Everly POV
I woke up to pee during the night and realized Valarian was in my bed. However, it was the body beside
him that made me tense. No wonder my back was killing with Valarian’s butt resting in the center of my
back.
Shaking my head, I quickly raced to the bathroom. I never usually woke up of a night and would remain
asleep until my alarm woke me. So I was a little disorientated as I walked back to the room. Glancing at
the alarm clock that resided on the bedside table. I noted that it was a little after 3 AM. Why was I
awake? In the pit of my stomach, I knew it was the bond, the dull throbbing ache of him being around for
so long and the bond trying to pull me nearer and wanting me to seek him out.
I even took one of my pills, hoping the incessant niggling pains would dissipate. I knew they would come
on, they always did after seeing him, even if it was only for a few minutes, plus I was worried I would
sleepwalk and crawl into wherever he slept. The ache and need to see your mate was ridiculous.
Bonds were far from a blessing. I would consider the bond to be more of a curse. It was irrational and
illogical. Damn, Moon Goddess really screwed werewolves over with that inbuilt setting in our DNA, as if
breaking every bone in our body to shift wasn’t bad enough, we didn’t even get a say in who our mates
were, and we are as good as dead if we didn’t accept them. Valen was turned facing Valarian, Valerian’s
head resting on his arm next to Valen’s face.
I carefully pulled the blanket back up as I climbed back into bed, not wanting to disturb them. They both
looked pretty peaceful.
I eventually drifted back off, but not for long when I felt the bed move. I jolted upright, still caught in my
dream of forsaken taking Valarian from me. I try to shake the remnants of the dream away to look over a
t the clock and see I had only been asleep for twenty minutes. What the fuck. Movement makes me look
over at Valarian to see he had climbed out of bed.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Valen asks as Valarian climbs over him to get out of bed.
“I’m just using the bathroom, ” Valerian mumbles, half asleep before walking out of the room. My dream
was still fresh. I found myself following him, now paranoid about the forsaken getting in my house and
stealing him. He shuts the door, and I lean on the wall yawning. Why couldn’t I sleep? I have to do a
double tomorrow; I need to sleep.
I debated whether or not it would be worth taking another pill, but they also gave me terrible heartburn for
the first half an hour after taking
them; the wolfsbane was not a pleasant ingredient in them.
I hear the toilet flush, and Valarian opens the door rubbing his eyes and yawning before walking off in the
opposite direction toward his room. ” Val? ” he stops and looks up at me through his half-lidded eyes. He
was not coherent at all as he yawned.
” Don’t you want to sleep in my room? ” I ask him, knowing his father was in there.
“No, you keep kicking me,” he mumbles, turning around, walking into his room, and climbing in his bed.
I tuck him in, tucking the surrounding blankets over him before kissing his head. I didn’t know what to do
with myself now. I checked all the windows and locks before rechecking them to ensure I didn’t imagine
checking them, anxiety at its finest. I debated what to do. I could climb in with Valarian, but he said I
woke him from kicking him.
I sighed before heading back out to the hall. I paused as I went to head out to the couch. Every part of
my body told me I was going in the wrong direction.
Trying to lead me back to my bed where Valen was. I knew the bond would get stronger, now I marked
him, but this was ridiculous, making me wonder what would happen tomorrow when he wasn’t here.
Would it get worse with him further away? Would the pain get worse?
My mind and body fought against one another before my body won, my feet carrying me back to my
room while I mentally scolded myself for letting them. Valen had moved, now more in the center of the
bed where Valarian was.
“I can sleep on the couch if Valarian isn’t coming back in. Is that why you were pacing in the hall, or did
you go retake one of your pills?” Valen said while yawning. Pacing? I didn’t realize I was pacing. I felt like
I was losing my damn mind. I swallowed. I knew I should tell him to go sleep on the couch.
“Everly?”
“No, it’s fine, ” I mutter.
“It’s fine? ” Valen says, sitting up on one elbow and looking at me. I pull the blanket back, climbing back
into the bed. My entire body was awake now, every part of me twitchy and antsy. I clench my hands into
fists and place them under my ass to stop myself from trying to touch him. What is wrong with me? The
pain I was used to but feeling him so near was making my heart rate increase, my breathing faster as I
soaked up his scent that perfumed the room.
I feel him lay back down, getting comfortable behind me. He sighed loudly.
“Valarian told me what those pills were you were taking, ” I say nothing and look at the ceiling. That kid
was far too observant for his age; he is like a sponge absorbing everything he sees and hears.
“Why did you take them, Valerian said for pain, but I am not sleeping with anyone. Are you addicted to
them? ” Did he seriously just ask me that? I haven’t got time to scratch my ass half the time, let alone
time to have an addiction on top of my never-ending responsibilities.
