3. Remy

Chapter three

Remy

The blood started pumping inside of her ears at the words he wasn’t going anywhere. Remy kept her eyes on Chase as he continued to stare into hers. He was challenging her just as much as she was challenging him. Hearing her heart race just from how he looked at her, Remy’s legs squirmed to run in the other direction.

What if he is like the other one? What if he is pretending to feed into this mate bond to make me leave my territory again and be rejected again?

What if this time isn’t like last time at all?

That could be the case, but Remy wouldn’t take chances. If this guy wanted the bond completed, he would have to prove himself worthy of her saying yes.

Remy did not want her pack to know what was happening right now, so she carefully looked around to see if anyone noticed the exchange between them. Luckily, they were all too consumed by the music to notice what was happening between her and Chase after the song changed to something everyone seemed to know how to dance to. With Chase so close to her, Remy gulped down some air before she slapped on a more courageous face.

This guy really has no intention of backing down.

"You will speak none of this to anyone right now," she growled at him before trying to step away. The beast inside of her whined as Remy put distance between them and continued with her warning. "I do not want a mate right now."

Chase smirked at her. "I can handle that. You want to be shown that you can trust me. It’s too bad the boy you had before made you second guess this."

Is the bond already giving him access to my thoughts and feelings?!

Hmm. The Goddess seems to want this to work.

I don’t care! I don’t trust this.

Remy curled her lip once more before she clenched her jaw at him. "Shut up! What don’t you understand about not saying something right now?"

Chase stepped closer to her, wrapping her up inside his scent. Remy had to fight for control over her body as it wanted to lean closer and relax into him. It was nice to see that this guy wanted to prove that a bond with him was different than the one she had previously. However, this was not the time for this. She had just gotten home and had so much to catch up on. Remy hadn’t even completed the ceremony to be included back inside the pack bonds. Chase did not realize that he was currently trying to woo a rogue Lycan, which many Alphas would turn his nose up at because rogues usually were unpredictable due to not having pack bonds to ground them.

Chase held his hand out again to her, "Dance with me again. If you want to keep up with appearances, get back in there."

Remy could feel Chase celebrating a small win in the bond. He caught her up to get what he wanted so that she could look like things were just fine right now instead of wanting to run for the hills after the Moon Goddess threw her yet another mate after being rejected by one. Remy smiled brightly and took Chase’s hand as she noticed someone in the crowd looking their way. The song switched again to something more on the lines Remy liked dancing to, and Chase led the way. With the beat picking up pace as it went on, Remy threw herself into the music to push out the recent events and calm her nerves. Chase kept up with her movements; before she knew it, they danced in sync like before. On purpose, Remy threw her ass into his hips and ground against him before stepping away and swirling her body to the beat. Chase smirked at her before stepping closer to follow her movements again. When he grabbed her hand and twirled her, Remy threw her head back, laughed, and allowed him to take the lead. Soon enough, Chase led her around the dance floor as her pack stepped away to give them more room.

The song changed to something slower, which Remy growled at as it dampened her fun. Chase pulled her into his chest, a soft rumble welcoming her into his arms. Remy did her best not to look into his eyes but continued to allow him to lead her into the dance. She didn’t do slow dancing very often. The last time she did one was in high school, and she barely knew what she was doing. Neither did the guy, so that didn’t help. Chase, showing her up once again, led her around the cleared circle for them. She finally gave in and looked up into Chase’s face. He wore a crooked grin, clearly happy with himself that he got her to continue dancing with him when she had made it clear it was the last thing she’d wanted to do. It was easy to smile back, and soon enough, Remy was laughing at herself for trying to fight off Chase when it felt natural just to be like this with him.

"You are awfully happy with yourself; you know that?"

Chase chuckled. "How else should I be? I met the person the Goddess chose for me when I came here just to talk with the Alpha. I got more than I came for, and I am having more fun than I thought I would."

