Chapter Text
Karlie could almost feel everyone pause as she opened the front door. She’d guessed they’d have questions why Kariann came back with Kristine instead of her. Questions that probably only increased and turned into suspicions as she immediately went to her room without saying a word or seeing anyone. As comfortable as she was with her pack, she didn’t really want to talk to any of them with the raging hard on the drive home had done nothing to help. Every time she’d calmed down, she’d remembered one of Taylor’s noises, or how she’d smelt so turned on, or how she felt beneath her hands, and Karlie was right back to square one.
Shutting and locking her door, she immediately turned on music, not really caring what it was. It was more to muffle any noises and give the illusion of privacy and would tell her family she didn’t want to talk, keeping any nosy sisters or questioning parents from knocking on her door until the music stopped.
She’d barely turned on the music before she unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, groaning in relief as she shoved them and her boxerbriefs down, freeing herself from the restriction. Laying on the bed, almost ripping off her shirt as she did, she reached for her lube and almost bucked into her own hand as she coated herself. This probably wouldn’t take long then. Which was good since she probably didn’t have long. Going from 100 miles per hour to a dead stop had wreaked havoc on her and the drive home covered in Taylor’s pheromones with new fantasy material in her head hadn’t helped. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself back on Taylor’s couch with the blonde on top of her. Only instead of stopping, she felt the heat of Taylor as she pulled her close and moved her hands around to the sides of her pants and gotten a nod in response. She’d have shoved them down and in her mind they came off smoothly and were kicked off by Taylor easily. The sort of efficiency that only existed in porn and fantasy. It’d only be a moment before Taylor was straddling her again, looking her in the eye as she helped Karlie guide herself into her as she sank back down slowly. Tightening her grip on herself at the tip and slowly moving down, she imagined it was Taylor, wet and warm and tight around her. Sliding from tip to base and resting there for a moment to let herself adjust. Unlike she might be in reality, Karlie impatiently only waited a moment, just enough to heighten her anticipation before growling softly as she slowly stroked itself and imagined it was Taylor riding her. She could almost feel her hands on her shoulders and legs on either side of her. Almost embarrassingly soon she was close, and switched to shorted quicker strokes. In her mind, Taylor was riding her quicker now and Karlie was thrusting up into her and Taylor was every bit as close as she was. It was too easy to fantasize about the blonde tightening even further around her as she tried to milk her for all she was worth as she came, picturing filling Taylor instead of spilling over her own hand and abs.
Catching her breath, Karlie opened her eyes. Taylor really did have her wrapped around her finger, Karlie reflected. The blonde was starting to fill every corner of her mind. They weren’t bonded but Karlie was starting to understand how mortals could be in love without one. It wasn’t the same but Karlie could almost imagine how after a few years they might know each other in almost the same intimate way as they would with a bond. Shaking her head at her own thoughts, Karlie reached into a drawer for the pack of wipes she kept there for just this purpose. One wipe took care of the majority of the mess, while the second was just to feel a bit cleaner - as much as she could without a shower. Getting up, she shoved her clothes in the laundry basket and changed into ones that weren’t covered in Taylor’s enticing pheromones.
-
By the time dinner was ready, Karlie felt less like a ball of hormones and more like a person. She sat at her usual place at the table and could feel her sisters’ eyes on her. Glancing at them, Kariann looked curious while Kristine looked amused. Clearly she’d guessed why Karlie had gone straight to her room. Kimby looked bored, which meant Kariann hadn’t told anyone she had met Taylor....which meant dinner was sure to include a show, damn her.
“So, how was everyone’s day?” Kurt asked as Tracy placed the last dish on the table and took her own seat.
Karlie listened between bites as her dad talked about an interesting case and her mom and Kimby talked about their days. She could see the curiousity her parents had when Kristine mentioned it been Taylor she’d met.
“So she works and goes to school full time?” Tracy asked.
“Yeah.” Kristine nodded. “I think she works as close to full time as she can too. She’s not doing the five year program apparently either. I know she wanted to, but I think it just cost too much, though she said it was because she wanted work experience before she thought about a Masters. She’s too practical not to do the extra year instead of two years down the road.”
