'Your case has been closed. Would you like to leave a review?'
The words were zoomed in on his screen, and with it, Ginta and Hakkaku stared at him with excitement and pleading in their eyes. Jesus fuck, they really wanted him to go through with it. In fact, everyone had. Leave a review for the woman you loved? What had he done to frustrate the gods to be put in such a situation?
But what if?
What if this was the only way he could get ahold of the customer service agent again? His pack had discussed such a possibility without him while he slept. When Ginta and Hakkaku had gone about their gossiping ways, the entire pack had become invested. So invested that one of the youngest of his group had provided such an absurd idea.
Naturally, the pack had run with it.
"Why don't you just leave her a review? All customer service positions have reviews, and the agents get the feedback and can view it."
The young wolf with chocolate brown eyes and a textured curly undercut hairstyle had gloated once he realized that everyone had actually listened to him. One idea after another, his entire household had planned it out and then relayed such a thing to him. Now, without any privacy, they all stood around in the living room simply waiting for him to—to what?
Write to the stranger in the hopes that she was a long-forgotten priestess? His destined mate? His everything?
It sounded insane.
But in the back of his mind, he knew he would regret such a missed opportunity.
"There is usually a character limit. Make sure to make it count." The teenage wolf pipped up with excitement. "Normally like 100 words or less."
Gazing at the teen, Koga scoffed. Of course, the pup would be excited. Out of all the younger wolves, this one had been the one that was the romantic at heart. With the pup's expressive eyes, narrow face, and his 'pretty boy' hairstyle, he wouldn't have to wait for long for a mate. Especially once the pandemic was over.
If this idea worked, he might have to find a way to thank the pup.
"Got it. Character limit."
One hundred words to the woman that could be his everything?
What could he say to the much-missed raven-haired goddess? How could he make her realize that it was him? To know that after five hundred years, his heart still yearned for no one else. Not once.
Slowly, he began typing up words as they came to him.
All in hopes that she would see it.
'Kagome, thank you for helping out my pack—again.'
Yes, that was a good start. Wouldn't the word of the pack make her realize who it was? He hoped so. Thinking back to the last conversation, he grinned as an idea all but came to him.
'If I could, I'd give you the moon and stars as thanks.'
"And write that she was great! Management reads this. If you're going to mate her eventually, then you need to make sure you respect and acknowledge her hard work" The teenage cub once more shot out for the entire room to hear.
The fucking little brat. Acknowledge her hard work? Hadn't that been what he did the entire time in the Feudal Era? Never interfered with her mission and always made sure to be there when she needed a lending hand. For the pup to even suggest such a thing-
"Koga knows. Knock it off, Daichi." Ginta added in a scolding tone while all but hovering over his Alpha and investigating what was being written.
"Fine, fine. Just trying to help. They don't call me the 'Love wolf' for-"
"No one calls you that. Ever." Hakkaku pipped up with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, maybe they should! Who else could have come up with this idea?" The pup shot back with excitement and pride in his eyes.
Ignoring the banter in the room, Koga continued on with his task but took Daichi's words into consideration.
'If your management is reading this, I want to let them know you should get a raise.'
Would it be enough? Would they actually read such a thing? With that statement added, he looked at the space left he had. With no more hesitation, he finished the review with a few more sentences.
'As always, the pack bows their head in thanks to sister Kagome. I hope time has been kind to you and you are staying safe during this pandemic. You deserve the world.'
Hitting submit, he stopped holding his breath and let out a much-needed breath of air.
"You did it!" Ginta yipped with excitement, and Koga could have sworn the entire pack had stars in their eyes. The whole pack radiated excitement from such a simple action.
When had been the last time they had all been so overjoyed? So hopeful?
Years.
With a scoff, he closed the laptop while glaring at his pack. Did they not know that such hope was infectious? Or that he was afraid of such a thing? Hope? Such a thing made room for the possibility to be disappointed and, more importantly, hurt.
Again.
Could he handle such a thing?
"Now we wait."
'Demons could have survived.'
The words were scribbled in her notebook, and for a while, Kagome hesitated to add more.
'Koga could be alive?' Even as her hands wrote such a thing, they couldn't stop trembling.
Could he? Really? Was such a thing possible?
Grandpa had warned her, and somehow, she knew what he had implied in the back of her mind. Something he had kept from her since her return.
But why?
Although, at this point, did it even matter? No, she had far more crucial things to do, such as figure out how to find them—all her former companions. If they had survived, where would they have hidden? Or integrated themselves in? Briefly, she considered what she knew of the wolf prince.
He was strong, brave, loyal and had a rush for adventure. Quietly, lounging in bed, she debated on what professions valued such traits.
Police offer?
Her mind materialized the handsome wolf prince in a uniform, and for a moment, her world spun.
Nope. No. Too much.
Apparently, her thoughts and body both had it in for her because the visions that appeared were not appropriate. Or maybe, she was just that lonely? Trying to turn her thoughts more appropriate, she failed miserably. If she was being honest, she could easily see Koga as a cop. Or in a role that provided him with the adrenaline rush he always seemed to need. Allowing her thoughts to go through hazardous professions, she considered each thoroughly.
What about a Firefighter? She could see that too—in a heartbeat. Rescuing kittens from trees and flirting with pretty faces. Somehow, such a thought brought out possessiveness that she didn't know she held for the wolf.
Hell, maybe even a tattoo artist? Oh, yes. If he had pursued such a career, she knew he would be covered in them. She could see it now, tattoos of wolves, the moon, and nature. Somehow, that too would fit him. Shaking her head of dirty thoughts and images of Koga holding a profession in the future, she laughed. When had she gotten to this point? In the Feudal Era, she would have never considered such a thing.
But now?
Koga in a police uniform resulted in a blush on her cheeks but also, a small smile. He really had been handsome. Most of the demons had been. But his blue eyes, kindness and confidence? That had grabbed at her and simply stuck.
Without warning, a more practical idea appeared before her other than longing for the wolf. More specifically, a way to reach out to a specific user she had chatted with. Running to her desk, she let her jumbled thoughts form.
'Reach out to him' She had thought. But then, she had stumped herself on how such a thing could be accomplished. Only, to realize that she didn't need to find the users contact information.
She already had it.
Opening up the laptop, she logged into the chat program without regard and hesitation to the repercussions that could follow. Or the thoughts of possibly losing her job for such an action. Trying in the case ID, she dove into the personal information section.
And there it was.
His phone number.
Grabbing her cellphone, she typed it in.
Was there probably a law or regulation that she was breaking? Most definitely.
Did she care? Not at the moment.
This was no time to be rational. No, she had waited too long to stop now. Endured too much. Between the pandemic and loss of her friends, she had taken more than she could handle.
Needing answers, she typed up a text.
'You once said I deserve better. That I deserve the world. But what I've always regretted not asking is if I deserve you.'
Would he remember their last conversation? The words he spoke? Or was it even possible she was texting a random stranger? At two in the morning, no less. She tried to be reasonable. If it was a random stranger, she could simply block them or pretend it was a wrong number.
Without waiting anymore, she pressed the send button.
For minutes, she waited.
For an hour, she informed herself he was probably asleep.
For two hours, she reminded herself it could very well be a stranger.
Unable to control her fears and anxiety, she typed up one last message. A message that she had spoken of in therapy.
'I think, back then, you brought up feelings that I was not ready to handle. You were ever the patient wolf. If you let me, I'd like to try once more. I think I'm ready now.'
With the message sent, she let the tears fall.
God, how she hoped it was him.
Because, if it wasn't, she wasn't sure how she would handle such a thing.
The loss of such hope.
