A/N: Sorry it’s late y’all! Feel free to check out my latest short story I wrote for a contest. Proud to say it won in characterization and plot :) Anyways, here’s to hopefully quicker updates, love y’all <3

Chapter 7

Simon’s POV

I had long given up on worrying about Sam’s incessant and potentially fatal sugar intake as he devoured his eighth plate of strawberry waffles that week from Cindy’s. How he didn’t have diabetes or any other serious disease was beyond me.

“You’ve got a bit of whip cream on your face,” I told him, pointing my index finger at his cheek. Almost guffawing, his hand reached up but missed the spot, even after three attempts. 

“Did I get it?”

I rolled my eyes before grabbing the napkin. Bringing it to his cheek, my hand hesitated, a sense of deja vu rushing through me. Vince and I had a similar moment like this; Vince reaching out to wipe something from my cheek. It was followed by our first kiss. 

Almost noticing my hesitation, Sam reached over to grab the napkin before I could reach his face, wiping the mess off his face. Without a beat, that gentle smile returned on his face, almost amused by this fiasco, totally oblivious to the frown and furrowed brow from remembering that memory. “Thanks, dear.”

I gave him a half-smile before nodding along, poking the remnants of my breakfast. 

The silence didn’t last long as Sam tapped the table in front of my plate. “What’s on your mind?”

With a slight clang, I set the fork aside. He continued the gesture, adding the rest of his fingers, drumming a mindless pattern. “Sorry. Just a lot, I guess.”

He hummed, not voicing it but the way his fingers slowed, I could tell he caught on. Vince. The unread messages. Our relationship. 

“I don’t know why—” I blurted, letting out a frustrated groan. “Why does it bother me so much? I don’t need to hear a response from him, but it just gets on my nerves, I guess. It’s been a couple days since I sent it and he hasn’t even opened the message, it just seems odd.”

He nodded, his frown deepening.

“Maybe I’m just overreacting, but it feels like my wolf is just as anxious. Whining in the middle of the night, when usually he’s just napping.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but Cindy returned to our table, the black notepad in her hand. Her apon was donning some coffee stains and flour, even though it was barely half past twelve noon. “Well, that certainly should have quenched your sweet tooth, dear. Hope both of you enjoyed your meal today. Shall I expect you again tomorrow? I’ll make sure to provide some extra bacon and strawberries for the two of you.”

Sam beamed at the idea of returning tomorrow, which earned a light slap to the shoulder. He rolled his eyes before addressing Cindy again. “I better eat a salad tomorrow, non-doctor orders. Strict diet this one has provided me.”

We laughed at that before Sam gestured to the check. Cindy winked at the both of us before turning to Sam, handing the check to him. “Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding, you hear me mister?”

“Oh, we’re not together, Cin.” I looked between the two, tilting my head in confusion. Sam had always let her playful teasing and banter about us carry on; never did he try to correct her, the other waiters, or anyone else for that matter. “Just really close friends.”

Her hand reached her face, covering her mouth in shock. Sam let out a nervous laugh at her reaction. “Oh! My apologies dear, I just thought—”

“It’s fine,” I reassured her, smiling for added measure. “We kind-of just decided that…”

I trailed, it wasn’t really a break-up in a way, now that I thought about it. We hadn’t really agreed to date or be considered in a relationship these past years ever.

She didn’t look convinced but leaned forward, turning her kind eyes toward me. “Was it something he did? He can be a bit extra, as the youngins say. I’ll make a smaller waffle next time if he did something awful.”

“Cindy!” Sam feigned hurt, clutching his shirt above his heart. “Not the waffles, please. Spare me.”

“All for someone else,” I joked, Xavier’s goofy grin coming to mind. “He prefers someone younger and far more silly, it seems.”

A chuckle escaped her as she made a tsk sound to Sam disapprovingly. “Simon will get extra bacon, while you get less strawberries; it’s decided. How could you do this to sweet Simon?”

She winked at me, and we laughed as Sam pretended to be hurt again. “I’ll be right back with your check, dear. Don’t ruin the poor lad’s heart further, you hear me.”

“Yes, ma’m.” He made a salute before turning to me, a silly smile spreading on his face. “It’s good to see that smile back. Hopefully she knows that I didn’t break your heart.”

I hummed. “I’m sure she caught on. Besides, if you had, I don’t think I’d be enjoying a meal with you and smiling and joking along.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Cindy returned with the check, sending Sam a knowing look toward him before thanking us and sauntering back to the other patrons. Sam gestured to his truck outside, visible from the window near our booth. “Well, time to head back to the clinic. Let’s not anger the girls for being late again, shall we?”

Despite being pressed for time, we took our time walking to the car, waving to some of the other regulars that stopped by Cindy’s. 

He hesitated at the driver's side as I opened the passenger door. “I’m grateful that you didn’t elaborate about that ‘someone else’ thing. She would’ve pounced on that, not stopping until she got a name, address, occupation and who knows what else.”

Raising a brow, I looked at him curiously before settling into the seat, Sam following suit, starting the car. “Well, I could still tell her about Xavier, it’s not like we’re not going to see her tomorrow or the day after. Those waffles call your name all the time.”

“I mean, what is there to tell? Xavier and I are merely acquaintances at best, maybe friends? We mostly just discuss medicine and supplies.”

My shoulders raised in a shrug, looking at him impishly. “I mean by the looks of it, I think you two would really hit it off. Maybe even have a casual date at Cindy’s, I’m sure she’d love to meet him too.”

“Is that so?” He mused. “So is that what that pretty head of yours thinks about all the time? Fantasizing about me and Xavier?”

I poked his upper arm. “Ha. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t kill you to hang out with him. You could invite him over, I could even cook a nice dinner for you two and stay out your hair if you’d like.”

