Page 42 of Dante
“Welcome back,” Damien said as I sat down.
“Thanks.” I got myself situated and picked up my fork but waited for Atticus to…what? Start this meeting? “Is something happening?” I asked after everyone remained quiet and sat there drinking their coffee. “Did I do something?”
“No,” Atticus said as he looked around the table.
I stared down at Titus and Azar, wondering what they were like. I’d spent very little time with them before I ended up taking time to spend with my mate. “Is this some sort of intervention or something?” I asked.
“No. Do you feel guilty about something?” Atticus asked.
“I have much guilt, some I’ll never be able to let go of. Some I’m working on letting go.”
“What do you have to feel guilty about?” Titus asked.
I sent the new guy a glare. Damien elbowed him, which earned Damien a glare.
“How is Banner doing?” Augustus asked.
I looked at my packmate, wondering if he was truly going to sit here and act like nothing had happened all those months ago. When he simply continued to look at me expectantly, I nodded. “He’s good. Tired a lot. Has little energy, but we’re told that will change soon enough.”
“Cecil wanted to know if it was all right if he stops by to hang out and check in on Banner,” Warwick said. “Lev has the twins,” he added. “Although I’m not sure how with him having his own new baby.”
“He’s a pro,” Atticus said. “He’s been doing the baby thing for a long time.”
I could see that. “I don’t see why Banner wouldn’t welcome Cecil stopping by. He’s still asleep at the moment, though, if he was asking to go over right now.”
Warwick’s eyes widened a bit. “I’ll let him know to wait until closer to lunch.”
I nodded and quickly peeked in on Banner through our bond. He was certainly still sleeping. Quite soundly, which was reassuring.
“Why is your mate still asleep? It’s almost nine,” Titus asked.
Azar, who was sitting on the other side of him, whacked him in the back of the head. Damien elbowed him on the other side, this time harder than the last.
“Ouch.” Titus glared at the others. “What?”
“He’s pregnant, you dumbass. He’s busy making a baby, and that takes a lot of energy.”
Titus looked around at the others at the table. “How was I supposed to know that? I was told Dante found his mate and they claimed each other. I assumed he was mated to another alpha with as tall as the guy he was with at the festival was.”
“He’s a bear omega,” Damien said.
“Again, how was I supposed to know?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “How is Banner doing?” Damien asked. “Other than creating our next little hellhound and being tired because of it, how’s he holding up?”
I nodded slowly. “Not terrible. A lot has happened in the last month, so he’s been working through those emotions. Add in the most recently discovered pregnancy hormones, and we are just taking everything one day at a time.”
“Oh man,” Warwick said. “If you have emotions, maybe ask Briggs for some pointers.”
Atticus threw what looked like a wadded napkin at Warwick. “That was an exception. Todd had been through a whole lot at a very young age and was still trying to sort things out. Leave him alone.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it. We all love Todd as a little brother and know he went through a whole lot.”
I shook my head at everyone and started eating my breakfast. The council made sure there was a large assortment of things for each meal, and if you couldn’t find something here, there were other issues.
“I know you are probably not wanting to go too far from Banner just yet, but we’d like to organize a pack run,” Atticus said.
Ah, now we were getting to the purpose of things. I finished chewing and swallowing my bite of sausage before I answered. “I can support that. Banner mentioned how he was surprised I’d not gone on a run yet.” I looked around the table. “That is, if you’re waiting on me. You really shouldn’t though.”
