Ch. 1 Birthday Wishes

Finley

I stare out the car window as we pass the "Welcome to Glass Lake" sign, my stomach doing that weird flippy thing it always does when I know I'll be seeing Liam soon. You'd think after eighteen years of friendship, I'd be over this schoolgirl crush. But apparently my wolf, Nova, hasn't gotten the memo.

Just friends, I remind myself for the thousandth time. That's all we'll ever be.

"Cheer up, birthday girl," my brother Rhett says, nudging my shoulder from the backseat. "You look like you're heading to a funeral instead of your own party."

I force a smile, though it probably looks more like a grimace. "I just don't see why we had to celebrate here. All my friends are back home."

"The Stones, Crosses, and Kanes have been coming to our place for your birthday every year since you were born," Mom chimes in from the front seat, her tone gentle but leaving no room for argument. "It's our turn to visit them, sweetheart. These summer gatherings are tradition."

She's right, of course. Our families have been gathering like this for as long as I can remember – the Stones with their Alpha bloodline, the Crosses whose daughter is the new Luna of Glass Lake, the Kanes who've been their trusted Gammas for generations, and us Bennetts. Pack rank never seemed to matter during these visits. We were just family.

"Besides," Dad adds, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror, "Liam specifically asked if you could celebrate here this year."

My heart does that stupid little stutter it always does at the mention of his name. Liam Stone – youngest son of the former Alpha, notorious troublemaker, and the boy I've been half in love with since I was old enough to know what love was.

Nova stirs restlessly under my skin. “Calm down,” I tell her. “It's just Liam.”

But even as I think it, I know something feels different this time. Maybe it's because I'm finally eighteen, officially of age in pack terms. Maybe it's the way Nova keeps pacing in my mind, more agitated than usual. Or maybe it's the strange tension that's been building in my chest for the past few days, like the air before a storm.

"Did he say why?" I try to keep my voice casual, but Rhett's knowing smirk tells me I've failed miserably.

"Nope." He pops the 'p' with annoying emphasis. "But Ryleigh's been helping with the planning."

And just like that, my momentary flutter of hope crashes. Right. Ryleigh Kane. Former gamma's daughter, sweet as honey, and Liam's unofficial girlfriend for the past year. I've seen the way he looks at her – like she hung the moon and stars.

Nova whines, and I push down the familiar ache in my chest. I'm being ridiculous. Liam is my friend, one of my best friends. I should be happy he's found someone who makes him smile like that, who helps quiet the insecurities he tries so hard to hide behind his jokes.

"We're here," Dad announces as we pull up to the imposing Stone mansion.

The sight of it still takes my breath away, even after all these years. Three stories of gray stone and gleaming windows rise before us, perfectly framed by ancient oaks that have guarded the property for generations. White columns line the wraparound porch where we spent countless summer evenings as kids, telling ghost stories and planning adventures.

I catch glimpses of silver and white decorations through the windows, and my stomach twists. I've never been one for big celebrations, preferring small gatherings with close friends. But I know this party is as much about pack tradition as it is about my birthday. Eighteen is when we're considered adults in wolf terms, old enough to accept a mate bond if fate decides to present one.

Nova perks up at that thought, and I quickly shut it down. The last thing I need is to get my hopes up about mate bonds, especially with Liam so clearly spoken for.

I take a deep breath, straightening my shoulders as we get out of the car. The late afternoon sun catches the lake beyond the house, turning it into a sheet of molten gold. The air is thick with the scents of pine and wild roses, and underneath it all, the familiar markers of Glass Lake pack – earth and water and ancient magic.

And then another scent hits me, one I would know anywhere. Rainwater and cedar and something wild that always makes Nova want to run straight toward it.

"Finally!" Liam's voice booms across the driveway. "I thought you guys were going to miss all the fun."

I turn, and there he is, jogging down the front steps with that crooked grin that never fails to make my heart skip. His blonde hair catches the sunlight like spun gold, a gift from his mother's side, and those bright blue eyes dance with their usual mischief. But there's something else there too, something that makes Nova suddenly go very still.

He reaches for me, and the moment his arms wrap around me in our usual hug, everything changes.

The world tilts on its axis. My skin buzzes where we touch, and Nova surges forward with a force that nearly brings me to my knees. Liam goes rigid against me, his arms tightening almost painfully as a low growl rumbles through his chest.

Mate.

The word echoes through my mind, through my soul, with the force of a thunderclap. Every cell in my body sings with recognition, with rightness, with Mine.

And then Liam jerks away like I've burned him, his eyes wide and panicked. The sudden loss of contact feels like being doused in ice water.

"I... I need to..." He stumbles backward, his usual smooth confidence nowhere to be seen. "Ryleigh's waiting. For the... the decorations."

He turns and practically runs back into the house, leaving me standing there with my world simultaneously exploding into perfect clarity and shattering into pieces.

Because in that moment, I know two things with absolute certainty: Liam Stone is my fated mate.

And by the look in his eyes, he is going to reject me.