It was roughly half an hour before I had the burritos all made up, including some for the boys when they returned, keeping them warmed in the oven, not that we would necessarily tell them right away.
It was another half an hour before we heard the boys coming down the hall, “Rian! Walking feet please!” Tristan scolded him in a manner that was firm, but gentle as it carried down the hall.
“Sowwy Daddy.” Rian called back. He sounded closer and I assumed he had run ahead of the others in his excitement.
I heard the door knob wiggle and Kami got up to unlock it and let Rian in. She reached out and scooped him up, shutting and locking the door again just as Brandon got to it, essentially slamming it in his face.
“Oh come on girls! Let us in!”
Mat sniffed the air. “I smell breakfast… Aly! Did you make what I think you made!?” he hollered at the door.
Kami and I were giggling on the other side of it. She carried Rian to the table and set him up with his own smaller burrito, “There’s a second one for you too if this isn't enough.” She ruffled his hair.
“If you think I made Heart Attack Burritos then yes, yes I did!” I called back, which was promptly met with some gruff mumbled cursing.
“Heart Attack Burritos?” Cedric and Brandon were now questioning Mat.
“Breakfast burritos… Bacon, eggs, potatoes, cheese, everything is cooked in the grease from the bacon. They’re messy, greasy, and the best damn breakfast on this planet…” Mat was pouting, I could hear it in his voice.
Brandon was soon pounding on the door again. “Alllllyyyyy! Come on… Let us in! I’m starving!”
“Ya’ll know that Tristan has the key right?” I snickered.
“WHAT!?” Mat and Brandon exclaimed in unison.
I heard Tristan’s deep chuckle and heard the key slide into the lock. It was mere seconds before the door swung open and I was rushed by Mat and Brandon.
“Aly, pleeeeeease tell me you made more….”
“I gave Rian the last of it.” Kami lied, knowing that I couldn’t. I caught Cedric’s eye and non-chalantly tilted my head towards the kitchen. His mother was a chef, he would know where to look once he was in there.
“How could you be so cruel! Brandon and Cedric have never had your burritos!” Mat whined. “They don’t even understand what they’re missing!”
Tristan walked to me and tucked me into his side, kissing the top of my head before stealing a bite of the burrito I was currently eating. I smacked him away with a glare for his trouble.
“Sir, we will fight if you come near my food again…”
“I just wanted a bite, Half-Pint.”
“You’ll give the others deadly ideas.”
“Oh no, I know better…” Mat defended.
Brandon was eyeing Kami and her burrito now, after seeing Tristan’s brazen actions. Kami arched a brow at him and let her claws extend on one hand, the other holding her burrito protectively.
I swear you could hear Brandon audibly gulp and rethink whatever idea he had been considering.
Cedric was watching us all in amusement, having slipped into the kitchen and stolen one from the oven already while the others were distracted with their supposed plight.
Rian was practically inhaling his. “Mmmm, deese are da best, Mommy!” His cheeks were puffed out a bit with the last of his burrito. “Tan, I has more? Pwease?”
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
“Rian… Don’t talk with your mouth full and you may, I made a second one for you, but only if you promise to eat more slowly so you don’t choke.”
Rian finished the food in his mouth, “Otay, sowwy, Mommy.”
I smiled at him and retrieved his other burrito, watching the boys’ eyes follow it as I placed it on Rian’s plate.
“He’s right, these are amazing Aly.” Cedric spoke up at the perfect moment, acting as if his having one was perfectly natural and he’d had it the whole time.
“Aren’t they thou— Wait a minute! Where’d you get one!?” Mat took a second to realize what was happening.
“Cedric! Gimmie some!” Brandon demanded, looking like he might tackle Cedric to get the burrito. Boys…
“This?” Cedric held up the burrito briefly while Mat and Brandon nodded, “Oh, there’s a whole stack in the oven.” He grinned at them as he took another bite.
