.36.
I woke sprawled out over Paul, my cheek resting high on his chest, face close to his neck, body covering his, our legs twined together and his hand holding mine as it rests over his heart, his other under my t-shirt splayed against my back.
I start to shift to the side, so I wouldn't continue to squish him beneath me, but his hand tightens around my waist, keeping me in place.
"Stay, you're fine, you're way to light to hurt me." Paul rumbles against my ear, hand around my waist moving back up under my t-shirt to brush up and down against my back, goosebumps rising across my skin at the ticklish sensation.
"I need to get up, you'll be wanting breakfast won't you ? Since you can't eat while you sleep, you must be starving." I tease, leaning up to look down at him, stroking my hand over his dark brows and down the sides of his face, tracing my fingers across his full lips before bending down to kiss him, pulling away with a chuckle at the loud grumble from his stomach.
"You're gorgeous when you smile at me like that." Paul smiles softly at me, hand running through my hair, tightening his hold as he draws me back down to press our lips together. "I never even thought about what my imprint would look like but I could never of imagined how stunning you are." He murmurs against my lips.
"I never imagined being with anyone like I am with you. I thought I'd live my life alone, with Markus and Caspar. I was happy that I even had them in my life, now I have you, and Perry and the guys. I'm still trying to get used to my new life, but still, I can't imagine life without any of you." My eyes flick over the intense look on his face. "I can't imagine life without you with me." I say quietly, stroking his cheek. Catching my hand in his, he turns his head and kisses my palm, leaning up to press more fully against my lips, giving me a deeper, savouring kiss.
"Oh lord, my eyes." I look up in time to see Markus making a swift turn back the way he came, hands up over his eyes.
"Stop being dramatic." I call after him, rolling my eyes at the old man, giving Paul a lingering kiss the swinging my legs off him and walking to the bathroom.
I quickly do my business, knowing that the house was full of people and they'd want to have their turns. Existing the bathroom I bump into Paul's bare chest, he merely stead us me, rubbing my back and bends down for a quick kiss then walks past me into the bathroom.
Trying to smother the goofy smile on my face, I press my hands agaisnt my burning cheeks as I enter the kitchen, taking some food out of the fridge and some pans from the cupboards, flicking the gas on the stove on and quickly getting to work.
Markus enters the room as I put the bacon into the pan and start mixing the pancake mix. "Nice, what's the occasion ?" He raises his eyes at the large spread of food I'd laid out.
"Thought it might put Caspar in a good mood for the day, he's going to be down since he can't run around and play like he usually does, and Perry and Caspar will probably be mopey when they see his mood, since they feel guilty, for some reason."
"We always feel guilty when someone we care about gets hurt." Markus says, bumping his shoulder into mine and taking over cooking the bacon. "I've got this, go and wake that boy of yours up."
Doing as he says, I make my way down to my bedroom, finding Caspar and Perry still asleep, while Seth in his wolf form lies next to them, watching Caspar's little flyaway hairs over his face flutter with his breaths. "Morning, you can change in the bathroom Seth, Markus is tending to breakfast." Seth licks Caspar's curled palm and pads from the room, tail wagging slightly when I ruffle his fur as he passes me.
I step softly over to the bed, easing my self on it and holding my finger to my lips when Perry jerks awake. "It's okay Perry." I reach over and stroke my fingers through his hair, watching as he relaxes under the contact. "Did he sleep well ?" I ask. Perry sleepily rubs his eyes and nods groggily. "Thank you for looking after him for me, there's breakfast in the kitchen, go and wash you face and get something to eat." Leaning over I plant a kiss on his cheek, hiding my chuckle at the shocked look on his face as he scrambles to do as I told him, staying carefully quiet as he exits the room.
I moved so that I way laying facing Caspar and started gently brushing the hair from his face. "Time to wake up Cass." Caspar's face scrunches up as he cracks his eyes open, face relaxing as he realises it's me in front of him. Reaching forward he wraps his arms around my neck, pressing his cheek against mine.
"Morwning Mama."
"Morning baby. Ready to get up ? Everyone in the kitchen waiting for us, we've made your favourite." I carefully sit up, being mindful of his cast, and stand, making my way out of the room.
"Pancakes ?" He asks, eyes sparkling, hopefully.
"Mhmm, And since you've been so brave lately I'll let you have as many as you like."
"Weally ?"
"Really. Let's just get you cleaned up then you can stuff your face to your hearts content."
... ... ...
cleaning up had taken longer than Cass would have liked.
He whined and fidgeted as I took my time helping him wash, being cautious to make sure his cast would stay dry.
By the time we made it to the kitchen everything was sat out on the table and everyone sat waiting.
Sitting in the chair between Paul and Seth, I sit Caspar on my lap and let him reach forward to pile his plate high, reaching forward to help him pull a dish closer that was out of his reach, the guys around us chatting and filling their own plates.
"Where's your plate ?" Paul asks next to me.
"My generous son is going to share his with me." I smile, ruffling Caspar's hair who gleefully holds up his fork full of pancake, sticking my tongue out at Paul, who mearley leans forward, planted a kiss on my lips then went back to eating.
Markus fake gags and scrunches his nose down at his food, quickly giving up his teasing when I shoot him a sharp glare.
After everyone had finished I could tell Caspar was restless, wanting to start playing, while Seth and Perry were moping, still feeling guilty about what had happened.
"Markus, can you help Caspar get changed please, it's lovely outside so I thought we could spend the morning in the garden." Markus agrees, taking caspar from my arms as Caspar chatted excitedly about us all spending the morning together.
Waiting for them to leave the room I sigh heavily before looking between Seth and Perry, placeing my hand over Paul's as he rests his on my thigh, supportively.
