SIBLING SOLIDARITY

SIBLING SOLIDARITY

KATY

T he knock at my door later that evening didn’t come as a surprise, but I still opted to ignore it. Instead, I angrily finished resorting my closet according to color as the knock sounded again.

I slammed the closet door, loud enough for him to hear, and then I turned my attention to my desk.

Honestly, my room was neat and tidy on a good day. There was something about everything having its place that settled me, but right now, I was pissed off and needed to rage-clean the shit out of something.

Another knock, this time followed by a, “Don’t make me pick the lock.”

I whirled around and glared at the door before stomping over to it and throwing it wide open with a stare for my big brother that would have killed a lesser man. “What?” I snapped. “I’m busy.”

Remy’s dark brown eyes narrowed as he looked at the room behind me. “Your room can’t get much cleaner, Katy.”

I folded my arms, blocking him from coming in. “This is the girls’ dorm, big brother. You aren’t supposed to be here.”

He shot me a grin. “But as your campus alpha, I have every right to be in the girl’s dorm.”

My lip pulled back in a snarl. “Oh, is that why you’re here? To dole out more punishment?”

His expression softened and he sighed. “No. I’m here because I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine, alpha,” I snarked, not giving an inch. I lifted my chin. “And your mate isn’t on this floor.”

He smirked. “I’m well aware of exactly where Skye is.”

I rolled my eyes, even if I was happy for him. Skye had given Larkin and I the run down on her date with my brother tonight, and if anyone deserved a break and a good guy for a mate, it was Skye Markham.

“Then what are you doing here?” I asked, tired and wanting to finish cleaning my desk before I considered trying to sleep.

He stepped forward, and I instantly moved back an inch, my wolf reacting to his presence and command. “I’m here as your brother, Katy. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Fine,” I gritted out as the memory of my fight with Sierra from earlier flashed in my mind. Rage churned in my gut. “Right as freaking rain and all that shit.”

“And that’s why you’re getting a jump start on your janitorial chores? By cleaning your already immaculate room?”

I bared my teeth at him and moved to slam the door in his face, but he blocked it with his hand, easily deflecting the wood. “Go away, Remington. I’m not in the mood.”

His brows shot up. “Wow. You full-named me, Katherine.”

Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “I swear to God—”

“Katy. Please.”

The soft, cajoling pitch of his tone had me opening my eyes and reluctantly backing up so he could come in. As mad as I was, I could admit—to myself—that Remy wasn’t the reason I was pissed. When I’d slapped Sierra, it had been his duty to correct my behavior as the Blackwater campus alpha. Hell, even I knew that a week of cleaning up the bathrooms in the girls’ dorm was pretty lenient considering I’d assaulted a member of our pack in front of everyone.

But Sierra’s condescending voice rang in my head along with the slur she’d hurled at me more times than I could count over the last year since I’d officially come out.

I turned my back on Remy and went to my bed, sitting on the edge as Remy closed the door. He grabbed the chair at my desk and turned it around, straddling it and resting his forearms along the back as he watched me.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

And, to my absolute annoyance, tears pricked my eyes. I ducked my head, but knew he’d seen the crack in my emotional dam. “It’s fine. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”

“It’s fucking bullshit,” he spat, the heat in his tone making my head snap up to see fire blazing in his eyes. “Katy, I’m so sorry you have to deal with shit like that.”

I tried to shrug it off. “It’s what I signed up for, right? Betraying my kind and falling in love with a girl.”

“Fuck that noise,” he replied with a snort. “You can’t help who you love. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Nothing?” I teased.

He made a face. “I mean, maybe you could try reigning in that anger.”

A soft laugh escaped me, but it died off as quickly as it had appeared. I glanced away at the dark window, knowing Maren was somewhere out there with her pack. God, I missed her.

“She’ll be back soon,” Remy told me, reading my thoughts.

“I know.” I released a heavy breath. “I’m just so tired of it, Rem. Sometimes I wonder if coming out was even worth it.”

