7. Warwick

Chapter 7

I'd messed up somehow. I wasn't sure how, but my beast started throwing a fit the moment Cecil walked out the door. I had no idea what that was about, but my beast was pissed. It had become so bad I had to call Atticus. He was busy, and I knew he was, but he seemed to understand my urgency and came. I'm not sure if it was a good thing or not that he didn't come alone. I was pacing back and forth when he and Damien arrived.

"What's wrong?" Atticus asked. "Do you need to shift? Should we go for a hard run?"

I looked up at my pack alpha and packmate. They were slightly orange, which told me that my beast was really close to the surface. I shook my head. I didn't know if a run would work or not.

"Tell us what happened," Damien said. He and Atticus both took one of my arms and led me to the back of my place. "You really need more furniture, man. This place is barren."

"I was going to do that this week after my forced holiday."

"Is that the problem? Do you want to continue on your vacation?"

I shook my head as I sat. Damien was on my right, Atticus on my left.

"I never wanted to go on vacation in the first place." Should I tell them about the issues I'd been having with my beast? They were my packmates and would assist if they could, but what if I was beyond help? What if I had to be put down because my beast was starting to take over?

"What's been going on, Warwick?" Atticus asked. "Spill all because we can't help unless we know what's going on."

"When did the issues start?" Damien asked.

I took a deep breath, trying to remember when I'd first started noticing issues with my beast. It had been going on for a while now. "I'm not sure. A few months, at least," I told them. "I can't remember when the problems started, really."

"Did you first notice the issues before or after we went to South America?" Damien asked.

That one I could answer. "Before. So maybe a month before then? I can't give you an exact date." I thought about when my beast first started giving me fits. "I'd been out for a run. It was evening, after work. I'd felt restless, and I thought a run would help. I went out, had a good run, but then picked up on a scent." I remembered my beast wanting to follow the scent. "I followed it because my beast is an asshole, and he wasn't taking no for an answer."

"What was it? Do you know?" Atticus asked, his voice filled with concern.

I shook my head. "Another shifter, I'm sure. I couldn't tell you who though. I've caught that same scent several times since, but I don't know who it is."

Damien leaned forward to look around me at Atticus.

"What else?"

I tried to think about every time my beast was upset with me. "He seems to really want to go to the omega clinic. I think that's just because we're rescuing omegas, and my beast thinks they need to be protected." I shrugged. "That's what we do. We rescue and help those that need it."

Atticus and Damien were both quiet for a moment before Atticus spoke up. "Was there anything that caused you to call me this evening? What were you doing before you called me?"

That was very easy to answer. "I was with Cecil."

"Who is Cecil?" Damien asked.

"Cecil? As in Alpha Vitomir's great-grandson?" Atticus asked at the same time.

"Yes," I told Atticus. "I was out for a run, and I found Cecil attacking a tree. He was quite upset. I tried to talk to him because my beast wanted to make him feel better." I didn't want to share what Cecil had told me about his parents, so I left it at that. "We were talking, and then Alpha Vitomir showed up. He was talking to his grandson for a bit and then asked me to make sure he got back to the transport building." I ran my hand down my face. I'd not taken him to the transport building though. I'd tried. But my beast instead controlled my magic and brought us here. I was actually quite surprised by that. "Alpha Vitomir left. I started walking with Cecil, and then I used magic to take us to the transport building."

"Where were you?" Damien asked. "Was it a far walk or something?"

I shrugged. "Maybe twenty minutes for him. He's short." I looked over at Atticus. "The issue is that I tried to take him to the transport building. But my beast took control and brought us here. He got mad at me for some reason, and I told him where the transport building was. He left, and that was it. My beast wanted me to follow him, but I managed to keep him here. I called you right after."

Atticus stared at me. When he continued to stare at me with a look of disbelief on his face, I scowled. I turned to ask Damien about it, but I found him laughing, which only confused me.

"What the fuck, Damien. You're not supposed to laugh at me."

"Please tell me you're not that oblivious," Atticus said. "You can't be that clueless after everyone knows what Damien and I both went through with our beasts when we found our mates."

I looked at Atticus, not understanding what he was talking about. Not really. "Sure, I know you had some issues when you met Brice"—I turned toward Damien—"but you and Ledger didn't take long to get together." I looked back to Atticus. "What's the problem? I don't have a mate."

Damien started laughing again.

"Fates help us. Because apparently, we're all going to need a whole lot of extra help," Atticus said under his breath. I could hear him clearly though. "Warwick, think," Atticus said. He shoved his finger into the middle of my forehead and glared. I shoved his hand away and returned the glare.

"Don't do that. It pisses my beast off." I wouldn't ever try to hurt Atticus intentionally, but I also didn't want him to provoke me with my beast being so irritated lately.

"He really doesn't get it, does he?" Atticus asked. Damien had finally stopped laughing. He moved from beside me to in front of me on the floor.

