Remy (Skin Walkers Book 10)

by Susan Bliler

  She was headed for the infirmary to see if Jenny and Stoney needed any help when she heard a loud voice bark, “HEY!”

  She knew that voice. Remy. She tried to ignore it, but that was impossible when she was suddenly lifted off the ground from behind.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  He didn’t spin her to him, simply held her back to his chest, and she tensed when his jaw nuzzled her hair. Her first inclination was to say, ‘None of your damn business.’ But as her Commander, it was his damn business. “To see if I can be of assistance in the infirmary, Sir.”

  “Damn it, Harlow!”

  Apparently, her formality wasn’t lost on him. “You’re not walking away from me. We are having that talk.”

  “Let me go.” She didn’t fight him though, not even when he swung her legs up so she was cradled in his arms.

  “Look at me, damn it!”

  She shook her head.

  “You are not going to believe that fucking punk. What happened between us wasn’t about revenge. It wasn’t about Mason.”

  “You…” her voice wavered. “You wanted to hurt me to hurt Mason.” The accusation lost some of its vehemence when tears flooded her eyes.

  “No! I did not!”

  “YOU ADMITTED IT!” she screamed, then covered her mouth with a hand, turning her head further away from him. She tried to squirm out of his arms, but Remy wasn’t having it.

  “You’re going to let me explain!” he snarled, his hold on her tightening.

  “Let me go!” She jerked her body hard, but he only held her more firmly.

  “No. You’re not walking out on me like this. I’m not losing you over some bullshit.”

  “Losing me?” She glared up at him with a sniff, eyes still brimming with emotion. “You never had me!”

  ***

  Remy growled, his body suddenly tense.

  He could scent her pain at what she perceived as his betrayal, but it was nothing compared to the rage that coursed through him. He’d followed Recker’s stupid plan, and it not only forced his affliction, it caused his mate to be kidnapped and injured.

  “Harlow.” His tone was soft. “We had to let David take you to keep him from killing you, but if I had known that he’d hurt you physically, or emotionally I would have thought of something else.”

  He watched as she drew in a long breath, then dropped her hand, letting it hang limply. She clearly didn’t want his explanation, and he struggled to come up with the right words to get her to believe him, to forgive him. “I made mistakes, Harlow. I’ve made lots of mistakes, especially where you and Mason are concerned, but you need to know right now that I would never have intentionally tried to harm you, Harlow. Yes, I admit that before I ever met you, before Mason found you, that I had this stupid fucking plan, but the second I laid eyes on you, on the real you…” He swallowed hard. “Harlow, I…”

  When she spoke, her voice was dull. “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear any more. You keep trying to convince me that you weren’t out to hurt me, even after you admit that you were. Your words don’t even make sense, and I’m second guessing everything now. I-I can’t even figure out if you had me on your team to abuse me, or to get close to me so you could hurt Mason through me.” She looked up at him. “Which was it?”

  He shook his head.

  Her eyes narrowed on him. “Did you secretly get a kick out of all those times David busted me up?” When he opened his mouth, she didn’t let him speak. “It doesn’t matter.” She pushed at his chest. “Put me down.” When he didn’t, she looked up at him with dead eyes. “Put me down, or I swear I’ll scream.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he slowly lowered her feet to the ground, steadying her before pulling his hands back. He’d expected her to condemn him, to cut him down, but when she turned and began walking silently away he felt a wave of dread. This was it. If he didn’t do something, right now, he would lose her forever.

  Frantic not to lose her, his booted feet crunched on the broken glass covering the lobby as he followed her. Two big strides had him to her, and he ripped the halo from his throat as he went, not even flinching when it branded his skin as he removed it. Harlow didn’t turn; she had no idea what had happened when he caught her around the waist, holding her in place as he locked his halo around her throat. He heard her gasp an instant before the halo whined with a high-pitched sound, winking once with a blinding, ethereal light as he collared his mate, his Angel.

