My wooden legs carried me to the chair, cracking in half so I could half sit, half fall into the chair.
He loosely rested his forearms on his denim encased thighs, leaning towards me. “First, I’m so damn proud of you, sweetheart.”
I swallowed, not expecting that. The hot prick of tears burned behind my eyes. I curled my hands into fists. The pain of my nails cutting into my palms held off the impending storm of tears. For now.
“What you did back there took a hell of a lot of courage. I really need you to hear this,” he said, taking a deep breath and holding my gaze. “No one, not me and especially not Remy, think anything less of you because of what happened to you.”
My heart cracked open, and I blinked, twin tears falling. My jaw wobbled, and I locked my teeth together.
“Did Remy ever tell you about my father?” he asked suddenly.
I shook my head.
Gabe sighed and leaned back in his chair. “He was an asshole, really, but he helped shape Blackwater into what it is today. It was his idea to start a school for the packs. But he wasn’t the best father. Truthfully, I don’t think he knew how to be, especially after my mom died.”
I toed off my shoes and pulled my legs up to my chest, turning sideways in the chair and leaning against the back.
“He died right after the twins were born,” Gabe went on. “But he had very … firm expectations for the pack, and for me. He was cold, but a fair Alpha. I respected him, but there was no love lost between us. I resented him for spending more time on the pack than with his son. The only time he spoke to me was if it was about pack business.”
My breath caught in my throat. That guy was the opposite of Gabriel Holt. There was no denying he absolutely adored his family.
“I knew that when I became a father, I wouldn’t put those expectations on my kids, or on my pack. But still … I was impulsive as hell, got in a lot of fights growing up. What helped more than anything was Mal.”
A soft smile graced his lips. “She’s everything I’m not. Patient, smart as hell, kind. I guess what I’m trying to say,” he said, meeting my gaze once more, “is I spent a lot of time pushing her away, not wanting her to see the parts of me I was ashamed of. The darker parts of me. I was so scared when Remy was born that I would treat him the way my father treated me.”
“You’re not your father,” I told him, shaking my head.
“No, I’m not,” he agreed. “My childhood made me the man I am today, but it’s not all I am. Mallory helped me see that.”
He drew in a long breath. “Don’t shut Remy out. I know how scary it is to open up the most vulnerable parts of yourself. But it’s worth it. You’re bonded for a reason. You don’t have to carry around the darkness by yourself anymore.”
I closed my eyes, more tears falling. Every part of my heart was bleeding out between us as he easily shredded the last bits of my resolve.
Gabe stood up slowly, holding out a hand to me. I placed mine in it, letting him pull me into his arms. He hugged me tightly as I wrapped my arms around his back.
“Don’t forget you have a lot of people who love you, honey,” he told me quietly, rubbing my back in soothing circles. “I don’t care how or why you came to our pack. You’re one of us now. And you’re part of my family. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I mumbled against his shirt.
He pulled back, kissing my forehead. “You want me to get Remy? He’s probably seconds away from losing his mind outside.”
A strangled laugh escaped me. “Yeah. Tell him I’m upstairs, okay?”
“You got it,” he said, letting me go.
I turned and crossed the room, heading up the stairs and going to my room. I stepped inside the bathroom and turned on the light, bracing my hands against the counter and looking at my reflection.
I looked paler than usual, my green eyes ringed in red. I turned on the faucet and splashed water onto my face, blotting off the excess with a hand towel.
I flipped off the light and headed back into the bedroom, freezing when I saw Remy sitting on the edge of our bed waiting for me.
He would always be waiting for me.
The kindness and love shining brightly in his eyes was my undoing.
My face crumpled, all the emotion and stress of the day finally breaking the last dam in me. I ran across the floor to him, diving into his arms. I wrapped my arms and legs around him like a spider monkey, burying my face in his neck as the first sob ripped from my chest.
“Shh,” he murmured, his arms wrapping around me. “I’m right here, okay?”
I cried against him, his body absorbing every tear, every sob, every shudder. Until, exhausted, my body went limp against him. I turned my head, my cheek resting on a wet spot of his shirt, soaked with countless tears.