Tracy frowned at that. It wasn’t the girls weren’t allowed to work full time, but she and Kurt had always made clear health, family, and school were the priorities and in that order. The girls usually stuck to summer jobs or weekend work if they did anything like that. Sometimes even just unpaid internships or volunteer work. They only got to be pups once and she and Kurt had agreed they’d rather they discover what they enjoy and focus on fulfilling work since they could support them through college. She hoped it was a case of her pack just not being able to afford it and not anything related to the packloss.
“Ugh, it’s not fair! I haven’t gotten to meet her and Kristine has!” Kimby protested.
“Well it’s not like Kariann has either.” Kurt pointed out, knowing it’d be more convincing than him and her mother.
“Actually...” Kariann looked sheepish. “After Karlie took me riding, we went to the dinner. She seemed really nice. We didn’t get to talk a lot because she was working and they were busy. But she said she rides too and said we could go some time.”
“Oh come on!” Kimby groaned. “It’s not fair.”
“You didn’t want to come with me, remember?” Kariann asked smugly. Kimby had never understood her wanting to work with prey animals.
“Well maybe it’s time we all met her.” Tracy said and Karlie nodded, knowing she didn’t have a choice at this point. She knew that tone and even though it had been phrased as a suggestion, her mother meant she better have a good reason why if it didn’t happen soon. She hoped Taylor was ready.
-
“Are you sure I look okay?” Taylor asked for the tenth time as Karlie drove. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She had been since Karlie had brought up her family really wanted to meet her last week. Meeting a girlfriend's parents was a big deal no matter what. Meeting your potential mate's parents? Was so much scarier. What if they didn't like her? Would that make it awkward for Karlie if they did end up mates? Oh god, what if she broke it off because her pack didn't like her?
“You look perfect.” Karlie said, resting her hand on Taylor's knee and squeezing it soothingly. She couldn't hear the mortal's heartbeat despite some media tropes but judging by how pale she looked, Karlie felt safe to think it was trying to beat it's way out of her chest. No matter how many times she tried to reassure the blonde, she didn't seem to believe her family already loved what they knew about her. That Kristine loved her too was a good sign in her pack's eyes and now Kariann had also given her a vote of approval. Karlie wasn't worried in the slightest, beyond Kimby being Kimby, but could understand why Taylor was even if not to her current degree. She'd definitely been nervous first meeting Abigail.
Pulling into the driveway, Karlie shut off the car and waited until Taylor signaled she was ready. She knew her pack had heard them arrive but they'd wait, knowing about Taylor's packloss and that it would make this difficult.
Taylor took a deep breath. It looked like a normal house. A nice one, which made sense since Karlie had said her dad was a doctor. Plenty of space for four girls with a two car garage. But not crazy big, or intimidating. The light yellow siding and white trim looked inviting and the stone trim just said wolf den in a way she couldn’t really explain. There was a nice fall wreath on the door that made it seem homey and she was sure soon enough the large sugar maple in the yard would change it’s colours to match it. Nope. The only intimidating part was the fact that behind that wreath lay Karlie's entire pack. She was totally the interloper here. But Tracy had been a mortal once. So they had to be okay with it, right? “Okay.”
“You're going to be fine. You already know me and Kristine pretty well and now you've met Kariann. We've got your back.” Karlie knew Taylor was apprehensive. She could smell her stress from anywhere. But if she survived Kimby's initial greeting, she could survive anything the Klosses had to throw at her. And, hopefully, her mom had already worked with Kimby on how not to frighten the mortal. Hopefully.
Karlie opened the front door, already unlocked in anticipation of their arrival. “Mom? Dad? We're here.” She was relieved that the entire pack wasn't crowded into the entry. The lecture from her parents had apparently stuck long enough for them to wait for the two to enter the den before attacking. “In the kitchen!” Tracy called. That made sense. Plying them with food was a good way to keep her sisters occupied.
“So to your left is our guest room for when some of our extended pack visits. On the right is a hallway that leads to the garage and laundry room. My parent’s den is basically everything from the other side of the kitchen back to that. We’re all upstairs. There’s a basement which is mostly storage and the nursery and play room we all were in as pups.” Karlie explained as they walked further into the house, trying to keep Taylor out of her own head. “The kitchen, dining, and living rooms are all pretty open plan. We all like to be able to keep track of each other and spend time together even if we’re doing different things.”
