23. Remy

Chapter twenty-three

Remy

Remy’s stomach dropped to her feet when she saw the blackness in her brother’s eyes. A growl crept up in her throat at the idea that Kodi was under the influence of the Dark Dimension. She sniffed the air again, trying to find a trace of the dimension in her vicinity. There was no sure way of how the Dark Dimension took over a person. On the island, she did know they needed to breathe in the black mist that seeped into their dimension. A look around the room told her there was no mist in there.

I must keep my eyes peeled for it throughout the house and property. How is he still acting like he always did?

The same happened on the island. No one knew they were under the influence until they were ticked off and lost control.

Her Lycan was correct. There was no telling until they lost control. If she wanted to keep the dimension from taking over her brother entirely, she would need to ensure no one pissed off Kodi.

How the hell do I keep an Alpha Lycan from losing control of their temper?

Beats me.

Kodi continued to talk about how he had brought the pack together, and they were working well together. It had taken time, especially after Morgana died, for that to happen, but he did it. The next thing she needed to do was tell her father and Bryan not to piss off Kodi. Lykos was listening intently while Bryan slowly positioned himself to see the door. She could understand why. The last time they had their back to the door, a pack attacked them, but she also needed to know if the rest of the pack was under the influence.

"Hey, Kodi, sorry to interrupt, but is there a bathroom on this floor?"

Kodi blinked, and Remy couldn’t see any of the black in his eyes anymore. He nodded and told her directions to the bathroom. Remy planned on "getting lost" in the home to check on the rest of the house for the dimensions. She closed the door behind her to give them privacy and made her way through the house. No one seemed to be inside, and she couldn’t hear anyone upstairs. With it being nighttime, she found it odd but continued her search. She remembered how Kaida described the mist she combated. From its looks, the home had no trace of dimension. How it infected her brother would be more complex than she thought.

Maybe it is at that altar...Morgana was a Witch. The Witches are why the dimension is open in the first place.

Good plan. How do you suppose we get to that altar without your brother finding out?

Remy growled. I have no idea. Maybe we can ask him to show us that altar tomorrow.

When she walked back into the room, being sure to use the restroom before returning in case anyone was spying on her, the men seemed to be in the same mood as when she left. That was good news. When they were settled into their rooms, Remy planned on telling them about her seeing the dimension in Kodi’s eyes and her plan. Kodi noticed her walking in and told them it was getting late and that he would show them to their rooms.

"Where is everyone? I haven’t heard anyone moving around in here." The words blurted out of her mouth before she thought it through. If she implied that he didn’t know where his pack was, Kodi could lose his temper—precisely what she was trying to avoid.

Kodi smiled instead. "We have a curfew in this house. Lights out by 10 p.m. unless you are on patrol. Those you saw with me were the ones on patrol. So, the pack is in their assigned rooms. The one good thing about Morgana was that she spelled each room to be fully soundproof. You won’t hear a sound while people are in their rooms—just on this floor."

Well, it could have been worse.

They had to share a room. Considering the home was built for the population at the time, the rooms were limited. There was one guest room, and that was where Kodi led them. It was a suite on the top floor. There were two beds and a pull-out couch in the small area that wasn’t the bedroom. Kodi’s room was apparently similar but also had a kitchenette. Remy was impressed that this was what her brother had available for guests since they didn’t even have this kind of room for their guests in the Great Plains.

Once Kodi left and went to his own room, Remy locked the door behind her.

"We need to talk."

Lykos and Bryan looked at her with alarm. They glanced at each other before sitting down on the couch.

"What’s wrong, Rem?" her father asked her.

Remy sighed. She wasn’t sure where to begin, but they needed to know how to proceed with Kodi to keep everyone safe. "I think the Dark Dimension is influencing Kodi. I noticed a few black spots inside his eyes while talking to him. I remember being on the island when people started going berserk. All of them had those black spots in their eyes."

Lykos growled. "How are we supposed to move forward? Is Kodi going to die? Will we have to fight this entire pack off because he is under the influence? How does it affect the pack bonds?"

Lykos’ rapid-fire questions were hard to follow, and she didn’t even have many answers. "I don’t know exactly. All I know is there seems to be a correlation between anger and going berserk while somebody is under the influence of the dark dimension. If we do not want to fight for our lives again, we must keep Kodi calm."

