Chapter 3

Remy parked the RV at the back of Lonestar, the restaurant his mom managed. She’d been running the restaurant since he was a baby. He’d occasionally helped out as a teen, busing tables and helping himself to the baked goods she was skilled at creating. The weekend breakfast pastries were a hit with the town and generally had a constant line out the door for the Danish, donuts, and other sugary treats she liked to make. His favorite was her big-as-a-dinner-plate cinnamon rolls.

He opened the door and walked into the restaurant, smiling at Beth, who was at the hostess stand.

“Welcome home, Remy,” she said with a wide smile. “Let me tell your mom you’re here. Grab a seat anywhere in the dining room.”

“Thanks.”

He looked around at the half-full dining room and picked a booth by the front windows, greeting the pack members who were eating lunch.

As he settled in his seat, his mom walked up to him and he stood up and hugged her.

“Oh, are you still growing?” she asked as she hugged him tightly.

He laughed. “I don’t think so, Ma. You look great.”

“Thanks, honey. Are you hungry?”

“Absolutely. What’s the special?”

“A burger with barbecue ranch sauce and curly fries with cheddar dipping sauce.”

“Sounds awesome.”

Carrie, who was a waitress, stepped up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Nice to see you, kid. What can I get started for you both?”

They both ordered the special, Remy’s with double fries and an extra burger patty, plus a chocolate milkshake.

“And a coke, too,” he called after her.

“Hungry?” Karly said with a chuckle.

“I wasn’t when I walked in here, but smelling the burgers really made my stomach growl. Plus, I haven’t had your cooking since February. I miss it.”

“Aw. Every time I make cinnamon rolls, I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Ma.”

Karly reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I remember my parents, my mom particularly, hating when my brothers had to leave the pack when their alpha nature chafed against the leadership. And my home pack was a lot more traditional than this one. My brothers wouldn’t have had a chance in hell going against the high-ranked males to take over, let alone Alpha Krayne himself, who is still to this day quite the badass even though he’s pushing seventy.”

Remy knew exactly what his mom was saying about her former alpha. While Alpha Jason was a great alpha and powerful in his own right, Alpha Krayne from his mother’s pack was a badass, old-school alpha who had a cadre of powerful, high-ranked males at his back to stand between himself and anyone who thought to take over. There was no mistaking, however, that Alpha Krayne didn’t need anyone to fight his battles for him.

Remy was a mix of the two alphas, traditional in some ways but modern leaning in others. As the children of an Angel Mate, his uncles had cleared out of the pack when they’d chafed against Alpha Krayne, the same as Remy had with Alpha Jason.

“But once they started their own packs and were mated, your brothers came back to visit your home pack without issue, right? Didn’t you tell me that your brothers were at your mating ceremony?”

“Yep. But I don’t think they really came back to visit until they were leading their own packs.”

Their food and drinks arrived and Remy’s wolf let out an appreciative growl.

“Micah said to stop in and say hi before you leave,” Carrie said as she dropped off extra napkins.

“I will, thanks.”

He and his mom dug into their food, Karly promising that Remy could have half of her burger because she wouldn’t eat it all.

“Full moon’s got me starving,” he said, in-between bites.

“It’s a good thing there’s a big party to celebrate Kash and Bella’s mating with plenty of food. You and Lennox can go nuts at the buffet.”

“Awesome. I’m already looking forward to it. Plus hunting with Dad and Lennox.”

“I wish you could stay. I wish you all could just stay and never leave home, but I’m so glad you’re working toward your future, Remy. I can’t wait for you to find your truemate. It’s the best thing in the world.”

“I can’t wait, either.” He rubbed the space over his heart as his wolf let out a low growl. Maybe tonight would be the night.

Now wouldn’t that be something?

Later that day, after eating several plates of food and hanging out with his family and friends, Remy stood on the outskirts of the clearing and watched as Kash and Bella went through the mating with Alpha Jason presiding. As they exchanged mating vows, swiping sacred olive oil, fresh blood from a prey animal, and bonfire ash on their skin, his wolf hummed under his skin. He wanted to get back on the road and find a place to settle down, but he also wanted to stay and hang out with his family. He’d had the best day, too.

His skin prickled and he rolled his neck. Being near Jason and not being part of the pack made his wolf unhappy, even though he’d been invited to join in. And, of course, Kash had asked him to come for the celebration. Not only were they officially mating before the pack, but they were also getting married. Bella’s younger brother Chris had apparently gotten ordained online and was marrying them.

Someone moved near him and he glanced to the side to see his mom. She gave him a soft smile and stepped up next to him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m so glad you could come back, I know it’s not easy,” she murmured.

It was easier before he spent a couple hours near Alpha Jason, but he wouldn’t trade the uncomfortable feelings for being there for his friend. “I wanted to be here, not just for Kash but for you guys.”

“Have you decided where to go?”

He shook his head. “Maybe north this time, I don’t know,” he said with a low voice.

“I do,” Bella said, answering the age-old marriage question with a sniffle.

As the couple exchanged rings, Remy thought about the future. Where the hell was he going to go? That question had been at the forefront of his mind since he’d gotten back to Allen. He’d felt adrift since he left town in February but now he felt worse, like something was clawing at him and he couldn’t really decide what it was.

Clapping with the pack as Bella and Kash kissed and Chris announced them as officially mated and married, Remy wove through the crowd and stepped in line to greet his friend and his new mate.

When he reached the couple, Kash hugged him. “Thanks for coming, man.”

“You’re welcome, I’m happy for you both.”

“How does it feel being back in Allen?” Bella asked.

“Weird,” Remy said with a laugh.

“Well, you’re the first of us to go off on his own to look for something different. It’s pretty damn cool,” Kash said. “It worked for Bella, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“She came to Allen last month to look for something different and we found each other.”

Remy hummed. “That’s very cool. Congrats, you guys.”

“You’re sticking around?” Kash asked.

“I’m going to hunt with Lennox and my dad, then stay at my folks’ for the night. I’ll be gone in the morning.”

“Ah, well, we’re heading out to our honeymoon after the hunt. Keep in touch, yeah? And safe travels.”

“You bet. Same to you.”

Remy made his way through the pack back to his family, then followed his dad and brother into the woods to shift. It felt good to stretch his paws out in the familiar dirt of the Tressel Pack territory. He hadn’t realized how much he missed it until he was in his shift, but his wolf missed camaraderie.

He needed to find a place to call home and start a pack. Wolves would find him in time, he was sure. But he was destined to be alpha, and he was damn well going to be one.

One way or another.

With a yipped challenge, Lennox took off into the night. Linus snorted, and he and Remy took off after him, not about to let the youngest one bag the biggest buck.

He’d enjoy tonight, because in the morning, he’d leave and find a place to start a pack.

Alpha Remy had a nice ring to it.

He just had to find the right town.

And hopefully, once he was set up, people would find him and the pack would grow.

He was doubly hopeful that his truemate would be among them, because he was damn tired of being unmated.

Wherever she was, he hoped to hell she showed up soon.