by Hazel Gower
He reached up and stroked her face.
“Deep down I knew you’d come back. I had to believe. If not, I would not be here right now, my brothers would have put me down. I’ve been so close to letting the anger and pain consume me. I hurt people...people I love.” Sighing, he remembered how close he’d come to letting his wolf fully take over. He’d let his anger and hate control him, and he’d hurt friends and family. He closed his eyes and was bombarded by images of him almost hitting his little sister Ava when all she’d been trying to do was help him.
Tears slid down Remy’s cheek and she sobbed openly. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough. I promise I’ll never leave you again.”
Wiping her tears with his thumb, he leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel guilty. I told you so you know how all this works and how important you are to me. I think I was also giving you an out.”
Remy gasped and shook her head. “I would never tell your brothers or parents anything. If I was asked, I’d tell them you’re mine. I’ll take care of you.” A grin spread over her face, and his heart lightened at the sight. “Anyway, Kane’s a jackarse. I wouldn’t tell him shit if he was fucking God himself.”
Arden chuckled. “Well, he’s not fucking God, but he is the head alpha.”
“He ain’t my bloody alpha,” she growled. “Are you sure it’s okay to go grocery shopping after what happened?”
“Yes. They have no idea who I was and we have law enforcement under control.” He shrugged. “They may admit to me throwing them and roughing them up but not when I started to change. Humans don’t like to think they’re not alone. The footage from the cameras will disappear and no one will be the wiser.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I won’t be able to go in there again for a while anyway, will I?”
“Not with me you won’t, and not if you don’t want to answer questions.”
Remy studied him for a moment. “Okay, let’s go get groceries.”
Arden got out of the car and so did she. He pressed the lock button on his keychain and reached for Remy’s hand as they walked to the store. Grabbing a trolley at the entrance, Remy stopped him before they got any further.
“Do we have a grocery limit? Do you have certain brands you like more than others? When we get to the girlie aisle are you okay to go down it, or do you want me to give you other things to get while I gather what I need? Do you have a method of shopping? I do sodas and heavy things first then lighter things, fruit, and lastly the cold stuff. It stays colder then.”
Holy shit, he didn’t know so much thought needed to be put into grocery shopping. He wondered if he shrugged his shoulder if that would count as answering all her questions. Studying her face as she looked up at him expectantly, he went with what he did with his sisters, tweaking it to suit his mate. “No grocery limit. Get whatever you want.” Her eyes lit up, and she almost bounced on the spot, but she still waited. Shit, he needed to say more. “Pixie, I’m happy to follow you and do whatever you tell me to.”
The grin that spread over her face was kinda scary. She rubbed her hands together and in a sweet voice asked, “Do you have a spare freezer? If not, we can pick up mine.”
“I have a big chest one in the garage.”
“Oohh, let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and held the trolley with the other. A determined look came upon her face, and he had a feeling he was going to regret what he’d said.
* * * *
Arden held the full trolley, and Remy held another as she walked slowly down the aisle. He did regret what he’d said, they’d been there for over an hour and were still not done. Remy looked at everything, making sure she didn’t miss a thing they might need. She compared quantities and sizes on every item.
They were in the chocolate aisle, and this seemed to be the only aisle Remy didn’t care to check anything on, she just grabbed bunches of it and put it into the trolley. He was glad he’d brought his SUV, he wasn’t sure everything would fit in otherwise.
As he watched Remy he noticed she looked like a kid let loose in a candy store. He was bored out of his mind, but every time she caught his gaze her smile was dazzling, and he knew he could endure however long she wanted to do this.
Two overflowing trolleys later, they were at the checkout. When the total come up he handed his card over, not surprised at the amount with everything they got, but Remy was white and nibbled at her lip.
Once they were pushing the trolleys to the car, she whispered, “I got carried away. I’ve never had no limit on food shopping before...well, any shopping at all.” Her eyes darted to him, and he wanted to pull her in for a hug right there in the middle of the car park. “I got a lot of things I could never afford before. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll pay you back somehow.”
Fuck it. Moving the trolley and Remy to the side so they were out of the way of any traffic, he gathered her to him and kissed her. He pulled away, and as she panted for breath, he tucked her hair behind her ears. “Pixie, I told you we didn’t have a limit. We don’t. You’re my mate. I want to provide for you. You don’t need to pay me back for anything. Just watching the joy and how much fun you had back there was worth any amount. To tell the truth, I think I got off light. Your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world to me. I want you happy, and if buying groceries makes you happy, then go for it. Spend whatever you want whenever you want.”
“Oh God. I shouldn’t have run away. You’re a unicorn.” She stared up at him dreamily, and he couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.
For the first time in months, his wolf sat happy and content.
Chapter 2
Remy had another nightmare-free night. She lay on top of Arden as he stroked the tips of his fingers up and down her back in a soothing motion.