"How are we supposed to do that? Our lives aren’t exactly easy right now. At any moment, another pack could be trying to take over this pack with the rate things are going," Bryan told them.

"Well, the good news seems to be that no one knows about this pack being here. Maybe that witch spelled it so no one knew about this area. If we are lucky, then we don’t have to worry about that at least," Remy said.

"What about the rest of the pack? If the dark dimension can take over Kodi, can it take over the rest of the pack just because he is their alpha?"

Remy shrugged. "I really wish I knew the answer, but I don’t. I know that when my friend was under the influence of it, it did not go to her mates. Maybe that means it won’t go to the rest of the pack."

Bryan nodded. "We better hope that the moon goddess can keep that away from the rest of the pack."

"What are we going to do about Kodi? Is there a way for us to abolish its ties to him?" Lykos asked her.

"I’m not exactly sure how we would be able to do that. It’s not like we have my friend’s magic to eliminate it. I’m not sure how her magic destroyed the dark dimension in the first place. Neither is she for that matter."

Lykos looked uneasy. He looked at the floor and then at the wall. He didn’t want to meet Remy’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure why. "What if I force him to join our pack? Maybe the ties to us, since we’re not influenced by the dimension, can break the dimension’s hold on him."

Bryan’s neck cracked from how fast he looked at their Alpha. "What if that causes the dimension to spread into our bonds? That doesn’t sound like the best option."

"Yeah, Dad. No offense, but I don’t like that plan."

"Then what do we do?"

Remy sighed again. There wasn’t much they could do. They needed to find out if Kodi knew he had the dimension inside him. If anything, it could be from residual effects of his mateship with the Witch. Remy suggested they go to sleep and tackle this tomorrow after some rest. She didn’t want to bring up the altar yet. That would cause Lykos and Bryan to go into the woods to find it. She didn’t see that ending well if the pack was influenced by the dimension and caught them on the territory just snooping around. So, instead of fretting over the possibilities, they all agreed to take shifts sleeping until the morning. If something happened, there would at least be someone awake to protect the others.

Good times keep coming.

The following day came quickly. Nothing exciting happened, and the three of them rested. Lykos made Remy go back to sleep during her turn to be the watch, and she didn’t fight him. Over the last two weeks, she needed the rest. Once they got their showers and dressed, they walked down the stairs to the main floor. The scent of breakfast hit their noses, and drool spilled out from Remy’s lips. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she heard her stomach rival her growls.

The spread was like the other packs’. Everything was in large bowls or splayed along a long table for people to eat buffet style. There were pitchers of juice at the end of the table with glasses for people to grab. None of them hesitated to fill their plates and glasses. They all needed the food to help with their magic well to shift. If any past incidents with packs told them anything, it was to prepare for the worst.

I appreciate the food and juice, but would it kill a pack to have some coffee? I could go for some real caffeine after all we’ve been through the last few days.

Remy filled her plate with more bacon and sausage than anything, needing all the protein she could get, and settled for a glass of apple juice despite her desperation for caffeinated bean juice. As she ate, she watched the pack for indications that they were infected with the dimension like her brother. A lot of the pack stopped to introduce themselves after hearing Lykos. She was Kodi’s family, and Bryan was his Beta. They all seemed happy with their current lives, and from what Remy could see, there was no black swimming in their eyes. If Kodi was the only one infected, that would pose better news than the alternative. It meant only one would go berserk instead of the whole pack.

But it is also the Alpha of the pack who has more power than others, and I can see only himself. If the goddess wanted me to understand this dimension with everything she was throwing at me, I could have done without that.

Maybe it is to allow you to break the dimension’s hold.

Yet I have no idea how to break it.

You might want to figure that out if Kodi is one wrong moment away from going berserk.

Tell me about it.

Kodi walked into the room and scanned it before getting himself a plate. None of the pack sat with them, but Kodi grabbed a pile of eggs and bacon before sitting next to their father. He shoveled the food into his mouth without looking up at them. Remy tried to look nonchalant as she positioned herself to see his eyes better, but Lykos shot her a look that told her she had failed at that mission.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Hey, I have a question, Kodi."

Kodi grunted, which she guessed meant that she could ask the question.

"You mentioned Morgana having an altar in the woods. Could you take us to see it?"

