Chapter 66: Their Cursed

Cullen

Goddess, I hated how convincing Remi was. I wanted Pip to have nothing to do with Zeus, but she was right. The Moon Goddess didn’t make mistakes. I could attest to that. I had tried to fight the mate the Moon Goddess gave me and was so wrong for it.

“Okay,” Calder finally said. Remi’s eyes turned to him. “We will leave it be. But Remi, if he lays a finger on you, we aren’t going to let it lie. You and Pip will be out of here and Zeus will be dealt with. You promise that if somehow you find yourself alone with him, you will link us, call us, run away, something?” She nodded her head.

“If Carson leaves you alone, you tell us as well. I always want one of us by your side. Even if Pip is with you,” I added. She turned to me now and nodded her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered before she hid her face in my chest.

I rubbed the back of her head gently. “This isn’t your fault. This doesn’t have anything to do with you, really,” I said. Her face stayed hidden in my chest and her hands fisted my shirt. She had worked so hard all day trying to temper my own anger on top of giving the perfect impression to everyone she met. Then Calder’s anger caught her off guard and she still managed to calm us both down again. “I think we have all had enough today. Let’s get ready for bed.” I could feel Remi take a deep breath and then slowly she pulled away from me. She went over to her bag and rummaged through it. I went over to her and laid my shirt over her things. She clutched it, giving me a gratuitous smile. She left to the bathroom, leaving Calder and I alone.

“Are you going to be able to rein in your temper without her tomorrow?” he asked, starting to undo his shirt.

“I’ll be fine,” I said with mock confidence. I knew it was going to be a struggle being in the same room with the egotistical knob all day.

“He better not be dumb enough to try anything,” Calder said lowly. I moved over to the bed and closed up the bags, putting them to the side. We could take care of these later.

“He won’t enjoy the consequences and his father will have to wait even longer to abdicate his title,” I promised darkly. Calder just nodded at me. I started pulling my own clothes off, my jacket already discarded before Calder had arrived. I pulled on some shorts and sat on the bed letting out a sigh. Calder went to the bathroom door, knocking before entering. I let my head fall back and rubbed my hands over my face.

I had fooled myself between last night and this morning that this weekend could be somewhat enjoyable. Remi had been so happy and… enthusiastic last night. Our little tryst in the car was heated, messy, and coarse. But it felt like she needed it and so did I. A pair of small, delicate hands laid themselves on my legs, my exposed skin sparking up pleasurably.

I removed my hands from my face and lowered it to her striking blue eyes. “Ready for bed?” I asked her. She nodded and climbed up onto me, straddling my lap. My large shirt hung on her loosely, bunching up at her hips now that she was on top of me. She laid herself against my chest and my arms encircled her. We sat still just like that when her soft voice floated to me.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what, love?” I matched her soft tone.

“For loving me enough to listen to me. And for keeping me by your side,” she finished in a whisper.

“I don’t want you anywhere else,” I told her honestly. It still baffled me a little that she didn’t hate me after the way I treated her before. Calder came out of the bathroom and got into the bed on the opposite side. The bed was big enough for two but would definitely be tight accommodating three. I didn’t mind as I was sure Remi would rather be laying over us anyway. I repositioned us so that I was sitting against the headboard with pillows at my back, Calder in the same position. She sat up slightly and moved into his arms, assuming the same position.

Her dark hair was pulled up hastily on top of her head and Calder mindlessly played with a stray lock. I watched as her breathing slowed and she fell asleep on top of him.

“I was thinking…” he said softly.

-

Calder

My phone rang on the table next to the bed waking me up. The only reason I slept was Remi wrapped around me, her soft apple scent calming my raging Alpha being. Cullen and I talked about my risky idea for a while before deciding to get some rest. We weren’t sure if it would work and if father would back us, but it would definitely get Zeus back for his insolence.

I pulled my arms out from under her shirt, reaching for my phone. Last night, all I craved was her touch and as if by magic she obliged. I couldn’t help myself but reach my arms up and savor her soft skin against mine as I let myself sleep last night. Magnus had calmed down when she was laying over us, allowing me to think more clearly.

I finally grasped my phone, answering it blindly. “Hello?” I said as quietly as I could, not to wake Remi. She deserved to sleep as long as we could afford.

“She’s gone. There is no trace of her,” Gentry said. His voice was hoarse, and he sounded tired.

“She didn’t vanish, man. She is just hiding,” I said. He must have had no luck in finding any leads on where Sammy went.

“The mark is starting to fade. I don’t know what to do Calder,” he said. My best friend sounded so broken, and I had no idea what I could do to help him. I looked down and kissed the top of Remi’s head silently, thanking the Moon Goddess she hadn’t run away from me completely.

