Page 30 of Warwick

“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.”

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