Chapter 145

Dominic

I groaned and shoved the drawer shut. Neil flopped onto the couch, already popping the champagne.

“So… you gonna pout all night, or are we gonna have a good time?”

“You’re really leaning into this, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “Hell yeah. I mean, I didn’t think my weekend plans involved a romantic birthday getaway with you, but here we are. May as well enjoy the perks.” He snickered. " Don't worry, your virtue will continue to be intact, at least for me anyway. This is a party ship, so we are going to have fun whether you like it or not.

I sat down across from him, rubbing a hand through my hair.

“I wasn’t expecting this.”

“You mean you didn’t think Renee had a sneaky side?"

"Something like that."

"Maybe her cousin is rubbing off on her more than you think…. So from what I've been told, this is more of just a Mountainhowl way. Have you met Arielle's boyfriends?"

I stiffened. Neil chuckled.

My skin felt too tight. I couldn't remember feeling this way before then, he sighed, coming over with two flutes of champagne and offering me one.

"All right, all jokes aside. This is a birthday cruise. She wanted us to have fun and be chill together. She has entrusted you to me to have a good time, because we both know that you're incapable of it."

"I can have a good time."

"That's what I like to hear." He slapped me on the shoulder, finished his glass, and stood.

"I'm going to explore the ship before for dinner. I'll let you gather yourself and meet you in the dining hall. Be prepared for fun, hm? Maybe take a shower and get out of that too serious suit, yeah?" He smiled. "You owe it to yourself to have a bit of fun. Given everything that's been going on. You're embarking on a whole new chapter of your life. We should celebrate."

"Are you calling me old?"

"Only if you feel old!"

"Damn brat." But I couldn't help but smile as he ducked out of the door, whistling. I swirled the champagne in my glass thoughtfully and looked back at the ridiculous setup, shaking my head.

The worst that could happen is I'd get drunk with a 20-something-year-old. And he was right. I had disowned my daughter, was dating again, entering a divine triad with two people young enough to be my children, and officially certain that my beta and my brother were colluding against me.

Closing the chapter of my life in which Hazel had been the center of my world, too.

This was definitely a new era of my life.

"Bottoms up, Dom'."

I drained the glass. I did take his advice, showered and changed before heading out. As soon as the boat had left the dock. I'd been on a cruise maybe once or twice in my life, and it was a shock that I wasn't freaking out, considering how Hazel had died. But I guess that part of my life was truly over. Neil, as promised, was waiting for me near the dining hall entrance with something in his hands and a grin on his face.

"What is that?"

“Fun." Neil lifted the glittering, rhinestone-studded sash around my shoulders like it was sacred tradition. It read in massive, sparkly letters: “BIRTHDAY KING.”

He grinned as he reached into his coat pocket. “Don’t worry, I got the matching crown.”

“No—”

The plastic crown was already on my head.

I stared at him, deadpan. “You are an actual menace.”

“Maybe,” he said, snapping a photo of me before I could stop him. “But I’m a festive menace.”

Before I could protest further, a waiter approached and actually bowed. “Alpha Brightclaw, we’ve been informed of the occasion. Please follow us.”

Neil linked his arm through mine. “Come on, your highness.”

I didn’t resist. What would have been the point? By the time I made it down to the main deck, every damn person on that boat knew it was my birthday. The sash was really obnoxious.

The lights had been dimmed, music was playing, and a chocolate cake that could feed a wedding reception was waiting on a center table. As soon as I stepped into the room, the waitstaff erupted into a horribly off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday,” complete with clapping and tambourines.

“Blow out the candles!” someone shouted.

Neil leaned in. “Make a wish, but not for something boring."

I rolled my eyes but humored them, blowing out the candles to thunderous applause.

Someone pinned a white lunar bloom to my jacket lapel, whispering “For fortune and clarity.” It was a traditional flower, rare and typically reserved for ceremonies or offerings. Before I could ask where they even got them on a party boat, another one appeared, then another.

My eyes burned with tears that I hadn't shared in years. It had been years since I'd gotten white lunar blooms pinned to me. Last time… had been when all of my family was still alive. I remember picking up this tradition when we started celebrating Viviane birthdays, but. She had liked it for long. She preferred money.

Don't think about that, Dom'.

By the time the cake was cut, my jacket looked like a blooming garden. I made my way to a corner to catch my breath, only for Neil to drag me toward a makeshift casino set up in one of the side lounges.

“Poker or blackjack?” he asked.

“Whiskey,” I replied.

Neil handed me a glass before I could even finish the word.

"Poker or blackjack?"

I tossed the tumbler back, trying to force down my roiling emotions.

The last time I had gone gambling had been with my father and my brothers. Andrew hadn't come. Sneering about not wanting to intrude on Brightclaw Traditions.

I was going to be sick. But the dark mood shattered as Neil popped a balloon in my face, coating me with confetti.

"Whatever those dark thoughts are, they've got to go. Be warned, I have a glitter balloon."

The next few hours passed in a dizzy blur of gambling and laughing. I'm pretty sure I talked to everybody on the boat. And then somehow I ended up on a dance floor with Neill forcing me to dance. I twirled at least three different women around. Probably a man or two as well, I wasn't entirely sure. The alcohol had definitely kicked in.

To my surprise, and despite my grumbling, I was actually enjoying myself. I didn't think I could do that. The fact that also on this boat were friends of mine made the entire night that much better. They embraced Neil like he was always part of the group and somehow we ended up taking shots together. Like we were back in college when things were much simpler.

I felt young, younger than I had in a long time. Freer, too. Neil had orchestrated the entire night like it was a symphony. It made me wonder if he had actually been in on the planning. Or if maybe he just had a lot of serendipity on his side. Every corner of the boat had some new chaos to discover. I got pulled into an impromptu conga line that wound the entire deck.

Then, we were pulled to the all-you-can-eat oyster bar.

Before I could even chase the oysters with a shot of whatever alcohol someone was handing me. The DJ was on the speaker announcing that there was a dance contest, involving glow sticks and lap dances.

I did not get out of that one, unfortunately, but it was funny. Fun, too.

"I don't think Renee was going to make it if she actually did come." I mused out loud as a half drunken man slid out of my lap in a fit of giggles.

Neil grinned. "If Renee was here, I'd have a much tamer time of it, but she's not here and as I hear it you weren't exactly a straight-laced college student."

Somebody was singing high and off key at the karaoke machine across the way. It definitely should have been unplugged, but no one was telling her that.

And then came the woman. She was stunning, tall with moonlit hair and bold red lips, and apparently dared by her friends to flirt with “the birthday king.” Neil nudged me toward her with a wicked smile. She had a bottle of alcohol in hand and no shirt on with a grin.

"Body shots, Birthday Boy?"

“Come on,” Neil said. “Live a little.”

“I’m not doing body shots off a stranger,” I grumbled.

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say body shots. You did.”

Damn it.

And then, to my utter disbelief, I agreed to it. Because somehow when you got a group of men who went to college together along with a college age man, things just went sideways. It was the alcohol. It was definitely the alcohol. And the drink. And the teasing and probably the stupid crown, too.