“Gen, we’ll find her. She can’t disappear into thin air. Plus, she is marked. She can’t stay away from you forever; surely, her power will weaken if she tries,” I said trying to reason with him. Interrace bonds were not common but also not unheard of. I wasn’t fully sure how their bonds would affect them, but I was fairly certain that she would react similarly to a wolf from his mark.

“I’m going to go crazy here Calder. I need to do something. I should be there or helping with the curse but all I can do is think about Sam,” he said. The melancholy in his voice was deep.

“Have you slept?” I asked.

“No,” he admitted.

“Go to your grandfather and get something to help you sleep. Once you’ve had some sleep, things will look different,” I told him. He sighed heavily. “I know we need to figure out what to do about… the circumstances, but when we're back, we will help find her if we can. Just get some sleep right now. You aren’t any good tired,” I offered.

“Alright,” he finally said. “Everything alright there? Cinderella make it through the first night?”

“She is actually the least of our worries,” I sighed.

“Wait, what do you mean?” his voice perked up a bit.

“There is a lot going on. It’s a little too much to explain right now. Go get something and get some rest; we will talk later,” I told him. Remi’s head moved, her face turning up to mine as her soft blue eyes fluttered open. I hung up the phone, not waiting for him to respond. I ran my nose along hers and she smiled.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked her.

“Good,” she said. A small yawn passed through her lips. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Almost time to get up,” I told her. She nodded. She went to move, probably trying to get up from her position over top of me only to have arms wrap around her and pull her to the other side of the bed. She yelped and was then growled at in warning. I smiled at the two now cuddling close. I sat up and got myself out of bed, looking for my bag to begin getting ready for the day. Cullen finally released Remi and she sprinted to the bathroom. He sat up groggily.

“Tell me why we don’t just take her and leave?” he said in a bored tone. “We have far more important things we could be doing.”

“You know this is important. Plus, I need you if this is going to work,” I said. His eyes strayed to the bathroom door.

“We might not get the opening,” he said, shaking his head. “We aren’t even officially Alpha, and you want to piss off Serenity Moon.”

“I just think it is the least we owe to Zeus to make his ascension to his title as difficult as possible. The Serenity Moon Elders won’t be able to ignore this,” I told him. He nodded.

“Who’s going to join me in the shower?” Remi linked us both. We looked at each other and both moved quickly to the bathroom, all talk about our plans lost.

-

Remi ran off to get ready with Pip while Cullen and I dressed. It didn’t take long so I went to find Carson. I pounded on his door, earning me no response. I turned the handle and threw the door open. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom with only his pants on and his toothbrush in his mouth.

“Rude,” he said muffled by toothpaste.

“We’re leaving in 10; you better be ready,” I said. He rolled his eyes and turned to go back in the bathroom. “Carson, I have never been more serious in my life. Do not leave her side today. I do not care if she is with Pip. I want to know immediately if anything happens,” I warned him.

He pulled the brush from his mouth and swallowed. “I’m not stupid enough to let anything happen to the brat,” he said. His tone was dangerously close to insolent.

“Watch it,” I warned. He waved his hand and went back into the bathroom. I decided to leave it and warn him about Zeus later. I left the room and went towards the sitting area where Cullen sat, scrolling through his phone. There was a knock at the door, and I could only guess who it was. Cullen looked at me for a moment before looking back down at his phone. I moved to the door, opening it slowly.

“Zeus,” I said.

“Good morning, Calder,” he looked past me. “Cullen.”

“What can I help you with?” I said.

“I came to escort my mate down to breakfast. I figured it was the least I could do as I won’t be able to spend much time with her until this is all over,” he said with a devious smile. “Is she ready yet?” he asked.

“No, I am afraid my mate went in there a bit ago and they haven’t come out. You know how girls can be,” I said in a non-plussed voice. Zeus strode right past me, letting himself in.

“I guess we can wait then,” he said. Carson came in the room as Zeus sat down on the couch opposite Cullen. Cullen gave him a bored glance over his phone then went right back to it.

“Carson, can you go see if Amanda and Remi are ready yet?” I asked. Carson gave Zeus an odd look before turning and walking from the room. Carson returned with the girls in tow minutes later. Remi was directly behind him. She paused for a moment when her eyes laid on Zeus in the room, her steps faltering. She quickly looked up at me. Cullen came to her rescue, predicting exactly what she would do. He shot up from the couch and stopped in front of her, blocking Zeus’s view of her temporarily.

When he turned, she clung to his arm, and he led her towards the door. Zeus’s attention went to Pip as he stood to greet her. I didn’t miss the sideways glance he shot at Remi and Cullen. I joined Remi on her other side and Carson came behind us. We left the suite, not paying any mind to Zeus and Pip.