He strode to the door and opened it. Isla stood before him, a dream in cream-colored pants and a soft lilac sweater.
“I got your note,” she whispered. Remy held open the door for her. Isla stepped across the threshold, but instead of venturing farther into the room, she stopped in front of him. Remy held his breath as she slid her arms around his neck, grinning. “Hello, Mate.”
Chapter One
October 2048
Remy tousled his son’s hair after kissing him on the temple. Rain had missed two years of school, but he was thriving with Marigold as his teacher. As soon as Amelia found out Rain was going to be homeschooled, she begged Frey and Abbi to let her do the same. Her parents had agreed, saying it might help Rain feel more comfortable having an ally. Amelia was a whirlwind, making everyone who met her smile, including Rain. She reminded Remy of a mini version of his mate. Isla had the same effect on anyone who was in her presence. Amelia and Connor had taken Rain into their duo, and the three were thick as thieves. Connor was younger, but his little mind was brilliant. He had his own tutor since he was a few levels above the other two.
Lorenzo was assigned to watch over the kids while their parents were at work. Remy was learning about running the Pen. Abbi had started teaching dance classes at the gym, and Frey was there to watch over his mate while running the Clan in Rafael’s absence. If Isla were still alive, Remy would have been by her side too. His lovely mate had been a force of nature. At four hundred twenty-three, Remy had almost given up finding his mate. Then one day, there she was in his hotel. Isla was on a business trip with her father when Remy caught her scent. Remy waited in the lobby every day until he finally found the female whose very essence called to his beast.
Things weren’t easy for the two of them. Her father had taken one look at Remy and refused to allow Isla to mate below her station. Not only were the Hogans from an Original bloodline, they were also one of the richest families in Australia. It didn’t matter that Remy’s family owned several vineyards in South France. Their wealth was nothing compared to that of the Hogans. Isla, being her own female, had given her father an ultimatum: respect her wishes or lose her forever. Her father relented, but her brother, Nash, had been happy to see her go. With Isla out of the picture, he stepped into her spot as second in control of the family’s company.
Remy and Isla remained in France. Instead of staying at Chateaux de Durand, they moved to one of his family’s vineyards. They had a charmed life, one which became even more enriched when their son was born many years later. The two had tried for years to have a child, but their love never wavered when it didn’t happen. Everything had been perfect until Isla took Rain to visit her parents. Nash called Remy with the news that both Isla and Rain had been killed in a car crash. Being the asshole he was, Nash also informed Remy the family had Isla and Rain cremated. Instead of getting on a plane and heading to Australia, Remy fell into a depression. Staying at the winery was no longer an option. He couldn’t remain where the memories of his family were greatest, so he moved to the States. He fell in with the Stone Society in California. When they offered Remy a job running the penitentiary they were building, he took it. Remy had no experience with such things, but he had a brilliant mind for business, and he came to New Atlanta to learn everything he could from Gregor Stone.
Finding his son alive had nearly broken Remy, but it also brought him back to life. No longer going through the motions of making it through each day, he had something – someone – to live for. Knowing it was Nash who sold Rain to Dr. Craven had lit a fire in Remy. He was a male on a mission, and when he found his mate’s brother, he was going to tear him apart. It had been months since Rain had been returned to Remy, and that was where Remy’s focus was – taking care of his son. Henry Palamo, the Clan’s new computer expert, was