“No,” says Remy. “It’s not your call, Meredith.”
She blinks at Remy. “I’m your pack’s Alpha Mate. Approving or rejecting new pack members is well within my power.”
“You aren’t anything to my pack. Not yet. Not officially,” says Remy.
Cameron speaks up. “What the hell, Remy? You know all that’s left is the formalities.” He glances at me. “I understand the guy helped you out, but you don’t want that kind of riffraff in your pack. Neither would Julien if he were thinking straight.”
“I speak for Julien in this,” says Remy, his voice firm. “If you don’t like it, you can address the issue with my brother later.”
Cameron growls and reaches toward Remy, but Dante steps in front of him.
“Aggression toward Julien’s procurator is aggression toward Julien. Don’t touch him unless you want to deal with the consequences,” says Dante.
Cameron’s upper lip curls, but he backs off. “I don’t get it. Yesterday, you all were bending over backwards to make sure these arrangements went through.”
“Circumstances have changed,” says Remy. “When Julien is ready to discuss them with you, he will do so. Until then, we’re going to our room.”
Meredith tuts and crosses her arms over her chest. “This kind of disrespect will not be tolerated when I’m Alpha Mate.”
“We’ll see.” Remy gives her a saccharine smile, then takes hold of my arm and tugs me toward the elevator, Dante bringing up the rear.
It isn’t until we’ve boarded the elevator and the doors slide close that Remy lets out a slow breath. Dante places his hands on Remy’s shoulders, massaging the lingering tension away.
After a moment, Remy pulls away from Dante’s grip. “Well, the good news is that Rossi is still in the dark about you being Julien’s fated mate.”
“Why do you say that?” I ask.
“That would have been a very different conversation if Rossi knew,” says Remy. “He knows the mating alliance was important to Julien, and he probably thinks Julien won’t give it up for you, omega or not. Fated mates trump any other relationship, even between those already mated. A mating alliance that hasn’t been finalized means nothing in the face of what you and Julien are to each other.”
“Okay. So, what’s the bad news?”
“Derek, Meredith’s other brother and the Alpha of their pack, won’t be happy about canceling the mating alliance. Thanks to Rossi’s meddling, it will appear that Julien is setting aside Meredith to take an unaffiliatedmaleshifteras a mate.”
“And that’s important why? I thought Julien said me being a guy didn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t,” says Remy. “Not in the long run, but Derek is going to see this as an insult. I wouldn’t put it past him to issue a challenge to Julien because of the perceived slight. In fact, I think Rossi’s counting on it.”
“Why?”
“Because the challenge would take place here in Rossi’s territory, so Rossi would get to set the terms. He’d use some pretty words to make a fight to the death sound like the most logical choice and then he’d do everything he could to make sure my brother lost,” explains Remy. “So, Rossi either gets some sort of arrangement with my pack through Meredith and the mating alliance, or he gets Julien dead. Either outcome is beneficial for him and with either outcome he also getsyou, Keir.”
Fifteen
Keir
Issuddenonsetclaustrophobiaa thing? Small spaces have never bothered me before, but the walls of this elevator feel like they’re closing in on me as what Remy just said plays on repeat in my head. Memories I locked away years ago are flashing through my mind, a slide show of anxiety and fear. My dad. The challenge. The blood. Randall. The snapping sound my own bones made…
By the time the elevator doors open onto whatever the hell floor this is, my knees are barely holding me up they’re shaking so much.
Somehow, I force my legs into action, putting one in front of the other and following Remy down the hall. Dante’s next to him and their heads tilt toward each other while they have a conversation my anxious brain doesn’t even attempt to process.
The past four years haven’t been easy. They’ve been lonely and often miserable, but compared to the last twelve hours, they’ve been relatively safe. Well, no one wasactivelytrying to maim, torture, and/or murder me at least.
Randall and my old pack thought I was dead and, prior to my interactions at the club last night, I wasn’t even a blip on Rossi’s radar even though I’ve been in Chicago for a few months. What security my anonymity couldn’t provide, I made up for with contingency plans.
Now, I’m locked into a situation I don’t understand and any choices I make have consequences I can’t predict. Plus, the people I’m pretty much blindly trusting with my life are little more than strangers. Because, let’s face it, fated mates or not, I’ve known Julien and his pack for less than twenty-four hours.
Remy glances over his shoulder at me, his expression quickly turning concerned. “Keir?”
