Perrin glances sideways at me, one brow lifting, like he can’t believe anyone would choose to wake up so early.
"Well," he says, taking the pot of coffee from me. "I'mnotinto early mornings. I usually never get up before ten." He pauses, narrowing his eyes at my face. "Although mornings might be worth reconsidering if it means I get to spend more time with you.” His ears go pink the second the words leave his mouth, then he quickly looks away.
His bashful reaction is so sweet and sexy, that I can’t help but smile.
He really is a very handsome man.
I watch as Perrin prepares his coffee, adding cream and sugar.
His navy sweatpants sit low on his hips, and the morning light coming through the window catches thebroad line of his shoulders. His arms really are very muscular for a beta. The solid curve of his biceps flex slightly as he sets the spoon down.
He's built differently from Adam.
While Adam is very fit, he’s lean with defined muscle.
Perrin is softer through the middle in a way that somehow makes him look more substantial, with thick arms and legs, andimpressivelybroad shoulders.
"I usually sit in the dining room in the morning," Perrin says, nodding toward the back of the kitchen. "It’s quiet and there's better light. You're welcome to join me if you want."
"I'd like that," I say, holding my cup of coffee with both hands.
The second we step into the hallway off the back of the kitchen, I realize I didn't really take any of this in during Adam's tour the other day. I was too busy trying to hold myself together to pay attention.
I slow as we pass an at-home-gym on the left, catching a glimpse of rubber flooring, weight racks, and a heavy bag hanging from a ceiling mount. The study is on the right. It has light wood bookshelves and a wide desk with a lamp still on from the night before.
Then the hallway opens up and I stop.
The dining room is spacious and flooded with the early morning light.
Four massive windows run along the back wall from almost floor to ceiling. There’s a glass-paneled door to the right, opening directly onto the deck, and beyond it the lawn is so green it looks unreal. Pretty maple trees flank the corners of the yard, and little flower boxes line a pathway that leads to a gate.
"Adam does the landscaping," Perrin says, watching my face. "Every Saturday morning without fail."
"It's beautiful," I say, and I mean it completely. Although, I'm pretty sure this is a sunroom and not a dining room, but it doesn't really matter.
We sit side by side at the table, looking out at the lovely yard with our mugs in hand. I wrap both hands around my coffee and take a slow sip. Warmth spreads down my throat and into my chest, and I close my eyes for a second, savoring it.
Everything in this room feels gentle. The light, the quiet, the unhurried way Perrin lifts his mug. Even the yard beyond the windows looks like something out of a dream. Still, green, and completely serene.
"So," Perrin sets down his mug, and I notice his ears are still pink. "How are you settling in?"
"Better than expected," I say honestly. "Your pack is very." I pause, searching for the right word. "Overwhelming. But in a good way."
Perrin smiles into his coffee. "That's a diplomatic way to put it."
"I'm trying to be polite."
"You don't have to be polite with me," he says, glancing up. "I'm the least intimidating person in this house by a significant margin, and I've made my peace with it."
"That's not true," I say.
He gives me a flat look. "Elowen. I live with two alphas who could bench press a car and my brother who has enough energy to power a small city and absolutely no idea what to do with it. And then there’s me.” He gestures vaguely at himself. “I'm the human equivalent of a warm blanket. You can say anything to me."
I burst out laughing at his ridiculous statement. "Perrin." I set down my coffee. "You arenotthe human equivalentof a warm blanket."
“Yeah?” He smiles as he takes in the look on my face.
"Yeah." I turn in my chair to face him properly. "You were so amazing at my apartment. I mean, you immediately shielded me and Adam, then stared down at Anton like he was nothing." I pause, remembering the way he positioned himself between me and the door without anyone asking him to. "That'snota warm blanket. That's someone genuinely brave."
