15. Remy

Chapter fifteen

Remy

Myles led her to an office and sat down behind a desk. Remy assumed she wouldn’t have to sit in the chair before him. The only good thing was that he did not lock the door. She could leave the room and alert her father if things went sideways. Considering they had encountered some berserk Lycans already, she liked knowing she had that option.

As much as she hoped that Miles would allow her to leave without having this conversation, she knew that they would need to have it. If this man was meant to be a mate of hers, they had a lot to discuss. She didn’t know how long she had before her father would be looking for her, so Remy hoped Myles would keep this short.

The room was blander than the rest of the home. The wall was white, but the desk was the same shade of orange as the table in the dining area. There were no decorations on the wall, but everything was immaculately organized. Remy could see that his hands were on his lap as he leaned back in his chair. She didn’t know if this was an intimidation tactic or if he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say. Either way, she wasn’t happy that he pulled her away from her father and Bryan. No matter how powerful she was, she didn’t like being in these situations, especially when people are falling back into the Old Ways and going berserk.

"What do you want?" She said the words without thinking.

His eyes flashed to his Lycan’s. That could either mean he liked hearing her take control, or he wasn’t happy about having a dominant woman in the room.

Some Lycans can’t stand that.

"I believe you understand that there is a bond between us."

Remy rolled her eyes. "I noticed that right after it was created. I guess it took you a little longer to figure it out. Good on you. I’m glad to see the Goddess gave me such a smart mate."

Muscles flexed in his neck and shoulders. He didn’t like the insult. Remy didn’t care.

"I assume we must have touched each other somehow the last time I was on your territory."

Remy fought the urge to clap and told him he was a good boy for figuring that out, too.

"Do you understand the entirety of what a mate bond consists of?" he asked her.

It was easy to see he was being condescending because she was, but that didn’t stop her from getting mad about it. She already didn’t like how he was trying to handle their prior meeting, and this was not much better. She didn’t know what was shoved up his ass, but it really needed to be dislodged before he hurt himself.

"I do. It means I am tethered to someone who has a stick lodged up his ass, and I have to help him dislodge it before other pack members notice and revolt against the Alpha."

Myles growled. "Do you think this is a game?"

"No. I think you need to approach me with respect, or you are going to continue to get shit thrown back at you."

He was fighting a smile. She could see it, but instead of letting it shine through, the man narrowed his eyes at her more.

"A mate bond is a sacred thing, especially when it is a Fated Mate bond. That is a gift from the Goddess, and it needs to be cherished."

Remy nodded. "Yes, I was given this spiel as a teenager. I’m not exactly sure why you are trying to give me the same one my mother gave me."

Myles cracked his neck. "Maybe because I am trying to understand why the Goddess has given me a pup with no life experience as a mate. I need a Luna to help me wrangle these damn Lycans before they get themselves killed, and you are so young you probably barely have control over your beast."

Remy snarled and slammed her hand down onto the desk. "You know nothing about me or my life. I have more control over my Lycan than most of the beasts I’ve encountered. You just have that stick shoved so far up your ass that you can’t see straight. I am the future leader of my fucking territory, and you think I am too naive to understand what that entails. I have been groomed for my position since birth. When did you even gain control of this territory? Within the last eighteen months, I assume, since before I lived on an island full of outcasts, you were not the Alpha."

Myles’ eyebrows were nearly inside his hairline, which told Remy he really didn’t know anything about her. Did anyone know that she had been on that island for the last year and a half, outside of her ex-mate and pack?

"I am also not naive enough to argue with a pack Alpha extending a helping hand during a time of crisis. Have you been attacked by the idiots who don’t understand the Old Ways were abolished for a reason? I’ve been in two tussles with them since I have come home A WEEK AGO. I am the one who is joining my father in trying to create peace in this kingdom. You are the one going to another person’s territory and demanding for that Alpha to hand over part of their territory just like the other assholes."

Myles leaned forward. "I see your father can’t keep his mouth shut about issues between him and other Alphas."

