Don't lose HOPE [COMPLETED]

Chapter 29

ZEKE

When Hope got back from the beauty salon, my heart almost stopped. I mean, she's always beautiful. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but seeing her in that dress with the earrings and necklace I gave her, her hair flowing down her shoulders, her long, dark lashes and those lip-balm covered lips, I wanted to mark her right there, but I couldn't do that, so I had to compose myself. I had to taste those lips, though. Sadly, my dad interrupted us, but that was maybe for the best or I would've kidnapped her from her own birthday party and locked us up in our room.

I actually hired a bouncy castle. A little immature maybe, but she's been missing out on these things and I want her to be able to try it out. I know that Evelyn won't appose to drag her in there. We also set up some games to get everyone to do something fun together than just sit and talk.

Soon, Ryan, Ben, Margaret and Donald arrive. We start by sitting down at the table, singing 'Happy birthday' to Hope, while mom brings out the cake. It's a two-story cake that looks like a unicorn.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't find a real unicorn," I say, smiling at Hope who seems to be amazed by it and all the things we've set up.

She chuckles. "You're forgiven," she says and kisses me.

Seeing her light up like this, makes my day. She looks so happy.

After we've eaten and talked for a while to digest the cake and other pastries that mom made, we start with the games. We team up two and two. Hope and I, Mom and dad, Chris and Evelyn, Margaret and Donald, Ryan and Ben.

"The team that loses the first games get to sit in the Dunk tank, which is the final one," I announce. "The team with most points wins. No cheating."

We start with the Cornhole where you get 4 bags each to try to throw in the hole on the board. Hope gets to start since it's her birthday. She concentrates, aims, and the first bag hits the board, but a bit from the hole. That's 1 point. The second one is closer, and the third one hits the hole.

"Yes!" she shouts with her arms in the air.

"Good job, Hope," I say, giving her a high five.

The last one goes outside the board, then it's my turn. I hit the hole with the first two. The third one hangs on the edge of the hole.

Fuck! I need to hit that one in with the last one...and I do. "Fuck, yes!" I shout with a fist in the air, then scoops Hope up in my arms and gives her a kiss, making her giggle.

Next is mom and dad. Dad also hits every bag in the hole and gives me a smirk. "Still got it."

I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at him. "I'm going to beat you, old man."

"You know, this isn't entirely fair, you being Alphas and all," Evelyn says after the others haven't gotten as many bags in as us.

"Hope and Margaret being humans, doesn't make it fair either, but this is just for fun, except for the ones that lose and get to sit in the tank," I smirk.

She leaves it at that and we go to the next game which is giant bowling. We tried not to make the games about speed or strength. That would've made it harder for Hope and Margaret. Aiming might be easier for us too, but not as much. With giant inflatable bowling, too much strength can be a downside. We actually might kick a hole in the bowling ball if we're not careful.

No one gets a strike. It's hard to aim with a big inflatable ball, but Hope manages to get all but one down.

The next game is Balloon dart. A cardboard wall full off balloons is hung up and you get three darts each to throw. Here, you have to have a little strength or the darts will bounce off the balloons instead, but not supernatural strength.

Hope and Margaret get to stand a little closer than the rest of us to even out the score. Hope hits two, and after everyone is done, out team, and mom and dad's team have the same score.

The next game, before the Dunk tank, is the Egg race. You run from a cone to the other, round it and back, with an egg on a spoon that you hold with your mouth. It's hard to use too much speed here since the egg can easily fall off, but to even it out, the men are carrying the ladies on their backs. Ben gets to be the lady in Ryan's and his team.

This is going to be easy since Hope is light as a feather. This will give us an advantage over mom and dad. Mom is not heavy either, but she's a lot taller. I'm just glad that Hope isn't actually turning 18 until 6.10 pm. That would've made it so much harder for both of us, being distracted by the mate bond that will increase all of our feelings.

All five teams stand on the starting line. I hunch down on one knee so Hope can jump up on my back. I hold the back of her knees and stand up. She wraps her arms around me and kisses my neck.

I growl silently and turn my head to her. "Don't distract me," I say with a smirk.

She just giggles, which makes me chuckle.

I grab the spoon with an egg on it and hold it with my teeth.

Hope counts down, "Three, two, one, go!" And everyone's off. Evelyn yells at Chris to go faster, Ryan, who carries Ben, is wobbling around. It's not really fair for them since they're pretty much the same size. Hope is giggling at them, which makes it a little hard for me to concentrate on the egg, but I'm sure as hell not letting mom and dad win this one. Margaret and Donald are also close to us.

"If you go faster, I'm not going to wax your brows for a whole year," she yells at him, making Hope laugh even more. Mom and dad are also laughing, making them lose some speed, and Hope and I win.

I drop the spoon, bring Hope around to my front and lift her up in the air. "We won!" I shout, then bring her down for a kiss. She looks so happy.

"Not yet," Dad says a little out of breath. "We've still got one more game left."

Right, the Dunk tank. And guess which team lost?

"This is not fucking fair. I had to carry this fat ass on my back," Ryan says, pointing at Ben.

"Hey! I'm not fat. This is all muscles," Ben says, flexing his biceps, and we laugh at them.

"Fat or not, prepare to get drenched," I say, giving them an evil smirk.

Ben and Ryan go back inside the house to change into swim trunks that they borrow from Chris and me. We only get one throw each, and Hope and Margaret get to stand a little closer this time too. If Hope and I both hit the target to get them in the tank, we win.

Unfortunately, Hope didn't hit it, but since we had one point more than mom and dad and they both hit the target, is was a tie.

"I'm sorry that you didn't beat your dad," Hope says, kissing me.

"We won anyway even if we got to share the first place. Besides, the point was for us to have fun. And I always feel like the winner, having you," I say, kissing her passionately.

Ryan and Ben, who are now soaking wet, don't look to happy. They go back inside to dry themselves off and change. Evelyn drags Hope to the Bouncy castle and I follow the others to the porch again to sit down and rest before dinner.