~HARPER~
"How did I sleep the whole damn day away?! I'm appalled! I should be contacting the sleeping police." I huffed out a breath before splashing my face with water.
Ian chuckled as he leaned against the washroom door and watched me. "You needed the rest."
"I did not need thirty hours of sleep. I'm surprised I didn't wet the damn bed. Never ran so fast to the washroom in my life!" I exclaimed, closing the tap of the sink and grabbing the face towel off the hook.
It was the night of Christmas Eve and I'd literally woken up from the best sleep ever. It was refreshing, but I hadn't realized thirty hours had gone by. Hanging the face towel to dry, I turned toward Ian. He was dressed in work attire, prompting an arched eyebrow from me.
He opened his mouth, but I silenced him. "Your ass is staying home."
"Harper," he whined.
"Nope. I just woke up. I didn't get to spend any time with you or the others aside from our pack run and the whole shopping thing, which was ruined anyway." I huffed and crossed my arms.
He was quiet then and walked up to me. His arms slipped around my waist and pulled me flush against him and proceeded to capture my lips with his.
I was going to play stubborn, but I couldn't resist how his mouth brushed over mine, and when he deepened the kiss, my eyes fluttered closed.
"Don't try and seduce me into forgetting the topic," I mumbled when we took a break in our heated exchange. His grin was filled with mirth and he pressed me against his chest and whispered in my ear.
"Are you okay?" His voice led me to believe he had pity for me. Ian knew me well enough to know that all I needed was a good cry and I could move on from anything.
Was I still upset about what happened at the mall? Most definitely. However, it was a learning step I needed to experience. Who knows? The Moon could have been testing me or surely I wouldn't have gotten out of there unharmed.
It made me feel loved when Ian still asked and even if it was an attempt to avoid the fact that he was going to go to work on Christmas Eve night, I'd give him props for caring.
"I'm perfectly fine. There's a lot I want to do after the holidays, but for now I'll enjoy tomorrow with all of us together, which means you can't go to work."
"Harper, baby. Please?" Ian whispered.
"You worked today, didn't you?" I questioned.
"No. I called in and said I wouldn't go in until I knew you were okay," he admitted. I was going to lecture him, but his words threw me off, leaving me speechless. He smirked and hugged me once more.
"We were worried and I don't function well when the whole pack is worried. It leaks through our pack bond and none of us can concentrate to our full extent. If I’d gone into work, I would’ve been of no use. I slept for a few hours while you were still sleeping, so it should be easy for me to pull a night shift. I'll finish and be back before breakfast at nine. You can enjoy a nice morning run with the others and we'll eat breakfast together."
"I guess that doesn't sound too bad," I mumbled, unable argue against the idea, seeing as he'd remained behind for my sake. "Just don't work too hard. Are the new officers a help?".
"They're…a bit annoying, to be honest."
"What do you mean? Like they're not adapting well and asking too many questions, annoying?"
"Let's just say they don't like a twenty-two-year-old telling them what to do," he admitted.
"Tell them to grow some balls," I retorted and Ian laughed, his lips pressing against my forehead.
"This is why O'Neil doesn't let you come to the office during working hours."
"Because I'd wreck shit up. If they can't say it to your face, they can go fuck themselves." I scowled. "You worked your ass off for that position. What makes them think they can transfer in and cause trouble? Give me two hours. I'll whip their asses into shape so they don't dare bother my man!"
"Aww. Look at my Harper being all defensive," Reika praised as she stretched out, looking like she'd just woken up.
Oh. Hello, Reika. Sleep well?
"Slept too long," Reika confessed. "Feels nice though. Refreshed."
Agreed there.
"And that's exactly why. I'll handle it. Carter gave me some good advice." His admission was said with his lips tilted in a smirk.
"Carter gave you advice without insulting you? What is going on with the world?!" I dramatically gasped, placing my hand on my chest. Ian rolled his eyes and lifted his hand to flick my forehead.
"Ow!" I pouted my lips and blinked my eyes at him rapidly.
He groaned. "Don't give me that look and don't you dare cry. I can only handle watching you cry once a year," he whined.
I smirked and took a step to hug him. "Are you and Carter finally getting along?"
"Never," Ian replied, looking annoyed. "He just told me what I really needed to hear. Nothing more. He's still an ass," Ian grumbled.
"Stop insulting me."
We turned toward the door and saw Carter in very low-riding grey sweatpants. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his pecs were a bit bigger. He looked like he'd gained some muscle in the forty-eight hours since I'd last seen his naked body.
Muffin was in his pocket, appearing like she was having fun chilling in the cozy space.
"Meow!" she called out to me.
"Carter, Muffin." I greeted them with a broad smile. Relief swarmed his facial expression and he made his way over to us until he stood to my left. He leaned down to give me a passionate kiss that left me panting.
I stared at him in horror as he gave me a smug smile. "Nice to see Sleeping Beauty finally woke up. Was my kiss enough?"
"Sleeping Beauty woke up from a kiss, as in she still had to be asleep," Ian mumbled. I snickered at the comment and took a peek at Ian, who didn't seem hurt or the least bit offended by Carter's dominant display, which was comforting.
What could he have said to make Ian not feel threatened anymore?
"Trust me, I know, but I thought an extra dose of love would keep her awake long enough for some toasted marshmallows for dinner."
