February 28th - Birthday Dream

School seemed to drag on all day. Everyone was super nice and wished her a happy birthday. It was probably because it seemed like everyone within the pack was invited tonight. Riley didn't mind, though. Tonight was going to be the best night of her life. She hadn't seen Ethan at all and was disappointed. So, she focused her energy on her classes and getting through the day.

Once the final bell rang, she took off in the direction of home. When she arrived, she found a box outside the front door addressed to her. Riley grabbed it and rushed up to her room to open it. She sat on the floor at the edge of her bed and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful strapless emerald green cocktail dress. It was short, reaching about mid thigh, but flared out at the waist. It was tight around the top and had a sweetheart neckline. It was embellished with gold and light green designs resembling foliage and leaves like in a forest. Riley stood with the dress pressed against her body and swung it around as she pretended to dance. With one final look in the mirror, she decided to pick up the card and read it. It was from Ethan, wishing her a happy birthday. She hugged the card to her chest and smiled brightly before going into the bathroom to get ready.

By 7 P.M. Riley was standing in the front foyer, ready to leave. She had worn the dress Ethan got for her with her hair down in her natural beachy waves and light makeup. She had thrown on some heels and was waiting for Dad to come down to join her on their way over to the party.

"You look beautiful," Dad said as he descended the stairs. "I can't believe my baby girl is finally 20 and ready to take on the pack."

Riley let out a soft chuckle, "Thanks, dad. For everything. I'm the woman I am today because of you."

Her dad hugged her as a tear escaped and came down his face.

"Let's get to this party and get our dance on."

He held his arm out for her, and she grabbed on as they made their way to the car.

Upon arrival at the pack house, Riley noticed it was packed. People were hanging inside and out. Lights inside were dimmed, and she could hear the music booming from outside. Ethan really made it like a dance club. She spotted Ethan waiting outside the doors for her.

"Go on, baby, I'll catch up eventually. I need to find Sarah. If I don't see you in there, I will catch you at midnight for your shift and run."

Riley opened the door and rushed out, jogging up to Ethan. She leaped into his arms as he spun her around.

"Happy birthday, Riley. You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you. For this dress, for tonight. It's perfect!"

"Well, in that case, let's head inside and party!"

Ethan led Riley inside. When they reached the entrance to the dining hall, the music was booming, and everyone was dancing. There was food set up on one side, and on the other, there was a bar. It was decorated beautifully like they brought the forest inside. It matched her outfit perfectly.

Lily ran over, "Isn't this amazing! I can't believe Ethan did all this. I gave him ideas but never thought it would turn out this beautiful."

"He did a great job," she said, smiling up at Ethan.

"You two start enjoying yourselves, and I'm going to go grab us all some drinks."

Ethan left Riley and Lily to grab drinks, and the two of them continued to talk and laugh.

"There you are, Riley. Happy birthday, sweetheart. I hope you're enjoying yourself," the Luna said as she hugged Riley.

"Yes, happy birthday." The Alpha also said, embracing Riley in a hug.

"Ethan really went all out. He cares a lot about you, Riley. He has never done this for anyone else. If I'm correct, I will be extremely happy to have you as a future daughter-in-law. I think you are a great match for Ethan." Luna Gloria said.

"Thank you, Luna! I would be honored if that is the direction we go in."

"Well, I would not be opposed to setting it in motion earlier than the 2 year wait. We usually set that rule for wolves to have the chance to meet their fated mate. However, this would be a fantastic marital arrangement."

Riley blushed at that statement. She couldn't believe what they were saying. Her, a part of the Alpha family. She would be thrilled. Ethan finally came back with the drinks, and his parents left them to enjoy the night.

A few drinks later, Riley was finally feeling the buzz. It took wolves a lot more alcohol to feel drunk. She still had plenty of room for more, which kept coming to her. She finally excused herself from Ethan and Lily from the dancefloor once they hit a little harder to go use the washroom. She cleaned herself up a bit and headed back out. She couldn't find Ethan or Lily, so she took to the dancefloor again. As she started dancing, that's when it hit her. The smell of fresh grass and pine needles was so strong that it made he weak in the legs as she continued dancing. Her wolf Ava was stirring in her mind, screaming mine over and over again. Riley didn't understand what was happening. All of a sudden, she felt hands on her hips, which sent tingles and sparks through her body. She reached her arm up to hold onto the other persons shoulder. He was so tall, had she never noticed this before? When had Ethan ever smelt this good? She felt her hips continue to sway with the beat as she grinded into, who she assumed to be Ethans lap. She was spun around when his head dipped into the crook of her neck. He took a long sniff of her scent and trailed his tongue and teeth along her neck. She leaned it the other way, giving more access to her marking spot without even realizing it.

"Ethan, I love you," Riley said as she closed her eyes, ready to take whatever was coming next.

That's when the emptiness came and she felt cold and alone. Her eyes opened, and she was indeed alone on the dancefloor, with everyone swaying to the beat around her. She looked around and started pushing her way out of the crowd. She felt scared and started to panic. Where did he go? Had she said the wrong thing? When all of a sudden she bumped into someone. Her head was swirling with thoughts and anxiety when she looked up to see who it was.

"Riley, calm down. It's okay, I'm here." Ethan said as he tried to calm her down.

Riley looked at him confused. She didn't smell his scent anymore. She didn't feel the tingles or the spark, and Ava wasn't excited anymore. Who had she been dancing with?

Ethan led Riley outside to get some fresh air. Told her it was almost time for her shift and run. So Riley followed Ethan to the edge of the forest where her family and friends were waiting for her. She could also sense the feeling of being watched. Not by one pair of eyes, but two. It was uncomfortable as she didn't know what that meant. Maybe she had drank too much. She focused on what was going to happen next and tried to feel the excitement of of meeting Ava for the first time.