Aysel's POV "Lately, is everyone having birthdays all at once?" I murmured, sitting cross-legged on the living room rug, staring at the pile of invitations before me. Besides the upcoming celebration for Bastien, some ambitious wolves, desperate to get close to Magnus, had tried other routes-sending invitations straight to me. Magnus was usually low-key, but with me... he made no effort to hide it. Anyone outside our den knew already-I was his lifeline, his pivot point. "Don't worry about the ones you don't want to attend," Magnus said, emerging from the kitchen with two glasses of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. His scent, warm and familiar, wrapped around me as he settled onto the rug beside me, pulling me into his lap. Around us, the floor was scattered with books, sketchpads, Legos, chess pieces, toys of all kinds. Rarely did Magnus take a full day off, but today we were two wolves regressing to puphood, tangled in games and laughter. I picked up one invitation from Serena-some entertainment yacht gala-and my eyes went wide. "Ah-" I gasped. Without missing a beat, Magnus brought the glass of juice to my lips. I sipped, the tangy citrus sliding down, feeling his eyes on me, amused. "Depends on your schedule," I said finally. "Go if it seems worthwhile to you. If not... I'm not going." Serena's little gala? I could handle that on my own. Magnus leaned in, pressing a kiss to my soft cheek, then reached for another invitation I'd tossed aside. It was from the Moonvale Pack itself-Luna Evelyn's birthday. He frowned slightly, tossing the card aside. They really didn't give up easily. I leaned back against his chest, brushing a finger over the card. "No need to maintain contact with those who've severed ties, but a gift... a small one can't hurt." My eyes glinted mischievously. I knew that Celestine had been playing submissive, slowly pacifying the once bitter, hostile Moonvale wolves. She even found excuses to blend into the pack's company-can't dance, no shares, gotta work for a living-her wolf slipping through cracks. Pack politics were always flexible; bonds could be tightened or loosened, depending on need. My elder sister couldn't have it so easy. And those Moonvale wolves? How dare they celebrate a birthday without weight, without consequence? Some secrets were about to be revealed, I thought, smiling to myself. Magnus nodded and tossed the invitation aside with a faint scowl. "Daron!" he called. The wolf padded over with practiced ease to handle the discarded card. I shot him a sideways glance for letting Magnus boss him around, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to his broad, furry head. "Good boy," I cooed. "You get a big bone tonight." I glanced at Magnus. "Let your naughty master stew it herself." Magnus grumbled behind me, burying his muzzle in my shoulder, his warm scent mingling with mine. "Baby... could we maybe not have you kiss him next time?" Because of me, he'd accidentally kissed Daron more times than he'd like to admit. And no matter how loyal, no matter how much a wolf, those kisses belonged to me, not another being-even a dog. I laughed, pressing a hand to his strong arm encircling my waist. "Magnus... you're such a jealous wolf." He captured my lips in a soft, teasing kiss. "You can be jealous too. I love it when you are." I snorted. "I'm not giving you a reward." He chuckled into my neck. "Then I'll reward myself." Before I could respond, he gently laid me flat on the rug, pinning me. I squirmed, half-dodging, half-laughing as he tickled and kissed me, like the hunt of the pack, playful and intimate. I nipped at his lips. "No, we haven't finished the Legos yet." "Forget the Legos. Play with me instead," he teased, unrelenting. "No, you're not fun," I protested. Even the cold, stoic Alpha Magnus Sanchez, so serious in public, was now insisting with puppy-like persistence. "I am fun. Play with me, whatever way you like, my baby," he argued. When he caught the slightest glimmer of hesitation in my eyes, he leaned close to my ear and whispered with a wolfish grin, "I promise I won't resist this time." I raised an eyebrow, suspicious. He had tricked me more than once before. To show good faith, Magnus released me, rolled onto his back, sprawling across the rug like a wolf surrendering to the hunt, exposed and inviting. I stared down at him... and for a moment, I felt the primal pull in my chest. I couldn't resist him forever.