Four Months

Chapter seventeen

WARNING: NOT EDITED

***Jeremy's POV***

My back was against a strong pine tree, my earbuds blocking out all the sounds of laughter and playful shrieks as the she wolves splashed each other in the lake. The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on us while the smell of ribs, steak, burgers and an assortment of other foods drifted in the breeze that stirred my bangs in my face again. It was time that I got a damn hair cut.

Joel was at the grill smothering sauce on the ribs looking extremely concentrated for some reason, Lily was sun bathing and Galen and Rob were playing cards at one of the picnic tables. It was a serene scene but I still felt like I didn't belong. It made me feel lonely...but I blamed the hormones for making me feel this way. I was use to solitude before...

"Remy!" Joel called out loud enough for me to hear through my buds. I lifted my brows to show I was listening and he walked toward me with a paper plate in one hand and his cooking tongs in the other. Handing me the plate he sat down beside me and grinned. "Try it, yeah?" I mentally sighed and picked up the rib, taking a small bite. Spices exploded on my tongue and the meat was so succulent that it nearly fell off the bone. I took another bite, a more hardy one and moaned.

"Goddess, this doesn't suck Joel." That's the closest to a compliment anyone has ever gotten from me. He should consider himself lucky. I finished it off even taking the time to lick the bone with a swipe of my tongue. Joel grinned hard and eyed the corner of my mouth and lifted up his hand.

"Hey, Remy, you got--"

"A real fucking name and I suggest you get away from my mate." Galen was standing above us and Joel paled a bit but cleared his throat.

"I'm his friend--"

"Who shouldn't over step his boundaries. So go. Now!" He growled in his Beta voice and Joel hadn't a choice but to obey. Giving me one last glance he walked back to his grilling. I stared at my mate stoically.

"You didn't have to do that."

"You didn't see the way he was looking at you," he retorted and I scoffed. Galen sat crouched down next to me and cupped my face to lick the remaining sauce on my face. I shivered despite the heat and Galen hummed appreciatively under his breath. "So good...the sauce taste alright too."

"Someone seems jealous," I said out of fucking nowhere and mentally chided myself. Galen's gray eyes met mine and he spoke soft yet firmly.

"I was. I am. I don't like how close he is to you. Those stupid looks he gives you. How he carelessly thinks he can put a finger on you. I'm not gonna beat around the bush when I say that you are mine." I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. His hand palmed my belly and I felt a small flutter of our pup rolling over. "Both of you are. So if I strangle your little friend the next time he touches you, you'll know why."

"Uh, Galen, don't mean to interrupt but Jacob is here to give us a status report," Rob said awkwardly and Galen nodded, his eyes still trained on me. He stood up and extended his hand to me and unthinkingly I took it so that he could haul me up.

"Why don't you go and try to have fun," he told me quietly. "I know this is your first time at the lake...so do something instead of sitting around." He pressed a kiss to my forehead and quickly released me to join Rob with the neighboring Beta. I walked closer to the lake in a daze at what just happened. What the hell...Galen was..and I...I...

I had to pee.

***

Zipping up my shorts and sighing in relief Lily came up next to me. She was wearing a blue bikini and smiling brilliantly at me. "What's going on, Red?" I greeted and her smile grew bigger.