I squealed as Brandon and Mat nearly took each other and me out trying to get into the kitchen. Tristan pulled me out of the way quickly, laughing at the pair.
“You two better not wreck my kitchen!” I yelled at them. “Or I’ll set Kami on you both!”
“We won’t!” They responded as I heard the oven door open.
“Better get in there if you want any love, those two will likely eat them all.” I smiled up at Tristan and stood on my tip toes, stretching up to kiss his cheek before shooing him off into the kitchen and sitting down with Rian and Kami at the table.
Mat and Brandon emerged with the whole plate of burritos as Tristan was about to head in, nearly colliding with him. He grabbed the plate from them and held it up out of harm's reach as they all avoided the collision, if only just barely.
“You’d think no one ever fed any of them around here.” Kami snickered at the boys who were now divvying up the burritos between the four of them.
Rian hopped out of his chair and toddled over to Cedric, tugging his pant leg, “I want anudder one pwease, Uncle Ceddy!” Rian was laying it on thick, wide puppy dog eyes and all.
The four stopped their bickering and looked at Rian, no one daring to tell him no. Tristan lowered the plate down to his level and Rian snagged another burrito - two actually, one in each hand! - and then quickly made his way back to me, climbing into my lap with his spoils.
“Rian, do you think you can actually eat both of those?” Kami giggled at him.
“No, I got one for Mommy too!”
“You’re such a sweet boy.” I kissed his forehead and snuggled him tight for a moment before helping him unwrap his burrito. I was actually more hungry than usual, so I accepted his stolen plunder and ate with him.
There was a knock on the door and a brief pause before Damien and Ivy let themselves in, walking over to join our group in the breakfast nook area.
“Good morning my dears!” Ivy greeted cheerfully. She leaned down and kissed the top of Rian’s head, and then my forehead.
“Good morning, Ivy, Damien.” I smiled at them both.
Rian reached up and hugged Ivy’s neck when she kissed his head. “Morning Nana! Morning Papa!” He greeted them both with a bright smile.
Other greetings were exchanged, before Damien cleared his throat and looked pointedly at the plate of burritos.
I laughed, “Did you two come here just for my cooking, or did you have other motives?”
Tristan handed them each a burrito, which caused further pouting from Mat and Brandon, but neither dared say a word.
“I was actually hoping to borrow you for the day, Aly. I thought we could do some more research in the library. See what we can further dig up on the Fae and Crimson Wolves.”
“Tristan and Rian can come with me. We have some work to do today.” Damien added, giving zero clue as to what that work might entail.
“Work? What work?” Rian asked, excited at the idea of spending time with his father and grandfather.
“Yeah, what work?” Tristan asked, a perplexed look on his face as he was trying to recall if he had forgotten something.
“Don’t you worry about that. I need your help and that is all that matters.” Damien responded, using a tone that gave no room for argument.
“Because that’s not suspicious at all.” I giggled at them, Tristan looked at me, as if asking if I minded and I waved a hand at him. “Go on, go do your mysterious guy stuff.”
Rian had finished eating so I helped him clean his hands and face before sending him over to Tristan and Damien. “You be good Rian, listen to your Daddy and Papa, ok?”
“Otay, Mommy! Wove you, see you later!” He waved at me as Damien took hold of his other hand.
“I love you too, Rian.” I waved back and then turned to kiss Tristan goodbye as well. “Have fun, don’t do anything too crazy, hmm?”
“I’ll see you later Half-Pint, and I promise to not do anything too crazy.” He grinned and leaned to whisper in my ear, “At least not until after we’re alone.”
I drew in a breath, feeling the tips of my ears starting to burn with a blush, but managed to control myself as I smacked his chest and shoved him towards the other two with a flirty grin.
Those of us that remained cleaned up from breakfast before we went our separate ways for the time being. I was enjoying the new experience of a semi-normal pack life. Knowing that it was going to be somewhat short lived, even if only temporarily. Lucien was supposed to arrive for his visit in a week.