Chapter 19
Henri
Ikeep finding myself stopping to look at my phone while I make breakfast. I’ve been so distracted I almost burned the bacon and spilled the coffee.
Since those near misses, I’ve done a better job of paying attention because I certainly don’t want to serve Hestia bad food.
I turn the stove down now that the pan of hot chocolate is warm enough.
I wonder if Hestia drinks hot chocolate year-round or if it’s a seasonal thing. I’ll have to ask so I can stock up on whatever she wants for her coffee come spring.
Most of the food is done, so I give myself permission to check my phone again. There haven’t been any changes since I last looked.
I can’t stop thinking about yesterday. I assumed Hestia would love the lights, considering how much she enjoyed seeing the ones in town. We put up way more than we ever have before, using every strand we had to make the station as festive as possible.
I still didn’t expect her to be quite that excited.
Charm and I had to plug in the lights, so I didn’t get to see her initial reaction in person. I saw it through the bond though, and thanks to Orion, I had a close-up view of her face when they came on. Eyes wide and lips parted in awe, quickly shifting into a sweet smile.
And when we came out, Hestia rushed over to thank us. She was so excited, her sugared fruit scent was richer than usual.
I always appreciate compliments about our station. I work hard to make it comforting and welcoming, not just clean and tidy.
Now, though, I don’t care if anyone else likes it. All I care about is whether Hestia likes our station, if I have it decorated to her taste. I want this to be the perfect home for her.
I haven’t admitted that to my packmates, but with the way they’re acting, I’m sure they feel the same. Cato, at least, is obvious about his interest in her.
It’s been entertaining watching him use the pole to show off for Hestia.
Cato used to slide down it simply because he’s impatient.
I was glad when we convinced him to always use it instead of jumping off the landings above.
At least with the pole we have some semblance of safety as he speeds down several stories.
My affection for Hestia comes in the form of elaborate meals rather than sensual pole sliding. Our pack needs to discuss the situation soon and make a plan, because I never want her to leave.
If only we weren’t her bosses.
We’ll obviously have to wait until her training period is over before we do anything. And when the time comes, if she says she’s not interested…well. As much as it hurts to think of never seeing her again, we would wish her well and let her move on to another station.
Until then, it’s two years of maintaining that professional boundary while living together.
Well, perhaps not strictly professional, my phone usage is evidence of that, but at least not overtly romantic.
It’s been so difficult to suppress my feelings, my alpha’s urges to court her. I have to keep reminding him it’s for Hestia’s sake that we can’t be together yet.
It’s obvious how important being a rescuer is to her, how much she wants to help people. We’re not going to get in the way of that. We’re providing the same training we always do and treating her like any other trainee in the field.
It’s just at home that we get a little lax with those boundaries.
I can hold out until she becomes a certified rescuer. Once she is, HR won’t have a problem with us dating.
That’s decided then. I’ll confess my desperate affection for Hestia in two years’ time.
I’ll tell my packmates the plan later.
My phone buzzes a notification, but I don’t need it. I’m already watching.
I close the video feed and prepare Hestia’s plate.
The others must have been waiting for her too, because they all converge in the kitchen just before she comes in.
Hestia looks so cute in the mornings, still sleepy until she gets her coffee. Her fruity scent is always a little stronger too, and I cherish these moments before the air filters steal it away.
I’m selfish and take a few deep breaths instead of greeting her immediately.
Not that Hestia ever complains about my rudeness. She doesn’t complain about anything, really. But I know I’m being rude by not immediately telling her good morning. I can’t help myself. I suppose I’m just a basic instinct-driven alpha after all.
No matter. I’ll make up for my selfishness by doing everything I can to make Hestia happy, and hopefully she’ll let me keep smelling her.
“Good morning, Hestia,” I say, just a beat after my packmates.
“Good morning,” she says, her eyes only half open.
I barely restrain the violent urge to squash her in a hug and bury my face in her hair.
“Your food is almost ready, go ahead and take a seat,” I say.
