4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Darius
The packhouse was slowly filling up with packmates who wanted some warm breakfast and it helped my broken heart seeing them smile and share a cup of coffee as they sat by the tables.
Shifters needed each other, even just for a conversation.
It was part of who we were, and I was basking in their company, even if I just tended to the breakfast and watched from a distance.
“Did you hear?” Oric asked, stacking the pancakes. He was around his mid-twenties like me, and one of my closest friends.
“Hear what?” I asked, manning the bacon with perfection.
“Jeremy found his fated,” he whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
My heartbeat picked up with hope. Maybe this would mean Jeremy and I would be good.
Maybe I could even talk to him about Milo?
I needed some advice on what to do because every part of my body ached for Milo.
This whole waiting around thing wasn’t something my instincts understood.
“Really?” I whispered back, unable to stop a smile from forming.
“Yes!” Oric grinned. “And get this, he’s human.”
“Human?” I stupidly repeated. That was unusual.
“Yeah! And he’s amazing!”
Huh? “Amazing?”
“Yeah!” Oric beamed. “He called Paul a jerk, to his face! Several times! It was hilarious!”
“He did not!” I gasped.
“Oh,” Oric grinned. “He did.”
“Man,” I laughed. “Can’t wait to meet the guy.”
“His name is Cass. Oh, and the Brown Pack had kidnapped him.”
“Kidnapped?!”
“Yeah, seems like it wasn’t a true kidnapping though. They watched a movie and I swear I smelled popcorn.”
“You were there?” I’d thought he’d just heard about Jeremy’s fated. It grated on me that Jeremy hadn’t asked for my help, or told me about Cass this morning.
“Yeah, he was in panic mode, running around shifted and giving major danger vibes. Us closest to him followed and he picked a few of us to help. Not that Cass was in any danger, I don’t think.” He frowned. “But I’ll let Jeremy decide on what to do with the Brown Pack.”
“Wise decision,” I chuckled.
We continued to cook and once our packmates began leaving the room, Oric and I sat down to eat the leftovers.
I couldn’t help but notice Milo’s absence. He was usually the one cooking breakfast and dinner. Actually, Milo tended to help with pretty much everything when it came to the pack. Was I the reason he stayed away? Or was it out of sheer pettiness from not being chosen as alpha?
“What’s wrong?” Oric eyed me warily. “The pancakes too cold for you or what?”
I startled, then eyed my untouched stack of pancakes and gave him a sheepish grin. “I guess my thoughts wandered for a bit there.”
“Know the feeling,” he chuckled with his mouth full. “You want a run after this? I want to chase the birds around before most of them leave for winter.”
Laughing, I nodded because bird chasing sounded amazing and just what I needed at the moment.
I’d given Jeremy time enough, I decided, and after hearing Marcus badmouth Cass to his son Fillian, I needed to tell Jer.
Marcus was the pack grump, the one who always complained and whined whenever he didn’t approve of how things were done or handled.
Fillian seemed just as annoying, or maybe it was strictly because he was his father’s shadow that caused me to feel they were basically the same.
I followed Jeremy’s scent into town, knowing he was likely showing his fated around.
Happiness bloomed inside my chest at the thought of Jeremy finding his mate.
He deserved someone who would love him with all their heart, and it selfishly meant our friendship could continue without me feeling guilty.
I parked my car behind the diner and hurried inside, giving Loren—one of the owners—a wave hello as I searched for Jeremy. I found him with a brown-haired guy sitting next to the windows facing each other.
This would be fun.
“Jeremy!” I greeted, smiling widely as I took in his fated mate. He was handsome and clearly startled by my sudden appearance.
Jeremy groaned. “Darius, why?”
I beamed at that. I loved teasing Jer and I’d missed him so much these last two days.
“Are you two on a date, perhaps? Wouldn’t want to impose or anything,” I asked, again with the same teasing tone.
