Chapter Sixteen (Kyler's POV)
"No!" Remi barked and slammed right into Nythara, knocking him off his feet, but Luc and Seven caught him, helping him balance again.
"Bastard!" Nythara snarled at him. Remi didn't even flinch as he stood between me and the rest of Amethyst. Zaid and Scythe had also taken up position on either side of Remi, preparing themselves to defend me.
"You filthy whore!" Nythara shrieked at me. I didn't flinch this time. Instead, I hissed at him.
"You're one to talk," I snarled, watching Nythara's eyes blaze with hatred and horror, "What does that make your nephews for attacking me, huh?!" Zaid and Scythe froze, snapping their heads to look at me.
Remi went stiff, looking right at Nythara, who was glaring at us. Luc growled low in his throat, fists clenched and ready to throw some punches. Seven's muscles were taut, his stance ready for battle meanwhile Sylvian had backed away from them.
"You didn't." Remi managed. I winced. The pain in his voice struck me hard in the chest and I wondered if what I had done was a mistake. Nythara narrowed his eyes, teeth bared.
"So what? He seemed to rather enjoy it judging from those shrieks I could hear all the way from my post." He sneered. Remi's face drained of all color and he looked like he was going to die right there on the spot. I grimaced and took a step forward, but Nythara's eyes snapped to me.
"Touch him, whore, and you'll receive far worse punishment." He threatened. I glared at him.
"You won't touch me." I said coldly.
"That's what you said last night," Luc mocked, making me flinch as he stepped in front of Nythara, "You say a lot of things you don't mean, like ripping us to pieces. If anything, we were the ones ripping you to pieces. Why Remi would ever be interested in a rotten, dirty slut is beyond me, but maybe he's a sucker for the ones that scream."
I felt like an ice cube was sliding down my back as he went on, his voice practically echoing in the now silent room.
"You writhe and you pretend like you hate it, but you've been trained, haven't you? That's why how you knew to be seductive, you devil. You were so tight for a whore, but then again, that must have been a perk, right?"
I held my breath, now taking a step back.
"What happened to your bravado," Luc teased wickedly, "Just a second ago you were all tough, but in the end, you're nothing, but a tool. A toy. A pet. Now be a good pet and stand down or I'll gladly fuck you into a-"
Remi moved so fast, I hardly saw him. Just a flash of movement before he punched Luc hard in the face. Luc howled, clasping his hands over his chest, stumbling back before looking up to punch him back, but Remi ducked and swung his fist up into Luc's solar plexus. Luc gasped, doubling over and hitting the floor in a crumple.
"How dare you," Remi seethed, his voice shaking, "How dare you touch what is mine. How dare you speak to him like that, even look at him like that! You don't deserve to even glance at him nor speak his name! Kyler is worth far more than you'll ever wish to be! I'll make you regret you ever even laid eyes on him!" He went to kick Luc in the face, but Nythara was moving toward him in a way that meant harm.
I moved quickly, shoving past Zaid and Scythe, who broke apart to hold Seven and Sylvian back.
I grabbed Nythara and slammed him into the floor, pinning him down just barely. He snarled and flung his hand across my face. Pain exploded in my head, but I fought against it and grabbed his throat.
"Touch him and I'll kill you!" I snarled, baring my teeth as I clenched my hands around his throat. He made a choking sound, glaring up at me and trying to grab at me, but I bit into his hand, making him howl. He managed to wedge his knee between us and shoved me back, but I just came back.
I grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed my head into his. I ignored the throbbing pain and blood running down the sides of my nose as I slammed Nythara into the floor where he moaned, reaching up to grasp his forehead.
I looked up to see Remi slamming his foot into Luc's ribcage. Luc was struggling to grab his leg and bring him down, but I stomped on his wrist. He gasped and let go of Remi's ankle and I kicked his hand away before getting between him and Remi, pushing my hands on Remi's chest.
