Chapter 5: Giraffino

Vince Pov

Turning around, I find Violet trying not to laugh.

"Vince, the first sign of mental illness is talking to yourself. I came down to see if you needed any help, but by the looks of the bed I'd say you're done." She looks into the room.

"I wasn't talking to myself. I was testing your hearing because I heard your rhino steps come down." I say smirking at her.

"HEY. I do not have rhino feet. If anything you have rhino feet with that giraffe body you got going on over there." She waves her hand at me and laughs. "Let's go eat, mom should be about done with dinner." She grabs my hand and pulls me upstairs, dropping my hand just as we hit the top of the stairs.

"Do you need any help Mary? I can set the table for you?" I ask her wanting to do my part.

"Violet, stop messing with the food. Show him where everything is." She yells at Violet and I chuckle. Violet laughs, opening cabinets with plates and cups.

"Come one giraffno, grab plates and cups. I'll get napkins and silverware." she walks away.

"Giraffno?" I questioned.

"Yup, giraffe and rhino mushed together to represent Vince Carter." she replies giggling her way through the words. Victor even pushed through to hear her giggle better. She has attracted my mate driven wolf by simply laughing.

We can't pursue her Vic. She is beautiful and quite amazing. I sadly say to Victor.

Victor huffs at me. I know Vince, I just can't help the connection I feel for her. Maybe it's just gratitude for healing us. He falls back in my mind to rest.

"Vi, come get some dishes to put on the table. Steve, time to eat." She calls out. I put my hand up to Violet and walk into the kitchen grabbing any dish that is set on the breakfast bar. I fall back into old habits and sit to the right of Steve. Mary to his left and Violet next to her.

"I'm sorry, did I take your seat Violet?" I ask as she awkwardly sits next to Mary.

"No. It's okay, you look like your in your natural habitat giraffno." Using my nickname again.

"Yeah. My parents sat in specific spots. I was always on the right side of my father." I reply and get a small smile in return.

Steve takes his seat while Mary sets the last of the food down, taking her food.

"I don't know if you're religious Vince, but we pray before every meal. You are welcome to join if you're comfortable." Steve says, grabbing Mary's hand. I hold my hand out, I can pray to the moon goddess.

They all end with "Amen" and look up at me.

" You're in for a treat. I made my famous meatloaf with mashed potatoes, carrots and rolls." Mary says pointing to every dish.

"It looks amazing." I say with a smile.

We all finished eating. "That was amazing Mary. Thank you. Do you need help with cleaning up?" I ask. She shakes her head.

On cue, Steve starts to clear the table and Mary starts wrapping the leftovers.

"Where do I get linens for my room?" I ask Violet who finished wiping the table.

"They are upstairs. I can take you. Give me one second to put this rag away." She answers. I nod in response.

Waving me to follow her, we make our way up the flight of stairs.

"My parents room is to the right," pointing at the door to the right of stairs, "That's my room," pointing down the hall to the door with a 'V' on it, "This is the bathroom and these two doors are linens and extra bathroom supplies." Standing in the middle of the hallway to the bathroom and the large closet next to it.

"Okay I need sheets, pillows and cases, and a blanket. If you have all that. OH I don't have any clothes or bathroom items." I say to her and she just turns and starts digging in the closet. She grabs all the linens I asked for except the blanket and pillow.

"I have extra pillows and a blanket for you in my room. As for the hygiene products, we have extra toothbrushes and soap. Clothes?" She looks conflicted on how to answer that.

"Tonight I can manage with what I have. I'll take what you can give." I responded to lose the silence.

"We can talk to my dad about clothes." She says, closing the closet doors and walking towards her room. I point to the door to the left of hers, silently questioning what it is.

"That's my dad's office/guest room." she answers, opening her door and walking in. I wait in the doorway noticing her dark purple walls and all the certificates on them. Her bed is packed with pillows and a few stuffed animals. I chuckle, getting her attention while she grabs two pillows and a blanket.

"What?" She asked with her back still turned to me.

"Nothing, you have a cute room for a nurse." I explained. She turns to give me the pillows and blanket.

"Thank you. I decorated it myself." She says sarcastically. " I can help you carry this down and set up your bed." she offers.

"I'm a big boy, I think I can handle making my bed." I say puffing my chest out for dramatic effect.

"Okay but if you call down the stairs, you'll have to go back to the hospital and then Natalie will come check on you." She says and the smile falls from my face.

"I would like some help," I say with a hard gulp "she scares me." I turn and go towards the stairs, hearing her door close.

"Did you find everything?" Steve asked us.

"Yeah, quick question. Clothes?" Violet asked, coming from behind me.

