Chapter 12
Remi came to a stop in the living room at the front of the house and turned to wait for Kaiser to join him.
Kaiser walked into the room and stopped only a couple of feet from Remi. “You want to talk to me?” he asked. There was no animosity, no anger, no aggressive stance at all.
It was clear to Remi that Kaiser was simply trying to contain his emotions. “You are about to blow. You alright?”
Kaiser laughed sarcastically. “If even you can see it, then I’m failing miserably at pretending I’m alright.”
Remi hinted at a smile. “I can smell the pain. And it’s not my place to say any of this, but here goes…
The last time I recognized this kind of pain was Havoc, watching his true mate walk away from him when they were still teenagers.
There was nothing he could do. I don’t know which one of the females in that room is your mate, but it’s clear that you believe you can’t have her, so I could hazard a guess or two. ”
“How about you mind your own business and not make up shit to lay at my door. I’ve already got more than enough.”
“Fair enough. Thing is though, you’ve been struggling yourself, or so I’ve been told.
Ran out of the last family gathering, too.
So I don’t think I’m too far off the mark.
I know what it’s like to be faced with not ever having your mate accept you.
I’m living it now. But I don’t think you should be running out of here again.
It’s going to cause a lot of attention to be focused on you. ”
“Assuming you are anywhere in the hemisphere of being on to something, what do you suggest I do, because if I stay here, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to control myself.”
Remi thought about it for a second, then reached into his pocket and took out his keys. “My house is the first one on the right. Go there. I’ll tell them you have a headache or you’re throwing up or some shit.”
“They know I’m not sick.”
“Go in there and tell them you’re sick. They’ll scent something being off, might believe it.”
“You just want me to go away because you think me and Cristie…”
“No, I don’t. I know exactly what is happening between you and Cristie.
And I also know you’re suffering, and being around your best friend is all that is soothing you at the moment, but the source of whatever is happening with you, also just stepped into that kitchen. You need to get a break from it.”
Kaiser stood there silently for a few minutes, staring out of the windows behind Remi. Finally he focused on Remi. “How do you deal with knowing that you’ll never be truly happy? That your mate won’t ever be allowed to be with you.”
“First, I don’t know that for a fact — yet. Second, I thought we were talking about you.”
Kaiser shook his head.
“Does Cristie know?”
“It’s not Cristie,” Kaiser said.
“I know, but does she know who your mate is?”
“No. Nobody does.”
“Except her,” Remi said.
“I don’t think she knows yet.”
“What about going to lie down in one of the bedrooms here? That way you’re still here, but you’re not having to be in the same room with her. Kind of takes care of the pull you can’t resist toward her, but also keeps the two of you separate.”
Kaiser thought about it. “That might actually work.”
“Tell them you gotta lie down. It’ll help you, and keep your secret at the same time.”
Richie opened the front door behind where Kaiser and Remi were speaking. He hesitated just for a second. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, Remi just noticed I wasn’t feeling well. I think I’m going to lie down,” Kaiser said.
“You alright?” Richie asked, walking over to Kaiser, and scenting him.
“Yeah. Just got a headache, feeling a little off balance.”
“Yeah, I can smell the pain. Must be a hellacious headache,” Richie said.
“I’m beginning to wonder if it’s ever going to go away,” Kaiser said.
“Hope it does,” Richie said.
Richie turned to Remi and gave Remi a side hug. “This is Remi,” he said to his mate.
Yvette smiled at Remi and hugged him, too. “I’m so happy to meet you. I’ve heard such wonderful things about you from Richie and Constance. You’ll have to come to dinner at our house next,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Remi said.
“I’ll see y’all inside, yeah?” Richie asked.
“Sure thing,” Kaiser said.
Richie walked away, leading Yvette behind himself, toward the kitchen.
“Let’s go back in,” Remi said.
Kaiser followed Remi back into the kitchen where the line had hardly moved as those who had already served themselves some food meandered around trying to wait to see what would happen between Kaiser and Remi.
Cristie jumped up the minute they came back into the room and approached Remi. “What happened?” she demanded.
“The man is not feeling well. I just offered him my keys so he could go lie down,” Remi said. “Is that okay?” he asked defensively.
She looked at Kaiser.
“I told you I had to go.”
“I didn’t know you weren’t feeling well. Can I get you anything?”
“Maybe a Sprite or something. I just need to lie down for a little while.”
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Maia asked, walking over and placing her hand across his forehead. She pressed her lips into a flat line, her irritation clear. “You and your family always run so hot, I can never tell if you have a fever.”
