Chapter 172

I wake up to plush lips littering kisses all over my face, sleepily I turn my face in the direction the kisses are coming from, lazily opening my eyes.

"Hi, V." I mumble.

"Hey, baby, sleep well?" He asks, pushing my tousled hair from my face.

My reply is a vague murmur and I glance to the side to note that Shana is long gone and I'm all alone.

He makes a quiet cooing sound when I rub my eyes and throw my arms around his neck, hanging off him like a koala bear.

"It's time for dinner."

"No, I want to sleep some more." I grumble, hiding my face in his neck when he straightens easily lifting me up.

"Sure, after you eat dinner." He agrees, amusement blatant in his voice.

I groan again but agree, if I don't I know he'll just carry me down to the kitchens. "Fine, let me wash up."

I'm not surprised when he heads for the bathroom, hands under my thighs to support me.

"How was your day?" He asks cordially, watching me as I carefully wash my face so I don't get soap in my eyes, my hands uncoordinated from sleep.

I rinse off my face before replying him. "Your brothers napped me again." I tattle.

His face doesn't change from their open concentration on me. "I know, they won't be doing that again."

"Oh?" I blink. "Well, Shana came over and we hung out a bit before falling asleep, what about you? I didn't see you all day." I ask curiously, moving closer to ruffle the edges of his hair, it's as high as I can go without tiptoeing.

He catches my hand and pulls me flush against him, staring down at me with cool blue eyes.

I let him hug me, flushing lightly as I place my cheek against his chest to avoid his piercing gaze.

"My dad invited us over for dinner."

"What?" I flinch back at his quiet words, my brain refusing to process.

He rubs slow circles over the expanse of my back like he's grounding himself. "That was my response too, apparently he wants to get to know his son's boyfriend or some other bull."

I note that his voice is softer when he talks about his dad and I hum. "Sure, when?" 

"You're agreeing?" He demands in disbelief, cupping my jaw to angle my face to his.

I freeze, my eyes going wide as I lick my lips in consternation. "I wasn't supposed to?"

His eyes drop to my lips where my tongue had poked out. "No, you had the choice to, I'm just surprised."

My reply gets cut off with a soft kiss, his hand gently kneading my nape.

"Let's do more of this and fall asleep." I hum when he breaks off.

He laughs at this. "Sure, after dinner."

I scoff, exasperated with how unshakeable he could be.

Mae doesn't come up for dinner or maybe she's already had dinner while my mom mingles with the other Pack Members her age, I note that the Alpha never came down for meals.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a separate kitchen and dining room on the top floor for the leaders of the Pack, the dinner would make more sense then.

"You should eat more, your ribs are poking out." Virgil says, feeding me.

I take the bite of food and sleepily glare at him. "I've finished a second serving, how dare you say I don't eat?" I scold.

He wipes the side of my mouth carefully. "I never said you didn't, I just said you should eat more."

I yawn, tuning out most of what he said. "I'm going to fall face down on my plate, baby, I need to sleep." I pout, too sleepy and too full to burn up at the pet name slip.

Virgil smiles wider. "Sure…"

I'm practically sleepwalking so Virgil gives me a piggyback ride up to my room, getting me ready for bed.

"Tickles." I mumble, clumsily scrambling away from him when he tries to undo the buckles of my jeans, sleeping with them would be highly uncomfortable.

"Stop squirming." He grabs a thigh, pulling me back.

"Stop digging your thumbs in my side." I complain in return in a rare show of lucidity which trails off in incomprehensible mumbles.

"I'm sorry, I won't anymore."

"Don't touch my butt." I mumble absently, eyes closed.

"I'm not…"

"Or my thigh…" I cut in again.

"Stop being so difficult, Hay, how else am I supposed to change you? Or maybe I'll just leave you in your jeans."

His threat cuts through my sleep haze and I panic a bit, sleeping with jeans was pure torture. "M' sorry, baby." I wiggle closer to him. "Help me."

He huffs out a breath, incredulous, but eventually gets me out of the snug jeans without further event.

Next came the knitted pants, it was really cold.

"Tickles." I mumble again when he takes a foot, kicking out a leg.

"Fuck." He bites out and I scramble across the bed when he let's go, curling into a ball at the head of the bed.

I squeal when I get dragged down the bed again, his grip firm on my ankle but not tight enough to bruise.

Mumbling sleepily about how he's a brute that wants to break my precious ankles, I doubt he knows that's what I'm trying to say.

"Precious…" incomprehensible mumble. "Precious, wittle ankles… don't… don't break…" wide yawn.

He finally gets me ready, even going as far as to wear me socks and gets on the bed beside me.

"If I didn't love you, I'd roll you down the stairs." He says in a muffled voice, no doubt massaging his jaw where I had kicked him.

I just spin into his arms with a sleepily smile on my face, feeling snug and warm. "Love you, love you…" I mumble, placing clumsy wet kisses all over his face.

"Don't lick my eye." He complains, making no move to stop me.

"But I love you." I pout, eyes still closed.

"Go to sleep, baby." He says wryly.

"Kiss me goodnight first?" I prompt.

"Sure." He agrees and I sigh sleepily when he places a warm kiss on my neck.

"Night'night, baby."

"Goodnight."