Alpha’s Possession

Chapter 4

Amelia

"Happy birthday, Amelia!" Julia exclaimed, rushing forward to envelop me in a warm hug. "Did we surprise you?" Harry asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

I nodded mutely, still too shocked to form words. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as the reality of the situation sank in. They remembered. Not only remembered, but they had gone to all this trouble for me.

I became very emotional. “You all did all this for me, thank you!”

"Oh, don't cry, love," Lily said, coming over to pat my shoulder. "We couldn't let our Amelia's special day pass without a celebration, now could we?"

I laughed through my tears, wiping them away with the back of my hand. "I... I don't know what to say. Thank you all so much. I never expected..."

"That's the point of a surprise, silly," Lily chimed in, her smile bright enough to rival the morning sun. "Now come, let's cut the cake.”

Julia smiled at me sweetly and lit the candles.

“Now make a wish and blow the candles.” Lily said, smiling.

I looked at their smiling faces, overcome with emotion. Working for a werewolf pack wasn't always easy, but moments like these reminded me that I'd found a real family here.

I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. My mind drifted back to birthdays past, to a time when my parents were still alive. I remembered my 14th birthday, the last one we celebrated together. Mom had baked my favorite chocolate cake, and Dad had surprised me with a beautiful silver necklace. We'd spent the evening laughing and talking, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that would strike just months later. We lived in a small wolf village. We were so happy.

The memory of that terrible night came unbidden—the howls of rogue wolves, the screams, the chaos. I'd been paralyzed with fear, hidden in a closet as my world fell apart around me. When it was over, I emerged to find my parents gone, our pack decimated.

My aunt had found me, shell-shocked and alone. With no one else left, she'd brought me here, to this grand house where she worked as a maid. She had no one except me. I was grateful for her, for the home she'd given me when I had nothing left. But the pain of loss still ached, a constant companion these past four years.

"Amelia?" Lily's gentle voice pulled me from my reverie. "Are you okay?"

I blinked, realizing my cheeks were wet with tears. But as I looked around at the concerned faces of my friends, I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

"I'm more than okay," I said, wiping my eyes. "I'm just... overwhelmed. Thank you all so much for this."

Lily squeezed my hand. "We know how hard these past couple of years have been for you," she said softly. "We wanted to show you how much you mean to us."

I looked around at the faces of my friends. When I first arrived here, lost and broken, they had taken me in without hesitation. Lily, especially, had become like a sister to me.

"I don't know what to say," I managed, my voice thick with emotion.

"You don't have to say anything," piped up Harry, "Just?blow out your candles and make a wish!"

Laughter bubbled up inside me, chasing away the lingering sadness. I stepped up to the cake, candles flickering invitingly. Closing my eyes, I made a silent wish—not for myself, but for the continued safety and happiness of this makeshift family I'd found.

With a deep breath, I blew out the candles to a chorus of cheers.

They gave me gifts. Harry gave me a beautiful green knee length dress. Julia gave me beautiful earrings, and Lily gave me a beautiful scarf.

“Thank you so much!” I said to all of them, “It’s beautiful!” I managed to say, wiping away a happy tear. "This means more to me than you could ever know.”

Julia stepped forward, her eyes shining with sympathy and affection. She gently placed her hand on my back, her touch warm and comforting. "Oh, Amelia," she said, her voice tender. "You are making us all emotional."

I leaned into Julia's touch, drawing strength from her support. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I turned to face her more fully.

"I'm sorry," I said with a watery chuckle. "I didn't mean to set everyone off. It's just... I've never had anyone do something like this for me before. You've all made me feel so loved and appreciated. I don't know how I got so lucky to have friends like you. Thank you, for being my friend when I needed one most.”

Lily's eyes softened. "You don't have to thank me, Lily. That's what pack is for. We take care of each other."

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat again. "I miss them," I whispered, knowing she'd understand. "My parents, my pack. It feels like I'll never stop missing them."

"And you shouldn't," Lily said gently. "They'll always be a part of you. But Amelia, you have a family here too. We may not replace what you've lost, but we're here for you, always."

I pulled her into a tight hug, letting her words wash over me. She was right. The pain of my past would never fully fade, but I wasn't alone anymore. I had found a new pack, a new family.

Harry look at me, his words resonated deeply within me. "We are always with you. Remember this," he said, his voice full of sincerity and warmth. Harry reached out and took my hand. "Lily, you don't have to thank us. You're always there for us, always lending a helping hand."I nodded my head emotionally. Harry reached out and took my hand. “Amelia, you don't have to thank us. You're always there for us, always lending a helping hand." Today, I turned 19. And for the first time in four years, I felt truly at home..

“So let's eat cake!” Lily chirped and we all laughed.

As we ate the cake—which, not surprisingly, was the most delicious cake I've ever eaten—I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude. These people, who shared the challenging life of serving a werewolf pack, made me feel special and loved.

“So tell me what you wished for?” Lily asked excitedly and added, “ Did you wish for a handsome and powerful mate?”

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at my best friend's enthusiasm. “ No, I wished for a good and better life for all of us.”

Lily's face fell dramatically.“ What? You wasted your wish on that? At least you should have asked if your mate would be from the Red Moon pack. That place is crawling with handsome guys.” She complained.

“Mate would be someone the moon goddess has blessed us with. And it's already fated. Why waste a wish on something that's predetermined?” I said simply. They nodded at my words.

“Yeah, you’re right! Our mates are destined. Harry chimed in, “They are the other half of our souls.” He proudly grabbed Julia by her waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. Julia giggled, her cheeks flushing pink.

“Exactly, we can't deny it.” I agreed, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach at the thought of my own mate. I had full faith in the Moon Goddess that she would have chosen a good mate for me.

Lily sighed, admitting defeat. “Okay…okay..” Lily hadn't found her mate yet. She was always excited whenever we talked about mates. She hopped up onto one of the clean counters, swinging her legs. “But aren't you even a little curious about who he might be?”

Upon hearing Lily's words, both Harry and Julia turned their gaze towards me, their eyes filled with curiosity.

I paused, considering her question. At nineteen, I had reached the age when most werewolves found their fated mates. The thought both thrilled and terrified me about meeting my mate because I didn’t know what type of person he was! But I knew that our Moon Goddess. “Of course I’m curious,” I admitted. “But I trust that the Moon Goddess has chosen someone perfect for me, whoever he may be.”

“Well, I hope he's at least good-looking,” Lily teased, earning an eye roll from me.

“Okay guys, I have to finish my unfinished job, good night!” I said and hugged them one by one. They were my real friends whenever I was sad they were always with me and consoled me. When I had my first shift at the age of sixteen, they were with me and supported me. My first shift was very painful and unbearable. But I was very happy and excited to shift into my wolf form.

After a round of hugs and goodnights, I found myself alone in the kitchen once more and finished my unfinished work, humming. As I cleaned the last of the kitchen counters, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It had been a long night, but we had pulled it off successfully. Another successful party for the pack, and I had played my part in making it a success. Tired but satisfied, I was finally looking forward to getting some rest, at least until the next event.