"In those boxes, in the basement." Steve says, without taking his eyes off the tv.

"Do you like sports Vince?" he asked, still not moving his eyes.

"What do you mean the boxes in the basement?" Violet asked, looking at Steve.

"Most of the boxes are old clothes that I never unpacked. Some might fit. Go through them and we'll go get you whatever you don't have." Steve says, looking at Violet.

" I don't want you to buy me clothes." Steve interrupts me.

"You can pay me back with your first paycheck. Newspaper comes every morning. Starting tomorrow, you can look at the hiring page. We'll go after breakfast to get you clothes and stuff for school. That reminds me, where did you go to school last? We need to get transcripts to the high school." My face falls with Steve's question. We didn't do normal human school.

"I was homeschooled." I answer with the first idea that pops in my head.

"The school will probably have you do a standardized test to see where you are then." He explains.

"I can do that," I say, looking at Violet. "I'm kind of tired. I'm going to go make my bed. Can I use the shower?" I ask.

"I'll walk these down and then grab you showering stuff." Violet says, kissing her dad and following me to the basement.

I finish the bed as Violet comes down the stairs with a bag full of soap. My bed has navy sheets with pink pillows and a purple flower blanket.

"Very manly." Violet jokes. "Here is everything you could need for a shower." Handing me the bag.

"Thank you Violet. I can't express how thankful I am. I promise I will repay you one day." I say placing the bag down on the bed. She stands there looking at me. I walk to her and hug her tight. "I mean it. I am thankful you were the first face I saw when I woke up." I say into her head with her height, she only comes up to my chin. She tightens her hug on me causing Victor to purr. I roll my eyes at my big bad Alpha wolf.

"You are welcome," she says pulling away, "I am going to bed now. I'm off for the next two days. I will see you in the morning." With that she turns and walks up the stairs.

I lay back onto my pink pillows and her scent wraps around me. Could she be our mate Vic? My wolf steps forward, I think she might be. We still have a few weeks before we know for sure. I nod in response. Rolling on my side, sleep grabs me quickly.

*I feel Violet try to get up and I pull her back into bed.

"Just 5 more minutes Vi, please." I plead too comfortable to move. How did I get up here?

I feel her roll to face me, maybe she wants a kiss. "Vince," she pokes me with one finger on my shoulder, "VINCE, WAKE UP! My father is going to kill you if he finds us together." she quietly shouts at me.

My eyes are slow to open but my smile widens as soon as I see her beautiful face, "Good morning my little Luna," kissing her on the cheek and pulling her closer to my body. Did I just call her Luna?

"Vince, you need to leave before my dad wakes up." She freaking out more. Before I could agree and leave, the door burst open and stood her red faced father.*

Jumping awake finding the old desk and boxes are my company. Shaking my head and falling back on my bed. Well that just happened.

Violet POV

"Very manly," I joke, "here is everything you could need for a shower." I handed him the bag.

"Thank you Violet. I can't express how thankful I am. I promise I will repay you one day." Placing the bag down on the bed, he turns back to face me. I stand there watching him, with two steps he's hugging me tight. "I mean it. I am thankful you were the first face I saw when I woke up." he says into my hair. I tightens my hug and his chest vibrates like a purr.

"You are welcome, I am going to bed now. I'm off for the next two days. I will see you in the morning." With that I turn and walk up the stairs. Oh this is not good. I rush into my room and close the door.

I peek at the clock and it's 2:30am. I can't get Vince out of my head, his strong hug and sweet words make butterflies flood my stomach. He's younger than me, not even out of school yet and my patient. Well not really my patient anymore but it's still wrong. Uggh I scream internally and roll over hoping to find sleep soon.

*Opening my eyes I look around my room, I find the clock and it now reads 8:12am. I try to get up when a large arm pulls me back into bed. Someone is in my bed!

"Just 5 more minutes Vi, please." the person groans half asleep.

I roll slowly and feel my jaw drop as my eyes land on Vince. How did he get in my bed? My dad is going to kill us. "Vince," I poke him with one finger on his shoulder, "VINCE, WAKE UP! My father is going to kill you if he finds us together." I quietly shout at him.

His eyes slowly open and he smiles wide at me, "Good morning my little luna," kissing me on the cheek.

"Vince, you need to leave before my dad wakes up." I say freaking out more.

My door burst open and stood my red faced father.*

I whip out of bed only to be alone in my room. Oh it was just a dream and my heart goes back to normal. I pinch myself to make sure I am not still dreaming OWW, okay not dreaming but definitely bruised. Rubbing my face I see the time is 730am. I make my way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.