noun ~ feeling discontented or resentful longing awakened by else's possessions, qualities, or luck

POLLUX

I came back to the café the next day, pleasantly surprised to find Clover working again. They blushed when I approached and ordered another coffee. I couldn't help be glad that they were here, unable to stop myself wanting to come all day.

"Day two, and it's coffee at five o'clock again." Clover smiled as they approached my table.

I laughed softly, brushing my hair behind my ear. It had grown long since I left home, curling around the nape of my neck. I kept cutting it, keeping it maintained and knew I had to do it again soon.

"What can I say? This is good coffee." I smiled.

"I added a secret ingredient." Their lips quirked with amusement.

"Oh yeah? What was the secret ingredient?" I mused. "Did you lace me with poison?"

Clover giggled softly and my chest seemed to warm at the sound. The human was doing something to me, and I was curious about the cause of it. Why were they so... interesting? I was supposed to leave in three days now, and yet I wanted to come back to this café every day just to see them smile.

"Not poison, just a little sweetener." They chuckled.

Humming, I took a deep sip of the coffee. I tasted the sweetness on my lips and licked away the foam that built on my skin.

"Nothing is as sweet as you, I suppose." I flirted.

Clover blushed, dropping their gaze. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Five minutes of your time." I cocked my head.

Clover intrigued me. Today, they wore baggy blue jeans with a striped purple and orange jumper. The same black boots adorned their feet just as the same large, round glasses slipped down their nose.

"I have to work..." They smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, Pollux."

I shrugged. "It's okay. Another time, maybe."

Clover nodded, that same blush erupting on their cheeks before they turned away. I watched them disappear behind the counter. Sighing, I kicked my feet out and stared out at the bay.

Maybe one day...

One day I could sate this desire in my chest to run. The desire to keep searching. It burned within me, begging for attention. When I looked at this human, it only grew, so I knew that tomorrow I would be back. Tomorrow I would see for myself what this feeling in my soul was.

Present Time

"You have nothing to worry about." I murmured.

"I'm not worried." Charlie scoffed, eyes flickering to the other sofa. "I'm fine."

I scowled at him, but he brushed me off, leaning into the corner of Phoenix's sofa. If he pushed himself any further, I feared the fabric would swallow him whole. It didn't take long for his impatience to waver, and he helped himself to a packet of biscuits and a cup of tea. The others across from me watched him curiously, Calida peering at him over her mug.

Just then, footsteps came from above, and my head titled back to observe the pattern. Phoenix's were soft yet wider placed, whereas my sister's steps tended to be heavier and hurried. She had been less-hurried lately, too tired to run around. If the house caught fire, I knew she wouldn't even run.

I worried about her health, but Kate assured me it was normal in the beginning after going through something so life-changing. Two babies especially, my sister wasn't getting any sleep soon.

The two pairs of footsteps reached the stairway, and I glanced at Charlie from the corner of my eye to find him nervously munching on two biscuits at a time.

Was it the babies?

I cocked my head, exhaling softly as I observed my surroundings. Aside from Charlie's nerves, he was gleeful, but I tugged away my mind from the beta wolf and toward the two reaching the bottom steps. Nova was nervously clutching at her son, eyes wide as she stared at all the people in the room. Her less-than sane appearance displeased my wolf. Her hair looked almost... matted.

My nose crinkled. When did she last wash it? She was going to damage it.

"Hey guys," she nervously whispered.

A soft chorus of hellos greeted her, and she stopped a few feet away. Phoenix watched her, on edge, the male wolf uncertain of how she would react to so many people. His hand fell to her shoulders, and she searched him for comfort. His gaze softened, and he nodded, encouraging her forward.

I interrupted, sensing the situation. "Come sit here, Nova."

Her green eyes darted to mine, shoulders sagging with relief when I stood to let her sit. She sat in my spot, keeping enough distance between Charlie so I could sit beside her. There was space for Phoenix too, but he sat down on the deep piled rug. I smirked at the large male sitting on the floor, but when he set a wriggling baby on the rug, I moved to kneel before him.