“I’m not addicted to them,” I answer.
“Are you sure we can get you help? I am not judging if you are, “
“Valen, I am not addicted to them; I don’t take them all the time, only when you… well, you know, and
lately when I see you,”
“What do you mean?”
“The bond..” I didn’t want to give more reason to be around or use it as an excuse.
“Are you going to finish what you were going to say? ” I rub a hand down my face.
“When I see you, it’s worse than when I don’t. The bond recognizes you, tells me to claim you so you
can’t be with them,”
“But you have claimed me now, Everly, “
“Yes, and now the urge to be near you is even worse, and it hasn’t even been it hours, ” my tone came
out harsher than I intended. But thinking the words and saying them were vastly different. Saying them
made anger burn in me at how weak I sounded. I wasn’t weak.
“And that’s it, that is the only reason?”
“Yes, Valen. I am not addicted to my pills; you don’t- ” I squeaked when he moved and grabbed me,
rolling me as he slid his arm under my head and pulled me closer.
His scent invades my nostrils before I feel him rest his chin on my head. I inhaled his scent, the dull ache
instantly stamped down, and I felt my body
relax, almost going utterly limp in his arms. I press my nose into the base of his throat. His stubble
brushed my forehead, and a rather embarrassing noise left my lips that resembled a purring moan.
“Better?” he asked, and I froze mid sniff. He chuckles, his chest rumbling, and I go to pull my face from
his neck, and he growls.
“I asked if it was better, didn’t ask you to move, Everly, ” he whispered, tugging me closer. Within
seconds I was asleep when he started purring, lulling my waking mind into blissful contentedness.
Valen POV
I got up to the sounds of Zoe getting the kids ready for school. I went to sit up and slide out from under
Everly when Valarian came bounding into the room excitedly. Zoe was hot on his heels as she tried to
stop him.
“Valarian, no mummy is sleeping, ” Zoe whispered yelled, but it was too late as the door smacked into
the wall with a loud bang. Everly, however, did not wake up. I twisted out from under her, and Valarian
seeing me moving, raced over while Zoe blinked at me.
“You’re in bed; I thought you left,”
“Very observant, and yes, I am still here,” I tell her as Valarian climbs in my lap before I even have a
chance to get up.
“Are you taking me to school?”
I looked over at Everly, still passed out as she moved closer in her sleep, burying her face in the pillow I
was using.
“No, Valerian, your father isn’t dressed, and we are running late,” Zoe says, coming over and plucking
him off my lap. I glance at the clock on the bedside table, and so does Valarian; he would be nearly an
hour early.
“We don’t need to leave until it says eight, three, zero, Zoe,” He says, his brows furrowing.
“We will be late to get breakfast on the way from Mcdonalds if we don’ t leave now,” She says, hauling
him out. Zoe winks at me, and I scrub a hand down my face, trying to wake up.
” Zoe! ” she stops at the door and looks over at me.
“Don’t forget to ring Emily, ” I tell her, and she glares at me. Her lips pressed into a line. If a look could
kill, Zoe would have murdered me. I chuckle as she leaves, taking Valarian with her.
I hear the kids making demands for their Mcdonald’s breakfast as they leave before laying back down.
Everly instantly slid her way back over to me and tossed her leg over my waist before nestling her face
back into my neck. Gripping her thigh, I haul her top of me, and I hear her sigh making me laugh sof tly.
She will probably kill me, but she wasn’t complaining right now. I managed to go back to sleep before
waking up to wandering hands roaming
over my stomach and chest. I blink up at the ceiling to see her half on top of me still. Her head fell back
on my arm, and I swallowed at the sight of her neck. So tempting , and it would be so easy to mark her
while she was like this. I roll on my side and skim my nose across her neck and shoulder.
Everly had a spicy floral scent, my mouth waters as I inhale deeply before running my tongue over her
neck before freezing. Recognition smashed into me as I gave in to instinct, and I quickly ripped my face
away from her neck, feeling my canines pressing into my lips. I suck in a deep breath before untangling
myself from her. I needed to get away from her while she was in this state before I did something that
would make her hate me. My stomach twisted as I forced myself out of the room.
Needing a distraction, I flick the kettle on and start picking up toys and clothes that must be from this
morning. Hours passed when I finally looked up, having completely forgotten about the coffee I intended
to make. I had managed to clean the entire tiny apartment.
” Shit ! ” I curse under my breath. Was it weird I cleaned her place? Would she find it insulting, would
Zoe? I pull a chair out from under the table, attempting to make a slight mess so it doesn’t look so clean,
but all I could smell was bleach, taste it in the back of my mouth. The washing machine makes a noise
singing loudly as the spin cycle finishes, and I walk away to put it in the dryer before stopping. I needed
to put the damn chair back straight.
