“Happy birthday to you…”
Voices lift in unison, filling the bar with warmth. Xavier sets Emmie on a chair so she can be tall enough to reach, and Killian crouches beside her, his hand steady on her back. I add my own voice, my throat thick with emotion, and Xavier signs along.
“…Happy birthday, dear Emmie…”
The song winds down, and all eyes turn to her.
“Make a wish, bug,” Killian whispers.
She squeezes them shut and her lips moving silently. Then, with one big puff of her cheeks, she blows. All five candles flicker out and smoke curls in the air.
The room erupts in cheers.
For a moment, I just stand there, drinking it in—the sound of laughter, the sight of my new life mingling with my old—and I can’t help but grin from ear to ear. Violet and Stephan are near with Alder nestled safely between them. Freya claps along, eyes bright, her smile unwavering.
For so long I didn’t know where I fit. I didn’t want an Omega’s place in society to just be small, boxed in by the Council and by the rules of Sabine. I wanted more.
The one thing I was sure I never wanted was a mate.
Now, I have two.
But it kind of makes sense when you think about it.
Following the rules has never really been my style.
THE END