"Remi, that's enough." I commanded. Remi was fuming. I could feel the waves of heated anger pouring off him like a tsunami, his muscles bunched and a vein throbbing in his throat.
"It's not enough! I'm going to kill them!" He fumed.
"They're your family!" I protested in surprise, but Remi shook his head angrily.
"No! They are no family of mine! My family would never harm you! They would never do anything to prevent you from being happy!" He snarled. I winced, but kept my fists against his chest for a second to keep him at bay before I put my arms around his torso tightly, digging my heels into the ground.
"Don't waste your time with insects! If you hate them so much, they don't exist to you anymore, Remi! They're already dead to you. Please, stop. You've done enough..." I let my voice trail as Remi very slowly relaxed. His muscles were still tensed and his glare was still fierce, but he wasn't struggling against my hold anymore.
"Leave," Remi ordered at last, looking at his uncle and cousins while pulling me into his arms tightly, "Never come back, never show me your faces again. Should you do so, I won't hesitate next time to rip you into pieces. Stay away from me and stay away from my mate."
Nythara, his face bloody, glared at us hatefully.
"You have made an enemy of us, Remi Black. You should never have disobeyed me. You're a shame to your father's name." He sneered.
"My father once told me that love is power. I believe I have that now and I have the power to say no. Get out. Never return. Right. Now." Remi responded icily. Nythara struggled to his feet, stumbling a little as he tried to get Remi to his feet.
Zaid and Scythe had easily pinned Seven down as Sylvian had backed off to watch them. They backed away from Seven, who surprised me by glaring at everyone before he shoved past Zaid and Scythe, heading out the door. Sylvian gave me one last painful look before running out after his brother.
Nythara had to lift Luc into his arms because the amount of blood lost had left him unconscious. I gripped Remi tightly as Nythara slowly made his way out, his grip on Luc tight. He paused in the doorway like he was going to turn back and say something, then thought better of it before heading out.
Scythe slammed the door shut behind him, then leaned against it and looked at Zaid, who gave him a tired stare.
"When are you leaving?" Zaid asked after a while.
"Right now." Remi stated and let go of me to head upstairs and grab whatever he left. I blinked, caught off guard for a second before I bolted after him.
"Wait, right now? Don't you want to let your sisters and brother know?" I asked, rushing to catch up with him as we walked into the room.
"I don't want to talk to them at all." Remi responded. I grimaced, watching him jerk things out of the wardrobe and toss them in the duffel bag he'd brought inside with him.
"But, Remi, they didn't do anything."
"I don't want to be near them for a while."
"... Remi, you're not mad at me, are you?" I asked. Remi froze, then whirled to face me, his expression stricken.
"How could I be mad at you? You haven't done anything. It was them! They attacked you and I won't forgive them! It was enough that they had forced me to work at the grille and hunt for them and attend meetings and basically set my life for me, but they crossed the line when they hurt you like that. It was inhumane! I can't believe you didn't let me kill them!"
I winced.
"Remi, this is why I didn't want to tell you in the first place," I protested angrily, "Now you're mad and they're mad and I basically just ruined your family! If you won't at least go talk to your siblings, then I'm not going anywhere." To prove a point, I sat on the bed and didn't move.
Remi stared at me in frustration before he finally threw up his hands and went out the door, slamming it shut behind him. I grimaced when the door shuddered from the force. I waited until I heard him go out the front door before I stood up and went out to the living room.
Remi's truck left a cloud of dust in its wake as he shot out of the driveway. I sighed and turned to see Zaid poke his head into the living room.
"You okay?" He asked, walking in. I groaned.
"He's pissed. Probably at me too for being an idiot." I grumbled and flopped on the sofa. Zaid sighed, walking over and sitting at my feet. I noticed how tired he looked. Ever since his pregnancy, Zaid had noticably gotten weaker.
He tried to hide it, but it was too hard and I knew it frustrated him.
But it was better than being dead, I thought. Compared to the other three wolves Jack had experimented on, Zaid was the only lucky one to have survived. A little sapped energy was nothing compared, but I knew it still aggravated him.