Taylor nodded along, glancing around. The Kloss home seemed very within what she expected from a wolf home. Not that she’d been in many in her life, but based of what she’d heard others say and off the reactions of the swim team during her own move. Taylor was pretty sure the hardwood floors didn’t even have a stain, the light wood strips almost looking like they were just cut. She was a bit surprised all of the walls were a warm white that seemed to serve mostly as the background to hold a large amount of family photos throughout the home. She was certain it wasn’t historical, the layout being far too suited to modern tastes, but it was obvious to her every detail had been tailored to make it look like it had been there for some time. From the beams to the pillars to the occasional paneling, all of the woodwork was artfully done to look like a historic craftsman and all of it in unstained wood. The only real contrast was the great stone fireplace that came into view as the stepped into the open plan living area, sunk with the rest of the living room down below the rest of the area’s floor level to create a particular cozy looking pit. Any decorations seemed just as natural, all natural woods, wrought metals, rich leathers, and the occasional soft looking fur rug or throw.
“Hey guys. So, this is Taylor. Taylor, you've met Kristine, and then the blonde one is my little sister Kimby, and then of course you met Kariann as well.” Each of Karlie's sisters waved from the couch as she mentioned them, and Karlie could see it was all Kimby could do not to pounce. “And then this is my dad, Kurt, and my mom, Tracy.” Kurt shook her hand, but Tracy went in for the hug.
“Hi, Dr. and Mrs. Kloss, it's nice to meet you. Your den is beautiful.” They could all hear a slight quaver in Taylor's voice that made them all just want to envelop her in a group cuddle. But Tracy had insisted that would be a bit much for a mortal's initial greeting. “Kimby, I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to have a face to go with the stories.”
“You two really haven't mated?” Kimby didn't pull any punches.
“KIMBY!!!!” The voices of every Kloss in the house were almost enough to drown out the blood pounding in Taylor's ears as she knew she'd just blushed as hard as she ever had before in her life.
“No. We haven't. And that's not something mortals usually discuss the first time they meet their girlfriend's parents, right Mom?” Karlie looked to Tracy for support.
“They do not, no. Kimby, why don't you go outside and check on the grill with your father, hmm?” Tracy verbally shoved her youngest pup out into the back yard, giving a look to her husband to suggest if he didn't go join her, he might not share her den for the evening. “Not exactly the welcome I was hoping to offer, Taylor, but I do have a variety of beverages to offer, including wine or beer if you'd like?”
Taylor was tempted, in that moment, but figured getting drunk would likely just make this worse. “Um, Diet Coke? Or tea? Please.”
“I'm sorry about my sister,” Taylor was surprised that Kariann was the first to speak, given she'd been told she was the quiet one, but she supposed that they'd met at the diner that day gave her a touch of familiarity. “She just knows how much Karlie cares about you. We're all really excited to meet you. Kimby just isn't entirely familiar with the concept of tact.”
Taylor chuckled. Okay, well, at least most of the Klosses were just, you know, people.
“We can still slosh some rum in this if you like,” Kristine offered, handing her a glass of Diet Coke. Buying it had been Kristine's idea, after she saw the mortal bring a bottle of it to more than one class over the years. “Or vodka. Karlie drove, so you're good.”
Taylor appreciated the offer, but knew she wasn't going to leave much of a good impression on this wolfpack if she got wasted just to survive them.
Karlie wrapped her arms around her from behind, and whispered in her ear. “Relax. Kristine and I have told them a lot about you and they love you already.”
The Klosses were, if possible, even more welcoming and warm than Karlie's teampack had been. Even Kimby, who had an overwhelming tendency to blurt things without thinking, had done her best to make the mortal feel comfortable, like she'd been spending time in their den all her life. They spared Karlie the embarrassment of most of the awkward middle school photos, but shared quite a few stories of her as a pup with photos around the home serving as references. The picture they painted of the woman she'd come with only made her care all the more for her. The time on an early moon when Kariann had gotten herself stuck under a fallen log and Karlie had howled bloody murder until half the wolves in Knoxville came to her rescue. And the time she'd fancied herself an artist, forgotten to put away her paints, and spent an entire moon with rainbow splotched fur. But the tail tugging was clearly good natured, and Taylor had enjoyed the photos of young Karlie in her wolf form, taken by a mortal photographer who specialized in moon portraits for wolf families who wanted to celebrate all aspects of their pack. The entire pack had melted a little hearing Taylor coo over Karlie as a pup and how cute she was. Tracy couldn't help but think that it was a sign that Taylor would be a good dam, if she and Karlie turned out to be mates. She clearly would love her pups in any form.