“No.” He made a face before shaking his head. “That would be cruel. Besides, Xavier did invite me over, actually.”

My brows shot up. “Oh really?”

He let out a soft laugh. “Later today, actually. For medical supplies and a meeting with the doctors there.”

“Just a medical meeting?”

“Just about medicine, Simon. Nothing more.”

“Sure,” I said unsurely. My lips jutted out, somewhere between a frown and a pout. “Can I come?”

He hesitated, his mouth parted as if contemplating such a simple question. 

“I don’t know about that,” he drawled finally, a slight grimace on his face. “I mean, it sounds quite boring, doesn’t it?”

“It’s just a meeting, why not?” I joked. “I’ve been through some pretty boring pack meetings before.”

“It’s just not a good time,” he blurted, waving his hand frantically as if trying to clear the air. “I mean, don’t you want to relax and enjoy some time without me? We’re always working together, I figured it would bore you to join me for a work visit.”

“Sam,” I started, my eyebrow raised. “It’s just a visit. Is it so wrong to visit my home? You can go and attend your work visit like you said, while I see my old house, or visit Aspen and his family. Maybe even drop by the pack house to scold Vince for not answering his phone, since replying with even a simple okay was too much to ask for.”

He let out a nervous sigh. “Why not next time? Where we all can chat with each other, no work involved. I don’t think it’s a good time, besides, Vince didn’t seem so keen on being at the party let alone holding a conversation. Maybe he just needs time away—”

“Sam.” With eyes narrowed, he shied away, unable to meet my gaze. The gears in my brain were shifting, his body language raising red flags. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Okay.” He gave in, throwing his hands in the air quite dramatically in surrender. Puzzled by his reaction, I gave him a quizzical look as he said in a quieter tone, “I may have lied. Or, sort of.”

“You, lie? That’s new.” I chuffed. “This isn’t a work visit, is it? Is this about you and Xavier?”

“No, it’s not.”

Looking at him incredulously, I put my hands up in mock surrender. “If it was, you could have just told me. Hell, I’d drive you to your date with him if I could drive.”

He let out a laugh at that before a seriousness washed over him. “It’s not about Xavier, it’s about that rogue he mentioned. The one going missing, who was unaccountable for.”

“Oh?”

He gulped nervously, avoiding direct eye contact, something he usually always had the confidence for. “It wasn’t a rogue. It was about Vince.”

“What?” My breath hitched, a lingering suspicion growing in the back of my mind.

“He went missing,” he said dryly. “Nobody’s seen him since Rowan’s party.”

“He’s missing?” I echoed, the words swirling through my head, the concept of Vince missing seemed so foreign.

“The last person who saw him was a beta, and said he was going for a run that night. He left his phone at the Rogue Center. That’s...that’s why he hasn’t responded.”

It took more than just a second to process what Sam was saying. 

My heart sank, Vince was missing. 

He didn’t just run from Rowan’s party, but from the pack as a whole. It had been a couple of days, and to not have returned was unusual, alarming, even. Images of the denser and dangerous portions of the forest surfaced in the back of my head, none helpful in this case, of course. He was likely all alone, by himself out there. Was he lost, injured, even? Why hadn’t he gotten in touch through the link, surely it would’ve reached Xavier if he was nearby. Or had he gone even further, somewhere deep in rogue territory, maybe even stumbling in some other malevolent pack’s territory. And if he were in some kind of trouble, were people out searching for him? Had there been a search party at all? Surely following his scent wouldn’t be that difficult.

“No, no, no,” I found myself muttering softly to myself. It couldn’t be true.

Sam’s hands were cupping my cheeks then, steadying my shaking head, an apologetic look on his face. “Hey, hey, easy there.”

“He’s missing,” the words escaped me again. He nodded. “He’s missing.”

Sam’s hand fell from my cheek, reaching back to rub his neck nervously. “This was why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“What?”

“I knew you’d be freaking out, and I didn’t want you to worry if he showed up soon. Especially if he just wanted some alone time. But Xavier—”

“Vince is missing,” I stated indignantly. “Of course I’d be worried.”

I gnawed at my bottom lip, frustrated beyond belief. Angry, furious even to think hiding something like this was okay. He was my mate, of course I’d be concerned about his well being. And Sam’s kicked puppy look only made me further upset. 

“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely, his bottom lip jutting out in a deep pout. “I really didn’t want to hide it or keep it from you, but I just didn’t want you to think the worse. I know it was wrong, but I just—”

“I know, and I’m not mad at you, just—just at this whole thing. I’m going with you,” I said sternly. “I’m going to go with you and see what we can do. Even if he turns out to just be wandering and nothing serious happened, I can’t just do nothing, Sam. Surely, you understand that right?”

“Yes,” he said breathily, nodding for good measure. “It’s not like I can stop you from visiting anyways. Just promise me that we’ll handle this carefully. Think things through before we do anything rash.”

Sam had seen right through me, a trait he had developed quite easily around me. He sensed that if given the chance; I would bolt out of this car, shift into oncoming traffic, and run into the forest. I’d run and run and run, checking every inch of the forest to look for him if that’s what it took. Had I been younger and rash like my early years, I would have done just that, naively chased after him without even thinking; my hand already gripping the passenger side seat’s handle and the seatbelt in my other hand. 

Yet, the breathing exercises, positive thoughts, and reassurances that he must’ve been fine, wasn’t helping; in fact, the desire to run blindly into the forest was growing stronger and stronger, even as we approached the pack. I wouldn’t rest till I, or the rest of the pack members found him, not until he was safely back home, where he belonged.

In my arms, with me, if he allowed as much.