17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Remmus was a mess. Aidan's savage beating had broken his temporal bone and the frustrating Raeth hadn't said a word of complaint. He was covered in multiple cuts and contusions from where the alpha's fists had landed.

Ava knew those fists weren't soft. As a youngling, she'd sparred with the other werewolf for two hundred years before she'd gone on to be beta of her second pack. Even when he'd been pulling his punches, they'd left more than a bruise at times.

No one gave a beating quite like Aidan did, and poor Remmus had weathered it all with little more than a grimace. What did that say about his tolerance for pain?

She glanced up to study the man who hid so much. What she'd intended to be a quick glance changed when her eyes found his instead.

Gone was the cocky fa?ade and lopsided grins, the humor he wore like armor. In their place was the unvarnished intensity of a man who had experienced too much pain and revealed far too little.

For the first time, Ava knew she was truly seeing him.

The scant few inches of distance between them disappeared when she dropped the cotton ball and claimed his mouth instead. Demanding, Ava pressed into him where he sat on the stool, her hands fisting in his shirt.

When his arms encircled her moments later, the overwhelming safety that swelled up inside her washed away any distrust that lingered. The sins she'd held his breed accountable for had never been his to bear.

Ava lost herself in the storm that was Remmus. Electricity crackled between them, sparking through their physical connection. Everywhere they touched became a nexus of pleasure. Once they'd lost themselves in each other, giving in to the passion that seemed the pulse between them, something new made itself known.

Weak, barely formed, it spanned between them like a supernatural bridge. The burgeoning connection tethered them to one another, and an influx of emotion followed in its wake. There was no mistaking what it was.

A mating bond.

Ava reared back from him as though she'd been burned. Shock, fear, anxiety; explosive emotions pinged through her as she weathered the brunt of her own response. Her volatile emotions funneled toward him like a typhoon, likely drowning him in everything she was feeling. She'd sensed wonder from him initially, but in the wake of her outburst, his childlike hope had swiftly given way to hurt.

"Forgive me, Ava." Remmus' face pinched, immediately dropping eye contact to look away. "I know you don't want this—I know you don't want me. I hadn't realized—"

His voice cracked, and the pain coming from him intensified, with a strong undercurrent of regret and failure. Dragging a breath into her lungs, she tried desperately to fight through the shock that'd locked her vocal cords. Not quickly enough.

The bloodied man slid off the stool, shoulders slumped, and murmured yet another apology. Broken, both in body and soul, he trudged away from her toward the door. The only outward sign of tension she saw were his tightly fisted hands, knuckles bleaching white.

"Remmus, stop."

To her great surprise, he did. But he didn't pivot to face her or offer another apology. Everything about his posture was rigid and tight, vibrating with defeat.

"Remmus, it's—it's not that I don't want you." Ava struggled through the words, not trusting her voice. "I just wasn't expecting … this."

Where she'd felt an overwhelming hurt before, now was an empty vat of nothing.

"I should leave."

Pain lanced through her at the thought of being without him. In the few days they'd spent together, he'd quickly gone from a frustrating presence to a comfort, someone who created a feeling of rightness in her. Despite the plethora of reasons to shy away, there were just as many reasons to explore what'd just happened between them.

"No. You should stay," she said. "Please, Remmus. I think we should give this a chance."

His seafoam green eyes became stormy. "You hate Raeths, Ava; I know this. Why should we try something we both know will destroy us in the end?"

"Do you intend to hurt me?"

Something akin to shock washed through their bond. "Never."

She took a breath to steady herself as her pulse raced. The sudden influx of emotion had thrown her off-center, and the possibilities that spanned before them were vast. It was still unsettling to think of the bridge between their souls, but in this, Ava wanted to be brave.

She wanted to try opening up to him and allow herself to explore what could be. She deserved a chance to be happy—as did Remmus.

Ava gently squeezed his wrist. "Then let's see how this plays out. We owe it to ourselves. We're old enough to know that a mating bond isn't to be dismissed."

"Ava," her name was said like a prayer, "I'm not a good man. I have … issues. I come with baggage that you shouldn't have to carry."

The broken spirit that shadowed his gaze killed her. "Stop it. Stop trying to warn me off. It won't work. Besides, I'm stronger than I look. I can take a bit of baggage; I'll add it to my own.

"Now come on, you overgrown baby." Ava tugged on his still-fisted hand. "You're still a bloody mess, and I can't show you off to the other she-wolves looking like your face met a blender."