He cocked his head. “Katy, you are who you are. And there’s not a fucking thing wrong with that.”

I watched him for a beat, my heart expanding in my chest. There was zero censure or judgment in his eyes. It was why Remy was the first person I’d told I was gay. He was less than a year older than me—Irish twins was what people called it—and he’d been my best friend for my whole life. Remy made me feel safe, and when he’d found me crying in the woods one night after I watched the girl I’d been crushing on make out with her boyfriend, I’d confessed everything.

He’d hugged me and promised that I wasn’t broken or defective—words that other shifters used when a woman had same-sex “urges.” Because in a world where women were a precious commodity, our role was to find a male to mate with and have a child, or if we were really lucky, children.

But the idea of being with a guy made my skin crawl and my stomach turn like I’d eaten rotten meat. I liked girls. No, scratch that, I loved girls. Well, one girl in particular.

When Maren and I first started dating, we’d done it quietly and in the shadows. Remy had been the only one who’d known, and he’d run interference for us more times than I could count, trying to protect us both until we were ready to announce our relationship to the world.

Remy had sat next to me, holding my hand, as I admitted to our parents that I was gay. He’d always had my back, and there weren’t enough ways I’d ever be able to thank him. He’d been my biggest cheerleader, and he’d even outright challenged another campus alpha after he’d made a snide remark when Maren and I kissed in public for the first time.

But there was one thing Remy had that I never would, and I hated that I was jealous of him for that.

I laced my fingers together in my lap and looked down. “What’s it like?”

“What’s what like?”

I dragged my gaze up to meet his. “Having a mate?”

Understanding lit his eyes along with something deeper that I noticed all day since he’d been with Skye. “It’s… I can’t really describe it. Like everything just makes sense.”

My head nodded slowly, sadness twisting my stomach into knots because every single true mated pair was heterosexual. Which meant, I would never have that. As much as I loved Maren, as much as she completed me, I’d never have that and it freaking sucked hairy donkey balls.

“Hey.” Remy stood up and came over to sit next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Kit-Kat, we don’t know that it means you’ll never find your mate.”

I scoffed. “Name one pair of bonded mates that are gay.”

He sighed because he couldn’t. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or that you and Maren aren’t meant to be.”

“I just… God, Rem, I’m so sick of feeling like a freak and an outcast,” I admitted. “The stares, the whispers…”

His dark eyes flashed. “Who the fuck has said anything to you?”

I shook my head.

“No, tell me,” he growled. “I’ll talk to them—”

“You can’t protect me from everything,” I pointed out.

“No,” he agreed, “but I can beat the shit out of someone who makes you feel like you’re less than perfect, because Katy, you’re perfect the way you are.”

I arched a brow. “Oh, I hit someone and it’s janitorial duty for a week, but you can hit people and get a free pass?”

He grinned at me. “I wouldn’t hit people in front of witnesses,” he replied. “ That was your mistake.”

I laughed. “Noted. Next time I want to bitch slap Sierra, I’ll make sure we’re alone.”

“Fuck no,” he chuckled. “Punch her in the damn face.” He grabbed my hand and curled it into a fist. “Aim for her nose.”

I dissolved into giggles, imaging doing just that as Remy nudged me with his shoulder, smiling.

“Thanks, Rem,” I murmured. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I put you in an awkward position today.”

He shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

“And I’m glad you and Skye have each other,” I finished. “She could use a good guy, and you’re the best I know.”

His brows lifted. “Damn. Can I get you to repeat that while I record it?”

I shoved him. “Ass.”

Still laughing, he stood up and turned to face me. “We good?”

I nodded. “Always.”

Remy leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Good night, Kit-Kat.”

“Night,” I echoed and watched him leave before falling back on my bed. I turned my head to my nightstand where I had a few framed photos, snagging the one of Maren and me taken last summer.

Maybe we’d never get that magical bond, but Remy was right—that didn’t mean I loved her any less and that she wasn’t my destiny.