“What do you need?” he asked softly, still holding me tightly.
“You.” My voice was broken and raw from sobbing. “I just need you.”
My eyes blinked open hours later, disoriented by the dark. My body swayed gently, lifting with every breath Remy took.
I lifted my head and looked around. At some point, I must have fallen asleep, emotionally drained from the day and from crying. Remy had moved us so his back was against the headboard of the bed, but my body was still wrapped around his. Even in sleep, his arms were anchored around me.
My hands slid down to rest on his chest, my shoulders aching from having spent the last several hours with them wrapped around his neck. I leaned back, watching him in sleep.
A small frown furrowed the skin between his brows, and I couldn’t stop myself from trying to smooth it out with my thumb.
His eyes fluttered open, a lazy smile spreading across his face when he saw me watching him. His hands moved down to my hips.
“Hey.” The rough timbre of his sleep laden voice slid over me like water over river rocks.
“Hi,” I answered, my own voice hoarse from crying. I cleared my throat, my hand fluttering to the base of my neck.
Awareness cleared his gaze. “What time is it?”
I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “After eight. We slept for almost five hours.”
“Explains why I can’t feel my legs,” he admitted with a wry grin. I felt the muscles under me flex as he tried to get the blood flowing through his limbs.
I started to move off of him, an apology already forming on my lips, but his hands clamped onto my waist, not letting me move.
“Didn’t say I wanted you to move.” He brushed a lock of hair from my face. “I love you.”
I leaned into his touch as he cradled my cheek in his large palm, his touch exquisitely gentle. “I love you.”
“You were amazing today,” he said quietly, his eyes taking me in with pride and love.
“I almost blew it,” I said with a sigh, shaking my head.
His brows rose. “You were incredible.” A devastating grin spread across his face, curling my toes. “My girl’s a badass.”
I laughed softly. “I can’t believe we’re free. My mom, Aunt Zara, Bella … I should call them and tell them.”
“Dad did that,” he told me. “He knew you needed a break. You can call your mom now if you want to talk to her.”
I bit my lip and slowly shook my head. “I’ll call her in the morning. Right now? I really just want to be with you.”
A soft smile graced his mouth. “I’m right here, baby. I’m not going anywhere. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”
“Good, “ I whispered, leaning forward and slotting my mouth against his, licking the seam of his mouth until it opened for me. I swept inside, tasting and sipping. My hand drifted up towards the muscled bulge of his shoulders, my nails digging in as I tilted my head, adjusting the angle of the kiss.
With a throaty masculine groan, he sat up, pulling my chest flush to his as he took control of the kiss. After several minutes of his mouth devouring mine, he pulled away, chest heaving.
“Skye.”
“I need this. I need you,” I said, feeling it in my bones.
Remy was my anchor in every storm. Right now there was a Category 5 hurricane blasting through me. I needed the safe harbor he provided.
He kissed me again, his hands working under the hem of my shirt and lifting. I pulled back long enough to rip the shirt off over my head, my mouth already crashing into his before the material hit the floor.
His hand swept up my ribs and around my back, deftly undoing the clasp of my bra. It fell between us, his hands caressing, kneading, and squeezing the newly exposed skin.
He dropped kisses along my jaw, down my throat. His teeth nipped and his tongue soothed. He lingered at the claiming mark on my shoulder, pressing hot, wet kisses as he mapped the raised, scarred skin with his tongue.
I shuddered, rolling my hips against his, my hands tangling in his hair. Desire and want flared in my blood, igniting a fire that pooled low in my belly. With a whimper, I rocked against him again.
Groaning, Remy rolled me under him, his weight pressing me into the mattress. His head lifted, eyes searching me to make sure I was still with him. That I hadn’t slipped into another memory.
I lifted my head, my mouth claiming his in a bruising kiss. A hand found the waistband of my jeans, deftly undoing the button and tugging the zipper down before slipping inside the lace of my underwear.
My head fell back, a hoarse cry falling from my lips as a finger slipped through my wet folds, finding my entrance and circling it with dizzying precision. The finger pressed inside as his tongue teased a circle around the tight peak of my nipple.