She hadn't realized how much time had passed until Kristine and Kurt began bringing in the food from the grill and Tracy directed the twins to set the table, assuring Taylor she didn't need to help though the offer was appreciated. Karlie didn't miss the purpose was to give the two of them a moment along for her to check in with her potential mate. She knew being around such a close pack was probably something the mortal hadn't experienced in a while, as much as that made Karlie's heart ache for her.
“You really were cute as a pup.” Taylor said, lingering over a photo of Kimby and Kariann's first moon. Understandably unwilling to let anyone too close to his new pups, Kurt had set up a camera with a remote control before moonrise and everyone had scrambled into position after the shift and waited for their sire to hit the button with his paw pad. Taylor's attention then shifted to a portrait taken up in the mountains in the snow last winter. Despite the similarity to the average mortal between she and her sisters, unless they knew what markings to look for, Karlie noticed that Taylor never failed to pick her out. “And quite handsome now.”
Karlie knew the smile on her face was pleased, as was the rumble in her chest. It was nice to know Taylor could appreciate both her forms, even now, and not just her puppy cute stage.
“Do you think I could see you like that sometime?” Taylor asked, missing Karlie's shocked expression. That wasn't something she'd been expecting the mortal to ask this early, knowing Taylor was still not quite ready to find out if they were mates. Karlie didn't realize she'd been silent for so long until Taylor began to backtrack. “Unless that's weird? I know it's your pack time and I don't want to get in the way of that. And it doesn't have to happen next moon or at all if that's too much. I just thought it'd be nice to see all of you in person.”
Taylor immediately blushed as she realized how that sounded. “Wait, I mean, not like that but-”
Regaining her senses, she stepped in to save the mortal from herself. “I'd love that. I don't know how we'll make that work, if I'll swing by your apartment on the way to the mountains or if maybe you could come up with us for a bit if you're not working and if moonrise is at a decent time. But I'd like to see you on the moon and I know my pack won't mind.”
Rejoining the group, Taylor saw that all three of Karlie's sisters were standing together, her parents off to the side, holding their own conversation. Her instincts might not be as strong as Karlie's, but they told her that the Kloss parents were likely discussing her. She just hoped that whatever Karlie's mom had to say to her dad was good. She knew the reverse would be true if she brought Karlie home even if both her parents were able to be there. Even if she kept it far from the moon, she'd be sure to say something about her pack, or her sire, or when she was a pup. And she hated it. Karlie and the Klosses were good people. Better people than most of her parents' friends, in her opinion.
“Okay, Taylor, I think we're finally ready to eat. As our guest, we'd love for you to go first. Don't be shy, there's more than enough here to feed the entire block.” Kurt's smile was wide and reached his eyes, and Taylor was once again pleased she'd been invited. This was definitely going better than she'd feared.
“This looks great Dr. Kloss.” Taylor said, amazed at all the food. She knew how much in theory a pack of wolves would eat but seeing the amount of meat on the table was still something else. She understood a little better why Karlie side eyed her food choices so much. There was more meat on the table than Taylor's fridge saw all month. A joking but pointed cleared throat had her blushing. “Sorry, I mean Kurt.”
She could hear Karlie chuckling next to her and rolled her eyes. Her girlfriend found her needing to be reminding to call Karlie's parents Kurt and Tracy more amusing than she thought was warranted.
Karlie didn't miss that Taylor hesitated a bit before serving herself or how little meat she put on her plate. Glancing at her parents, she knew they saw it too if their brief frowns were anything to go by and a slight nod from her mom confirmed her girlfriend was probably going to be sent home with what she would think was an overwhelming amount of leftovers.
Taylor had seen a pack of wolves eat before, she'd spent time with Karlie's teampack, and the guys who helped her move. But there was something about seeing them devour what seemed to Taylor to be the better part of a pig and a solid quarter of a cow and STILL have leftovers that just seemed incredible. While she couldn't pack away nearly as much as even tiny Kimby, she did please her hosts by going back for seconds, including a larger serving of meat the second time. She was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to catch the look between Dr. and Mrs. Kloss, but she had to admit she kind of liked it. It wasn't that her family didn't love her in their own way. But it had been a long time since she felt completely surrounded by love the way she did here.
