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***Remi's POV***

"What in the name of the Moon Goddess just happened? Please tell me that did NOT just take place." I spin Lyle around as he grabs his hair and screams broken cries into the air.

"It's all the time. All we do is fight. He hates me. Spencer wishes I wasn't his mate." Lyle falls on his knees as I collapse with him.

Moon Goddess please give me wisdom. This is my pack, my family. Help me hold them together.

I whisper the heartfelt words quickly. I need a miracle.

"That's impossible. He loves you immensely. Surely, you are mistaken." I cradle Lyle in my arms and curl myself around our broken warrior.

How did this come to this?

"I just want it to stop. It hurts all the time." Lyle cries loud, heart wrenching wails that pierce my heart.

"What? What's wrong? Talk to me." I plead with my third in command. I'm so confused.

"Our bond isn't normal. It's not like yours. You and Talon, you are Fated Mates. Our bond isn't strong like yours." Lyle cries even harder as I try desperately to wrap my head around his words.

"What does that even mean?" I'm truly clueless.

"We argue. Most nights I don't even get to hold him. He wants nothing to do with me except to have sex. Even then, I feel nothing from him. Just a desire to purge his needs." I'm so taken aback by the words that leave his mouth. I'm crestfallen.

How is that even possible?

"I'm really trying to understand. Lyle, I don't understand." I admit my shortcoming because I am so fucking lost.

Lyle turns and wipes his eyes. He stares at me with so much pain. All hope is gone.

"I love him so fucking much. It hurts to love him though. He's angry and hurtful. He says the worst things to me. I admit, I don't take it well. We end up in huge blow ups. He screams. I scream. Eventually, it dies down with him slamming the door and me being left in the bathroom crying. I cry so much Remington. I can't stop. I just want him to love me the way I love him." I search Lyle's words for any falsity but, I see nothing but a broken wolf.

How do I even breach this?

"Please don't take this any way except with love. I love you both equally. I need you to promise to look at this with a clear head. You guys need help." I urge my friend to understand that I am only trying to help.

"I would do anything. I mean it. If he doesn't want me, I would even let him go. I can't be the reason he is always so angry." My heart shatters. Right then. Right there. Kai howls painfully at the mention of a broken bond.

"Don't. Don't say that. It won't come to that." I shake my head aggressively.

It can't come to that.

"I'm ready to walk away." Lyle loses his breath in that exact moment. His cries are loud and utterly earth shaking. He rolls forward and every ounce of his energy expels in a horrific scream of terrorizing pain.

I have never heard such a tortured cry. I don't ever want to hear something so devastating again.

Kai pushes and scratches deeply. He begs and whines, reaching out to touch my friend.

I move back and let him have his chance. I'm so fucking lost for words.

"Let Van out, please. Let Van talk to me." Kai begs. His words have never felt so heavy. I cry inside of myself for what I am witnessing. This is not right.

"Kai." Van whimpers desperately his tears soak through my shirt as he latches onto Kai with shaking hands.

"I'm so sorry. I know you are going through hell. Talk to me. What is this about your bond?" Kai asks something I wish I would have. Fuck, my wolf is a gem.

"Thanks Remi." Kai shakes his head for me and I sit back.

"It's just strained. It wasn't at first. We were so happy. I mean, have you seen Keagan. He's everything I ever wanted. His eyes, his lips, his heart, he's everything." Van cries sadly as he recollects Spencer's wolf.

"When did you feel the shift? The strain? How did it start?" Kai is so damn mature. He asks everything I should have.

"He visited his pack. Everything was great when he left. He came back and started a holy war. He was so angry. He yelled and screamed. He pushed me. I'm so big, I couldn't and would not ever push him back." Van let's loose a detail that makes me see fucking red. You do not put your hands on your mate, ever.

Kai growls in distaste. Wolves honor, cherish and love their mates.

The thought makes me sick. I remember spanking Talon. I know why you aren't supposed to physically punish your mate. You don't recover from that. Spence has lost his fucking mind.

"That doesn't sound right. How many times has Spence visited his pack?" Kai starts our wheels turning quickly in my head.

"Every week since we found out about our pup. So, like ten." Van cries harder at the mention of his offspring.

Goddess. This must be killing them.

"Van, I'm ordering you now, an Alpha's order. Spence is not to go back to his pack until I say so." Kai's order makes me flop my lips open like a fish. We don't give those types of orders.

"Kai. What the fuck?" I ask loudly.

"Remi, think about it." Kai goes back to tending to our friend.

"Every time he comes home do you two fight?" Kai requests of our warrior.

"Like clock work. I guess he misses them." Van sobs harder, if that is even possible.

"I don't think so." Kai shakes his head affirmatively.

"What are you thinking?" Van starts staring at us like we have all the answers.

"Can you give us time to figure it out? I won't keep you in the dark, but I just want to be sure before I bring it out into the air?" Kai kisses Van's head tenderly.

