13. Remy

Chapter thirteen

Remy

Sitting across from Chase elevated her heart rate more than she thought it would. There was something about the way he was staring at her. A playful smirk on his lips, his eyes dancing with mischief; it almost felt like she would be a meal more than just a guest.

"Alone once again, Sweet cheeks."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Not really. My father is only upstairs."

"We should go to my room then. It’s soundproof."

"Presumptuous of you to think it would be that easy."

Chase chortled. "I meant more for us to talk than anything. But if you want something more than that, just let me know. I have no problem obliging."

She fought the smile daring to show. He knew what he was doing and that he was good at making her feel this way. It felt natural to do this with him. It was like they just fell into that groove anytime they were present with each other. Remy couldn’t recall a time she felt this comfortable around someone.

But there were still things to discuss. Remy couldn’t tell her father that she had told Chase about the Dark Dimension. If Remy went to that room, she would discuss it further with him and make him see why Lykos asked the questions he did.

"Lead the way."

Chase’s smirk grew, and then he gave a nod. They stood from the table, and he led them to his room. It was on the lower floor of the packhouse, which she thought was unusual. Most Alphas took the top floor to signal their place in the hierarchy. It was in the front corner of the house, a door she noticed on the way in. It was closed, and she could feel the privacy of it since none of the others were closed on this floor. He opened the door with a key and let her into the room. It was decorated in dark colors for the dressers and bed but with a light green painted on the walls. It almost looked like a forest, and it made her smile. She heard the door close, and the lock click. Remy spun around with a growl in her throat. Chase put his hands up in surrender as his eyes widened at her.

"Sometimes people aren’t so respectable around here. I always lock it. Would you like me to keep it unlocked so you don’t feel trapped?" he said with his mouth, pushing the feeling of remorse through their bond.

Remy sighed. "No. I’m just still charged up from what happened."

Remy noticed he remained by the door so she could keep his eyes on him. Through the bond, he was feeling a little on edge. Chase was angry that someone attacked her, and he wasn’t around to help her through it. He was annoyed at how the whole kingdom seemed to be on edge, and simultaneously, he was aroused by Remy standing inside his bedroom. With a look around the room, she could get a sense that he was a private person. It was a massive room with a small kitchen off to the right, and another small room connected to it had a couch, two lounging chairs, and a table in the middle. There was a small wall that created a hallway with two doors. One seemed to be his actual bedroom as the door was open, and the other was a bathroom.

"I didn’t realize the entire hallway was the wall to this mini apartment."

"I need my own privacy, sometimes. It is difficult to run a pack all the time when your social battery can give out at any time. I don’t mind being the Alpha. I took it from someone who didn’t deserve the title. It’s just..."

She looked at him and finished the thought. "Sometimes you worry that you can’t really be there for them because you have had enough people for the day."

Chase chortled. "Exactly. Sometimes, I just want time to myself. You can’t pour from an empty cup."

Remy’s memory was jostled at the mention of the previous Alpha. She remembered hearing stories about Silver Ridge. The Alpha was atrocious. Sometimes, she heard her parents talking about what they heard going on there. The Alpha would kill his own members for insubordination. There were times he just killed them because he was irritated with them. Chase was right about that Alpha not deserving the title. If anything, he deserved to die.

Then, hearing how he needed his own space from his members. That was something she was concerned with after becoming a Luna. That would require her to listen to the pack members anytime they had an issue. Even on a day when she did not want to deal with anyone, she would need to listen to their problems. Part of being a good leader was being there for those who needed her. It was a relief to know that Chase felt the same way. He built his room inside his pack house to be his mini oasis away from the pack but still close by if a situation arose in which he was needed. If he could do that without his pack thinking less of him, why couldn’t she?

"That was always a fear of mine. Taking over my own pack and having to deal with everyone else’s problems day in and day out. I’ve seen my parents going through that. I’m not the type to be all hands in and be there for someone twenty-four-seven. Will I be there for my pack and the people I care about? Absolutely. But how can I take a break?"

Chase chuckled. "It’s not all bad. When you have a pack that runs like a well-oiled machine, it’s more often than not that you are just there for the occasional problem—the moments when they really need some sound advice or someone who can listen to what they have to say."

