~Alyce/Faelyn~
The alarm went off at 5am, stirring me into a semi-conscious state and eliciting a groan of protest from me. I was currently laying on Tristan’s chest, his arms wrapped around me like he was afraid I might escape in the night. His fingers were playing up and down my spine, his eyes still closed as I snuck a peek up at him from beneath my lashes.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” He murmured softly, still not bothering to open his eyes or make a move to get out of bed.
“How did you know I’m actually awake? I could have just been shifting in my sleep?” I slid up his body enough that I could press my lips against his softly. “Good morning.”
“I could feel your eyes on me. I can always feel your eyes on me when you’re looking at me.” A coy smile formed on his lips as he opened his eyes to look at me.
“Not my fault I can’t keep my eyes off you.” I laughed and rolled off his chest, sitting on the bed next to him. I knew without looking that his smile had grown wider at my laugh. Seeing me happy always made him smile and I loved that about him.
He propped himself up on an elbow, raising to look at me. “That’s fair. I am awfully pretty to look at. Not nearly as pretty as you are though.”
He reached over and wrapped his free arm around my waist, pulling me down to the mattress as he rolled himself on top of me. His lips crashed into mine, pulling a soft moan from my chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist and rested one hand on his chest, the other going to his neck and pulling him into the kiss.
I only pushed him away from me once the need to come up for air overruled my desire to keep devouring him, “As much as I would love to lay in bed and explore each other all day long, we are supposed to attend training this morning.”
“Mmm, but the privilege of being Alpha lets me over rule training mandates.” Tristan grinned, stealing another brief kiss.
“Believe me, it’s very tempting, on the other hand, that would also come with the risk of Mattie showing up to drag me out of bed.”
“That, my love is a very valid argument.” He rolled, pulling me with him, to the edge of the bed. He picked me up as he stood up and I laughed, wrapping my legs around his waist.
“To the closet?” I asked, giggling.
“To the closet!” He laughed with me and carried me into the closet so we could get dressed for training.
After donning leggings, a sports bra and a pair of flats I headed for our kitchen, making a pre-training snack for us and the boys. Who didn’t love peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Suspicious people, that’s who.
Tristan came into the kitchen, dressed in a t-shirt, basketball shorts and sneakers, as I was stacking the last sandwich on the stack. He picked up half of the sandwiches leaving the other half for me, and we headed out of our suite.
Mat and Cedric were just coming out of their apartment as we came down the hall. “Good morning Mattie, Cedric! I made you guys a snack.”
“Hope you like peanut butter and banana, Cedric.” Mat smirked as they took their sandwiches.
“Who doesn’t like peanut butter and banana?” The incredulous look on Cedric’s face just made me love him a little bit more.
“Right!? Only suspicious people don’t like peanut butter and bananas. You’re now my new favorite Ceddy, don’t tell Mat.” I whispered loudly to him, putting my hand up between my mouth and Mat’s line of sight like he couldn’t hear me.
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He shifted his eyes back and forth as if looking for eavesdroppers before he whispered, “Your secret is safe with me.”
“You two know I can hear you right?” Mat just rolled his eyes at us.
“No idea what you’re talking about Mattie. Eat your sandwich.”
“Tristan, help me out here.” Mat looked to him for help.
“Sorry Mat, I haven’t heard a thing.” Tristan shrugged, shoving half of a sandwich into his mouth to avoid further involvement.
“And this is why I love you right now.” I smiled at Tristan who winked at me.
I laughed, it was hard not to imagine him as some rabid, cracked out squirrel right now with his sandwich filled mouth puffing his cheeks out and his wink looking more like a twitchy eye for the same reason.
Mat looked at me, searching my face for the briefest of moments before he was cackling, picking up on where my thoughts went. “Now that’s funny.”
“I thought so.” I snickered.
Cedric was looking between us confused. He looked like he was about to ask a question when Tristan, who had managed to clear the food from his mouth, spoke up. “It’s the conversations they have without so much as a word or a mindlink. Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“You’ll get used to it. Come on, let’s head down to the field. I’ll fill you in on the way down.” I gave Cedric a sympathetic smile as I hooked my arm in his and led him towards the stairs with Mat and Tristan bringing up the rear.
By the time we reached the bottom of the stairs we had finished our snacks and were all laughing.
Cedric was trying to catch his breath as he wheezed out, “I will never not see the mental image of a rabid, cracked out squirrel when I look at him now. You’ve ruined me, Aly!”
“You’re welcome.” I simply grinned at him, no apologies to be had for that one.
Some of the other pack members that were wandering through to head to training kind of looked at all of us sideways as they heard Cedric’s description. Another fit of laughter broke out among us as we noticed.
I hopped up onto Tristan’s back, wrapping my legs around his waist. It took him by surprise, but he caught me and bounced me up a bit higher as he held my legs.
“On your mark, get set, go!” The words came out of my mouth as fast as I could speak them and still have them be coherent enough that Tristan would understand them.
He didn’t even hesitate. His grip on my legs tightened and he took off through the pack house towards the back exit, “Last one there has to do an extra lap today!”
“Seriously, Red!? That’s cheating!” Mat yelled after me, as he and Cedric took off after Tristan and I. Mat was nearly as quick as we were, keeping up pretty well with us despite Tristan’s longer stride. Cedric was just behind Mat, threatening to pass him as we all flew out the back door.
“That’s it Mattie, you’re sparing with me today!” I cackled, having too much fun to be mad at him for using that atrocious nickname.
“That’s fine. I haven’t kicked your ass in awhile.” He laughed.
“You haven’t been able to take me in months, let’s see what that power boost has done for you, Beta Matheau.”
“As you like, Luna Alyce.”
“You two are something else.” Cedric shook his head at us, finally starting to get used to our antics.
“Pretty sure she’s like secretly 12. Feed her, let her take a nap and throw chocolate at her occasionally and she’s happy.” Mat glanced over at Cedric, smiling at him.
“Mattie! Don’t give away all my secrets!” I scolded him over my shoulder.
“Too late! I’m gonna tell Tristan every last one of them, Red!” He laughed as I glared at him, clinging to Tristan like a spider monkey as he kicked up his pace in the home stretch.
We were almost to the training field, the few pack members that had gathered shifted backwards to either side as the four of us came to stuttering step halt. It was rather comical.
“We win!” I proclaimed as I leaned around Tristan’s shoulders to kiss his cheek and then hopped off his back.
“Only because you used Tristan’s unfair height advantage…” Mat accused.
“I would have won anyway, and you know it.”
“Guess that means I’m running an extra lap.” Cedric chuckled, his hands on his waist as he slowed his breathing to normal after our little impromptu race.
“I’d take an extra lap over sparring with Alyce.” Jake spoke, he and Faith walked up to join us at the tail end of the conversation.
“And she’s right Mat, you never could out run her, even with your longer legs.” Faith patted his shoulder and laughed.
“Jake! Faith!” I ran up to them both, hugging them tightly. I hadn’t seen much of them the last few days and it made me realize how much I missed seeing them on a daily basis.