30. Remy

Chapter thirty

Remy

After the funeral, Remy retired to her room. Chase followed her without saying a word. He knew she needed the space and time to gather her thoughts. This was going to be a huge change for the pack. The stings of the severed bond where Lykos used to be still plagued them all. Either Tala needed to take over by reciting the words, or they needed to decide who would take over.

She thought of Kodi taking over the pack and merging with the Great Plains. It would be a good choice since Kodi had enough wolves to replace those lost today. She wasn’t sure if he would take the position, though.

We should be the ones to take over the pack, Remy said to her Lycan.

It felt wrong for her to say such a thing. Her father was just sent to the afterlife, and she plans to take over the pack. Was it wrong for her to do so? It was in Pack Law that when an Alpha fell, especially during battle, a new Alpha would need to take over duties immediately. It was required to provide the pack bonds, after losing their Alpha, the one person who could calm them. The magic of the pack bonds was currently not in balance. There was only one way to fix it: for a new Alpha to replace the one they lost.

If you think that, you should present yourself as an option to your mother.

Not right now. She is mourning her mate.

Well, it needs to be soon. The pack is restless.

I can feel that, but it’s not the time.

I will repeat my statement. It needs to be soon. The pack will become dangerous if left in this state for too long.

Sometimes, Remy hated that her Lycan was the voice of reason. It would have been nice to live on the edge and do what she wanted without someone in her head telling her what she needed to do and constantly reminding her how detrimental it was for her to do the things she was responsible for.

Through the bonds, it certainly felt that way, though. Each of the twenty Lycans that were left felt as if they were pacing inside Remy’s soul. She usually did not feel any of these things because Lykos kept it away from the rest of the pack. He did not like the idea of the entire pack feeling what he could from the entire pack. She once remembered him saying it was the Alpha’s duty to keep the pack at peace. If it was to keep the bonds filtered to just him, then so be it.

The shower in her room was where Remy wanted to go immediately. Chase wrapped his arms around her as she started to pull off the clothes he had given her outside. At first, she resisted. However, the feelings of safety and warmth spread through their bond, making her nuzzle into his chest. Tears threatened to spill once again, but Remy breathed through it.

I’ve cried enough today. I don’t want to cry anymore. I can’t take this.

"You are allowed to mourn your father and Alpha, Remy. There is no law against it."

Remy growled. "I am tired of mourning. I just want to go out there, find Levi, and tear him limb from limb."

Chase chuckled. "As hot as it is to hear you want to avenge your father and get all bloodthirsty, you need to rest. How long were you fighting before we arrived?"

Remy shrugged and nestled into his arms again. "I don’t remember. It started yesterday, I think. We didn’t get much of a rest before the next wave came through. I feel like I have been fighting for a whole day."

The mention of that activated the soreness and pure exhaustion in Remy’s muscles. She felt her knees wobble as they threatened to give way. She would have been on the floor without Chase’s strong arms holding her up.

"I think it would be wise to take a hot bath. Your body needs time to rest," he told her as he lowered her to the ground and walked toward the tub.

Remy thought of something her father had said. He wanted to improve the shifts of guards for the perimeter. Remy tried to stand up, but her body barely wanted to move. She fell back to the ground with a groan and rolled onto her back. Chase stood over her with his eyebrows furrowed at her.

"You need to rest, love. Stop trying to run off."

"Chase, my father said we needed to tighten the guard’s shifts. I need to tell my moth-"

"I already got it covered. Some of my pack and Kodi’s are guarding the perimeter."

She lifted a brow at him. "You did what?"

Chase crouched down and smirked. "You think I would allow my mate’s territory to get hit again after just being attacked? What kind of mate do you think I am?"

Remy giggled and sighed. "The one trying to take over my pack?"

It was a joke, and thankfully, Chase took it as one. He scooped her up in one swoop and cradled her against him. He buried his nose into the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent. Remy found herself nudging her nose against his jaw until he moved his face and pressed his lips against hers. The touch alone was settling her Lycan down from the aftermath of the events. Remy groaned when Chase broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers.

"There will be time for that later. I want you to take a bath and get some food in your body. You are no good to your pack if you are too tired and malnourished to defend it."