"Show me off, huh?"

When she looked back, Remmus had regained some semblance of the charismatic male she'd come to know. And though she knew it was a piece of his fa?ade once more falling into place, the gentle smile that hooked his lips wasn't a lie.

Seven minutes later, once Ava was done treating the healing patches of skin on Remmus' face, he excused himself and went back to his quarters.

The sun was already peeking over the horizon when Ava shifted for her perimeter patrol. Her mind, tangled with thoughts of the new bond that connected her to Remmus, was settled by the soothing simplicity of the wolf. Paws connected with icy ground as she sprinted around the inner perimeter of the den, her mind racing as fast as her feet carried her.

At some point, she'd need to speak with her alpha regarding that development. Aidan, too. But that could wait, at least until she figured out what she herself wanted.

Remmus had broken down her barriers faster than she'd ever anticipated. Riaz had initially been open to letting Remmus come and go in an effort to break Ava free of the blinding fear she typically had when she was in a Raeth's presence. Now, it was part of Aidan's plan to solidify their packs.

On one hand, she appreciated the thought. On the other, how dare her alphas push her?

They both knew of the blood-soaked ground where she'd been christened, and the betrayal of the boy she'd once called friend. Ever since she'd been rescued by Aidan, she'd cloaked herself in den life and solitude. The pair of alphas had conspired to tear away that cloak and had purposely given the keys to the den away. As she ran, Ava grappled with the fact that her mate was a member of the breed that'd nearly killed her when she was an adolescent.

"Watch, son, see how blood spills until life is drained. See how humans meet their end by our hands."

Shuddering, her paws continued to connect with snow-covered ground, tearing through the perimeter check in record time. When she was nearly back to the den, Aidan's massive black wolf joined her, the male dwarfing her. With a playful snap of his teeth, Aidan challenged her to a speed duel, already knowing he'd win. That didn't mean that she'd back down.

Digging in, her wolf eagerly took the bait, for a moment leaving him in the dust. Success emboldened her, and she yipped in glee. She continued sprinting back toward the den with her head held high and her paws blazing the trail.

Victory was sweet—until he sped right past her to finish well ahead.

Ava growled deep in her throat at the casual showing off. Aidan, dominant in every way, took the playful provocation in stride. He leapt on her with no harmful intent. Both tussled on the ground for a second before a snowball was lobbed ruthlessly at Aidan's furry noggin. It exploded against his head in a puff of snow and ice.

Both wolves turned towards the unheralded attack, their gazes landing on Remmus leisurely gathering another snowball. With a taunting smirk, he launched it directly into Aidan's face. Again.

The alpha didn't quite dodge quickly enough. It landed directly on his snout, white powder coating pitch black fur, and launched him into a sneezing fit. Ava howled to the skies, her wolf laughing at Remmus' mischievousness. The next time the Raeth threw a projectile, Aidan ducked and shifted seamlessly into his two-legged form.

And then the snowball fight was officially on.

Appearing out of nowhere, Riaz and Gadriel joined in. They began lobbing snowballs at each other with a low-key maliciousness that spoke of seasoned soldiers rather than friendly competitors. Aidan, slighted by the Raeth's lazy victory over him earlier, had targeted Remmus, and each snowball hurled at him was as ruthless as the man throwing them.

There was one problem: Remmus could teleport, and that entirely unfair advantage was winning him no allies.

Eventually, what had been a lighthearted game dissolved into all four werewolves trying desperately to hit a teleport-capable Raeth. He somehow managed to pelt them with snowballs regardless of where he appeared. Suspiciously, Ava was never in his target.

By the end of their impromptu snowball fight, the other werewolves were covered in snow and soaked to the bone, while Ava had emerged entirely unscathed.

Riaz coughed, shaking his dreadlocks free of white powder. "Truce, Raeth. We bow before your snowball greatness."

"Yeah, come on out so we can ‘bow'."

It was a gruff demand from Aidan, reeking of ulterior motives. When Remmus appeared, a lopsided smile dimpled his cheek.

"I suspect your white flag is a lie."

And it was.

The three men showered Remmus with a flurry of snowballs, cackling as the Raeth simply stood there through their attack. Fortunately, Aidan avoided Remmus' face, apparently knowing he'd already put enough bruises there for one night.

When the snowballs finally stopped, Remmus was just as cold and wet as the other men. Now that they'd taken their revenge, Riaz, Aidan, and Gadriel slapped him on the back and complimented him on his skill.

