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Whatever the healers were doing, it was working.
Every ounce of his allegiance and respect for the woman had been earned through centuries of her empathy and compassion toward him. If there was something he could do now to care for her, he’d do it.
“I’m glad to see Nina is looking better. Can I do anything for her?” Remmus spoke softly, not wanting to disturb her.
“No, but thank you, Remmus,” Zeke greeted, his smile thin but genuine. “How are things going on pack lands?”
“We finished several HVAC system updates are making headway on the St. Louis plant. It won’t be long before we’ve built a case against them—they’re in deep with illegal ammunition.”
“Dug their own grave,” the other man said. “What have you found in regard to the Citizens Raeth?”
Opening his mouth to reply, Remmus’ next words were cut off when his best friend teleported into the living room. Before he could greet him, Kaien moved toward his sister and handed a duffle to Zeke.
“This should satisfy her for the time being.”
“Kai.”
Remmus offered his best friend a genial smile, but it was dashed when the other man only gave him a cursory nod. Kaien wore his fatigue on his features. His jawline was shadowed, and he had traces of bruising underneath his eyes. Every movement was slow and methodical, like he couldn’t waste any extra energy.
“Sheila is stable and so is her child,” Kaien told Zeke. “Hemin is back in Ontario tending to Mercy.”
Zeke nodded, “If anyone is close to the edge, inform me.”
Kaien sighed as he saluted, the sound a weary, broken thing before he pivoted back to face Remmus. Squeezing his shoulder, the healer said, “We miss you, friend. You spend too much time with those wolves, you’re liable to become one.”
Grinning, Remmus’ heart pounded. “Kai, I’ve found my—”
“Zeke!” Celeste’s voice carried from the foyer, halting Remmus’ words. “Arya’s child is a girl!”
The sound of fast footsteps clattered against the foyer’s marble floors, heralding the arrival of the pink-haired pixie he’d hurt with his rejection during the Heat. Nina’s eyes fluttered open, finding Remmus first, then shifting her attention to Celeste when she came bounding into the living room.
“Arya’s having a girl?” Nina grinned. “I’m sure she’s delighted.”
When Celeste saw Remmus, the joy on her face faltered for a second. Merry chatter commenced, and Remmus was left lingering alone while they spoke of Zeke’s lieutenant.
For the first time since he’d joined Nina’s clan, he felt like an outsider. Even though he’d only been gone a few days, it felt as though his absence stretched decades. They were all busy celebrating their impending arrivals while Remmus’ presence was a reminder that there were yet enemies beyond their borders.
Something inside his chest twisted. The dreary feeling he couldn’t classify swelled, and he took another step back from his clansmen. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like baring his soul. His matehood, if it ever came to that, would likely never result in the children they were so excited about now. If he committed to matehood, the coercion would be relentless. He wouldn’t be able to combat it for long.
The worst poisons taste the sweetest.
Pinpricks of black danced at the edges of his vision, his balance compromising for a half-second before he shifted his weight. Kaien was already balancing on the edge; he’d seen it in the exhaustion behind the man’s eyes. Remmus didn’t need to add to his stress with a problem that should have already resolved.
What he needed was to leave; he couldn’t allow himself to falter physically. Melancholy thickened in his throat, and without another word, he began moving toward the front door.
“Remmus?”
Nina’s voice stopped him. Glancing at her over his shoulder, he said simply, “I’m needed back on pack lands. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Be safe.”
Without another word, he gave a half-hearted wave and walked out of the living room and out of Nina’s home. Once more, he’d been unable to resolve the health issue that continued to plague him. The drum in his mind snared with a single message: failure.
Pressure built behind his mental walls, slamming into his psychic shields. Blood dripped from his nose, the beads of crimson falling towards the cold ground beneath his feet, ignored. Remmus’ fingers curled of their own accord.
He dabbed at his nose, sneering at the traces of his failure. He teleported to the mountains where his mate was, needing her stability. As soon as Ava saw him, her beautiful features became shadowed.
“What happened?”