"I told you I didn’t even want a mate, but are you happy about this?" she said through her teeth.

Chase bent down to whisper into her ear: "All of the best things in life, you have to work for. So, if I have to work for this, it’ll be more worth it in the end."

Remy shook her head at him and did her best not to show that she actually liked hearing him say he was willing to put in the work. If the last guy were like this, she might have been happily mated. Then, with that thought, she put her determined face back on, which should have told Chase she was unaffected by his words.

Chase’s smirk turned into a smile.

Damn him.

The song ended, and Chase held onto her hand. He bent down into her ear again, and the soft rumbling in his chest returned, making Remy’s heart skip a beat.

"Can I steal you away for a minute? I think we need to talk."

Remy wanted to say no, but her heart told her he was right. They did need to talk. She wanted him to know that she didn’t plan on rejecting him because she could never do what someone else did to her. She lived through that, and it wasn’t pleasant. She just wanted him to understand that, if they could take their time and ease into the bond, it would be better for her and their future bond. Remy remembered how Kaida never seemed to jump into her bonds with her new mates, and they were the strongest relationships she had ever seen.

Remy nodded at him since Chase would be harder to eliminate than she had hoped. If he wasn’t going to relent, she might as well hear him out. Chase gently pulled her off the dance floor and into the corner of the room. She could feel magic swell before seeing a shimmering light encase them within the corner. Remy could smell the musk that was the scent of Chase’s pack laced with the amber and oak that was Chase’s own unique scent. It took her a moment before she realized that Chase drew upon pack magic to seal their corner off from the rest of the room as the sound of the music and crowd came to a halt. If memory served her correctly, this magic would also make the others avoid this area so their conversation would remain private and make this area soundproof to them.

"Now that we are alone, I feel like we need to hash this out before our beasts decide that they won’t take no for an answer," Chase told her.

This one is smart. Why aren’t we keeping him?

We have no idea who he is or what his intentions are for us.

Chase’s eyes were seductive as he stared down at her. Remy straightened herself out so she could stare back at him blankly to let him know that any kind of sweet talking wouldn’t work.

If his intentions are half as good as that stare, I say we throw caution to the wind.

Would it kill you to back me up?

It might.

Remy suppressed a huff. She wanted to try her Lycan’s way but instead changed course to telling Chase off. Annoyed with the situation, the words flew out of her mouth before she thought about them properly: "Listen, I’ve already had one bad experience with a mate, so I don’t need to deal with another one right now when I’ve only just gotten home."

Damn it. He didn’t need to know that.

Inside the bond, Remy could feel Chase’s energy flow through her. Mentally, she envisioned a wall between them, hoping that it would stop Chase from feeling around enough to learn what she meant by that.

Then he growled. "Who hurt you?"

Fuckkkkk.

"None of your damn business."

"It was not a Chosen Mate," Chase said through his teeth. Enough of his emotion came through in the bonds because it was pure rage: "There is a severed bond inside of your soul. Who would throw away an Alpha for a mate? That only brings power into the pack."

Remy shrugged and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. "Don’t know, don’t care."

Chase leaned his head to the side, "If you were rejected, how are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be on that island until he comes for you?"

Remy flashed him a full tooth grin, "Like that island could hold me."

Suddenly, A hand was against the wall, and Chase leaned closer to her face. Her heart thrummed against her chest with him so close to her, but she managed to keep her composure.

"You mean to tell me that you are either smart enough or powerful enough, possibly both, to break through a barrier that no other Lycan has been able to, and your mate did not want you?"

Remy stiffened. She thought she had recovered enough so Chase couldn’t see, but his eyes showed her he had caught her. Even if there was a tear inside the memory that was still blocked from that day, it still didn’t tell her enough to know why her mate rejected her. She at least knew what he smelled like now. But she couldn’t show Chase any of that yet. "Again, don’t know, don’t care. I haven’t seen him since that day. Nor do I want to."

