Chapter 410: Dina’s 7th Birthday

Today happened to be Dina’s 7th birthday party.

Every year before this, she always insisted on a massive princess-themed party and invited half the neighborhood over, children actually. But this year was different. She only wanted to celebrate her special day with her dad, Eriko, and the small circle of people around her.

She had already taken charge of the dress code. She made the pups dress up like the Teletubbies, while Charlie had been shoved into a round white suit to look like an egg.

Night had fallen completely, and everyone was spread out on the grass outside the cottage, celebrating under the stars.

The setup felt like an informal picnic, with everyone sitting on blankets spread over the ground, passing around plates of their favorite snacks and sweet pastries. Malo had brought a massive box of glazed donuts and, true to form, was running around doing silly voices to keep the crowd entertained.

"Aww, this is amazing, isn’t it?" Princess said softly....

Faye was stretched out on the grass, her head resting comfortably in Princess’s lap as she crunched on a handful of Cheetos.

Their eyes stayed on the lawn, watching the four pups tumble over each other while playing tag with Dina and Kaye.

"I can’t wait for them to become 1," Princess said, a soft smile touching her lips. "I’m going to make a birthday celebration that lasts for a whole week."

"Really?" Faye muttered, tilting her head back to stare up at her girlfriend.

"Yes, baby. I’ve already booked the venue and the decorators."

"That is amazing," Faye said, tossing another chip into her mouth. "It’s only 7 months away... You should also start planning our daughter’s wedding since you like planning ahead so much."

Her tone was dry, almost flat. She hadn’t brought up the main topic since Princess had dropped the dark news on her earlier in the kitchen. They had been interrupted by Dina’s loud phone call, demanding her Teletubbies immediately, which had forced Faye and Princess to put their conversation on hold until now.

"Come on, babe," Princess said, her hand pausing in Faye’s hair. "I would never allow that to happen. My baby girl is not going to be mated to...."

"Don’t you fucking mention that bitch’s name," Faye cut in sharply. She didn’t raise her voice, but the sudden bite made Princess freeze. "I’m trying to process the fact that she is your ex and your best friend, but don’t go anywhere near the point where I start imagining my baby girl and Kiara together."

Faye pushed herself up from Princess’s lap, sitting straight up on the blanket and staring her dead in the eye.

"I’d rather give you up than accept that bitch as my future daughter-in-law," Faye said, her hands clenching into tight fists against her knees.

Princess swallowed, her throat dry.

"So, what did you tell Silviana after she said all those things?" Faye asked, her voice dropping lower into a dangerous, steady calm.

"I was going to rip her heart out," Princess said plainly.

"Did you?"

"No. I passed out, and then I woke up chained with silver."

Faye let out a quick, bitter breath through her nose. "So how are you fixing it? Because I don’t want that bitch anywhere near my baby girl. She’s too little to be someone’s mate. She doesn’t even have a wolf yet."

Princess pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her forearms over them. "I plan on finding another Alpha for Kiara. Prince Kings."

Faye blinked once, her eyebrows drawing together. "Who’s that?"

"My uncle. He was banished a long time ago, but I know someone who can find anyone on this planet. It doesn’t matter where they’re hiding."

Faye narrowed her eyes, closing one side as she stared intently at her girlfriend’s profile. The realization hit her instantly. She already knew who Princess was referring to.

"You want to ask Guru to find your rogue uncle?"

"Yes," Princess said, turning her head to meet Faye’s gaze directly. "Tomorrow, the girls and I are going to meet up with him and give him the contract. He’ll find my uncle, and we’ll pay him in return."

Faye stared at her for three long seconds, her facial expression tightening as her mood shifted completely into serious territory.

"Okay, then. That’s a good thing. But what if he doesn’t find your uncle? Or your uncle is dead? Or what if he already has a mate he has marked? What are you going to do?"

The sudden flood of questions hung in the cool night air. Princess blinked, shifting her weight on the grass.

"I didn’t think of that," Princess admitted, looking away toward the bonfire. "But he’s alive. And if he isn’t single, I’ll make sure he is."

Faye leaned in closer, her voice dropping into a harsh, fierce whisper that didn’t carry across the yard.

"Please, just kill Silviana and let the council kill Kiara."

Princess turned her head back so fast her neck popped. "What?"

"You heard me," Faye said, not flinching for a single second. "I’m not going to wait until those people come after us. It’s our daughter we’re talking about here. They come first, and anyone who threatens them should be eliminated."

Hearing those cold, ruthless words come straight from Faye’s mouth genuinely caught Princess off guard. Faye didn’t look crazy or manic. She showed almost zero emotion after saying it, her eyes completely flat and resolved.

Princess knew her own limits. She would kill Silviana without a second thought if it came down to protecting her family, but when it came to Kiara, the line wasn’t so simple.

"Faye, what if Kiara is MG?" Princess asked softly, her voice thick with worry. "What if she happens to be the one possessed by a demon? Would you just let the council kill her, or would you do whatever it takes to save her?"

Faye didn’t even have to hesitate. "Obviously, Malo is my best friend. I wouldn’t let him die. Instead, I’d kill those good-for-nothing council members if it were up to me."

"The way MG is important to you, Kiara is also important to me," Princess explained, her eyes pleading for understanding. "She’s not just my ex. She’s my best friend."

Faye stared at Princess for a long moment. The tension between them slowly deflated, replaced by a cold distance.

"Alright, then," Faye said quietly, her voice totally devoid of warmth. "Go to Guru, find your uncle, and save your best friend."

Without another word, Faye stood up from the picnic mat, brushing grass off her pants, and turned on her heel to head straight toward the front door of the cottage.

As she reached the porch steps, her eyes caught an ear... She stopped, her eyes narrowing as she noticed Paye crouching by the woodpile, clearly eavesdropping on every single word they had just spoken.

The exact second Paye realized he had been caught red-handed, his shoulders stiffened. He quickly dropped to his knees, grabbed a discarded plastic toy from the grass, and began making goofy noises at the pups, playing dumb and acting like he hadn’t heard a single thing.