4. Breakfast and Blunder
1598 Words
Caleb's POV:
“I have no interest in you.”
Her voice echoed in my skull long after she’d said it, scraping over nerves still too raw to touch.
It hit wrong. It hit deep. I hated it, and I had no idea why I did.
Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.
“What is wrong with me?”
Her head snapped up. Those big winter-soft eyes met mine, wide and confused and too damn beautiful. My heart drummed... like it had no business doing.
“What?” she asked, blinking at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted horns.
“Nothing,” I muttered, dropping my gaze, clamping my jaw before I said something worse.
Black hummed disapprovingly in the back of my head.
"You’re a disaster."
I ignored him.
Elena hesitated, staring at me like she could peel back my skull and read the thoughts inside. She wouldn’t like them if she could.
But she didn’t push further. She sighed, long and hard, and she wrapped her hands around her mug and walked back toward Milo, who perked up instantly, practically vibrating in his seat. He scooted closer, eager to show her his latest masterpiece.
Her smile softened. She leaned in. Complimented his drawings like he was Van Gogh or something. Pointed out little details he forgot. And he beamed.
The sight of them together—
Goddess.
It made something in my chest twist painfully.
They looked like…
A family.
I jerked my gaze away.
No. No, we were not going down that road.
Black huffed. "You’re already halfway down that road, idiot."
I scowled at the stove, flipping the last pancake. “Shut up.”
She hasn’t even stayed a full day. "Calm down, Caleb."
“I am calm.”
Black snorted so loud I felt the vibration in my bones.
I had once made the mistake of choosing a mate. Of trusting someone. Of letting her in to my life, to my pack.
She had abandoned all of it — the pack, me, and worst of all… Milo, our son, and walked away with someone else. Someone human.
And now Milo had started asking questions. Why he didn’t have a mom like the other pups. Why she never came home.
He deserved stability. The last thing he needed was me making another stupid choice because my wolf liked the way Elena smelled.
I gathered the pancakes, stacked them on a warming tray, and carried them to the table.
“Your breakfast is ready, buddy.”
Milo turned around with a huge grin, abandoning his crayons mid-stroke. “Pancakes!”
Elena looked up too, smiling with that soft, gentle expression that made my wolf shift closer to the surface. She helped Milo pile pancakes to his plate, pouring syrup on top of it.
"Berries," he said, tugging at her sweater. She helped him with the berries too.
I sat across from them, feeling way too aware of every movement she made, every sparkle in Milo's eyes.
We ate.
Milo talked.
A lot.
About wolves and snow and the squirrel who glared at him yesterday. About how he was going to build a snowman taller than the house. And about his drawing.
“This one is Daddy,” he said proudly, holding up a stick figure with a very large head and what looked like claws growing from palms.
Elena bit her lip to hide a laugh. “Intense resemblance. I can see that broody look.” She looked up at me, winking, and goddess, I had no idea why it made every nerve in my body come alive.
“Thank you!” Milo beamed.
Then he pointed to another figure — smaller, with wild hair and a pink scribble for cheeks.
“This is you,” he told Elena.
She smiled. “Oh? I look pretty. Thank you,” she said. "But that hair... do my hair look like that?"
He smiled softly. "Pretty.
"Thank you."
“And this,” he added solemnly, pointing to the two stick figures holding hands, “is us.”
I choked.
Elena’s eyes widened so fast I thought they might fall out of her head.
Black burst out laughing inside me.
"Our pup has more game than you do."
“Milo,” I said slowly, trying not to combust, “we don’t draw people holding hands without asking, okay?”
“Why?” Milo blinked. “She don't care, do she?" He looked up and she smiled.
"Of course, we can hold hands," she said, smiling.
Then, with the guileless brutality only a five-year-old could muster, he looked at us, seriously. “You should be mates. You know, like grandpa, and grandmama, and she can come stay with us.” He continued, like it was the most normal thing to talk with a stranger. "You're pretty and daddy likes you."
