Ash's POV
"Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear daughter
Happy birthday to you..."
That is the song that I wake up to instead of the usual annoying sound of my alarm clock. I open my eyes a crack and immediately sit up in bed when I see Martha, standing with a birthday hat perched on her head and a cake in hand.
"Aww, thank you, Martha." I croak, smiling happily. I set my feet down and pull the study table in my room nearer to the bed so she can set the cake on it.
The cake is gorgeous. It's black, white and silver themed and I love it completely. Martha is a good baker but this looks like professional work. I'm not sure if she can pull this off all by herself within the short time space available
"You didn't bake this all by yourself or did you?" I ask wonderingly
"No! It was delivered this morning, I guess from your mate and this came along with it." She gives me a white and silver designed envelope.
I pour the content of the envelope on the bed and immediately regrets what I did when a small pack with emergency contraception written on it fell out along with a handwritten note and an ATM card
Martha frowns and picks the drug up from the bed to closely examine it.
"I hope you're not going to make morning-after pills a habit. It's not healthy if it's too much, you know?" She asks me with concern
"No, I don't." I awkwardly reply. "I– It was an emergency and..."
"Yes, I know. That's what emergency contraceptive pills are made for. I'm not sure if a human hospital will do for shifters. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to the shifter's hospital to get proper birth control pills. You should first consult with your mate on it though. After you've made the decision together then we'll go"
"Okay... " I say and nod with relief. I'm glad she didn't make a big deal out of me having sex with my mate.
I smile when I see the ATM card already has my name written on it with the password stuck to the back with a sticky note. I pick the note and smile like an idiot as I start to read what was written on it...
'Happy birthday my love.
I'm sorry I can't come to wish you personally. It's because I have a very busy day ahead of me today. I left your gift inside Martha's shed, go check it out, and don't forget to take lots of photos and send them to me...
Speaking of photos, I took some with you while you were sleeping. I couldn't resist. You look so beautiful in your sleep. Check your phone for copies...
I'll see you at the arena.'
I hold the note close to my heart for a moment after I'm done reading. Then I carefully fold it before keeping it under my pillow.
"He said my gift is in the shed and to take lots of photos," I tell Martha and immediately stand up from the bed, handing my phone to her so she will help me with the photos.
I open my closet and put on a T-shirt and bumper shorts.
"Now I'm ready! Let's go to the shed to check out my gift" I say in excitement eager to see what my mate got for me
"We should first take some quick photos of you with the cake, don't you think?"
"Okay," I reply but I'm too excited to see what is waiting in the shed for me. So excited I can hardly get myself to be patient for the photos Mather is taking. When she finally finished, I didn't even wait for her before I dash out of the room.
I run outside, straight to the shed. I arrive in front of it and yank one side of the door open, almost ripping the door knob off out of excitement. The shed is brightly lit and I clearly see what is inside but I can't believe my eyes so I open the other door just to be sure.
"A car!... He bought me a car?" I ask myself in disbelief.
I still won't believe it's for me if my name isn't written where the plate number was supposed to be
"Oh my god! He bought a car for me!" I say in realization this time. I just recently owned a phone which was the most expensive thing I ever owned in my entire life, and now a car!
As I walk inside and hesitantly touches its shiny silver body, I marveled at the elegance and style of my new car. Not in my wildest dream have I ever imagined owning something as luxurious and sophisticated as this.
I rush back inside the house to tell Martha and nearly run smack into her. If not for my quick reflex that made me apply break in time, I would have knocked her down and hurt her but thank Moon goddess that didn't happen
"Martha! He bought me a car!" I excitedly jump on my feet as I inform her
"Really!?..." She look surprised as she asked and I nod with vigor. I take her hand and practically drag my old mother along with me to look at my new car.
"Oh, my God!... Ash, this is awesome! It is so beautiful! What a pleasant surprise!" Her eyes sparkle with joy as she talks. We were both not expecting to see something as grand as this.
"I know, right..."
I'm laughing with tears in the corners of my eyes. I can't believe how my life can take such a huge change in just two days.
Martha walks inside the shed and opens the driver's door while I unbelievably stand at the entrance.
"Ash, there's another gift here, come check it out!" She calls out.
"Another gift!? Are you serious!?" I ask and I hurry back inside. Martha is sitting in the driver's seat so I go to the passenger's side and open the door.
"Omg! It's a laptop!" I say and remove the box from the chair so I can sit down. I place it on my lap and first open the envelope that was attached to it.
"It's from Eric," I say tearfully. Considering what I've been through in the past, being showered with this much love is overwhelming. I look up from the laptop and see Martha is already taking a video of me with the laptop in hand
"Oh, my God! You guys! I can't believe this!..." I said to the video Martha is making. I try to say something nice but I'm lost for words, dabbing at the tears in the corner of my eyes with my fingers
"I'm sorry. I-I don't know what to say. I'm just overwhelmed..." I stop talking to take a deep breath in and then let it out in a whoosh to calm myself
"Thank you, baby! My cake is beautiful and my car?... It's gorgeous, took my breath away, literally." I laugh. My voice trembles slightly with emotions
"I love you so much for making my birthday a memorable one... And, Eric, thank you so much. I really appreciate this..." I say, raising the laptop for the camera.
Martha rolls a finger, signifying for me to hurry it up.
"Uhmm... I have to go now. Martha is making signs for me to round up." I laugh. "I'll see you guys later at the Arena. It's our last day of work but we still have to get to work early. Bye!"
***
I suddenly don't feel like going to work. I tell Martha and she laughs when I tell her my car might be stolen before I return from work. To put my mind at rest, she double-lock the shed door and give me the key for safekeeping.
I am happy but the nearer we get to Night Howlers Pack the more anxious I become because of what I did to Miranda and the Beta's daughter. My heart is beating so fast with apprehension that I'm afraid it will burst out of my chest as her car approaches the pack house.
"What if they arrest and throw me in prison? What if they refused to let me leave the pack?" I continually tell Martha.
"Stop worrying unnecessarily, will you! The Alpha would have said something to me if you were in trouble. So relax" she assures me. "Besides, you're eighteen and mated now. Your mate is obviously a very important person. Does he look to you like the kind of man that would stand by and watch his mate get hurt?"
My spirit suddenly soars with renewed happiness when I remember my mate and I smile
"No, he doesn't."
We arrive at the pack house, open the kitchen, and immediately start preparing breakfast. When we're done with breakfast, I take the food to the dining hall with the trolly, praying I don't run into the Alpha or his Beta. In fact, I pray I don't run into any member of the pack. I want to finish my last day of work peacefully and without drama.
I didn't run into anyone before breakfast but met someone who gives me a wide berth on my way to clear the breakfast table
'Yes, it's good you all stay far away from me' I thought.
Martha isn't in the kitchen when I return from the dining room. I'm doing the dishes when she returns to give me some kind of good news.
We will be going to the Arena afterall. Yay! An opportunity for me to finally know what it feels like to smell my mate's essence... Just that instead of going to watch the duel like everyone else and using that opportunity to look for my mate. My lips turn down at the corners when she tells me I will be working, serving cold lemonade to the spectators
***
Seeing the Arena for the first time is a jaw-dropping experience for me. I have never seen anything so magnificent that holds such large gatherings of all kinds of beings. Our driver takes us to a booth that had 'Free Lemonade. Courtesy of Night-Howlers pack.' written on it. Martha and I quickly make our first batch of lemonade and soon we have a long line of people in front of us waiting to get some.
I wish I could watch the duel myself. If not for anything but to find out what is so special about the Quinn brothers, especially the one they called Thor, that is making female humans and werewolves oh's and ah's about him.