Chapter 310: Sombreros and Sunny Smiles

Vivian’s POV

I padded down the stairs barefoot and still dressed in my pajamas, the soft fabric clinging slightly to my skin from sleep. At the bottom step, I was greeted by the sight of Frank making his usual beeline straight for the front door. I scooped him right up mid-waddle and spun him gently back toward the kitchen instead. Morning routine. This time around, he was proudly donning a miniature sombrero over his spiky head. I couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

Right on cue, Zahliver’s heavy steps followed behind me, the sound of his tread full of sleep-gritted annoyance. Like clockwork, he stopped abruptly at the foot of the stairs.

"Every goddamn morning, always in my fucking way," he growled under his breath as he stepped around Frank with exaggerated irritation and stormed straight into the kitchen. I kept my lips firmly sealed and quietly sipped my orange juice like nothing had happened.

He sat directly across from me at the table, his eyes narrowed over the rim of his mug as he drank his black coffee. That icy Alpha glare might have been deeply intimidating to anyone else, but I only smiled back, because I could still hear the soft taps of Frank’s tiny paws scuttling across the floor tiles, and so could he. He was just pretending not to care.

I got up from my seat, cradled Frank gently in my arms, and made cooing noises at him while he stared up at me with the solemn seriousness only a sombrero-wearing hedgehog could manage. When I turned around to glance back at Zahliver, his stare had turned thoroughly glacial.

"What?" I asked, confused by the intense look on his face.

"Nothing," he muttered, standing up to start making breakfast. I tilted my head slightly. Maybe I should finally learn how to cook something myself one of these days. He looked like a grumpy, brooding chef at the stove, but a very capable one. While he busied himself with the pans, I distracted Frank with a few slow spins in the air. He endured two full turns before biting my finger lightly and wiggling his nose at me like he was utterly betrayed by my antics. I laughed softly. He was ridiculous.

A moment later, a full plate was set down on the counter right in front of me: fluffy eggs, crisp bacon, a neatly folded omelet, and a bright side of colorful fruit. It was a massive mountain of food compared to my usual morning portions. I twisted around to ask him about the feast, but before I could get a single word out of my mouth, I squeaked in total surprise as two strong arms scooped me up and planted me squarely on Zahliver’s lap.

I blinked up at him, my brows lifted high. "Seriously?"

"What, I can’t feed my mate now?" he said with faux innocence, narrowing those blue eyes at me again. I raised both hands in mock surrender.

"Message received."

"Good," he replied smugly, pulling me even closer by the waist. I became very, very aware of how thin my pajama bottoms were against his legs.

Just as I ignored the fork he raised in favor of tapping Frank’s tiny nose, it happened. Mid-chew, Frank, who had parked himself near Zahliver’s elbow on the counter, went flying off the edge with a soft thump. My mouth fell open in shock.

I nearly choked on my bite of eggs, my heart stopping for a beat. I would have lunged forward to catch him if Zahliver’s arms had not tightened firmly around my waist at that exact moment. For a second, all I heard was total silence... then the hurried clicking of Frank’s feet as he scrambled away across the floor and started frantically scratching at the front door like he was fleeing for his life.

"What the actual hell, Zahliver?!" I tried to twist off his lap, but he held me firmly in place.

"Open," he commanded, lifting the fork again with another bite of eggs.

"No."

"Open."

"No."

"Please open."

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"You literally elbowed my hedgehog off the table!"

"It was an accident."

I squinted at him in total disbelief. "Then why didn’t you catch him?"

"It happened too fast." A bald-faced lie. We both knew his werewolf reflexes were unnaturally sharp. The subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his lips completely gave him away.

"You lying beast... you fully meant to do it. Why?"

He sighed out loud, clearly unimpressed with my persistence. Setting the fork back down on the plate, he wrapped both of his strong arms around me and tried to pull me into a deep cuddle.

"Oh no," I muttered, actively resisting. "You are definitely not cuddling your way out of this one." I pressed both of my hands firmly against his chest, holding him at bay. He actually pouted at me. My will faltered for half a second. Damn him.

I turned my head away, hoping a little physical distance would help me regroup my thoughts. But that did not stop the sudden heat pooling beneath me as I shifted on his lap. I stilled completely. Oh. Oh no.

"What do you want for Christmas?" he asked suddenly, his voice dropping low and sounding entirely too casual.

"I want you to tell me why you elbowed my damn hedgehog," I grumbled back.

His answering chuckle rumbled deep against my chest, and the slight movement made everything so much worse. My breaths came faster. The sudden heat between us flared up simmering, hungry, and dangerous.

Then I did something that surprised even me. I turned all the way around on his lap, straddled his hips, and crashed my lips against his. It did not take him long to catch up with my sudden move he responded immediately, parting my lips and deepening the kiss with an intensity that left me completely breathless. My fingers fisted tightly in his thick dark hair, yanking hard, and instead of pulling away, he growled in pure pleasure and hauled me even closer against his chest.

I bit his lower lip softly, loving the low snarl it earned me.

Then came the unmistakable sound of a door creaking open upstairs. We both froze instantly.

Our eyes locked together, heavy with frustration and lingering heat. Joshua.

Of course it was him.

My wolf snarled in pure irritation while my beast unsheathed her metaphorical claws. No one in this house had forgotten the tea incident from last night. No one. I still mourned that favorite mug.

Zahliver let out a heavy sigh, backing out of the romantic moment far too easily for my liking. I, on the other hand, was approximately one hair’s width away from combusting on the spot.

Sliding off his lap with a sharp huff, I snatched up Frank from near the door and carefully checked him for any injuries. He squeaked in loud protest, but seemed completely unharmed by his fall. I plopped back down in my chair just in time to see Joshua stroll casually into the kitchen with a sunny smile on his face.

"Good morning," he chirped smoothly, ever the picture of polite manners.

Zahliver, cool and composed as always, gave him a curt nod. His firm Alpha mask slipped effortlessly back into place over his features.

"Morning, Joshua. Did you sleep well?" I asked, forcing a tight smile onto my face. I looked down at Frank and stroked his spiky head gently, still scanning for any hidden bruises. I would deal with Zahliver for the hedgehog toss later. Justice would definitely be served.

"Pleasant as always. I see the... house pet is joining us for breakfast," Joshua replied, eyeing Frank with thinly veiled distaste.

My smile sharpened on the spot. My inner wolf bristled at his tone.

Patience, I reminded myself. Just have patience.