Page 1 of Warwick

Chapter 1

Warwick

“You ever notice how Augustus and Dante are close? Really close?”

Damien looked at me, then back to them, and then back at me. “So?”

I blinked at Damien a few times before shaking my head and walking away. Fine. If he didn’t think they were unusually close, then I wouldn’t worry about it. I would go about my day and find something else to do. Maybe I should go find Frederick and see if he had another assignment to go out on. We had been teamed up for a few trips in the past couple of months, and he wasn’t a horrible work companion. Some of the other enforcers seemed to have a need to fill any silence with conversation, and thankfully, Frederick didn’t.

I left the training room, giving one last glance toward Augustus and Dante as I left the room. If at all possible, they’d moved even closer together, and I couldn’t fathom what they were talking about that required they practically be sitting on top of one another. Augustus had never been that close to anyone before, me included.

I wound my way through the hallways of the council’s building in search of Frederick. Or any other warlock, for that matter. I simply wanted something to do. Anything to take me away from Treasure Ridge for any amount of time. My beast had started acting strange while we went on runs, which had been my only real outlet since joining the council. I had tried to connect with the others, but nothing ever felt right.

As it turned out, I couldn’t locate Frederick, but I found Benjamin and his team. “Warwick,” Benjamin said as I stood in the doorway to their office. “What brings you this way?”

“Have you seen Frederick?”

“Not recently, no.” Benjamin looked to Dimitri and then Raiden, who both shook their heads. “The last I saw him was several hours ago, and he was with Master Edison and Alpha Sergei. They were discussing an assignment at the holding facility in his territory.”

That definitely caught my interest. “Thanks,” I told him before taking off toward Alpha Sergei’s office since it was closest. My hellhound would be as happy as a puppy on that assignment. It didn’t take long to get to Alpha Sergei’s office, but I found it dark and empty. Hoping they had moved to either a conference room or Master Edison’s office, I went in that direction. I found Master Edison in his office, but the only other person there was his One, Wallace. I knocked on the doorway anyway in hopes of getting an assignment.

“Ah, Warwick. Come in.” I knew that it would be expected that I sat, so I took a seat and waited to be addressed. “What is it that I can do for you?”

“I was curious if there were any assignments I could be put on? I heard that you and Alpha Sergei were talking to Frederick about going to the detainment facility in Alpha Sergei’s territory.”

“Yes. Frederick will be accompanying Atticus, West, and Spencer. Ramsey will be staying back this time around.”

“Is a replacement needed for Ramsey?”

Master Edison shook his head. “Frederick was the replacement.”

Well, that just wasn’t fair. “Is it possible for me to be added to the team?”

Master Edison crossed his arms on his stomach. “No, they’ve already left and will be gone for a week.” Master Edison went quiet for a moment before shaking his head. “You’ve either been on every assignment for the last several weeks or volunteered to join them. What is going on here that you so desperately want away?”

“Nothing. I just wish to keep busy.”

“There is a difference between busy and burning out. You need to take time off, enjoy some downtime.”

I wanted to argue because I didn’t feel the desire to slow down. If anything, I wanted more. My beast needed more.

“I’m not feeling overwhelmed. In fact, I could use more assignments.”

“No, Warwick. You are a good enforcer, and you have done amazing things for the council so far. But since the Colombia assignment, you haven’t taken a day off. You are placed on leave for the next week.”

“I don’t need to be on leave, Master Edison,” I said. I looked toward Wallace, hoping he might help. The alpha just sat there though, as if he wasn’t even listening to our conversation. I was sure that he was, but I could understand and respect the fact that he was choosing to not get involved in his mate’s activities with the council.

“How about two weeks? You seem to believe this is a suggestion. It’s not.”

I bit my lip. “One week off would be wonderful, thank you.” I stood, wondering what I was going to do for an entire week of doing nothing. “Shall I start my vacation now, Master Edison?” I was unsure if I would be doing anything else for the council today, or was my vacation effective immediately?

“Now is fine.” Master Edison stood and came around his desk. He placed a hand on my forearm and shook his head. “Don’t think of this as a punishment. It’s nothing of the sort. But you need to learn to take downtime and not be so focused on the assignments. Yes, there are people to rescue and wrongs to be righted, but you also have to take time for yourself. Enjoy life. Have fun. Relax. All of those things.”

I nodded. I wasn’t wired like that. My life revolved around the assignments, the tasks I’d been given. It was all I’d ever done. And the years after I’d first been banished from the only place I’d ever known had been pure torture. My beast had no purpose and had become difficult to control. For years, I’d roamed this realm, doing not-so-wonderful things. I was the vision of so many nightmares. Now, I was trying my best to make up for all of the wrongs I had inflicted on others.

I walked through the familiar halls of the council, my mind set on one thing: getting outside and shifting. I was on leave, effective immediately. I wasn’t needed or wanted at the council at the moment. Master Edison would never know, but his words had caused my beast to immediately see red. It was only years of working on my own self-control and then the purpose that the council gave me and my beast that I was able to control myself. But Master Edison had taken my purpose away.

I walked past Slater at the check-in desk, offering a quick wave before I pushed through the doors that offered me my freedom. Once outside, I used the magic the goddess had returned to us and popped myself into my home.

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