"Marshmallows?! For dinner? Are we going to toast them in a campfire? Please say yes!" I was practically jumping in Ian's hold and he shook his head in dismay.
"You'll never get over marshmallows."
Carter chuckled. "She hasn't gotten over unicorns yet."
"They are SO real!" I countered. Looking between the two of them, I crossed my arms over my chest. "You two are being way too friendly this evening. What's the deal? Spill the tea."
"There's no tea to be spilled. I'm going to work." Ian sighed.
"No, have marshmallows before you go," I whined.
"Fine. Just two," Ian replied.
"So specific," Carter muttered. "If we take too long the twins will eat them all."
"Meowwwww."
I focused on Muffin, who looked like she wanted out of Carter's pocket. I reached in to pick her up and pressed her little body against my cheek.
"Aww, sorry Muffin. I missed you. Were the others keeping you company when I slept for a year?"
I gave her a moment of my attention before I looked at Carter.
"What?! Did you say the twins are going to eat them all! No!" I rushed past them, thankful I'd changed into some decent clothes. I sported Christmas themed shorts and a black V-neck shirt.
My hair was down in its usual style, and I slipped on the polar bear slippers that were next to the door before I shuffled into the hallway.
I reached the door frame of the living room and skidded to a stop at the loud noise and burst of streamers.
"Merry Christmas, Harper!!!"
I blinked in confusion and Muffin looked just as stunned, her little head moving side-to-side as she gazed at the confetti that rained down everywhere.
"Huh?" I replied, completely shocked by the intro.
The rest of the pack was lined up in a row, all of them wearing Christmas-themed pajamas.
Well, Christmas themed pants, seeing as they were all bare chested at the moment. Not like I was complaining.
Looking from right to left, I took in their warm smiles and relieved expressions. Muffin wiggled in my hands and I lowered her to the ground, watching her dart to the biggest pile of confetti and hop into it.
"It's not Christmas yet," I pointed out.
Damien chuckled. "We decided to start two hours early, seeing as how someone was doing an amazing performance as Sleeping Beauty."
I smirked and used my free hand to flick my hair. "I always aim to go above and beyond."
The others chuckled and I tried to walk forward but felt two pairs of lips press against my cheeks, freezing me in place.
"Mistletoe, Harper," Carter whispered in my left ear.
"Didn't even notice it," Ian added with a chuckle.
Now I knew my whole face was red and I cautiously lifted my head to see the green and red decoration.
Damien walked up to me and I lowered my gaze to see his sweet smile.
"I guess since you're still under there, I get a kiss," he teased. My surprised expression morphed into a seductive grin and I hooked my arms around Damien's neck and tugged him down for a kiss.
When I pulled back, his face was so red I thought he'd die from lack of oxygen, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing my head off. "Guess Sleeping Beauty caught you off guard."
"How does it feel to be on the receiving end of the teasing, Damien?" Carter roared in laughter.
"Fuck you!" Damien cursed, moving to punch Carter, who didn't even move from the impact, his laughter still going strong. Levi was next in line and his loving smile made his purple eyes look stunning.
"I think my spell was a tad too strong," he admitted. "Sorry."
"Hmm. I wondered if that kiss in the car had a purpose." I gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Levi. I really did need the rest."
He slipped his hands around my waist and delivered the perfect kiss. He pulled back and we both laughed happily. He ran his fingers through my hair. "At least your hair isn't a tangled mess. Want me to give you a braided crown later? It'll last for tomorrow."
"Sure! That would be lovely," I replied.
"See, Heston. That's how you woo Harper. Learn how to do hair," Hayden urged.
"We struggle with our own hair. How the hell are we going to learn to do Harper's?" Heston asked, his tone incredulous.
Ian shook his head. "You two are hopeless. Just go and kiss her already. I want marshmallows."
Levi moved out of the way and I hugged them separately, delivering a long kiss for each. "Thank you two for yesterday. Let's go shopping again, but this time I'll stay in the change room with you guys."
"Ohhh," they replied in unison, and I realized what I said could be taken the wrong way.
"You're sprinting to third base, aren't you?" Reika teased.
"No! I didn't mean it that way!" I argued out loud, looking between Hayden and Heston.
"Sure," they said together and then winked.
"Ugh!" I groaned. "All of you like to tease me."
"Because it's fun." They all spoke at the same time and I glared at each of them. "I'll get you all back," I vowed, but they just chuckled.
We moved into the living room and I took in all the Christmas decorations that lit up the cozy room.
To top it all off, the huge Christmas tree decorated in colorful lights made me gasp with glee, and the best part was the unicorn tree topper that held a gold star.
"You did NOT get a unicorn Christmas tree topper! Do we really have a unicorn on top of our tree right now?" I asked with excitement. Carter stood behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
"When we were super small, you'd cry for hours begging for a unicorn to be placed at the top of the tree. Since it's our first time celebrating as a pack in our new home, we thought we'd need a unicorn to top it all off."
"You guys are amazing! The decorations, the mistletoe, just being the best pack I could ever ask for. Thank you." I was literally tearing up as I spoke, and Carter placed a kiss on my cheek while the others gathered closer, all of them wearing genuine smiles.
"Anything for our Harper," Ian replied, and the others nodded in agreement.
I couldn't be more grateful for this Christmas Eve, and I couldn't wait for tomorrow to enjoy Christmas Day surrounded by the people I loved and cherished.