Arden’s Mate(27)

Chapter 4




Remy’s first day at work had been great, just what she needed to keep busy and think about what she was going to say to Sara. Grayson was an awesome boss. He didn’t get angry with her when Arden got all alpha and threatened customers who came on to her. But by the middle of her shift Grayson banned Arden from the pub while she was working. Remy didn’t think Arden would listen to Grayson, but after they went away to talk, Arden came back and said his goodbyes and told her he would be waiting out front to pick her up when her shift ended. He’d been there, but he was beat up and covered in cuts.

“What the hell happened to you?” She groaned in frustration when he shrugged. “You went out with the others hunting? Is that why you’re all cut up?” When Arden shrugged again she swore she was going to kick him. “Shrugging is not a bloody answer.”

He grunted and did it again, his shoulders going up and down. She growled, and her anger simmered to the surface.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. I don’t care anyway.” Oh, she did, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

Arden chuckled. “Yes, you do.”

When he didn’t say anything else, just started the engine and drove them home, she gave a frustrated squeal. “You enjoy pissing me off.”

The bastard shrugged again. “I enjoy knowing you care about me.”

“Pft, in your dreams.”

He hadn’t even replied to that, but even she knew he didn’t have to because he was right—she didn’t just care for him, she was falling for him, and hard.

This morning they awoke early. Arden had found out where the dress shop was, and they now sat a couple of stores down in Arden’s car. He sat quietly beside her as she talked herself into going in the store. She needed to talk to Sara. Remy needed to get her friends to understand why she left. Why she needed the space. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car.

She slowly walked down to the bridal store at the end of the strip. It was a little cottage that had been converted into a store. She looked behind her and grabbed Arden’s hand, needing his strength, as she used her other one to push the door open.

A sales assistant came up to her within minutes. “May I help you?”

“Yes, my friend Sara is here with the rest of her bridesmaids. Can you point me in their direction?”

The lady smiled. “Sure, they’re in the back. Come this way.”

Remy followed her to the back of the store. The woman parted a curtain, and Remy saw Ava, Kirby, and Sara. Ava and Kirby wore different color bridesmaid dresses, and Sara wore a big, puffy wedding dress covered in sparkly stuff.

“You look stunning, Sara,” Remy said as she stepped into the room.

The sales assistant nodded to Sara and left.

Sara’s eyes widened when she saw Remy. “What the hell are you doing here?” She was angry, and Remy understood. “I don’t want you as my bridesmaid. You left me when I needed you. The wedding is in a week and you’ve only just come back. We have barely heard from you, and don’t get me started on how worried all the guys are about Arden. For Christ’s sake, Remy, at one stage they were discussing the fact that they might have to put him down because he was starting to go feral. You’re so selfish.”

Remy was getting upset. She’d always been there for her friends, and the one time she wasn’t they treat her like this. She didn’t understand it. “Look, I know I messed up but—”

“Don’t. Remy, you and I have been best friends since primary school. I can’t believe you just up and abandoned us.”

Remy needed to get Sara to understand why she left. To not turn away from her like Faith had. Nothing was going how she thought it would. Remy had thought her friends would be happy to have her back. She’d expected a bit of anger, but thought they would forgive her. Taking a step further into the changing room, she glanced at Kirby to see if she would help, but she bit her lip and looked away.

“I was scared. Sara, I almost died, I think I did and was brought back. I ran because I didn’t want to be tied to all this anymore. I wanted different choices. I wanted to be given a choice. This fight is not what I wanted in my life. Everyone else got a—”

Sara advanced on her, holding the wedding dress skirt in her hands, fury entrenched on her face. “You selfish bitch. Do you think this is what I wanted? I love a man who goes out every night to protect the world from creatures that are worse than anything anyone could imagine. I help by using my powers to do what I can. While you have been running away, pretending this isn’t all happening, I—we, Faith, Kirby, and all of us—have been praying our loved ones come home every night. I don’t sleep at night anymore, because I’m terrified if I do I might miss information, or I’ll find out someone I love didn’t come back this time.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “I understand you didn’t want a werewolf as a mate, a husband, but you know what? Tray is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I can tell you now that I would go through this all again, and more, if I got to spend even a day in his arms. You don’t deserve the gift you’ve been given in Arden.” Sara brushed her tears away and straightened her back. “I can’t have you as a bridesmaid. Right now I can’t even—”