"How are you?" I asked Reo once the phone connected. I was currently sitting in my office when he called and I knew that I couldn't avoid picking up forever.
The loud groan that echoed through the speaker spoke volumes.
"Don't get me started. I could tell you every annoying thing that's happened, but it would take too long. Besides, isn't that what I should be asking you?" Reo said. "How are you, Tate?"
How was I? Physically, I was fine. Everything else was another story, but I didn't want him worrying more about me than he already was.
"I'm fi—" the sound of arguing on the other side cut me off, and Reo sighed.
"Shut up," he said and I could practically hear the scowl in his words. "Do you two ever stop fighting? I swear you're like two toddlers but worse."
The arguing only grew louder and I could hear the sound of Reo standing up and walking followed by a door shutting.
"Sounds like you're having fun," I said amusedly.
"Why don't you come trade places with me and see just how much fun I'm having," Reo dryly replied. "Arguing is the only thing those two idiots are good at and it's not even over important shit! They were arguing over if the room was too hot yesterday."
"I think I'll remain over here," I couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm glad my pain brings you joy. That isn't what I called you about though. How's the warrior search going? Any promising candidates?"
"It's...going," I said.
"That doesn't sound very promising."
I sighed. "So far nobody's really felt like the right fit. Maia and the elders are in a hurry to get this done and while I can understand, I don't wanna just give someone the role and they don't fit in with the pack. I'd rather spend more time trying to find someone who I think is a good fit than just rush the process and ultimately regret my decision in the future."
"I get that," Reo replied. "It makes sense to not want just anyone to fill the role, but you also don't have all the time in the world. At some point, the elders are bound to get fed up and so is the rest of the pack. At some point, other packs might start to turn on us. Keep looking, Tate. Someone's bound to show up."
I knew what he was saying held some truth. He wasn't the first to tell me those things and I was sure he wouldn't be the last. However, I was taught to think every decision through properly and to trust myself. I was the leader of this pack and every decision made not only reflected me but also my pack and affected those who lived there. I wouldn't make a reckless decision just because of pressure.
"Anything happens while I've been away? I miss the calmness of the Howling Night. There's always something going on here and more than likely, it's something stupid."
"Do you remember the Silver Night? The pack that used to be run by Alpha Marie?" I asked.
Reo went quiet as he thought about it. "The warrior pack? The one who defeated the Blue Lake Pack a few years pack?"
"That's the one," I told him. "A few days ago, I found Alpha Marie's son, one of the new alphas, injured outside of the pack lands."
"Which one? Doesn't she have two?"
"She has twins: Nolan and Nixon. It was her younger one. Nixon. The one who was said to have killed his brother's mate a few years back."
"What the fuck?" Reo grumbled. "Why is it that when I leave something interesting actually happens? What'd you do with him?"
"He was pretty badly injured. Took him to the doctor and he was in a coma for three days before waking up."
"Is he still there?"
"No," I shook my head even though Reo couldn't see me. "I escorted him out of the pack lands earlier."
"You? Did something happen?" Reo asked, I could hear the shift in his tone from a more relaxed one to serious.
"I asked him about the rumors about his brother. If they were true then I couldn't let him stay here and he openly admitted to them."
"Did he say why he did it?"
"I tried asking him, but he refused to answer the question."
That was the part that frustrated me the most. No matter how many times I tried, Nixon continued to change the subject or just stopped talking altogether. I knew that it wasn't necessarily my business to be prying into, but if he wasn't going to talk then there was no way I could've let him stay. I told him that too and rather than speaking up about the crime he had confessed to, he just nodded and said okay. It didn't make sense to me, but I wasn't willing to take any risks so once we had finished eating, I took him to the pack's border and saw him off.
Part of me felt a little bad, but I didn't need to add more to my plate. Not right now. Still, I couldn't get the man off my mind since he left. Maybe it was just curiosity; there was a lot about Nixon that I still didn't know so there was a chance that was the reason. He hadn't been here long so I doubted that I'd still be like this in a few days. It would just return to how it should be — Nixon would be back with his pack and I would be with mine.
How it was meant to be.
"You're not beating yourself up about this, right?" Reo asked before adding, "What am I saying? I know you and I know that you are. Don't overthink this, Tate. Had I been there, I would've told you to do the same thing. You don't know that guy and you sure as hell don't want to get involved in another family's drama. Helping him when he was injured is already doing more than you really needed to."
"Yeah," I agreed, but that didn't stop my mind from remembering the blank expression on his face when I told him he had to leave. It didn't stop me from remembering how he acted at the restaurant before I started questioning him. Was he really some cold-hearted killer? I wasn't sure if I believed that. There had to be more to the story.
I just would never know.
"Have you talked to Cloud recently?" Reo asked, changing the subject.
My brows furrowed. "Why? Missing Raiden already?"
Reo scoffed. "You're not funny. There's nothing to miss. I have two more idiots to keep me occupied, I was just curious."
"I haven't yet. He texted me earlier in the week, but I've been a little preoccupied so I haven't had the chance to talk with him yet."
"You should. I wouldn't put it past him to postpone everything and show up at your doorstep without warning. Those two are like cockroaches — they always reappear."
"That's a bad comparison."
"Really? I think it's perfect."
I rolled my eyes at him before checking the time. It wasn't extremely late, but I didn't want to keep him up for too long.
"I'll let you go now. I'm sure you're dying to return to Boston and Archer by now."
Even if I couldn't see him, I knew Reo had to be rolling his eyes. "I should go make sure Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum haven't killed each other yet. Also, come and visit sometime, yeah? Or at least call more. I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind trapped here."
I shook my head. "I feel like you're enjoying it more than you let on."
I wasn't convinced that Reo truly disliked his mates. Rather, I knew that he didn't. Growing up with Reo, I knew what he was like and I knew by now what he acted like when he truly didn't like someone. As much as he argued with Archer and Boston, I knew there had to be some sort of affection between them. The issue was getting him to see what I saw.
"You're mistaken," Reo deadpanned. "And don't say that, you'll make their heads get bigger than they already are."
I shook my head. "Goodbye, Reo."
"Bye, Tate. I'll call you again later and you better pick up, you piece of shit. Stop ignoring my ca—"
I hung up the phone, effectively cutting off Reo's rants. Okay, maybe I had ignored one or two of his calls before, but sometimes I just needed a break. It felt like everyone around me was constantly asking if I was alright and while I knew that their words came from good intentions, it was stifling. It was partially because of this that I hadn't called or texted Cloud back yet. I needed a break.
Then there was the constant avoidance of talking about mates. Everyone danced around the subject as if it was taboo or I was glass and going to break at any moment. As much as it did hurt to think about him, it annoyed me even more when people just avoided the topics of mates altogether or got really awkward after. Reo had slowly begun to realize that, but Cloud was still a work in progress. I didn't want to be seen as someone who needed their hand constantly held to feel better.
My eyes drifted over to the pile of papers listing different applicants and I sighed before picking them up. It was about time that I looked at them and maybe, just maybe, they could clear my mind.