Behind her, Warren looks tired but proud, his posture loose. He’s in a pair of black gym shorts and nothing else. It’s the first time I haven't seen the alpha in a suit first thing in the morning in a while.
Hope flickers in my chest, praying that means he’s not working today.
Imiss him so much. It feels like he’s gone all the time now, and seeing him like this makes something inside me settle.
“Well,” Grason says with a teasing lift in his voice. “Look who decided to join us.”
“Good morning, you two,” Cass's smile shifts to something softer as it lands on Tansy. “Hungry?”
“Yes, please,” she says, shuffling toward the table.
But I immediately panic when I realize there are four chairs and five of us.
Cass must notice too because he pats his good leg, then opens his arms. “Come here, omega.”
Tansy settles into his lap like it’s the most natural thing in the world. She tucks her legs in and leans back against his chest, the hoodie bunching up around her waist. Cass’s hand rests easily at her hip.
Everyone else settles and digs in.
Plates are passed. Coffee is poured. Pancakes disappear faster than I expect. The boys talk about fixing a broken panel in the garage while Tansy and I try to decide what movie we’re going to watch later.
It’s noisy in a good way: forks clinking, Grason inhaling everything, and Cass reminding him to slow down.
“How about a horror movie?” I ask while watching Tansy cut up her pancake.
I really love the way she moves. The way she holds her fork, dips her bite in syrup, then slips it into her mouth.
“I do love a good horror movie,” she says. “Especially when the death scenes are funny.” Her brow pinches when she sees me staring at her. “What?” she asks, a little self-conscious. “Do I have something on my face?” She touches her cheek.
“No.” I laugh, forcing myself to look away. “You’re fine.”
She wipes her mouth just in case. “You’re staring,” she says, clearly still worried she’s a mess.
“I just like watching you eat,” I mumble, a little embarrassed. “It’s like a dance.”
“A dance?” She laughs, shaking her head. “God, I wish dancing were as easy as eating. I probably would’ve attended the extra practices if it was.”
Grason perks up at that. “You dance?”
Tansy nods. “Yeah. Ballet. For almost twenty-years now.” She takes another bite of pancake. “Since I was eight.”
Warren’s eyebrows lift, impressed. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” she says, smiling. “I was never good enough, or thin enough,” she adds with an eye roll, “to be a prima ballerina or anything like that. But my dance instructor said I have a lot of natural talent. I always got decent roles.”
“Hey,” Cass pops the side of her leg. “Don’t insult your curves.” He gives her a serious look. “They belong to me, and I won’t have you talking bad about them.”
That makes Tansy giggle. Her cheeks flush, and she ducks her head briefly. “No insult, alpha. Just a fact.”
“I wanted to do ballet as a kid,” Grason says, shocking everyone at the table. “My sister was into it, and I wanted to be near all those pretty girls.” His eyes float closed. “Pink tights and ribbons in their hair, fuck.” He lets out a rumbling breath. “I would have killed to be allowed to dance with them, but my father wouldn’t have it.” His mouth pulls into a defeated smile. “My mom talked him into letting me do tap instead. It was still fun, but the outfits weren’t nearly as tempting.”
“You did tap?’’ Tansy leans toward him.
“I did,” he says proudly. “Twice a week for two years.Then I discovered rugby and hitting other alphas was more fun.”
I snort, and Warren laughs outright.
“I’d love to see you dance,” Tansy says, eyes bright.