Remy smirked. "Nope, he didn’t say a word. I saw it with my own damn eyes. You can’t comprehend how arguing inside a highly trafficked hallway was a stupid mistake. Any of the pack could have stumbled into that."

Jaw clenched again. She nailed it. She waited for him to say something. Myles sat in his chair, still leaning forward, with his eyes narrowed. Remy leaned back and changed the expression on her face to show her boredom.

"Tell me. Does your father know you are sleeping around with other Alphas?" It was difficult to keep the same expression on her face. How the hell did he know that? "Did you really think I would not smell him on you? For a future pack leader, I would assume you understood that sleeping around was not the political way to gain alliances."

Myles looked smug. He thought he had her right where he wanted her. Little did he know, he had it all wrong.

Ha. Time to pop that bubble.

"Chase Monroe is my Fated Mate."

Myles’ face fell. He didn’t expect that at all. The Alpha really thought he could use Chase’s scent on her as a way to shame her. Remy wasn’t ashamed one bit. Even if Chase wasn’t her mate, it didn’t matter. She was her own person and could make the decisions she wanted. A leader wouldn’t have been ashamed, either. That decision was to grow closer with the mate who wanted a bond with her. No one would find this out of the norm, even if this information got out. Some Lycans still chose to build a relationship with their mate before completing the bond. It would have made for a stronger bond if that had been done.

"You are fated to the Alpha of the Silver Ridge Pack?"

"You catch on quick."

"You are also fated to me."

"Mhmm."

"How is that possible?"

"Damned if I know."

Myles leaned back in his chair but wouldn’t meet her eyes. There wasn’t much readable on his face. He was certainly shocked by it all. Hell, she was shocked, too. There was still no reason given about why she was given multiple mates, but he needed to know, if he wanted to pursue this further, she would not reject Chase. If anyone were rejected, it would be him. Chase was at least treating her like a person. Not some kid who didn’t know why he was given a young mate. That wasn’t the question to ask at all. It should have been, "Why was I given a mate like you?" Or something along those lines. She wasn’t asking the Goddess why she was given an asshole for a mate. Remy was asking, "Why am I given multiple mates?"

"You mean to tell me that I have to share you with someone else?"

His voice startled her. She didn’t expect it to be calm or have a hint of hurt in it. He was still not asking a question she wanted to answer. That kind of question would not be a simple explanation since she didn’t know why she was given multiples in the first place.

"Yes."

"I won’t do it."

It felt like a slap in the face. What did he mean? He wouldn’t allow their bond to move further, or he would challenge Chase to be her mate. That was also an issue within the kingdom. If someone didn’t find their Fated Mate, they could choose one they felt was suited for them. If two men wanted the same woman, they could challenge the other for the title. That was something else she didn’t like about Lycan politics. Why fight to the death over a woman? Shouldn’t it be the woman’s choice of who she wanted to bond herself to?

"You won’t do what?"

"I won’t share you with another man. That is not how mate bonds work. It is a special bond between one man and one woman. It was never meant to be shared among multiple men to one woman or even one man with multiple women. There is something wrong here. Are you completing a Chosen Mate bond with him?"

Remy looked at him with a scrunched face. "Did I stutter or something when I said I was Fated to Chase Monroe?"

"That isn’t possible."

"Apparently, it is. I am living proof that it is. I have a bond with you and a separate one with him."

There is no need to tell him there is a third mate bond to someone I don’t even know yet.

"That isn’t possible." He repeated.

"Again, it is. Clearly, it is. You can smell him on me. We haven’t completed the bond yet, and I already share his scent."

"You had sex with him," he deadpanned.

Remy shrugged. "Kind of hard not to be with a fated mate. The pull is there whether you want it to be or not."

"This is not what I wanted for myself. If I am to have a fated mate, she is to be mine, not someone else’s."

"Then you don’t need to be with me. I am not rejecting Chase. We have already built on our bond, and it would be more painful for me to break it. That’s not going to happen."

"Remy Howell, I reject you as my Fated Mate and future Luna."

