A/N: Any wolves you recognize from The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Basically everything else, including past and present wolf pack members, imprints, wolf families, and additional characters in this story belong to the universe created by the amazing, brilliant, and wonderfully talented yay4shanghai!

Thank you everyone who reviewed, I love getting feedback and hearing what people think, hope you enjoy this!

As always I recommend you read the other spin-offs by liljenrocks, ari11990, AsagariMelody, Guzhong, twihardcaligurl, and intiMACYx33. They are fantastic and worth taking the time to read.

My beta, yay4shanghai, completely rocks! Thanks so much for everything, you're amazing!

Breakfast with the Family

14 December 2041

A reddish-brown haze flared behind my closed eyelids trying to force them open. I resisted as Morpheus, the God of Sleep, beckoned me back down the River of Oblivious and into the sea of dreams where I was reliving the grand experience of the previous night's events. The haze was persistent, however, and my eyes became restless, resulting in my expulsion from the realm of illusion. I kept my eyes glued shut as I worked to uncover the reason for my sudden wakeful plunge after such a brief rest.

It was the bright, early morning sun streaming unexpectedly onto my face through an uncovered window that woke me, but it dawned on me that my window didn't face the rising sun and I quickly assessed the other details I could gather without looking. Only a thin sheet covered me, but I was blissfully warm, wrapped tightly in a pair of hot, muscular arms with my cheek pressed to a defined chest, the scent of pine filling my nose when I inhaled.

Levi. I remembered now. Each moment of the last twelve hours was permanently branded to my mind, never to be forgotten. I savored the thoughts, replaying how I came to be here, in bed with him in amazed disbelief. I never could have foreseen last night turning out like this, though every tingling nerve in my body cried out in euphoric delight that it had.

A smile spread across my face as I noted how his body felt even more perfect this morning than it had last night. I had forgotten just how nice it was to wake up in his arms. My memory of that time at the beach hadn't done the experience justice. I could hear the steady rhythm of his beating heart and it was more relaxing than receiving a massage at a day spa.

I'd felt like an entirely different person last night and I loved that he brought this new and exciting side out in me. I grinned fully, hiding my face against his chest as thoughts of how I'd freely kissed him and stripped his shirt from his body bombarded my mind gloriously. A second later I felt his hand come up to brush my hair back. He was awake. I sat up slowly, reluctant to withdraw from his addictive embrace and soothing warmth, but I felt a more pressing urge to see his face.

'Morning,' he signed with a wide grin that lit up his features with such intensity that he appeared to glow from within, his radiant joy producing a flaming light all on its own. 'Did you sleep well?'

I nodded before admitting, 'I was afraid last night was a dream.' I was really hoping that didn't sound too cheesy or that my confession didn't freak him out like I knew it would most guys, but for some inexplicable reason I felt I needed to tell him and that he wouldn't react the same as others typically would.

'Me too.' I let out a relieved sigh at finding that out, though I hadn't even realized I'd been holding my breath. 'Are you… happy it wasn't?' He'd signed the words hesitantly, yet it was strange to me that he even needed to ask or that he looked so unsure of my answer. I always assumed I would be the insecure one if we got together, so nothing had prepared me for this and I stumbled around for an adequate response, unable to do more than nod for a few seconds.

Once I had overcome my initial bafflement, I was filled with a surge of understanding and the desire to explain that happy in no way covered the extent of what I was feeling. 'More than you know. I have wanted this—you since… I first saw you,' I signed with my eyes locked on his face as he watched my hands move, adding, 'I didn't know you, but I wanted to be with you.'

'Ditto.' I loved that he used that word. To me it felt as though he thought my words were good enough at summing up what we were both feeling and that he possibly had as much trouble as I did expressing the depth of emotions we inspired in each other. I could feel the cheery glow heating my face and melting the coherency of thought from my brain as I sat motionless beneath his intense gaze seconds before he signed, 'you're so beautiful when you blush.'

He then lightly traced a fingertip over the apple of my cheek and smiled in wonderment when that made the flush even worse. The remainder of my mushy brain liquefied and butterflies assaulted my stomach with a vengeance, to the point I felt like I'd been turned into a babbling idiot or a ditzy airhead who couldn't string two thoughts together.

'I need—I—be right back.' My heart was knocking against my ribcage, hammering for release. I desperately needed a moment to collect myself before I started drooling on him and nearly bolted from the bed in relief when he nodded with a charming smile.

Opening the door, I unexpectedly found myself staring at Levi's mom, who was standing in the hallway. She was opening the door to Melody's old room with a partially full laundry basket of neatly folded clothes propped against her hip with one hand while the other was releasing the round silver handle, identical to the one I still held in my suddenly sweaty palm. The door she had just pushed swung inward, giving her room to disappear through the doorway, which she immediately did.