He grinned. "His loss is my gain."

"Very presumptuous that you think you will win me over."

The other hand trapped her as he pressed it against the wall, making Remy gulp before Chase moved his lips a mere inch from hers, "Why don’t you give me a chance, Sweetcheeks? Just because a boy didn’t know what he had doesn’t mean a real man will make the same mistake."

"I just met you. How am I supposed to believe you will be any better?"

"How about this? You set the rules. If I follow them to your liking, you give this an actual chance, a real try. If I don’t, you can reject me and send me off to that lonesome island."

Remy smirked, "That island isn’t exactly a refugee center for rejected mates anymore. I’m sure my girl, Kaida, will change that."

This intrigued Chase, and he raised his eyebrows and moved his head back slightly. "Really?"

Remy nodded. "Nor would I send someone there anyway. I don’t plan on rejecting you, Chase. I just plan on ignoring you."

This sparked a throaty chuckle. Remy hated how amazing it sounded. It would be so much easier if he were unattractive or didn’t have a laugh that made her want to join in.

"So, set the rules."

Remy ran her tongue over her teeth to show her annoyance. It wasn’t the worst idea. At least this would be a way for Chase to prove that he wouldn’t be like the other guy.

"Okay, Lover Boy. If you want to win me over so badly, I guess I can devise some rules." Chase didn’t move. He was still an inch from her face. Between his scent and pouty lips, Remy had to focus on his forehead to keep herself centered so she wouldn’t give into the bond that wanted her to mount him and claim him as hers. "Rule number one: I reiterate, you say nothing of this to anyone. Not even to your pack and especially not to your Beta."

Chase’s lips twitched. Remy could see that he already didn’t like the first one she threw at him.

This is going to be fun.

"Rule number two: If we see each other, you cannot talk or touch me unless we are absolutely alone. Since we cannot tell anyone about this until I am ready, then we can’t give hints to unsuspecting people and create gossip. Rule number three: if you lie to me once, it’s game over. Rule number four: if you want a date, you must make all the arrangements. Just so you know, I don’t do cutesy shit."

Remy noticed Chase did not move a muscle. He took in all the information before pursing his lips. "I can handle that."

With an eyebrow raised she asked, "You think so?"

"Yeah. The other guy hurt you, so you need me to show that I won’t be the same way." Then he smiled, "But I have one condition of my own before I seal this as my fate. Well, more like a way to seal this deal."

Remy shrugged her shoulders and shot him a look of "Go on?"

"I want you to kiss me."

That would seem like an easy request to someone who wasn’t a Lycan. However, to Lycans, touch in any form between mates would instantly cause the bond to grow stronger. Chase was basically having Remy learn how much her soul would cry out for him while they were apart, making the bond grow increasingly difficult to say no to, and make them want to mark each other whenever they were in the same room.

It was a risk to do this, and Chase knew it. Remy did not want to reject Chase. There was something different about him already, and she didn’t know what or why. Without her memory of what happened before, she wouldn’t know why Chase felt more secure than it did with the last mate, but if she wanted Chase to prove himself to her, she would need to put in some kind of effort, too.

Remy closed her eyes and closed the gap between them and pressed her lips against his before she could second-guess herself. At first, it was gentle, and the world fell away again. Remy felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach as their lips parted. She felt her back against the wall, and his hands clasped her face as he deepened the kiss. Her knees buckled, but before her body slouched, Chase’s arms moved from her face and wrapped around her. One hand slid up her back as he tilted her face to deepen the kiss again. Remy could feel her stomach fluttering, and she became breathless, feeling wrapped up in Chase. Her hands shook as she slid them up his chest, and she felt him shudder the moment her hands grazed his neck. Chase growled possessively before taking her bottom lip in between his teeth. It was Remy’s turn to shudder before she sucked in a breath.

No one has ever kissed me like that.

