Shattered Pieces

Chapter 4 Birthday

"Wow! Thanks, Nana I love it."

"You're welcome dear, I just wish your Poppa was here to see you all grown up." she sighs with a faraway look on her face.

"Me too Nana, I miss him so much." my eyes start to get moisture in them.

"We will have no sad crying today, it is a happy day dear." she pinches my cheek like normal and heads into the kitchen.

I rub my cheek shaking my head at her, Nana is still the same.

After breakfast, I find myself standing in my bedroom trying to decide what to wear. In the end, I put on black pants and a blue V-neck top to accentuate my eyes and pop on a pair of black sneakers.

Once a month, we have a BBQ to celebrate the new shifters who turn 18. They can only shift on their 18th birthday. Then after that, they can shift anytime they like. It is also the time that every werewolf looks forward to. We will be able to meet our inner wolf who is waiting to shift and communicate with us. I wonder what she will look like?

As werewolves, we have heightened senses. We can see at night as if it is daytime, our hearing is enhanced (we can hear all the bugs and twigs snapping.) and another power we have is regeneration, which would take a human a week to heal,  it would only an hour.

This is also the time that you can find your soul mate. Once wolves turn 18 they are given the ability from the moon goddess to scent another wolf who is destined for them. I can't wait to find my soul mate. Every wolf is destined to have a soul mate. I hope that they don't reject me. (It does happen)

I hear my mum yell up the stairs to me that my friends are here. I am so excited that I nearly stumble down the stairs in my haste to see my besties Suzy, Donna, and Tiffany. They all crack up at me.

"Happy birthday!" they all yell at the same time.

We all hug and jump up excitedly.

"Here, we have presents for you," Tiffany says while handing me her present. They are small boxes that look like the ones that my family gave me.

"Oh, that is so cute, thanks guys." inside each box is a small wooden wolf charm. Tiffany's is orange, Donna's is grey and Suzy's is white-coloured. I beam at the girls trying not to cry.

"Let me put them on your bracelet," Dad asks while walking over.

"Thanks, Dad." I kiss his cheek. He nods at me and walks into the kitchen when he is finished.

"Come into the kitchen girls," Mum shouts to us over our loud squeals while we are in a big hug again at the bottom of the stairs.

As we head to the kitchen the doorbell rings. Dad goes and opens it, welcoming my other best friends.

"Happy Birthday Gem!." Stewart, Elijah, and Tim chant at the same time. I walk over and give them all a big hug, trying not to cry again.

"This is from the three of us," Stewart tells me, handing me a big flat present. I nervously unwrap it and see a huge A2-size photograph. All seven of us are sitting at the beach laughing and telling funny stories around an open fire. The glow from the fire on our faces looks incredible and mystical. Ava and her friends were walking past at that time when she took the picture.

"Wow! I love it. Thanks." I lean the photo up against the wall. And give them all a big hug again feeling so happy.

Once everyone greets each other, we all head into the kitchen. I spot a beautiful dark brown wolf-shaped cake on the bench. It is the same one Evelyn and Dean were icing yesterday. Dad lights the candles while Dean is sitting at the kitchen island trying not to put his fingers in the icing. That boy loooves icing.