"Hey Mrs Vallenmort," Sean placed his coat on the rack in the staffroom. He wasn't worried about it being stolen because the only employees on this floor was him and Mrs Vallenmort. Remi liked a small efficient team over a big disorganized mess.
"Good morning sweetie," the kind lady replied, "You know you can just call me Bettie or Luna."
"Yes Luna," he smiled.
"I see you came to work with my son," she shot him a knowing look.
"Don't jump to conclusions. He probably does that for all his assistants," Sean laughed.
Bettie scoffed. She couldn't believe that Sean didn't see it.
"I'll just go greet my son and I'll get those files on the estate borders for you to look over and organize."
Bettie entered her son's office to find him with a huge grin and a lovestruck look as he gazed out his office window.
"Should you really be playing with the boy like that? What happens when you find your mate?" Bettie placed her hands and looked at her son.
A look of guilt and fear spread across Remi's face. Bettie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
"He's your mate," she whispered incredulously. Tears of joy prickled her eyes and she blinked them back. A look of fear was still on her son's face and she was confused.
"You are going to claim him, right?"
"Mom, I can't," Remi said pleadingly for her to understand, "I'm the future alpha. I need heirs. How am I going to do that with a male mate? I have no choice but to reject him."
"You can't go against fate Remi!" Bettie was pissed at her son's stupidity.
"I have to! Even dad thinks so," he said, then he realised his mistake.
His dad was destined to marry an alpha female. The woman that was chosen for him just happened to be his mate. He had told Remi that even if she wasn't his mate, he would have still married her. His motto was 'Duty over Happiness.' His mom always thought that his dad married her because he wanted to and that was true. What she didn't know was that he was ordered to marry her as well.
Bettie watched her son as guilt spread over his features and she got a harsh reality check. It all made sense; the way her father pushed her to marry Remi's father even if they weren't mates, the way Remi's father enthusiastically agreed and even how her father would meet with him to discuss the joining of the packs. Her marriage was a business agreement. She wondered if Remi's father even loved her when he said "I do."
Remi watched as his mother crumbled in front of him. His heart constricted as he got up to offer her comfort.
"Mom, dad really does love you," he gathered her stiff form in his arms.
Bettie didn't care. He didn't love her at first. He loved the power.
She patted her son on his chest and reached up to cup his face in her hands. Her glistening orbs looking into her son's.
"Don't reject your mate. No matter what, always treat him like he is the most important thing in this world to you."
She turned and walked away and it was the first time she walked without energy. The closing of his door signified the ball of shit that he had just started.
••••••••°•••••••
Sean walked into Remi's office, a stack of files in his hand.
"You have a meeting with the alpa at two and I need you to call Home Depot© right away in regards to the new desk that is going to be installed. Also a woman named Stephanie said that she is coming by at 12 for lunch. Lastly, what the hell did you do to your mother?" Sean closed his folder with a resounding smack.
"I didn't do it intentionally. She just realised something that was a little disturbing," Remi crossed his fingers hoping that Sean would let that subject matter drop. It seemed that he did because all he did was roll his eyes.
"I need to leave early today. I have an appointment." Sean suddenly became nervous.
"Appointment? What's it for?" Remi focused his gaze on his mate's fidgeting form.
"It's for social gratification," Sean smirked.
Remi raised a confused brow.
"It's a date!" Sean was exasperated. Why did he have to know?
Remi tensed. Although he said he was going to reject Sean, he still did not want him going out with any man other than him.
"No you can't go," Remi said firmly.
"Why the hell not?" His spitfire exclaimed.
"You can't expect me to relieve you of your duties just so you can go play house with some man."
"I was not expecting you to. I just wanted to inform you that rather than leaving at 6, like I normally do, I will leave at 5."
"You would still have work to do."
"Oh really? Like what?"
"You still have pack issues to handle. Not forgetting the meetings that have to be organized."
"Then I'll put in extra time tomorrow. I really need to go tonight Remi," Sean replaced his defiance with an air of desperation.
"Why? This is not what I'm paying you for Sean," Remi's temper was spiking.
"Because I need to get on with my life. I'm twenty two and I haven't even gone on my first date."
"What about your mate? Your personal life should not even interfere with your job."
"I'm sick and tired of waiting for a mate that probably doesn't even want me," Sean stomped his foot. He was tired of people telling him to wait for his mate. His own goddamn mate should have found him by now.
"How do you know that?" Remi looked at his mate with sadness in his eyes. Sean didn't even know that Remi was his mate.