"You’re talking like I am the new Alpha."

Chase moved to look at her and then tilted his head at her. "You aren’t?"

Remy groaned. "I don’t even know. My mom hasn’t taken over in the pack bonds. Part of me feels like she should be the one to take over, but the other part is screaming that it should be me. But Chase...how am I supposed to take over when my father just died?"

Remy felt more vulnerable than she’d ever been. She was confident about becoming the next Alpha when her father was alive and willing to just hand it over to her. Her whole life, she’d known she would one day be in charge of this pack, yet now that the time had come, she felt it was wrong to take it. Yes, she and her Lycan wanted to take over the pack, but how was that fair to the pack as they mourned, even if the Pack Laws dictate it to happen, and the pack bonds are begging for a new Alpha?

But how is that okay to do? They are mourning my father, and I just take over?

"Remy, it is the Lycan way. Your pack will understand why you have risen to Alpha. That does not discredit their feelings about their Alpha or lessen their need to mourn him. They need you right now. They will grow restless and dangerous if the Alpha seat in the pack bonds remains empty. We are social creatures, but we need the hierarchy to keep our beasts from losing control and going on a killing spree."

She knew he was right. It was exactly what her Lycan had said, too, but it didn’t stop her from feeling like it would take away from the weight of her father’s death; it did, however, lessen the load she felt on her shoulders. Chase seemed satisfied with her silence and walked over to the tub. The thing was large enough to look like a small swimming pool or a jacuzzi. It was deep enough for her to lean back, and the water would reach her neck. Chase turned the water on, pulled a vial out of his pocket, and placed it on the tub’s edge. She watched him check the temperature of the water several times before he nodded and plugged it. She noticed how his shirt fitted closely to his body, reminding her of the defined muscles underneath. He turned to her, catching her staring at him, but ignored it. Then he stared at her clothes.

"Need help getting those off?"

"Is that an offer?" Remy purred.

Chase let out a small laugh, "No, sweetheart. As much as I would love that, I would rather get you in this bath."

Remy pouted and emphasized her quivering lip. Chase shook his head, took two large steps, and kneeled down in front of her. He reached out and put his hands on her ankles. His thumbs moved inside the fabric and gently brushed her skin. Feeling his skin on hers made her heart leap. Chase smirked before he tugged on the pants, and she felt the waist of the pants fall down. Remy bit her lip, her heart racing at the idea of her and Chase on the bathroom floor fluttering through her mind. Chase chuckled at her.

"I love what I do to you, but as I said, I just want to get you into this bath."

"Aw, come on. I just went through hell. I deserve some kind of reward."

This time, Chase laughed. "I agree. You should be rewarded. But that is what the bath is for. Now, let me take off your clothes."

"How is a damn bath a reward for surviving a small war?"

"I will show you if you let me."

Remy got to her feet and felt the room spin as she did. She didn’t have the energy to do this, and her wobbling on her feet made Chase growl.

"Damn it, woman, you do not have to do everything yourself anymore!" Chase said before wrapping his arms around her. "I am here. I am your mate, and it is my job to care for you."

Truthfully, she wasn’t used to being cared for this way—not how Chase planned on it anyway. Her parents and brother were always there for her, but not in the same way as this.

"Once you tell me why, I will," Remy snarled.

"Bonded or not, you are mine. Mine to take care of, protect, and make happy. I understand you are going through a whirlwind of emotions right now, and you are going to question everything I do because of the asshole who threw you away, but that won’t stop me from trying to prove that I am better than he could ever hope to be."

Remy growled at the mention of Levi. She opened her mouth to tell Chase not to mention him again, but he pressed his lips against hers to shut her up before she could. His hand went to the back of her neck, and the kiss deepened until she clutched his shirt in her hands and curled her toes. When he broke the kiss, they were both breathless. He sucked in a breath and continued with his argument.

"Let me take care of you and prove that I am yours. You were mine from the moment we danced together. Fuck, you were mine from the moment I saw you. If you are keeping me at arm’s length because of all this bullshit, then fine. I’ll still wait. You are more than worth the wait. But for the love of everything holy, stop acting like I am the enemy when I am far from it."