It was something she was happy to continue basking in after dinner, finally accepting the offered wine as she sat curled against Karlie's side on the couch, watching the Klosses interact. The family interaction without tension and the love that filled the home reminded her that wolves were so pack oriented and for the first time in a while she understood completely why. She wondered actually how Karlie could give up so much time like this up to spend it with her instead. As if reading her thoughts, the wolf in question pulled her a little further into her and stole a quick kiss.
Karlie couldn't stop the pleased rumble in her chest at the way her girlfriend seemed to be fitting in with her pack. Knowing them better than anyone else on the planet, she knew they were all as taken with the mortal as she was. She could only hope that Taylor felt even a little of the pack bond they were weaving around her, trying to cushion the packloss as best they could, without overwhelming her or pushing too hard. They'd done what Karlie knew they would. They'd adopted Taylor as one of their own, with or without a mate bond to Karlie. No matter what happened with that, Taylor would always have a place in the Kloss den.
After a bit longer the conversation broke up, Kimby and Kariann citing homework and Kristine reading for their retreats upstairs while Kurt and Tracy said they'd be in the kitchen packing up the leftovers and doing the dishes. For all their warmth, there was a lack of subtlety that made Taylor smile as she quickly picked up that they were letting their daughter get in some alone time with her girlfriend before their night ended.
-
“Do you want to see my room? I've got some old science fair projects and stuff in there you might like.” Karlie knew inviting a girl to her den was tricky. It wasn't intended as an invitation to mate, although she obviously wouldn't turn it down. It was simply what she said. Asking her girlfriend if she would like to see her most personal space. She'd spent a lot of time in Taylor's den, but just in the common rooms. She was offering to let Taylor into someplace more...her.
Taylor normally would have read something into being brought up to Karlie's room if it weren't for the fact her wolf knew she wasn't ready and had been nothing but understanding. Instead, it took looking at Karlie's expression to realize what this was. That Karlie was letting her into her personal den. That she wanted her there. The kiss that followed was brief but soft, trying to make up for the words of appreciation she lacked. she let Karlie lead her up the stairs, taking in the new photos that lined the stairwell and halls. Karlie's room was the same as the rest of the house, all warm white walls and natural wood. Glancing around, the first thing she noticed was the number of trophies and awards for track on the shelves and felt a moment of pride in Karlie's accomplishments.
On another shelf were the promised science fair projects. Even as a pup, Karlie loved technology. Some of those early projects were aimed at making tech accessible to shifted wolves, and the last one, actually, was quite practical - an app to let a wolf pre-set a time after moonrise to acclimate touch ID on their phone to their nose and paw the way it usually matched a fingerprint. The difficulty before that was in activating the settings menu and then navigating to the correct tab. With her app, it would open to the correct tab at a predetermined time, allowing the user to just start tapping with their nose or paw. Taylor smirked. Leave it to Karlie to be unable to be separated from her technology even on the moon.
“It's for new moms, or older wolves, or ones who are disabled, and their loved ones. So they can communicate over a greater distance than a howl if something goes wrong and they need help.” Karlie's voice made Taylor jump, but only because she'd been so deep in thought.
“I was just thinking how brilliant it was,” Taylor began, only to be cut off by Karlie's snort.
“That smirk said otherwise. I don't normally take my phone with me when we run the mountains. But I might this next moon.” Karlie's tone shifted from playful to soft, with a slightly serious edge.
“Why? Is something wrong? Is someone sick?” Taylor was concerned for the Klosses. She supposed the grandparents, maybe?
“No, Taylor. But there's this mortal I know who isn't going to have the easiest time communicating by howl...”
Taylor blushed. “Oh. Yeah. I guess I'm not exactly capable of howling. But I'll be fine, you know.”
“I know. But this way, I'll be extra sure.” Karlie kissed her on the temple, and Taylor could feel the fondness there. She just hoped it would remain, that she could keep all of this, if they mated and Karlie didn't feel the mate bond. Because Taylor knew she was definitely starting to fall, and it was a little scary to know that Karlie might not feel the same.
Karlie showed her some other tidbits of her childhood, favorite books, and games she played, and her very own stuffed pup called 'Woof' which, Karlie sheepishly explained, was supposed to be 'Wolf' but the difference in name was the result of swollen adenoids as a kid that distorted her hearing, and thus her pronunciation, until they figured out it wasn't a speech problem but a hearing one. It had been corrected early and there were barely any remaining traces, though Taylor wondered if perhaps that was the reason for the adorable way her girlfriend said the word 'important.'
