Food is just another way to a mans heart.

Pomelia was confused. Her emotions, feelings, body were all on cloud nine. Everything was so overwhelming in such a great way. It really made no sense. She went from dreaming of praying and fasting most of her life and dreaming of shifting...to being able to shift with a handsome and sweet mate. She was apart of a pack, a family.

"You okay?"

After War's long shower Pom had taken one and then rushed down the stairs and to the kitchen. She was going to be meeting the alpha and Luna such a beautiful pack. She would try and cook her best breakfast for the couple. Especially since she wanted to make a good impression on the two...

"Pomelia?"

She jumped, feeling War's solid body pressing against hers, pushing her gently into the counter. "War!" She squealed, her cheeks reddening as she squeezed out of a 'rock and a hard place' she seemed to think.

Whipping around, she glared at her mate. He smirked at her, Pom gripping her spatula tight. He was wearing a light blue shirt that hugged his muscular frame tightly. Not to mention his dirty blonde tendrils framing his masculine face. "You didn't answer me," was his reply as she glared at his hand that was out to grab her waist.

"I have to cook! You can't grab me when I cook War," she giggled as her mate frowned his broad shoulders slouching. She was sure she awakened a very...dormant part in War's body.

After what they did up stairs War had been solely focused on her. She wasn't sure if that was because of the intimacy they charged together or maybe because she agreed to keep quiet about the alpha's brother. Whatever the reason be, War was being incredibly attentive with her. Which was a little overwhelming since he already spent their time together silently watching her.

"Sorry," he murmured unconvincingly as she continued to cook breakfast while he helped her every now and then. By helped she meant that he would occasionally open a cabinet or tell her when he thought the pancakes were done. "I'm just hungry," War said aloud as she glanced back at him and realized he was looking at her and not the plate of pancakes stacking up.

"Pancakes are almost done," she blushed, pretending that she didn't see him openly gaping at her clothed body

Pom was happy for this time with War. He seemed more happy? Peaceful maybe, here more than at his own pack. Which she definitely wanted to ask him about later...

At the sound of light footsteps she turned her head with a smile knowing exactly who it was. "Good morning, Nick!"

Her face fell upon seeing the look on his face. His shirt was wrinkled. His sweatpants were on backwards and he was shaking. Before, Pom couldn't even get her words out, War was talking.

"What's wrong?" Her mate boomed, as Nick jumped but continued to slowly walk towards them. Concern gnawed at Pomelia as he suddenly paused, his chin beginning to shake. "Nick?"

"Nick? Y-you can tell us. What is it?" Pomelia questioned, quickly turning off the stove and placing her spatula down. She was concerned. Incredibly worried now.

Pomelia gasped when he grabbed a nearby knife on the counter and pointed it at War. "Nick! What are you doing?!" Pomelia gasped as she was being pushed back by War with a threatening growl.

"You have two seconds to put that knife down," War snapped, as Nick began to sob as he wobbly held the knife out, the blade pointed towards them still. What was going on?!

"Y-you..."

Pomelia froze as Nick's mouth began to move and sword formed on his lips. You? He knew how to talk? The sobs wracking his skinny body were hindering him from completing whatever sentence he was trying to get out.

"Nick please put the knife down. Let's talk!" Pomelia strained as she tried to get through to him. He was too distracted with wiping his nose that was leaking like a faucet and keeping the knife he held in his hand straight.

"Y-you...you...hurt...her!" He cried out loudly, as War glanced back at her with confusion and clear rage in his eyes. It seemed as if her mate was struggling between tearing Nick limb from limb and trying to remain calm.

What was going on with Nick?! He had the knife pointed more at War than her...could War have done something? "Nick who? Wait...wait just calm down. You mean War? You think War hurt me?"

He nodded his head, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. "No, no War hasn't hurt me! When did you think he hurt me? Last night?"

He shook his head. "Th-this morning?" Pom felt incredibly terrible and awkward as Nick nodded his head, his head turning towards War with an angered look. He looked so scared...terrified. It broke Pom's heart. It was all a misunderstanding!

"Nick...Nick please calm down! War, he wasn't hurting me. He, I...we were doing things that mates like to do," she stammered over her words, not really knowing how to go about this.

The look he gave her was one of complete anger and mistrust. "Nick I promise you I wanted War to do those things. He wasn't...making me do anything I didn't want."

His eyes cut to War and she placed a hand to his bulging bicep, rubbing it smoothly. "I know you can disarm him but please don't," Pom whispered to her mate as Nick seemed hell bent on pointing the knife at War.

"I'll never hurt Pomelia," War said gruffly, his voice sounding like gravel. Her mate was really ready to shift and take down Nick...

"Did someone hurt you...in a terrible way? That's why you don't want me to hurt that, that same way?" He turned his head to the side, his face crumpling once more again in a fit tears.

He shook his head, as he began to become choked up from his crying. "Was it...someone you loved? They were hurt that way?"

Nick dropped the knife and crumbled to the ground. Pomelia immediately rushed over to him, engulfing him into a tight hug. She didn't care that her pain shot throughout her knees when they made the blunt impact to the ground. Or that War was growling heavily behind them.