“I just have a bad headache. I was trying to hide it, but Remi felt it right away. He offered me his house, but I think the sun in my eyes might kill me.”
“You go lie down anywhere you want. Pick a room. But I wouldn’t suggest Sebastian's. He just drops his laundry where he’s standing when he gets home from school and I’m not sure there’s not something alive in there,” Maia said.
“It’s true. I do, and it’s pretty bad,” Sebastian said.
“You should go upstairs to get away from the ruckus down here. Ours is available and so is Cristie’s,” Riley said.
“Thanks,” Kaiser said. He turned and walked past everybody but Remi. He caught his eye as he went past and even patted him on the shoulder as he went.
Riley met Remi’s eyes as the room started moving and everyone got back to filling their plates. “That was nice of you to offer,” he said suspiciously.
“I’ve always been more perceptible to scenting pain than most. He was hurting so bad I thought at first that he was injured.
Then I realized he wasn’t and asked if we could have a minute, so I could get him away from everybody and ask if he was okay.
I didn’t want to embarrass him if he was trying to keep it to himself. ”
“And you offered him your house,” Riley said.
“There’s nobody there, it’s close so he wouldn’t have to go far.”
Riley smiled and nodded. “Alright y’all. Let’s get this line moving. I’m hungry and tired of standing here.”
Cristie waited until everybody had served themselves, then made a plate and walked out of the kitchen with it with plans to take it to Kaiser.
Richie looked at Riley, then they both watched Remi.
Remi sat beside Maia, answering all her questions about home and everybody he’d left behind to join them.
“Hey,” Riley finally said sharply.
Remi looked up at Riley.
“You know she went to take Kaiser some food.”
“Yeah,” Remi said, nodding.
“Don’t that bother you?” Riley asked, literally poking the Dragon.
“No. He’s her friend. He’s struggling. I wouldn’t expect any less,” Remi said.
“I thought he was sick,” Richie said.
“Same thing, isn’t it?” Remi asked. “He’s struggling. She’s doing the right thing.”
“What is he struggling over?” Riley asked.
“I don’t know. I just know it’s not her,” Remi said.
The front door opened and a voice called out. “We’re here!”
“Sorry we’re late!” a woman added.
“Basilio,” Riley said to Remi.
“Us, too!” Mrs. Constance shouted. “We came through the gate with them.”
Seconds later Renata stepped into the kitchen with Basilio right behind her. “Sorry we’re late. We were putting in some new flowers and lost track of the time.”
“You know my mate and her landscaping,” Basilio said.
Everybody greeted him, and Roman even came back inside the house from where he sat outside enjoying his meal, to hug Basilio and pound him affectionately on the back.
Renata laughed and chatted with everyone and made her way around the room. When she got to Remi, she paused for only a second before she hugged him, too. “Hello, Remi.”
“Hi, Mrs. Renata.”
“Oh! You know who I am,” she said.
“I know who your mate is, so I know who you are.”
“Story of my life. Everybody knows my mate, and that’s how they know me.”
‘You wouldn’t change it if you could,” Basilio said. “And just to be clear, you can’t.”
Everybody laughed.
Remi stood up and extended his hand to Basilio. “Hello, Mr. Lyakhov. I’m a huge fan, thrilled to meet you.”
“Thank you, Remi. I appreciate that, but I put my pants on one leg at a time, just like you do. I just happen to be good at baseball.”
“You’re in the hall of fame. I think you’re a little more than good at baseball,” Remi said.
Basilio laughed as he shook Remi’s hand.
“Where’s Kaiser?” Renata asked.
“He wasn’t feeling well so he went upstairs to lie down,” Riley said.
“Oh, I hope he’s okay,” Renata said.
“He said it’s just a bad headache. You can go up and check on him if you want to. Cristie just took him a plate of food,” Maia said.
“I think I’ll just go check real quick,” Renata said.
“We never stop being a mom do we?” Maia asked.
Renata left the kitchen and started up the stairs to find Kaiser, but voices from downstairs caught her attention.
She quietly went back downstairs, but instead of taking a right to go back toward the kitchen, she went to the left through the office that used to be the dining room, toward the extra bedroom on that side of the house.
She didn’t walk all the way into the office/dining room that led to the extra bedroom.
Instead, she stopped and stood in the shadows, listening to the conversation taking place.
“Because I’m having a hard time,” Cristie snapped.
“No, your pride is hurt,” Kaiser said.