Chapter 112 - Friday Celebration

Tons of kisses and cuddles with his mate wasn't the only tradition Ryan had going for his birthday. As it turned out, not only were his parents ready to spend his seventeenth birthday with him, but they had decided that his temporary homecoming called for more than just a little family reunion.

When Evan and Ryan reappeared in the kitchen, they found Natalie there with Angie, preparing snacks.

"What's all this?" Ryan asked, sweeping his eyes over the various bowls and plates.

"I hope you didn't think we'd forgotten your birthday party." His mum brought a mini sandwich to his lips, which he immediately took and bit into, holding it between his fingers. Judging by the look on his face, he definitely had no qualms about the snack she'd prepared. As well as the mini-sandwiches, there were tortilla chips with various dips, chicken nuggets, pigs in a blanket and cupcakes. There was also a bowl of popcorn and a platter of fruit for a healthy option. "We invited your friends over. I'm sure they'd love to see you."

"Thanks, Mum." Judging by Ryan's surprised smile, he hadn't expected anything like that, but he certainly wasn't going to protest. And neither was Evan. Although he was used to not getting along with wolves his age in his own pack, he couldn't wait to meet Ryan's friends. After all, his mate had good taste.

"I've already managed to find out if Tommy's coming too," Angie revealed as she popped a piece of apple into her mouth. She was in the process of placing the fruit on the plate and letting her creativity work its magic.

"It would be a great coincidence if Angie's mate was in our pack." Natalie seemed to welcome the possibility.

"That would be cool." Evan agreed, although he had his doubts. After all, until recently his best friend's words had suggested that she thought her mate belonged to their own pack.

"I think so too." Encouraged by his mum's sandwich, Ryan took a cupcake from the counter that wasn't prepared on a decorative tray. "Where are Dad and Michael?"

"They're outside setting up the tables and decorations," came the reply. Evan was surprised that they hadn't heard any of this, but since they were engrossed in each other's presence, it wasn't too shocking.

Ryan held out his hand with a treat and Evan didn't hesitate to take a bite. His mother wasn't big on baking, and even though he'd had cake yesterday, cupcakes were one of the things he never refused.

One bite was all it took and, carried away by the delicious taste of the frosting, he declared with his mouth full, "These are really good."

Instead of reprimanding him, Natalie laughed at his reaction. "Thank you. I'd like to say it's a family recipe, but I actually found it on the internet."

"The internet is the best cookbook in the world," Angie declared. "Especially video recipes."

"I agree." Natalie nodded. "Even though I'm 41, I'm still learning new things from social media. It's how I learned to make perfectly round cookies."

"With a glass?" Angie seemed to know exactly what Natalie meant.

"Exactly."

Evan gave Ryan a quick look, but he just shrugged, having no idea what they were talking about either. The important thing was that the two of them seemed to get along and have fun together.

"Who's all comin'?" Ryan asked, bringing up the previous topic.

"It's a surprise," his mum replied with a smile. "Everyone important that you want Evan to meet," she added as he kept his eyes on her, waiting to see if she would reveal more.

It looked like that was enough of an answer for him. "Should I change into something more presentable?" Ryan lowered his head to his outfit, which consisted of a simple sweatshirt and jeans.

"Anything you like," came the reply from Natalie. "It's your party after all." Another response Evan could only hope for in vain from his parents.

"What about me?" Evan turned to his mate with the question, then lowered his gaze, looking down at the all-black outfit. "Enough to make a good first impression?"

"You always look good," Ryan assured him without hesitation.

"Ryan's opinion is biased," Angie pointed out.

Evan turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have any objections?"

Brown eyes scanned him from head to toe and her expression was pensive for a moment. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "You look the same as you always do. They'll see you as we see you every day."

"Handsome," Ryan added.

"I meant dressed all in black, but sure, that works too," Angie chuckled.

"You don't need a fancy shirt, honey," Natalie assured him. "They'll all see how Ryan lights up around you and they won't care what you wear."

This time it was the ink-haired boy whose cheeks had turned crimson.

"We're going to have to tear them apart to get anyone a chance to talk to them," Angie interjected, putting another piece of fruit on the plate and one in her mouth.

"Now you're making it sound like we have separation anxiety." Evan gave her a look that suggested her claim was an exaggeration. Judging by the expression on his mate's face, he thought otherwise.

"Ah, young love. Not that love between mates fades so easily, but when you're 20 years younger and still getting to know each other, there's something so exciting about it," Natalie chimed in.

"I can't wait to feel it myself." Angie sounded hopeful. Natalie moved closer and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "It won't be long now, you'll see. Someone great is waiting for you."