"I'm going to tell you two again, none of what happened yesterday was your fault. It was no one's fault."
"But-" Perry starts.
"No buts. It wasn't your fault that he ran off Perry and it wasn't your fault that he tried to hide at the river, Seth." I eye the two pointedly.
"But if I hadn't said anything to him he wouldn't have run off to find water." Seth announces stubbornly.
I rake my free hand through my hair frustratedly. "Accidents happen when you're looking after children, and things you say to them can come back and bite you in the ass. You think I haven't had situations like this ?"
"You've had incidents where he could have could have died looking for a river because of what you said ?" Seth asks, frown on his face.
"Betas, not rivers. There weren't any rivers in the facility."
Seth goes quiet, and Perry stiffens from across the table.
"When He was younger and starting to explore, He was terrified of the Betas, he'd cry and scream and that would rile them up and trigger instincts better left dormant. The smell of his fear would set them off and for a while I was getting into fights nearly everyday and that put him in danger." Paul's hand squeezes my thigh, loosening slightly when I smile reassuringly at him. "So I explained to him that they're just like us, they live here like us, are watched like us, are wolves like us and that hne he gets upset they get upset and treat he didn't need to be scared because I'd always be there for him. The next day he didn't cry and he seemed to get better and better each day, then the next thing I know, he's waddling up to one of the Betas holding out a ham sandwich. Needless to say I nearly had a heart attack and luckily the Beta just snatched the sandwich out of his hand and ran off, Cass had a few scratches from the Betas claws and was a little shaken but he's fine and he learned to be more cautious, and he'll learn this time too." I look between the two. "You can't beat yourselves up over this, you just need to learn and help him learn and support him when he needs it. Like today, he's going to be pretty cranky when he realises that he can't run around with you two for a while, so be ready and be there for him." Reaching forward I take each of their hands in mine, squeezing them slightly before letting go and sitting back.
"How long will he have the cast on ?" Seth asks.
"Six weeks, give or take. He'll probably be fine for the most part, but his patience won't last long, he's going to be bored and grumpy and he'll be lonely because he can't run around with everyone. We can only be there to ease his boredom and reassure him, he'll be healed and back on his feet in no time." I smile at the two.
"I'll be there for him." Perry says quietly but firmly from across the table, eyes set with determination. "I won't let him be sad."
"We're all going to do our best, so don't stress over this, he's fine, just be a little careful of his cast, otherwise things go on as usual." The two nod their heads. "Right, shall we head outside then, we've got a toddler to entertain."
... ... ...
"Cass, since you've got the Neon Cast of Power, you're in charge and you get to choose the game." Seth bounces excitedly, his earlier down trodden mood completely absent from his face, his usual cheerfulness in its place.
We were sat and laid out over a spread of plankets we had brought out with us, a bowl of the leftover berries and the Cyrus and yogurt sat in the middle, being steadily devoured.
"Wolf !" Caspar shouts immediately.
"you want to play wolf ?" Seth asks, confused.
"You, Pewwy and Paul against me and mama." Caspar explains.
You just play games agaisnt each other as wolves, well I was a wolf." I elaborate before I quieten my voice, "If the Betas where riled up and fighting between each other a lot or starting to circle or get too close to Caspar I would shift to warn them off. They usually wouldn't come near me when I was a wolf and if they did I was ready to quickly sort them out." Turning back to Caspar I smile apologetically at him. "Sorry baby, I can't stay in wolf around here, I'm a bit scary."
"Mama not scarwy." Caspar says, a frown on his face as he takes hold of a lock of my hair.
"No lets play it ! It will be fine ! I'll change and tell the guys on patrol to warn us if they hear or see anyone that looks like their on their way here, it's not like you really know anyone outside the pack." Seth assures me, eager to play the game Caspar wants.
"I don't know." I say unsurely.
"it will be fine babe, let's just play the game with the little guy." Paul says from next to me, getting to his feet. "We'll be sure to pay attention to sounds around us while we play."
"What about Perry? He hasn't seen my wolf."
"I'll be okay. Caspar has told me about you, and I know that you won't hurt me." Perry pipes up from next to Caspar.
"please mama, just for a little while." Caspar pleads, batting those large green eyes.
"Fine, But just one game." I concede, rising to my feet and lifting Caspar. Walking over to the middle of the area, I turn to look at the guys, who stood waiting for a rundown of the rules. "This ones simple, you just have to get to Caspar." I place Caspar down, rolling my shoulders and starting to stretch out my muscles.
"Thats it ?" Paul asks, raising an eyebrow.
"You think she's going to make it easy for you ?" Markus asks, laughing loudly at the look he gets from Seth don Paul.
"This is going to be over quickly, maybe we should agree to three games." Paul smirks at me
Flashing my teeth at him in a sharp grin I swiftly shift, rising up on my hind legs to my full height, mimicking my stance as a human by cocking one hip, crossing my arms and tapping my foot, my head tilting slightly.
I'm waiting.
Paul snorts at my pose.
Behind me Caspar giggles gleefully at the sight of my wolf, Perry watches me wide-eyed, just taking me in and Seth beams at me, before running off into the trees to strip and shift, Paul following at a more sedate pace, after giving me a cocky look.
I drop my clawed front hands to the floor and circle around Caspar, nuzzling his cheek with my snout affectionately.
Two wolves emerge from the forest, each circling round in opposite directions, stopping still on either side of me and crouching down ready to spring. Paul's dark form on my left, The lighter Seth on my right and Perry directly in front of me.
mirroring their posture, I crouch low, anticipation burning through my body.
Let the game begin.