The Fourteen

Boe's POV

(A/N: I present to you: A CHAPTER IN BOE'S POINT OF VIEW! It takes place right after Brooke and Mae were captured. Boe has risen in the pack ranks. In the lab, he's finally mastered six different blends of bombs. Though he's unhappy, let's find out why.)

Five days. I could barely endure five days without her by my side. It was a bloodless agony. Everything I saw, everything I experienced, was bleak without her.

Whenever I threw a dagger in a Program, all I could think of was her first one, when she gleamed with an internal fire within her. I cherished that day, because that was when I truly fell in love with a Northern girl.

Ever since that revelation, I would subtly try to hint my affection towards her, hoping to gauge if the feeling was mutual. Each time, she would leave me more confused. Sometimes the gesture was returned, and sometimes not. But I kept testing the waters, with no strong answer to her conflicted emotions.

Yet, it would seem as though Lady Celestia had me cursed. Mae had been taken away from me; and I felt as useless as ever.

Currently, I sat at my Robotics workstation, a delicate brew for a poisonous bomb in front of me. I'd had to redo this complex mixture; some of the moisture from my eyes had fallen into the infusion, ruining it. Several of the other concoctions had fallen prey to the same fate. There was nothing I could do to erase her from my thoughts.

"Boe, please stop skulking." I looked up to find Kevin and a couple of my sorcerer friends leaning on my desk. "You're in denial; she's going to be alright. Mae's a fighter."

"I'm not sulking."

"Yes, you are!" They replied. "Let's go somewhere. It'll take your mind off things."

I sighed. "The Café is open."

My friends seemed delighted. I had to admit, most days after the attack; all I wanted was to be alone. My joining in a social activity was a miracle.

But, if my friends thought that I was coping terribly, they didn't know Mike. He was attempting to keep up a strong façade, for the pack's sake; but I knew that he spent just as much time sulking as I did.

The attack had been hard on the both of us. It was worse, now that Mike had been promoted to Alpha and I was Beta. Sylvia was the new Gamma. Mike had to balance caring for the pack and worrying about his missing girlfriend.

Due to our current state, Kevin had taken the wolf pack under his wing. He would step in sometimes, offering reinforcements in border attacks and helping maintain order.

Our border scuffles had been plentiful: eight in the last five days. We were defeated in three of those battles, losing precious land. The other races took advantage of our state.

~~*~~

When we entered the Café, I was met with stares. This was typical. The other races were watching the wolf pack closely for any weaknesses. We still had the most territory and our numbers were strong. Though, our recent pack adjustments had left us vulnerable to attacks.

So, I locked my jaw into a tough line. Dismissing all of the attention, I made my way to the counter. After cutting through the entire line of students that had been patiently waiting for their turn to order, I muttered some instructions to the pack member behind the till. He nodded and immediately began fixing up our order.

Six steaming cups of hot beverages and a bag with some of the finest delicacies were thrust into my hand. Making my way to my friend's table, I deposited all of the food.

Kevin handed me a twenty to cover the costs of our meal. I lifted my hand to wave it off, but he snapped his fingers and the note disappeared.

Sighing, I reached into my back pocket where my wallet was. Sure enough, I had an extra green bill inside. The perks of having magicians as friends. "Take it back."