Page 23 of Within the Veil

"Let's make it happen then," I say firmly, ready to finally do more.

It had been a busy few weeks, for all of them but not busy enough. I cannot fault them but between nine people taking care of an entire village of thousands, preparing for war the best that they could, we still had a lot of ground to make up. We needed alliances, and I needed to figure out what the fuck the council was thinking. They were supposedly one of the greatest minds of our time and yet they did nothing? I cannot help but think something else was going on because if there wasn't a good excuse, Gaia help them when I waddled my way into that room.

* * *

Remi

I walked out after Hunter and after a few moments found him just beyond the line of trees sitting propped against a large bolder.Figures, you can leave but you can't go far.His head hung between his legs, his arms resting on his bent knees. I gave him a few moments to breathe, knowing he would have sensed my presence already.

He lifts his head and stares straight ahead, "I don't need a nanny, Remi."

I scoffed, "would never dream of it. Can't imagine you would listen to me when I told you to eat your vegetables." I walked over and sat down, mimicking his position.

We are silent for a few moments, the birds and insects our only companions.

"You know, everything you said in there...you weren't...aren't, the only one that feels that way," I start. "We understand. The only difference is, Hunter, that we our letting ourselves feel gratitude that she and those babies are safe and still with us, instead of just the anger."

He shook his head," you all don't understand."

"So, then help me understand."

"Hudson," he sighs, hesitating before he leans his head back on the boulder and stares at the sky, before turning his head to look into my eyes. "Hudson is the only reason I'm here right now. I feel it. When I got my memories back, I knew. That if we wouldn't have been mated, if she wouldn't have been a part of my soul, I would have gone back to the being I was before her. Mindless with rage, under the thumb of my father. A prisoner of Arallu societal expectations. Do you understand the havoc I would have wreaked at that moment? I could have killed all of you. I would have. I would have lost the only family, other than my own mother, that I have ever had. I would have lost everything."

I reached up to poke him...hard and shook my head,"shut the fuck up Hunter. Don't give me that look," I say as he glares at me. "Maybe you would have flipped your shit, I think all of us would have. But I don't think for a moment that you would have harmed us. Despite everything, your mother helped you tap into your emotions. You have never been completely Arallu, not with your mindless hate anyway. Your mother didn't let that happen."

"How do you know?" He looks at me, a look of vulnerability that I grew familiar with over these past weeks.

My brother through circumstance, I loved him dearly and it wasthatlook, the moments shared over the past five weeks that made me feel absolutely sure of what I said next. "You love us, Hunter. Hudson may be your mate. But we are her mates also, our connection to each other would have ensured our sanity. As hard as it would have been, maybe we would have had to knock your ass out, we would have come through it. But despite your feelings right now, none of that matters. It is a feeling. Get over it. Shoulda, coulda, woulda, Hunter. None of that happened. She is here now and I will cherish every moment of it."

I stood up and looked down at him, "the question is, are you going to let yourfeelingsstop you from feeling? Don't let one brief emotion overpower what you have. Get angry, then get over it. Be sad, then get over it. Then, feel joy and bask in it. Because emotions are fleeting and feelings are temporary, but a mate bond? That's forever. So is our family."

I walked away, letting him ponder my words. Because I was deadly serious. We were forever, and I would enjoy every moment of that forever. That also meant that I would forever be there to knock sense into his stubborn ass head.

* * *

Hudson

Before I was able to put my cup down and take on the world, Remi came back in, without Hunter. Ignoring the pang of pain in my chest knowing that he didn't come back I let her drag me to the back porch to snuggle on one of the loungers. She insisted that the first few hours post coma were for cuddles and one look in her almost desperate eyes, I couldn't fight her. So I snuggled with Remi outside while everyone split, albeit reluctantly, and did their own thing.

Taking a deep breath, I looked around at our new surroundings. The smell of the forest and the dimming light as the start of the night commenced, was calming. I looked to where Kalen was buried but couldn't make myself head in that direction, yet. In my head, he was still here and the truth and lie warring within me made my heart hurt but filled with joy at the same time. His soul must still be intact if he was in the God Realm with Gaia, and although that brought me peace, knowing he will never be here totrulywatch the babies grow, to watch my back, to guide us, was heart wrenching. While we could always train, part of me felt a pang of concern not knowing how to proceed with said training so that we could have anedgefor the coming war. I had to leave that up to the experts, Hunter and Zane. Ideally I knew we were going to have to work closely with the counsel, but knowing we were down one member, two were traitors and my father's presence was tentative at best, I knew it was up to us to truly make things work, with or without the approval of the council members.

Remi grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my thoughts, her eyes filling with emotion, "you know for a second when you were hit, I thought you were gone." She took a deep breath and looked away,"the loss of a mate can kill a Fae but the thought of losing my best friend too?" Her voice choked up, her gaze fixed at the trees. "I felt like I needed to keep moving while you slept. We trained non-stop and I kept the boys grounded, well more like I babysat grown ass men," she chuckled softly. Turning to face me her voice lowered, "seeing you here in front of me, it feels surreal. I love you so much Hudson and we are going to make these kids little badasses, if we have another girl in there she is going to drive her daddies crazy once she hits puberty and she looks like you." I had yet to tell them about the manifestation of the children in my visit to the realm. I felt like it was something they deserved to experience first hand as they grew, versus me telling them. I wasn't even sure if I could share the memories with them as I wasn't on this plane when I saw them. No, I thought to myself, it will be much sweeter for them to see them grow.

"The entire Fae kingdom will be fucked if any of these kids are like me," I rubbed my belly and grinned.

Leaning my head back I sighed, "I love you so much. It's so strange being missing in action for a little bit while you all were going crazy," my mind drifted to Hunter's memories. I shake my head, trying to dispel the thoughts, I was going to have to really talk to him again, when he calmed down. "We have so much to discuss, figuring out a nursery and expanding a room for all of us to be together is one, saving the world is another. All in a day's work."

"The nursery can wait, I highly doubt they will be sleeping alone anytime soon; not if the guys were brawling about prenatal pills. I can just picture the fight over who gets to cuddle who next," she chuckled. I feel my eyebrows draw together and catching the look she shares her memory of the boys fighting over prenatal vitamins. I laugh, my heart filling with both warmth and sadness over what I have missed over these past five weeks.

I look down, feeling my stomach grumble and exhaustion start to settle in, I frowned, "I guess I did need a break before running off to try to fuck shit up. I'm hungry again and I need a nap. Remi laughed but she kissed my neck before getting up and strolling into the kitchen, "I will make you a chicken soup, you need the protein and veggies."

I smile at her retreating figure and lay back on the lounge chair just as Xena comes bounding out of the forest.

Ever seen a giant white lion come running at you at top speed like Vin Diesel is being chased by The Rock? No? Well, it's terrifying. To anyone else.

She stops short of running into the lounger and shoves her face into mine, licking my arms and face. Normally, not my thing. Right now? I take her onslaught of affection happily because I was unaware, until just now, how I needed her connection, as something inside me settles.

"You gorgeous furry pussy predator, I've missed you so much," I say as I squeeze the shit out of her large body.

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