Moonlight Betrayal
Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Kaeleen’s POV

The first thing I registered when I woke up was the silence. Not the comfortable, early-morning quiet of the pack house, but a hollow silence. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. A single text from Serena.

’Happy birthday, little brother.’

A small, humorless smile touched my lips. Trust Serena to be the first to wish me a happy birthday. I tossed the phone back on the bed and rolled over. I quickly had a bath and changed my clothes and went searching for Astrid.

I found her in the kitchen, laughing about something with one of the cooks. She looked up as I entered, her face breaking into that smile that still had the power to stop my heart.

"Good morning," she said, her voice bright and cheerful.

And that was it. Just... ’good morning’.

A strange, cold knot formed in my stomach. I know I’m not one for big celebrations. I’ve spent most of my birthdays actively avoiding any fuss. But this was different. This was the first one with her. I thought... I don’t know what I thought. Maybe just a word. A look. Something to acknowledge that today was different from yesterday. But her eyes held nothing but their usual morning warmth. It was like she’d forgotten.

The feeling followed me to the office, a dull, persistent ache behind my ribs. Alex had called in sick, his voice on the phone sounding suspiciously sounding well for a man supposedly laid low by a fever. It meant I was left to handle the final preparations for the new software release alone. The day dragged on, a monotonous cycle of code reviews, server checks, and endless emails. The hours bled into one another, marked only by the shifting light outside my window.

Every time my phone buzzed, a stupid, hopeful flicker ignited in my chest, only to be extinguished when it was just another work notification. By the time the clock on my screen ticked past eight in the evening, the office was a ghost town. The cleaning crew had come and gone. The only sounds were the hum of the servers and the frantic typing of my own fingers.

I finally leaned back, rubbing a hand over my tired face. The hollow feeling from the morning had settled deep in my gut, heavy and cold. This was it. My birthday. Spent alone in a silent office, feeling like a fool for wanting something I’d never cared about before.

The drive back to the pack house was quiet. I didn’t bother with the radio. I just drove, the disappointment a bitter taste in my mouth. As I turned onto the long driveway, a prickle of unease ran down my spine. It was too quiet. The pack house, usually a beacon of light and activity, was dark. No lights shone from the windows, no figures milled about on the lawns. My wolf, Ryker, stirred restlessly, his senses on high alert. Something was wrong.

I parked the car and approached the main entrance with caution, my hand already reaching for the door, ready to shift if I had to. The silence was absolute, unnatural. I pushed the heavy oak doors open and stepped into the pitch-black foyer.

The second my foot crossed the threshold, the world exploded.

"SURPRISE!"

Lights blazed to life, blinding me for a second. The roar of a hundred voices hit me like a physical blow. My heart hammered against my ribs, instincts screaming at the sudden ambush. I froze, my body tensed for a fight, my eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden onslaught of light and sound.

The grand hall was packed with faces I knew, pack members, friends, even Jonathan and Marcus, who were supposed to be back in Montana were all there, grinning at me. My initial shock morphed into a deep, furrowed frown of confusion.

"What the hell is all this?" I asked, my voice coming out as a low growl.

The crowd parted like the sea, and then I saw her.

She moved through the space she’d created, and every coherent thought in my head evaporated. She was wearing a gown the color of an emerald forest, the silk clinging to her body in a way that was both elegant and sinfully provocative. It hugged her waist, flared out at her hips, and showcased the gentle swell of her breasts with a neckline that was a masterpiece of suggestion. A slit ran high up one thigh, giving a tantalizing glimpse of her long, smooth leg with every step she took. Her hair was styled in soft waves that cascaded over her bare shoulders, and her eyes... her eyes were locked on mine, sparkling with a triumphant, loving light.

The breath I didn’t realize I was holding left me in a rush. The frown on my face melted away, replaced by a slow-dawning, incredulous smile.

She stopped just before me, the scent of her wildflowers and something uniquely, intoxicatingly Astrid washing over me.

"You," I breathed, the word full of awe and dawning realization. "You did all this."

Her answering laugh was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It was rich and confident and full of a joy that lit her up from the inside out.

"Happy birthday, Kaeleen," she said, her voice a low, intimate murmur that was meant only for me, despite the hundred pairs of eyes watching us.

I didn’t need another invitation. I closed the distance between us in a single step, my hands finding her waist, pulling her flush against me. The silk of her dress was cool and smooth beneath my palms.

"You little sneak," I murmured against her lips, my own laughter bubbling up, chasing away the last of the day’s cold loneliness.

And then I kissed her.

It wasn’t a gentle peck on the cheek. It was a kiss of overwhelming relief, of profound gratitude, of a love so deep it felt like it was rewriting my entire being. It was the taste of coming home after a long, lonely day. The roar of the crowd, the music that started to play, it all faded into a distant hum. At that moment, there was only her. The feel of her body molded to mine, the soft sigh that escaped her lips, the way her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer. She was the architect of my happiness, and I had never felt more completely, devastatingly, wonderfully surprised in my entire life.