Roan was happy just to eat and listen to Mace and Trent reminisce about old times and talk about friends. It seemed the two had known each other for years; Roan felt sad that he’d never had anyone in his life who he could share everything with. He had new friends now of course, and that was lovely. But to know someone for so long you could almost finish each other’s sentences, it was the type of thing Ronan had always longed for. He’d seen it in others, but never had the opportunity to experience it.
“Roan made dessert as well,” Trent’s voice cut into his daydreams. “You are an amazing cook, Roan, thank you.”
Roan blushed and looked to see if Mace was pleased. Mace let out a loud burp, and rubbed his stomach. “I can see me getting fat from all this good food. Thank you precious. That’s the best meal I’ve had in years.”
“Precious?” Roan heard Trent ask, as he gathered the dirty plates and took them through to the kitchen. He’d made a chocolate and raspberry mousse for dessert, and he turned the coffee maker on; the noise from the machine drowning out Mace’s answer. Personally, he liked the pet name. He didn’t think anyone ever considered him precious, or worth keeping before. Mace didn’t seem to have a problem with his friend hearing it, so Roan wasn’t going to worry about it.
By the time Roan took the dessert and coffee through, the men had gone through to the living room. He quickly served Mace a huge plateful first, and then Trent. He left a tray with the coffee items on the small table in front of the couch, checking to ensure it held milk, cream and sugar, plus spoons and cups. Then he hurried through to the kitchen to clean that up. He didn’t want Mace to think he was messy.
/~/~/~/~/
“Have you gotten yourself a mate or a houseboy?” Trent asked quietly as soon as he knew Roan was in the kitchen.
“I don’t think he knows how to act any other way,” Mace said, knowing exactly what Trent was talking about. “I mean look at this house? Was he doing this while you were here, cleaning and stuff?”
Trent shook his head. “Nope, it was pristine when I got here, and I have to say I was shocked. I didn’t think your house could ever look this good.”
“Fuck. He must’ve been slaving here for hours.” Despite the decent meal, now Mace felt like shit.
“He was a good little shopper, though,” Trent said. “He checked for reduced items, weighed every purchase. When I told him to just get whatever he wanted, he focused entirely on foods I said you normally had. I couldn’t even get him to buy as much as a chocolate bar for himself.”
“I don’t know Roan even knows the meaning of the word fun, and I have to tell you, if this is the way things are going to always be around here, it gives me the creeps. Fuck, I’d have been so much happier if I found him sitting on the couch, surrounded by takeout containers, and watching television.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment, mate,” Roan’s voice came from the doorway and Mace looked up to see Roan’s face had gone bone white. “I did what I could with what I had. You told me I could treat this place as my home. You told me you wanted me to stay here. So I followed your orders. I could hardly buy take out since I’ve never had a cent of my own; I was embarrassed beyond belief to have to ring your friend, a man I hadn’t even met, to take me out so I could prepare a meal for you. I was trying to be helpful. I was trying to make your life easier. But clearly the only way to do that is to stay the fuck away from you.”
Roan sprinted across the room, and flung open the front door. By the time Mace got there, Roan was gone, a pile of discarded clothing left on the porch. Mace didn’t know if Roan even knew how to find his way back to Dimitri’s. Now his crap day had shit icing on it and it stank.
/~/~/~/~/
“He hasn’t come home yet. I told you the last time you called. Peter and Kalel are still out scouting around town; Ben, Sin and Gabriel are checking the forest areas. Shane and I have been around to the shelters, and double checked all of the homeless hangouts. He clearly doesn’t want to be found. Remember he’s been in town for two years and none of us caught so much of a whiff of him. All we can do is hope he comes home when he’s hungry.”
“I didn’t mean for him to run off. I was just telling Trent….”
“I know what you said, Mace and I get it, I do,” Dimitri interrupted him. “But Roan doesn’t know you, doesn’t understand people tease, or whatever the hell you even meant. He’s never been in a relationship, never had someone who cared about him. I told you earlier that you have to watch what you say – he takes things literally, and you can’t blame him. He thinks you’re disappointed in him.”
“I never fucking meant for that to happen. I’ve claimed him, damn it and he’s bitten me. Isn’t that supposed to mean something?”
“Yeah. It means if you don’t get him back within the next few weeks, there’s a good chance he’ll be dead. A mated Omega can’t be without his mate. He’s a wolf. He’ll pine away and die. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
Mace went to say something; he wasn’t even sure what. But Dimitri hung up on him and Mace couldn’t blame him. Four hours. Four hours Roan had been missing and no one could find any trace of him. Mace didn’t even know what Roan looked like in his animal form, but he prayed Roan wouldn’t shift back. The night air was cold, and Roan had no money, no clothes and no way of getting in touch with anybody.
“Come and get a few hours’ sleep,” Trent said coming up beside him. “You’ve been up almost twenty-four hours straight, and you’re exhausted. I’ll crash in your spare room, and we’ll hit the streets again at first light. Surely he couldn’t have gone too far.”
“Why can’t I sense him? You’d think with all of the crap the guys told us about mating, I’d be able to sense something.”
“Dimitri said you’d know if he was dead, and you reckon you only feel anxiety, and hurt. He’s breathing, and we can work on that. Now get some sleep, or you’ll be no good for anyone, let alone your mate.”
Mace followed Trent inside, closing the door but not locking it and making sure he left the porch light on. If Roan was roaming around somewhere close, Mace wanted him to know he could come home. That Mace wanted him home, permanently.