Pomelia didn't know what Nick had gone through in his life but she knew for sure that he needed someone to hold and console him...and she would be that person.

"It's alright, Nick. Whatever it is, everything's going to be okay," she whispered shakily, sadness and anger rising up within her. Who had hurt Nick? Who had hurt someone who he cherished dearly? Nick didn't deserve any of this...she didn't know him at all yet she knew that he was as innocent as her.

His body jolted and he whimpered softly into her neck, as a loud pounding on the door had both of them spooked. Nick's skinny arms held onto her even tighter.

"War...who is at the door?" She questioned as she held Nick tighter and turned her head slight to her mate. He was glaring at both of them, mostly her. "War please distract whoever is at the door so I can get Nick together!"

Her mate paused in his growling, and his eyes began to glow. He stiffened, and it almost seemed as if he puffed his chest out a little more? Usually Pomelia would brush it off as War just being different...but now that she had a small wolf running rampant in her mind she felt the strong urge to expose her neck to him...

"H-hey stop that!" She gasped, realizing that War was giving off his alpha male vibes, severely impacting her train of thought. Her mate stared at her for a few more seconds before finally leaving her with Nick.

She rubbed his bony back gently, humming softly to him, the song she sang not too long ago to him when he was upset the last time. What more could Pom do? "I'm so sorry, Nick."

Pom's ears perked at the sound of unfamiliar voices. She tried to focus on Nick who was slowly gathering himself together and not falling apart in her arms anymore.

"Warren, buddy long time no see!" She could bear a loud male voice greet her mate. Pom tried not to feel irritated by that. Whoever this man was knew War's real name yet...she just found out yesterday?

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Nick's shaky hand press against her own. He gave her a weak smile before wobbly trying to stand on his two feet.

"Are you going to freshen up?" He nodded his head. "Okay...txt me if you want to I talk." Pomelia smiled gently at Nick as he awkwardly nodded his head and threw a thumbs up at her. He scurried away, the scent of sadness and tears now clinging to her clothes. She had to help him...somehow she knew he didn't deserve any of the hardships that were placed in his life...

"Shit! What's that smell? Babe you smell that?!"

Pomelia forgot...company! She scrambled up to her feet and began to dust off her dress. Then she frantically began to wash her hands in the sink.

"Oh, she cooks."

Pomelia hastily dried her hands as two unfamiliar scents hit her nose. She whirled around quickly and lost her footing almost falling to the ground with a squeal.

Fortunate for her, she was being quickly caught and straightened back up on her feet again. "Ah thanks War," she blushed furiously as the two onlookers just openly gawked at her. 

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the tall, thin woman who had a hulking male wrapped around her body. "Pomelia meet Luna Mei and Alpha Reese."

The woman's lips were covered in a beautiful blood red lipstick. Her eye makeup brought out her stunning hazel eyes...not to mention her lengthy black hair pulled into a ponytail. She wore a long sleeved, black belly shirt that showed off her flat midriff accompanied with a pair of baggy pants that tightened at the waist then became looser at her thighs and calves. She was...beautiful.

She pursed ruby her lips, as her eyes trailed over Pomelia. The man who was behind her, whispering things in her ear suddenly smiled at Pomelia brightly.

"You're cute. Nice to meet you, Pomelia I'm Reese. How the hell did War snatch you up?" The man wore a leather jacket and a pair of dark jeans. He was gripping the woman rather tightly around her waist and Pom wondered why... "Mei be nice," he growled lowly in her ear, Pom jumping at such a strong command. It was a whisper but it was scary...

"I didn't snatch her up," War snarled, as the woman continued to just stare at Pomelia.

She smiled at the alpha pair. "It's nice to meet you two...Luna Mei you're beautiful. I would love it you could teach me make up one day."

The corner of the woman's lip twitched. "Thank you...and what? War doesn't let you wear makeup or something?" She shot a fiery look of disgust at War, making Pom run her hands over his chest in comfort.

"N-no. I just never had make up before," Pom explained to the two of them as Alpha Reese grinned widely.

"Welp ya know War I think we should go in the other room and talk about fires and cars and manly shit. We can leave the women to the kitchen," Alpha Reese chuckled as he shoved his mate towards Pomelia. "By the way shit smells amazing. War you're a lucky man."

Luna Mei whipped around, glaring at her mate. "You are going to pay for that little comment later."

"Oh I can't wait babe," he winked as Luna Mei took a deep breath and turned back to Pomelia. She smiled tightly. "Go ahead Warren. I'll help your mate with the food."

Pomelia didn't feel right with the woman calling War by his real name. War seemed to like when she did it...she wondered if he enjoyed when the Luna said it.

War stared at her for a few more seconds and she gave him a reassuring smile before stifle walking into the other room with Alpha Reese. Pomelia glanced at Luna Mei to realize she was openly assessing her. Pomelia felt inferior...this woman was beautiful and she showed her body so confidently like Jess does. She wondered how she would look in such an outfit.

"You're really beautiful, Luna Mei."

The woman gave her a passive look, before walking past her and towards the kitchen sink. She began to wash her hands. "You know flattery will get you no where with me."

