“Good plan. I don’t wiggle.” Making it sound like that was decided, Braun headed over to the bed and climbed up. “Scoot over, octo-pup. I’m going to fall off the bed.”
Well, he might not fall off but one cheek definitely wasn’t fully on the bed.
“Here you go.” Emeric’s giggle was cut off by a yawn as he wiggled and curled into a ball in the middle of the bed. He wasn’t quite resting on Braun but he was close. “This is better than the bonfire you did last time. I won’t get swatted again for getting too close to the fire.”
Oh no.
“You shouldn’t have gotten swatted last time.” Braun took the whole thing like it was a casual conversation but I could see anger and something I thought was his wolf flashing in his eyes. “You got distracted but I caught you. It was an accident and a learning experience. We need those when we’re young so we don’t fuck up big when we’re an adult.”
Well, that wasn’t the way I’d have put it but he wasn’t wrong.
“I’ve…” Yawning again, Emeric’s lids drooped further as I did my best not to react as I came around to my side of the bed. “I’ve had lots of those. I’m going to be a great adult.”
I didn’t like the sound of that either, and neither did Braun because he scooped the octo-pup closer and wrapped his arms around the tired boy. “I think so too, but you’ve got a while before you get there. So don’t try to do it too fast. The other pups would miss having someone new to play with and my mother needs pups to help her make questionable decisions.”
At least she’d fed them fruit with the chocolate?
“I think…I think she can do that on her own, Alpha. She’s kinda sneaky.” Emeric faded even more as I sat down beside him on the bed. “You’re the Alpha, though. I won’t forget.”
The Alpha in question scoffed. “Damn right. You side with me. That’s the deal.”
Emeric’s smile said, at the very least, he didn’t mind the tone. “Yeah…that’s the deal.”
He was barely hanging on but he reached out and patted my arm as I settled in and opened the book. “You too…I’ll side with you, Mr. Dorian.”
“Thank you, Emeric.” I wasn’t sure what else to say, so I just started in on the first chapter.
Two pages.
I’d overestimated how long he’d last because I’d thought we’d get halfway through the first chapter before he dropped off. But he was down for the count, as my mother would say, before we’d finished the first scene and he didn’t twitch when I stopped reading the book and set it on the nightstand.
Braun wasn’t far behind, but his eyes were technically open. “I’ll carry him downstairs.”
I wasn’t sure that was a good idea but there didn’t seem to be a better one. “Are you awake enough for that?”
His eye roll wasn’t an answer.
“I can be up for three days before I start doing stupid shit like falling down the stairs.”
That wasn’t an answer either, no matter what he seemed to think.
“You answer questions like you’re Emeric’s age.” That got a smile out of the exhausted man but he didn’t defend himself as he scooped up Emeric. “Be careful.”
He rolled his eyes, but his smirk said he wasn’t frustrated with me yet. “There’s a new toothbrush underneath the left sink.”
“Thank you.” Getting off the bed, I headed in and took advantage of a lightning-fast shower and the offered toothbrush as Braun tucked Emeric in. I had to admit that I was starting to fade by the time I was done and Braun was back, and that was what I was going to blame my questionable choices on. “Did he wake up when you put him to bed?”
Chuckling, Braun shook his head as he climbed back in bed, room not quite dark enough to hide his yawn that time. “No, he rolled over once and then spread out across the mattress. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t exaggerating that octopus comment.”
As I walked around to the other side of the bed, I couldn’t help frowning. “He talks nice about his mother but he doesn’t mention his father much.”
Braun sighed as he shifted his pillow and closed his eyes. “I should’ve asked more questions when his aunt left to go down there but nothing seemed fishy at the time. The way she worded it made it sound like an accident.”
Hindsight was twenty-twenty.
“You wouldn’t have ignored something that made you worry.” He would, however, make ridiculous decisions like wrapping one arm around me and tugging me closer. “Behave.”
Scoffing wasn’t a good response but it was apparently going to be all I got as he let out a long, deep breath and shifted me so my head was on his chest. “I don’t know much about grief in kids, but it’s like he skipped most of the steps and went right to acceptance.”