Jeremy glared as he growled, “We are. We can talk later.”
“No can do,” I said, sitting down next to Cass, pushing him further against the window.
Jeremy continued to glare at me while I sat there smiling and loving every second of it. Cass ignored us, likely put off by my company as he watched people walk pass outside.
“I actually came here to warn you,” I admitted, losing the teasing. I eyed the room, making sure no other packmates were in here, other than Loren and Loretta, of course. But Loren would be on our side and his wife was busy creating delicious food in the kitchen.
“About?” Jeremy asked, his tone worried.
“Marcus.”
He scoffed and waved me off.
“I’m telling you; Marcus is truly losing his shit over it.” I felt angry all over again, recalling the way Marcus had sneered at the thought of Jeremy being with a human.
Jeremy snarled when he responded. “Because he’s human?”
“Yes,” I gritted out, angry at Jeremy’s and Cass’ behalf.
“When did he say this?”
“Over dinner yesterday,” I answered.
“In the packhouse?”
I nodded. “I can’t say for certain if others agreed with him or not, most just listened but didn’t outwardly agree or defend you.”
I could tell Jeremy was hurt over that, to know his packmates hadn’t defended his fated or him. But neither had I, even if I’d eavesdropped, I could still have said something. But I didn’t, figuring it would be best to let Jeremy deal with it.
“Um, sorry,” Cass said, interrupting us. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh,” Jeremy blinked, and I moved out, sitting next to Jeremy and forcing him against the window. The seats were truly not meant for two men our size, but it was easier like this so Cass could have his seat when he returned.
“I can’t let him get away with this,” Jeremy stated, giving me all of his attention.
I couldn’t agree more, so I asked, “Then what do you propose we do?”
“I think that we should sweet talk Cass to the pack, eliminating Marcus’ hateful words. Then once I tell Cass about him being my fated mate, I will introduce him to the pack. As soon as they meet him, they’ll fall in love, I know it.”
“How long until you tell him?” I asked, looking in the direction of the bathroom to make sure Cass wouldn’t overhear.
I was only feeling a teensy bit hurt that Oric was the one who told me about Jeremy finding Cass, and not Jeremy himself.
He took a sip of water and shrugged. “Maybe a month, at the latest. I don’t want to overwhelm him, you know.”
He didn’t seem overwhelmed to me, a bit shy maybe. “He seems to take things well, though?” I said, hoping he’d elaborate.
“Too well,” he agreed. “I’m waiting for reality to hit him.”
“Ah,” I chuckled. “You fear he’ll run off?”
“Something like that.”
“Lads?” Loren said, standing next to our table with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes? Anything wrong?” Jeremy asked.
“Um, maybe not. But why are you sitting together like glue when you, Jeremy, was supposed to be on a date with your fated? Who, by the way, slipped out ten minutes ago, looking like a kicked puppy.”
I was promptly pushed to the floor, Jer having used all of his strength to kick me the fuck away.
“Hey!” I exclaimed indignantly from the tiled floor.
Jer ignored me, running outside with a horrified expression.
“Wait up!” I called after him. Once I was next to him, I tried to help calm him down. “He’s likely at home.”
“No,” he said, sniffing the air. “His scent is leading in the opposite direction.”
“Oh,” I said, picking up a faint scent of him. “He’s driving towards the Brown Pack’s territory.”
“Fuck!” Jer cursed, looking miserable.
“We might still reach him before he crosses over,” I suggested.
He shook his head and turned to face me. “I can smell that he’s too far gone to stop him.”
“What do you want to do then?” I asked, feeling defeated.
“I just want to go home,” he whispered, walking in the opposite direction. I let him go, knowing I couldn’t do anything helpful.
Knowing Jeremy could need me at any second, I decided to head home and do some cleaning. If I went out and he’d needed me I would feel terrible. Besides, if I couldn’t take a run to get rid of all this agitation of not being near Milo, then maybe deep cleaning my house would help.