A grim smile spread over Kane’s face. “Not anymore. Faith said she didn’t want to see you and I needed to tell you to leave our house.”
Remy shrank back in Arden’s arms, not wanting to believe what Kane said was true. Sucking in a shaky breath, she whispered, “Faith wouldn’t say that.”
Kane didn’t get the chance to reply as a frail, pasty white looking Faith hobbled out and muttered in a deathly steel voice, “Get out. Get out now.”
A deep, gut wrenching sob escaped Remy as she stood. Arden let her go, standing to follow close behind her as she started toward Faith. Surely she didn’t mean what she’d said.
Kane’s roar stopped her in her tracks. Remy had never been scared of Kane before, but right now she was terrified. Kane picked Faith up and yelled, “Get her out now.”
Arden picked her up and walked to the door. She didn’t fight him this time—she had no fight left in her. As he closed Kane’s front door she made a promise to herself and the world, muttering, “I’m not giving up. I’m sorry, and I’m going to make everyone forgive me if it’s the last thing I do, even you.”
Arden let out a howl, and Remy hoped she wasn’t too late to save him, or make everything up to her friends.
* * * *
The pain and shame coming off his mate was ripping out what little Arden had left of his heart. His mate was hurting, and as much as he wanted to comfort her and get angry at everyone for treating Remy the way they had, he couldn’t do anything because he knew she’d done wrong. She’d put herself and the whole town in danger. If they hadn’t rescued her, she would have valuable information for the enemy.
Arden let one hand he had wrapped around her drop so he could open his front door. He walked inside, kicking the door shut behind him before placing Remy gently on the ground. She gazed around his hall, one of the only places not littered with garbage and covered in werewolf territory marks. He homed in on her lips as she nibbled on her bottom one.
“I’m, ah, guessing this is your house?” Remy backed up as she spoke. The whole time her eyes barely left his. He stalked her to the family room with its big dining room table, TV, and sofas. “I’m taking your silence as a yes.” Her gaze darted her around the room, and her eyes grew wide. Arden knew what she saw—garbage, broken ornaments, and shit everywhere, and weapons strewed across every surface.
“Grr, look at me,” he grunted.
Remy blinked her pretty blue eyes and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. Her hair had grown. It had been a lot shorter when he mate marked her almost three months ago. Arden looked her over, noticing she’d lost weight. She still had large breasts and good hips, but everything else had thinned, and she looked even more pixie-like. He wondered if he was the only one who wanted her to be his pixie. Had she been with someone else while she’d been away?
“Mine,” he snarled, taking a step toward her only for her to move so the table stood between them.
Arden closed his eyes as his wolf started taking over. The hairs on his body grew and his muscles stretched. He knew in the back of his mind he was on the very edge of going feral. Arden knew the cure though, and she stood in front of him, studying him. He could feel her eyes boring into him. Opening his eyes, he stalked toward her. He needed her, and Remy needed to learn she was his and no one but him touched her.
Glaring at her, he continued to move toward her. “Why? Why did you leave? You have a couple of seconds to tell me before I let my wolf take over and we show you who you belong to and why you will never leave again,” he snarled, and took another step toward Remy.
Arden felt his wolf pause close to the surface as Remy looked up at him and took a step toward him. “I promise I’m yours. I haven’t been with anyone. I didn’t leave just because of you. Ha! I almost stayed when I met you.”
Her statement surprised him, and the wolf in him retreated a little more. Hope bloomed in his broken heart. Could Remy fix him?
* * * *
Remy rubbed the mate mark Arden had given her so many months ago. “I’m sorry I ran. I’m ready to be your mate now.” Before the last word even left her lips Arden was hovering over her.
She gazed into big brown eyes that glowed bright. His midnight black hair didn’t look like it had been cut in months and sat in a shaggy mess. His body was all muscled, thick and toned, and she could see the sweat glinting off his torso as he looked to be fighting the change.
Right now Arden looked more wolf than man. He stalked her and she backed up, hitting a vanity table. He gathered her to him and captured her mouth, kissing her deeply before he pulled away.