Chapter 50. Birthday

**50. Birthday**
***Rafael's POV:***
"What! How could that be, and what was he doing in our castle?" Astrid asked.
Astrid had previously described the things she witnessed when that person died, as well as seeing a blurry vision of him.
Thankfully, she wasn't crying, but anybody would be affected by someone's death, especially if they were connected to them in some way.
"I don't know Rafael, and I don't even know his name or identity." I held her from behind while she shook her head.
"Are you sad, Astrid?" I asked.
"Of course, I am Rafael, but not because he is my mate. It is normal to be saddened by someone's death. Yes, I don't know how he was, whether he was a good or bad guy, but I still feel sorry because there's a question in my mind: What if he died because of me?" She elaborated.
I forced her to look at me. "No, Little Dove, you're going too far with it; that may not be the case, and I'm sure of that." I shook my head.
She agreed, but I could sense her unhappiness. Astrid finds it difficult to overcome thoughts that invade her head.
"Come on, let's go home. I'm still waiting for my surprise," I said as I took her hand in mine and began walking. Darkness had already enveloped the surroundings, and it would be well past midnight by the time we reached home.
Astrid was ecstatic the entire journey, which made me wonder what the surprise would be.
"The wait is killing me," I said.
Astrid laughed. "Almost there," she winked.
As we entered our area, our coven was covered with silence, and there was no one in sight. Even the lights within our mansion were out.
"There's something wrong here, Astrid," I whispered.
"Come on, let's go inside and see what's going on," Astrid urged. I swiftly took her hand in mine and pushed her behind me.
"Stay there," I told Astrid.
'Are you there, Eva?' I asked through the mind link but got no response.
We were in front of the main entrance. It was quite dark, and our mansion's doors are rather large, so I let go of Astrid's hand for a fraction of a second to push the doors open. As I retreated, reaching for her hand, I realized she was no longer there. Panicking, I turned around, unable to discern any movement but hearing commotion from within. Though my defensive instincts kicked in, my primary concern was finding Astrid.
"Astrid, are you there?" I called out.
Upon turning around, blinding lights greeted my eyes, causing me to shield them. Once my vision adjusted, I was astounded by the scene.
"Happy Birthday!" everyone exclaimed with joy.
My lips began to form a faint grin. Everyone was there except Astrid, who, as if on cue, grabbed my hand.
When I looked around, she had a big smile on her face. "Happy birthday to us," she said quietly.
I frowned. "Us?" I furrowed my brow.
"Yupp us," she laughed. "We are created for one another; even if we are eons apart in age, we have the same birthdate." I couldn't believe it. She was right; fate had synchronized our creation perfectly.
My birthday was never something I looked forward to. What's the point when we're immortals? It's not like missing one means missing a year of us. I wouldn't bother remembering the dates, but this time is special. I mean, it's also my Astrid's birthday, and I need to make it special.
Hell, I had no idea; otherwise, I would have made some sort of plan, especially since it was her first birthday with me.
"How did you know?" I asked Astrid.
"I told her brother we were preparing this for the entire week," Eva said. "Happy birthday," she said, opening her arms to hug me.
I hugged her and thanked her.
"What did you say? It's your birthday too." She asked Astrid.
"I was thinking of surprising you all," she said, scratching the back of her neck.
"Happy Birthday, Little Dove," I said as I held her.
"Congratulations, Rafael!"
"Aww, they're so cute, right?" Bryan said as he stood by Eva.
I backed away from her and stared at Bryan, but I couldn't stop grinning like a fool. I felt like a teenager.
"Shut up, Bryan," I grumbled.
He approached me and began staring at me from head to toe, giving me a strange sense. He then looked at Astrid. "What the heck are you doing, Bryan?" I said.
"What happened to our king?" He asked Astrid.
"Huh?" she asked, her face puzzled.
"Sir, you're smiling, which is unusual. What happened to your stern demeanor?" He questioned us, glancing at us once again.
Astrid chuckled, but it was Eva who responded. "Your king is whipped," she smiled.
Astrid's cheeks flushed, which made me smile even more. "Oh, come on, you two," I said, acting offended, but I'm not, not even a little, because they're right
"Come on, let's go inside," Eva remarked, but first Bryan hugged both me and Astrid.
He was overjoyed for us, and they both went inside. Astrid was going to follow, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
"Was this the surprise you were talking about?" I asked.
I'm not sure why I think there's more or if it's just me being greedy, but it's bad to expect more. Maybe that kiss took its toll on me. But I should brace myself and be ready because Astrid clearly needed more time to prepare.
"Yupp this, and I have a present for you that I will give you today," she added.
