12

Teddy was turning 25 today, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

I had sent the Omegas out to pick up a special gift for him: a custom left-handed crossbow with a fishing setup. He had been eyeing it for a while, so I knew he would love it.

Plus, I wanted to see him shoot a Gar with it like in the 500 videos he'd forced me to watch online with him.

I focused on Teddy's birthday instead of the bonding ceremony later tonight. The thought of the ceremony made me incredibly nervous, so I did everything I could to avoid thinking about it.

Teddy seemed to be doing the same.

We had agreed not to kiss or touch all day for some stupid reason, so we were also all but avoiding one another to live up to the promise.

It felt incredibly foolish now. Today of all days, I needed him. I needed to feel that tiny inkling of the mate bond I managed to feel when I was touching his mark.

That was the only thing that got me to this point.

Teddy was always so focused on controlling the buildup to th