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I was covered in face paint, glitter and sequins; yep, it was Annabelle's 6th birthday party and she had spent most of the time showing me off - her new best friend - to her guests. It was lovely to see such a big turnout for the young girl's party, but it also made me sad to see that hardly any of the guests were children her age. Unfortunately, shifter children were rare; just one of the reasons they were treasured and spoiled so much. Annabelle would never want for anything, but she wasn't a typical spoilt child in the least, seeming to really appreciate everything she had. Her eyes had lit up when she'd seen the whole town had turned out for the party, which was being held in the square in the town centre. There was a bouncy castle, a face painting stand, and a table piled high with gifts. Of course, each of the gifts were covered in bright pink wrapping paper. Nothing else would do for the birthday girl! There were a couple of children enjoying the bouncy castle, but the person who seemed to be enjoying it the most was Blake. Big surprise there. Seeing him interact with the young children made me smile, as he pretended to be hurt when they jumped all over him. Everyone was milling around, in high spirits despite the tension surrounding the community over the past few days. The enforcers were on full alert for an attack from the Grove Pack and it had taken every ounce of persuasion I had to convince Jackson to carry on with this party. His argument was that the whole town together would make us vulnerable, meaning a pack would be able to take us all out in one go. My argument, however, was that the people needed an event to lift their spirits and make them forget, even just for an hour, the drama that was unfolding. The party would show a unified pack and we would be together in one place, meaning every single enforcer could be keeping an eye on everyone in the town, without having to be split up throughout the forest. A few compliments about Jackson's enforcer's ability to be able to protect everyone, and a cheeky fumble in the kitchen, meant that he soon gave in and agreed to have the party. I was so glad he did, because seeing the happiness shining on Annabelle's face made the whole thing worthwhile.She had not stopped smiling the entire day, the joy radiating from her infectious to everyone else. Even moody pants Isaac had laughed along with everyone else at the party, and it was the first time I had actually seen him let his hair down. He had joined in with the party games, even giving me a hug when I arrived at the party which was the most surprising thing. Turned out that he now trusted me and the hostile glares and rude comments were a thing of the past.
I walked over the drinks table, starting to pour myself a glass of Coke, when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I'd know those arms anywhere. I tensed as Jackson placed a soft kiss on my shoulder, trying not to melt from the burn of his touch. Things had been going amazingly well throughout the past few weeks. We saw each other every day and spent every night wrapped up in each other's arms. I couldn't believe how much time I had wasted on someone like Craig, so happy to have found someone as amazing as Jackson. It wasn't just him who was having an effect on me though. Every person in the town, especially Jackson's family, had all found a place in my heart and I was so grateful to them for including me in everything and making me feel like a part of the family.
"You were right," he said, making me smile.
"As always." He turned me around so I was facing him, pulling me closer and leaning down so our noses were practically touching.
"The people needed this party. How did I get so lucky to find someone so much smarter than me?"
"I ask myself that every day."
He barked out a laugh, before giving me a sweet peck on the lips.
"How soon do you think we can sneak off?" He said, making me blush at what he was implying. God, he made me feel like a damn virgin.
"Well, considering Annabelle is standing over there and waving at me to have a go on the bouncy castle, I'd say not imminently."
I smiled as I saw Blake stood holding Annabelle, while she tried desperately to get my attention. I waved back, mouthing that I would be over in a moment, laughing at the pretty butterfly that has been drawn on Blake's face. The pink glitter really suited him.
"Damn, I should have known." Jackson said, pulling me in tighter for a hug. "That girl loves you so much, we'll never be able to get away until she falls asleep." He sighed as if annoyed, but the smile on his face betrayed him.
"Are you jealous of your six year old niece?"
"No way. She might get your attention during the day, but I get your undivided attention all night."
"Hmmm, I can't decide which one I find more fun."
"I think I can help you decide a bit later." He winked at me and kissed me again, before holding my hand as we walked towards Blake and Annabelle, who had been joined by Noah and Jasmine.
"Laura!" Annabelle shouted, jumping down from Blake's arm and running in to mine. I picked her up and was surprised by how heavy she was for such a dainty little thing. Or maybe I was just extremely weak. Yeah, that's probably it. I'd been curious as to if shifter children turned in to small wolves, asking Jasmine one night about how it all worked. She'd told me that all shifter children aged normally until they turned 18, when they would experience their first shift and the aging process would automatically begin to slow. I was pleased that Annabelle would get to experience a normal childhood just like anyone else before dealing with the dramas that came with being part animal.
"Will you come on the bouncy castle?! Blake's not allowed on it anymore because he's too big!" I laughed as I saw Blake's disgruntled face and he quickly tickled Annabelle causing her to squeal, before striding over to the food table.
I let Annabelle down and she ran straight for the castle, screaming the whole way.
"I'm loving this party. She's so excited she'll be asleep soon, which means I might actually get a few chapters of my book read tonight," smiled Jasmine, laughing when Noah yanked her in to his body.
"If Annabelle goes to bed early, there's no way I'm letting you read your book."
Jasmine blushed a deep red, before giving Noah a peck on the cheek, wandering off to make sure Annabelle hadn't been causing too much trouble.
"Any problems?" Jackson asked. I felt sad to see his serious face back on. I lived for those moments where he let himself go even if just for a minute, relaxing with everyone else. The situation at the moment though was dangerous, so I did understand his constant need to be on alert at all times.
Noah's eyes narrowed as he focused his gaze on his mate and daughter.
"Everything is quiet so far, but that worries me even more."
"I feel the same way. They have the perfect opportunity to strike at us when we are all together, and they don't have to split up their own forces to do it."
I went to walk away, feeling that this was a business conversation they wouldn't want me privy to, but Jackson just put his arm over my shoulder, holding me firm against his side. The gesture made me confident enough to join in with the conversation, reassuring me that Jackson saw me as his equal in all things.
"Maybe they are put off by the amount of your guys everywhere. They know the people are protected here."
"I guess," Noah said. "I've got a feeling though that something's going to happen. I'm not letting my girls out of my sight and as soon as Annabelle calms down and tires out, I'm wrapping up this party."
"That's cool," Jackson replied. "My men are keeping an eye on everything, you just try and enjoy yourself and let me know when you're heading out."
"Sure." They did that brotherly, man-hug that seemed to be so popular around here, before Noah strode with purpose towards his family. It was just Annabelle and Jasmine on the bouncy castle and their joyous laughter carried across the street. A pang hit my chest as I realised that that was exactly what I wanted. A family as close as that, with beautiful children who light up your day just by being there. Shifter children were rare and it was even more difficult between a shifter and a human. Would I ever have any of my own? I knew I should be freaking out about even thinking of having children when my relationship with Jackson was so new, but it didn't scare me as much as it should have. It felt right and I prayed that one day we would have what Noah and his family had. Annabelle looked up and noticed me, shouting for me to join her, so I shelved my contemplation of wanting Jackson forever and walked in her direction.