Tears rolled down her cheeks at his words. Remy didn’t realize that was what she had been doing. The hurt she made Chase feel hit her like a tidal wave from her going back and forth just now of wanting him and then pushing him away. That wasn’t her intention at all. The death of her father and other pack members was affecting her more than she thought, and she needed to stop before she caused more damage to her mate.

Remy bowed her head, putting her forehead on Chase’s chest. The sniffles she made had Chase holding onto her a little tighter. "I’m sorry, Chase."

"Shh," he soothed as he stroked her head. "I know you are. I’m sorry I exploded. I just couldn’t take seeing you battle yourself."

They stood there momentarily, taking in each other’s scents and allowing their bond to settle after their tense moment. Remy wiggled so Chase would let go, stepped back, and lifted her arms. Chase smiled at her before pulling her shirt slowly off her. He dropped it on the floor and then crouched down to work her pants off. He scanned her body, most likely to check for injuries to calm his Lycan after everything they went through. He made no movements to touch her or kiss her in a sexual way. He just smiled at her before holding out his hand for her to take. When she did, she allowed him to walk her to the tub. He stopped her when they reached the tub, then grabbed the vial, popping the cork and dumping the contents in the water. He turned the water off and swirled it with his hand before helping her into it. The way the water felt against her skin sent signals through Remy’s body that it was not the average water. It felt like it was seeping into her skin and calming her muscles. Chamomile, passionflower, and lavender scents reached her nose as she slowly dipped her body into the water. The combination puzzled her, and she looked at her mate for answers.

"It is a combination of herbs that can help with soreness: chamomile for adrenal fatigue, passionflower for depression, and lavender for relaxation."

"How do you know about these things?"

He frowned. "My great-great-grandmother was friends with a Witch—one that I think your friend was like—someone who knew how to heal others. My grandmother handed down small things to keep the pack running healthy."

Remy didn’t question further. If the Witch was like Adrien, she knew Chase only knew helpful things. Adrien was powerful and could probably wipe the floor with everyone she knew, with the exception of maybe Kaida, but she wouldn’t hurt anyone unless she absolutely had to.

Chase then knelt down by the tub and reached into the water to touch her. He slowly massaged her body, starting with her feet. Using the water’s properties with the vial’s contents to push it into her muscles and work out any soreness. She found herself moaning with her head laid back.

Chase laughed at her. "If you don’t stop doing that, I may have to break my word on not doing anything right now."

"Shh, I’m enjoying this."

"Now, you don’t want me to do anything feisty? Jeez. You really should make up your mind."

She lifted her lips, her canines coming down to show him that his joke was annoying. He laughed again and continued with his work. When he was done with her lower half, he gently pulled her forward and then got to work on her back. Between his fingers and the magic herbs, Remy slowly put the last twenty-four hours behind her. There were still some moans, and she felt Chase holding on to his chivalry as he massaged her through their bond. When finished, he leaned her back down, kissed her forehead, and walked out of the bathroom.

Remy stared at the ceiling as her mate left the room. With the hole where Lykos used to be in the bonds still vacant, Remy knew her mother did not plan on taking his place. She could have ruled the pack without him, but she clearly didn’t want to. It would now be left up to her or Kodi, and Remy knew she would fight for it to be her. It wasn’t to replace her father or his memory. It was to lead her people through this challenging time when even more bullshit was on the horizon. Lykos wanted to hand this pack down to one of his children, and Kodi had his own pack to deal with. It was her time, and she would not disappoint her father.

When Chase returned to the room with a plateful of medium rare steaks, Remy’s stomach did a growl worthy of a Lycan.

"Thought you would be hungry by now. Eat up. After this, I am pulling you into that bed, and we are sleeping until our bodies tell us it’s okay to wake up."

Part of her wanted to snap at Chase for giving her an order, but a bigger part of her loved that he was truly taking care of her and ordering her to meet her needs. She smiled at him, took the plate, and began eating. The devilish smile on Chase’s face sent a shiver down her spine.

"Good girl."

The things those two little words did to her had her panting. I can certainly get used to that.