"What about the times where they need advice on something you have no idea about?" she asked him, almost embarrassed to bring it up.

Chase held out his arm to point toward the living area. Remy followed him and chose to sit on the couch. It was softer than she expected, and the fabric was a little plusher than she had thought it would be. Its deeper brown color made her think that, if children were running around in there, if they spilled something, it would go unnoticed. Chase sat down in one of the chairs to give her space instead of on the couch next to her. She felt the reasoning behind his decision and wanted to frown at him for walking on eggshells around her. But she knew it was to show her, even though he was an alpha, he could give her space if needed.

"Part of being a good leader is knowing who you can delegate tasks to. I know who can give great advice and who can’t—who’s a better handyman or even a better cook. I know my pack backwards and forwards, so when anyone needs something in the pack, and I can’t do it, I know exactly who can. You will, too, once you get to know your pack."

"So, it isn’t all on the Alpha and Luna to do everything?"

Chase lifted an eyebrow at her. "No. Think about it. If your parents didn’t delegate tasks, they would take on too much work. That’s not how a pack should run."

Remy shrugged. "I don’t know how they run the pack. I have been on that island for eighteen months. I don’t remember a whole lot before I went there, either. If something jostles the memory, then I can recall it. But I can’t seem to remember things. Like, on my own."

Remy noticed Chase’s jaw clench, and she could tell he was fighting himself to be on his best behavior. He was an Alpha. His job was to take care of his people. Even without their bond being complete, it was still there, and because of that, Remy was one of his people. Chase wanted to help her, but he wasn’t sure how.

"What do you remember?"

Remy sucked on her teeth. She hated trying to remember what happened. The headaches weren’t worth it sometimes.

"A white light. That’s it. Nothing before. Nothing after. Just a white light."

A grunt was all she heard. He didn’t like that answer. "I wonder what would happen if you tried to recall it right now."

"I would get a headache–correction. It would create a blinding, unbearable pain that causes all of my senses to be overwhelmed, and then I am a pain in the ass to deal with until it subsides."

Chase frowned at her. "I wonder if there is a chance that I can smell what is blocking you. From the sounds of it, you can’t remember because it is a spell blocking you from remembering. That ex-mate of yours knows a witch if I am thinking this through correctly."

Remy thought about it. Chase’s statement had merit. Anyone else she had talked to couldn’t figure out why she was experiencing this when trying to remember what happened to her. If it were a spell, that would make a lot of sense.

"I don’t like the idea of someone being able to put a spell on me, but this theory is the best I’ve heard so far."

Remy leaned her head against the couch, closed her eyes, and started thinking about the day she was rejected. Digging through her memories, she came up against a white wall. She tried to visualize being in front of someone and hearing the words I reject you. The white wall illuminated brighter the more she thought about it. She felt the pain starting at the base of her head as she tried to push for the memory to show itself. The same scent she smelled before filled her nose as the pain inside of her chest started to build. Within seconds, her head began to hurt like it always did when she tried to remember her rejection. Her forehead felt like it was going to split open, and she cried out in pain before she stopped trying to push. She felt Chase’s arms gather her against him, his scent and warmth wrapping around her. The pain from trying to remember slowly started to subside as Chase pushed through their bond to make her feel safe. Would he let her go? He was looking at her with concerned lines etched into his face. A rumble in his chest had Remy relaxing against his protective state. Then, a growl emitted from his throat, and it caused her to frown.

"Some bitterness seeped through while you did that to tell me my theory was correct. That ex-mate of yours knew a witch; they were there when he rejected you. You can’t remember because whoever it was spelled you to be unable to remember."

Remy growled. " So whoever my ex-mate was is the one behind this. I can’t remember because of him?"

Chase let her go so he could sit back down in his chair to give her space, " I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want you to remember who he is or why he rejected you. The whole point of rejecting somebody is to tell them why they are not suitable to be their mate, especially since, when you are rejected, you go to that island. Part of it is so you can work on yourself, so the mate can take you back once they are over, or have seen a change in what caused them to reject you in the first place."