Riaz stiffened as soon as Ava walked closer. Her alpha studied her for half a second before explosive realization lit his features.

"You've developed a mating bond. With him."

Ava's heart leapt beneath her breastbone. Remmus was unabashed, striding over to stand by her shoulder and gently curl his fingers around hers. Instinctively, she knew he was waiting for her to respond, letting her take the lead.

Ava nodded at her alpha. "Yes."

Doing an Oscar-worthy impersonation of a deer in the headlights, Riaz managed to sputter, "Didn't see that one coming."

"Congrats, Ava," Gadriel added. "If you aren't good to her, Raeth, you'll meet the sharp side of my teeth. Capiche?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, Gadriel."

While a warm feeling cascaded through the ghosting mating bond between them, no fear tinged his emotions at the other man's mostly hollow threat.

Aidan, however, was a mountain that still needed to be moved. His grey-green eyes regarded Remmus with a heavy dose of skepticism, having replaced the companionability that had been there only seconds before. The alpha king turned to her, compassion washing over his features as he scrutinized her body language.

"Is this what you want, Ava?"

"We're seeing where it leads," she explained, her fingers curling tighter around Remmus'. "Don't beat him up again."

Gruff laughter sounded in Aidan's throat, then his gaze shifted to Remmus. "I'll say it again, Remmus, you hurt her, and I'll brand a warning into your flesh."

Suddenly, Ava was suffocating. Her heartrate elevated, her palms began to sweat, and her lungs constricted. Her fingers tightened around Remmus' to combat the debilitating emotion, needing the steadiness of his touch to weather the storm.

When the panic cleared only seconds later and she could think clearly, her entire being gave pause. Aidan's threat had been directly solely at her mate, and while her heart twisted at the thought of him in pain, fear hadn't clouded her own mind.

The fear she had experienced hadn't been her own; it was Remmus'. He had been drowning, and he hadn't moved a muscle.

Remmus' laugh contained none of the hollowness she'd expected to be there. "And ruin this masterpiece? No, wolf, I won't give you a chance for that."

Aidan clapped him on the back, threat forgotten. "Will you be telling Nina, or shall I?"

"Knowing her, she'll already have sensed the bond," Remmus shrugged. "I'll speak to my sovereign when I see her next."

Riaz butted his shoulder into Aidan's. "Run with me, alpha. I need a good challenge."

A wolfish grin and two seconds later, the alphas were off on four legs, with Gadriel taking chase though he had no hope of catching them. It left Ava alone with Remmus, and she sensed a hint of unease ghosting through their unfinalized bond.

She could read him like a book now: he was aware she'd felt his anxiety, and nervous about what her response would be. When he gave her a sidelong glance, she squeezed his hand and spoke first.

"Don't think I didn't notice that you never went after me in our little snowball fight."

Relief softened his features. "Why would I cover you in snow? I much prefer you warm and happy."

"Appreciated, but hardly fair."

She brushed lingering snow off his shoulders, working down his right arm that'd taken the brunt of his pelting. Down to his hand, her fingers ran over his knuckles, then around his palm. A strange series of ridges caught her attention. Slowly, so as not to raise any suspicion, she flipped his hand over so it was palm side up.

She frowned when only smooth flesh met her gaze.

"Problem, Blondie?"

"I must be imaging things." She shook her head and coiled her fingers around his once more. "Come on, I want some hot chocolate."

"But first, snow angels."

Remmus' features turned impish. His hand disappeared from hers as he threw himself on the ground, wheeling arms and legs out to make his ridiculous snow angel. The massive male was as joyful as a kid at Christmas. Ava simply watched his antics with a goofy grin on her face.

"Come on, live a little!"

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she shook her head fervently. "No thanks. I'd rather stay toasty warm."

"Okay, okay. Help me up?"

Automatically, she reached her hand out to pull him to his feet, belatedly realizing the thread of mischievousness that flickered through their newly formed bond. With a jerk, Remmus hauled her down on top of him, breaking her impact with his body.

"Look," came his laughing voice, "a double snow angel."

Though her wolf was delighted, Ava grabbed a fistful of snow and smashed it over his face. Too late she realized he was still sporting the results of Aidan's impromptu death match earlier, and eeked out an apology.

"A little bit of snow won't kill me." Delicately, his fingers curled around her nape, his eyes intent on her lips. "Can I kiss you, Ava?"

"Don't feel the need to ask now."

She threaded a hand through his unbound shoulder-length hair and pulled his lips to hers.