"The LPA is here."
Everyone tensed..before pandemonium broke out.
"I'm not going to jail!"
"They never ever set foot here before!"
"Why are they here?!"
Everyone was freaking out around them...So much so that Pom began to become nervous too.
"No one panic! My mate and I will go to the border and talk to them."
Why would they panic? The LPA were good people...
Then it dawned on Pomelia.
These people, her new pack they weren't the best of people. Or well no, they hadn't made the best decisions in life and the decisions were probably criminal which lead them all to flock to this place..this pack.
Now Pomelia was nervous. War must have sensed her nerves and
War walked over to Pomelia and grabbed her hand, before they began to walk. Pom could visibly hear the women whisper 'awe' and how cute they were. It made her blush.
Once they were out of the presence of so many people, War paused and looked at her. "I'm sorry you had to see that. It may seem harsh but that's how things are here. They'll learn their lesson. I went easy on them."
For some reason Pom knew War went easy. She could only imagine what Khan would have done.. Pomelia didn't know how to respond. "Well...it's okay. I know things are different here. Thank you for standing up for the ladies. I tried to," Pom spoke as War just smiled at her.
"I like your outfit," War complimented as she felt his hand slide out of hers and palm at her bottom. Yes, her bottom. He squeezed at it, and she squealed.
"Warren!"
He smiled. "I just like this outfit." She squirmed out of his hold, her face beet red as she looked around to see if anyone was watching them. No one was. She began to walk, leaving her perverted mate who was now walking behind her.
"What are you doing?"
"Walking behind so no one sees you but me." Pomelia frowned, staring back at him and realized he was intently staring at her bottom. Geez! Was that why when she was in her bathing suit War walked behind her that time?
"Warren you're paranoid," Pomelia giggled as she tried to walk as normal as possible, feeling his eyes burn into her body. Gosh, he was so embarrassing!
War snorted behind her which made her laugh again. "I'm not. You're beautiful and people like to stare at you." It wasn't like he could scoop their eyeballs out for looking at her.
She was going to comment on that before she felt his arm snake around her midriff. "I have a craving to taste pancakes and you," War groaned out as she felt her heart skip again. War really did love pancakes. Or maybe it was just when she made them.
"After we talk to the LPA. This little taste should hold you over," she laughed lightly before she reached up to give him a small kiss.
War suddenly had a wicked look in his eyes, as he bent down and nibbled on her ear. "I didn't mean these lips...but they'll do for now."
Pom gasped. What had gotten into him?! "St-stop! You are so embarrassing. We need to focus, War," she whimpered, Pom now incredibly achey and flushed.
"I know. Sorry," he told her with a look that said that he was clearly uncaring and lying.
As they made their way to the pack border, she could see War's playful demeanor quickly morph into something that wasn't too friendly.
Warren and Pomelia were met at the pack border with a few of their own pack wolves. They seemed tense and nervous. Pom noticed a big white truck. That had all the windows tinted.
"Pomelia? Warren?"
Pom instantly became nervous. It was her mother. In her black pantsuit and strong mask of nothingness on her face. Her eyes momentarily were surprised as she looked over Pomelia before her eyes landed on War.
"Agent Grace," War greeted her as Pomelia awkwardly waved at her mother, suddenly feeling self conscious about what she was wearing.
Her mother gave a slight smile. "Where is Alpha Khan? I am glad I ran into you too actually but I am here for Khan."
War groaned and wiped a hand over his face. "Khan isn't here. He-"
"-Well where is he? I sent at least three summons here over the past month and a half."
Summons? What was her mother talking about. "We can't be thrown into jail or charged for any of our crimes. I don't know why you're looking for him."
Her mother scoffed. "I really do not wish to argue with you about this. We have a warrant to search this property for Sai Khan. Yes physical crimes your pack is protected against but tax fraud. Not paying your pack taxes for the last ten years. That is something he can be jailed for," her mother smiled, a glint in her eyes.
Tax fraud? "So give me Sai Khan or if by a miracle that stingy man isn't alpha anymore give me your alpha and I'll be out of your hair."
Pomelia stared at War in absolute fear. She was trembling now and gripped his hand tight as War seemed to be thinking of the words to talk with.
Erica Grace stared at both of them, sighing loudly. "Agent go to the car and sit there til I am done," she spoke to the man who was behind her with his hand on his gun. "Warren I advise you to tell your men the same."
War gave the few wolves a look and that was it for them to scramble away, looking as if their lives depended on getting the farthest away from them.
"B-but I have to protect you. You're the-"
"-Does it look like my daughter and her mate are going to harm me?" Erica Grace snarled harshly as the man's eyes widened. Pomelia's mother cursed under her breath before snapping at the man to go sit in the car.
