“Maybe I’m not the only tired one,” he teased.
“I didn’t sleep last night,” I admitted.
He grinned. “Miss me?”
“That,” I agreed with a laugh, but then sobered. “But I also kind of yelled at Bella.”
His brows rose and he shifted over me, rolling over to lay alongside me, but twisting our bodies so we were still facing each other. The leg pressed between mine stirred something in me that I wanted to explore when we both weren’t ready to pass out.
“You yelled at Bella?” He propped his head up in his hand, his bicep straining against the short sleeve of his tee.
I reached up and traced the firm skin there. “Yeah. It was stupid, and I sounded like a psychotic bitch.”
His dark brows snapped together. “Somehow I doubt that.”
My fingertip trailed over the edge of his shirt. “She said something about how she missed the good times from Long Mesa. I not-so-gently reminded her I didn’t have those same memories.”
His mouth flattened. “I’m still not seeing how you did anything wrong, babe.”
I searched his eyes with mine. “I said some shit I shouldn’t have. About Bella. And Cassian.”
Fury flared bright in his eyes for a second at the mention of Cassian.
“I don’t know, Rem,” I said slowly, shaking my head. “I just feel so … out of control all the time anymore. Like all of my emotions are more volatile than usual.”
His hand settled on my hip, his thumb gently moving in a soothing circle. “I think we’ve all been on edge lately.”
“It’s more than that,” I insisted. “I actually wanted to talk to Elias about it, but he never came back from winter break and then the school closed …”
“So, talk to me,” he replied simply, zero judgement in his eyes.
“It’s kind of hard to talk about you to you,” I muttered before I could think to censor myself.
His eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
I moved my hand to his chest, feeling it thump steadily and knowing that every beat of my own heart matched his perfectly.
“It’s nothing bad,” I tried to explain. “I just feel … I can’t explain it. Like the bond is getting more intense? Or like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to fall over the edge.”
He frowned at me. “And is that a bad thing?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I love you. Maybe it’s because I grew up having no idea that bonds like this existed? I mean, it’s not like I watched normal couples or mates when I was growing up. It was always … violent or a last resort or forced. Love was never a factor.”
“I never thought of it like that,” he answered after a beat. “I had my parents. And even now, if something feels off or I have questions, especially about the bond, I can ask them. They’ve been through it.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I can’t exactly ask my mom about this stuff. I don’t want her to think I blame her for anything.”
“You can ask me,” he said gently. “We’ll figure it out together.”
I nodded slowly, that answer giving me a small sense of peace.
“Speaking of together,” I said, changing the subject, “why are we together right now?”
A smirk caught his mouth. He leaned forward and kissed me way too fast for my liking. “Because I love you, and I wanted to see you.”
This boy.
“Good answer,” I teased. “But did you figure anything out?”
He sighed, his expression falling. “Not much. Nothing substantial. We were able to get a serial number off the snowmobile of the guy who … didn’t make it. We traced the sale back to a distributor near the Norwood territory, but the company who bought it is a shell company.”
“Great. What about the guy?”
“No ID, no way of identifying him,” Remy said with a grimace. “He was definitely a shifter, and the rifle he had aimed at Katy was full of tranqs.”
“So, they were going to take her,” I whispered.
He exhaled hard and nodded. “Yeah. We couldn’t figure out where his friend escaped to. By the time the storm cleared and we got back up the mountain, the trail was completely covered. But Ryder’s pretty sure the gasoline he smelled where Maren went missing is the same kind that was in the snowmobile left behind.”
“It was the same guys.” My stomach dipped realizing how close we had come to losing Katy.
“Looks like it,” he replied, shaking his head. “We all finished up last night. There was another storm coming in, so Rhodes and I decided to leave last night and try to beat it.”
“That sounds reckless,” I chided.
He grinned. “Maybe, but we didn’t crash. And if we would’ve waited for our flight to be rescheduled or the roads to be cleared, I wouldn’t be back until next week.”
He reached out, his arm coming around my back and pulling me close. He dipped his head and inhaled deeply.
“That wasn’t an option,” he murmured against me. “We got into town about an hour ago. I gave my dad the rundown and headed over here. Your mom let me in as she was leaving.”
“I missed you,” I said softly, touching his jaw.
His eyes slid shut as he nuzzled into my touch. “I missed you, too.”
I yawned again, and Remy turned me in his arms, pulling my back flush to his chest. One arm slid under my pillow, and the other arm banded around my waist, anchoring me to him.
Finally, I was able to fall asleep.
18
After spending the weekend home—because I loved saying that I had a home—it was a bit of a shock to start school all over. The weekend hanging out with my friends had been great, even if Katy was still pretty subdued. I had gone to bed dorkishly excited to go to a new school.
Rhodes joked I was channeling my inner Larkin.
Morning came way too soon for me, the sun prying its fingers through my blinds to wake me up. All I wanted to do was roll over and snuggle back into the cocoon of pillows and blankets, until I remembered why I had gone to bed so giddy in the first place.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel terrified at the idea of the first day of school in a new place. I was actually looking forward to being with my pack, and seeing my friends. That helped shake off the last traces of sleepiness weighing me down.