Slowly, Remy opened her eyes and found Chase’s chocolate brown ones giving off a mischievous twinkle. She pressed herself against the wall to give herself a little room as she tried to sort out her thoughts. Not once in her life had she ever felt the way Chase just made her feel–safe, wanted, and needed all at once. The memory taken from her didn’t even give off the same vibe as Chase’s since they had learned of their bond. Her knees were weak, and she hid her hands behind her. They visibly shook, and she silently wished that Chase never stopped. Quickly, she checked the bond to be sure the wall she had created was still there and tried not to sigh with relief when it was. She opened her mouth to tell Chase they were done here before she gave in more, but he cut her off by pressing his lips against hers again.

And I thought the first kiss was fire.

Chase hungrily kissed her, inflaming their bond to a new level of need. Remy panted when his lips left hers, and he kissed along her jawline. He reached her neck and hovered over the spot that would bear his mark if he lengthened his canines and plunged them in right now. Remy froze, and her breath caught in her throat. She waited for him to make his move and feared he would break their rules and mark her. When she thought she would pass out from anticipation, Chase nipped her skin and sent a wave of tingles through her before kissing down to her shoulder.

"I may have a beast inside of me, but that doesn’t make me an animal, Sweetcheeks. You told me no, and that is the only word I need to hear from your lips if you don’t want something," he told her before she felt his warm hand underneath her shirt and against her skin.

Chase went to his knees and slowly lifted her pink shirt just enough to expose her navel. He kissed her stomach as he placed his hands on her knee. Remy stared at him and watched him, debating whether she should allow for more.

Then Chase’s hands moved up on the inside of her legs.

Remy held her breath when she felt his hands under her skirt and then a finger moving her thong aside. Her mind told her, no, but her heart said yes. Chase lowered his head to kiss the inside of her leg before looking into her eyes. He was waiting for her to protest, and she could feel it through the mate bonds he was expecting her to. When she didn’t, Chase put a little pressure on her legs to widen them. She obeyed and leaned her head back against the wall.

It wasn’t as if she was a virgin and any of this was new to her. When she was around sixteen, she was at a party with some of her friends, and the one guy friend she had been crushing on for years mentioned that he was going to be transferred to another pack. His Lycan did not want to listen to anyone and barely listened to her father, his current Alpha. It was time for him to move on and start his own pack. It was their last night together and under the nearly full moon.

However, that night was a little different. That night, she wasn’t in a large room with her entire pack dancing along to music with only pack magic shielding their view from her being pleasured by another Alpha.

Eh. Rules are meant to be broken anyway.

Chase’s mouth was on her opening, and Remy’s thoughts left her brain. His tongue glided through her folds and flicked across her clit, making Remy moan and open her legs a little more. Chase repeated his movement patiently until Remy felt the pleasure coiling inside of her. She felt her muscles clenching with her orgasm, and Chase grabbed her left leg and swung it over his shoulder. Remy growled but yelped as Chase plunged his tongue inside of her, making her body seize with pleasure. Remy screamed Chase’s name as he brought her to another orgasm quickly after the first one subsided. Her knees grew weak, and she started to slide down the wall. When she threaded her fingers through his hair, Remy felt Chase’s tongue shift into his Lycan’s and slid deeper inside of her. Remy screamed his name again, and she felt the rumble of his chest vibrate inside of her.

When he was finished, Chase lapped up the juices that were spilling down her leg and moved her thong back in place. Remy almost slid down the wall, but Chase put his knee between her legs to keep her in place.

"Whenever you need me, just tug on our bond. I’ll feel it, and I will come running."

He kissed her forehead, and she felt his pack magic dissipate before the barrier he created dropped. Remy bit her lip as she watched him weave through the crowd’s edge and disappear.

Did he prove himself yet? I could go for another licking.

Remy growled at her Lycan. Stop that.

Just saying.

A growl went through her before she could answer. I can feel safe once I know what my mind keeps from me.