Michael P.O.V

When I wake up, the sun is barely rising. It's still snowing outside even after nearly three feet during the night. We're going to have quite a lot of snow.

Charlie is huddled very close to me. He's most likely cold from the fact that the heat isn't on. I naturally have a higher body temperature because of my shifting. I suppose my heat could be considered desirable.

I play with a lock of Charlie's blond hair. He smiles in his sleep and lets out a soft hum. His leg doesn't seem to be bothering him right now, but he is asleep.

The bleeding appears to have stopped because there's no blood visible on the bandages. The area around the bandages looks less inflamed. Maybe Charlie will be lucky enough to avoid a major infection.

Slowly, he begins to wake up. His green eyes slowly open up like a blooming flower. He smiles and sighs softly. Not a disappointed or frustrated sigh, a happy sigh.

"Morning," he says softly.

"Morning."

Charlie sits up and stretches. He doesn't exactly have to hesitate with his movements because of his leg. I hope that means that it's getting better and that he'll be able to heal just fine.

I still feel bad about clawing him in the first place. I have to be more careful around Charlie. He's human. Humans are fragile. I now realize that all too well. I hope I never hurt him like this again, but the only certain way to do that is to stay away from him altogether.

"It's still snowing," he says softly followed by a yawn.

"At least it's slowed down." I point out.

Charlie slowly stands up. His leg is still sensitive, I can tell. It'll be that way until it heals, but I think he can manage as long as it's not infected.

The sun bathes the room in golden light. If Charlie is a morning person, which I assume he is, he must enjoy watching the sunrise in here. I'm sure it's beautiful. I wouldn't mind watching it with him sometime.

"I'm gonna make breakfast," he says while walking out.

I follow him to the kitchen while stretching out my morning aches. Curling up while I sleep makes my joints hurt. I'm the type of person who needs to stretch out while they sleep.

Charlie begins to gather things in the kitchen before letting out a groan. "The power's out."

"That happens during a snowstorm," I remind him.

Charlie sighs and leans against the counter. The loss of power clearly irritates him. Living outside of town means that the problem won't be fixed for at least a week, possibly more.

I pick him up and set him on the counter. "Don't let the loss of power get you down," I tell him.

Charlie smiles and wraps his arms around my neck. His fingers tangle in my hair. It's a bit messy from sleeping, but the feeling is nice. It makes me think of when Charlie was scratching behind my ears. It felt nice.

"You like when I play with your hair," Charlie points out, running his fingers through my hair. "You're like a dog," he says with a small laugh.

"So I've been told," I nervously laugh off his comment.

Charlie obviously meant his comment to be a joke, but when a werewolf is compared to a dog, the wolf tends to get nervous. Sometimes we do have a canine attitude due to the fact that our bodies are both wolf and human.

I have to keep my cool. I can't get paranoid because Charlie has a sense of humor. That would only make the situation worse. A wolf has to protect the pack, first and foremost.

"You're adorable, Charlie." I change the subject from me to him on purpose.

"Thank you," he says with a small smile.

As of now, our faces are only a few inches apart. I can feel the warmth on Charlie's cheeks. He's absolutely adorable, especially when he gets flustered.

After a moment, I close the gap between us with a kiss. Charlie doesn't hesitate to return the kiss. In fact, he seems rather eager.

The kiss ends a few moments later. Charlie's cheeks are dark and feel hot. He's clearly getting flustered.

"That was nice," he says softly, biting his lip.

"It was."

"Now we should find some type of breakfast," he says, pecking my lips gently and quickly.

"I suppose we should."

Charlie hops down from the counter and begins looking for something that doesn't require electricity or water to prepare. That doesn't leave very much else in the kitchen.

"How about a bowl of mixed fruit?" he asks.

"Sure."

Normally members of the pack focus more on protein and filling quantities. Wolves burn a lot of calories, especially when shifting often. It requires a lot of energy, but any food is good if you aren't planning on shifting.

Charlie picks out a bunch of fresh fruit and begins to chop them up, assembling two bowls. I notice him around the farmer's market a lot. He tends to pick up fresh produce at least twice a week, sometimes more.

Once both the bowls are full, Charlie hands me one along with a fork. "Thank you."

"No problem."

We sit down at his kitchen table. The wood is cold just like the rest of the house. Charlie is probably getting chilly by the way he curls up in his chair.

"You cold?" I ask.

"A little.

"I could build a fire," I offer.

Charlie nods. "That would be nice."

After breakfast, I build a fire to keep the living room warm. Charlie waits on the sofa, a blanket draped across his lap. Once the fire is burning, I sit down next to him. He scoots closer and lays his head on my shoulder.

I really enjoy Charlie's company. I'm dreading the time when I finally have to leave. Once the snow stops, I know the Pack Master will want me home. I hope things can work.