I was paralyzed, my feet stuck to the floor, gluing me there as efficiently as the sticky paper used in bug and rodent traps. I wasn't sure how she would react to seeing me exiting her son's room at this hour or to my being here at all. That minor detail had sort of slipped past me in all the excitement of last night.

Even if I had thought of it, I wouldn't have expected to see her this early in the morning, before I had a chance to quietly sneak out, or in Melody's room since her daughter didn't actually live here anymore. Apparently she still kept some clothes here though, and wore them often enough for her mom to have laundry that needed put away.

That thought was followed by my grip on the door faltering as the globular handle popped from my slippery hand like a wet bar of soap in the shower, causing the door to slam noisily into the wall before flying back towards me. I swiftly grabbed the edge to stop it and cringed at the knowledge that now it really was too late to think about getting out undetected because there was no way such an echoing bang had gone unnoticed. I was right, because a millisecond later I saw his mom's head pop back into the hallway.

Before I had a chance to duck back into his room, she turned to look at me. I'd only seen her twice. The first time was months ago now at the Fourth of July bonfire and the second time had been just last night at the party, but I'd been so distracted that I'd barely spared a glance at her and even then it had been from across the room. She looked even younger up close, though I'd expected the opposite, thinking it was a fluke, a trick of the firelight when I saw her on the beach. I would think her and Melody sisters if I saw them on the street somewhere, not mother and daughter. You could even argue that she looked younger than Levi, which was impossible, not to mention just plain preposterous to consider.

"Oh good, you guys are up," she said with a warm and very relaxing smile to which I responded with a dumbfounded nod.

"I—umm, well you see… I was just…" I trailed off trying to explain my presence, but having no idea what to say. I watched her smile grow while I stuttered through my unintelligible explanation.

"Are you hungry?" She asked casually brushing past it and I was rather stunned by her calm acceptance and friendly welcome like she had been expecting me to be here all along when I knew this was out of the ordinary for her.

"A little," I replied automatically, thinking how surreal the situation seemed just then. I nearly jumped out of my skin, startled from my trance-like state when I felt Levi step up behind me, his movements swift and silent.

My hand moved to cover his when he wrapped his arms around my waist and dipped his head down to kiss my neck, his heat and the touch of his lips causing me to sink into him, using him for support. Being in his arms was like plunging into the ocean during a hurricane, powerful waves of emotion churned through me and I was swept up in their intensity. It required my entire focus and I gave it gladly, forgetting about everything else. I was a little startled to hear her speak again, my attention so thoroughly captured by Levi's consuming presence.

"Melody called. She and Taylor are coming for breakfast." I opened my eyes to see that she was signing rapidly as she spoke and I smiled gratefully, my head still too mushy and scattered to attempt interpreting anything right now. "You cooking?" I felt Levi nod against my neck, kissing the exposed skin there once more and squeezing my waist briefly before releasing me, slipping past as he headed to the kitchen. I watched him walk away, entranced by his stealthy grace until I heard the quiet chuckle drawing me back to the present.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Krista. My kids have mentioned you quite a bit," she said genuinely and I detected this kind of… energized undercurrent surrounding her, barely held in check like she was trying not to burst at the seams as excitement bubbled up within her, threatening to spill over. It was something I always noticed about Melody too and a little from Levi last night. I noted how he and Melody had her eyes and smile, though those seemed to be the only features they'd inherited from their mom.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Varn," I managed to force out while cursing my shyness as I felt the heat of my embarrassment flood my cheeks with a telltale blush for the second time this morning.

"Please, just Anna… we aren't formal around here and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future," she predicted with a playful wink.

"I hope so," I whispered thrilled at the idea, excited she thought it was likely and that she was evidently okay with that happening.

"Me too," she finished honestly.

I didn't bother changing out of my borrowed clothes, just tied the loose white shirt in a knot at the small of my back to keep the collar from slipping off my shoulder, exposing more than intended and to get the extra material out of the way before heading to the kitchen to find Levi and see about helping him make breakfast.

'Do you like bananas and walnuts in your pancakes?' Levi signed when I came in the room and I didn't follow, but I got his meaning when he indicated the ingredients resting on the wooden countertop. I felt my nose crinkle instinctively when I saw the walnuts, having always hated them, but I quickly tried to hide it not wanting to be rude.

'Yeah, that's—' I started to sign, but Levi must have noticed and correctly interpreted my reaction because he shook his head before I finished, turning to replace the nuts in the cabinet and going to the fridge where he pulled out a container of blueberries. He held them up in question and I nodded vacantly, feeling slightly embarrassed and guilty that he was catering to my desires like this. 'You really didn't need to switch things for me,' I told him, signing as he walked backwards so he could watch me.

