Chapter 8 #2
“You have no idea…” he muttered as he picked up handfuls of meat and began pressing them into the pre-greased loaf pans he’d lined up on the table beside the huge bowl of meat mixture.
Cristie looked over at Richie, who just kept doing what he was doing and grinning at her before she shifted her attention back to Remi.
“Anyway, my parents are having a dinner on Sunday to welcome you to our Pride. It’s at noon, but you can get there any time you like. They’re usually an all day thing.”
“Sounds nice,” Remi said, still not looking at her as he continued building meatloaves in the many loaf pans he’d laid out.
“So, you’ll come?” she asked.
“I’d be an asshole if something special was done for me and I didn’t bother to take notice of it, wouldn’t I?”
Cristie hesitated, chewing on the inside of her cheek to keep from saying he was an asshole anyway, but finally settled on a neutral reply. “I wouldn’t know.”
He finally lifted his head and looked her way. “You’ve never had anyone do something for you and refused to be a part of it?”
“Not to my knowledge,” she said a bit sharply.
“So, it is possible that you might have done something to hurt someone who might be trying to do something because they care for you. But you might not have noticed, or not even cared,” he said, still looking right at her.
“I suppose it’s just as possible as someone intentionally pushing their mate aside because they’re so in love with someone who isn’t their mate that they don’t think she’d be important enough.”
“You really want to go there?” Remi asked.
“Yeah, I think I do. See, I was always taught that when you found your mate it was a pull so intense that it couldn’t be ignored.
Yet, it appears that sometimes there are females that mean more to some males, than their actual mates.
So much so that when that pull is discovered, it is easily ignored. ”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because if they cared more about their mates than whoever else they were involved with, they’d have not deserted them. They’d have valued them — at least as much as the other girl.”
“Some bonds make themselves known suddenly after many, many years. In fact, it can happen so fast it cannot be anticipated. And no matter who the male is, me or anyone else, if there’s another’s heart involved, it’s only decent to handle it gently rather than bashing it carelessly like some egotistical male who cares only about his own satisfaction.
But I suppose that doesn’t matter to you.
I guess I should have just coldly forged ahead and be damned with the damage to an innocent as long as my mate was at my side. ”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” Remi said. “And just so you know, I’m sorry that it took me so long to get myself together.
I’ve always been told I take too much responsibility for the state of those I care about in any capacity — so I took it hard that no matter what I did, somebody would hurt.
I needed time. Not a different mate. Time.
But maybe I should have been more callous.
Maybe I should work on being more callous going forward. ”
“I don’t want you to be callous,” she said.
“You sure? It would make things a lot easier for you if I just ran through life ignoring all the damage I did to everybody but you.”
“That’s not fair, Remi,” Cristie said, her voice sounding genuinely hurt.
He went back to packing meatloaf pans, pretending that she wasn’t there.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have given you an ultimatum, but I was hurting, too. I didn’t know what to do either. It’s supposed to be a happy time, and all I scented on you was pain.”
“Confusion,” he snapped.
“Yeah. I guess we were both confused. I certainly didn’t expect it.”
“Neither did I, Cristie,” he said. “Seems one of us is still confused.” He didn’t stop to look at her, just kept working furiously.
She started to ask what that meant, but decided that it probably wasn’t the best time because he seemed to be growing more and more upset by the moment. “So, I’ll tell my parents you’re coming, then.”
“I’ll let them know. Appreciate you delivering the invitation,” Remi said.
Cristie just awkwardly stood there, as he started putting the meat loaf pans into the oven.
“Well, I guess I’ll get to work. Have a good day.”
“Hold on,” Remi said impatiently. He put the last loaf in the large oven, then went to the sink and washed his hands.
He dried them, then went over to the warming light of the staging area of the line where plates ready to be served waited for the rest of their party’s dishes to be ready so they could all be served at once.
He took a brown paper bag off the serving line, then grabbed a ‘to-go’ plastic quart of coffee and handed her both of them.
“Sausage, egg and cheese croissant and coffee. I already added sugar and creamer the way you like it. I also included a breakfast burrito in case you might have wanted that instead. I hope you have a good day. I really do.” He looked into her eyes meaningfully as she looked back into his.
He smiled at her, but it wasn’t a happy smile — it showed he was trying, though.
She looked from his face to the bag and the plastic container in her hands, then back again. “Thank you, Remi. I appreciate this.”
He gave her a single nod, then backed away from her, before finally turning and going to the sink where he started peeling potatoes for the mashed potatoes that would go with the meatloaf.
Her gaze traveled over to Richie who gave her a slight little shrug.
She took a slow, deep breath before letting it out just as slowly, then turned and walked back out of the restaurant.
She got in Kaiser’s car and started it up, then drove it carefully out of the parking lot and across the highway, where she parked it in her usual parking spot.
“You good?” Richie asked Remi.
“She spent the night with him. She’s driving his car.”
“Doesn’t mean anything sexual happened. They’re friends.”
“Which is why I’m refusing to allow my Dragon to kill him,” Remi said.
More than a few moments of silence passed between them as they both tended to all they needed to do to make sure the rest of the basics for the food on their menu was prepped so they could prepare it quickly, other than just their special of the day because inevitably someone would order from the menu rather than the special.
Richie finally looked over at Remi taking initiative, working the kitchen beside him like he’d done it a hundred times. “I really am glad you’re here. You’re a good male.”
“Thanks,” Remi said, not looking up.
“And I think that while she has a right to be hurt, I don’t think it’s fair for her to be flouncing around in Kaiser’s car and rubbing it in your face. I commend your Dragon’s control.”
Remi barked out a laugh. “My control. If he had his way he wanted to kill Red Car.”
“The car?” Richie asked, surprised.
“No, he calls Kaiser, Red Car.”
Richie laughed. “Yeah, I can see that. And I understand, too. I had to watch my mate be given to someone else. Eventually, I got the opportunity for revenge and it was almost the sweetest thing I ever experienced. Until my mate looked at me with complete adoration and love. Then all the rest of the bullshit died away and didn’t matter anymore.
Took a little while to get there, though. ”
“I hear you,” Remi said. “I didn’t come all this way for nothing.
I am Cristie’s. But that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.
She has a right to whatever she is feeling, and does not owe me anything — except a little recognition for the fact that I’m trying.
Whether she chooses to participate in trying or not is up to her, but I will not just lie down and let her walk over me. ”
“Good for you. A female wants a strong male to stand beside her. But there’s one thing you need to remember about Cristie.”
Remi turned to look at Richie expectantly.
“She’s Alpha. When Riley’s had enough, she’s taking over. She will not ever be happy to just sit back and have a male protect her and be her Alpha. If she chooses you, this is a partnership if it’s ever going to work.”
“I’ve seen more than a few of those matings, and just relationships in general.
Kaid and Delilah for example. And then my own father swearing allegiance to Kaid as his Alpha so that he could build a life with my mother.
And Brandt assuming the position of Alpha with his mate Tempest, who could blow away anybody she wanted to, but she defers to him as Alpha as a choice.
I don’t need to be Alpha, and that’s not a problem for me.
I want to love Cristie, make her stronger, help her with her Pride if she wants it.
If not, I’m happy just being hers as she runs her Pride.
I don’t have the ego problem of demanding respect.
But I won’t be walked over. I lost my self worth once not too long ago.
I won’t do that again. I deserve better.
She can act on her anger, I made her feel slighted — I get that.
But I won’t be treated as though I’m worthless. There’s a difference.”
Richie nodded. “I get it.”