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“No! I want to bake it with you. She bakes for me on my birthday, but she’s never had her own cake, Alaric.”

“Your wish is my command, princess,” I assure her, but nothing feels right about Lila not having her own birthday party.

Personally, I never cared about mine, but if it concerns the two most important people in my fucking mansion? Well, hell yeah, I want Lila to get her party.

I’m about to probe even further, but I catch a whiff of Lila’s scent before she approaches us.

“What wish?” Lila asks.

I turn around, and my heart nearly breaks at the sight of her in one of the night dresses I bought for her.

She's carrying a glass of strawberry milk and fuck me, does she look hot right now.

“Nothing, mommy,” Lina says too fast.

I stand up, chuckling and running a hand in my hair. “Yeah, like she said, it was nothing.”

Lila doesn’t seem to buy it, but she lets it go.

How does a woman like her not celebrate her birthday? It fucking beats me.

Turning to Lina, she raises her left brow, “You are supposed to be in bed, baby.”

“Yes, mommy. Goodnight, Alaric.”

Lina waves, and I hand her the toy.

I have to open the door for her because with her carrying Bear, I don't think she can open the door for herself.

My wolf’s excitement takes a nosedive, though, because in all honesty, every time she calls me by my name, I want her to call me something instead. Something that sounds like the word “father”. Hell, who am I kidding? I want her to be my kid and I want to be her dad.

“Why do I feel like I’m losing my daughter to you every damn day?”

I’m aware that I’m shirtless. I'm aware that Lila’s eyes roam down my abs, and I’m completely aware that as I cage her against the wall, a glass of milk being the only thing stopping me from kissing her, that she can feel that our dynamics have changed.

“Are you jealous, baby? Because Lina has the right to have two favorite people in her life.”

“Alaric.” Her voice comes out raspy and all bedroom sexy. It’s hard not to focus on those lips that call me the way a siren lulls a fisherman.

“I could be your favorite person, too, Lila. Just let me in.”

She smiles. The expression is a genuine one. We’ve been playing this game of flirting between us for a couple of days. “Are you going to bribe me with strawberry milk, too, so you can be my favorite person in the world?”

“Who needs strawberry milk,” I murmur, dragging my hand up her thigh, “when I could have you moaning my name, begging me not to stop?”

I lean in, lips barely brushing hers.

“But not tonight.”

I kiss her forehead instead, savoring the sound of her breath hitching.

“Goodnight, Lila.”

I walk to my room with a hard, raging boner, then I take my phone and before I dial Ethan’s number, I don’t miss looking at the date. I might be forgetful at times, but tomorrow happens to be a special day. One too perfect for what I'm about to ask of Ethan.

Ethan picks up on the first ring.

“Boss?”