The bond inside of her snapped, and Remy screamed from the pain. It radiated down through her body before sending another surge into her chest. She was doubled over in the chair from it, tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t sad about this happening. If anything, she was relieved. The tears did not show her weakness, as it was an involuntary response to the pain. However, Myles seemed to think it was due to sadness.

"I cannot have a Luna who is willing to be with multiple mates. How would that even work? You would need to spread yourself over two packs. Three, if you choose not to leave the Great Plains. That is a weakness that my pack does not need, not with it going to shit the way it is. The Great Plains does not need more power than it already has. I will keep the alliance but not join it to give Lykos that power."

Remy pulled her head up to glare at him. He was wrong if he thought that would make her feel better about this. She did not really care about the bond being severed. The thought of rejecting him had crossed her mind anyway. He was trying to rationalize her to be more powerful by having more mates. She would gain more power if she had two alpha mates than any other Luna. He had shown her he was not ready for her to be his mate. This was going to be his mistake, not hers.

"I expected more from you. As an Alpha, you would think you’d bring as much power to your pack as you could. A Luna who is also an Alpha in her own right? That kind of power could have pushed your pack to a new ranking among our people. You would have been on the same level as the Great Plains. You are an idiot for not seeing it that way." Remy stood up and straightened herself to show him how this did not affect her. "I accept your rejection. I will not allow someone to see me as a weakness when I am anything but weak. You, sir, are the weak one. If you had thought through this entire day while my father and I were here, you would have walked away as a hero to your people. You are lucky that I have a soft spot for children, and I will not allow them to go hungry or without protection. As the future Alpha of the Great Plains Pack, I will still see that your people are well-fed and protected. For their sake, not yours. Good day to you, Alpha Myles. I will not say it has been a pleasure."

Remy turned on her heel and walked toward the door. She kept her eyes forward, not to give him any satisfaction in making her feel this was a mistake. If anything, it was the best decision she’d made today.

"You cannot be the future of anything while you are on that Gods forsaken island."

Remy tipped her head back and laughed. The sound made her skin crawl because of how evil it sounded. Knowing she would never have to return to that island again brought her a new level of joy. With the barrier down, no one could keep anyone there. When she turned to face Myles, he seemed to also feel the darkness from her laugh. Her face went from a look of contentment to pure joy.

"The barrier to keep those who were rejected is now destroyed. Those sent to that island can now live among their own people how they see fit. I plan to bring it to Fenry so that if someone is rejected from their pack, they could request to move to another one. I was already there for eighteen months while a dipshit of an ex sent me there. Fenry has already been sent a letter to explain my return. No one will make anyone go there again."

He blinked at her with confusion. "That’s not possible."

"Oh honey, you have no idea what is possible. If you were smart enough, you’d realize the power that I now hold. If you had gotten to know me before you passed judgment, you would have found out how I know who destroyed that barrier and that she is a powerful ally to have at my back. You will speak to no one about this encounter. You will not breathe a word about our bond and how you rejected it. If you do, I will see to it that you are the one to blame for destroying your pack."

"Is that a threat?" Myles snarled.

Remy pursed her lips together. "Oh no, sweetheart. That’s a promise. You will be the downfall of this pack if you continue to be in your own way. This did not have to go the way it did. YOU were the reason it did. I’d talk to someone about all that pent-up anger and hatred before someone in this pack decides you aren’t the best fit as Alpha. I assume that’s how you took control of this pack. Remember, you aren’t the only one who can do that."

It was a purposeful act to calmly close the door behind her when Remy stepped into the hallway. Lykos and Bryan were there waiting for her, both sharing the same look of confusion and wanting answers. Remy bowed her head, held up a finger, and breathed in.

"I’ll tell you about it in the car. Let’s move on to the next pack we need to see."

Myles didn’t chase after her. When they pulled out of the driveway, he wasn’t looking out the window in his office or standing on the porch. It could mean he was ashamed of his actions, or he just didn’t care. Either way, Remy would rather chew her own arm off than go back into that house and talk to him. Myles made his bed. He could now lie in it.

He can, literally, go fuck himself.