After yesterday she knew she was going to fall for Arden easily. When they’d come home from grocery shopping, they had put the cold things away and then she’d gotten out gloves and they’d stared the process of cleaning the house. Arden helped, he didn’t sit around and expect her to do it. When they finished, they had five garage bags full of rubbish and she’d vacuumed and mopped. The carpet needed to be professionally cleaned, so Arden told her she had two choices—new carpet or wooden flooring, or she could organize a carpet cleaner.
“What do you want?” she’d asked.
Arden had shrugged. “I think the carpet is fucked, but it’s up to you.”
Remy still hadn’t decided. She’d already spent a lot of his money yesterday when she bought the groceries. Some had been things she’d never had the money to try but always wanted to. She couldn’t spend more of his money, it didn’t feel right.
“I can hear the mechanics in your mind working. What’s up?”
Rising on her elbows so she could gaze up at him, she debated what to say. “Grams had paid for her house by the time I came to live with her, but she lived on a pension, so things were tight. She still had to pay rates, electricity, and so on, but after I came along she had a whole lot more to pay for. She got extra assistance from the government, but I know that didn’t cover what it cost to raise me. She mortgaged the house. As soon as I was old enough, I got a job, and I gave Grandma all my earnings. At first she wouldn’t take it, so I bought all the groceries and paid for my school stuff.” She wiped a tear as memories swamped her. It shouldn’t have been her grandma’s responsibility to care and pay for her, it should have been her parents. “I’m a super op shopper. It wasn’t until I finished school and got a full-time job that I ever bought clothes brand new, even my school uniforms were secondhand. I’ve never been able to do what we did yesterday. Do you know when I danced in a competition for prize money with Faith, that my winnings went straight on rates and into my saving for emergencies. When I ran off I used all my savings paying for things so I had a house to come back to. I’ve never had what you have—not worrying about money.” She blushed. “I’ve always been a little jealous of Faith, and even Sara, for not having t
o scrimp and scrap every cent.”
Arden sat up and pulled her with him, moving her so she straddled his lap. He cupped her face and his thumb stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry you went through that, but I think it’s made you better for it. Like yesterday—you basked in something I take for granted, and it was like watching a kid in a candy store. And I bet when you eat all the special things you got you’re going to appreciate them that much more. I want to tell you that you don’t ever have to worry about money again, that I will provide for you, but I know you’re not the type of person who would be happy to just live off my money and spend it on what you want.”
She nodded. She could never just stay at home and spend his money or buy unnecessary things with it. It would feel wrong. She hadn’t earned it, and she didn’t need it. Sure, she’d like to say stuff it, not get a job, have new everything for a change, but that wasn’t her.
“Is there somewhere close by that you would be okay with me working? I was thinking, I should rent out my place too. If we get new floors, I want to help pay for them since I’m living here too, or at least let me contribute.”
Arden stared at her for a while before moaning loudly. “That’s what this is about. Fine, fuck it, there’s a bar farther into town just before the highway. I’m sure you could get a job doing something a couple of days a week. Before you look at going to a real estate agent, let me talk to my parents. The mine my parents own and the pack help run is always looking for houses close by. I think we could rent the house since it’s not far for a mine employee. Lastly, you can contribute by living with me and putting up with my shit.”
“But I want t—”
Arden didn’t let her finish. He took her mouth to his in a kiss she knew meant for her not to argue. For now she supposed what he said would have to do.
* * * *
Remy had wanted to stay at home, but Arden didn’t want to leave her, she kept the feralness at bay. So they now walked to his office at the army base. He’d neglected his work.
“I’m going to be bored out of my mind. I don’t see why you couldn’t have just left me at the house.”
“I want you with me. I need you.” He stopped before they reached the offices and gathered her to him, kissing her lips.
Since being with Remy he was spending less and less time in his wolf mode. Last night he’d slept with Remy in his human form for hours. He hadn’t sleep in human form for months.
She pushed against him and gazed up at him. “It is nice to be needed, but I’m sure you could have gone a couple of hours without me. I want to go visit Sara. I’m hoping if I can get her on my side then she can help me with Faith.”
Letting her go, he walked down the wide hall, passing his brother’s and Major Black’s office, then he came to Ava’s. Her door was ajar, and as they walked by, he saw her talking on the phone. Ava was the only one who had an office to herself. He shared his with Sebastian. He didn’t want to tell Remy that he’d called Tray while she’d been in the shower earlier, and Tray didn’t want Remy near his mate Sara, and Kane hadn’t cooled down either.
Remy chased after him. “Hey, don’t just walk away.”
He growled in frustration, and for the first time today his wolf fought his cage. “Let your friends cool down. Give them a couple of days to get over the ordeal with the demons.”
Remy studied his face, and he moaned as her eyes glistened with tears after a moment. “Did you call and they told you they didn’t want to see me? I know the demon fight the other day was huge, but I thought Sara, Kirby, and Faith didn’t get caught by the demons?”
Scrubbing his hands over his face, he swore. “They didn’t, they are just hurt with how you left and everything that’s been happening.”
He opened the door to his office and found Sebastian sitting at the table. He looked shocked to see Arden, then he saw Remy and he smiled and relaxed. “You didn’t have to come in,” he told Arden. “You can go and be with your mate. I have everything covered.”
