31. REMI

31

REMI

The world is still cloaked in the gentle quiet of early morning when I slip out of bed. The house is silent except for the occasional creak of wood underfoot and the soft breathing of my mates tangled together in the nest upstairs. Nepheline is passed out, curled between Mateo and Darius, her little bump just barely showing beneath the pile of blankets. She’s beautiful when she’s like that— soft and peaceful—and I want to keep her there as long as I can.

I pad downstairs, rubbing a hand through my hair as I head to the kitchen. It’s longer than I usually keep it but I kind of like the rough edge it gives me. I pause in front of the fridge, pulling it open and scanning the shelves to search for sustenance.

There’s eggs, bacon, cheese, sausage—plenty of things to throw together into something lazy. Perfect for a morning like this. A morning where we don’t have to think about dark magic, veils, or the whispering pull of something sinister just beyond our borders.

A morning where I can just… take care of them.

I love providing for them in the quiet moments, letting my hands work while my thoughts settle. It’s something I didn’t always understand about myself, not until I talked to them—to Mateo, Asani, River—about where I fit into all of this. About how leading never felt quite right, but nurturing ? That’s where I thrive.

And since then, I’ve been flourishing .

I smile to myself as I pull everything out, stacking ingredients onto the counter. I move through the motions as I crack eggs into a mixing bowl, beat them lightly, and set the skillet heating on the stove. There’s bacon sizzling within minutes, the smell already filling the room. I hum softly under my breath as I work, flipping pancakes onto a warm plate, tossing sausage links into a pan, throwing together a spread big enough for everyone to pick at when they wake up.

They’ll need this. We all will. The days feel heavy lately, thick with tension we can’t shake and I want to hold onto the happiness we still have—these small, stolen moments where it feels like everything is normal .

The bacon’s just finishing up when I hear footsteps behind me. I glance up, expecting River or maybe Maverick, but instead, it’s Asani.

He stumbles into the kitchen with a sleepy grin on his face, his shirt rumpled, and his hair a mess of waves. He’s not coming from upstairs, though—that much is clear. My brows furrow as he ambles toward me, yawning as if he’s been awake for hours.

“What were you doing in the living room?” I ask, flipping a slice of bacon onto the growing plate.

“Don’t worry about it, biscuit, ” he muses around another yawn, his voice still rough with sleep as he drapes himself over me from behind.

The skillet clatters against the stovetop as I freeze, heat rushing to my cheeks as his lips brush against the side of my neck. “Asani—”

“You’re up too early,” he murmurs, nuzzling closer like he’s about to fall asleep standing there. His arms snake loosely around my waist, his lazy smile pressing against my skin as he plants another soft kiss at the edge of my jaw. “Smells good, though. Real good.”

My face is on fire now. I swear I feel it creeping all the way down to my chest. I clear my throat, forcing my hands to keep moving as I scrape scrambled eggs onto a plate. Asani hums contentedly, finally pulling back enough to stretch his arms over his head, his shirt riding up just slightly. He grabs a fork from the drawer and snags a piece of bacon right off the plate.

I glare at him, though it’s half-hearted. “That’s not ready yet.”

“It’s bacon, biscuit. It’s always ready.” He grins as he munches, leaning one hip against the counter as he watches me work. His gaze is steady but thoughtful, something shifting behind his eyes as he studies me. “You know… you’re good at this.”

“At what? Cooking breakfast?”

He shakes his head, plucking another piece of bacon off the plate despite the look I shoot him. “Not just breakfast,” he says. “ This. Taking care of everyone. You’ve got this way of making us feel like we can breathe again, even when everything’s going to shit.”

I pause, my hands stilling on the cutting board as I glance up at him. I don’t know what to say to that, not really. It’s true—I like taking care of them. I like feeling like I’m needed, like I can give something back to them after everything they’ve done for me. But hearing Asani say it out loud makes my throat feel tight.

“You ever think about being a counselor for the pack?” he asks suddenly like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

My brows shoot up and I blink at him, caught off guard. “A counselor? You really think I could do that?”

Asani’s eyes are steady as he meets my gaze, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Yeah, I do,” he says without hesitation. “You’ve got something, Remi—something I don’t. People talk to you and you listen . Not just hear them, but actually listen . That’s what a pack needs.”