"I don't need anything; just wrap yourself in a box, and that would be enough," I teased her, and she flushed.
"You're becoming mushy, and Eva asked me to stay with her tonight," she remarked.
"What!!" I gasped, shaking my head. "And don't tell me you agreed."
"Yes, I did," she smiled.
"No way," I said, shaking my head. I'm used to having her alongside me, and I can't sleep without her.
"Don't be a baby; it's only for one night, and I'm not abandoning you and going somewhere else; she's only a room apart," she sneered at me.
"Call me whatever you want, but you are not sleeping in her room," I grumbled.
"What's the harm?" She furrowed her brow.
"Um, because there is... there is danger everywhere for us," I excused.
"Oh, how much longer are we going to argue?" I ignored her and went inside, waving her off.
I grumbled in frustration. When we walked inside, Astrid went to Eva's room.
I couldn't sleep a wink because I couldn't stop wondering what Astrid was up to. I started contacting her, but she didn't respond. I even thought of mind-linking Eva to send her back, but she wouldn't let her go. I knew she was lying when she said Astrid was sleeping.
I awoke early and waited for Astrid outside Eva's door.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be stunned."
They were giggling, I could tell. When Eva spotted me standing there, she stepped out of her room and stopped speaking. "Oh, you're already here," she said, her face furrowed.
"Who will be stunned?" I asked about the faint conversation I heard from inside.
"No one. Come on, we have a busy day ahead." Eva tried to change the subject, but I wasn't buying it.
"I know you're both up to something; tell me what it is." I folded my hands and waited for their explanation.
Eva turned to face Astrid, and the two exchanged looks and gasped at the same time.
"Stop being delusional," Astrid said, shaking her head.
"No, you both tell me what you're up to," I remarked.
"Um, actually," Astrid began, but Eva interrupted her.
"Actually, I've planned a feast for the entire coven to celebrate your birthday in the evening," Eva continued, but that's nothing new to me. Eva does it every year since she is a bit eccentric.
"And?" I stressed.
"That's all there is to it," she said once more.
"No, there's more; tell me what it is." I was adamant about having my answers.
"Bruuuhhhhhh..." she sighed. "Come on, you can't intimidate me like that; I can't plan something for you both?" She exhaled a sigh.
"Come on, Rafael, you should respect other people's privacy; we should let her choose when she wants to tell us something." Wow, these two women are giving me a guilt trip.
"Okay, okay," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "I won't ask."
They smiled triumphantly. I didn't see Astrid for the rest of the day. Eva took my card and informed me that they were going shopping and to the spa. I didn't want to agree, but I had no choice.
As soon as the guests began to arrive, Astrid joined them. It turned out to be one of the nicest birthdays I've ever had, surrounded by people who genuinely trust, understand, and appreciate us.
"Sir, I have got what you requested," Bryan whispered in my ear.
"Where is it?" I inquired.
"It's in your room, sir," he said. I dismissed him with a nod. Astrid will undoubtedly like my present.
"So, where is our present?" I asked Eva.
She smiled at me and Attrid once more.
"Here," she said, handing us an envelope.
"What is this?" I asked.
"I did it for you both since you aren't making any moves toward each other. I've set up a date for you both," she exclaimed.
"Why did you take it back then?" I said this as she seized the envelope.
"Go wash your hands. You seem exhausted." She sighed and rolled her eyes.
I nodded and began leading Astrid to the stairs, but she stopped me.
"You go ahead; I want to go for a run; I'll be back in a minute," she said. Scarlet, I realized, could want to feel refreshed as well.
"OK, come back soon and remain near our room," I said.
I didn't want her to get lost in the woods. Until then, I decided to take a bath. I unlocked the door and filled the jacuzzi tub. I'm not sure who left the scented candles on the floor.
Astrid probably did because she is constantly enamored with scented candles. I usually take a short shower, but the tub seemed inviting, so I decided to give it a shot.
I took off my clothes and stepped into the tub. I moaned as the warm water struck my skin, soothing my muscles. I leaned back and closed my eyes to make myself more comfortable.
I was alert when I heard the bedroom door click open, but I relaxed once I caught a whiff of Astrid's scent.
The lights in the room began to fade. The bathroom door in front of me opened, and Astrid entered wearing a robe. Her hair was tied in a messy bun.
I gulped when I noticed how gorgeous she was. I couldn't take my eyes off her.
"Dove, Little Dove... What are you doing here?" I asked.
Her hands reached for her robe's belt. "I thought of joining you for the bath, as you suggested." My eyes widened as she took her robe off. "And I think it's finally time for you to stake your claim on me," she said quietly.
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