A Lux Catena Paranormal Romance Series Short Story In the beginning... The Orphan Lizette Butler is having a bad day. Worse? It's her birthday. Her twenty-first, to be exact. Even if she had loved ones to celebrate with, she's in no mood for parties or cake. Driving home from the bars with a killer headache, the only thing she wants to do is climb into bed and sleep. So when her pack Alpha shows up in her living room unannounced and most definitely uninvited, it's one birthday surprise she can live without. The Alpha Maxime Simard isn't really one for surprises. He knows Lizette doesn't want him interfering in her life. He did enough of that two years ago, when he made a devastating mistake that left them both reeling. Still, it's her birthday. And she's still part of his pack. In fact, it's time for her to remember that the distance between them is temporary. Two years ago, he agreed to give her space—to let her attend school and experience a little taste of freedom. But that agreement? It's got an expiration date.