One Daunting Night

Chapter 23

Ara puts on a small smile then lets Caleb lay next to Xander on his stomach. Caleb was giggling at Xander as he tried to coo at him while making funny faces. Ara reaches for her phone that she had set on the bedside table.

It was thirteen past seven, the time she usually wakes up with Caleb. "I know you'll be able to make it up for the terrible thing you've done to me. I have faith in you." She replies from what he said earlier and in return he smiled.

"But right now, I'm hungry. How about we go raid aunt Faith and aunt Heather's fridge?" She coos to Caleb, picking him up and resting him on her hip. He sticks his tongue out, letting Ara know he's hungry.

Xander hops up from the bed to follow them through Faith and Heather's apartment.

In the kitchen, Ara uses a free arm to search for food in Faith and Heather's cabinets. She had a few good squeezables in Caleb's bag for him to eat, so she'll probably prepare something for them all and let Caleb sneak in a few pieces. 

When she opens the plain oak wood cabinet door, a stack of uncooked waffles sat there in all their glory. She smiled, taking them out. 

"Looks like we're having waffles for brekky." She announces softly, kissing Caleb's cheek. Xander smiles at the two in the kitchen then builds up the courage to walk in and offer help. 

"You need any help?" He offers, leaning against the doorway, his ankles crossed one over the other and his arms crossed over his chest, making his muscles flex. He was still topless. 

Ara smiles, shaking her head 'no'. "No. Wait– now that I think about it, could you hold Caleb, please? The high chair got erm...destroyed." She started confidently but nearly fell over when she saw Xander standing there in his shirtless glory. 

She noticed it in the bedroom, but he looked absolutely flawless like a male model coming straight out of a magazine. She stood there uncomfortably, unknown confusing feelings erupting into her. She hated this 'mate bond' thing. 

But this so-called 'mate bond' is really just your soul letting you know you're close to your soul mate, also known as the other half of your soul. And of course, her soul mate just so happens to be a werewolf prince who unfortunately is the one she's supposed to hate. But she honestly doesn't know how she can bring herself to do it. 

She felt like she was PMS'ing, feeling all this jumbled up feelings. One moment, she feels that he's sweet and kind and the next she feels intense hatred towards him for all the months she spent alone.

Xander smiles at her, he would pay to know what's going on in her little head right now. He gladly takes the four-month-old purple eyed baby boy who he had just found out was his son into his arms, resting his butt on his left arm and supporting his back with his right. 

He takes a seat on one of the chairs tucked into the kitchen table, Caleb gently sitting on his lap as he sucks his fingers. He watches Ara get to work as she makes waffles, how elegant and graceful she looks and how professional they were turning out.

Then in came Faith in simple cotton shorts and an oversized hoodie, Sebastian happily strolling behind his gorgeous blonde mate wearing nothing but his pants from yesterday. 

It was clear they didn't do anything the night before, since everyone knew it was extremely quite and it would have been awkward to do it in a house full of people. 

"Wow, smells good! Oh, and happy Fourth of July! We should totally go to the beach, they're putting on a fire work display and I wanna get front row seats." Faith announces happily, throwing her arms up in the air, taking in the smell of Ara's delicious waffles.