"Warwick, I'm going to say this in the most basic way I can so there is no room for misunderstanding."

I scowled at my packmate. "I'm not an idiot."

Damien shook his head. "No, nobody is calling you an idiot. But it seems that since we hellhounds weren't originally given mates, we lack the ability to scent them when they're finally picked for us. Atticus spent a decade apart from Brice." Damien rolled his eyes. "I wasn't exactly quick to pick up on the fact that Ledger is my mate."

"What does that have to do with how my beast is acting?"

"Cecil is your mate, Warwick," Damien blurted out. "That's why your beast has been drawn to the omega clinic. Not to protect the omegas—your mate is there. He's telling you to go there because you need to meet Cecil. Our beasts have known and recognized our mates before we did." Damien pointed to his chest and then to Atticus.

"It's true. And I happen to agree with Damien. I think Cecil is your mate. Trust me when I say that your beast will calm considerably once you claim him."

I shook my head again. "No. He's not my mate. He's Alpha Vitomir's great-grandson. I can't be mated to him. There has to be another reason."

Damien chuckled. "Sorry, man. He's your mate. Your beast brought the two of you here. Not to the transport building. Your beast was trying to get you to claim your mate. You need to accept the fact that your mate is from a created line, and your mate is an omega." Damien looked over at Atticus. "Do you think they'll have a baby hellhound?"

I tuned them out. I couldn't be mated to an omega. Cecil was…small. He was…I would hurt him. I was large and rough around the edges. He needed a mate who had manners and was a gentleman.

"He's not paying attention to us."

I looked at Damien and narrowed my eyes. "I can't be mated to him. He's small. I'd break him."

Atticus snorted. I glared at my alpha. "He's an omega, Warwick. I'm sure he's perfectly capable of handling you as you are. Just remember to be kind to him. Talk to him. Do things for him. You should talk to someone and ask for advice about what all you can do for him once he becomes pregnant," Atticus said.

I stood and walked toward the other side of the room, unable to sit any longer. "No," I said after turning to face Damien and Atticus. "You're wrong. He's not my mate."

Damien and Atticus shared a look, and then Damien sighed.

"We can get someone else here to help you realize that yes, he is. You can deny it all you want," Atticus said. "And then you and Cecil will end up miserable just like Brice and I were for ten long years. If you think your beast is difficult now, just wait."

I stared at Atticus. He couldn't be right, could he? Was Cecil my mate? He was cute, and I certainly was attracted to him. And my beast was incredibly happy when we were walking together earlier.

"I think he might be coming around," Damien said quietly. Atticus chuckled at that.

"Hopefully, he does a whole lot quicker than I did."

I moved back over to the couch and sat. "All right. What if I accepted the fact that there was a possibility that Cecil was my mate? What do I do?"

Atticus and Damien shared another one of their looks. I wasn't sure what exactly that was about, but I really didn't care as long as they helped me at least a little.

"You talk to him, Warwick," Atticus told me.

"You already said that," I said.

"Yes, but you obviously didn't listen." Atticus sighed. "He's an omega, so it'll be different with the two of you than it was for the two of us."

"Oh yeah," Damien said. "From what I've heard, omegas tend to go into heat faster when they've been around their mates in their shifted forms. I'm not sure if that holds true for Alpha Vitomir's line. I would think they'd be the same though."

"Heat?" My eyes widened. "We've already been around each other when he was shifted. He was shifted today when I found him in the forest. So was I. I shifted first though, and after a moment, he did as well. Then we talked."

"Yeah, you should probably swing by the omega clinic tomorrow and see about making sure he's feeling all right," Atticus said. "From what I understand, he should know when he's about to go into heat. There are signs, so ask him how he's doing."

"Ask him if he recognizes your connection to one another," Damien added. "That was a big thing for Ledger. I didn't acknowledge that we were mates because I honestly didn't realize. It upset Ledger until he understood a little more how hellhounds work."

"How do I know he's my mate though? Maybe my beast just wants to be protective of him." The thought of me having a mate was honestly a bit terrifying. I didn't know how to be gentle with someone. I was cranky, I liked being alone for the most part, I didn't know how to take care of someone else. And those were all things an omega would need from their alpha mate.

"He's in denial," Damien said. "This is probably going to be more your territory than mine."

"I'll just be mean about this, Warwick. I don't like to do this, but if I have to, I'll go to not only Master Edison but also Alpha Vitomir."

I glared. "Why? I have no proof that he's my mate. I wouldn't be good for someone like Cecil. He seems nice and needs an alpha that isn't me."

Atticus sighed. "You have proof as soon as you ask him. He's a shifter, and he will have scented you. If you're his mate, he'll know. That's why we said to ask him if he recognized the connection between the two of you."

"Fine. I'll ask him," I told them just to get them off of my case. "But what about my beast? How do I get him back under control?"