Erica Grace made her way over to the young couple, Pomelia on the verge of tears as she held her mates hand tightly. She couldn't arrest War. She just couldn't. Every step Erica took forward was a nail in the coffin she felt like.
Pomelia began to pray to the goddess while her mother glared them down so venomously she thought poison would start to leak from her pores. "Tell me what the hell is going on right now. I want the truth before I bring both of you in for questioning and I really don't want to do that."
"I'm Alpha now," War spoke quickly. "Pomelia is Luna...Khan isn't here. We don't know where he is. He left last week and said he would be back."
Agent Grace cursed again, her eyes falling on Pomelia who was wiping at her tears silently. "Pomelia is that true?"
"Yes. The pack elected us a-and we took the position. We don't know anything about taxes!" Pomelia claimed, hoping War really didn't know anything about these taxes that weren't paid. She hoped and prayed to the goddess that he didn't know anything about it.
Erica Grace began to rub her temples. "We rarely arrest and jail alphas for tax fraud. Summons are sent and usually checks are paid or the debt just racks up...I initiated this warrant to arrest him to help you two get away from this godforsaken pack," her mother snapped angrily.
Pomelia gasped. She didn't think her mother was that type of person. To interfere with things like that...but here she was.
"We didn't ask for that." War growled. "I had no idea about tax fraud. I'm still working on the paperwork."
Her mother began to pace. "I cannot believe you two. Head over this pack! Of all packs. Pomelia dear you really done it this time." Pomelia didn't do anything! All she did was be a good pack member and mate. How is this her fault?
"I had a nice pack to place you two in. A five star pack unlike this negative one," she paced as she glared at her mother with disdain.
Pomelia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "War and I did not ask for you to do that. I appreciate you trying to help...but now look at the situation you placed us in."
Erica Grace growled so loud that War pressed Pomelia into her, as if to protect her from her mother's wrath. "I placed you in?! You decided to leave with this man, Pomelia. As for my decision to do justice, it wasn't even my decision really," her mother spoke in code as Pomelia frowned.
"Whose decision was it?" War spat. "You just said you did this."
Her mother shook her head, running her hands through her hair in a nervous habit she was sure. Or maybe an angry habit. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It doesn't matter. I need to arrest the alpha of this pack."
Pomelia stood in front of her mate. "You can't take him...and we won't believe you? Who would tell you to do something like this."
A groan came from her mother's lips. "A dream. I had a dream and I...I don't know. I suppose it was just my thoughts manifesting. I don't know. All I do know is it happened and now we're here."
"A dream?" War spoke before Pomelia could even say anything.
"Yes Warren, a dream."
Her mate growled, his hand dropping from her own to step closer to her mother. "Who told you in the dream?"
What was going on? Why did War look as if he was having a flashback? "I told you it was nothing. Just my subconscious."
"Did she have moonlight hair and night sky skin?"
Pomelia was still walking in revolving door of confusion as her mate and her mother seemed completely and utterly shocked as they stared at one another.
"Yes...yes she did. Did you read that in one of my daughters books?" Erica questioned as War growled, getting a bit closer to her mother, bawling his fists.
Okay, Pomelia needed to interfere. It looked as if her mate and her mother were seconds from punching one another. She slithered between the two of them.
"Who is this mysterious dream woman?" As soon as she said it aloud, Pomelia gasped. Now she understood... "Th-the goddess! The goddess!"
She was the only person who seemed happy about such information. "That's great the the Goddess or well one of her handmaidens visited you. Both of you?!" It was coming back to her now. She remembered War vaguely mentioning a dream from the goddess was why he had to come clean about what he had been keeping from her.
Of course she didn't remember that immediately due to how petrified and betrayed she was about that information. "Pomelia...of course I believe the goddess is real but...that's not possible."
"Why not? She visited War and told him to come clean about his lies. She can visit anyone who she pleases. Did she say anything else to you mom?"
Pomelia said in excitement as her mother cringed. "I-I'm sorry, I meant Agent Grace."
Her mother smiled softly. "It's...it's fine and well it doesn't matter now, as I have said before. I have to arrest War. I am so sorry, I honestly am, honey."
Pomelia pushed away from her mother. "No! You can't take him from me. That's not fair. It's-it's not fair. You're my mother!" Pomelia yelped, her moral compass teetering yet again.
"Pom...baby, just calm down," War told her as he took her by the shoulders. "You always want me to do the right things. This is the right thing," War told her softly as Pomelia was seconds from bursting into tears.
