11. Warwick

Chapter 11

Iknew I wasn't the most intelligent person at the council, but even I understood I was somehow messing things up with Cecil. I didn't actually need to talk to Atticus about work. But I needed advice about what to do.

I wasn't sure if Atticus was the person I needed to go to. Master Edison had been mated a very long time, and although he'd already given me some advice, things didn't seem to be working well. Instead, I decided to go to the person who I probably shouldn't with such questions. But I'd seen how Alpha Sergei still looked at Alpha mate Chin after all of these years. Everyone in the council had seen how they still were with one another every evening. Without any hesitation, Alpha Sergei still courted and romanced his mate at Dragon Falls. I figured he was probably the best person to ask for advice. So that's where I went.

What I hadn't expected was for him to be in a meeting with none other than Alpha Vitomir. It hadn't been a secret that Alpha Sergei often dealt with the stubborn created polar bear.

"Warwick? Is something wrong?" Alpha Sergei asked when he noticed me lurking outside of his office door. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"May I ask for some advice?" I looked from the created dragon to the created polar bear. Why not ask both? Cecil had mentioned more than once how amazing his great-grandparents had been to him.

"Of course." Alpha Sergei looked concerned.

I stepped inside and closed the door. I noticed Alpha mate Chin sitting in a chair against the far wall. I'd not realized he was in there before. Not that it would matter. Maybe the omega would have some pointers for me. And perhaps two dragons in the room would deter Alpha Vitomir from getting irate with me when he heard just how much I'd seemed to mess up things with Cecil already.

"What is it that you need advice about?"

I moved to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall next to the window. "I need help with my mate," I said. That drew not only Alpha Vitomir's gaze but Alpha mate Chin's as well.

"Yes, I'd heard that you had found your mate. Congratulations on that," Alpha Sergei said. He quickly glanced at Alpha Vitomir before his eyes met mine again. "What is it that you need help with exactly?"

"We were given a house, and we've moved into it, but I don't know how to be romantic. Atticus and Damien said I needed to romance Cecil, and I tried, but I know I failed. We were having lunch, and he suddenly withdrew."

"What did you say?" Alpha Vitomir asked. "Cecil? As in my grandson?"

I nodded slowly. "I need help, Alpha. I know he deserves so much more than what I am, but my beast says he's my mate, and your grandson says I'm his. How do I treat him like he deserves?"

There was a low growl in the room. Alpha Sergei stood, and Alpha mate Chin chuckled. He suddenly stood. "I will handle this. I think coming from me, I might have a bit more of an omega's inside perspective. No?"

I was a bit surprised but left with Alpha mate Chin anyway. I heard Alpha Vitomir and Alpha Sergei arguing, but when Chin grabbed my arm and pulled me along, I went with the omega dragon.

"What were you doing when your mate became upset? You mentioned that you messed up. How is it that you think you went wrong?"

I sighed. "We were having lunch. I got a drive-thru that he wanted, and we took it back to our new place. We were eating, talking, and suddenly, Cecil seemed to become upset. I realize I'm not who anyone would really want for a mate, but Cecil says I'm his." I looked down at Chin. "I need to know how to romance him. Atticus said I needed romance. Damien agreed. But they also said I needed to claim him so I could form a bond with him, and then I'd know what he was thinking. Which was probably my best chance at not upsetting him. They don't seem to have much faith in me not screwing things up." I shrugged. "I'm inclined to agree. I've never been in a relationship."

Chin smiled. "Well, romance can be subjective. What one person considers romantic could be eh to another. Does your mate like flowers? Dancing? Quiet dinners? Gentle touches? Cuddling on the couch?"

I had no clue. "Are all of those things romantic?"

"They can be, certainly. But again, it really depends on what your mate considers romantic. Some are incredibly moved by acts of service. Someone doing the dishes for them or all of the laundry. Carrying the groceries into the house for them. Things such as that, although everyday tasks that we have to deal with, can also be considered romantic gestures to the right person. Do you know anything at all about your mate? How long have you two known one another?"

I shook my head. "I don't know much of anything about him. How do I find these things out? All I really know is that he is Alpha Vitomir's great-grandson. His parents are real pieces of work, and he spent years being mistreated by them. He works with Dr. King, and he likes Chinese food. That's the extent of what I know about him so far."

Chin grinned. "That is a start. We have two options. You can either go all out and do everything you can think of to show him you want to be a good, loving, and attentive mate to him. Or we can go to Lev and ask for some insider help with his grandson. Which do you think you'd prefer?"

"I would think that asking his other grandfather for help would be more beneficial, wouldn't it?"

"Probably. It can't hurt to try other things as well, but we'll go visit Lev, and you can listen to what he suggests when it comes to Cecil." Chin grabbed my arm again and pulled me in the other direction. I wasn't sure where we were going until we were walking toward the main doors that I picked up on the fact that we were actually leaving the council building.

"Is Alpha mate Lev not here today?"

