Restless Waves

Chapter 67

Sorry for the late chapter!

- Sian

Kaerius woke up to the smell of cardboard and burning oats. He wrinkled his nose and curled up against something warm. Kaerius didn't have to look to know that Rowan was the warm lump that lay next to him. He didn't have to look to know he had successfully pressed his nose into Rowan's shoulder. Rowan's scent entirely masked the burning breakfast and the cardboard mattress.

Kaerius allowed himself to drift in and out of sleep for what felt like hours. Rowan wasn't awake; therefore, Kaerius didn't have a reason to get up. Kaerius had already gotten up in the early hours of the morning to throw saltwater over himself. The werewolves only had showers, though they kindly hooked one up to saltwater for the Thalassic Mortals.

Rowan's body felt warm against Kaerius. In his human form, Kaerius enjoyed the content feeling that came with the temperature. In the sea, however, the colder, the better.

Kaerius was just about to drift into his dreams, but Rowan moved against him. Kaerius kept his eyes closed and hid a small smile as Rowan's arms wrapped around him, and his lips softly grazed Kaerius's ear.

"Good morning," Rowan said in a deep morning voice that made Kaerius's spine shiver.

"I'm asleep," Kaerius thought, wanting to lay with Rowan forever. He wished he could. If they were at Rowan's home and didn't have crazy hunters to fight soon, Kaerius didn't doubt that they would lie together for the rest of the day.

"I see," Rowan thought, lowly chuckling.

His hands touched the skin on Kaerius's lower back. His hands felt hot, and Kaerius wanted more of his warm skin. He snuggled closer, well, he tried to. They were laying so close already, tangling their legs was all Kaerius could do to feel more intimate.

They laid together for half an hour more before Michael and Mandy leaned over them, nudging them with their feet.

"Boys, breakfast is ready," Mandy said. If the progression of technology in twelve years hadn't confused her, she would have taken a picture using a phone.

Michael had already beaten her to it. He was collecting embarrassing and funny pictures for the boys, knowing they were too busy with the hunters to manage their priceless memories. In the years to come, when they looked back through photo albums, Michael wanted them to remember the good times, not the bad.

Kaerius grumbled, and Rowan looked up into the face of his mother. He was still getting used to her smile being sincere. "Smells like breakfast is on fire."

"That was the first batch. The second one's good. Jenya's beta wolf even managed to find some honey for us to put in the porridge."

Rowan's stomach grumbled at the thought. He tried to sit up, but Kaerius was so tightly hugging him, Rowan could only lift his head. "Kaerius, we have to get-"

"No."

Rowan dropped his head back onto the cardboard with a sigh. "Five more minutes," he said, and his parents left him to peel Kaerius up from the floor.

Kaerius first felt Rowan's arms untangle from his; then he felt Rowan's legs struggle to break free. Then he felt Rowan's hands slot under his armpits and attempt to lift him off the cardboard. "No," Kaerius mumbled, curling tighter into a ball. "I sleep more."

"You'll have plenty of time for that after this thing with the hunters."

Kaerius didn't budge, and when Rowan stopped trying to lift him, Kaerius snuck a glance through one eye. Rowan stood over him with hands on his hips.