  Unconsciousness claimed Harlow, as it did all Angels upon being bound with their mate’s halo. Remy caught her, lifting her effortlessly. Seeing his halo on his Angel, he couldn’t stop the pride that flooded him. She was his! Finally, he’d found his one.

  He hurried up the stairs to his suite, undeterred by the slight weight of his Angel. He ignored Bishop’s watchful eyes and disapproving frown where he stood near the doors to the infirmary.

  Chapter 19

  Harlow woke slowly to distant murmurs, and she pushed herself towards the sound. Consciousness slowly filtered back, and it took a second to register that it wasn’t a conversation she heard, but one voice. Remy?

  He was speaking softly, and he sounded different, worried and happy all at once. What was he saying?

  “I swear it to you, Harlow, if you give me a chance to be your Walker, I’ll prove that I deserve the honor of having you.”

  Her body jostled.

  “Come on, love, wake up! We don’t have much time.”

  Why didn’t they have much time?

  “Bishop saw me bind you, so I know Mason’ll be coming soon, and I have so much to tell you.”

  Another jostle.

  “Harlow? Can you hear me?”

  She wanted to go toward the sound of his voice, but something was holding her back. What is it? She knew she was supposed to remember something, but her body felt warm and safe in his arms. He was brushing his lips against her temple now, telling her how glad he was that he’d finally found her, and that didn’t make sense. She hadn’t been lost. Still, she didn’t want to move right now, didn’t want to wake up from this.

  “Love, I’m going to have to fight your brother and every other Walker that knows of mine and Mason’s history. All that on top of the war outside. Please don’t make me fight you as well. Come on, love. Wake up!

  You’re mine, Harlow. And I’m yours. I’m so fully fucking yours that I’d rip out my own heart just to prove it. Just to gift it you.”

  What in the hell was he talking about? Love? Gift you my heart? Maybe she was dead? She struggled to remember what had happened, and suddenly David taking her came rushing back. Then she remembered Remy’s admission that he’d always wanted to use her to hurt Mason. Finally, she remembered stalking away from him, only to have him grab her from behind and knock her out somehow. She pushed for the surface of the grogginess weighing her down and made a weak sound.

  “Harlow?”

  He pressed his lips to hers, but she turned her head away from him as best she could with a croaked, “D-don’t.” She wanted to sit up, but couldn’t find the strength. When her eyes blinked slowly open, she frowned up at him from where her head was settled in his lap, her body relaxed on his bed. “What…what did you do to me?”

  His voice was low, his eyes intent. “I made you mine.”

  “The hell you did.” She tried to roll off his lap. “I’m pretty sure you need my permission for something like that.” When he held her trapped on his lap, she lifted a hand, fingering the halo around her throat. What the hell?

  Remy caught her hand. “Listen, love.” He eyed the door nervously. “I’m sorry it has to be like this, but you’ve gotta listen and you’ve gotta listen now. Tyce and his team are on their way in to help us deal with the attack, and I’m positive Mason is scouring the estate for you. I’ve got to get my teams situated and find Monroe for assignment. I want to come fully clean with you here, and I need you to listen.” He didn’t wait for a response. “Amanda and
I dated once. It was a while ago, when she first started working here at the estate. In fact, I’m the one that got her the job here. She ended up working for Mason, and things just happened. They fell in love, and that was it. I hated it. I felt like Mason stole her from me, but that’s not really how it works with Walkers. Someone is either your mate, or they’re not, but I couldn’t see that then. All I saw was that Mason took something I thought I had a claim to. To be honest, Mason taking her wasn’t even ever the issue. It was the fact that she left me, that she gave me up as if I were insignificant. I wanted to hate her for it, but I couldn’t. I guess, deep down, I knew it wasn’t her fault. Walker affliction is overwhelming. She had no hope of withstanding Mason and his claim on her.

  Still, I couldn’t let it rest, and that’s one hundred percent on me. I couldn’t hurt Amanda, or even fault her for what happened, so I went after Mason. More specifically, I went after the thing Mason loved the most besides Amanda.”

  “Me?” she whispered.