'It's no trouble,' he replied shrugging and giving me a lopsided smile as I gathered the plates and silverware stacked on the counter, intending to carry them to the table.

"I prefer blueberries myself," I heard someone say casually over my shoulder and I quickly spun around to see who was standing behind me. It was Levi's dad. I hadn't seen him yet this morning and his sudden appearance reminded me that he knew I'd stayed here last night and that I was currently standing in his kitchen, barefoot and wearing his son's clothes. He easily lifted the heavy load from my arms saying, "I've got it."

"Thanks," I murmured nervously glancing past him to see Levi watching us intently, almost expectantly. That served to fuel my worry further because I understood how important it was to him that I get along with his family. And while Anna might have liked me immediately, that didn't necessarily guarantee her husband would as well and I wasn't sure I was making much of a good first impression.

"Michael," he offered in greeting with an amused smile, his eyes conveying an unquestionable approval that instantly dispelled my fears.

His infectious smile encouraged me to relax and let myself be thrilled about how this morning was turning out, so I was grinning when I replied, "Krista."

'Are your parents always so cool?' I asked Levi when Michael headed to the table with the dishes; Levi smiled and nodded, obviously relieved.

I moved to help him, but he stopped me with a kiss, pinning me back against the counter with his arms on either side of me. Running my hands up the smooth skin of his bare chest, I felt him shiver, though he didn't feel cold at all. Quite the opposite in fact and I giggled realizing I had that great of an effect on his body. He pulled back smiling, but I grabbed him, urging him back down for another sweet kiss before we got back to work.

It was probably the most fun I'd ever had preparing a meal. I cut up cantaloupe and honey dew melons for a fruit salad one of his parents had already started while he scrambled some eggs and made blueberry pancakes. He kept me laughing the whole time as he showed off his skills, flipping multiple golden-brown circles like a circus juggler and managing to catch all of them every time while posing in awkward positions. Sometimes he'd even flip them and succeed in catching them with his eyes closed and in almost no time at all we were finishing up.

"You're here! I knew you would be," Melody exclaimed as she came barreling into the house, practically flying through the living room and into the kitchen where she stopped directly in front of me giggling and bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. She'd arrived just in time to eat.

Levi came up beside me, shaking his head at her and grinning. He bent down, kissing my cheek before ruffling Mel's hair playfully and darting past her when she took a swipe at him. Once he was out of the room, I noticed Taylor casually propped against one of the counters, his eyes never leaving Melody and his expression stated clearly that he thought she was the reason the sun rose each day. I really hoped I was lucky enough to have that with Levi because I could already tell he was worth waking up with every morning.

"It was almost impossible to keep her from coming over here hours ago to see if you were here," Taylor announced with an exaggerated sigh then shaking his head, though clearly amused by her behavior.

"I'm sure you didn't have too much trouble distracting her," Anna said dryly as she came into the kitchen to grab the pot of coffee and a couple mugs, which she carried to the table, pouring a glass for herself and Michael.

"I managed," Taylor shrugged carelessly, giggling and pulling Melody to him for a sweet, lingering kiss that after a few seconds looked as if neither of them would be stopping anytime soon.

"And I can tell you just hated it," Michael added joining the teasing as he took a sip of his black French vanilla flavored coffee, it's rich aroma permeating the kitchen air.

"Of course he did," Mel broke away to reply saucily and everyone laughed, myself included as I enjoyed catching a glimpse of their family's dynamics. It was interesting to see how they interacted with each other, the easy friendships and bonds between them that were obviously more than just the typical parent, daughter and daughter's boyfriend camaraderie.

Levi reappeared then, my eyes searching him out the moment he became visible, rounding the corner approaching us. The obsidian chips of his eyes were focused on me ignoring the others as he stalked forward, his body fluidly moving like water flowing over smooth rocks in a swift stream. He'd put a shirt on and I longed to take it back off as I mourned the loss of such a perfect sight that I had been able to leisurely enjoy only a few minutes ago.

'Make sure you get what you want right away or they'll eat it all… we have big appetites,' he signed stopping in front of me and I heard Mel snort behind him, but I barely noticed, distracted by the way he was looking at me. His gaze held an overwhelming intensity and I honestly couldn't tell if he'd really meant what he'd said about the food or if he was implying a hunger for me.

He leaned towards me slightly, unmindful of his family present, avidly watching us. I forgot them too as I felt like I was under a spell, someone else controlling my body when I reached for him. My hands wrapped around his neck dragging him towards me. His hands came up to rest on the indent of my waist, hauling me closer as his scorching lips came crashing down on mine, capturing them heatedly. I couldn't suppress a moan when I tasted the tangy orange juice on his tongue as it plundered my mouth urgently.

