Chapter 88 - Their Cursed

Pip

Luna Nicole wasn’t in, so I headed back to Cullen’s office. I probably shouldn’t leave them alone for long anyway. I expected Zeus to apologize for all his games with Cullen and Calder. I knew it would be a long time before they would be able to get along for my sake, but I hoped this could be the start.

“And does she know you threatened to fuck my mate hours after we arrived?” Cullen shouted as I pushed the door open.

My mind stopped. “What?” I blurted out. Zeus turned around slowly, his face pale. Cullen was angry and breathing heavily.

“Amanda, sweetheart, it’s not….” he started.

“What is Cullen talking about?” Did Zeus threaten Remi? Was that why she always seemed sort of tense around him?

“It’s not….”

“When we all came back to the suite after the reception Friday evening, Zeus spoke with Calder before leaving. He thought it amusing to express his disappointment in finding his mate as he wouldn’t be able to try and screw mine.” Cullen’s eyes were dark. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Surely, Zeus wouldn’t have. My eyes went to his.

“Zeus…. is he telling me the truth? Did you threaten to touch Remi after we had met?” I asked in complete disbelief.

“No, not really, just let me-”

“Ahhhh!” I growled, interrupting him. “Don’t you dare try to excuse this!” Zeus looked at me, absolutely terrified. How could he ever do that? Both Zeus and Cullen watched me for a few tension-filled minutes as I tried to wrap my head around what they were saying.

“Where’s Remi?” I asked finally. I trained my eyes on Cullen, ignoring Zeus.

“She is at your Grandfather’s clinic with Calder. I suspect they will not be long,” he answered me calmly.

“I want to speak to her, now,” I demanded. Cullen nodded. He pulled out his cellphone and called someone. Zeus’s eyes stayed on me, but I kept mine trained on Cullen.

“Yes, John, could you please send someone to my office? .... Yes…. That would be perfect…. Thank you…” Cullen’s voice was the only sound in the room. Why was he calling my dad, though? He hung up the phone and dialed someone else.

“How much longer? .... And why? .... Pip is requesting an immediate audience with her…. Alright,” he hung up the phone. “Remi is finishing up now, and Calder will bring her straight here,” he addressed me. I nodded my head. I hadn’t moved from the doorway. I didn’t want to step any closer to Zeus. A hand touched my shoulder behind me.

I looked over my shoulder as Zeus growled. One of the pack warriors was standing there, looking flushed slightly. Did Cullen have my dad send someone to the office?

“Thank you for coming, Ryker,” Cullen said.

He bowed his head. “Of course, Alpha.” When he lifted his eyes, they were threatening and on Zeus.

“This is absurd. You think I am going to attack my mate?” Zeus growled.

“This is my pack and my office. If I see it fit to have one of my warriors present, I will do so. You do not dictate things in my packhouse, Zeus,” Cullen spit. He wasn’t even putting up the formality of his title. Zeus’s stance turned defensive.

“Amanda and I are leaving. I don’t need to put up with all of this,” he said.

“No,” I stated. “I’m not going anywhere until I speak to Remi. I want to know if this is true. I believe Cullen, but Remi wouldn’t lie or stretch the truth. I am not leaving this packhouse with you until I know what happened.”

Remi

Calder rushed us back to the packhouse, telling me that Pip needed me and it was urgent. I was terrified at what it could be. Zeus and Cullen in the same room was bad enough, but now she wanted me?

When we got to Cullen’s office, it was an awkward scene. Pip was standing to the side of the room with her arms crossed and another male standing beside her. Zeus was at the other end of the room, looking both sick and furious simultaneously. Cullen was sitting behind his desk with a mild look of entertainment on his face. When Pip saw Calder and me, she straightened up and gave me a determined look.

“Um, what’s going on?” I asked warily. Calder led us into the room.

“Remi, I need to ask you something,” Pip said. I looked between her and Cullen nervously.

“Okay….”

“Remi, did Zeus ever make any inappropriate advances towards you? Or say that he would?” Her eyes were hard; her voice was cold. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I looked up at Calder then Cullen trying to figure out exactly what I was supposed to say. I didn’t want to be the one who told Pip about Zeus’s threat and definitely not like this.

“Remi, please. I need you to tell me what happened after the reception dinner,” Pip pleaded.

“He didn’t so much say anything to me….” I started.

“Then what did Cullen mean?” Pip interrupted. Thankfully, Calder took over.

“Zeus made the threat to me directly when we spoke after coming back from dinner,” Calder told her. “He mentioned his disappointment in our fondness over Remi because he would not be able to take another one away from Cullen.” Calder gripped my hand tighter but never broke eye contact with Pip.

“We kept Remi away from him the rest of the weekend,” Cullen continued. “But she thought it best to let you figure out what you wanted without our influence on the matter.”

Pip turned back to me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Pip, I wanted to believe he was just trying to make my mates angry. There was already so much history between them that I hoped it was just an empty threat….” I paused. “I am not defending his actions, but he never actually tried to put his hands on me.”