After a full tour of the bedroom, Karlie suggested they sit on the bed for a bit and talk, figuring her parents would come get them when it was time to take Taylor home.
-
Taylor wasn't sure why she was awake at first. That wasn't her alarm. That wasn't the fire alarm either. Was a car alarm going off outside? God, just shut it off or steal the damn thing.
When it didn't magically shut off, Taylor made a noise that could have been called a growl and opened her eyes, not pleased it was interfering with her sleep. Wait....where am I?
It took her a second to place where she was until she saw the track trophies. Had she and Karlie fallen asleep again? She wondered if that was becoming a habit? It was just so easy to relax around the wolf and combined with the feeling of safety around her, it was all too easy to slip into the best sleep Taylor had gotten in years. Looking around, she spotted Karlie's phone and realized the source of the racket. Reaching for it, she was surprised to be pulled back into the still sleeping wolf.
“Mine.” Karlie growled softly, tightening her hold.
She wondered if it was stupid she was melting as much as she was at that? Probably. “Kar? Baby, you need to wake up. We fell asleep and one of us needs to turn off your alarm.”
There was soft grumbling, clearly not wanting to move, before Karlie reached over her and shit off the alarm before returning her arm to around her waist and snuggling against her back. Clearly Karlie wasn’t a morning person.
“Do you have time for breakfast before you go?” Karlie asked, surprising her. She’d thought Karlie had drifted back off.
“I'd love to but I have work. I won't have time to eat here and go home and change.” Taylor said, hating the disappointed look on the brunette's face.
After a moment Karlie's face cleared. “So don't go home and change.”
“Karlie-”
“You can wear something of mine. Or any of my sisters, really.” Karlie said, even if she'd much prefer her girlfriend be wearing her scent instead of on of her siblings. “You can pick out something and shower here and I'll drop you off at work.”
“I don't know.” Taylor said. She was tempted but she didn't want to overstay her welcome and asking the Klosses to feed her twice felt like that.
“They'd love to get more time with you.” Karlie said gently, realizing the source of Taylor's hesitance. “They love you already. I'll even drop your book bag at your apartment before practice so you don't have to worry about that.”
“Fine.” Taylor said with false reluctance, soon giving into a smile when Karlie beamed.
Karlie's jeans were all a bit too long for even Taylor's long legs, but she was able to find a cute skirt that fit and a slightly cropped top and sweater of Karlie's to complete the outfit. She wished she had an excuse to snag a hoodie, but the excessively long arms would just get in the way at work. This was something she could move in, and the skirt looked okay with her shoes from the night before. And they were comfortable, thank goodness, because Karlie's feet were bigger than hers.
“Good morning, Taylor!” Mrs. Kloss called as she stepped into the kitchen. “Karlie told me you'd need coffee and there's plenty of that in the pot on the counter. How do you like your eggs?”
“Um, scrambled,” Taylor murmured, wondering if it was a wolf instinct to feed the mortals, or if she was just special. There were a couple plates of bacon and sausage covered and sitting on the table, and ham was frying in a pan next to the eggs.
“The rest of the family will be down in a bit, and Karlie's just finishing up in our shower, but she told me you were worried you'd be late for work so go ahead and eat while you can.” Tracy smiled at the mortal she was pretty sure held her second oldest's heart, watching as Taylor tentatively took a plate and a sausage link, along with two strips of bacon. At least that plus eggs really was a normal size mortal breakfast. Karlie had warned her mom that Taylor seemed to be starving herself to be polite, but Tracy imagined some of the concern was just that mortals eat less than wolves.
“Thank you. For breakfast and for dinner last night.” Taylor smiled up at Tracy as she slid a pile of eggs onto her plate.
Once the maternal wolf had set the pan on an unused burner on the stove, she returned to offer the mortal a shoulder squeeze, the closest she could get to a hug while she ate. “You are more than welcome, Taylor. You're welcome here anytime.”
The slight disbelief in Taylor's eyes broke her heart a little but so did the way Taylor lit up a little at the same time. Being accepted by her girlfriend's pack shouldn't cause that sort of reaction and Tracy had to clamp down on the instinct to pull Taylor into a cuddle like she would any of her pups. Instead, she tried to help Taylor feel more comfortable with her, asking about her major and what she wanted to do with it and making it clear she was genuinely interested in her answers and was free of judgement. Actually, she found herself impressed by the thought Taylor had put into her future and her goals and found herself thinking her middle pup could do far worse in someone to grow beside and raise pups with.