"Not many were taken back, Chase. I was there for eighteen months. It was rare to see someone leave because their mate came back. Truth be told, I only saw it once. My friend Kaida’s mate came back for her. That was it."

"Still, that was the whole point of that island, so why would he cover up his reasons for rejecting you?"

Remy leaned back again and sighed. "I wish I knew."

Chase wasn’t saying anything. Remy looked up to find him sitting in the chair with a hurt expression. She wasn’t sure why he would look like that. Did she say something wrong?

"What’s wrong?" she asked him.

"Do you want him back or something? Why do you seem to be hurt about him rejecting you?"

Remy scrunched up her face, trying to understand how Chase got to that assumption. Was it because he misread her?

"Not at all! Why would I want to be with somebody who is covering up his tracks instead of explaining why he rejected me?"

"I don’t know. It feels like you wish you knew who rejected you here, like you wanted to be taken back or something because you were hurt by it all inside the bond."

Remy scrunched her face again. "I’m not hurt. I’m frustrated because it’s despicable that he did this. He rejected me and then covered it up so I wouldn’t know why. I don’t even know who he is! I’ve been racking my brain on who it could possibly be, but because my memory is blocked, I don’t even have an image of his face. I just have his scent. Whenever I try to remember, the only thing I get out of it is his scent of bergamot and cedar. That’s all."

Chase looked at her, confused. "You can smell him, but you can’t picture him? It’s almost like the spell isn’t even fully working on you. It was meant to block out the entire memory so you couldn’t figure out who he was. If you can remember his scent, then you would eventually be able to identify him."

"Not unless I run into him again."

"But now that you’re back in the kingdom, you would be able to do that. Does he know you’re back?"

"Doubtful. I assume he would have already found his way here to make sure I couldn’t remember who he was, which means I’d probably already know who he is by now if the spell isn’t working properly."

"Well, his plan is already faltering. He probably expected you to rot on the island and never figure out who he is."

Remy shook her head. "I guess he underestimated me."

Chase chuckled. "I think a lot of people underestimate you."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" she said with a hint of humor.

"You are this tiny force to be reckoned with. When I first saw you, I saw this tiny form dancing in the middle of a crowd. No one was hovering or seemed to want to protect you. They just wanted you to have fun. Then, after we figured out that we were mates, I noticed how you were completely comfortable speaking your mind without a care about the repercussions. It was clear to me that you were dominant with your attitude. From a distance, I didn’t get that. Anyone who looks at you would only see this small, fragile girl who needs protection. Instead, you are a dominant presence that takes no shit from anyone, including a potential mate, which brings me to the reason why I already hate this guy. Why reject somebody who could hold their own? Why reject a female who can help you run the pack, even in your absence? Lunas normally take the power or position from their mate, right? You are clearly an alpha, so you don’t even need his position to give you that power. That means he could leave on a business trip, and the pack would still run smoothly because of how dominant you are, and he wouldn’t have to worry about anything. That is something every alpha looks for in a mate. Except this guy."

Chase was making several good points. She wondered, momentarily, if telling him she was a Meta Wolf would be a good idea. Since there had not been one of her kind in a long time, no one really liked the idea of the power she could wield. It could be threatening to a potential mate.

Maybe I should tell him.

"Full transparency?"

Chase nodded.

"I am a Meta Wolf. I can shift my Lycan form in ways others can’t. It gives me an extra power boost along with being dominant. I believe all Meta Wolves end up being super dominant before the power of the Meta takes hold. It needs that power to push through the shifts as quickly as I can."

Chase’s eyes widened. "You can shift instantly?"

"Yes, and on either four legs or two."

He smiled. "No wonder you feel more powerful than any Alpha I’ve met. That makes so much sense. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it more and figure that out."

She lifted her eyebrows. "You aren’t intimidated?"

He laughed. "Hell no. I’m impressed. Like I said, I didn’t want a fragile mate that needed care. Do I want to take care of her? Yes. That’s part of me being an Alpha. I need to take care of what is mine, but I didn’t want to worry about her every second of the day because she couldn’t take care of herself. That shit is annoying, and I’m beyond glad you’re nothing like that."