Reaching for Remy’s hand, Arden pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Sebastian, I don’t know if you’ve met my mate, Remy.”
Sebastian didn’t move from where he sat, and he didn’t so much as glance at Remy again, all of which Arden was very grateful for. “Yeah, I’ve met her before. Hi, Remy.”
“Hi, Sebastian. It’s nice to see you again.” Remy wiggled in his hold, but he wasn’t letting her go. He took deep breaths in of her scent and surrounded himself with her.
“I haven’t been pulling my weight around here with the paperwork, so I thought I’d come in for an hour or two and help catch up,” Arden said as he looked at his desk, surprised when he didn’t see pile upon pile of paperwork.
“Sure. I was just writing up a statement of what we’re doing to train the new recruits. They want them ready to fight, but fucking hell, we lost one of the highly trained ones the other night.” Sebastian raked his fingers through his hair. “Logan is saying we’re too easy on them because they’re human—”
“Easy?” Remy butt in. “My God, Kirby told me some of the things she saw you do to her brothers, and if that’s going easy on them, then I’d hate to fucking think what you’d have them doing if you were hard on them.”
Arden stroked her arms, soothing her. “What Kirby told you we did to them is nothing. If they can’t survive that, then they can’t survive a demon. Pixie, think about it, they don’t have powers like you, and Faith has been training with us since she was just a child. Plus, you and the other women are mated to werewolves, so you have the extra abilities, like healing faster, better stamina, and so on. Hayden and Logan now have that too, and with their powers and being already trained they are deadly.”
Arden nodded to Sebastian. If Remy mind’s made a sound every time she was thinking, he knew it would be beeping right now. Sebastian narrowed his eyes, and Arden knew he was confirming what he’d just said.
“I’ve spoken with Rane and the others about this, but I want your opinion too,” Sebastian said to Arden. “I think we should ask the other wolves to help. We need more of us to teach them. I don’t think we should hold our strength back when we battle them.”
Arden nodded in agreement. “You’re right. What did the others say?”
“They don’t think it would be fair to the other wolves, as they already have so much on their plate. Most pull double night shifts and work day jobs. Kane’s worried about killing the human men before they get in the field.”
Remy pushed out of Arden’s arms and sighed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with you. I know from when I fought the demons—and I’ve now done it twice—that if I didn’t have my powers I’d be dead or their captive. I agree that if they can’t fight you in half-werewolf form then I don’t think they’ll stand a chance with demons, not to mention those nasty little minions. I can burn those flying fuckers to a crisp, but the men you’re training can’t do that, unless they can carry around flame throwers and then they have to be able to control the blaze so it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
Ava walked in and snarled, “Shit, I hate it that the psycho is right.” Ava gave Remy a dirty look as she insulted her.
Arden groaned. He knew Ava wasn’t a fan of Remy after what she did to him.
Logan entered the room behind Ava, and he wore a shit-eating grin. “I love it when I’m right.” He rubbed his hands together. “Can I put General Beal through the paces first? He’s really pissing me off lately.”
Oh, the general was pissing a lot of werewolves off. Arden had to fight with his wolf about not taking General Beal out. He looked around him at Sebastian, his sister, and brother-in-law. “We talk to Rane, and if he agrees with us, we outvote anyone else.”
They nodded, and for the first time in months Arden felt in control and ready to get back to life.
* * * *
Remy was feeling good. They’d spent yesterday at the military base working on a new way to train the men. Remy had helped convince Rane, Jam
ie, and Devlin that they needed to be tougher on the recruits. She was feeling useful.
When they had left late in the afternoon Arden took her to her house so she could grab some more of her things, and she’d driven her car back so she had wheels. But since Arden didn’t like to be without her, Remy had a feeling she wasn’t going to be driving her car for a while.
Before they went to the base today Arden was taking her to the pub to see if she could get a job.
“I’ll be going out tonight to fight. I’ve had a couple of nights off, and they need me. You will stay at home. There is cable you can watch, or you could buy an eBook. If you want to go to bed, I’ll wake you when I get home.”
Remy looked across at him as he drove down the winding streets. His eyes didn’t leave the road. “I’m sorry, I think I misheard you.” Oh, she’d heard what he said, but she was giving him a chance to redeem himself.
Arden’s gaze flickered over to her, and she narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t backing down. “I said I will be going out fighting tonight, and you will not leave our house,” he said very slowly.
“Aha, that’s what I thought you said, dickhead. You’re an idiot. You need to rephrase that.”
The arrogant wolf shrugged. “You’re staying at home tonight while I go out and kill demons.”
Wanker. Mother fucker. “So I get to stay home while you go out and fight bad guys? Do you want me to have dinner in the oven waiting for you?” she asked in a sweet-as-syrup voice.
“That’s about right. And dinner would be nice.”
She studied Arden’s face to see if he was joking, but his lips were set in a straight line and his eyes focused on the road without blinking. “What if I don’t want to stay home but want come and help kill some demons?”