“I don’t know,” I murmur, shifting awkwardly as I look at the floor. “I’ve never thought about it. I just… I like making people feel better. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Asani steps closer, brushing his knuckles against my jaw as he tilts my face back up to his. “And that’s exactly why you’d be perfect,” he says softly. “Gael used to do it. Unofficially, sure, but he was the one wolves went to when they needed to unload their shit. Ilsa would handle the official side of things, but Gael? He listened. He understood .”

I swallow hard, my chest aching a little at the mention of Gael. We don’t talk about him much, but he’s still a wound that hasn’t healed, a reminder of what we’ve lost.

“I used to send wolves to him,” Asani continues. “When they were sick, or scared, or when I couldn’t give them what they needed. Then Calista happened, and that all… stopped.”

His eyes darken slightly, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. What we’re both thinking. Calista didn’t just destroy lives—she destroyed trust. She fractured the pack so deeply that some parts of it still haven’t healed.

Asani brushes his thumb over my cheek, grounding me. “But you could help them now,” he says, his voice softer. “There’s a few people in the clinic this morning who could use your kind of touch. Mine’s… well.” He shrugs, his lips quirking up into a sheepish grin. “Let’s just say I’m not the gentlest wolf around.”

I snort despite myself, the tension breaking slightly. “No kidding.” There’s several delightful bruises all along my sides from the way Asani held me last night, fucking into me like he owned me after Nepheline fell asleep.

He grins, his eyes softening before he leans in, pressing a slow, loving kiss to my lips. It’s not rushed or teasing—it’s warm and steady, like everything Asani doesn’t always let people see. When he pulls back, he murmurs against my mouth, “Come with me. Try it. If it’s not for you, we’ll figure something else out.”

I hesitate for only a moment before nodding. “Right now? Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

His grin lights up the room, Asani waiting just long enough for me to take everything off the stove before he’s leading me toward the small clinic just off the kitchen. It’s temporary—Asani’s full clinic was moved into the old packhouse that would’ve belonged to Calista—but the room still gets used for emergencies. Today, though, it’s quieter.

But when I step inside, I see them.

A small group of wolves—three in total—seated against the far wall. The room smells faintly of antiseptic, but the air feels heavy, weighed down by their quiet worry.

“Take your time,” Asani murmurs to me as he leans in close, his hand brushing against the small of my back. “I’ll be here.”

I nod, taking a deep breath as I step forward, past Asani and toward the group. I don’t know what I’m expecting—anger? Frustration?—but when they look up at me, all I see is uncertainty .

One by one, I take them aside.

The first is a young Alpha—barely past twenty—who can’t stop wringing his hands as he talks about the returning magic. He tells me how it’s making his wolf restless, like he’s waiting for something to happen. I let him talk, nodding along as I coax the words from him until he finally stops, his breathing steadier, his shoulders looser. I tell him he’s not alone. That we all feel it and that it’s okay not to have all the answers right now.

When he leaves, he looks calmer. Hopeful, even.

The second is a mated pair, both Betas, worried about the Sapphire wolves and their intentions. I sit with them, listening as they unload their concerns about change and trust, about the scars Calista left behind. I tell them change doesn’t have to mean chaos. That Mateo and Nepheline are building something stronger . They leave smiling faintly, their shoulders brushing together as they step out the door.

And then there’s the last.

I freeze in place when I see her. She’s sitting quietly in the corner of the room, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She’s small—barely taller than Nepheline—but her shoulders are hunched as if she’s trying to make herself invisible. Her dark hair hangs around her face, shielding her eyes, but I catch the faint tremble in her fingers.

A Beta.

And from the scent clinging to her, one of the wolves from the pack of the Forbidden who came through the veil.

I settle into the chair across from her, close enough that she can feel my presence but far enough that she doesn’t feel trapped. “Take your time,” I say, leaning forward with my elbows resting on my knees. “I’m not in a rush.”

She doesn’t look at me, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her worn sweater. It’s clear she’s holding back, her body hunched like she’s bracing for impact, for judgment. I stay quiet, letting the silence settle until she’s ready to fill it.

Finally, her voice breaks the stillness, soft and fragile. “I… I came here for sedatives.”

I blink, caught slightly off guard, but I don’t let it show. “Sedatives?”

She nods, her shoulders curling inward. “I thought… I thought maybe if Asani—Alpha Asani could give me something to make it stop—” Her voice cracks and she bites down on her lip so hard I swear it might bleed. “—to make me stop feeling like this, then maybe I’d be okay. Just for a little while.”

My chest tightens at the raw pain in her voice. I don’t speak right away. Instead, I let her keep going, like she needs to get it all out before she collapses under the weight of it.