She smiled at him. It was refreshing to hear someone impressed by her ability instead of intimidated by it. Other members of her pack feel slightly intimidated by her presence due to her ability. Mostly, it was the ones who were lower in the hierarchy, but it still dampened her being around people when she noticed.

Chase beckoned to her with his hand. "Come here."

It wasn’t a command but a simple request. Remy debated if she wanted to comply but felt a little daring. Slowly, she got off the counter and walked over to him sitting on the chair. There was enough room on either side of his legs for her to straddle him, so she did. Chase emitted a little growl. She could tell he hadn’t expected her to do this. He figured she would come to him, sure, but he didn’t anticipate her straddling him.

He put his hands on her face, pushing the strands of her pink hair away so he could look at her. His hands were warmer than before, and she relaxed against them.

"I want to tell you right now that nothing will make me not want you. I don’t care if you are more powerful than me or if you can shift willingly instead of taking five minutes. I want this between us. I’m sorry that you don’t fully trust that because of the asshole before me. I can feel the hesitancy, and I know it stems from what he did to you. That’s fine. We can take this as slow or as fast as you want. But just know, when you are ready, I will not hesitate to claim you."

His words were the most reassuring thing she had felt since coming back to the kingdom. Tears stung her eyes as the feeling of safety overwhelmed her. It was the last thing she’d expected to feel, but she was wholly transfixed now that she had it. She wanted this between them, too. The only thing stopping her now was trying to keep peace inside the kingdom. If she accepted the bond between her and Chase, she would have to move to the Silver Ridge Pack. Pack Law would not care that she wanted to keep her old pack safe. It dictated an immediate move once the bond was complete. If she left the pack, then they could be a bigger target. That was something she wouldn’t be able to live with.

"I didn’t mean to make you think you had to decide now. I’m okay with waiting. I just wanted to clear some things up."

Having a bond with someone simplified things. They could read through the bond what their mate thought or felt, making communication easier to navigate. Remy didn’t have to tell Chase she wasn’t ready to complete the bond. He got that as she thought things through. She didn’t need to think of how to tell him she wasn’t ready and why. He got the overall feeling of not being ready.

But she wanted to show him that she wanted him, too. If there were one bond she would want to complete, it would be the one with him. He had been the one to show her that her last mate was an idiot. Remy may not have done anything wrong to warrant the rejection other than be more powerful than him. Chase didn’t care about that. He just wanted her and everything that came with her. She had spilled information about why she was reluctant to the bond, but she still wanted to complete it. If he could see her at a low point, he deserved her at a high one.

Remy leaned down and pressed her lips against his. She felt Chase tense up from not expecting her to be so forward, but then he relaxed. His hands slid down to her hips and pulled her into him. Remy took that as the go-ahead to deepen the kiss. She moaned as the passion of the kiss grew, and his hands slid under her shirt. She could feel a sizzling sensation from his touch against her skin, and it made her move her hands from his chest down to his stomach. Once she lifted his shirt a little to press her hands against him, Chase pushed himself forward to make the fabric easier to manipulate.

What the hell? The room is soundproof.

It didn’t take much effort to lift the shirt completely off him. Chase broke the kiss and lifted his arms so she could, immediately capturing her lips again once he was free of it. Remy got a glimpse of his body beforehand, but she realized now just how muscled Chase was. Chase pushed her leather jacket off her shoulders and then moved to her shirt. Remy did the same as he had for her to get the shirt off. She leaned in to kiss him again, but he leaned back and looked at her. She was wearing a black lacy bra that pushed up her breasts a little. Chase scanned her body and sighed.

"And here I thought you’d be wearing pink."

She smirked. "Shut up."

He looked up at her, and she saw the question passing through his face. To answer it, she just kissed him again. Chase got the message and lifted her and himself off the chair. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. The hand on her ass tightened as she ran a nail down the back of his neck. The shudder that went down his spine made her smile.

"If you do that again, your clothes may not survive this." He told her as he walked into his bedroom.

Remy thought about it. "I have more clothes in the car."

Chase growled, throwing her onto the bed. "Don’t tempt me."

Remy lengthened her claws and wiggled them at him. "Tempt."

Chase smirked before grabbing her ankles and dragging her closer to the edge. "That wasn’t a dare," he told her as he put his hands on either side of her to hover over her. His knees separated hers, and he moved his hips to press himself against her, "What do you want Sweet cheeks?"