His head jerked up, and his green eyes narrowed on her. She wasn’t sure what that look meant, but it didn’t feel pleasant.

"Why do you want to see it?"

"We’ve been dealing with a lot of shit during our travels. There is something called the Dark Dimension, and it has spilled into ours. It was started by some Witches in their kingdom, from what a friend of mine assumes. While on Reject Island, I saw firsthand what this dimension can do. I wondered if I could see it because I knew what it smelled like. The dimension has been causing a lot of people to return to the Old Ways, and-"

"And you think the woman I loved and shared my life with was why it opened?" he snarled.

Remy stared into his eyes. There was no chance she would drop her eyes before he did, proving to him that he was more dominant than her. Her Lycan wouldn’t allow it, even though they both knew it would be harmful to set Kodi off. This was important as she wanted to stay cordial with her brother.

"I have no idea who Morgana was or if she was the cause of all this. I highly doubt it because, with the information I have, she would need to be pretty damn powerful to open it, or even open a small portion of it, here, but she could have been with the coven that opened it, which could give me some clue to send to my friend to ask for advice on defeating this."

Kodi didn’t say anything but continued to stare. Lykos then took point and decided to fill Kodi in on their adventures.

"Let me get this straight. A dimension has been opened, and it is spilling into our own. Because that is happening, it’s causing people to lose control of themselves, which also means their animal counterparts. That has caused a lot of people to die, and people have been attacking you guys throughout your trip. Now you believe Morgana was part of the coven that opened this dimension and could have infected me and my pack."

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. When I lived on that island, I saw it firsthand. My friend was the only person who could destroy this stuff. It was weird because my friend, Adrien, a Witch, had no idea how to defeat it, but Kaida could. There is so much going on that we don’t even know. I’m waiting to hear from my friends to know what their kingdoms are going through, but we haven’t been home to get the letters. Until then, I want to gather as much information as possible."

Kodi’s eyes were still narrowed on her. "And you think Morgana’s altar would give you information?"

"I can at least see if I can smell whether or not the dimension has been around here."

"What will the scent even tell you?"

Remy felt her irritation flow through her. She wasn’t sure why he was fighting this so hard. This was logical in understanding an opponent. That was something Lykos taught them as kids. Get all the information you can about your opponent. What they look like, how they are as people, what part of the hierarchy they are within their pack, and what their scent is. The more you know about them, the better your chance of defeating them. Kodi knew this just as much as she did.

Looks like I have to remind him.

"The more you know about your opponent, the greater your odds of defeating them. This dimension is nothing like anything we have ever seen. How it can take someone over is scary. A dragon almost killed their mate, Kodi. Their fated mate. You know just as much as I do that it is the most important fucking thing to learn as much as you can. Why the hell are you fighting me on this?"

Lykos frowned at her. It was their mission to keep Kodi from losing his temper. Remy had lost hers incredibly. Lykos knew that the moment she started swearing. When she was being diplomatic, she could curb her language. However, the moment she lost control of her temper, the more the swear words came out.

Kodi growled. "Because you came into my territory, and it seems like you are trying to call the shots. Why do you think you can do that? I am fairly sure your Alpha has taught you to be better than that. Or did you lose common sense about our ways and flutter out of your head while on that island?"

"You know for a damn fact that is not what is happening here! Something made you snap Morgana’s neck. It wasn’t just because she wanted you all to yourself. You are a better man than that. You saw something in her, something dark. You knew that if you allowed that darkness to touch the rest of the pack, then you would be worse than the damn rogues."

Kodi slammed his hand on the table and leaned forward to get closer to Remy. His snarl filled the room as his power rose. Remy felt her power bubble to the surface and stared into his eyes. No more playing games. If he wanted to have this dumbass battle, then so be it.

"You know nothing about Morgana. You are assuming that she was linked to that vile coven. You want me to believe she was a part of it so I will resent her more! I will not stand for you to talk that way about my damn mate. I killed her because there is no room for narcissism in this pack. We had enough issues going on!"

Lykos kept his voice calm. "Son, if you killed her because she was being selfish, that doesn’t sound like you had a handle on your temper. If she was a Chosen Mate, your Lycan would not have allowed you to kill her just because of something so trivial."