Damien groaned, and Atticus sighed and shook his head. "He didn't listen to a single thing we've said."

"Apparently not."

I glared some more. "I listened. There was a lot of information to process. What if when I ask him, he says he doesn't feel a connection to me? What if my beast truly does just want to protect him because he's an omega?"

Atticus looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "It is possible, but I'd say most likely that's not the case. Your beast wouldn't be so insistent with Cecil. It's the fact that he took over and brought the two of you here to your place instead of taking Cecil to the transport building that leads me to believe that he's your mate and not just that your beast wants to protect him."

There was that. I had no excuse for why he would do such a thing. Especially since Alpha Vitomir had specifically asked me to see that his grandson got to the transport building. It wasn't in me to disobey one of the created ones. And yet, I had somewhat.

"So what do I do? Just show up at the clinic tomorrow?" I asked them. "What did you two do in order to let your mate know you understood what the two of you were to each other? How did it go over?"

"Brice and I kept getting thrown together by Master Edison and Master Ambrosius. We were in the middle of the case that involved his missing sister and brother-in-law. I wouldn't say anything about us getting together was easy—it wasn't. We needed time away and couldn't take it."

"Pretty much the same with us," Damien said. "We did have some time just to ourselves, but the mission was always hanging over our heads. Add in Ledger's brother and his recovery, and we didn't get to hole up and hide for a month. We did get some time, but we were always checking in, being updated, things like that."

"It will be different with you and Cecil," Atticus said.

I looked in his direction. "Why? The assignment with the coven in Venice is just gearing up. I need to be on that assignment. I was told I would be. I'm the one who discovered the entire mess."

Atticus sighed. "Yes, but if you do have a mate, and since it's looking like you do and your mate is an omega, you're not going to be able to be on the assignment, Warwick. I can tell you over and over that you're going to need to be with Cecil, but you won't truly understand until you actually experience it."

Deep down, I knew he was right. I'd seen other enforcers who had been gone for a month or more. Some were mostly gone for the entirety of their mate's pregnancy. That thought terrified me. I could probably come to accept having a mate. But children. They were tiny little things. And completely helpless. And breakable. Why would I be gifted an omega mate? I was the least friendly hellhound in the pack. Others moved to the other side of the hallway from me or moved tables when I sat near them. I didn't know how to be gentle.

"What's wrong?" Atticus asked.

"I'm going to break a baby," I said. "They're breakable, right? What if I drop the baby? What if I scare it? I'm not exactly good-looking."

"You're worrying about nothing, Warwick," Damien said. "You will be fine as a father. Everyone is worried at first. And there are several mated enforcers that can answer any questions you have. And I'm sure Cecil will be able to reassure you."

I wasn't so sure, but I nodded because what else could I do? They weren't going to leave me alone until I agreed to everything they were saying. And at this point, I was just overwhelmed. My beast was being quiet during all of this, which was also concerning. For months now, he'd been irritable. Now, he was quietly sitting and waiting. What was up with that? Seriously.

"Fine. I'll go talk to Cecil tomorrow after work. If he says we're mates, I'll ask him how he wants to proceed because I know I'm not exactly what others would consider a catch."

Damien growled. "You're fine. Pull your hair back into a low ponytail, and your hair won't look so wild. Give your beard a trim, and it won't look so unkempt. You dress like the rest of us, so that shouldn't be an issue."

I ran my fingers through my hair. Well, I tried. I wasn't sure when I'd last brushed it, come to think of it. It was often tangled, and I wasn't sure how to fix that beyond shaving it all off.

"Try a deep conditioner," Atticus said.

I looked at him in question. "What do you mean?"

"Your hair. It's frizzy, and you're saying you don't look like someone your mate would want. Condition your hair with a deep conditioner after you've shampooed it. That will help with the curls, and you should be able to get a wide-tooth comb through it. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to help with. We're here for you if you should ever need us, and you know that."

I nodded. "Thanks. I'll give it a try."

Atticus and Damien stood, and I followed. When they started walking toward the door, I once more fell into step with them.

"Think about what we said," Atticus said. "We can talk more tomorrow, but really, when it comes down to it, you need to talk to Cecil and go from there. His response to your asking him about your connection will set the tone for everything."

I nodded. I wasn't sure how to do that. Until now, I'd not had any issues with talking to him. He'd just been an omega that seemed upset. Now, the fact that he might be my mate seemed so much more.

Damien slapped me on the shoulder. "You've got this, man. We'll be there to help and offer support as much as we can. But when it comes down to it, you and your mate will figure things out together."

I nodded again. Damien and Atticus left, and after I quietly closed the door behind me, I was left with my racing thoughts. Was Cecil really my mate? My beast seemed happy about that, which only confused me. Why couldn't he have just told me? I went to the couch to try and figure out what all I was going to say to the cute omega tomorrow. Hopefully, he was having a better day by then.