Chapter 15
Dante
For as much as I had avoided my mate in the past year, it was incredibly difficult to kiss him goodbye this morning before heading back to work.
Banner was still sleeping, and I left a note beside him, along with his tea and some shortbread cookies that he had really taken a liking to.
It felt weird coming back to the council.
I had changed, obviously, but not that much.
Not physically, but mentally and emotionally.
Those weren’t what I was most worried about though.
I’d not talked to Augustus since he’d delivered Banner’s letter to me.
He’d sent a text congratulating me, and I’d replied to say thank you, but that was it.
We’d been close, and I’d considered him my closest packmate.
We’d been in hell together, literally. But we’d been banished at different times and to different places.
Granted, Augustus wasn’t on my team, but he was in my pack, and at some point, unless some of us were out for the week, we all met up. With today being my first day back, and everyone knowing it, I had a feeling they would all find a way to at least drop in and say hello. But maybe not.
“You seem troubled.”
I shook my head at Reinhold’s comment. “No. I’m thinking about my pack and how things were when I last saw some of them.”
Reinhold knew. “You mean Augustus.” I nodded. “He’s here, as far as I know. Carrington’s team is out, as is Sebastian’s. But as far as I know, that’s it. Sebastian’s should be back today or tomorrow. They left midweek last week.”
“Anything fun?”
Reinhold snorted. “Not really. They were checking out a pack in Michigan that was having some issues with a nomad-type pack.”
“Do they really have those?” Hayes asked.
“Yeah, there are a few that the council knows about. I’m sure there are many more that aren’t registered. They usually are those who couldn’t handle the leadership and set out to find something new, and some do, but most end up spending a long time roaming from place to place.”
I nodded in understanding. I understood that. I had done that, but only to a certain extent. I’d traveled all over South America and into Central America before I ended up in Colombia.
“Naw, forget that,” Hayes said. “I couldn’t do that.
I mean, my pack wasn’t the absolute best, but it wasn’t any worse than any other wolf pack.
That didn’t mean I felt the urge to just wander from place to place.
” Hayes looked at me with wide eyes. “It’s bad enough here and the constant calls from my parents wondering when we’re bringing Lily back to visit again.
I couldn’t imagine it if we decided to just wander from place to place. ”
There had been many questions about whether or not Hayes would be with the council for the long haul or if he and his mate would cave to the pressure from their families to return to Washington.
He and his mate seemed happy here, but their families were having issues with them not being minutes away.
I didn’t have parents, and Banner didn’t really care enough to involve his with his life that I didn’t have to worry about in-laws of any sort.
“Welcome back, Dante. Do you have a few to come and have a cup of coffee?” Atticus said from the doorway. I looked to Reinhold for input. He waved me away.
“We’re not doing anything. Even if we were, you aren’t going out until after your baby is born.”
I felt a bit bad about that. I knew it had been like that for the others who had pregnant mates, but it felt different now that I was the one experiencing it.
“Sure,” I said as I stood. We weren’t doing anything really, so why not? I followed Atticus out of the office, and once in the hallway, he gently pushed me toward the opposite direction I expected. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“Going to the cafeteria. Our pack is back together, so it’s time to have coffee, at least.”
I smiled. I was always up for a cup of coffee, and the brew here at the council was quite good.
“Coffee is always good,” I said.
“It is.” Atticus nodded. “How is Banner?”
“He’s…amazing. He’s taking extended time off from the bakery until after the baby is born. He had a bit of pregnancy sickness in the very beginning, but the tea helps. Now he’s just tired all of the time.”
Atticus shook his head before he patted me on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Our pack will grow more, which is something to be celebrated.”
I nodded. “It is. I never expected a mate, and now I have one.” I thought about the tiny baby that Banner was carrying. “And he’s going to give me a son. I only wish I could have given him the little girl he always dreamed of having,” I said absently.
I realized that Atticus was looking at me funny. “What do you mean?” he asked before I could inquire about his confusion.
I sighed. “Banner said when he was a young omega, he’d always dreamed about having a little girl cub one day.
He got pregnant with a hellhound first, and I’m thinking he’s worried it’s going to be nothing but hellhounds because the goddess wants to grow her hellhound pack.