"Because every night I feel as if someone is piercing my heart. Every time he touches someone other than me I feel it. This morning, I don't know what happened, but I was brought to my knees with pain. I thought my wolf was dead but he's coming back. And he knows," tears glistened in Sean's eyes. It was the first time he told anybody this, "He knows that our mate knows who we are and he feels the rejection. Please Remi, the only time he's free is from 5 to 7. He's a nurse and he works the night shift. He also has a day job hauling boxes for storage. I need this Remi."
"Sean, I," Remi was floored. All those nights that he slept with those women, in hopes that he could get Sean out of his mind, Sean could feel it. He even felt when Remi told his mother that he had to reject him. He was devastated, "Sure. You can leave early. But you have to make it up tomorrow."
Sean's eyes lit up as he got Remi's permission. He squealed and went to hug the life out of Remi. Remi thanked the goddess that he was wearing a long sleeved sweater so Sean couldn't feel the sparks when they touched skin to skin.
Remi's heart broke as he saw Sean leave the office, a bundle of excitement. He literally sent his mate into the arms of another man. He would've cried if he didn't know that it was for the best. But that knowledge did nothing to stop the inferno of jealousy that was raging inside of him.
•••••••••°••••••••
"Tell me why we're doing this Remi," Marcus watched his best friend spy on his assistant from across the packed restaurant. His height gave him an advantage so he could see above the heads of all the people.
"I told you I wanted to make sure that he is safe."
"Harming an omega is like harming a puppy," Marcus said. He could see why Remi was protective of the little guy. But although he looked frail, Marcus could tell from his build that he could handle his own in a fight.
"Some people are crazy Marcus."
"Uh huh," Marcus replied as he saw Remi taking pictures of his assistant's date, "Real crazy."
"What do you guys want, sir?" a pretty brunette girl stood near their table with a notepad in her hands.
Marcus could tell that his friend was otherwise preoccupied so he ordered for the both of them. He saw as the assistant excused himself from his table and made his way to theirs.
"Remi what are you doing?" he placed his hands on his hips as he regarded his boss.
Marcus was shocked. Not many people could call the future alpha by his first name. That privilege was restricted to his family and close friends.
"Having dinner," Remi looked the picture of innocence.
"Remi," the boy huffed.
And then the most amazing thing happened. Marcus saw the future leader crumble as he explained to the boy that he wanted him safe. Remi was the best liar he knew. He always knew how to get himself out of sticky situations. The fact that the little omega could pull the truth out of him with just a pout said a lot.
"I don't need you to protect me," the boy whined.
"You are under my employ; it's my job."
"Guys, don't you think you should take this elsewhere," Marcus said, interrupting the staring competition that they seemed to be in. The boy huffed as he made his way to the back to the bathrooms. Remi sighed as he made his way to follow him.
Remi locked the bathroom door when he entered in order to give him and Sean more privacy. He was not looking forward to this.
"Remi, you don't need to protect me. I can do it myself," Sean folded his hands across his chest.
"I know you can. I just feel the need to. You have to understand that," Remi pleaded.
"I understand that you aren't giving me the real reason why you're here."
Before Remi could reply, a knock sounded at the door. Sean's eyes widened at the sound of his date's voice. He crossed the floor to the bathroom door and unlocked it. In the doorway was his pissed-off date. He pushed Sean out of the way and closed the door.
"Martin, I said I would be back," Sean huffed.
"After you suck this guy off? Or after you let him fuck you in the bathroom?" Martin replied snidely.
That was it. As soon as the puny human entered the bathroom, Remi tried to calm down his jealous and pissed off wolf. But those statements caused his eyes to turn black with rage and the vein on his forehead became more prominent. Before the human could blink, Remi had him against the wall, his forearm pressed against the man's throat. His wolf had now taken over completely and as a result he was going on primal instinct.
"Remi let him go!" Sean was terrified. Martin didn't stand a chance against Remi. Remi only growled and pressed against Martin's throat harder.
"Apologize!" he barked to the human.
Sean doubted Martin could. The man was turning blue from lack of air.
Martin shifted his eyes to Sean's and a choked whimper escaped his lips. Sean went up to the pissed werewolf and laid his hand on Remi's forearm. The sparks that ignited at the touch sent Sean into shock. It seemed it did the same for Remi because he let Martin drop to a heap of fright at the bottom of his feet.
Sean could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. That asshole was his mate. That asshole didn't tell him and even worse that asshole was never going to tell him. He was going to reject him. A sob escaped Sean as he turned and ran from the bathroom. That fucking asshole.