29
REBECCA
For an endless moment, I looked at the thermostat, shocked.
59 F.
“I… I started it, this morning” I stammered, confused. “I swear I did“.
“I know, I saw you doing that,” Reiner reassured me, although with a worried look. “It must be broken – I’ll give it a look. It’s not a gas heater, is it?”
I shook my head. “No, the whole house runs on electricity. Mainly with solar panels. That’s all I
can tell you.”
One of the things I liked most about that house was precisely the electric heating: that way, I didn’t risk carbon monoxide leaks. Also, it seemed much easier to handle – I’d never been excellent with the technical management of the house. Sure, I knew how to change a light bulb, tighten a screw, or defrost the freezer… but I’d always left all the rest in Reiner’s capable hands, and when he was gone, some technician’s.
“Okay,” Reiner nodded, “The light and electrical outlets are working, so it’s probably just the AC system that’s having problems. Get some blankets and make something warm for dinner, I’ll try to figure out what’s wrong. Where are the manuals?”
Unable to utter a word, I retrieved the folder where I’d put everything related to the house and handed it to him: I felt a lump growing in my throat – as if all the emotions of that day, positive and negative, were about to explode.
What if it’s dangerous? What if we all blow up? How much will the repair cost me? What if
there are more problems?
The questions and an endless series of doomsday scenarios began to crowd my mind. I was there with the kids – what if something happened to them…
Reiner probably sensed that change of emotions, because the next moment, he had me in his
arms.
Far too tired and prey to my emotions to act rationally, I melted in his hug, absorbing its warmth, enjoying the solidity of his body against mine – and the reassurance it exuded.
At least the kids and I are not alone. He’ll know what to do.
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“It’s okay,” Reiner murmured, pressing a light kiss to my head. “It’s not great, but I’m sure it’s
nothing dangerous.”
“I know,” I forced myself to say. “It’s just…”
I felt Reiner’s head move as he nodded. His lips were still pressed to my hair.
“It’s okay,” he said again. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I took a couple of deep breaths, then loosened my grip – not because I didn’t need that hug anymore, but because it was becoming inappropriate. Reiner may have been more affectionate than usual that day, and he may have even called me “mate,” but … I knew that, in
large part, that behavior stemmed from his wolf instincts. It was not the man who desired it.
Reiner nodded, giving me a half–assed look, then left the house, heading out to check … well,
whatever he needed to check.
While he was working, I did what he asked: got the kids showered and dressed them in warm pajamas, lit the fireplace, and then stacked on the two couches in the living room as many blankets as I could find. Once the kids were quiet and warm in front of the TV, I started dinner: luckily, while we were shopping that morning, at their insistence, I’d picked up everything I needed to make the pups‘ favorite soup, a beef and mushroom stew – which was also the only way to get Violet to eat mushrooms.
At least I could put together a nutritious, healthy dinner that would fill and warm us up
properly.
Moon Goddess, thank you for suggesting Dr. Levi to make a modern kitchen with an induction
cooktop.
James helped me prepare the stew – and while it was cooking, I started looking for some
electricians online.
Reiner returned shortly after, a defeated look on his face.
“I was right – the AC system’s broken and I couldn’t fix it,” he said, and I felt my heart sink. “The good news is that it’s nothing dangerous, so we can spend the night here. The bad news is that… well, that it’s broken. But it’s still under warranty – which means you won’t have to shell
out a dime for the repair.”
I breathed a half sigh of relief.
“So we’re not gonna blow up?” I asked, just to be sure.
Reiner shook his head. “Nope. Another great piece of news is that this” he added with a smirk,
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pointing at the pot. “Smells really nice“.
“I made it!” Jim exclaimed, jumping on him. “All by myself!”
“Really?” I commented, using an exaggeratedly skeptical tone. “All by yourself, kid?”
He nodded, as if it was obvious: of course, Reiner imitated him, with the same s**t–eating grin
on his face.
“Of course he made it all by himself, Mom,” he replied. “How can you even doubt that?”
I rolled my eyes, holding back a smirk. “Well, since you made it all by yourself, I guess you’ll
also be able to keep an eye on it while Mom goes to take a shower, right?”
James smiled and nodded, delighted at the idea that I was giving him a responsibility – and more importantly, that I was allowing him to do something in the kitchen that wasn’t just
handing me ingredients.
Just because your father’s around and you’re not alone.
“He’ll look after it like a master chef,” Reiner chuckled. “And maybe he’ll put a little something
in it to make it even better…”
“Don’t you dare mess with my soup,” I warned him as I started toward the upstairs and the en–suite bathroom in my room. “If either of these two even taste a shade of chili you will
handle their tantrum.”
Eventually, as was to be expected, Reiner and James did something to my stew – making it quite better, however, which I did not complain about. Of course, they flatly refused to tell me what the hell they had put in it, classifying it as a “top secret between men.”
A change, though, that I was allowed to know was the one Reiner made to our portions: after dividing the soup into two pots, he tipped an entire can of Guinness into ours, which gave a fantastic extra touch to the stew, making it even warmer and cozier.