Sadly, he’s already accepted that. So I really wish we could have had that little girl cub first to help him feel better about things.
” I shook my head. “He’s given me everything, and I couldn’t give him that one thing. ”
“I’m sorry, man. That…maybe we can try and ask the goddess. I know it’s a running joke that there is a list of things to ask her, and it keeps growing. Maybe that can be added? Ask if there is any way she can help give some no hellhound babies?”
I shrugged. “It’s worth a try, but I don’t expect her to change too much. She seems as if she wants to grow her army of hellhounds.”
We made it to the cafeteria and entered without a thought. My stomach reminded me that I’d not bothered with breakfast, and there was plenty of delicious food ready.
“Sounds like you should add breakfast. Did you not eat this morning?”
I wondered if Atticus had forgotten what it was like the first day back after claiming Brice.
“It was difficult enough to drag myself out of bed and leave my sleeping mate behind. As it was, I left with only minutes to spare before I needed to be here. Banner hasn’t been feeling the greatest, and my beast wants to be near him and our baby. ”
Atticus nodded slowly. “Maybe this is something more for Warwick. He has experience with pregnant mates and his beast.”
I shook my head. “It’s all right. It isn’t anything that I can’t handle,” I told him. The last thing I wanted was to have my pack alpha thinking I no longer had control over my beast. I grabbed a tray, added an empty plate and bowl to it, and started down the line.
“Come join us over there,” Atticus said as he patted my back.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the rest of the pack sitting at a large table in the back left corner and sighed.
Of course they would pick the set of tables that was farthest from the food line.
I didn’t mind the fact that I would have to walk all the way across the cafeteria with a loaded tray too much though.
I was hungry, and I needed to eat in order to be able to focus today.
It was going to be difficult enough as it was.
I filled my plate and bowl, added a few biscuits to a napkin, and then went to the coffee station and poured myself a large coffee.
I added vanilla creamer, because I didn’t feel like listening to my packmates about me being “extra” if I sat down with a latte that I used magic to get, and set off across the room.
I nodded to some as they acknowledged me on my way across the room, and by the time I made it to my packmates, I was certain they’d sat in that corner so I would have to cross the room in front of everyone.
I set my tray down beside the only empty spot, which was next to Augustus.
He offered a smile, and I nodded in response.
“Welcome back,” Damien said as I sat down.
“Thanks.” I got myself situated and picked up my fork but waited for Atticus to…what? Start this meeting? “Is something happening?” I asked after everyone remained quiet and sat there drinking their coffee. “Did I do something?”
“No,” Atticus said as he looked around the table.
I stared down at Titus and Azar, wondering what they were like. I’d spent very little time with them before I ended up taking time to spend with my mate. “Is this some sort of intervention or something?” I asked.
“No. Do you feel guilty about something?” Atticus asked.
“I have much guilt, some I’ll never be able to let go of. Some I’m working on letting go.”
“What do you have to feel guilty about?” Titus asked.
I sent the new guy a glare. Damien elbowed him, which earned Damien a glare.
“How is Banner doing?” Augustus asked.
I looked at my packmate, wondering if he was truly going to sit here and act like nothing had happened all those months ago. When he simply continued to look at me expectantly, I nodded. “He’s good. Tired a lot. Has little energy, but we’re told that will change soon enough.”
“Cecil wanted to know if it was all right if he stops by to hang out and check in on Banner,” Warwick said. “Lev has the twins,” he added. “Although I’m not sure how with him having his own new baby.”
“He’s a pro,” Atticus said. “He’s been doing the baby thing for a long time.”
I could see that. “I don’t see why Banner wouldn’t welcome Cecil stopping by. He’s still asleep at the moment, though, if he was asking to go over right now.”
Warwick’s eyes widened a bit. “I’ll let him know to wait until closer to lunch.”
I nodded and quickly peeked in on Banner through our bond. He was certainly still sleeping. Quite soundly, which was reassuring.
“Why is your mate still asleep? It’s almost nine,” Titus asked.
Azar, who was sitting on the other side of him, whacked him in the back of the head. Damien elbowed him on the other side, this time harder than the last.
“Ouch.” Titus glared at the others. “What?”