8. Levi

I pulledup my car in my brother Dan"s garage and let out a sigh.

It wasn"t that I wasn"t looking forward to celebrating Dan"s birthday with his family, it was just... there was a missing component. Luca.

I couldn"t shake the image of how nice it would"ve been to bring my prospective mage husband along.

I imagined Luca being apprehensive about attending the party, and me kissing him to reassure him there was nothing to be nervous about.

My fantasy was abruptly interrupted when my nephew knocked on my car door.

I grinned at Dave, then got out of the car and swung him into a hug. Dave laughed, then began tugging my hand towards the house.

"Wait, I need to get your dad"s present," I said, remembering the mugs Luca and I had purchased at the farmer"s market just yesterday.

"What did you get Dad?" Dave asked curiously as I retrieved the mugs.

Once again, my mind drifted to our date. I couldn"t help but reminisce about how carefree and relaxed Luca seemed.

Despite what he endured the day before, he remained cheerful, and although I could tell he was hurt, he never once showed it.

I also couldn"t shake the memory of Luca mentioning his ‘meeting' and the way he avoided my gaze when he said it. My suspicions gnawed at me.

Owen had mentioned off-hand that this arrangement wasn"t completely finalized. There were other members of Fergus" coven who didn"t agree with our proposed alliance.

Luca also mentioned he had another marriage candidate to consider. He'd been nothing but upfront with me.

Still, the thought of Luca with someone else ignited a surge of anger and possessiveness within me, despite knowing I had no right to feel that way.

Luca wasn"t mine, not officially at least. Fight for him, my inner fox urged. Fight for him or regret it for the rest of our lives. And I couldn"t ignore the truth in its words.

"Uncle Levi?" Dave"s voice pulled me from my reverie, and I realized I had left him hanging.

"What"s wrong?" Dave may have only been ten, but he was perceptive.

He knew when something was on my mind. I flashed him a reassuring smile.

"What I got your dad"s a secret. You"ll find out eventually," I told him.

"Not fair," he grumbled.

"Come on, let"s head inside, kiddo," I said, ruffling his hair affectionately as we made our way into the house.

Despite my worries, I knew I had to push them aside for now and focus on celebrating Dan"s birthday with the family.

Dave led me to the living room, bubbling with excitement to show me his new video game. We dove into the racing game together, our laughter filling the room as we competed for victory.

Our game was abruptly interrupted when Marie, Dan"s wife, walked in. I stood from the couch, giving her a warm hug as she entered.

Her grip tightened on my arm, and she leaned in to whisper, "Just a friendly warning, but Dan has a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" I echoed. "Even though it"s his birthday?"

Marie nodded. "You need any help in the kitchen?" I offered.

"Nope, I got this," she replied confidently, shooing me away.

Marie disappeared back into the kitchen.

As soon as she vanished from sight, the living room door swung open, revealing my brother Dan, wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Beside him stood a ginger-haired omega in his late twenties, nervously fiddling with his tie.

Who wore a tie and suit to a casual birthday party? I couldn"t help but wonder. My annoyance spiked as the realization hit me.

This was what Marie meant by surprise. My brother had brought a blind date for me... on his birthday.

I had thought this day was for family only. Did he not think I could get my own dang dates? And who was this guy, anyway?

"This is Jon, we work together at the office," Dan introduced the omega with a wide smile.

"Uh, nice to meet you, Jon," I managed through gritted teeth, extending a hand.

Dan"s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he observed my strained demeanor.

"Dan, a word?" I said tersely, grabbing his arm and leading him to his office before he could protest.

Once inside, I couldn"t contain my frustration any longer.

"What the heck, Dan? I was looking forward to spending time with you and your family, and then you bring this... guy here?" I demanded, unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

Dan frowned, clearly taken aback by my outburst.

"I thought you"d be happy. I did you a favor, man," he muttered.

I reined in my anger, reminding myself that today was Dan"s birthday. The last thing I wanted to do was fight with my brother and ruin his special day.

But my mind kept straying back to Luca, and this time, I pictured how awkward things would"ve been if I had brought him here since Dan had brought Jon.

It would"ve been an absolute disaster.

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness, Dan, but I don"t need you arranging dates for me," I said firmly, trying to explain myself.

"I disagree. You need all the help you can get. You said so yourself during our last phone call," Dan countered. "And besides, Jon"s a really nice guy, Levi. He"s had a string of bad relationships but is seriously looking to settle down."

His words struck a chord with me, and I suddenly felt a pang of guilt for the way I reacted.

Maybe Jon was a decent guy, as my brother claimed. But my thoughts were consumed by someone else, a certain mage who had been occupying my mind day and night.

Before I could respond, Dan continued, "I mean, weren"t you even planning on moving back here because things at Fox Haven weren"t working out for you?"

"Well, things have changed," I replied, hesitating.

I wanted to tell him about Owen"s plan for an alliance, about Luca, but before I could, there was a knock on the door.

Marie peeked in, breaking the tension. "Are you two done with your talk? The food"s getting cold," she said with a smile.