It was the perfect stew to be enjoyed in front of the crackling fireplace, but considering the two little devils, we had had to stay at the table: the carpet in front of the fireplace was a beautiful, and rather expensive, white faux–fur one – I didn’t want any highly–staining soup to fall onto
that.
Once we finished dinner and started the dishwasher, Reiner and I helped the kids with their evening routine – how on earth that man had managed to find a way to get our son to brush his teeth the right way was a mystery – and then we settled down in the living room to spend the night: the fireplace was the only source of heat in the house, so bedrooms were not an
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option.
The kids, of course, loved the idea of camping in the living room: I wasn’t as excited, because I loved my bed upstairs – however, I also loved not freezing to death.
In his two months as a dad, Reiner had put a lot of effort into making Vi and Jim absolutely his own – and that became evident when it was time to choose the movie: with a devilish grin, all he had to do was say “Transformers” to get them on his side.
I tried – really tried – to watch it, to be interested, to like it: but boredom was stronger than me, and at a certain point I gave up. The kids, I noted with a chuckle, collapsed shortly after, hugged to each other: after all, it was late for them, and they were tired from the day.
“Little rascals,” Reiner chuckled under his breath when he realized they’d abandoned him. Now Mommy will force me to watch what she wants.”
“Don’t worry, Mommy’s going to crash now,” I yawned. “As soon as she realizes where …”
After all, there were only two couches, and the kids had occupied one.
I could go get one of the kids‘ mattresses from upstairs, I thought.
“1
Reiner arched an eyebrow. “On the couch,” he said. “Throw me a pillow and a blanket and I’ll be just fine in front of the fireplace.”
“On the floor?”
“That carpet is certainly softer and more comfortable than my current bed at home,” he
objected.
“Yes, because your bed is a twenty–five dollar air mattress! We can go get one of the children’s mattresses,” I said. “It doesn’t take that long to bring it down.”
Reiner rolled his eyes, amused. “You’re unnecessarily complicating the matter,” he said. ” Blanket and pillow, please.”
Giving up, I grabbed a pillow and a couple of blankets from the couch and threw them to him: he caught them and settled down on the carpet.
“As I imagined,” he commented. “Comfier than my bed. Night.”
“Night,” I yawned, settling down on the couch… and almost immediately starting to toss and turn, in an attempt to find a comfortable position that didn’t make me feel exaggeratedly cold- which wasn’t exactly easy.
A few minutes, I thought. Just a few minutes and the body heat will warm the blanket …
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A few minutes passed – and I was still cold.
Lucky them, I huffed, thinking of the children. Thanks to their Alpha blood, they naturally ran hot. Well, they say sleeping in colder rooms is good for your health.
Except when you wake up the next morning with a cold and a blocked neck, a familiar voice
sing–sung in my head.
I closed my eyes for a second.
Reiner, what are you doing in my head?
A low chuckle resonated in the living room. Well, I was going to ask you if this house was built
on an earthquake fault…
Please, not a dad joke…
Since there seems to be an earthquake going on, he concluded, particularly proud of his joke.
Or maybe it’s just your shivering.
I’m perfectly fine, thank you.
Another chuckle. You know, it feels great here… in front of the fireplace.
The couch is fine too.
It’s really nice and warm.
I huffed. I’m kicking you out of my head.
Come over here.
That was more than enough to leave me stunned.
W–what?
Come here, he repeated, as if … as if he hadn’t just proposed that. It’s warm and it’s comfortable. And you’d stop shaking like a leaf stuck on the windshield.
I sent the equivalent of a middle finger down our mind–link, trying to stifle a chuckle. You sure know how to compliment a woman. No, thank you.
I wrapped myself tighter into the blanket and focused on breathing, hoping the rhythmic movement would help me relax and distract me from the cold.
I hoped for a while, and to no avail.
Becks, either you come over here by yourself or I’m coming there and picking you up.
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There was still half a laugh in his words, but also a streak of strength that left little room for objection.
Too bad I had no intention of giving it to him.
Forget it.
Okay.
The next moment, I felt two strong, solid arms wrap themselves around me.
“Reiner!” I shrieked in a low voice.
I told you, he replied. I won’t leave you there shivering.
In no time we were on the carpet (which was really as warm and comfortable as a bed):
Reiner had clasped me in his arms, with the result that I was now wrapped in a wonderful,
fragrant cocoon of warmth, with my back to the crackling fireplace and Reiner’s arm as my
pillow.
If I didn’t move immediately, it was solely because … well, because it felt really good there.
And because I had absolutely no strength to counter not only him, but also all my instincts,
human and otherwise, that begged me not to leave to stay in his embrace for the rest of
eternity.
Better?, Reiner whispered, a hint of laughter in his voice.
I gave him a dirty look. Will you be an asshole f I tell you you were right?
Of course, I’m an Alpha – I love to hear people say I was right, he chuckled.
Then I’m going back to the couch.
His grip on me tightened – and it was very, very hard not to think about what usually once followed such a grip.
Don’t you even think about it.
His tone said both “See that you don’t defy a possessive Alpha in full mate–protection mania,”
but also “Please don’t leave.”
The rational part of me would have liked to say that I stayed in his arms for the first meaning –
but that wouldn’t be the truth.
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