Kodi glared at Lykos. "Now you are assuming what happened."

Remy thought about why Kodi would be mad about this. He felt they believed she was a part of this coven just from the story he told last night. That wasn’t it at all. If she had an altar, she had a place to practice her magic away from the pack. The pack may not have been there when she first created the altar, but it could be where she kept her practice hidden. Was that a guaranteed thing? No. But if Morgana happened to practice dark magic, it could link her to the coven who opened the gateway to the Dark Dimension.

Unless he saw something in her that day, maybe he saw what we fear.

Another thought crossed her mind. What if Kodi saw the black swimming in her eyes? That would have been scary, even if he knew what it meant. No one knew what it meant until people started going berserk. That happened on the island, and it wasn’t until Adrien revealed her knowledge of the Dark Dimension that they understood what it was.

"You saw the black swimming in her eyes, didn’t you?"

Kodi’s face turned to stone. His jaw clenched, and she saw the tears forming at the edge of his eyelids. Remy hit the nail on the head. He did see it in her eyes.

"If that happened, you know her actions weren’t hers now. You feel guilty for killing her when you could have helped her."

Kodi’s hands clenched on the table, his knuckles turning white as the room filled with his power and rage. They may not have been able to stop Kodi from getting angry. They tried to talk to him calmly, but the conversation was doomed.

A roar filled the room as Kodi opened his mouth. Remy noticed his body lower as if he were bending his knees. He was going to launch himself at her for mentioning how he felt. She may have been too correct with that. Remy called on her Lycan, and she was already positioned for the shift if needed. This could turn bloody without knowing how to rid Kodi of the dimension. She wasn’t willing to kill her brother, and she was damn sure Lykos wasn’t willing to kill his son.

Lykos jumped off his seat and into Kodi before Remy could blink. Kodi landed on the ground with a thud, and Bryan was on top of Kodi, too, to keep him down. Remy wasn’t sure what to do next as she watched the two men struggle to keep the young Alpha on the ground. The Dark dimension added strength to Kodi, giving him even more of an edge than normal. If Remy didn’t think of what to do quickly, Lykos would have no choice but to kill Kodi to save them all.

The pack swarmed the room but didn’t make a move toward them. Some huge male filled a doorway and frowned at what he was witnessing. Remy called for them to stand back, pushing her power and the pack’s strength into her words to make them listen. She knew none of them matched her power and dominance, so it was likely they would listen.

Break the pack bonds and force a bond with our pack.

What? No! He is an Alpha. That is more difficult than you think!

It’s the only way to save his life. He needs power to stop the dimension from taking him right now. He is shifting! It will be harder to keep his Lycan down on the ground if you allow him to shift entirely.

Remy looked and saw that what her Lycan had said was true. Kodi was shifting. He screamed in agony because the shift wasn’t pleasant on any day. Adding people pushing him down onto the ground and still touching his skin while it was sensitive was a whole other issue.

Do I need to pull him into the pack?

Yes. It will give the dimension too much power to take over.

Remy ran over and put her hands on her brother’s head. His face was already converting to Lycan’s snout, and she needed to watch where it was so she didn’t get bitten. Once her hands were placed on his temples, Remy pushed her power into Kodi. His body went still to give her the time she needed. Her hands shook as she found the words she needed to say to make this ritual happen. Remy shifted one finger into a Lycan’s claw and opened the other palm of her hand. Blood beaded on her palm, and she put it over his mouth.

"Kodi Howell, open your mouth and receive this blood." Kodi obeyed. Remy squeezed her hand and watched her blood drip into his mouth. "What is mine is yours, and yours is mine. You will be accepted into this pack with this blood and become theirs."

Remy poured her power into the words and put her not-cut hand on his forehead, pushing the power into his body. Kodi’s body naturally reacted, and she could see him swallowing her blood. If he said the words to complete the ritual, it would also bring Kodi and his pack into the Great Plains pack. She kept her hand over his mouth until the cut healed from her rapid healing. Finally, Kodi stopped taking the blood in, and his eyes opened again.

"What is mine is yours, and yours is mine. I accept the bonds with this pack and become theirs as they are mine."

After her decision, Remy felt the bonds snap into place. She looked at her father, who was beaming with pride. Remy had saved Kodi’s life and possibly his pack’s lives as well.