"Well, hello little worm."

"Pollux, she is not a worm."

I grinned, tickling her tummy softly. "She may as well be."

"It's a girl?" Molly squeaked. "Oh, Nova! What is her name?"

The others softly shouted their agreement, all of them excited at the concept of the babies.

I shifted my weight to sit on my heels, making eye contact with Phoenix. He nodded stiffly at me, a firm yet friendly greeting for the large man. I smiled once, casting my gaze over everyone surrounding us before checking up on Charlie. He seemed strangely gobsmacked, his eyes wide and lips still littered with chocolate biscuits crumbs.

"We called her Annabelle... Annabelle Alex Titan." Nova admitted, blushing softly.

I felt the sadness in her voice as she spoke her daughter's name. Them naming her after Alex had been a heartfelt move from Nova, and I knew she held Alex dear in her heart. He was the first real friend, or pack member she lost in a cause to save her. I knew she felt guilty every moment she thought of him, but Alex knew what he was doing when he went up to the mountains to fight the unknown enemy.

"She is so cute," Molly squeaked. "Can I hold her?"

Nova's worried eyes met her mates, and I watched them curiously. Phoenix drawled an okay and Nova fell tense on the sofa. I moved back to sit beside her and Charlie, reaching to settle my hand on her knee. Her worried eyes fell to me, a forced smile lifting her lips and forming worry lines. The fear coated her soul, and I had a hard time not wincing at it.

She won't hurt her. I reassured her.

Her hand slithered from her son to clutch mine. She squeezed it, giving me a more genuine smile before she looked back up. Keeping hold of her, I looked toward Molly and found her already seated with the baby in her arms. She was cooing softly at the infant, Leo and Sean on her other side, peering down at the baby.

She was wide awake, squirming and blinking up at the various faces above her. But she was fine, she always would be.

Look at all the people surrounding her. Nothing bad will ever come to them. I murmured softly.

Nova sighed softly. 'You are right. It's just... daunting having to let someone else hold her.'

I squeezed her hand once more before letting go and shifting to sit beside her on the sofa. I held my hands out, gesturing for her to pass me Freddy. She gulped but passed him with ease; she and her wolf trusted me. I just hoped she and Charlie would not kill me for this.

With the tiny infant in my arms, I moved carefully, turning until I faced Charlie. His wide brown eyes stared at me with horror as I passed him the infant without warning.

"What are you-Pollux!" He cursed.

He had no choice but to grab the newborn, wrapping his hands around Freddy's back and shoulders. I heard his heart race in his chest, eyes wide as he stared down at the sleeping baby. His fear had skyrocketed, but the longer he held the baby in his hands, the more it lessened. The anxiety melted away, fizzing out to a soft feeling of contentment. His wolf was happy, his soul was joyful, and Freddy, despite being a sleeping poop-machine, was happy.

"What's their name?" Charlie murmured, pulling the baby close to his chest.

"Freddy Wulfric Titan." Phoenix replied.

Charlie seemed to snap out of it. "Wulfric? What kind of name is that?"

Nova pouted, crossing her arms next to me. "I like that name."

"It is a strange name." Molly agreed. "I kind of like it."

"I know an even better name." Charlie scoffed. "Charlie!"

Nova laughed softly, and Phoenix rolled his eyes. I sniggered, keeping my attention on the entire room and tuning into the babies. Everyone was content, a soft atmosphere of happiness floating between us all. Nova had lost her edge, and I knew her wolf had backed down, for now. Phoenix kept looking at her from the corner of his eye, his attention always on her.

"I cannot believe you have a girl and a boy." Molly chortled. "How jealous am I?"

Nova laughed softly. "I was just lucky."

"Babe, can we have another one?" Molly grinned, stroking Annabelle's cheek.

Leo's face contorted. "Reya is right here. She is two months old!"

Molly pouted, looking at her daughter with disappointment. "A brother will do her good, make her learn how to stick up for herself."

Sean chuckled at this, leaning back in his seat to wrap his arm around Rose. She blushed, her body turned into his awkwardly before she gave in and rested her head against his biceps. He grinned, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. My eyebrows rose with curiosity; when did they get that close to show public affection?