She'd expected Karlie to race through getting ready so was surprised when Kurt was the next to appear and without any of their pups following. Glancing at the stairs, she wondered if she needed to save Karlie from an interrogation of some sort of if Karlie was trying to give them bonding time.
“Morning honey,” Kurt smiled, kissing his wife on the cheek. “Good morning Taylor! Glad you were able to join us!” He also offered Taylor a shoulder squeeze. It baffled Taylor a little how happy the parental Klosses were to see her, given she'd shared a bed with their daughter the night before. But she felt like she almost belonged. Which was unfamiliar, compared to the uncomfortable tension in her own house. She wondered if there was ever a way her family could feel like this one. Warm, welcoming, and comfortable.
She'd nearly finished her eggs when Karlie finally descended the stairs, dressed in one of the most put-together outfits Taylor had seen her wear just to class. While her wolf tended to dress like she was ready for practice most days, or toss on jeans with a tee, today she had on a skirt and top set that was really, really cute. Even cuter, it was probably for her, seeing as she was wearing a similar option, just with the sweater because she was always cold, while her wolf was always warm. “Morning Dad! Mom, could you make my eggs into a burrito? I have to get Taylor to work, and I don't want to make her late.”
Karlie's breakfast burrito was more than double the size of the one Taylor had eaten the other morning, and she was suddenly grateful Karlie had some idea that she needed less breakfast than the average wolf. Good lord. But Tracy had clearly made one before, so she could see where Karlie had gotten the idea. Karlie was handed a tumbler of coffee as well, and they were out the door.
“If it's cool, I can drive your car to the cafe so you can eat that,” Taylor offered. “It was so nice of you to offer to drop my bag at my place, the least I can do is let you eat.”
Karlie smiled. Taylor had no idea she had an ulterior motive, planning to drop a whole bunch of leftovers from the barbecue in her fridge besides dropping the backpack in her living room. She wasn't sure which of her sisters had loaded the car, but she was glad whoever it was had the sense to put them in the trunk instead of the backseat where Taylor could see them. No doubt, the mortal would be grateful but unamused at Karlie's treachery no matter what. But at least if it was after they were in Taylor's fridge, she couldn't try to leave them in the den.
She smiled as once they were out of the neighbourhood, Taylor's hand found its way to her leg, confirming Karlie's earlier thoughts she might have to break out a skirt on occasion if her girlfriend enjoyed her wearing them that much. She'd caught the way Taylor had looked at her when she first entered the room. Seeing the mortal in a similar skirt was certainly having the same effect on her, multiplied by the fact she was wearing Karlie's clothes and scent. She quickly found herself having to clamp down on that train of thought, even if it wasn't quite as risky as it would have been even the day before.
Taylor was part way through taking the key off her ring when she realized, “I should have called Abigail to let you in. You're going to have to come back to give me the key.”
“Seeing you after your shift isn't exactly a hardship, Tay.” Karlie grinned and stole a quick kiss.
As reluctant as she was to leave the blonde, being handed Taylor's apartment key plus the promise that she'd see Taylor at the end of her shift to return it, had Karlie walking back to the car with a spring in her step.
-
Karlie frowned when she opened Taylor's fridge. She knew the mortal didn't seem to keep much meat in it, but it was completely barren of it at the moment. Normally, there was at least a bit. Maybe Taylor hadn't had a chance to go shopping? But the contents had changed since she was over earlier in the week. Frowning, she tried to ignore her concern. This was after all the reason she was sneaking leftovers into her girlfriend's fridge, she thought with a sigh. Opening the cooler bag, she snorted seeing the ziploc bag of individually wrapped brownies on top. When did Mom manage to make those?
Well, it should hopefully put to rest any remaining worries Taylor might have if her parents really liked her. Her mom didn't ninja bake a pan of brownies for just anyone.
-
Entering her apartment, Taylor was doing a mental review of what was in the fridge and pantry. She wanted to cook something quick and get to her reading. She knew she should have bought more ramen. Already knowing not much was there, Taylor opened the fridge to commence the time honored tradition of staring at the contents as if something would magically appear.
She blinked once. Twice. Still there. Pulling out her phone, she sent a text. Karlie Elizabeth Kloss!
Karlie winced when she saw the text. Busted. Did you have to full name me?