"He loves you, that's why. He's agonized by the thought that he couldn't save you from his own family, people who are supposed to support you in all your endeavors. He'll cool down. Remi doesn't usually explode like that. He's actually pretty laidback." Zaid explained. I grunted, resting my elbow on the sofa, my chin in my palm.
"Well, he's a jerkface when he's mad. How are we supposed to mate tonight if he's pissed?" I complained, then dropped my face into one of the pillows and groaned. Zaid nudged me with his knee.
"Well, I could offer some advice."
"What advice could you possibly offer me?"
"I'm married to Scythe. We both know he has a temper." Zaid snorted. I paused, then peeked past the pillow at him, pursing my lips.
"Fine. What've you got?" I asked. Zaid shrugged for a second, peeked out into the foyer to make sure no one was listening before he settled himself beside me.
"This is gonna sound weird, but... Whenever Scythe's really pissed, I just get a little sappy on him. By that, I mean, set the mood. When he comes back, get everything ready so you can do your ritual tonight. Knowing you, you don't even know the vows, do you?" He asked. I glared.
"I lost my latest edition of Dog Whisperer."
"I'll teach you. In fact, let me help you. I have nothing else to do today since Lars took the pups out today and Scythe has council meetings to attend."
"You better not get girly on me."
"I'm not talking hair and make up sappy, Kyler. Just trust me. It'll make Remi really happy. I'm a wolf, I know what I'm talking about." Zaid promised. I hesitated for a moment. I did want Remi to be happy. I didn't want him to live with bitter feelings the entire time we were together. The Remi that had left here wasn't the Remi I had fallen in love with.
My Remi was sweet, silly, and gentle. He wasn't cold or angry all the time.
It was time I brought that Remi back and left the frosted one behind.
"Fine. Let's do it." I declared. Zaid beamed, shooting his feet and gesturing for me to follow.
"Great! First order of business is to learn your vows." He announced, heading out of the living room. I blinked, then slowly rose to my feet and followed him. He led me outside into the warm sunshine and went down the steps. At first I thought we were just hanging out on the porch, but he started to lead me into the woods. I just followed.
Zaid had done the mating ritual before. He knew what to do, the ropes.
I didn't.
I had never imagined myself mating with anyone and the idea was making me giddy.
"Repeat after me," Zaid began, making me look up as we ducked under a tree branch, "I, Kyler Mercy, pledge myself unto you. I pledge my heart to yours. I pledge my soul to yours. I pledge to you the first bite of my meal, the first drink from my cup. I shall be your shield and I shall be your weapon. I shall honor you above all others. This is my vow to you, Remi Black, my mate for eternity, in life and in death." I stared at him for a second, then repeated the vows slowly.
They felt foreign on my tongue.
At the same time, it was nice.
These were for Remi.
Remi was my mate.
Zaid smiled, nodding as we repeated them back and forth until we reached the lake. I paused, studying the empty shoreline, the little waves of dark water licking at the sand. Further on land where the grass began to form in a thick blanket, I suddenly remembered the night we had killed Ash.
The night I stabbed Remi.
It made me wince in pain.
"Where did you and Remi meet?" Zaid asked, his eyes scanning the area. I blinked.
"Why does that matter?" I asked. Zaid rolled his eyes, putting his hand on his hip in a feminine manner that made me cock my brow at him before he smacked his arms to his sides stiffly. He blushed.
"Because. That's where you will mate. It's either that or the space in which you two first... uh, you know..." His voice trailed. I felt my cheeks burn as I scowled at him, folding my arms over my chest.
"The first time we met was out behind Sandy's inn and the place we screwed was at his place."
"Jeez. Not very convenient."
"Tell me about it."
"Well, Sandy wouldn't mind. It's a sacred place now. It's when Remi realized that you were his mate and maybe you realized it too, you just didn't want to admit it." Zaid explained. I snorted and he glared at me. I shrugged before he gestured for me to follow him again.
