A Werewolf's Unexpected Mate-Chapter 92: Pillows, Pranks, and a Leap of Faith
[Next Day: Morning]
•Inn’s Room•
Position:
Left bunk:
- Lower: Colt & Philip
- Upper: Shin & Kai
Right bunk:
- Lower: Ann
- Upper: Ray
Ann’s POV
I blinked awake, the soft morning light streaming through the window. It was already morning, and the room was quiet except for the faint sound of birds chirping outside. I sat up, glancing around the room. Sir Ray was still asleep on the top bunk, his arm dangling off the side like he’d been in the middle of a dramatic swoon. Colt and Philip were sprawled on the lower bunk, their limbs tangled in a way that made it look like they’d lost a wrestling match in their sleep. Shin and Kai were on the upper bunk, with Shin sleeping like a statue and Kai snoring softly, one leg hanging off the bed.
I couldn’t help but smile. This is what happens when you put five grown men in one room, I thought, shaking my head.
A knock on the door interrupted the quiet. "Everyone, wake up! Come downstairs—it’s time to eat!" Mrs. Melinda’s cheerful voice called from the hallway.
"Okay, Mrs. Melinda. We’ll be down soon," I replied, hearing her footsteps fade as she walked away.
I climbed out of bed and grabbed my boots, slipping them on quietly. As I tied the laces, Sir Ray stirred, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
He caught me looking and gave me a tired smile. "Good Morning, Ann," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Ann, can you go wake Ace and Ovelia on the roof? Tell them breakfast is ready." He glanced at the other bunk. "I’ll handle waking up Colt, Kai, Philip, and Shin."
"Sure, Sir Ray," I said, heading into the hallway.
Ray’s POV
Once Ann left, the room was still quiet, the four of them still deep in sleep. The only sound was Colt’s faint snoring and Philip muttering something about spiced rum in his sleep.
I grabbed a pillow from my bed, a mischievous grin spreading across my face. Time to wake these lazybones up.
"Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" I shouted, hurling the pillow at Philip with perfect aim. It smacked him square in the face.
Philip jolted awake, his eyes wide and disoriented. "Wha—? Who’s attacking me?!" he yelled, clutching the pillow like a weapon. Without thinking, he hurled it back at me with the force of a man defending his life.
I ducked just in time, the pillow whizzing past my head and hitting the wall with a loud *thud*. "Nice reflexes, Philip! But you can’t undo that!" I said, grabbing the pillow and launching it back at him.
Colt stirred awake, his hair sticking up in every direction. He blinked at the scene, then his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Oh, a pillow fight? Don’t mind if I do!" he said, grabbing his pillow and swinging it at me like a sword.
I blocked his swing with my own pillow, laughing. "Is that all you’ve got, Colt? I’ve seen kittens hit harder!"
From the top bunk, Kai sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What’s going on? Are we under attack?" he asked, his voice groggy.
"Morning exercise, before we eat!" I said, tossing a pillow at him.
Kai caught it mid-air, his reflexes sharp even half-asleep. "Oh, it’s on," he said, a sly grin spreading across his face. He hurled the pillow back at me with the speed of a professional baseball pitcher. It hit me square in the face, knocking me back a step.
"Bullseye!" Kai cheered, pumping his fist in the air.
Now I was getting annoyed. I grabbed the pillow and launched it back at Kai with all my might. It smacked him in the face, and he toppled backward onto the bed, dramatically clutching his chest. "I’ve been hit! Tell my story!" he groaned, playing dead.
Colt and Philip joined in, pelting me with pillows from both sides. I dodged most of their throws, but one of Philip’s pillows caught me in the side, sending me stumbling into the wall.
"You’re outnumbered, Ray! Surrender!" Colt declared, holding a pillow in each hand like a warrior ready for battle.
"Never!" I shouted, grabbing another pillow and swinging it like a baseball bat, knocking one of Colt’s pillows out of his hand.
Shin finally woke up, his expression a mix of irritation and disbelief. "What is this? A daycare?" he grumbled, sitting up and glaring at us.