"He doesn't come too often, from what I have seen. He often helps out with the childcare center, but I know that he's home today after yesterday's family dinner. Vitomir was talking about it in passing not long before you showed up."

We left the council building, and once outside, Chin looked up at me expectantly. I continued to stare at him in return.

"I see what might be part of the issue already, but we'll work on that. Do you know where Alpha Vitomir and Lev live?"

I nodded. All of the enforcers knew where the other created ones lived. We'd all spent time learning scents and where they belonged. It helped when it was time to patrol the mountaintop.

"Then take us there. You have magic, no?"

"Oh. Yes. I can do that." Since Chin was already touching my arm, I didn't need to grab ahold of him. I had us standing in front of Alpha Vitomir's place in a blink, and Chin smiled up at me.

"You did good. Now we talk to Lev and see what you need to do in order to impress his grandson."

I wish it could be that easy, but I was sure it wasn't going to be. Nothing seemed to be in my favor when it came to Cecil. On top of everything else, there was still the new discovery about the coven in Venice. I was going to have to decide if I wanted to be involved in that or not. Yesterday, I would have said that without a doubt I wanted to be in the thick of things. Today? My beast was grumbling about the thought of leaving Cecil. Was this what Damien and Atticus went through every time they had to go off on assignment with their mates being left behind?

Chin knocked loudly on the door, and we waited. It only took a moment for the door to open, and if it hadn't been for the few times I'd seen Lev with Alpha Vitomir at the council, I wouldn't have known who was standing in front of us.

"Hi, Lev. We need your help."

"Chin," Lev said, but his gaze was glued to me. "You must be Warwick."

I nodded. "Yes. I've come to see if you can help me with an issue I'm having."

Lev smiled. "Yes, so I've heard. You're Cecil's mate, apparently."

"Yes. So he and my beast tell me." I was going to ask how he knew that already but then remembered the bond thing and that of course Alpha Vitomir would have mentioned that to his mate through their bond just as soon as Chin and I had left the office.

"You don't know?" Lev asked, the smile falling from his face and immediately being replaced with a scowl.

"Hellhounds are a bit of an oddity," Chin said. "If we could come in for a few minutes, please?"

"Of course," Lev said. He stepped back to allow us to enter. Once inside, Lev closed the door and led us back into the house. Like so many around, their back room was a wall of windows that allowed for a view of the mountain scenery.

"Would either of you care for something to drink?" Lev asked.

I shook my head. "No, thank you though. I grabbed Warwick here and pulled him out of the office when Vitomir started growling, and Sergei immediately went into protective mode because I was there."

Lev rolled his eyes. "He knows better. He would do the exact same thing if another alpha ever growled around me." Lev shook his head before his gaze landed on me. "Well, have a seat, and let's see what it is you need from me."

We all got comfortable, and I immediately wondered how often Cecil had been in this very room. When Lev raised an eyebrow at me, I realized I was supposed to be doing the talking.

"Yes. I needed to ask about Cecil and how to romance him." Lev shared a look with Chin. "I know how to have sex, obviously. But I know there is more to mates than that. I've never had a relationship though, and I don't think my packmates are giving me the best advice."

Chin snorted. I looked at him in question. "I've met them. You're right. They probably aren't. Although, if not for the fact that he'd denied his mate for a decade, I would have suggested Atticus over Damien. But maybe with how Augustus seems to be the most romantically inclined of all of you, I would have said go to him."

"He's been a bit preoccupied with the new guy lately." That was still a bit of a sore spot for me. I wasn't saying that Augustus and Dante had something going on. I didn't think they did at all, not that it mattered. But Augustus had changed a great deal since Dante had been found in Colombia.

"What is it that you wish to know about Cecil?" Lev asked.

I blinked a few times, trying to figure out what exactly I did want to know. "Anything. He likes Chinese food, so he said. We went through the drive-thru and were eating it, but he suddenly seemed sad. I don't know what I did. I don't know how to romance him. What should I do? What can I do to make him feel special? I know his parents are horrible. I don't want to be lumped in with them. I don't know how to be a mate, really, but I want to try." I thought about Cecil and his smile. "When he smiles at me, my beast prances around in my head. He's never done that before. But then the smile fades, and he seems sad."

"Do you smile back?" Lev asked.

I stared at him. "I don't smile," I finally said. "The last time I tried, I was told not to because it looked like I was constipated."

Lev's eyes widened, and Chin groaned. "You have the worst packmates," Chin said. "Which one said it?"

I looked at Chin. "It was actually Ramsey."

"Figures," Chin and Lev said at the same time.

"To what lengths are you willing to go to make my grandson happy?" Lev asked.

"He's my mate. I'm supposed to do anything to make him happy. Even I know and understand that. I've already told him we'll adopt babies if he wants them. I thought that would make him happy. Will it not?"

"Why would you adopt babies?" Chin asked.

