Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah)

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The day of Melody's first birthday dawned bright and clear, the sun casting golden light across the dining room furniture. The place had been transformed, pink and silver streamers winding along the ceiling, and balloons gathering in clusters in every corner.

Noah was fussing with the food table, arranging plates a little too meticulously for a baby's birthday party. "Do you think she'll remember any of this?" he asked.

I chuckled as I arranged a cluster of pesky pink and white balloons. "Probably not, but she'll remember the millions of pictures we'll take today."

My mate shook his head, grinning, as he returned to his work.

From the hallway, a burst of noise suddenly signaled Drake's arrival. The moment he swept into the room, he scooped Melody up from the playpen she was sitting in and held her high, causing her to giggle down at him.

Viona came in after him, dressed in something other than work clothes for the first time since I could even remember, holding Adam's hand.

Adam had been living with Zoe's parents lately, but Drake still treated him like a son and spent every available moment he had with him, and Viona was quickly becoming like a mother to him as well.

"Hi, Aunt Hannah! Hi, Uncle Noah!" Adam exclaimed, breaking free from Viona and running up to me. He looked cute as a button in his little matching sweater set with a big purple bowtie. He had a comically large gift in his arms, which he struggled to heft up onto the gift table, but refused my help.

"Hey, bud," Noah said, ruffling Adam's hair. It was still hard to believe that Adam was Noah's nephew, but Noah had taken on the role with ease. He bent down and whispered conspiratorially, "Should we share a cupcake before anyone notices?" ""Ooh! Yes!"

I chuckled, watching as they scampered off together to get a sugar high before the party even started.

"There's the little birthday girl," Viona said as she gave Melody's cheek a gentle pinch. "One year old, and she's already got my boyfriend wrapped around her little finger."

Drake puffed out his chest. "Wrapped? Me? Never," he scoffed, with the look of a man who would gladly take up permanent residence under my daughter's tiny thumb. "We're just good friends, right, Mel?"

Melody beamed, clapping her hands and babbling happily as if she understood anything that either of them just said.

Soon enough, the other guests began to arrive. Amber sidled up next to me first, nudging me with a conspiratorial grin. "She's already spoiled, you know. Between Drake, Noah, and all of us falling over ourselves to make her smile, she's got everyone right where she wants them."

I shrugged, watching as Melody laughed at a silly face Adam was making. "Maybe. But I'm not complaining."

Just then, Emma slipped into the room. She caught my eye and made her way over, pulling me into a

quick hug

"Hey, stranger," she said into my shoulder. "Busy with all these Alpha duties?"

I hugged her back, laughing. "You could say that. But you know how it is."

Emma's gaze swept over the decorations, her expression softening as her eyes landed on Melody, who was now reaching for a silver bow that Viona had stuck onto Drake's forehead. "She's beautiful, Hannah," she murmured, an almost wistful look in her eyes. "You and Noah did an incredible job with all of this."

I followed her gaze, my heart swelling up a little more as I watched Melody. To think that once, I had watched her die on the floor... It still felt like it wasn't real, seeing her alive and happy now. "Thank you," I said softly. "She's... she's more than I ever dreamed of Emma's smile turned shy. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something-and to thank you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thank me?"

"The Luna Queen reached out to me. She said they're considering me for the open spot on the Luna Council. Thanks to you."

I feigned ignorance, clapping my hand over my chest. "Why, I never! I had nothing to do with that," Nied, to which my friend smacked me on the arm and shook her head good-naturedly.

"I didn't think I'd ever be considered for something like that," she said, "especially after... well, you know. I wasn't the nicest person back in the day. I was a bit of a raging bitch, actually."