"Both of you calm down. Warren you said you didn't finish your paperwork correct?" Her mother questioned them as Pomelia whimpered, throwing her arms around her mate and holding on to him tightly.
"Yes...I filled out half of it but I haven't finished. I just have to mail it out," War explained to her as Pomelia just held her mate even closer. If that were possible.
Her mother began to pace again, a sly smile on her lips. "You haven't sent in any proof that you're the Alpha or well that Khan relinquished his title to you, have you?"
"No, not yet."
Her mother clasped her hands together. "Don't submit the paperwork. We'll still be searching for Khan and when we find him we'll arrest him," her mother whispered rather loudly as Pomelia glanced up at War.
War tensed as she looked up at him. "That's it?"
Her mom still seemed to be thinking but she nodded her head confidently. "You two honestly want to help this pack?"
"Yes," both Pom and War said in unison.
"Well as you two personally know our temples are under attack. Not just here but all throughout the country. The council, temples, and packs have come to an agreement," her mother spoke. "Packs don't have to pay their council taxes or temple dues if they house up to six to ten temple persons."
"So they are shutting down the temples?" Pomelia gasped, sadness lacing her voice thinking of her sisters and brothers under attack.
Her mother nodded her head. "Yes. For now. The older priestesses and priests are allowed to stay with protections of some warriors but if you're 35 and younger you will be placed under a packs protection."
"That means we can house people?" Pomelia said with excitement as War tensed.
"Will that take away some of the taxes the pack owes?"
Her mother shrugged her shoulders. "I have to talk to my superiors and then see if anyone wants to come here first. If not then no and most likely the people of the temple won't be jumping to come to one of the most...notorious packs in the country."
It was as if Pomelia blew up a nice sized balloon only for her mother to come pop it within seconds. "Well if they do approve it and some people come to stay with us will that help us out?"
Erica Grace crossed her arms over her chest. "If you two are serious about helping this pack you'll start charging your pack members fees like everyone else does. Those fees should help pay the taxes you owe in addition if you do get approved for the temple placement program it'll help knock out some of what you do owe. Both of them together should put you guys on the right track to paying off your idiotic Alpha's debt."
"So you'll let us know when you talk to them and what the answer will be?"
Instead of looking annoyed with their questions, she seemed amused. "You're supposed to submit an application. I'll send it to you, you fill it out and I'll see what happens. You'll get a letter in the mail if your accepted with the names of the holy peoples assigned to your pack."
"Thank you," Pomelia smiled at her mother. "For trying to help us and even helping us now. I...we appreciate it," Pomelia told her mother as she gave her an odd look before reaching into her suit jacket and pulling out a yellow envelope.
She handed it to Pomelia. It was small and it had her name scrawled on it along with unicorn stickers. "That's from...that's from your sister and I. Warren, I still need those documents."
Pomelia stared at the small envelope, wondering what it could have been. "I'll have them ready," War told Pom's mother as she stared at Pomelia and gave her a half smile.
"I hope you enjoyed today, other than this mess up. I like the outfit...did you get it as a gift?" Her mother asked as Pom wondered why she was asking if she got this awful work out get up for a gift.
She suppose it was gifted to her... "Um yeah I did and thank you. It's comfy." That was a little lie. It was comfy but Pom didn't feel so comfortable in it.
Agent Erica Grace smiled. "Good. Well I'll be in touch. Pomelia you...you can call me if you have any issues or problems."
What type of issues was Pomelia going to have that she needed her scary mother for? Before Pom and War could say goodbye she was turning around and went walking towards her truck.
Pomelia looked up at War and noticed that he was staring into space while he held her tightly. "War? Are you okay?" She questioned as he seemed to have snapped out of his thoughts.
He immediately looked down pecking her on her lips. "I-I was just thinking about if that went south. I would be in that van...being torn away from you."
Her heart began to act all crazy again. "Well you're here. Don't think about stuff like that. Let's go home."
Warren smiled, showing all of his teeth and making Pom feel all fuzzy inside. He had such a nice smile when he chose to show it.. "Yeah. Let's go...I actually have some stuff we have to sign back at the office."
Pom pouted. She didn't want to go to the study and do more paperwork but she knew War got easily frustrated and she helped as much as she could. At least she would be spending time with him..
"Ok let's go. Oh wait I should open this envelope first," she said while staring down at the odd thing her mother gave her.
War tensed. "No. No let's open it up at the office. What if it's sad...you might cry. You don't want the pack members seeing you cry." She guess he had a point...
Their walk back to the alpha house was quiet and filled with small kisses, and of course War being fresh and sneaking inappropriate touches!