  He nodded. “You. Only I didn’t know you yet. Mason was searching all over the damn world for you, and I had to do something. I couldn’t just stay here and watch Amanda and Mason be happy, so I spied on the teams he sent out searching for you. We thought we found you once in South America, but I learned the hard way that Aries Drago wasn’t you.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I kidnapped her. Took her from Conn. She got away from me, and was badly injured in a car accident trying to get back to Conn and that was the end of it for me. I realized then that my obsession with getting back at Mason wasn’t just hurting me. It nearly killed Aries. I gave up the search and came here to command the sentries when King moved to guarding the Dominants full time.” His shoulders heaved as he looked away. “I begged Aries’ forgiveness and she gave it, but none of them ever forgot.” He looked at her evenly. “And I don’t expect them to. I deserve their disdain for what I’ve done, and I’ll carry it, but I want you to know that I had no intentions of ever hurting you. That night we were together, I honestly had no idea who you were. As for me getting any joy out of watching David bust you up…” He shook his head. “I nearly killed him, Harlow. If Recker and Josef hadn’t pulled me off, he’d have died for laying hands on you. Sweetheart, I didn’t know then what I know now.” He brushed a hand over her cheek. “I didn’t understand what Mason felt for Amanda. I didn’t understand that love was worth fighting for until now. Looking at you, feeling what I feel for you…I’m ready for war.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “What…what are you saying, Remy?”

  He shook his head dejectedly. “I wish I had more time to do this right, to do it the way you deserve, but there’s just not time, baby.”

  “Do what right?”

  He slid out from under her, but she still felt sapped of energy and was only able to turn her head to watch as he stood in front of her before dropping to a knee and grabbing her hand. He leveled her with a look of such significance that alarm flooded her. Then he spoke.

  “I, Remy McCabe, take you, Harlow EnemyHunter, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, my wife, my mate…my Angel.”

  Shock tore through her. “Wh…what?”

  “I will be your strength in times of weakness, your want in times of need, your joy in times of sorrow. I will sacrifice my health, my triumph, my hopes, and my desires to put your needs ahead of my own. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care for you, and protect your life, and the lives of our children, with my very own. I vow to comfort and encourage you, to guard and keep you, and to love you until my time in this world ends.”

  She tried to pull her hand away. “Stop! Remy, stop!”

  “You belong to me now, Harlow. Forever! And know this. Whether you accept me or not, whether you want me or not, I vow to follow you to the ends of the Earth. I vow to follow you until the last of my days, where I’ll be waiting, ready, ever hopeful of being claimed by you. In this I will not falter.” He dipped his head, his brows spearing down. “In the pursuit of you, I vow to be the most relentless creature on the face of the Earth. I have never been known for being kind, loving or gentle.” He studied her face. “You’ll be my first. My last.”

  His eyes dipped, and Harlow looked to see what held his attention. He lifted a large knife, one of the kind assigned to Sentries. “I have no way to prove to you…” He raised his eyes to hers. “There is no means for me to seal my vow without claiming your body, and I’ll not do that until you ask it of me. So, I offer you my blood instead.” He lifted his knife and tore it through the palm of his opposite hand even as Harlow opened her mouth to protest. Lifting his bleeding hand, he fisted it and squeezed until blood dripped out, dripping onto the floor in a thin stream. “Accept my blood vow to you, my Angel. Ever yours.”

  Harlow watched him with rounded eyes. “You can’t mean that. You can’t mean any of that. You don’t like me. Remember?”

  Remy’s head jerked toward the door. “You’re right, Harlow. I don’t like you. I love you.” Lightning fast, he hauled Harlow into his arms and turned his back on the door as it was kicked inward. Harlow flinched and when she looked up, Remy was staring over his shoulder, snarling at whoever had just broken in.

  Chapter 20

  “Put my sister down!” The vicious words bounced off the walls as Remy turned with Harlow still in his arms to face-off with Mason.