I apologized profusely to Marie and realized that my conversation with Dan would have to wait.

We entered the dining room, and the delicious aroma of the spread made my stomach growl in anticipation.

"You and Dad took your time," Dave complained, shooting me a scowl.

I grinned, pulling the boy close and mussing his hair. Dave huffed and attempted to fix his tousled locks, shooting me an indignant look.

"Marie, you"ve outdone yourself as always," I remarked, admiring the impressive array of dishes laid out on the table.

"She always does," Dan chimed in, his voice filled with affection as he swept his wife and mate into a warm embrace.

Marie blushed, her cheeks tinged pink as Dan pressed a kiss to her lips. Dave groaned in mock disgust, and I couldn"t help but chuckle.

Their easy affection was something I"d always admired, and seeing it firsthand only intensified my desire for a similar connection in my own life.

It was one of the reasons I had moved packs, after all—to find my mate, my other half. For a while, I had feared it was a lost cause, but meeting Luca had reignited my hope.

But then I noticed Jon, lurking uncomfortably in one corner of the room. Right, I had nearly forgotten about him.

His discomfort was palpable, and he avoided meeting my gaze when he caught me looking in his direction.

I couldn"t help but wonder if he had overheard my conversation with Dan earlier. If he had, I couldn"t imagine how awkward he must be feeling right now.

Coming to a colleague"s family event and taking a chance like this wasn"t easy, and I suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the guy.

"Levi, can you help me with the cake?" Marie asked. "Sure thing," I answered.

As Marie and I made our way to the kitchen, I momentarily forgot about Jon as she set about lighting the candles on an impressive chocolate cake—Dan"s favorite.

"Dan was just worried about you, that"s all," Marie murmured softly as she worked.

I paused, surprised by her insight.

"You heard?" I asked, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

"We all heard, including that poor omega," she said.

I winced at the realization that my conversation with Dan hadn"t been as private as I"d thought.

"So, you finally found someone?" Marie asked, a smile tugging at her lips as she changed the subject.

"I did. Luca's amazing, and I"ve never felt this way about anyone before," I admitted, a rush of warmth flooding through me as I spoke of Luca.

Marie nodded in satisfaction. "I see. That"s wonderful for you, Levi. You should tell Dan that," she suggested.

"Come on, let"s bring the cake before they start wondering what we"re gossiping about," she added, lightening the mood as she gestured for me to help her carry the cake to the table.

As we set the cake down and watched Dan"s face light up with joy as he blew out the candles, I couldn"t help but feel a surge of nostalgia.

It reminded me of the birthdays we had celebrated as kids, and in that moment, I made a silent vow to myself.

Next year, I would definitely want to share this moment with my family—and with Luca by my side.

As the party continued, I couldn"t shake the sight of Jon attempting to slip away unnoticed.

I sympathized with his predicament, but I didn"t want him to leave feeling rejected. So, I excused myself from the festivities and followed him out the back door.

"Jon, wait," I called after him, and he paused, turning to face me with a wary expression.

"I"m sorry tonight didn"t turn out the way you were hoping," I started, feeling a pang of guilt for the awkward situation.

"Yeah, that"s okay. These things happen," Jon muttered, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"I hadn"t told my brother I met someone, and I regret that. You would"ve been spared this," I confessed, gesturing back towards the house.

"It"s okay. It"s a lovely home, and you seem like a great guy. I wish you all the best," Jon replied, offering me a small smile.

"You, too. I"m sure you"ll find your mate," I said, extending my hand.

Jon seemed surprised by the gesture but shook my hand nonetheless. When I returned to the kitchen, Dan was waiting for me.

"You handled that well," Dan remarked, his tone sincere. "I"m impressed. My little brother has matured."

I squinted at him, trying to figure out if he was joking, but his expression seemed sincere. I relaxed a bit, realizing he meant what he said.

"Yeah, well, you"re right. Jon seems nice," I replied.

"Marie tells me you met someone. Luca?" Dan ventured. "He"s the reason you"ve decided not to move back here?"

I recounted the offer from Owen and meeting Luca, bracing myself for Dan"s reaction.

"A mage?" Dan"s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow. I would never have expected that."

I tensed, waiting for Dan to tell me it was a bad idea, that shifters and mages generally didn"t mix well. But instead, Dan placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and looked me straight in the eyes.

"You sure?" he asked softly.

"Pretty confident he"s my mate," I said without hesitation, "But there are some obstacles," I added, thinking of Luca"s mysterious ‘meeting' the next day.

"Well, I"m sure you"ll overcome them, whatever they are," Dan said.

"I"m glad one of us is overconfident," I muttered with a wry smile.

Opening up to Dan felt surprisingly comforting. Our relationship had drifted when I moved to Fox Haven, but now, it felt like we were reconnecting in a meaningful way.

"Levi," Dan said. "Even when we were kids, when you set your sights on something, someone, you always went for it without hesitation. That"s one of the qualities I envied about you. So go get your mage."

I couldn"t help but grin at his words, though deep down, I knew the path ahead wouldn"t be easy.

If only things were as simple as Dan made them out to be.