I peeked over at Zeus, who was looking at Pip with a worried expression. “Amanda, we don’t need to talk about this here…” he tried.

“You’re right because we are not going to talk about this. You are going to leave. You are going to leave this packhouse and my pack immediately,” she shot at him. Zeus blanched. He took a step towards her and the wolf next to her took a step towards him.

“Amanda, please. I didn’t mean it like that…. I don’t want Remi,” he pleaded with her.

“No, Zeus. I’m done. Giving you my heart was a mistake. You aren’t just selfish; you are shameful and low. You threatened to violate my best friend to piss off her mate? Minutes after you had walked away from your own. I won’t do this,” she said. She took a deep breath and continued, “I, Amanda Penning, of Blue Moon Pack reject you-”

“Amanda, no, stop!” Zeus yelled.

“Zeus Conall, future Alpha of Serenity Moon-”

“No, sweetheart, don’t do this!”

“As my mate.” she finished. Zeus clutched his chest in pain. Pip had a tear running down her cheek. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. It was quiet for a moment before Pip whispered, “Cullen, please make him go.”

Cullen stood and came around the desk. Calder pulled me close to him and away from the door. “Leave, now.” Cullen’s voice held so much authority it almost made me shake. Zeus just stood there, looking like he had just been shot. “Get out before I have you removed,” Cullen growled. Without another word, Zeus moved towards the door.

A strangled sob escaped Pip’s lips before her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor. Before she landed, the guy behind her caught her. Cullen nodded to him, and he left the room, carrying Pip in his arms.

We all stood there silently for a few minutes. “So that’s it?” I asked quietly. Calder looked down at me and nodded.

“She rejected him. Their bond is broken,” he said softly.

“Poor Pip,” I whispered.

Gentry

I set the box in the top drawer of my desk. Cullen and Calder would probably be spending the whole day with Remi in their room after her shift last night, so I would make sure it got to them tomorrow. Dad called earlier to tell me that Pip never came out of her room with Zeus this morning. He and Mom both had to go to work, so he wanted me to check on them. I had texted her a bit ago; she said everything was fine, and she would be coming by the packhouse later today.

Even if I didn’t like Zeus much, as long as my little sister was happy and better, I would tolerate him. I hoped to convince her to tell me the entire story before she goes to Serenity Moon with him. It was a bit of a relief that she was not cooped up and crying anymore.

Now that the twins were less occupied with Remi, I was hoping we all might be able to find Sam. I looked down at my hand for about the millionth time since she left. Her witch’s mark was fading a little more every day, and I was scared that it would vanish altogether. I was feeling far more effects than just the mark fading as well. I couldn’t keep up at training the last few days and repeatedly got my ass handed to me. My strength and stamina were waning without Sam by my side. I wondered if her powers were affected by our separation or if it was just me?

My phone rang, surprising me. I answered it quickly. “Hello?”

“Gentry, we need to speak with you,” Calder answered.

“Shouldn’t you be nursing Remi after her shift?” I asked, confused. I felt like hell the day after my first shift. I can’t imagine they were leaving her alone right now.

“She’s fine. Can you come to Cullen’s office?”

“What do you mean she is fine? She shifted last night, and no one expected her up and about until tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Well, come up to Cullen’s office, and we will explain!”

“Fine, fine. I’m coming,” I said before hanging up. Either Remi is the most resilient wolf I have ever met or the luckiest. Someone caught sight of them coming back to the packhouse this morning around the time training was beginning, so I knew they were out all night. She should be exhausted after shifting and running all night combined with the pile of stress she has been since they got back from the Summit.

I knocked on Cullen’s door before opening it, not waiting for an answer. Inside, Calder was sitting behind the desk, looking at something intently while Remi sat straddling Cullen’s lap on the couch. When she saw me, she quickly escaped his grip, giving me a sympathetic look. I tried not to let it bother me to see my best friends and their mate so happy and in love when mine ran away from me so quickly.

“You look much better than I expected today, Cinderella,” I commented.

“Um, thanks?” she said, confused.

“Just surprised to see you out of bed already,” I told her. The confusion on her face told me that no one had bothered to tell her about the aftereffects of the first shift. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?” I asked the room.

“Sit,” Calder said. I shrugged and sat in one of the chairs across from him. “We think Remi is symptom-free today because of your mate.”

“What?” It was my turn to be confused.

“She sent Remi a potion claiming it would help her with her shift,” Calder explained.

“And you didn’t tell me that she sent Remi something!” I exploded.

“Calm down,” Cullen warned.

“We needed you to wait until we could help you. We knew if we told you, you would try and run off to find her,” Calder said.

“Of course, I would try and find her!” I yelled at him.

“But we have a lead now, and you need Remi to get to her,” Calder explained. He held out a small envelope to me. “This was included in the parcel she sent Remi.” I took the envelope from his hand and opened it. My eyes scanned over the small piece of paper inside, recognizing Sam’s writing.

“We think she wants Remi to find her,” Cullen said while I continued to stare at the note. “If we are right, then we can help you get her back.”

My eyes went to Remi, who was observing me carefully. “Let’s find Sammy,” she said softly.