"And I thought we were bad." I absently registered Taylor joking from somewhere nearby before Levi stumbled into me. His arms went around my waist, holding me to him so I didn't teeter backwards and fall over.

I clung to his broad shoulders while hearing Anna scold Taylor though I couldn't see them, Levi's body blocking my line of sight. I honestly didn't mind, nothing could be more appealing than the sight of him and I was grateful for the few extra seconds it gave me to get my breathing and heart rate back under control before I had to face the others, though I knew there was no hope of hiding the bright red hue painting my face.

I really don't know what came over me to make me do that other than Levi being completely irresistible, but even then it felt like I hadn't had a choice, like it would have been physically torturous if I'd gone another second without touching him, tasting and reveling in his arms. It was strange, but I didn't mind in the least, which was just as odd to realize.

Breakfast was an entertaining affair, very different from the quiet mornings I was used to at home, but a welcome change of pace. I didn't feel like an outsider, which surprised me. They put me at ease immediately, though I was still too shy to contribute much to the conversation myself, content to spend most of the time just observing them and laughing at their jokes.

I really appreciated that they spoke while signing and made an effort to sign slowly for my benefit. I was also relieved that no one seemed to mind when the conversation faltered because Levi had stopped paying attention to his speed, giving me a chance to work out what he'd said. It also helped that Mel would verbalize what he said occasionally when I got tripped up over a word. I resisted asking her to do so more often, focusing on trying to learn and getting used to conversing with multiple people at once without getting lost.

The only time I really said anything was when the conversation turned to the subject of me learning sign language, Levi asking his parents, 'did you guys know Melody was teaching Krista to sign?'

'Jordan told us about it last week,' Michael signed chuckling a little and Anna tried to hide her own laughter, but Melody didn't refrain from letting hers bubble forth, filling the air like the spray from a shaken bottle of pop unexpectedly opened. I groaned and blushed yet again for what felt like the hundredth time since I'd woken up when I realized what story they must have heard to find it so hilarious.

'What? What happened?' Levi asked looking around for an explanation, his gaze settling on me and waiting patiently for me to share it with him, which I did with only a little reluctance.

'I was watching Eli and Hazel with Melody at your uncles' cabin. We were practicing and I messed up, forgetting the middle part of a sentence and ended up signing something like, "would you do me," to Eli.' I stopped there, trying to keep it as brief and straightforward as possible so as not to convey how mortified I'd been when it happened and I watched Levi's eyes sparkle as he grinned, amused by the tale despite me leaving out the part I'd imagine the others found so entertaining.

'It was really funny. Jordan and Mark were standing right behind her and she didn't know then Mark told her that Eli was a little young for her, but that you wouldn't object if she asked you!' Melody added still giggling as she watched her brother's reaction to hearing that. I saw the splotches of pink flare up high on his cheeks, but he didn't do anything else except look towards me again.

I covered my face. At least she didn't add the part about little ten year old Eli practically demanding that I do sign that to Levi, even offering to remind me how it went or draw it out for me so I'd be sure to get it right when I did. That had been the true mortifying part, but it really didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. I was just embarrassed now because we were discussing this in front of his parents considering I had only met them this morning.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Trust me, that's not that bad… at least you never got arrested!" I heard Taylor say laughingly, trying to reassure me. I glanced at him in confusion and it lasted all of a second before Levi threw his fork at Taylor's head, which I watched him snatch out of the air with an stunning swiftness, not batting an eye or even looking toward the oncoming projectile before deftly deflecting it. Levi had a disgruntled look on his face that promised vengeance and I got it, understanding that Levi had recently been arrested and from the line of conversation I figured it had something to do with me.

'Please don't ask,' Levi signed with a pleading expression when he noticed the curious glance I was aiming at him. I nodded letting the subject go, but privately hoping he'd tell me about it at some point because I was very interested to know what he could have done to land him in jail.

I stayed for a while after we finished breakfast, Michael and Anna with some occasional help from Taylor regaled me with tales of the sorts of antics Levi and Melody got up to as children. I wasn't quite sure how Taylor could remember the times so well considering he couldn't be much older than them, though maybe I wasn't a very good judge of age based on looks if their parents were anything to go by.

I finally headed back home around lunchtime after making plans for Levi to come over in a couple hours, calling Bree on the way to spill, telling her all about the night before and this morning. She'd been at the party, so she knew something happened, but I filled her in on the details from after I went upstairs with Levi then asked her about doing dinner with us tonight to which she immediately agreed.

~*~ ∞ ~*~