Artem

She pulled away soon, too soon. She was looking all around the room. At me, at Chay, at her family, at my friends, at the kids. The look on her face was one of love and gratitude.

"Thank you, all of you. You're all so sweet to me. You've all been so nice and helped me so much. I don't think I could ask for a better group of people to be around. You all helped me get out of a bad place and have helped me to overcome it all as well. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you, and I hope we can all stay close so we can continue to help each other."

My mate didn't know how happy she had just made me and the others as she smiled at us all.

"We love you Star." Dalton and Cohen both said at the same time as they ran to her, hugging her around the waist.

After a few minutes my cousins all went to the center of the room. They were all excited as they beamed at us.

"Ok, ok, it's time for the next part of the birthday party." Sydney got everyone's attention.

"Yeah, enough presents, it's our turn." Dakotah beamed.

"It's time for cake." Criztie rounded them out.

They left for the kitchen then and came back all carrying a large tray together. They set the cake on the table closest to Star so she could see it clearly.

The cake was three tiers high, and each tier was shaped like a star. Each of the upper tiers was also just a little smaller than the last. The cake was a dark almost midnight blue, and decorating the cake from the top to the bottom were little white chocolate stars. At the top there were little handmade candles in the shape of letters that spelled out HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY STAR. The cake was not too elaborate but it was very beautiful, just like I knew it would be.

The triplets worked together to light the candles and then we all sang to my mate. The look on her face, the joy she was feeling as she looked at her birthday cake, it was like she thought it was all a dream come true. She just didn't realize she was my dream come true.

After we sang to her I told Star to make a wish and blow out the candles. I had a feeling she wouldn't know exactly what to do. She grinned, closed her eyes, and blew. The candles all went out with that one breath. And the view of her doing that simple thing was so beautiful. Thankfully I heard a phone's camera click and saw Chay taking a picture of that face, I would have her send it to me later.

The cake, once it was cut, tasted even better than I could have imagined. Star seemed to have ceased to believe this night was real after that.

"This is all just too perfect." I thought she was really going to cry then but they would have been happy tears.

"You're worth it all." Criztie told her with a big smile and a hug.

The party didn't have much left after that, but I did want to spend some more time with my Star, alone if I could.

"Can I walk you back to your room." I asked her once we were done eating.

"So soon?" Morgan asked, confused but Kent elbowed him in the side. "Oof!"

"Shut up." He whispered in his ear angrily.

"You two go on up, we will start cleaning all this up." Toby grinned. "And the kids will go to bed." Toby added for their benefit."

After that all the kids ran out of the room, heading up to bed. Our rooms were on a higher floor so we walked slowly and let them go on ahead of us. I had my hand wrapped around Star's again, my right one holding her right hand as it crossed over my body. Also, I had wrapped my left arm around her waist, mostly because she had seemed tired after the party was over.

We walked like that until we got to her door. I couldn't think of anything to say the entire way up. And when we got to her door she had turned to face me with her back to the wooden barrier. Right now there was just one thing I could think to say to her.

"Star, can I kiss you?" I don't know why I asked that question at all. I knew it was too soon, but I couldn't help myself, all I wanted to do was feel her lips against mine.

There was that glazed, almost unfocused look again. But she nodded her head and then spoke.

"Y-yes." She didn't object, and she didn't look like she was opposed to the idea.

I didn't give it any more thought. I wrapped my left hand around her waist and cupped her cheek in my right hand. She raised onto her toes just a little as I leaned forward. Before I knew it my lips were touching hers. It was soft, gentle, and chaste. I didn't push it too far. The kiss may have also lasted longer than some other kisses that were as innocent as this one was.

By the time I pulled my lips away from hers I knew that I was forever a changed man. Those lips were so soft and supple, I would never want anything else, and I was beyond happy that she was my mate.

"Good night, Star." I whispered the words right into her ear. "I love you."

"G-good night Artem." She sounded dazed, and a little unsettled, but the look in her eyes spoke of nothing but good things.

"Will you go out with me? On a date? Let's go out this weekend, just you and me." I don't know what brought that on but I felt compelled to ask, and once I did I knew it was exactly what I wanted.

"OK." She was smiling but she still looked dazed. I was really starting to worry about that.

"Thank you."

With that I left her at the door and walked across the hall to my door. I backed up the entire way and opened my door without looking away from her. We both opened our doors and entered our rooms at the same time.

I have never been so in love with anyone in my entire life.