"If it helps me keep my mate, you don't ever have to tell me." Van curls back into our chest while Kai pets his head comfortingly.

"You can keep it from him. But, I need to know where this is going." I order my wolf to let the hypothetical cat out of the bag.

"Think hard Remi. What pack does Spence come from?" Kai gives me the go ahead vibe.

"Riversbend. So." I shrug within myself.

"Who is the Alpha?" Kai urges me again to think it through.

"Malik. That's not a real conundrum." I really have no clue where this is going.

"Let me break this down for you. We will blame your stupidity on today's events." Kai continues to rub Van's head as Van sobs softly.

"Malik drugged Lyle. Lyle is mated to Spence. Spence goes home to Riversbend and comes back acting completely different. I can't say for sure. But, I bet Malik has something to do with this." Kai's words snap the puzzle pieces together tightly.

"I will fucking rip his head off. Alpha Hunter got off easy. That was on Talon. I won't give the impression that we are lenient again." My blood boils. I have a good mind to end this here and now with no fucking questions asked or answered.

You do not mess with the mate bond.

"Just get Spence and Lyle back together. We will handle the ins and outs of the issue after that." Kai separates himself from Van and releases Van back to me.

"Van. I'm gonna fix this. Let Lyle come back please." I whisper softly.

"Remi. I can't." Lyle cries again. Nothing is fixed and he is devastated.

"Just come in. I got a plan." I lift Lyle up and wipe his tears away. I rub his back as we walk back to the pack house.

"When's the last time Spence visited his old pack?" I ask.

"Yesterday." Lyle looks at me wearily.

"When's his next visit?" I ask.

"Next Friday." Lyle follows me through the pack house. I follow my mate's sent and go to the cinema room.

"Spencer." I call out to our Omega.

"Alpha." Spence looks at me and turns his face back into my mates chest. Talon throws me a pleading look.

"Spencer you are hereby denied your request to visit outside of the pack territory until further notice. That's an order. Alpha order." Spencer doesn't argue which gives me an indication that something truly is amiss.

I bend down and hold Spencer's hand. I cup his jaw and look at him sincerely.

"Spencer, do you love Lyle?" I ask softly.

"Very much." Spencer nods into my palm.

"Lyle come here." I wave Lyle over. He comes over and crouches beside our mates.

"I fear that we have an outside force trying to rip your bond apart. I won't let that happen. I need you two to work together to secure what you have already accepted." I stare between the two.

"Lyle tell Spencer what you said." I move to the side and let Lyle talk to his mate.

"I love you so much it physically hurts. I miss you. I feel like it's one sided. I can't feel our bond when we mate. I want to hold you and love on you. You are so precious to me. But, we fight when you come home from Riversbend. Then, I feel like we work so hard all week to get back to a good place. Just for it all to fall apart. I don't want to fall apart Spencer. I need you. I want you. You aren't fat. You're round with our pup. That turns me on so fucking much. But, I need love to perform. If you aren't giving that emotion to me, I don't want to mate. If you want me to let you go, just tell me. I would do anything for you. I would literally give my last breath for you baby. I love you." Lyle weeps in front of his mate. His head is bowed and he is literally shaking with tremors.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Spencer crawls into Lyle's lap. He cries so hard. He paws at his mate's face until Lyle looks up at him.

"Just tell me it's not what I think. Tell me you want us. I will go to counseling. I will do whatever. Please help me save us." Lyle begs like the broken hearted wolf he is.

"It's not one sided. I love you. I have always loved you. I don't know why I get so angry. I just. I feel so happy and then I everything makes me mad. I can't tell you why. I will go to counseling. I'm the problem. It's not you. I just. I can't tell you the reason. You'll hate me." Spencer breaks out into hysterical sobs. I can feel Meka whining lowly inside of Talon.

Something is seriously fucked up. I'm going to figure it out.

"Spencer, if you need to talk, my door is always open. I'm going to want to know what's going on. Tonight I'm going to give you two time to work on this. But, eight am tomorrow morning, be ready. I'm going to do everything possible to help you two. You have to be honest. Know this, I will promise to you with my fucking life. You have nothing to fear." I kiss Spencer on his cheek and release him back to his mate.

I pat Lyle on his shoulder and stand up to turn on the television.

I put a Hallmark movie on and we all sit down with our mates.

My mom walks in, carrying my two bundles of joy. It's been such a long day. Only two pm and I feel like it should be mid nite. I grab Hannah and let mom give Gracie to Talon. We hold our pups while both our minds can't possibly stray away from our Warrior couple.

Marcus hands Talia to Jace. Ally nuzzles up to her mate and pup.

Lloyd accepts William from John and Lutz coos at the little boy.

I stretch my head and look over at the heart broken couple. They are nestled together but, the energy is so off. I know they are trying.

Goddess, help me find the reason. Help me seek it out and help me destroy it. Give me the intuition to follow through and the words to mend.

I pray once more that I find a way to be the Alpha I need to be in the face of such a crisis.