"Yeah, a brother will do her good." Calida giggled.

I saw Charlie's head snap up at the sound of his mate's voice, his longing burning through his mind. I felt the agony the distance was causing him, but I also felt how he had grown cold and accepted it. It would only be a matter of time before he gave in and lost his hope. Losing hope in his mate would not be good, it could mean his wolf could get more boisterous.

I would have to tell Phoenix to monitor him.

I levelled my gaze with the alpha, who had also been watching Charlie, and his eyebrows crinkled with confusion. I shook my head softly, giving him an expression that I would tell him later.

Moments passed by as everyone got to meet Annabelle, but Charlie remained content in the sofa's corner with Freddy. He was gentle with him, his knees propped up on the cushions as the baby lay against them, facing him. It was rather sweet to see the loud male so quiet and content. If all it needed was a baby, we should've given him one sooner.

"He's so quiet." Sean murmured, looking up from baby Reya on his lap.

Somehow, as Leo held Annabelle, Molly ended up with Reya, and then Reya made her way to her uncle. Rose was softly playing with her, her baby fingers wrapped around her point finger as she made her smile. Calida watched from the side of her, cooing softly at the baby.

"I know right." Molly huffed, looking at Leo. "Swap babies?"

Charlie hesitated, the faint look of unease crossing his features. Leo stood with baby Annabelle, moving closer to Charlie. The beta gulped, looking up at the larger, wide-awake baby with uncertainty. I snorted, leaning back to watch.

"Swap?" Charlie repeated. "As in, I move? Give you this baby and grab that baby without dropping it?"

"It?" I laughed.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at me before looking up at Leo with questioning eyes. Phoenix sighed from the ground before moving from his ass to his knees. He shuffled across the rug until he was kneeling before me. He reached out for Freddy, taking him from Charlie's lap with ease. Holding the tiny baby he one hand, he gestured for Leo to pass over Annabelle.

Charlie's hands reached out, still pressed into the sofa as he took the other baby into his hands. Annabelle kicked her legs, her arms scrunching up to her chest as they jostled her. Phoenix passed Leo Freddy before sliding himself up onto the sofa. His warmth pressed into me and I grunted, moving along the sofa to make room for him.

He was wrapping Nova up in his embrace, and I had a hard time looking away. That same part inside of me that yearned for adventure burned at the sight of it. Their relationship affected me more than I expected. With his arm around her shoulder as the other ran across her cheeks, his voice whispered soft comforts into her ear. She relaxed into him, and I felt every ounce of her nerves disappear like ash to the wind.

Was I envious?

I think so.

Of what, I wasn't sure. But that damn part inside of my heart longed for something similar.

"Think you'll ever have a baby, Pollux?"

My eyes snapped away from my lap, my frown being replaced with surprise as Molly looked at me expectantly. I swallowed nervously, shrugging.

"I don't know." I admitted.

"He has to find someone first." Sean rolled his eyes, smiling apologetically at me from across the room.

"Well, duh, have you ever met anyone? Is there anyone in mysterious Pollux's life he could have one with?" She teased.

I knew it was just a gentle tease, a means to seek information out of me. Molly was harmless, but she was overly-curious and nosey. I had hardly been around her, finding myself more comfortable in my solitude. I wasn't even a part of this pack yet, not officially anyway. Phoenix had not yet initiated me through a blood oath, but we had grown a familial bond after the nights in the cells when we shared blood. So we were halfway there, I just needed to accept the pack and he accept me as a member.

If I wanted to... I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life.

I knew he could sense my discomfort because he shifted his weight.

My world shifted on my axis as I nervously dug my fingers into my thighs. I tried to play it off, telling her that there was nobody, but my mind kept lingering on the past. I often wondered what would have happened if I stayed in Arleybay.

But I would never know, because I left and never went back...

Question of the Day:
What book has made the biggest impact on your mind? Is there a book you wont read again because it made you so sad? For me it was fault in our stars 😂