Angie put her hand on hers and smiled. "Hopefully someone as great as your son." Then she laughed. "If you have a secret son, now would be a good time to come clean."

Natalie was more than amused at her suggestion and began to laugh. "Believe me, there was no secret pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Ryan, I put on 26 pounds. Nothing to hide." She patted her flat stomach.

"I feel like this is my chance to ask what Ryan was like when he was little." Evan immediately seized on her words.

Judging by the smile on Natalie's face after his question, he had chosen the right time to ask. "My favourite subject," she confirmed verbally for him as well.

"Nothing embarrassing, Mum," her son warned her.

"As if I have any embarrassing stories about you." She waved her hand at him.

"Michael's already managed to tell me something about his phases," Evan admitted, revealing part of where Ryan's fears were coming from.

"Ah." Natalie's smile became more tender and nostalgic. "My little dinosaur."

Evan pressed a kiss to Ryan's blushing cheek and pulled him closer by his waist, running his thumb down Ryan's back to reassure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of. There was nothing about him that Evan could find embarrassing, only adorable. His sweet Pachycephalosaurus.

"It was so sweet. He was convinced that dinosaurs were good—except for the T-Rex." Natalie moved closer to her son and stroked his hair, running her hand softly down his cheek to his chin, which she gently squeezed between her fingers. "Then I made the mistake of playing him a seemingly innocent cartoon about little dinosaurs." She turned to the others.

"The Land Before Time," Ryan revealed as Evan turned to him, a question in his eyes.

It took Evan exactly three seconds to associate the title with a mental image that transported him more than a decade back in time—to the exact moment he saw Littlefoot's mom die on the screen. Although it was an old cartoon, definitely older than Evan himself, he knew it by heart thanks to Riley.

"I cried like a baby when Littlefoot's mom died," he admitted aloud.

"If we could've shared a sight back then, you'd have had a double experience," Ryan assured him immediately.

"And I have no idea what you're talking about," Angie chimed in.

"Be glad for that," Natalie said right away. "For a cartoon meant for kids, it's pretty traumatic—especially when you then have to explain the circle of life to a child."

"My cousin did it for me," Evan revealed. "He was 11 and babysat me since my parents weren't home. He forgot about that scene, and when I started crying and asking him to call my mom to make sure she was okay, he had to save the situation somehow."

"Your cousin sounds like a great young man." Natalie gave him a warm smile, unaware she had just nearly stumbled upon a Bludd family secret.

"He is," Evan nodded with a smile, not revealing more. Today was about Ryan and his birthday—not anything that might spoil the mood. "I'm sure Ryan knows what I'm talking about since he has Michael."

From the way Natalie's eyes lit up, he'd picked the right topic. "You should have seen them when they were kids. You said Michael told you about Ryan's phases? Did he also tell you it took Ryan exactly five minutes and some puppy dog eyes to convince him to join in?"

Angie reacted first, leaning sideways against the counter with a chuckle to get a better view of Natalie. "Tell me more."

"The first was the astronaut phase. Ryan liked to run away as a toddler, so we tried to convince him to stay in the stroller in crowded places where he could easily get lost. It was an impossible task—until Oscar invented the astronaut game. The stroller became a spaceship, and if little Ryan didn't want to get lost in space with aliens, he had to stay seated in it," Natalie began, and though Ryan looked embarrassed, Evan's hand on his back, stroking gently, reassured him he had no reason to feel ashamed.

"The problem came when Ryan wanted to play this game at home too. He'd sit in the stroller, and Michael had to push him. They both got space helmets for Christmas that year," Natalie finished with a nostalgic smile.

"That sounds adorable," Angie commented.

"Do you have any pictures?" Evan immediately seized the opportunity to ask.

"Of course," Natalie replied enthusiastically. "A whole photo album."

"Mom." Ryan spoke up, and his tone made it clear he wasn't thrilled with the idea. His mom quickly adjusted her response, adding, "Ryan will show it to you when he wants to."

"Maybe later," the black-haired boy offered in reply. Evan decided to show him that he wasn't going to push it and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "No rush, love."

"Of course," his mom chimed in. "First, you have a whole party to attend." Then she picked up the tray of decorated cupcakes. "Help me take all this out?"

Even though all three of them took some plates and bowls, they still couldn't carry everything Natalie and Angie had prepared. So they decided to take what they could for now and come back for the rest when they were empty-handed.

Outside in the garden, things were gradually coming together. Wooden tables with white floral tablecloths were set up to one side. Paper party cups and plates with Happy Birthday written on them were laid out. Not only on the tables but also hanging from the trees were lights, and there were colorful paper garlands and lanterns to make it clear that it was a celebration. The golden balloons in the shape of 17 tied everything together.

