!" Grey shouts excitedly, bouncing on his heels.

 "Sammy and I spent hours baking and decorating it! We wanted to make it special because we love you!"

A chorus of "awes" erupts around the room at Grey's heartfelt declaration. Soren's face turns an even deeper shade of red, clearly overwhelmed by the attention.

"Thank you, Grey," He says softly, ruffling Grey's hair affectionately. " I can't wait to have a slice."

 He picks up the knife, and I notice a hint of concern ripple through the room, fearing for the worst. 

However, to everyone's relief, Soren calmly starts cutting the cake into neat slices. His hands are steady, despite the embarrassment written all over his face. He passes out the pieces with a small, grateful smile to each person. 

Author's Note;

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was actually fun to write.

Thank you once again for all the support.