Maybe I am slightly compulsive, but I had reason to be. I needed the distraction, so I didn’t walk in there
and mark her against her will. I realign the chair, my nervousness making it challenging to stop. Passing
Valerian’s room, I rechecked it, but his room was spotless. I placed the clothes in the dryer, turning it on
before chucking another load on, but it was only half a load. I quickly look around, trying to find more
clothes.
Stopping at Everly’s door, I push it open. I need to clean it; I run my fingers over her dresser. When was
the last time she dusted? I flick my hand, ridding it of the dust before scooping up her work clothes and
sniffing them to see if they had her scent on them or not. She had so many uniforms scattered around
her room. She moved on the bed, and I glanced at her, but she was still asleep.
Scooping up another handful of clothes that were on my side of the bed, I sniff them when she clears her
throat. I glance at her mid sniff to find her staring at me. She blinks at me and rubs her eyes, sitting up.
“What are you doing?” She asks.
“Ah, washing, ” I tell her holding up the pieces I just grabbed off the floor that fell under the bed. My eyes
dart to what was in my hand. I blinked.
“Does that require you to sniff my panties and cami? ” She asks before reaching over and snatching
them from my grip. My eyes widen.
“I wasn’t, I was seeing if they were clean,”
“Well, were they Mr. Sniffer?” I clear my throat. Standing upright. Well, this got awkward fast.
“I swear, I was not sniffing them in a sordid way, see, I have an armful. I just came in here to see if any
needed washing, ” god, that sounded lame even to my own ears, not sniffing her panties in a sordid way.
Who says that?
“Did you sniff Zoe’s panties too?” She says, pointing to the clothes under my arm.
“What? No, I just grabbed these out of the hamper in the bathroom, “
“I’m playing Valen,” She chuckles, tossing her panties and cami to me. I let out a breath.
“But if you are looking for a job, I am seeking a nanny, ” She laughs.
“Ha, very funny, “
“Wait, really?” I could be a nanny, maybe pappy, nanny sounds a little feminine, but I would if it meant
spending more time here.
“No, but hey, you want to clean. One less thing for me to do,” She says, swinging her legs over the side
of the bed.
” Coffee?” She asks, and I nod, scooping up a dress from the back of her chair. Everly moves to the
kitchen while I go to the tiny laundry and put another load of washing on.
“Did you sort out my pantry?” She asks as I walk back into the living room slash kitchen dining room. I
say nothing, feeling awkward suddenly.
“Where is the coffee?” she asks, rummaging around. I walk over to her, reaching past her, and she jumps
when I press against her back.
I grab the coffee jar and sugar. “Right here, ” I retrieve the two canisters.
“Ah, we have been meaning to use those, ” She says. I found the decorative canisters still in the box, a
whole heap of Tupperware still in the wrappers like they brought them and forgot about them. Everly
turns around.
“Excuse me,” she says, squeezing past me. She grabs two mugs, and I lean on the counter, watching
her.
“I got rid of your pills in the sultana box,” I tell her, and her hand stops mid-air.
“You what?”
“You don’t need them,”
“Valen, you can’t just throw things out,”
“Valarian said Zoe ban them from the house, so you could either accept it and ring me when you need
me or you can tell Zoe they are in the house and I will give them back,” I tell her, folding my arms across
my chest. She growls, and I raise an eyebrow at her.
“Is that a purr or a growl, a little hard to tell, ” She glares at me?
“So, what will it be?” She turns back to make the coffee.
“Or I could just stay here, or we can alternate between both places. I was going to ask if I could take
Valarian for the weekend anyway,”
“Valen, you don’t even have a room for him set up or anything for a child at your place, “
“I will go get some stuff or send Marcus too. I can look after our son Everly, “
“I will think about it; we have the Alpha meeting on Friday, maybe the weekend after,” She says, sliding a
coffee over to me.
“Why not this weekend?”
“Valen, we are about to publicly announce we are mates, and that will change things for Valarian. I don’t
want too much to change, “
“Then stay with him,”
“I am not staying at your place. Besides, I have to work,”
“Then he will be fine with me, or I stay here. Either way, I am seeing my son on the weekend, so choose,
” I argue. She ignores me, walking back to her room to get ready for work. I follow, sitting on her bed.
“Ah, what are you doing?” “Finishing our conversation, ” “It can wait, I need to get ready, “
“Then get ready. I thought women could multitask, or can’t you talk and get dressed at the same time? “
She growls at me, but I refuse to leave even when she glares at me as I get comfortable on the bed and
watch her.
“Valen, Out!”
“So, the weekend?” She snarls while snatching clothes off the hanger.
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