"You."

He leaned down and nipped her neck. A shiver ran through her from the sensation it gave her. She could feel her soul reaching out to him inside the bond. She needed his touch, his kiss, his everything.

"All of me?"

Remy hesitated. She knew what he was asking, and that was a bit more than she wanted. "Not yet," she said.

His chest rumbled, and then he kissed where he nipped. "You’re the boss."

He kissed her again, and this one that made her toes curl. He unbuttoned her shorts and moved the zipper down. He only stopped long enough to peel her shorts and underwear from her body, and then he went back to kissing her. Their hands explored each other, touching everywhere they could. Chase lifted her again to move her back on the bed, and she felt his weight against her. The feeling of skin against skin sent a wave of need through her, and then his hardness pressed against her sensitive clit. The rough fabric from his jeans had her wiggling her hips to get more of him. Chase moved his mouth down her jaw and onto her neck as she used her claws to unhook his button. She felt Chase chuckle against her skin, and his laugh’s vibrations made her stomach flip. He moved only enough to see his face. The playful smile on his lips made her heart skip a beat.

"Who said it was my turn?" he breathed before kissing her stomach.

"Last time, it was all about me."

"So?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Your turn?"

"Oh no. I don’t need one. I just need you."

He kissed every inch of her. Each time his lips pressed against her skin, Remy wanted him more. Whatever way he liked it, she didn’t care. She just needed him. Through the bond, she pushed her need into him to make him end her misery. He got the message. Chase was suddenly on top of her again and inside of her. She gasped as she felt her walls adjusting to his size. The chuckle returned, and he kissed her nose.

"Mine," he told her.

She wiggled underneath him, and his eyes dilated as he sucked in a breath. He growled at her before he kissed her. A scrape of his teeth against her lip made her wiggle again. She looked into his brown eyes. His eyes reflected for a moment, his Lycan peeking through to look at her. She smiled at him, knowing what he wanted to hear.

"Yours. All yours."

He kissed her again and rocked his hips. Remy moved hers with him, feeling the coiling of pleasure building inside of her. Chase took his time as a patient hunter to find all her buttons. She cried out his name as the first orgasm rocked through her, and Chase picked up his speed to intensify it. When she relaxed as it subsided, Chase hunted for the next spot. Each time he felt her legs tighten around him, he adjusted his angle or speed to bring her to a new high until he thoroughly had her panting and nearly a pile of goo under him. He seemed satisfied, then pushed her legs toward her chest and rammed his hard cock into her. Remy screamed each time he thrust into her until she heard him grunt against her. He let her legs go, moved his body aside, and pulled her against his chest. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his amber and oak scent. She smelled a hint of magic that carried her scent into his. The bond inside her clenched as it stitched together more than before. A small opening between the stitches was there, signaling that the only step left was the marking.

"I feel it, too," he told her.

"What does it mean?" she asked him, trying not to panic.

"It means I am yours, and you are mine. That’s all. You might carry my scent, but I’m not sure."

She sighed. "Great."

"I could ask your father to pursue you, so it takes some of the stress of ’us’ off you."

"No," she said too curtly. Chase peered down at her, and she closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. She didn’t want to hurt him. "Maybe I’ll just tell him what’s going on and explain that I will accept this when the disputes are over."

Chase pulled her tighter against him, "Whatever you think is best. I just need to know you aren’t going to turn your back on this."

Remy rolled on top of him. Chase put his hands on her hips and waited for her to talk. His being this patient was helping her not fall into a full-blown panic attack.

"I wouldn’t have gone this far if I had planned on that. I came here when I needed someone to help. I could have gone home or moved on to the next pack on our list, but I didn’t." She grimaced at her explanation. It wasn’t coming out right at all.

The small smile on his face told her she didn’t fuck up too bad, though. "I’ll follow your lead. How about that?"

Remy nodded, afraid of saying something that could be taken wrong. She wiggled her hips again and smiled down at him. "Tempt?"

Chase laughed before throwing her back down on the bed.

I’ll worry about everything else tomorrow. Right now, it’s all about Chase.