“Love you, Pixie.”
“Love you too.” I smile at him as Saint and Dec appear,
“Razor Lorane Swiftly, you are under arrest for a large list, which we will discuss after Paxton’s Gaze wears off.” Dec places cuffs on Swift before they disappear into the shadows again.
Dinner that night was fun. Mirri likes all my ideas for the school. She spoke quickly to her daughter and then decided to rent one of the cabins from my uncle, so they were here for the setup of the school. The oldies don’t seem happy, but I think that’s because she and Alma bonded; they are not yet outnumbered, so they are just acting weary when the two women are around. I am sleeping in Kodi's room tonight. He is still nervous about hurting me, so we have soft kisses and hugs, but I love every second of it.
I message Vicki the next day to confirm the details for Dec's birthday party, Bas, Bray and I decided to do a kid's party theme, with party games and fancy dress, her heat broke two days ago so thankfully she’s up for it, after texting back and forth a few times she decided on an outfit and she’s looking forward to trying outALL the games.
DECLAN
I know I’m moping as Victoria hasn’t made it here yet, even though her heat was over, I just got ‘I’m busy’ as a reply, and everyone else seems to have forgotten it’s my birthday. I’m just getting back from picking up Ember's order from the art shop that she needs to do the commission for Lily when my phone dings,
BABY SIS: Need help on the deck,
I will help you empty the truck in a bit. X
I huff and trudge through the house as I step onto the deck. I double-take, there are Thomas the Tank Engine balloons, streamers and banners everywhere. Everyone is in retro '90s clothes, Bray has those ridiculous curtain bangs going that I know I sported at some point, Victoria is there smiling at me wearing trackies with poppers up the sides, a girl power boob-tube, platform sandals and her hair in Britney Spears pompom bunches.
Out of nowhere, my baby sister jumps on my back,
“Happy Birthday, big brother, we got cake, pass the parcel, balloons, cake, musical chairs, Karaoke, cake, erm, you got presents, and there’s cake” She’s talking a mile a minute and when I manage to de-tangle myself from her, she’s dressed in a rainbow tutu that seems to be shedding glitter, leg-warmers, and I heart Backstreet boys t-shirt, her hair is in high crocked pigtails and she has an odd hair band on that has pompoms on springs.
“You need to go get changed, then come party, go, go, go, go, go.” I glance at Saint for help,
“You said you missed certain stuff with her not growing up here, so she decided to remind you why you’re lucky you missed some stuff. Good luck getting that glitter off anything it touches,” he pats my shoulder.
I run upstairs to get changed, hoping Miles has left me something, which he has, baggy trousers with the crotch at my knees and a Post-it note, ‘can't touch this’. I laugh out loud, an N-sync t-shirt and some high-tops, a pot of hair gel and a photo of what I’m expected to do.
I step into my bathroom and spike my hair up, washing the gunk off my hands. The wall opposite my bathroom door is normally covered in photo frames, but unlike normal, most are covered in tissue paper, and there are a few on the sides too. The one that should hold a photo of Bas and me with a newborn Bray has a tag hanging from it.
Big Brother, I hope the switch is ok, the old photos are behind the new, I just thought some needed a little more. – I love you x
I pull the tissue paper away, and there is a coloured sketch of Bas holding Bray and me holding a baby with fuzzy red hair.
The next one I uncovered was the first time Bray walked. Now it shows the original with Bray walking between Bas and me, but Ember is lying on the floor sucking her toes, a post stuck to the frame.
Why walk when I have brothers to carry me?
I know I have tears falling, but I still laugh at her logic.
There are some of the birthdays and a few at pack meets, first days at school, she changed my graduation photo to have her and Bray behind me posed with Grumps, and the twins are pulling faces at the camera, there are photos of me, Saint, Paxton and Layton passed out drunk with Grumps expensive booze and her drawing on our faces, her tongue sticking out in concentration, I know the original photo was taken by Bray so I know his part in it.
There are three new ones on my dresser, and when I uncover them they are new photos, not sketches, of the four of us, one around the firepit, one at dads mating ceremony and another of us playing Xbox in the TV room, there is another on my bedside table, and it’s a sketch from Ember’s college graduation of us all.
Before I leave the room I notice a large piece on my desk, and when I pull the tissue offits of us all in our shifted forms, Ember sat on the floor reading a book, me standing behind her eyes glowing red, fangs peeking between my lips, Bas in full shift to our right and both of Bray's wolves to our left, the background is the TripleMoon lands and crossing in front of a crescent moon is a phoenix.
Wiping my face as I descend the stairs, I go straight to my sister, pulling her into a hug.
“Thank you.”
I hug her tight, knowing I’m crying, but I don’t care. It doesn’t take long for Bas and Bray to join the hug, and I can hear some fucker taking photos, but again, I don’t care; my sister is home, and we are all together, and we are all safe.
“We are all doomed to be covered in this glitter until we are older than Liam,” Bray grumbles, making us all laugh.
“Well unless I’m right and there is something in the water that will make me a Barbie Bitch, you are lucky I’m not a girly girl, BUT one day you will have nieces and there is Miles around who will influence, so Yeah, we are screwed” Ember chuckles as she heads over to Miles rubbing against him then runs away giggling.
I can’t wait for the future she makes me picture.