"Wow. When did you manage to get it all ready?" Ryan turned to his dad right after placing the food he was carrying on the table.

"We knew you were coming in advance. Everything was hidden in the garage. Hope you didn't think we'd miss the opportunity to throw you a grand party," Oscar explained.

Ryan shook his head in disbelief, but from the way he smiled, he was more than satisfied with what he saw around him. "You didn't have to."

His father walked closer to him and pulled him into a side hug, causing him to change his response to, "Thanks, guys. It's perfect."

"Worthy of our great son," Oscar responded immediately, running his hand up and down his arm in a gesture of parental affection.

Evan decided to let Ryan enjoy his time with his parents, and he and Angie returned to the kitchen for the rest of the snacks.

Shortly after everything was ready, the first guests began to arrive. And as it turned out, while Ryan was friends with the teenagers in his pack, his parents were friends with their parents.

Lia and her parents were the first to arrive. She was a petite blonde with shoulder-length hair and large blue eyes that were adorned with black eyeliner. The moment she saw Ryan, she threw her arms around his neck.

Evan almost couldn't hold back the growl that tore from his throat. Though he was aware that it was a friendly gesture, his wolf disagreed, demanding that he step in and pull them apart.

In the end, however, it was unnecessary as Lia herself realized what she had done wrong. "I'm sorry." She turned to Evan in alarm. "I didn't realize. I'm just glad to see him. We didn't see each other over Christmas break since I was out of town, so I was overwhelmed with joy." She sounded genuinely sorry, so Evan decided to give her a chance.

"The last time we saw each other was when she walked me to the bus and we said goodbye," Ryan added.

"I see." Evan gave him a brief nod before turning to the blonde with a friendly smile. "Sounds like you've got the same task as me in North Hallson. Ensuring Ryan gets on the bus safely."

Lia's panic turned into a soft smile at his words. "I guess I'm relieved of that duty now that you're here together. Although I do have another person I'm going to miss now. I'm Lia." She offered him her hand and Evan immediately took it.

"Evan," he introduced himself. "I heard Ryan and you used to run together. I hope you don't mind if I want to join you."

"Of course not," she responded immediately, her smile widening. Although her enthusiasm might have been feigned and Evan wouldn't have known it, since he didn't know her, he doubted that was the case. Ryan was the nicest person he knew, so he could easily imagine the type of friends he kept close to him. "I'll be more than happy to. The more the merrier."

"I'm glad you say that, since I brought my best friend and Ryan brought his cousin. We couldn't leave anyone behind," he laughed.

"Michael's here?" Lia's blue eyes sparkled with a strange gleam that Evan could only explain in one way. One look at his mate assured him he'd guessed correctly.

"He's in the kitchen with Angie," Ryan revealed to her, waving his thumb in the direction of the house.

"Would you mind...?" Lia didn't even finish her question, but Ryan nodded and she immediately took advantage of that to walk around them and disappear inside the house.

"Does she have a crush on Michael?" Evan decided to ask aloud as well.

"Since we were kids," Ryan replied with amusement. "When Michael turned 18 and Lia found out she wasn't his mate, she was terribly disappointed. She even had a ship name made up for them - Mica."

Evan knew exactly how to answer that, but he didn't dare do it too loudly, so he leaned closer, resting his side against his boyfriend's chest. "Well, in that case, I don't think she'll be happy to see Mangie."

Evan still had a theory that Angie harbored feelings for Michael—feelings that were probably reciprocated—but neither of them dared to act on them, as it would almost certainly end in heartbreak. Still, he never said anything out loud or offered advice, since Angie hadn't confided in him. Respecting her boundaries, he chose to keep his observations to himself.

"Michael doesn't know how to act around Lia," Ryan revealed. "He always gives her short answers and almost doesn't seem to notice she's fond of him." Although his tone remained cheerful, his expression shifted as he bit his lip, a flicker of concern appearing in his eyes.

"What is it?" Evan asked, mirroring his frown.

"I hope Lia doesn't think anything of the way Angie and Michael are treating each other and say something inappropriate," Ryan explained, and Evan understood immediately. Ryan was worried that someone might mistake Angie and Michael for mates. Although Angie probably wouldn't have minded (at least not in the same way that Michael did), in Ryan's cousin's case, there were more negative emotions at stake, and they had nothing to do with anger.

"Should we...?" Evan began, but he didn't have time to finish as the door opened again, and Lia, Michael, and Angie walked out together. Their laughter and animated conversation quickly dispelled any concerns.

"I see you've gotten to meet Angie," Ryan said, deciding to join in.

