Claiming My Bestfriend's Alpha Dad

Chapter 11: Morning Magic

Sunlight filtered through the heavy glass of the bedchamber windows, casting a warm, golden glow across the dark hardwood floors.

Elara woke slowly, the deep, exhausting fog of the night before melting away into a quiet, cozy awareness. She didn't move immediately. Her cheek was pressed against something hard, warm, and wonderfully solid, and the familiar, intoxicating scent of winter cedar and dark amber filled her senses.

She opened her eyes slightly. She was curled tightly against Kaelen’s bare chest, his massive arm wrapped securely around her waist to keep her flush against him.

Propped up on her side, Elara took a quiet moment to just look at him. In sleep, the hard, unyielding lines of the Alpha melted away, leaving him looking devastatingly handsome. Strong cheekbones, dark lashes resting against his golden skin, and a scattering of faint scars across his broad shoulders that only added to his raw, dangerous appeal. Her gaze traced the sharp line of his jaw and the slightly parted lips that had rendered her breathless only hours before.

"Done checking me out?"

Elara jumped, a soft gasp escaping her lips as Kaelen’s deep, rumbling voice vibrated against her chest. One of his dark eyes cracked open, a slow, insufferably cocky grin spreading across his face.

With a soft chuckle, his hand slid up her back, gently pressing her head back down against his chest. "I mean, I don't blame you for looking. It's a lot to take in, I know. But go ahead—you can look as much as you want, little wolf."

Heat rushed violently to Elara's cheeks as she swatted playfully at his arm.

"You are entirely too arrogant for your own good, Alpha."

"Only when I have a captive audience," he teased, his chest vibrating with quiet laughter.

As the easy warmth settled back over them, Elara traced a lazy pattern against his warm skin with her fingertips, letting a curious smile touch her lips.

"Since you seem to think you know everything about everyone... let's test that theory. What's my absolute least favorite chore around the packhouse?"

Kaelen didn't even hesitate, his thumb lazily tracing the curve of her hip beneath the oversized graphic tee. "Sorting the winter inventory ledgers with the elders. You spend the whole time complaining that the ink smells like old dust."

Elara blinked, a mixture of amusement and defeat crossing her features. "Okay, fair. Your turn."

" What’s the one food I secretly despise that everyone thinks I love?"

Elara pondered for a bit eventually coming up blank.

"Rosemary-crusted venison," Kaelen groaned, rolling his eyes slightly.

"The cooks keep serving it because they think it's traditional, but it tastes like chewing on an actual pine needle."

"I had my suspicions but you always ckmpliment the chef" Elara laughed, her eyes lighting up. "Maya told me you make the most miserable face whenever it's served at the high table but I never believed you were a picky eater."

"Maya talks entirely too much," Kaelen muttered, though a deeply fond smile softened his features.

He caught her wandering hand, pressing a warm kiss to her knuckles before turning the tables back on her.

"All right. What book title is currently hidden under my mattress that I've re-read at least three times?"

Kaelen smirked.

Elara’s breath hitched, her cheeks turning a bright, lovely crimson.

"You couldnt..."

"Oh, I do" Kaelen murmured, his gray eyes dancing with pure mischief. "Something about a rogue prince and a forbidden tavern keeper? *Shadows of the Hearth*, was it?"

"How?" Elara asked, burying her burning face back into his chest with a groan, completely mortified.

Kaelen laughed warmly, wrapping his arms tighter around her to keep her trapped against him, thoroughly enjoying every second of her embarrassment.

"I saw you one day on my way back from a patrol , you were hooked and jumped around your room squealing , I glanced the title of the book and then I saw u carrying it around with Maya and another time and a Luncheon it was hiden inside your binder." Kaelen explained.

Elara was shocked not Knowing he paid so muxh attention to her.

"Kaelen... can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why do you always stop at a kiss?" Elara asked quietly, her cheeks pinking up again as she met his gaze head-on.

"Last night... and other times. You want me, I know you do. And I know you've had a lot of experience—you have a daughter, after all. So why hold back?"

Kaelen’s expression darkened, the playful amusement fading instantly into a raw, intense sincerity. He cupped her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin.

"Because I want you completely, Elara," he said, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly register. "If I took you last night, behind closed doors while the pack is still adjusting, it wouldn't be fair to you. I want to sort out the politics, get the elders to officially accept you, and introduce you to the entire pack as my fated mate properly in two months. Some won't be happy about it—they never are with outsiders—and there will be friction, but I want to keep the backlash to an absolute minimum to protect you."

Elara’s chest tightened with a profound wave of affection. She leaned into his palm, a soft smile touching her lips.

"Hopefully, then... my half-brother, Elan, will be willing to leave our cabin in the woods and move closer to the pack grounds. I hate him being so close to the northern border. It's too dangerous out there."

Kaelen nodded, his jaw setting with fierce protectiveness. "I'll make sure of it. I'll give him a house closer to the inner ring, well within the safety of our patrols. You can visit him more often, and it will be much easier for you both."

Before Elara could reply, a soft, respectful knock echoed against the heavy wooden door of the bedchamber.

"Breakfast," Kaelen murmured, pressing a swift kiss to her forehead before sliding out of bed. He pulled on a pair of dark pants and walked over to the door.

A moment later, he returned carrying a large silver tray laden with fresh pastries, warm fruit, eggs, and two steaming mugs of tea. They spent the next few hours lounging in bed, eating, talking, and laughing easily until the clock on the wall crept past eleven in the morning, nearing noon.

Reluctantly, Kaelen set his empty mug down and looked at her. "I have to get back to the war room. The council is waiting."

Elara sighed, stretching her arms above her head. "Right. Maya is probably wondering where on earth I disappeared to since last night."

Kaelen smirked, standing up and holding out a hand to help her up.

"Come here. I have a shortcut."

He led her across the expansive bedroom toward a large, historic-looking mirror framed in ornate, silver-carved vines and dark wood. Elara admired the intricate design, running a finger along the cool metal.

"Is this..." Elara started, her eyes widening.

"Watch," Kaelen commanded gently, stepping behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

He raised a hand and muttered a sharp, melodic incantation under his breath.

Astra per speculum, via aperta sit. Viam inter duo mundos iungo.

The glass of the mirror rippled like water, glowing with a soft, iridescent blue light. Within seconds, the reflection vanished, replaced entirely by a clear view of Elara’s own bedroom across the estate.

"The magic behind this mirror connects a permanent portal to a twin mirror anywhere it's tuned to," Kaelen explained quietly, his breath warm against her ear. "I just activated the connection to your room. Now, you can come and go between your quarters and mine completely unnoticed."

Elara stared in absolute awe, turning to look up at him. "Every time I think I've seen all your magical trinkets, you pull out something completely impossible. How many secrets do you have?"

"I'll explain all of them to you later," Kaelen promised with a faint, knowing smile, pressing one last lingering kiss to her lips. "Go on before Maya comes looking for you."

Nodding, Elara stepped forward, slipping through the cool, shimmering surface of the glass. She materialized instantly on the other side, standing in the familiar safety of her own bedroom.

She turned around and waved goodbye through the mirror. Kaelen raised a hand, offering a lazy wave back before murmuring another word. The glass rippled once more, returning instantly to a normal, reflective surface.

Elara immediately caught sight of her reflection.

Her dark hair was an absolute bird's nest of bedhead, tangled wildly around her face from the night before, and she was still wearing Kaelen's oversized graphic tee and boxer briefs, having completely forgotten to brush her teeth.