Kicking off my blankets, I quickly stood up and surveyed the mess that was my room. I had gotten seriously into prepping for school last night, going so far as to pick out a couple outfits (because a girl needed options) and get my backpack ready.
And maybe pre-sharpening almost a dozen pencils.
But I definitely needed a shower first.
I opened my door and froze, not expecting to see my mom standing on the other side, hovering at the door like she had been about to knock.
“Mom?” I arched a brow.
She flashed a too-bright smile, her green eyes glittering with energy. “Hey, sweetheart. I was thinking pancakes for breakfast? Or waffles?”
I blinked slowly, suddenly not sure if I was still in bed dreaming.
She frowned when I didn’t answer, the smooth skin of her forehead furrowed in thought. “Maybe an omelet? I have sausage and bacon, or I can do a veggie one.”
My head tilted to the side. “I can have cereal.” I liked cereal, actually.
Correction: I liked cereal that hadn't expired months before I ate it.
My former pack had only given us expired boxes with stale cereal inside, the texture more chewy than crunchy.
One of my favorite discoveries had been the cereal aisle when I went on a trip to the grocery store. I had set a personal goal to try every kind of cereal, and so far I was twelve kinds into my goal.
I definitely erred toward the more sugary side, but mostly I loved the crisp crunch when I bit down. Larkin had gotten me to try adding milk to my cereal once, but I nearly choked as the cereal went from fresh to a soggy, mushy mess.
I almost gagged thinking about the way it sat
in my mouth like someone had already chewed it up for me. Blech.
“Cereal is so … plain,” Mom replied with a shrug, dismissing the idea. “Oh! I’ve gotten pretty good at crepes.”
I leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, trying not to laugh. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Mom looked down, her expression turning sheepish. “It’s your first day of school. Sort of. I’ve never been able to make you a big breakfast before sending you off to school, so I thought it would be nice.”
My lips parted in surprise. “Mom—”
She quickly waved me off. “It was stupid. I know you’re not a little kid, but … I guess I wanted to give you one first that you should have had growing up. Like a normal, family meal before your first day of school.”
Pressing my lips into a line, I felt the hot sting of tears prick the backs of my eyes. “Honestly? I would love whatever you make, as long as you make it and have breakfast with me.”
She blinked once at me a second before a grin split her gorgeous face. “Deal. And then I can drive you to school?”
“Actually, Remy was going to pick me up,” I admitted.
“Oh, don’t make him go out of his way. Besides, I can even walk you to your first class,” Mom added. She lifted a hand to my cheek. “Don’t want my baby to get lost on her first day.”
My heart stuttered for a second before I caught the teasing glint in her eye. I rolled my eyes. “Ha ha.”
She reached out, running her hands through my hair. “Maybe we should braid your hair, too. Want me to pick out your outfit?”
I batted her hand away with a laugh. “You’re hysterical.”
She winked at me and turned for the kitchen, her long blond hair cascading over a shoulder. “Breakfast in twenty. Move your butt.”
Rolling my eyes, I turned and headed for the bathroom. By the time I emerged from my shower in a cloud of steam, I could smell breakfast. The enticing scent pulled me down the hallway and into the kitchen where I sank into a table at our small breakfast nook.
Mom turned from the stove, passing me a giant plate of waffles.
“Uh, mom,” I started, eying the massive stack with hungry and concerned eyes. “There’s no way we can eat all of these.”
Without missing a beat, she crossed the small kitchen towards the front door. Like it had been rehearsed, a knock sounded a second before she swung open the door.
I nearly dropped the plate I was holding onto the table when Remy stepped inside the apartment, flashing my mom a grin.
“Hi, Ms. Markham,” he greeted warmly a second before his eyes found me. His gaze swept over me, heated and heating.
“Remy,” Mom replied, her tone amused. She looked back at me. “I thought I would invite Remy to breakfast, too.” Her lips curved devilishly as she realized I still hadn’t spoken. “Unless you would rather him not be here.”
Catching onto her teasing, Remy moved back and reopened the door. “I should probably go.” His dark eyes were dancing as he grinned at me. “I’ll see you at school, Skye.”
“No!” I said quickly, almost knocking over my glass of juice.
They both laughed, and while I knew it was at my expense, there was something decidedly awesome about watching my mom and boyfriend getting along. These were the two most important people in my life; I needed them to like each other.
Remy closed the door and kicked off his boots. They were disturbingly huge next to my sneakers and Mom’s non-slip shoes she used for work.
Mom headed back to the stove as Remy came over to join me. He paused by my chair, his hand finding the back of my neck and twisting in my damp hair. Curling it around his fist, he gently tugged my head back so he had access to my mouth.
The second his lips touched mine, flames licked along my veins, heating my blood. I managed to snag a finger on the front pocket of his jeans, but he had already stepped back and ended the kiss.
Mom turned and frowned at me in exasperation. “Skye, let the poor boy sit down and eat.”
She had completely missed his quick assault on my mouth—and my senses.
Rolling my eyes, I let Remy go. He chuckled and sat in the chair next to me. Setting a plate of bacon on the table, Mom finally joined us, sitting across.