I tossed a pillow at Shin, and he caught it effortlessly, his face deadpan. "I’m not playing your childish games," he said, before smacking Kai with the pillow.
Kai yelped, sitting up. "Hey! I was already dead!"
"Not dead enough," Shin said, smacking him again.
The room erupted into chaos. Pillows flew in every direction, accompanied by shouts, laughter, and the occasional *thud* of someone getting hit. Colt tried to climb onto the top bunk to ambush Kai but slipped and fell onto Philip’s bed, sending both of them tumbling to the floor in a heap of pillows and limbs.
"Colt, you’re crushing me!" Philip wheezed, struggling to push him off.
"Sorry, buddy! Just trying to win the war!" Colt said, rolling off and grabbing another pillow.
Kai, now fully awake, jumped down from the top bunk and joined the fray, swinging his pillow like a man possessed. "For honor! For glory!" he shouted, smacking Shin in the back.
Shin turned slowly, his expression terrifyingly calm. "You’ve made a grave mistake," he said, grabbing two pillows and advancing on Kai like a predator stalking its prey.
I couldn’t stop laughing as I watched the chaos unfold. The room was a disaster zone—pillows everywhere, bedsheets tangled, and everyone yelling at each other.
"This is the best morning ever!" Colt declared, throwing a pillow at me.
I caught it and threw it back, hitting him in the face. "Agreed!"
•Inn’s Roof•
Ace’s POV
The warmth of the morning sun on my face pulled me from sleep. I opened my eyes, the soft glow of dawn painting the sky in hues of pink and gold. For a moment, I just lay there, savoring the quiet and the gentle rhythm of Ovelia’s breathing.
She was still asleep in my arms, her head resting on my chest, her hair spilling over my shoulder like a cascade of silk. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her, her face peaceful and serene.
Carefully, I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering for just a moment. She stirred slightly, her lips curving into a small smile even in her sleep. My chest tightened with a warmth I couldn’t quite name.
"Sir Ace! Lady Ovelia! Breakfast is ready!" Ann’s voice called from below, breaking the silence.
Ovelia’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at me, her gaze still soft with sleep. "Ace?" she murmured, her voice like a gentle melody.
"Good morning," I said, my voice low and warm.
"Good morning," she replied, her smile widening.
Ovelia’s POV
I glanced at my pocket, where the fairy was still fast asleep.
Ace stood and walked to the edge of the roof, peering down at the ground below.
"Sir Ace, breakfast is ready!" Ann’s voice called again.
I felt the fairy stir in my pocket, her tiny head poking out.
"Good morning, Ovelia," he said, stretching his wings.
"Good morning," I replied, smiling at him.
I looked over at Ace, who was watching me with a soft expression. I stood and walked over to him.
"Ready?" he asked, turning to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"For what?" I replied, confused.
Before I could react, he scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing. "We’re jumping down," he said casually, as if he hadn’t just announced he was about to jump off a roof with me in his arms.
"Wait, Ace!" I protested, my heart racing. "You can’t just—!"
But he was already leaping off the roof, holding me tightly. "Ace, you idiot!!" I screamed, clinging to him for dear life.
We landed smoothly on the ground, and Ace set me down gently, his grin wide and unapologetic. "We’re down. What were you saying earlier?" he asked, his tone teasing.
I leaned against him, the tremors in my body slowly subsiding, the frantic beat of my heart easing into a gentler rhythm. A breathless fondness, stronger than my lingering fear, filled me. "You scared me half to death," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath, my gaze lost in his. "You can’t just... jump off roofs with me like that. What if...?"
He chuckled, his fingers gently brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "I’d never drop you," he murmured, his voice low and reassuring.
I crossed my arms, attempting a playful glare, but the tenderness in his eyes, the unspoken promise in his touch, melted my resistance. A small, happy sigh escaped my lips. "You’re impossible," I admitted, a smile playing on my lips.
I looked at Ann and saw her chuckle. "Good morning, Lady Ovelia and Sir Ace," Ann said with a knowing smile.
"Good morning, Ann," Ace and I replied in unison, though I was still trying to calm my racing heart.
Ace and I followed her into the inn.