“I can’t sleep,” she whispers, her gaze still fixed on her lap. “Every time I close my eyes, it’s there. He’s there. The nightmares—they’re worse every night. I see him coming back for me. I hear him, feel him…” Her voice shakes, her breathing hitching unevenly.

“Who?” I ask gently, even though I already know.

Her dark eyes finally lift to mine and I see it— all of it. The pain. The fear. The guilt that’s eating her alive. “Silas,” she chokes out. “I was part of his pack. I didn’t want to be, but he… he took me. Stole me when the Emerald wolves were slaughtered. I was just a kid.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I keep my face steady, my voice soft. “You were one of the Emerald wolves?”

She nods, her tears slipping freely now. “I don’t even remember much about them anymore. Just flashes. Green forests. Laughter. A pack that felt like home. And then they were gone. Killed. All of them.” She shudders, drawing in a shaky breath. “Silas took me in, told me I was his now. I don’t know how long I spent there… years, maybe. Time doesn’t make sense when you’re in the dark like that.”

My stomach twists at her words, my hands curling into fists on my knees. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like, growing up with him , being pulled into that darkness so young. But I don’t interrupt her. I just let her speak.

“I did terrible things,” she says quietly, her voice breaking. “I didn’t want to, but I felt compelled to. Like I didn’t have a choice. Like I couldn’t say no.” She swipes at her face angrily, her tears falling faster now. “And now that I’m here, it’s all coming back— all of it. The memories. The things I did. I don’t know how to live with it.”

The silence that follows is thick and suffocating. I watch her crumble, her body shaking as she tries to hold herself together and my heart aches for her. I’ve seen so many wolves hurting since the fall of the pack of the Forbidden—so many struggling to rebuild their lives. But this? This is different.

I let out a slow breath, my voice steady as I speak. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to carry all of that,” I say softly. “The things you’ve been through, the things you’ve seen… it’s more than anyone should have to bear. But you don’t have to carry it alone.”

Her tear-filled gaze snaps up to mine, wary and broken. “I don’t?”

I shake my head, leaning closer just slightly. “You’re safe here. I know it doesn’t feel like it yet, but you are. That crest on your chest—the Nightshades’ crest—means you’re one of us now. You’re not part of the pack of the Forbidden anymore. You’re not his anymore. That darkness doesn’t own you.”

She swallows hard, her lower lip trembling as she stares at me, my words sinking in slowly.

“It won’t happen overnight,” I continue, my voice calm and steady. “It’s going to be one day at a time. Maybe one hour at a time some days. But you’re not alone here. If you ever feel like it’s too much, you come to me, or Asani, or Mateo. Hell, come to any of us.” I pause, softening my voice. “But don’t hide yourself away. Don’t let him win like that.”

Her face crumples then, her sobs breaking free as she finally lets herself feel . I don’t say anything else. I just sit there with her, letting her cry, letting her get it out in a way I don’t think she’s been able to for years. When she finally wipes at her face, her breathing uneven, she whispers, “Thank you.”

Before I can respond, a shadow fills the doorway leading to outside and I glance up to see another wolf step into the room. An Alpha from the pack of the Forbidden. He pauses when he sees her, his face softening as recognition floods his expression.

The Beta lets out a small, broken sound as she stares at him. “Liam,” she breathes, her voice shaky.

The Alpha—Liam—doesn’t hesitate. He crosses the room in two long strides and she’s already flinging herself into his arms before he can say a word. He wraps her up tightly, his hand cradling the back of her head as she sobs into his chest. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t ask. He just holds her .

I watch them quietly, my chest aching as I sit back in my chair. They disappear through the door a few minutes later, her face buried in Liam’s shoulder as he murmurs something soft to her.

And then I’m alone.

I sit there for a moment, the silence pressing in around me as I replay the conversation in my head. I feel good about what I did—about helping her, even if it’s just one step toward healing. But it’s also clear now that there’s a bigger problem here.

The wolves from the pack of the Forbidden are hurting— badly . And some of them are still too afraid to come forward, to trust the safety of the packlands.

I let out a long breath, leaning back in my chair as I run a hand through my hair. This is only the beginning, but it’s something.

Asani is in the kitchen, looking at me like he’s damn proud of what I just did. “Come here, Remi,” he purrs and I fall into his arms, telling him what I just learned. “See? I told you that you’d be perfect. Having someone to talk to, to lean on is something all of us so desperately need, especially in a time like this. You up for something like that?”

“Yeah, I think I am.”