Page 105 of Night Call

After twenty minutes, Lily popped back up next to his shoulder. “The closest match I could find is a Moncler Sanbesan puffer jacket. I’m fairly certain it’s the right one as it’s got the black and red in the logo. Retails for almost a grand.”

Blake scoffed. “A grand? Fuck me.”

Lily shrugged. “He was a solicitor. Corporate law at that. You’ve seen them swanning around the high street in their designer suits and Rolex watches. They love all that shit. Anyway, there’s one shop that sells it locally—ish. Noble Threads in Wickham. Want me to check it out?”

Blake shook his head. “I’ll go. I need some air.”

“You sure, Sarge? I can?—”

Blake raised a hand. “Focus on the Maginty lead. Speak to Wallace, see what he needs.”

With that, Blake strode out of the viewing room, grabbed his coat from the hook in his office and avoided the inspector’s line of sight. He needed to clear his head and restrain himself from interrogating Maya about Reuben and Leo. And from thinking about Pember. In heat. Alone.

Fuck.

Despite the council injecting hundreds of thousands of pounds into Wickham University, the town itself was still a shithole. What was once a thriving place of independent traders, was now a sea of fast-food chains and even faster fashion. There were a few shifter stores with adverts in the windows for discount outdoor heaters and nest building kits, but ultimately, physical shops were a dying breed.

Still, Blake couldn’t bring himself to hate it because it was where Pember had gone to university. He’d said it was his safe place during all the chaos at home, and perhaps they’d return soon and run the trails he enjoyed.

Stepping into Noble Threads, he enquired with the manager only to be met with a shake of the head. “Sorry, haven’t sold those in months. Moncler’s too expensive for the uni students, so we got rid of ’em. Sold ’em to a place in High Enfield—Maverick Couture.”

Blake nodded, dipping his head as he stepped back through the low-hanging doorway. He’d heard of Maverick Couture but never found a reason to shop there. Overpriced shoes and ruffled shirts were not really his thing, despite Oliver insisting that he had a ballroom dancer’s physique. However, a quick Google search told him that they also sold glasses frames, so perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone.

Stepping out onto the street, his gaze flitted up and down the narrow road. It was lined with old-fashioned Victorian street lamps, and despite the sheer number of food places, there were still a few academic bookshops clinging onto business for dearlife. Blake inhaled, imagining Pember ducking in and out of the shops in between lectures.

He’d seen him during his breaks at work, head buried in some academic paper that Blake didn’t understand half the words of. He’d smile to himself as he drank his coffee, tap the page and nod as though he’d just made some great discovery. The more he pictured it, the more he found comfort in being in one of Pember’s favourite places.

He tried not to think about what the omega might be up to at the present moment in time, as it only made his chest hurt and his hackles rise. His wolf circled and snapped in the back of his mind.We should be with him. He should not be alone.

It seemed like his heat had come on suddenly, leaving him unprepared. There was a supermarket at the end of the road where Blake could buy him some supplies. Not that he had the faintest idea of what an omega needed during their heat, beyond what his father had told him.

At the risk of facing the traffic warden, Blake whipped out a sign that read “POLICE ENQUIRIES, BACK IN 10 MINUTES” from the glove box and placed it on his dashboard.

Taking a breath, he sent Pember a text.

‘I’m at the supermarket, do you need anything?’

Not that he expected a reply, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

Grabbing a basket, Blake stalked up and down the aisles, grabbing anything that he thought Pember might need. Chocolate—although Blake wasn’t entirely sure what Pember liked, so he got three big bars of dark, milk and white.

Next was coffee. He’d seen him buy the Peruvian dark roast from the supermarket, so he slipped a bag into the basket,buthe also drank pre-mixed mochas whilst he worked, so he dropped ten or so into the basket as well. Next, two tubes of joint cream as well as a soothing face mask, protein bars and energy drinks.

Finding himself at the CDs and DVDs, he was surprised to find an album of whale music. He looked at it with mild amusement before putting it back when he realised that Pember probably didn’t even own a CD player.

The basket was already full by the time he reached the reproductive health aisle, and he glanced at the 18+ sign before stepping in. Trying not to look at the baby products, he breezed past the alpha and beta section, but hesitated when he got to the omega aisle.

There were two girls giggling to each other as they looked at the artificial knots; they couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Blake cleared his throat, giving them a pointed look that only a police officer could muster, and they quickly scampered away. He did not need an audience for this.

His gaze flicked over the rows upon rows of different products. Mostly cooling pads, numbing cream, oils, lotions, artificial knots and vibrators. Blake did a double take at the bright pink dildos, because he didnotexpect to see those in his local Tesco’s.

Suddenly feeling totally in over his head, he rubbed the back of his neck and was about to leave the aisle with his tail between his legs when he locked eyes with an older woman stacking the shelves. She gave him a huge smile after glancing down at his basket.

“Yes?” he barked, suddenly feeling defensive.

The woman chuckled. “Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s just nice to see an alpha providing for their mate. It’s a rare thing these days. Everyone just orders online.”

Blake’s mouth opened and closed several times before he took a step towards her. “Do you think it’s too much?”

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