This time, he changed. His skin stretched and pulled, molding over crackling bones that moved in place as he took his true form. I sighed and did the same, dropping to all fours before the change was complete. I looked up to see Zaid panting a little.
He was a handsome wolf with thick fur laced with gray, black, and brown up until the tops of his legs where it faded into a whitish brown.
He nodded to me before taking off and I followed close behind him, my paws beating the ground as my tail swayed to keep me balanced. We darted between trees and leapt over logs before we came closer and closer to the space out behind Sandy's inn.
It still looked the same.
It was far enough from the inn so you couldn't see it, but it was still close.
Clean and clear with a layer of fresh green grass that led up to a trickling stream that seemed to whisper as it splashed over the larger boulders that led up the side of a hill. The air smelled clean and warm.
Take a good look around, Zaid told me, his eyes scanning the area as he stepped closer to the stream, Even though you didn't meet on the greatest of terms, this place is still special. The essence is still here. Every piece of the Goddess' work here holds a special meaning. Of course, to liven things up a little bit, you could set out some candles... Don't look at me like that!
I snorted a laugh, the sound deep and gutteral as I smacked my paw at the ground. Zaid snapped his teeth at me, growling low in his throat. I growled back, but just flicked him in the face with my tail as I made my way over to the stream, peering in.
I expected some kind of demonic flash back or maybe even see Ash's face, but there was nothing.
The water was crystal clear, giving me a view of several small fish that were swimming in a school down stream toward Black Water River. I cocked my head, peering in closer to study the cleanness of it before I looked up at Zaid, who sat beside the shore, watching me. His tail swayed gently against the grass, his ears perked up and I could see his smile.
Trust me. Even if it sounds sappy, make this place special. Make the candles smell nice, set them up in the shape of a pentagram to honor the Goddess. It'll represent fire. The stream will represent water.The ground, the grass, the rocks all represent earth. He explained calmly, using his muzzle to gesture around the area.
My eyes searched the boulders and rocks sitting nearby and I could easily imagine placing a few candles there and maybe a few more near the treeline. It'd give the place a really neat glow. I mentally slapped myself.
You sound like Martha Stewart. I snorted. Zaid rolled his eyes and got up on all fours, walking over beside me.
Kyler, take this seriously. This kind of commitment is binding. When you do the mating ritual, your vows are eternal and sacred. You are becoming part of Remi and he's becoming part of you. Together, you will become one. You have to make this night special.
Was your special? I asked. Zaid looked sad for a moment, averting his eyes as he sat down again, his head low as he looked into the water.
It was hard. Our packs hate each other and not to mention, I had found out some things I really wish I hadn't known, but it happened. And I'm glad it did. Now, every time Scythe and I are together, my only regret is that I didn't try hard enough to make that night better. So every other night, I do my best to make Scythe happy. He deserves it. He explained, his ears laying back.
I cocked my head and leaned in, nudging his shoulder. He tilted his head to look at me, then seemed to smile before licking my face. I growled in protest and shoved into him, almost knocking him into the stream before he yelped and backed up into me. I shoved him again and he growled before leading me away from the stream to avoid falling in.
Don't be nervous, Zaid went on as we headed back toward the plantation house, Just do what I said and you'll be fine. If you'd like, I can take you into town to buy some things at the candle shop across from The Mockingbird. We could buy some incense too. That'll be important for the representation of air.
You're so excited, it's unnerving. I drawled. Zaid barked a laugh as we neared the border to our territory and Amethyst's.
It's gonna be nice, really. I know you'll be happy with Remi and I know it'll calm him down to know that you care about this as much as he does. Mating isn't a game, or a date. It's basically handfasting, without the rope.
I was thankful for the lack of rope part. I would not be able to do that. As for the rest, I was sure I could do it. If it meant bringing back the Happy-Go-Lucky Remi, I would do anything to have him giving me a goofy smile and cuddling up to me.
Only a few hours....
I could easily have my Remi back.
If I could just remember those damn vows...