There's always that one stupid mistake
That changes everything.
Fifteen hours. It had almost been a full day that War spent laying on the bed, staring at his unresponsive mate.
Pomelia Grace. The sweetest thing on earth that had been tied to him, was now in limbo because of his decision. He should have had more strength to say no again and again. He was selfish and a fool...and everyone around him knew it.
His mate's temperature had been hot and cold all fifteen hours. Making his stomach go up and down with her body's temperature. The pack's doctor had been checking in every few hours and he had Wes on speed dial. They called it a waiting game and War wasn't fucking patient.
"I'm sorry, Pomelia," he said softly in her ear brushing through her wavy curls before wrapping her tighter with the thick blanket. Wes and the dumb doctor from Seneca pack had recommended wrapping her in blankets and comforters to make her warmer.
He hasn't gotten any sleep and he didn't want to get any if that meant possibly being away from Pom. He needed to ensure that she was okay. Sleep didn't help. At all. The only thing that would help would be Pomelia waking up.
Just as War was about to use the odd thermometer the Seneca pack doctor had given him, that rolled over Pomelia's forehead, his phone binged.
He had two messages. The first he opened was from Nick.
'Are you okay? What happened to your mate? The doctor keeps coming in and out and you haven't eaten anything all day.'
War rolled his eyes. He completely forgot about the kid. He had been so Pomelia oriented...everything else he could care less about.
'She's sick. She'll be better by tomorrow.'
That was partially the truth, but all he wanted to give away. Hopefully by tomorrow she would be fine. Smiling and trying to kiss him, asking him about her cell phone. Trying to slip her hand in his.
His phone binged again and he noticed that their was two messages he didn't reply to. Both from Alpha Reese.
'How's the search going for Ben?' That was a few hours ago. Another message was just recently sent. 'What's wrong with your mate? Sources tell me my pack doctor has been there a few times today.'
War let loose a frustrated sigh. If he told Reese that Pomelia wasn't sick but her body was fighting to accept something that he caused their was no way Reese wasn't going to flip his shit.
'Everything is fine. Me and the kid are leaving soon to go check out a spot.'
He lied. Reese was busy, he wouldn't be able to personally question his doctor about what was going on. If Reese did find out he was sure he would be kicked out of the pack and then he would call Khan. Who would really give him shit.
As much as it pained War to do so, he had to talk to Nick. They had to go and at least cover some ground about Ben and he would have to threaten the doctor to stay with Pomelia while he did so. The doctor would show up in another hour or so...he needed to talk to Nick before the old geezer came in with his judge-y eyes and snooty attitude.
Just as he was about to text the kid something, his phone began to ping. They were messages from Nick.
'COP IS HERE!'
'Snooping around door! Come save me!'
War glanced at Pomelia, his eyes lingering on her cheek. He wanted to kiss her, but felt it was wrong. He did this to her. What right did he have..
Coming.
"I'll be back," he told her before getting up out of the bed and slipping on his sneaker. War rolled his neck on shoulders, a series of sickening cracks escaped from his stiff body.
He was already annoyed and on edge...then he had to deal with the annoying cop who he was sure had gotten an attitude with Pomelia before.
Once he got down stairs, he could see Nick up on his feet near the door with a terrified look on his face. The knocking on the door that consistent was pointless.
Before he could knock again, War snatched open the door, growling. The guy wasn't in his blue uniform. Instead he was in a pair of dark jeans and a shirt that said 'Master Baiter' with a fish and a hook on it. "Like the shirt? It's funny trying to get people to figure out the pun."
War glared at the man. "What do you want?"
The man gave War an awkward smile, before he cleared his throat. "Just wanted to see if you guys are good. Settled and sorted everything out."
"Yes," War said coldly, watching the man sigh loudly and try and look beyond War, into the house. War closed the door a bit more, glaring at the odd guy. What the fuck did he want?
The 'officer' cleared his throat running his hands over his buzz cut., "Listen I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. I was a dick...and any friend of Alpha Reese's is a friend of mine."
Was War supposed to be impressed? He didn't care for apologies, especially from people he didn't know. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of how Pomelia would act. He could accept the apology and then the man would leave. If he tried it his way, slamming the door in his face, he would most likely just knock again.
"It's fine. We're cool," he settled for as the guy seemed a bit relieved, before trying to peek inside the house again. "What do you want?" He growled, his hand on the door, tightening. Was he looking for Pomelia? Why did the asshole care about her? What was his motive...?
He watched as Mac reached in his back pocket and revealed a phone. It looked similar. One he's seen before. "I just...I saw Nick and his phone was kind of messed up last night. I felt bad, ya know so I got him a new one."