The closer they came to the alpha house, the more tense War seemed to be. Which made her nervous. What kind of paperwork were they planning on signing? What if it was terrible paperwork? Or what if he knew what was in the envelope that her mother gave her?!
"What are you thinking about?" He questioned her as he lead her into the Alpha house. Well, their house now...
She shrugged, feeling his fingers run over her knuckles as they walked. They were headed down the hall to his study.
"I don't know," she told him as he paused in front of his study door. She glanced at him in confusion as he turned around to face her. "War what is it?" Now she was getting incredibly nervous.
He gave her a half smile. "Just...close your eyes ok?"
"Okay.." She did as she was told and waited impatiently, wondering what War had planned for her. She heard the door open then felt his hands cover her eyes...well half her face.
War instructed her to walk forward, and she took slow steps, feeling her mate bump into her a bit as he kept his hands firmly on her eyes.
"I'm not peeking War," she giggled as they suddenly stopped. She smelled something sweet and wondered what it was.
Then she heard War clearing his voice. "I know I tell you this almost every day but I love you," he spoke as Pomelia felt herself smiling. "You've been my first...everything and you'll be my last. My...uh my first friend, love, partner," he spoke as Pomelia felt her eyes beginning to water.
Why could she not turn around and give him a big hug and kiss? Why was he telling her all of this now after such a long day? Now she really didn't want to do paperwork! And more importantly why were her eyes covered still?
"Shit. I was supposed to say that all at the end," he chuckled nervously as Pomelia laughed right along with him.
"So...I was looking through everyone's pack files...and I came across yours. I didn't think much about anything until I came across something that is probably important to you. With everything going on I see how you would forget."
He uncovered her eyes and Pomelia opened them.
"Happy birthday."
Pomelia felt like slapping herself. It made sense...your birthday usually came before or after your heat but she was so busy she hadn't even realized that she had turned another year older...
A little 'happy birthday' banner was laid out on the coffee table. It looked hand made and extremely colorful, which made Pom confused. Not only that but a cake! A small round cake with chocolate covered strawberries on the top and her name was scripted out in icing. And folded pieces of paper were also spread out over the table.
"I wasn't avoiding you today. I was just busy. The cards are from some pack members..Trent and I tried to make a cake today and well that was a disaster." Pomelia was biting her inner cheek as to try not and cry but she let loose a small laugh at the thought of War and Trent making a cake. She could only imagine all of the cursing that happened in the kitchen.
"I had one of the pack members run out and get this one from a human bakery. Our cake ended up in the trash."
Pomelia smiled, twirling around to kiss him. He shook his head, and lead her over to his desk before picking her up and placing her on it. "War what-"
She was cut off by him shedding his shirt. Her eyes soaked in her beautiful mates body before she noticed something odd. Ink was on his skin. Ink?!
It was her name...tattooed over his heart. Her name with a crown on it...along with Artemis's symbol. He cleared his throat. "I also had to avoid you because I didn't want you to see this til I gave you my gifts. I ordered you rings and jewelry too. Its twenty five-"
Pomelia placed a hand over his mouth, stopping him from talking. She could only feel his lips under her palm, not even see correctly by the onslaught of tears that assaulted her.
"Oh...Warren," she spoke softly, as to not began to sob. She couldn't son, she was too happy, but that made her want to cry even more. He was trying to talk again, but she placed her hand firmly on his mouth.
"Thank you...so much," she whimpered as she wiped at her tears with one hand and felt his hand grab the wrist of the hand that was still placed on his lips. He turned her hand over and kissed her palm gently.
"I love you," he smirked as she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Hard.
Pom kissed him with as much passion as she could muster. She needed this man, her mate, her love to understand that he was for her. He was the best and only option. They were made for another. Destined to be. He treated her just like the crown that was over her name on his chest...like royalty.
She could hear War's nails clawing into the desk as she broke the kiss, her lips moving to his neck. She made open mouthed kisses against his warm skin. Her mate was trembling and she smiled against his neck, feeling his pulse quicken.
"Warren I want to make love and I want to mark you," she panted out as her hands traveled over his chest and abdomen, feeling his abs quiver under her touch. Pom placed her hand on the top button of his jeans, looking up at him for permission.
He seemed like he was struggling to breathe? "Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you just because of all of this."
Pom was waiting for the perfect moment to make love to her perfect male, well in her eyes he was perfect. It dawned on her that nothing was ever perfect.
Her sisters were missing, they owed the council a ton of money, they had to implement pack fees to their members and she was terrified of being a Luna.
Nothing was perfect, but everything in this moment...was.
"I'm sure."
__________
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