The Exiled Alpha

Chapter fourty-nine

I wake up early in the morning, my body feeling too hot to be covered with the blanket. Natalie sleeps next to me very peacefully, her lips slightly parted and soft breathes escaping them. I turn my head back to the ceiling and rub my eyes with the heels of my palms. A sigh leaves my lips as I carefully pull the blanket off of me and sit up. I glance back to Nat to see if my shifting woke her up, but she only keeps on sleeping.

I pick up my phone from the floor and tap the button for the screen to light up. 7.12am on a Sunday. I sigh through my nose again and stand up, already knowing I won't be able to fall back asleep.

I creep out of Nat's room and head down the stairs, being careful to not wake up the guys that are sleeping downstairs. My feet patter against the cold wooden floor and I feel a shiver run up my spine from the cold. I peak into the living room, noticing how the Quantum boys are sharing the sofa, while Thomas rests on the armchair. Alec is nowhere to be found, so I can only guess he went to sleep upstairs in the master bedroom, where Paul has slept the whole night.

I notice the glass door is slightly open, just for a few centimeters. I quietly step to the door and look out of the glass, seeing Elliot rest in the hammock the Morris family has strung on the patio. His eyes are open and he stares up at the blue sky, while the sun starts to rise from behind the hill.

Natalie's lecture prods in my head and it makes me frown a little. My wolf is already acting up, wanting me to go outside and to him.

I glance back to the three werewolves that are still sleeping soundly in the living room. I then grab the handle of the glass door and pull it to the side. The rattling sound is very quiet, but Elliot still turns his head in the hammock, looking to see who's up.

The cold morning air makes goosebumps flutter all over my skin and I consider to just head back inside for a fleeting second. But I step outside, my socks not really being the best barrier from the cold wooden patio. I pull the glass door back, leaving a centimeter gap between it and the doorframe.

"What are you doing up so early?" Elliot's voice is still laced with sleep, which makes it deeper than usual. I step closer to the hammock, my arms wrapping around myself to create much needed warmth. "I couldn't sleep." I answer his question, glancing away from him to the backyard in order to avoid his eyes.

Elliot sees how cold I actually am, my hands rubbing up and down my arms to create warmth. A soft expression traces his face and the hammock suddenly tilts a little. It makes my head snap to him to see if he's falling out of it, but I notice he swings a leg over the hammock and sets it on the ground.

He's wearing Thomas's sweatpants and one of his shirts underneath a sweater he borrowed from Mr. Morris's closet.

"C'mere." His voice is low, but still soft as he beckons with his hand for me to come closer. I raise an eyebrow at his action and step closer to him, until my socked feet are almost stepping on his shoe. Elliot's arms suddenly wrap around me, pushing me flush against his chest before he tilts back suddenly. I bite back a yelp when his figure pulls me into the hammock with him, the strings straining at the newfound weight their holding up.

I find myself lying on Elliot's chest, his arms wrapping tightly around me, while my legs lay in between his own. My hands grip the sweater his wearing for support, as the hammock swings with the slightest of movement.

My cheeks heat up as I finally notice the proximity between us. Elliot's nose almost touches mine and one of his arms is wrapped around the base of my back, while the other holds me around my hips just so he can hold me in place. One of his legs swings over my own, the small space of the hammock squeezing us completely together.

"Better?" Elliot murmurs, his eyes half lidded as he looks at me. The sunlight starts to seep to the backyard, hitting his face and illuminating his greenish brown eyes.