The table was small and usually only sat Mom and myself, which meant Remy’s massive frame was tucked close to me. Close enough that he was easily able to rest his left hand on my thigh while he lifted his own glass of juice.
“This looks great, Ms. Markham,” he started. “Thanks.”
“You can call me Addie, Remy,” she answered with a genuine smile. “Ms. Markham reminds me of …” She flinched and I knew she was thinking of her own mother when her lips pressed together. As fast as she was caught in a memory she shook it off. “Just call me Addie.”
I knew Remy hadn’t missed her flashback, and I had told him enough of my crazy grandparents that he could easily read between the lines, but he also wasn’t going to make my mom anymore uncomfortable.
“Okay,” he agreed easily. “Thanks for breakfast, Addie.”
“You’re welcome.” Smiling, she started layering butter onto her waffle.
Remy’s hand squeezed my thigh for a second and then his hand was above the table, holding a knife as he cut into his own food.
As if on autopilot, I crossed my legs, my left hooking over the right so my toes brushed against the stiff denim of his jeans. A small dimple on his mouth was the only sign he noticed I shifted so we were still touching.
My appetite was almost completely gone, and now my entire body was humming with awareness of how close he was. It felt like anytime Remy was near, everything in me wanted to be near him or touching him. It was becoming an addiction that I couldn’t shake.
“Is something wrong with your food?” Mom asked.
Blinking I realized she and Remy were both watching me.
“Just … thinking about the first day,” I managed, picking up a piece of bacon and mechanically starting the chew.
Her green eyes narrowed, her hands settling into her lap.
She definitely was putting on her ‘Mom face.’
Shit.
“Honey, it’s natural to be nervous all things considered,” she said slowly and carefully, her eyes darting from me to Remy and back as she tried to avoid the landmines that were buried in my past.
I swallowed roughly, a partially chewed piece of bacon scraping down the inside of my throat. “No, really, I’m fine.”
Now Mom was openly exchanging looks with Remy.
Since when did my mother and Remy communicate with just looks? First joking and now nonverbal cues?
Irrational irritation spiked in me, my wolf not giving a shit that I was currently jealous of my mother.
“What’s with the looks?” I demanded, my tone definitely sharper than I intended.
Remy’s hand dropped back to my thigh, his thumb stroking against my jeans in a soothing rhythm. “Babe, we know that going to school with your pack is a touchy subject.”
Speaking of touchy, I could use a little more touch a little higher up the inside of my leg.
Whoa.
Whoa.
Where the hell had that come from? I was sitting at a table with my Mom. My mom, who I was currently annoyed at because she was getting along too well with my boyfriend?
Mate, a voice hissed inside of me. A voice that sounded a lot like my pissed off wolf.
Closing my eyes for a second, I shoved down the anger simmering and the prickly awareness that my mate was near me. Touching me.
Heat flashed over me, my senses suddenly consumed with the very male, very warm body of Remy brushing against me.
“Skye,” he said softly, curiously.
The deep timbre of his voice, the way it rumbled in his chest as he stroked my leg was my undoing.
“Excuse me,” I said quickly, standing up so fast I banged my knee on the table leg as I twisted to get up.
“Skye!” Mom called after me.
/>
“I’m fine,” I answered back, heading out of the kitchen in what was nearly a sprint. “Just give me a second.”
I made it to my bedroom and slammed the door shut, leaning against it as blood roared in my ears and my heart thundered in my chest.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Pressing a hand to my chest, I tried to calm myself. Tried to calm the beast pitching a tantrum that would make a toddler proud.
Minutes ticked by. With each minute that passed I became all the more embarrassed by my reaction.
Had I really just jumped up and ran from my mom and Remy like a little kid? Was I actually pissed off at my mom for trying to have a good relationship with Remy? And was I really so completely incapable of controlling my hormones that I needed to physically remove myself from the area Remy was?
Heat crept up my neck, flushing my cheeks for a whole new reason.
This was quite possibly the most mortifying moment of my life.
A soft knock on my door brought a fresh new wave of humiliation.
I wasn’t sure who I wanted on the other side of that door. I owed a massive explanation to both of them, but I wasn’t even sure I understood what was going on with me.
I had suppressed the wolf side of me for so long, that maybe unleashing her the way I had a few months ago triggered some latent wolfish puberty I had skipped past.
This felt like a hell of a lot more than an out of control, hormonal outburst of a young shifter.
“Honey, please open the door.”
Mom.
Relief swamped me. I turned and opened the door quickly and my stomach dropped.
Mom was there, and so was Remy. Their twin expressions of worry hit me like a physical blow.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologized quickly.
Remy reached out and pulled me in, hugging me tightly against his broad chest. His lips pressed softly, briefly, to the side of my neck.
“It’s fine, babe,” he told me, pulling back and tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear. He met my eyes, his clear gaze sharp and probing as he looked at me with a lot of love and a healthy dose of alpha wolf.
“I don’t know what happened back there,” I whispered, looking from him to my mom.
Prey (Blackwater Pack Book 2) Page 16