"She's great," Lia replied immediately, her wide smile lighting up her face. The brunette at her side nodded in agreement. "If we had more she-wolves like her in the pack, it'd make it a lot more livable."

"Maybe I can visit you in North Hallson sometime." Lia immediately seized on this information and ran with it. While Angie seemed thrilled with the suggestion, Michael had a different reaction, his eyes widening comically for a few brief seconds. Evan barely suppressed a chuckle.

"We'll be more than happy to," Ryan assured her. "But we'll need to figure out some sleeping arrangements."

"No need," Angie waved her hand dismissively. "Lia could sleep at my house. My parents will be thrilled that I'm finally bringing a girl friend instead of Evan."

"Hey!" He objected immediately.

Angie laughed but then raised an eyebrow. "You're forgetting the conversation when we were 13, and they sat us both on the bed, followed by the most embarrassing moment of my life."

"I definitely need to hear that," Lia said, and even Michael nodded in agreement.

Angie laughed, then ran a hand over her face with a groan. "My parents decided that since Evan and I were officially teenagers, it was time for them to set the rules for us." She made air quotes over the word rules with her fingers. "In the most awkward conversation of our lives, when everyone was hoping they'd rather be swallowed by the earth, they started explaining that our bodies were changing—and that our feelings were changing with them. And even though we wouldn't find our mates so soon, that didn't mean we didn't have obligations to them. After they told us we couldn't sleep in the same bed anymore and should leave the door slightly ajar, Evan and I immediately understood where they were going with this."

"Oh my god," Lia responded with a laugh, and the Saunders cousins looked just as amused as she was. The only one who wasn't amused by the story was Evan, who remembered it with the same horror he'd felt at the time.

"Worst moment of my life," he agreed with Angie.

The second person Evan met that day, who joined their conversation a few minutes later, was Emma. Unlike Lia, she wore a floral dress and a red knit sweater, with a bow in her hair. She was the very definition of feminine, and that impression was completed by her long, wavy hair that cascaded down her back.

In her hands, she held a neatly wrapped present, which she handed to Ryan. Unlike Lia, she greeted him with words and a smile instead of a hug. "I hope you like it," she told him.

"Definitely," the black-haired boy assured her. Right then, he took over the introductions. "This is my mate, Evan. Evan, this is my friend, Emma."

They shook hands, and she gave him the same pleasant smile she had given Ryan.

"This is Angie, Evan's best friend," Lia continued with more introductions. It seemed like Angie's dream of having lots of girl friends was coming true.

"It's nice to meet you both." Emma then turned to Michael. "Michael, it's been a long time. It's good to see you again." She gave him the same friendly smile, but unlike Lia, there didn't seem to be anything more behind it.

It didn't take long for their group to grow a whole lot bigger. And not just by another girl—Cora, whom Ryan wasn't sure would have time before, had arrived as well. As it turned out, Cora was training to join the pack's medics and was helping out at the wolf clinic to learn more about supernatural anatomy, while also preparing to study medicine.

She was just as ambitious as Ryan, so Evan wasn't surprised they were friends.

In addition to her, Tommy and Bradley had also arrived. Ryan and Tommy immediately greeted each other enthusiastically, but Evan noticed he was slightly surprised by Bradley's presence. Later, he found out that it was because he and Ryan weren't that close and usually only saw each other at pack meetings. Nevertheless, Bradley had decided to show up and tell Ryan that he had missed his presence.

Evan, on the other hand, wasn't at all surprised by this, knowing full well how he felt in his own pack without Ryan in it. He was simply irreplaceable, whether as a mate or a friend. The fact that he didn't realize it and that it didn't inflate his ego was just a bonus.

After all of Ryan's pack mates had arrived, it was time for the birthday cake. Unlike yesterday, Ryan didn't make a wish out loud while blowing out the candles, but Evan had no doubt that his wish was something similar. After all, his smile, as he scanned the garden full of his loved ones, suggested as much.

That night, as they lay in bed, basking in the moonlight that reached them even through the curtains, Evan discovered the true extent of his joy at coming home and celebrating.

"I still can't believe you're here," Ryan whispered. They lay facing each other, so Evan could feel the movement of his lips—a fleeting touch, like a feather on his own.

"I'd go anywhere for you," Evan replied, keeping his voice just as soft. Golden eyes stared into his, shining in the darkness of the room, and even though they were so close, they still tried to catch every detail of each other. Two souls connected by a single glance.

"For now, you just need to be here with me." Ryan pulled their joined palms closer to his face and pressed a tender kiss to Evan's knuckles.

"When will that stop being enough?" Evan asked, amusement in his voice.

"Never." And his words were solidified with a kiss.