Elena made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a dying animal, cheeks flushing bright red. She grabbed her coffee cup like it was the only thing tethering her to the planet.
My heart damn near stopped.
“Milo,” I said, eyes widening. “No—”
“But you do,” he said innocently. “You stared at her like Aunt Harper stares at Ice cream.”
The f**k is this kid talking about?
I loved him, very much, of course, I did, but right now, I wanted nothing to push a whole pancake between his mouth and shut him up.
Elena covered her face, choking, coughing.
I had no retort. I had completely lost my ability to talk, communicate, say something.
Black was howling with laughter.
When Elena finally lowered her hands, there was a shy, shaky smile tugging at her lips. Color blooming on her cheeks.
And even though I shouldn’t have—
Even though I knew better—
Something warm and dangerous curled in my chest.
My wolf felt it too.
He hummed, something protective rising in him.
"Must keep her safe."
Protect her.
Great. Fantastic. Exactly what I needed—my overactive instincts... coming alive.
I turned to look at Caleb, who had completely forgotten his recent discussions, and went back to eating like he hadn't started a mini earthquake within me.
I shrugged. "Sorry."
"He doesn't know... daddy doesn't like me," she whispered, but her smile was big. She was making fun of the situation, but I wanted to tell her how wrong she was. I didn't.
Elena plucked a pancake off the stack and took a bite. Her eyes fluttered shut. A low moan left her.
I swallowed hard.
My co.ck tightened. I jerked, shaking my head. This had to stop--this was becoming too hard to control.
“This is almost illegal, Alpha,” she said around a mouthful.
“Almost?”
“Definitely illegal. Like—arrest me levels of good.”
A smile tugged at my mouth before I could stop it.
“Glad you approve,” I whispered, staring at the way she ate like it was heaven or something.
She froze a little, surprised by my softness.
Then something passed between us—a quick, warm flicker that made her cheeks flush and made me suddenly aware of every inch of space between us.
Or lack of it.
My knees bumped against hers, when I adjusted myself.
"Sorry," I choked, moving back.
"It's fine," she said, licking her lips, taking in the stray syrup that trailed past her lips, and I wanted to lean in and take those lips between my teeth. Hell... I was starting to hate myself!
Milo was lost in his world, not knowing...
My world was unraveling.
Last night, after she left to her room, I couldn't stop thinking about her, or... the past.
Elena standing on my parents’ porch with a box of cookies, cheeks red, voice trembling as she confessed she liked me.
How young she’d been, how small...
How she’d avoided me for a year after I rejected her...
How Harper had been angry because of that...
I had never seen her in my pack after that day. I was sure she was embarassed, and would come after a few weeks, but she never came again. I had thought about her once in a while, thought of asking Harper, but never did.
And now… she was here.
In my space.
And me and my wolf was losing our damn minds.
When Milo finished eating, he looked at Elena, and tugged Elena’s sleeve.
“Do you wanna build a snow man?” he asked, clapping.
Her face lit up instantly. Her eyes shone. The smile... it bloomed.
I felt it. In my chest. In my ribs.
“I’d love to,” she said warmly.
“Not in this weather,” I cut in. “Maybe after—”
“Daddy,” Milo sighed dramatically. “You’re ruining Christmas.”
Elena snorted again.
Black whispered, "Let her stay. For Christmas."
I hated I wanted the same, but...
But when I looked at Elena—her eyes softening at Milo’s earnest pout, her hands steadying him, her smile gentle despite everything—something inside me loosened.
I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. But it was happening anyway.
"Fine, but you are wearing everything we can find."
"Thank you, Daddy."
Milo cheered and hugged my leg.
Elena smiled.
"Yeah, thank you, Daddy," she cheered, and then her eyes widened. She choked on nothing, her wide eyes on me... and I had a feeling... what exactly she was thinking right now.
"Ooh, naughty, naughty," Black teased.
"f**k off, wolf..."
(-)
- Writer