  He knew Mason was coming. Walkers had been filtering in through the mist all afternoon, letting him know Mason was looking for Harlow, that Mason was hunting him, that Mason vowed retribution if Harlow had been hurt in the attack. Now, Harlow’s typically impeccable brother was covered in soot and grime. His suit coat was gone, his button-up shirt was ripped, and blood stained the front over his chest.

  “NO!” Remy growled, his hold on her tightening. “She’s mine!”

  “The fuck she is!” Mason was nearly to them, but Bishop, who’d followed him in, shot out a hand to clamp onto Mason’s shoulder, halting him.

  “What in the fuck were you thinking?” Remy growled, facing Mason fully with Harlow still held in his arms. “You make your sister a soldier, send her into battle!” he sneered. “She could have died today. She nearly died today!”

  Bishop pulled Mason back, giving him a look before he stepped forward and held out his arms. “Give Harlow to me, Remy. You and Monroe discussed this. Don’t go back on your word.”

  Remy seethed. He’d promised Monroe that there would be no games with Harlow, but things had changed. He’d been afflicted. Harlow belonged to him.

  “Don’t you fucking hide behind my sister,” Mason challenged. “Face me like a fucking Walker.”

  “Everyone, just stop.” Harlow spoke calmly, drawing Remy’s gaze.

  He looked down at his Angel and had the urge to brush his lips across hers, but he didn’t. Mason was right. She shouldn’t be held between their wrath. He smiled as best he could. “Go with Bishop now, love. I’ll come for you as soon as I can.” Looking up, he frowned at Bishop. “Look at her throat,” he growled, watching as Bishop’s eyes dipped to Remy’s halo banded around the slender column of Harlow’s throat. “You know what that means.” He held out his arms. “Take care of her.”

  “Wait.”

  Remy’s heart soared as Harlow cried out, reaching for him even as Bishop took her. “I know what it looks like, Remy. If you’re playing games here…” Bishop didn’t finish. He didn’t need to.

  Turning to face Mason, Remy could still hear Harlow calling for him as Bishop took her into the next room. “Wait! Remy!”

  “I was giving you the chance to prove yourself,” Mason challenged with a deep scowl, clearly satisfied that Harlow was out of the equation as Bishop left with her. “I was trying to prove that I didn’t hold a grudge. My Amanda begged me to entrust you with Harlow’s care so you could show you meant what you said, and I could show that I believed it.” His hands curled into tighter fists. “I was trying to put this thing between us to rest. But if I find out you en
dangered my sister’s life on purpose…”

  He didn’t get the chance to finish. Remy was in his face in a second, the air crackling between them with dominance and the need for battle. “I may be many things,” Remy ground out between gnashed teeth, “but I’d never endanger a female to prove a fucking point.”

  Undeterred by Remy’s display, Mason took a step closer, the last step that remained between them, pressing his nose to Remy’s. “You did it with Aries Drago!”

  That was all it took.

  Remy’s fist connected with the side of Mason’s face, sending the Walker’s head snapping to the side before he retaliated with a punch of his own.

  The two Walkers fought viciously. Fists flew, sharp incisors elongated, and animalistic snarls rent the air as the two Walkers battled again over love for the same woman.

  ***

  Remy was hauled off of Mason and, even with the perpetrator’s pair of steely-gray eyes mere inches from his, he recognized Commander Conn Drago from the rough white scar that slashed over one eye and the bridge of his nose to the opposite cheek.

  “Tell me you are not fucking with Harlow EnemyHunter!” Conn shook him once, hard, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Are you?”

  “Easy, Conn.” Aries Drago’s voice had Conn’s sneer slipping as he inched back and released Remy.

  Stepping back, Remy righted his shirt, scowling at a room suddenly filled with Walkers. Mason bled near the door, while Aries walked to her mate, Conn. Tyce entered, shaking his head. He looked like shit.

  “NOW?” Tyce barked in agitation. “We’re under attack, and you claim Harlow EnemyHunter now?”

  Remy had vowed that his feud with Mason was finished, and it was. But he had never expected to become afflicted by Harlow. She was his true and rightful Angel, but he had no way of proving it to any of them. They would never believe his claim was genuine, that his love was true. Unless…