Why did he want to give the kid a phone? It was weird. War snatched the phone from the guy, inspecting it thoroughly before he felt his leg buzz. Thinking it might be Khan or Reese, he checked his phone. It was Nick.
'don't want it. Give it back please.'
War smirked, handing the phone back to the man. "The kid doesn't want it." War was surprised by the look of anger that quickly crept unto his fake ass smile.
"I'm just trying to be nice! What do you mean doesn't want it? And kid? How old is he?!"
Why was War having this conversation? "He's seventeen. I don't have time for...this," War snarled before slamming the door in his face. He didn't know what the hell he wanted, but he didn't care. He had a job to do and a mate to watch after. Not worrying about the master 'baiter' and his hissy fit.
War waited by the door, internally enjoying Mach's attempt at cursing them out. He threw around 'mutts' and 'half breeds' as if it were an insult to him or probably even Nick. He's been called worse. He was sure Nick was in the same boat as him.
Wat felt his phone vibrate again and looked down at his phone, another message from Nick.
'That was cool.'
He turned around to see the kid at the steps, smiling. "Why did he buy you a phone?" War questioned in confusion, watching his face closely. He could tell if he was lying and watched as he began to tap furiously at his phone.
Then he stopped and shrugged. Nick was lying...but War didn't care. "I don't care," War told the kid who now seemed a bit more on edge. "Have you found any leads?"
Reese gave them a lot of resources that War didn't even look into. He was preoccupied, but he knew Nick wasn't busy.
'Yeah. Want to check out this convenient store where one of his debit cards pinged. Two days ago. A few hours away from here. I can't drive though.'
War snorted. Yeah he didn't drive and couldn't talk. Nick was different that was for sure. "We can go. I just have to wait for the doctor." He couldn't leave Pom alone. The annoying old bag would be here soon, judging him while saying 'poor soul' when concerning his mate.
While he waited for the pack doctor, he made his way to the steps and back to Pomelia. She was in the same spot. Nothing had changed.
Taking the rolling thermometer, he gently swiped it over Pomelia's head and waited for a little beep to sound. Once it did, he sighed in relief.
Her temperature was 101 degrees. That was great. She was improving. Last night her temperature fluctuated between 94 and 100. But 101 was close to regular Lycan temperature.
"You're doing great, Pomelia," he praised her unresponsive body before unwrapping her in the blanket just a bit. Her dress was soaked with her own sweat. Hopefully when he got back, he would be able to change her clothes and have her a bit more comfortable.
War waited patiently for Doctor Falcon and his assistant to arrive and when they did, they of course looked at War as if he was scum of the earth. Which he was, but still. Pomelia wasn't...
"How is our lovely patient?"
"She's okay," War told the man as he set down his bag and looked over Pomelia with a soft expression. "You know this young lady defended you til the cows came home the first night you all arrived."
Defended him? Who was speaking ill about him? He really didn't care, he was just happy to know that Pomelia had his back. Just as he would have hers. "I would do the same," he told the doctor as he started laying out some tools and items. One he recognized was supposed to be placed on her chest to help hear her heartbeat.
"I need you to wait here with her," War explained to the elderly man as he gave him a suspicious look. "For about three hours."
Falcon scoffed. "Do you not realize I run an infirmary?! I can't just sit here and watch her all day. That's your job sonny, not mines."
It was War's job but he also had another job to do! The doctor's assistant sighed, patting the old man's shoulder. "I'll wait. I can call my mate while he's away. I don't mind."
War gave him a suspicious look upon sniffing the air near the assistant. He smelled like a female but dressed like a male. "You're a mated...female?"
"Yes! I dress different, so what."
Of course War didn't have a problem! She was a female with a male mate. He could care less what anyone preferred to dress in. Perfect! He didn't have to worry about some unmated male trying to try something with his mate.
"No. You can watch over her," War told her as Doctor Falcon frowned at both of them. War scribbled down his number and handed it to the assistant. "Call if anything happens."
She took his number before glancing to Docton Falcon. "Everything will be okay. By the time you get back, she'll be the same still."
That's what War hoped at least. After spending a little more time talking to Falcon about everything, War and Nick hit the road.
The trip was unnecessarily long to get to a dumb corner store, but it looked as if Nick didn't care. War was the only one rushing things.
The convenient store was small and cluttered. Everything that would fit into a small brand grocery store was stuffed into a place that looked as if it would burst from the seams. Nick had forgotten all about their agenda and made himself comfy with some magazines he found.
War on the other hand wanted to get this shit over with so he could get back fo Pomelia. He noticed a kid behind the register sitting. He was tapping on his phone furiously and also had headphones in his ears, bobbing his head up and down.
Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he swiped to the picture of Ben that he had and held it up to the kid. When the human didn't even budge to look up, he cleared his throat.
"Have you seen him?"
The kid glanced up from his phone. First his eyes trailed over War, before he looked back at Nick. "You gonna buy something? If not, leave."
War rolled his eyes. The people had cameras. 8 cameras. He didn't want to be on the human news for knocking a human kids teeth out. That would just be unnecessary... He rolled his eyes and pulled a large bill out of his pocket.
"Tell me and you'll get two."
The music that was blaring in the kids ears suddenly paused. His breath caught in his throat and he quickly reached out for the bill. "Dude what do you wanna know?!" Ha, and War had him.
War handed him the picture. "Let me look at your cameras on the 24th and you can have three of these."
His chubby hands rubbed together in greed. "Yeah I can do that! Definitely. I saw the guy. He was muttering crazy things. It was weird. Barked at a customer. Weird as hell, man. Barked like some dog, ya know."
War bit his tongue. Ben was a dog...in a way but he was going to keep quiet about that. The human lead him to behind the counter and into a small, cluttered room.
He tried not to pay attention to the smell of...rats. He and the disgusting creatures didn't have a great relationship... "See look. I just have to rewind it til the other day."
War was snapped out of his less than thrilling childhood to stare at what the human was so occupied with. An old black and white screen that was playing the current footage. He could see Nick stuffing some candy into his pocket and goatee. If the kid wanted something all he had to do was ask...
"So you owe me 302 dollars."
"What?"
"Your friend just took two dollars worth of candy." War's jaw clenched. He really couldn't hurt the human. He couldn't. He needed things from him.
"Just show me the video."
While the human toggled with technology, War's ears perked at a specific sound. His eyes darted to the corners of the room, expecting a rat to come dashing out...but it wasn't a rat. It was an animal though.
It hissed at him. The long fluffy animal that was glaring at him as if he had personally done something to him. It was a cat. A female one at that. Who was throwing a fit of him being in there. It made sense. The feline know who and what he was. A predator entering her domain.
Then he heard an odd noise. Behind the fat feline were little furballs, stumbling behind her. They were her children. Kittens. War was staring at kittens. Pomelia wanted a cat...a kitten would be even better.
"How much for a baby?" He questioned as the kid glanced at what he was pointing at. He snorted before continuing his work. "How much?"
The human sighed. "I don't know like fifty bucks. No...one hundred. Moneys not a problem for you right?" He smirked as War felt like slapping the kid. Why were humans so mouthy?
"Boom. That's our dude, take a look."
War watched the grainy screen closely. There Ben was. Scruffy black hair and an oversized sweatshirt. He was with a group of people. Women actually. Three of them.
They all seemed skittish and a bit nervous, kept congregating in corners without Ben. Then he jerked at a customer. "See that's when he barked at a customer. Is he some pimp or something? He was asking for like cigarettes and strip clubs. The girls he was with kept whispering about money too."
"Did he say anything else?"
The kid shrugged. "Eh I mean he called a local taxi. Asking for a car that would fit four people in it. Where he was going. I don't know.."
"Name of the company?"
"Oh yeah. It's called sunrise taxi. Cool old guy is the owner...I'm guessing you want their number?" War didn't even respond to the idiot. Of course he wanted the number!
After watching Ben throw money at the human teen, and scuffle out the store on video, the human handed him a piece of paper. It was a phone number and then numbers being added up.
100- what you first offered me
x 2
———
200
+100 cat
————
300
+150 cab info
_______
450
This kid reminded him an awful lot like Trent when they were younger. Annoying and someone he wanted to hurt. Well currently he still felt the same way towards Trent. "Seriously?"
"Don't hate the player man, hate the game." War rolled his diss as he quickly counted out the bills and gave it to the boy. He immediately studied the bills closely before stuffing them into his pocket.
The human rose from his chair and turned towards where the cats were. "Any kitten?"
"They all look the same. Yes."
The kid shrugged before slowly approaching the mother cat and her kittens. The kittens were meowing softly, obviously picking up the humans wary intentions. The mother still had her eyes on War. He wondered what the hell the cat was thinking because she looked ready to kill him.
Then he heard a little meow and looked to the human. He was holding a small kitten in his hand. "Here ya go. His name is Meowtholamew...like Bartholomew," he chuckled while handing War over the little thing.
He tensed as the soft animal sniffed at his hands before yawning and comfortably settling himself between his cupped hands.
"His name is Butter."
"Well that's weird but whatever floats your boat dude."
*********
Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Chapters 29 and 30 will be updated on Patreon later this week.
Any comments? Predictions?
I took a Covid test again and almost died. It DOES NOT feel good😭
Anyway have a nice day everyone!