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“I have no doubt, Remmus.” Sobering, her gaze dropped to the floor. “She’d have to be amazing to be worthy of you as a mate.”
Truth.
Swallowing the lump that’d formed in his throat, Remmus batted away the urge to sweep their past underneath the rug.
“Celeste—about what happened between us in the Heat: I don’t want it to harm our friendship. It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my compulsions.”
For a beat, she didn’t move or respond. Her gaze grew shadowed, twisted with melancholy. “I know, Remmus. Being vulnerable like that—especially with someone else—isn’t in my wheelhouse. I was never angry with you. I was angry with myself, and I didn’t know how to fix it between us.”
“That made two of us,” he commiserated. “Fortunately, I’d like to think we know each other well enough that we can choose to remain friends.” He smirked, regaining his playfulness when Celeste’s mood lightened. “Besides, you’ll find your mate soon, too. And then I’m certain he’ll defend your honor by breaking my face.”
A startled laugh shot out of her mouth before she curled her arms around him. “I’m glad you’re still here, Remmus.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Remmus was embracing a pink-haired woman. Celeste.
There, surrounded by state-of-the-art kitchen appliances and marble countertops, was her mate holding someone else. Tattooed arms were wrapped protectively around the little Raeth, twin puffs of cotton-candy colored fuzz peeking out from where her face rested against his chest.
A snarl built in her throat. Her wolf’s first urge was to rip him away from Celeste, to claim Remmus as hers with every bone in her body.
Before she made good on the impulse, Ava stopped. Took notice. Analyzed.
Nothing in Remmus’ embrace hinted at intimacy or attraction.
The only emotion Ava felt resonating through their bond was platonic affection. One that was built on years of friendship and mutual trust. As she began to understand, her shoulders relaxed, her breathing evened out, and she simply watched.
When Remmus released Celeste, and she dragged a glittery purple fingernail beneath her black-rimmed eyes. “I’m more than happy to be your friend, Remmus. And I can’t wait to finally meet Ava—when she doesn’t want to gnaw off my head.”
“She’s the light of my life, Celeste. I can’t imagine living without her.”
“Good.” Snarky now, Celeste fisted her hands on her hips. “Because if she hurts you, I’ll skin her wolf and wear her coat like a prized fur.”
Ava’s amused laugh startled both Raeths. Turning as one, Remmus and Celeste caught sight of her a moment before the latter jumped away and held up her hands.
“Please don’t kill me! I promise I wasn’t doing anything untoward.”
Ava blushed. “I know. I’ve been watching.”
“Well, doesn’t that sound ominous.” Remmus quipped. “How did you sneak up on us?”
“I wasn’t aware I was sneaking.”
Celeste tapped a fingernail to her lips. “But you did. Come to think of it, I can’t sense your psychic presence.”
“Am I supposed to know what that means?”
Ava wrapped her arm around Remmus’ waist. Above her head, Remmus’ features pinched as he studied her, then he jolted as though she’d sent a thousand volts of electricity into him.
“I put a shield on you!”
“Is that like ‘I put a spell on you’?”
“No, he actually put a shield on you.” A flare of Celeste’s energy brushed up against her. It was delicate, like a feather skating over her skin, but without a doubt an energy contained. “You’re a walking void.”
Now the Raeths had managed to confuse her. “Huh?”
“Shields can bestow part of their ability to another, kind of like donating part of your liver to another person.” When Ava made a face, Remmus continued undaunted. “You have a psychic shield.”
