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I snuggle in closer to Madd, stealing his warmth as I wake up slow, then roll over to find him already awake beside me. His hair is deliciously disheveled, his phone screen illuminating his frowning face as he stares down at it. And judging by the dark circles etched beneath his eyes, he didn’t rest nearly as soundly as I did.
At my movement, his gaze flickers over to me, a weak smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Morning, beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice rough with exhaustion.
“Have you slept at all?” I ask, sliding my elbows underneath me to prop myself up.
“I’m not tired,” he grumbles. He glances back down at his phone and pushes a hand into his hair, carding his fingers through the strands, then pauses, navy blue eyes flickering back to me.
We both know that’s his tell- a surefire sign that he’s sleep deprived. I used to tease him about it all the time.
I give him a hard look, arching a brow in challenge.
Madd yanks his hand back, shaking his head with a low chuckle. “Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass that you know me so well,” he mutters.
“A blessing and a curse,” I tease, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. Even the way they move against mine betrays his fatigue- Madd’s kisses are usually demanding; hard and possessive and all-consuming. This one is gentle and reserved, our lips barely brushing.
At least it starts out that way. As our mouths fuse, his arm wraps around my waist to draw me closer. His tongue licks along the seam of my lips, pushing past them to chase mine, but just as things are starting to ramp up between us, I pump the brakes. Because as much as I’d love to drown in Madd’s ocean right now, what he really needs is to rest.
Pressing my palms against the hard planes of his chest, I push away, reluctantly breaking our kiss and scrambling out of bed before I fall deeper under his spell.
“Where are you going?” he protests, flipping over onto his stomach and reaching out for me.
His fingertips brush my bare thigh and I jump back, shaking my head. “You’ve gotta sleep, Madd. If there’s a threat we’re about to face, you need to be rested and on top of your game. And as much as I want to crawl back in bed with you, we both know if I do that, we won’t be sleeping.”
He wets his lips with his tongue, his eyes raking down my body hungrily. “Just come lay with me.”
I shake my head.
“C’mon, I swear I’ll sleep…”
I bark out a laugh, spinning around and stepping over to the dresser. “You’re a terrible liar,” I say as I pull open a drawer and rifle through it, picking out leggings and a t-shirt to wear. “I’ll only distract you.”
He groans, rolling to his back again and huffing a sigh. “Fine.”
The fact that he gives in so easily is a testament to how he’s running on empty right now. Madd’s the most stubborn person I know, and as an Alpha, accustomed to calling the shots, he doesn’t often take no for an answer.
I get dressed quickly and before I even leave the room, Madd’s down for the count. He’s got an arm slung over his eyes, his bare chest rising and falling rhythmically with his breathing. I take a second to admire his chiseled physique and inked skin before slipping out into the hall, deciding to head over to the IT hub to see if there’s any update since last night.
The halls of the squad complex are relatively quiet since most people are out on the field for the morning training session. The Raines brothers are leading it today, so I have no qualms about skipping out on their torture. Whenever Archer and Ares lead training together, it’s a cardio nightmare.
I navigate through the corridors toward the IT hub, turning a corner to see my brother walking toward me from the other end. I stutter a step when I see him, nearly tripping over my feet, and Tristan’s expression twists into an uncomfortable wince before he greets me with a quiet, “hey”.
“Hi,” I reply, slowing to a stop as we meet in the middle.
“Heading to the hub?”
I nod, reaching up to comb my fingers through my unruly curls.
I hate how awkward things have been between us since finding out that he was responsible for cutting Madd and I off from one another. I’ve always been close with my siblings, so it’s weird to distance myself from my brother as much as I have lately.
“I was just in there to get the rundown,” Tristan says, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Nothing new since last night.”
I nod slowly. “Guess that saves me the trip.”
A moment of tense silence falls between us, and just as I’m searching for some excuse to escape the awkwardness, Tris advances a step toward me. “Can we talk?” he asks, tilting his head and fixing me with a pleading gaze.
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “Okay.”
He starts to walk forward again and I turn around to fall into step with him, both of us slowly trudging back in the direction I came from. Another beat of stagnant silence lingers between us before Tristan speaks up.
