After the festivities had concluded, I saw the last guests approach the door and thanked them for coming.
“Eva had a wonderful time,” I told our neighbour Sara as she left. “Thank you for the storybooks; she’s already enjoying them.” As I waved goodbye, the evening air felt cool against my skin. As I turned to return inside, a prickling sensation in the back of my neck caused me to pause. Years of battle training had sharpened my instincts. Someone was watching.
I froze as I cast a casual glance at the treeline on the edge of our property.
Three figures stood half-hidden in the shadows, figures I could recognise anywhere, regardless of the years. Colton, Maddox, and Theodore.
I was 40 now, with silver strands in my hair and fine lines around my eyes. They were approaching fifty, and time had marked them even more severely.
Colton sat in a wheelchair, his once-strong frame weakened. The scene was so shocking that I had to look twice to believe it. The Alpha, who had once commanded respect by his mere presence, now appeared frail and dependent.
Maddox stood beside him, his posture rigid and proper, though his hair had greyed significantly. And Theo, who had always been the most physically active of the three, now had a slightly stooped posture, as if the weight of the years was heavy on his shoulders. They didn’t approach the house during the party. How long had they stood there, observing from a distance as my daughter celebrated her birthday? What right did they have to be present in her life, even as silent observers?
Our gazes met across the garden. I could see the moment they realised I had found them–a flicker of hope crossed their faces at the same time, so familiar it made my chest ache.
Theo grabbed Colton’s wheelchair handles and began pushing him forward, while Maddox hurried ahead with a stiff but purposeful gait. Each person held something in their hands.
“Wait,” Elias called from behind me. He appeared in the doorway, his body tensed. “Do you want me to send them away?”
I shake my head. “It’s okay. I’ll handle this.”
Eva looked around Elias’ legs, curious about the strangers. “Who are they, Mommy?”
“Old acquaintances,” I responded, my voice steady. “Go inside with Daddy. I’ll be right there.”
As they approached, I noticed Colton’s hands trembling slightly on the wheelchair’s armrests. Theo’s gaze darted anxiously between me and his brothers, and Maddox’s usual composure appeared brittle, almost shattering.
Maddox approached me first, wielding a carefully wrapped gift box as a shield.
“This is for your daughter,” he said, his voice carrying an unusual quaver. “We hope… hope she’ll like it.”
The uncertainty in his tone contrasted sharply with the confident man who had previously trained the pack’s elite warriors. His eyes were constantly searching my face for any sign of acceptance.
I paused. Part of me wanted to refuse, telling them they had no right to give my child gifts. But another part of me felt compelled to reach out, perhaps because I remembered what it was like to be loved by these men.
“Thank you,” I said in a neutral tone as I accepted the box.
Maddox’s face showed palpable relief. Colton, who had arrived now, looked up from his wheelchair, his eyes brightening. He quickly held out a bouquet of wildflowers, the same type that had grown near our childhood home.
“After all this time,” he said, his voice raspier than I remembered, “we still… wanted to congratulate you.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant congratulations on my daughter, my mating with Elias, or my professional accomplishments. Maybe all of them. Years of missed milestones rolled into a single gesture.
