The Silent Alpha novel Chapter 14

 ***Jane*** 

I gasp in fright when I wake up to a bucket of cold water being tossed on my face, Natalia smirking triumphantly at me as she stands by the side of the bed . I wipe the water from my eyes and realize it's 6:45 am.

"Wake up sleepy head," She chirps, already showered and dressed in a pair of teal medical scrubs.

"You have to wake up the gremlin and get him ready for school today." I feel like a ton of bricks are sitting on my chest, my body still exhausted from the lack of sleep.I could not complain, however, knowing I had gotten away with murder by sharing the bed with her.

With great effort, I climb out of bed, my t-shirt clinging to my wet chest.

Talia giggles hysterically as I waddle past her, a part of me happy to see her having fun, even at my expense.

I head for the bathroom first to wipe off the water and brush my teeth before I waddle down the hall until I find Kota's room.

There’s no response when I knock on the door so I slowly turn the knob and tip toe inside.I find Kota curled up in a ball, his dinosaur pajamas messily clinging to his tiny body.I sit on his bed and push back his hair, exposing his forehead.

He sleeps so peacefully, it feels like a crime to wake is it in silence for a moment, letting him enjoy a few more moments of blissful sleep.I could not explain why, but he made me feel so safe with just his presence, like nothing could disturb us.

He stirs slightly as I stroke his hair and even curls up closer to me.

Remembering my task however, I decide it's time to wake him.I tap his shoulder and his cheeks but the boy only groans and swats at my hand.

Looking around the room to ensure we are truly alone, I lean close to his ear.

My mouth hangs open for a second before I finally find my voice.

"K-Kota," I hiss, feeling my heart race in fear Talia would come in and hear me speak.

I tap his cheek frantically.

"K-Kota.P-please wa-wake up..."

"Five more minutes," he groans, squeezing his eyes tightly.

Unsure what else to do, I wiggle my fingers down his sides and he screams with laughter, kicking his legs about.He writhes against the tickles until he finally sits up.

"G-good morning, K-Kota," I whisper so quietly, he doesn't hear me over his own laughter.

"Hi, Zane!" he laughs, cupping my cheeks in his small hands.

He squishes my face, genuinely happy to see me and throws his head back in laughter.

"Hi, Zane!" I stare at his pretty eyes and feel my body relax.

"H-hi K-Kota."

"H-hi," chuckle, ruffling up his hair.

"Hi!" he squeals, jumping into my lap.

I find his game amusing and carry on for another 10 hellos before I throw the pup over my shoulder and take him to the bathroom.I help him wash his face, brush his teeth for him, and even put together a simple outfit that I hope is to Talia's liking.

He insists on combing his own hair but as I watch him struggle, he finally hands me the comb and lets me comb his hair.

Pleased with my work, I crouch down to his level and offer him a toothy grin that he reciprocates.

"w-what wo-would you like for bre- break- breakfast?" I ask him, my cheeks flushing at my severe stutter.

Kota pays no mind to my imperfect speech, instead playing with his hands and grinning happily at me with no judgment in his blue and brown eyes.

"Pancakes," he shouts, doing a happy dance and spinning his heels.

"Pancakes, please!". I don’t know the first thing about making pancakes but I would figure it out if it killed me.

I take Kota into the kitchen and search the cupboards until I find a box of pancake mix with instructions on the back.

Satisfied, I collect all the necessary ingredients and mix them all up in a bowl until I get a nice thin batter ready.

I heat up a double burner griddle on the stove and Kota hands me cooking spray so the pour out the batter.I leave it for a while, searching the cabinets for Kota's plates and cups sol can pour out a glass of milk for Kota.

Suddenly, the smell of burnt batter fills my nostrils.

In a panic, I rush to the griddle and flip the pancake, revealing a charred black top.

Kota bursts into laughter at the hideous pancake and I scowl at him as I toss it in the trash.

I try again, this time flipping the pancake too early and spilling it into a shapeless mass all over the griddle.I want to give up but Kota seems to be amused by my lack of cooking skills and I decide to try one last time.

Taking a few deep breaths, I pour out the batter again, waiting patiently until the big flip.

A bead of sweat trickles down my brow as I slide the spatula under the pancake and lift up for the flip.

My heart stops for a second when the pancake flips perfectly, revealing a golden brown top.

Kota cheers and howls in delight and I can't help but bow for him.

I serve him my perfect pancake and he eats it gingerly, giving me a thumbs up with his approval.I make a few more pancakes for Talia just in case she wishes to eat.

As Kota eats, I get to work packing his and Talia's lunch, cutting up fruit, slicing up cheese, and making Kota a small PB&J without the crusts.

I make Talia a BLT and pray to Moon Goddess that she won't throw it in my face.

With their sandwiches and snacks packed into small paper bags, I find a pen and notepad to write Talia a little note with her lunch.

Dude, she's going to kill you for writing that, Grayson says as he troll my eyes and place it in her lunch anyways, knowing she would hate me no matter what I did.

Talia suddenly strolls in, looking absolutely beautiful with her hair tied up in a neat ponytail and her face made up.

I force my eyes to the ground to keep her from seeing my blush and force myself to focus on anything else to slow my racing heart.

Kota rushes to meet his mother and kiss her good morning, Talia inspecting my work.

"You did a good job," she says nonchalantly, wiping some syrup off his cheeks.

"We better get going though.I have to list you as a guardian at Kota's school, otherwise they won't let you take him."

I take the hint and run to the room to change into a t-shirt and jeans and comb my hair.By the time I finish, Talia has already placed Kota's dishes in the sink and stuffed the lunch in his backpack.

"Let's go," She sighs, grabbing her keys and holding Kota's hand.

I see her lunch on the counter and grab it as I pass by before handing it to her.