Pomelia wasn't trying to flatter her she was just telling the truth.. The woman was very cold and she didn't really know how to approach her. At all. "But everywhere with my mate. He loves it, revels in it," she snorted while Pom smiled nervously. Oh so she was warming up to her? "So...what pack are you from? Who are your parents? You look so familiar."

Ah. So Pomelia had to get over the awkward part. At least she asked first and not later at the dining room table. "I don't know my parents...I was dropped off at the temple as a baby. I've lived with the priests and priestess all of my life."

That seemed to pique the Luna's interest. "Oh what do you want me to do? My mate is starving we need to work and talk."

Pom shrugged. "Oh! Well I found some cute pitchers that you can put the orange juice in a-and if you want to lay out the fruit nicely. I just have to finish the pancakes."

The Luna stared at her oddly, before throwing up her hands. "No Luna Mei you shouldn't be working. Don't worry I've got it is what I thought you were going to say, but it's cool. I got it."

Oh no! Should Pomelia be doing all of it? Now she was torn.. "Don't look so distraught, I was kidding. So you grew up in the temple? That must've been rough. Sneak out to meet any cute guys against priestess orders?"

Pomelia gasped. She would never! "Oh no, I wasn't really interested in men. I wanted to dedicate my life to our goddess Artemis." Pomelia began to finish up her pancakes while Luna Mei began to eat some grapes...and not place them on the plate nicely.

"Oh? So you never thought about men in that prison?"

Did Pomelia say prison? No she most definitely said temple. Why on earth would Luna Mei equate the holy temple to prison? "Prison?"

Mei laughed. "Yeah prison. I was apart of something similar in China...I excelled in my studies and lycan abilities and they wanted me to become apart of Henge's order. A very elite group of wolves similar to the priesthood here."

"Hen-ge?"

The Luna nodded her head. "Yeah she's our version of Artemis. It's a long story and I'm not repeating but if you want to know her more google will be your best friend."

Google? Yes, she did like google a lot. She found herself on the internet a lot, since she received her phone. "Oh yes I definitely will do that...so you didn't want to be apart of the order?"

"Hell no. Everything was so strict so orderly. They really did a number on me," she smiled sadly. "I figured a way to get out and took it. My old teacher travels the world observing different countries lycan ways and mannerisms, traditions. I begged her to take me with her to the U.S."

"And you never went back?"

Mei shook her head. "No."

"But...didn't you have family?"

"I did and they stopped talking to me once they realized I was mated to a..uh guy like Reese. Wears his heart on sleeve, big bulky white dude and cannot keep a damn poker face for his life. You would think being a Luna gives me some brownie points but they shunned me."

Pom gasped. She could have never, ever experienced something so horrible as that. She couldn't imagine being shunned from a family. She couldn't even imagine being in one... "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she shrugged. "I lost my family but I gained a lot. I like it here...do you like it in Khan's pack?" She questioned with a sour tone when she mentioned Alpha Khan.

Did she want to lie? The fact was that Alpha Khan made her nervous, Trent scared her and Jess was the only one really nice to her. Well Jess and Alpha Wes. She hasn't even been around the other pack members to make an actual answer...  "It's nice. War is still introducing me to everyone."

"And Warren...how does he treat you?" It was like she was on an interview being asked multiple questions. She supposed none of her answers were wrong though..

"He's great, I love War. He's everything I could dream of in a mate," she smiled as she placed another hot pancake on the stack that she was piling up.

She could feel Luna Mei's eyes on her. "Didn't you two just meet? You do know about everything he's done right? Is that not conflicting with your moral compass?"

Pom gripped the handle of the spatula tight. "I...War and I are still getting to know one another."

Luna Mei sighed beginning to rub her temples. "And you let him mark you? How long have you two known one another?"

Why was she acting as if War was some type of criminal and that she was dumb? Pomelia knew what she was doing... "a few weeks...and yes I asked for him to mark me. Luna Mei I know you mean well but I...I don't like the way you're making War out to be."

The woman scoffed. "Listen I didn't mate a man I barely knew from a pack I know nothing about and let that man mark me. Didn't the priestesses tell you marks are irreversible?"

Pom knew that they were irreversible. "I-I know very well that marks are permanent. I love War and he will tell me what he has to tell me when he's ready."

Silence filled up the kitchen quickly, the only sound being the pancakes sizzling in the pan. "You're sure you don't know who your parents are?"

"I'm sure. The temple doesn't give us our records  so I don't know..."

More silence before she felt Luna Mei's hand on her shoulder. "Listen I came to this pack naive and dumb. I was still learning English and pack etiquette. People take advantage of vulnerability, I'm just trying to get you to think."

War wasn't taking advantage of her. If anything she took advantage of him... "I appreciate it. I do but War and I are fine. We're more than fine."

The Luna stared at Pomelia a big longer than usual, before smiling. "Well I'm...happy for you and I hope it stays that way in the future."

"Thank you."

"Now let's finish up this food. Those pancakes are going to have my mate falling in love with you." Pom gave the woman a nervous look. "It's a joke."

******
Chapters 33 & 34 will be updated on Patreon by the end of the week.

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