24. Remy

REMY

My leg jiggled restlessly as I chewed on my fingernails.

How were there so many people in this bar? It wasn't even 6am for Christ's sake. On a Tuesday morning. I knew people were mad for the Premier League but not enough to wake up at this godforsaken hour on the other side of the world.

I snuck a sidelong glance at Gray, her eyes glued to the giant screen along with everyone else. The match hadn't even started yet. Well, at least one of us was happy. I enjoyed watching sports but Gray took it to another level.

"So is this game, like, important?"

That earned me a scathing glare. "If we win we'll be at the top of the league for the first time all season," she hissed. "Yes, it's important!"

I already knew that but if I couldn't annoy my little sister then what was my purpose here anyway?

My chair jostled slightly as a group of people shuffled past. One of them had a vaguely lemon scent.

Fuck.

My alpha reared, snarling and very awake.

It wasn't even the same fucking fruit! There was nothing about my environment that should be reminding me of her yet all I could think about was Hazel's soft body beneath me, her outstretched neck bared and ready for my tee—

"Why are you all tense and shit?" Gray asked me shrewdly. She glanced at the clock on screen. "You have 3 minutes, go."

I flexed the fingers of my hand, trying to get myself under control. "I started collabbing with an OmegaFans creator," I said shortly.

"Interesting."

"She had a heat coming up so I offered to help see her through it."

"Of course. Continue."

I pressed my lips together tightly. "I tried to bond her."

"What the fuck, Remy!"

"Ow." I rubbed the back of my head where she had whacked me. "It didn't take!" I assured her hurriedly. "I had teeth caps but my alpha is all…riled up now."

Gray sighed and crossed her arms. "Well, I've heard heat pheromones are pretty intense. You probably just need time to get her out of your system."

Well, that was the crux of the problem wasn't it? The thought of that made me sick.

Her eyes widened. "You don't want to get her out of your system," she deduced. "Remy. You like her."

"What! No!"

She poked me right in the throat and I choked. "Look how red your neck is getting!"

The whistle blew and Gray gasped, turning to the screen. "I'm not done with you," she said.

"Just watch your match," I said sullenly, sinking into my chair.

I dropped a practically levitating Gray back at our parents place. She hadn't shut up about the win the whole drive home and luckily seemed to have forgotten our conversation beforehand.

Some of the brightness faded from her eyes as I pulled into the driveway.

"Can you hang onto my kit?" Gray plucked at the shirt she had over her long sleeved top. "Dad'll give me an earful if I go in with it."

I held out my hand. "Give it here."

Every time I asked if she wanted to move in with me she'd go all mysterious and say, "I'll figure my own way out."

A pit of dread formed in my stomach watching her enter the house. Whatever she was working on, I hoped she would pull it off soon. Then at least my dad would have one less person to crush on a daily basis.

I'd given up hope that my mum would ever leave.

I tried to nap, read, work, anything when I got back home. Trying not to think about my messed up family.

Trying to ignore the familiar creeping want bleeding back into every fibre of my being.

My alpha was going crazy being away from Hazel.

I didn't know if spending a heat with Hazel altered something physiological inside me.

All I knew was that I craved the taste of her on my tongue. Her kisses, her skin, her slick. My throat felt tight, head spinning through memories of her.

And my fucking teeth ached to sink into her neck.

It had been hours until it finally got unbearable and I gave into the urge to call her.

"Hello?"

"Can I come see you?" My desperation spilled out of me at the first sound of her voice.

"Remy, wh—"

"Please." I gripped my phone tighter. "Now."

"Is everything ok?" Hazel asked, concerned.

Hearing her voice was even worse. It became crystal clear that my pull to her would not be sated by another fuck. I needed the moments between. Before. After. Tender words and hidden smiles and god, did I need to experience her falling asleep in my arms when we were knotted again.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "Since your heat, I've been…I can't…I don't…"

I couldn't even begin to explain it.

"I need to bring you more peppermint chocolate," I said abruptly.

I sounded insane but it made something tick in my head. Yes. Bring her all the things she loves, find out what else she likes and bring her those too.

"You need to bring me chocolate?" I swore I could hear her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline.

I was already thinking about what supermarket I could stop at. "What else do you want? Name it and it's yours."

"Um…I don't think I need anything."

Impossible, there has to be something.

"But, you can come anyway," she said softly. "I'd…like to see you too."

This is the best day of my entire—

"I'm leaving now, I'll see you soon!"

I hung up before she could change her mind.

My heart was a runaway train about to tear through my chest by the time I arrived at her door. The itch under my skin was maddening. Why was that? Heat pheromones? Being apart?

The door swung open. Her sweet scent hit me. I felt like I was falling, the ground rushing up towards me as I—

—landed firmly in the shade of trees bursting with dainty white flowers. Her lips found mine, and the wind swept away our whispered promises.

Fuck.

Be cool, Remy.