I’m awake until nearly dawn and I know it’s because not only have I thought a lot about everything I learned tonight, all I’ve seen so far from them, I’m also thinking about them going for a run together every dawn. Running together as people, maybe, but especially as wolves. Together. Running and maybe hunting together. Maybe feasting together. Possibly sharing stories and laughing together afterwards as men with that elevated and euphoric feeling that comes after a long run and a feast.
I want that.
I want it fiercely.
***
I wake to the smell of bacon, to music, and to singing. Terrible singing from my Ivy and it makes me smile.
Like I think her silly purple bits in her hair are cute, I also think her bad singing is cute.
I’m alone in the bed and I like that it smells like her, but I find that my back is a bit stiff. Time for a new bed.
If not for the bacon smell and the sound of her singing, I’d wake up frantic.
I rise and pull my black stretchy pants on, then stop in the doorway and lean against the frame. Ivy is at the stove, singing a song off-key while she tends the bacon.
Music plays from her computer tablet where a female singer chants about being a bad guy.
I sneak up and slip my arms around her waist.
She startles. My skin stings as the sizzling bacon spits at my forearm. I pull her back a step to protect her and then spin her.
She looks up at me with shock all over her face. Her hair is pulled up into a ball on top of her head and she’s wearing one of my long-sleeved shirts. It comes to her knees. She has those pink rubber shoes on again.
“Good morning,” she greets. “You snuck up on me!”
“Good morning,” I kiss her and take her ass cheeks into both hands. She’s not wearing panties.
I suck on my mark on her and she giggles.
“Ooh. Can you do that after we eat? I don’t wanna burn breakfast.”
“You’re putting weight on your ankle, Ivy. You’re not supposed to do that.” I lift her and set her bottom on the table, which is set with two cups of honey tea and a bowl of diced fruit between the two plates.
“I’m making us BLTs. It doesn’t hurt too much today. Cat said give it a day and see how I feel.” She hops down and tries to hide a wince as she lands on her foot.
“Ivy,” I growl, “she’s coming soon so don’t walk on it until she looks at it.”
“Are you gonna finish cooking breakfast then?” she asks, putting her hand to her hip and shifting her weight to her non injured foot. She has a haughty look on her face.
“Yes,” I say, scoop her up, and set her on a chair. “Stay there.”
“You’re lucky you’ve got no shirt on or I might argue with you.”
She lifts a piece of strawberry from the bowl and pops it in her mouth. “Go for it.” She gestures, looking at me with a smug look on her face.
She likes it when I have no shirt on? Good information for me to know.
“Instruct me.”
“The bacon is done.” Her neck is stretched so she can see from her seat. “Use the fork and put it on that plate lined with paper towel. I already sliced tomatoes and got lettuce ready so all you gotta do, big guy, is make the toast. You don’t have a toaster so the oven will do.” She jerks her chin toward the bread. “I preheated the oven already.”
I burn myself twice with the bacon. I like this meat, but I don’t like the burn of how it spits at me.
I toast the bread inside the oven, checking constantly by opening and closing the door because the light inside it doesn’t work, and burn my hand removing it. She gets up to try to help me and I growl in response, startling her.
“Sit.”
“I was just gonna help you…” She looks like her feelings are hurt.
I put the pan with the toasted bread on the counter and crouch in front of her.
“I wanna make you breakfast. I don’t want you on that foot. Tell me how to make it.” I kiss her kneecap and caress her calf near the sore ankle. “Don’t be cross with me Ivy, look at my muscles.” I flex my biceps and she giggles.
“Better? I can get away with bossy when I do this?” I flex my chest and then turn and flex so she can see muscles in my back.
“Alright, studly, bring everything to the table and we can assemble the BLTs together,” she says softly.
I lean over, kiss her temple, and then I do that.
We eat the sandwiches and what she’s told me is called fruit salad and then I carry her to the bed so I can fuck her, but she informs me that she needs to shower and dress for my mother’s visit.