Hestia nods and Orion walks her over to the breakfast nook. She’s mostly stopped protesting that she can help prepare the food or set the table. I like to think that’s because she enjoys us taking care of her.
After she sits, Orion covers her with the heated blanket I turned on earlier. The station stays warm enough, but there’s always that stray cold draft.
Charm pours her a glass of water, and I set her plate in front of her. She eyes the empty spot next to her water glass, but I ignore her silent request. I like to give her a few minutes to drink water before I bring her morning coffee.
I would never deny her the food she loves, but I want her to stay hydrated. I always ensure she has an ice water nearby in addition to her other beverages.
I return to the stove and pour the hot chocolate, filling a mug halfway. I brew two shots of espresso into it and add sugar cookie creamer and marshmallows. I lightly toast the mini marshmallows with a torch before adding red and green sprinkles.
Hestia sets down her water as I bring the coffee over and reaches for it gratefully.
The rest of us fix our plates and join her.
“What do you want to do today?” Orion asks.
Even he acts differently around Hestia. With us, Orion takes charge and makes plans, though at this point he knows us well enough to know what we like anyway.
Still, it’s always been who he is, taking it upon himself to look after us even outside of work.
We’re happy to let him. It’s nice to have someone else make decisions sometimes.
With Hestia, though, he’s always asking what she wants and jumping to do it.
“I’m not sure. I don’t really know what to do with myself now that I don’t have homework,” she says.
She has a cute little pout on her face, tiny wrinkles creasing her forehead as she thinks. “There are some weather reports in the station’s files that I haven’t had a chance to read yet.”
“That’s homework,” Charm says teasingly.
“Shut up, no it’s not,” Hestia says, blushing.
“Just because it’s self-imposed doesn’t mean it’s not homework. Self-assigned reading,” he argues.
“It’s continuing education so I can keep up with the demands of the job,” she whines.
“It’s literally homework. You’re at home, trying to work during your time off,” Charm says, laughing.
Hestia huffs and flicks one of her mini marshmallows at him. He pauses his laughter long enough to catch it in his mouth and swallow before resuming.
“That’s very smart of you, Hestia,” Orion says, “but I’ve seen you read dozens of those reports already. What years have you read through?”
Hestia mumbles something.
“What was that? I didn’t catch it,” he says.
“I’ve read the reports for the last fifty years,” she says, louder.
Magnus coughs in an attempt to hold back his laugh, and the rest of us don’t fare any better. Even Orion chuckles, and Cato is laughing outright.
Luckily, Hestia only gets mad at Cato, glaring at him while he snickers.
He ignores her ire, and when he eventually stops laughing, says, “It’s cute to be a nerd these days. That’s a compliment.”
Hestia blushes even harder.
“It’s supposed to be cool to be a nerd, not cute,” she mumbles.
“It sounds like you have a solid grasp of the data,” Orion says, trying to keep a straight face. “We’re only a few days into our break, there are plenty of other things to do besides read reports.”
“Like what? We already shopped at every store in town and put up all our decorations,” Hestia says, still pouting because we won’t let her read old paperwork.
She’s right about the decorations. The station looks like there was a Yule explosion. Everywhere you turn, there’s something festive. Cato even wrapped lights and garlands around his fire pole, yet somehow still manages to slide down it. Apparently his showy entrances needed a little more pizzazz.
“We could do some gardening,” Magnus says.
Hestia perks up and asks, “You’ll garden with me?”
He nods.
“Okay! Let’s do that,” she says, popping up out of her seat.
“Later we should do something relaxing. Pack movie night? We can watch some of those small-town holiday movies,” Orion says before she rushes out.
“That’s a great idea! Then I can cross that off my list,” Hestia says the last part to herself.
I’m not sure what list she’s talking about, but I’m already planning the menu for later.
I’ll make winter-themed charcuterie boards.
I’m thinking fig jam, apple slices, salumi, brie, cranberry white cheddar cheese, and a toasted baguette to start.
We’ll also have the usual buttery movie popcorn and some caramel corn.
I look through the pantry to see what other finger foods I can whip up.