Claimed by My Bestie's Alpha Daddy novel Chapter 231

“We carry our history with us, and we honor it by choosing something better. Peace doesn’t come from avoiding conflict. It comes from deciding, again and again, to keep showing up for each other. We are wolves, we are vampires, we are hybrids. We are families, neighbors, and friends. We are still learning how to do this, and today, we celebrate ten years of peace.”

I stepped back. Richard reached for my hand, and I held on tightly.

The celebration flowed around us. Music swelled as dancers took over the square. The air filled with the smell of grilled meats, roasted fruit, and freshly fried dough. I watched elders gesturing with half-eaten pastries as they argued over something that clearly mattered to them.

Children knelt on the pavement, drawing chalk maps of imagined cities with bright, dusty hands. Rowan and Oliver were trying to help Elsie spin a ribbon baton.

She kept missing the timing, and every failure made her laugh harder. Jenny watched from the railing, her arms folded loosely, her eyes soft.

As the sun dipped below the rooftops, the first firework lit up the sky. Some shimmered with magic, others burst in simple bursts of color, all created by people who knew what this night meant. Red, gold, blue, and soft rose scattered overhead. The light lasted longer than it used to, stretching wide.

Richard leaned in and spoke quietly. “There were days! wasn’t sure we’d make it through that first year.”

I nodded. “There were nights I thought about leaving this place. But we didn’t.”

He squeezed my hand. “We’re here now. All of us.”

As the crowd thinned, families packed up their things and called for their children. Some kids looped around the benches again, dragging blankets and chasing the last flickers of light.

We stayed right where we were.

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