Lev looked sad. "Vitomir and I had a long talk last evening after he was finished tearing Daniil and Kaija apart for their treatment of Cecil. We even called Cecil's brothers to question them about their parents' treatment of their youngest brother." Lev's face became stony. "They will be joining us here, as will Daniil and Kaija in a month's time. This will be addressed together, as a family."

"I'm not sure what is happening, but if you need my or Sergei's support, we offer it freely."

"Thank you," Lev said. He looked back my way. "So Cecil already mentioned to you that he's not had a heat cycle?"

I nodded. "He wanted me to know before anything else. He feels like he's already failing as a mate because he cannot provide me with children. I've never thought about children, to be honest. And I told him as much. It wasn't until very recently that we even realized we would be gifted a mate. I told him that if he wanted children, we could talk to someone at the council, and I'm sure that there were orphan children somewhere that we might be able to adopt. If he wants a family, I'm willing to do whatever we need to so he can have his family. I know it won't be quite the same, but he seemed so broken about it."

Lev nodded slowly. "We had no clue until last evening. It came out, and then everything else came pouring out. Cecil took off after he couldn't seem to handle it any longer. Vitomir went looking for him after a bit and came back and said that Cecil was with you. I hadn't realized that you were his mate and had already met him."

I shook my head. "I didn't know until late last night when Damien and Atticus pointed out that my beast was acting exactly as theirs did when they met their mates."

Lev looked to Chin. "You said hellhounds are a bit different. In what way?"

"It is my understanding that because they didn't have mates in their realm, they have no ability to scent a mate."

Lev looked to me. I shrugged. "I can't feel him through magic either. I'm told that my beast being pulled toward him is my only indicator. Only, my beast was pulled toward the omega clinic. I didn't realize it was Cecil he was wanting me to meet." I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees. "Can you tell me how to make Cecil smile? What does he like? Flowers? Chocolate?" I glanced at Chin. "Dishes? You said dishes and laundry, right?"

Chin chuckled. "Warwick would like to know if you are privy to what Cecil's love language is."

I snapped my fingers. "Yes, that. What does he need to be happy? How can I give that to him?"

Lev smiled. "Cecil is simple. All you have to do is love him. He's happiest when he's around those that love him. He enjoys spending time with the family. He loves to bake cookies. He only wants to be loved. That's it. I think anything else to him is just an extra bonus. We've discovered that he wasn't really loved growing up, which makes his desire to find love make sense."

Love. I opened my mouth and closed it. I didn't know what love was. How did one fall in love?

"You're thinking entirely too hard, Warwick," Chin said. I looked at the dragon omega and shook my head.

"I've never known love," I told him.

"You might not have known or felt it personally, but you've seen it," Chin told me. "You've seen Sergei and me together. Edison and Wallace. Daegal and Mael. Several of the others. And even your own packmates. They show love and affection toward one another."

I thought about that for several moments. I thought about the silly looks that came over Atticus's and Damien's faces. When they were teased about it, they often just mentioned how they were talking to their mates through their bonds. They mentioned how something as simple as going home and finding their mate at home made them smile. Or cooking together. Going for runs together. Showers, long nights together. Those, of course, came from Atticus and Damien because neither of them seemed to have any reservations about sharing what they did with their mates. Not that the rest of us didn't already know.

But thinking about Reinhold and how he was so gentle with his little wolf shifter mate. Or Ramsey with his little fox shifter.

"I think he's realizing that he sees examples of what love looks like all of the time," Lev said.

I nodded absently. "How will I know when I love him? I just met him. And I know Cecil doesn't love me. He smiles but then looks sad when he looks at me. That has to make me think that he's upset with his mate—with me."

"You'll know," Chin said. "You'll be looking at him, or you'll be at work, and it will suddenly hit you. I fell in love with Sergei almost instantly. But my situation was vastly different than yours is. But when you can't wait to see his smile or get home to him."

"Or for him to come home to you," Lev added. "Or you find yourself doing whatever it takes to get a reaction from him. You find yourself making funny faces so he'll smile. Or giving him puppy eyes so he'll bake you cookies."

I thought about that. I could make my own cookies. But would Cecil want to bake them with me? For me?

I nodded. "Thank you. You have both given me a lot to consider. I need to go find Cecil and see if I can make him smile." I stood.

"Warwick?"

I looked at Lev, who was standing now. "Yes?"

"Be kind to Cecil," Lev said. "Talk to him, and listen to him when he talks to you. Communication is very important when it comes to making a relationship work."

"I can do that. I happen to be very good at listening. I'll have to work on the talking part. Most people don't want to talk to me though, so I don't usually talk to them."

"Perhaps that will change," Lev said.

I shrugged. If it did, all right. If not, it wouldn't bother me. I was used to it because it had always been that way.

"Thank you again. I appreciate your time." I nodded to both Lev and Chin before I used magic to pop me back at the new house that I was going to be sharing with Cecil. I figured it would be easiest to track him from here. What I didn't expect was to find my mate sitting on the back step, staring out at the forest. Had he been there the entire time? Only one way to find out. I opened the door to start that communication thing that Chin and Lev had mentioned.