My hips jerked when he added a second finger, the heel of his hand grinding against the bundle of nerves between my legs. My back arched off the bed, my mouth falling open in a wordless gasp as his mouth closed around the tight peak of my nipple and sucked hard, sending me catapulting into my release.
The powerful muscles of his wrist flexed as he thrust his fingers in and out of my core, wringing out the last twitches of my orgasm.
I tugged at the soft material of his shirt until he helped me pull it off. He sat back and my eyes lingered on his bare chest, chiseled and sculpted by the shifter gods.
He stood up, tugging off my jeans and underwear in a hurried rush of jerky movements. His hands smoothed up the inside of my legs, spreading them as his eyes devoured the length of me.
I smiled as his gaze heated, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips. Pushing myself up, I reached for his pants, helping him shove them past his hips and laying back as he stepped out of them.
Hooking his hands under my knees, he jerked me to the edge of the bed, lining us up and thrusting deep inside of me in one fluid motion.
I cried out, the sudden pressure of him inside of me, filling and stretching me, causing my brain to fritz and sputter.
He dropped over me, his hands braced on either side of my head and his lips found mine. His hips moved in slow, unhurried strokes as his lips teased mine open, timing the slide of his tongue against mine with the snap of his hips.
I gasped, arching into him, meeting every thrust. Pushing as he pulled, taking as he gave. A riot of sensations exploded in me, hurtling me into a blinding rush of ecstasy.
47
Remy kissed me again, his hand tangling in my hair as he groaned and reluctantly pulled back.
His dark lashes blinked, clearing the haze of need and hunger from his eyes as he looked down at me. A finger traced the outline of my lips.
“I love you,” he murmured.
I smiled, sated and happy. “How many meetings do you have today?”
He sat on the edge of the bed having already dressed and showered while I had slept, still exhausted from the events of yesterday. But my heart was lighter today, likely the result of spending the night with Remy, who took the time to remind me (frequently) how much he loved me and that I belonged with him. To him.
His hand grazed my bare arm, unable to stop touching me. “A few this morning, and another this afternoon. Dante and I are working on getting a few more packs to help us reopen Granite Peak.”
A pang of sadness echoed in the cavern of my chest. We would graduate this year and wouldn’t be back. But I knew the importance it held for future pack relations.
“Make sure you eat something,” he reminded me, tapping the tip of my nose.
“You could stay here and I could make a meal out of you,” I suggested, grinning as I lay back against the pillows.
He groaned softly, his head falling back. “I fucking wish.”
I laughed, feeling his frustration myself. “We should spend a week in bed when we get back. Maybe go back to the cabin in the woods by your house. Lock ourselves in there for a month or five?”
His smile slipped as he grew quiet. His fingers played with my hair, sifting the soft strands between his fingers.
“What?” I pressed, my mood turning serious as I pushed myself up onto my elbows to look at him better.
“How would you feel about moving into the cabin with me when we get back?” he asked quietly.
That caught me by surprise.
“You don’t need to answer now,” he said quickly, flashing me a warm smile meant to alleviate the butterflies that had taken my stomach by storm. “Or we could get a place in town if you want to be near your mom. I just … I don’t know if I can go back to not seeing you next to me every morning.”
We weren’t even out of high school, but I knew what he meant. Since we had bonded, really bonded, the idea of not seeing him or sharing a space and a bed with him, seemed wrong. Abhorrent, even. I hated just the idea of waking up with him on the other side of Blackwater.
My wolf hated it even more.
He leaned over, kissing me softly. “Just think about it. We’re still here for another week. There’s no rush, even when we get home. Take all the time you need.”
Home.
Home wasn’t a place; it wasn’t the apartment with Mom or Granite Peak or even Blackwater. Home was the man next to me.
“Yes,” I said quietly.
His eyes went wide, his eyebrows lifting.
“Yes,” I repeated, my voice firmer. “I love you. The idea of not being with you …” I shuddered.
He grinned at me, the sight breathtaking. “We can figure out where later on when I get back.”
“Deal.” I pushed myself up and kissed him again. “I’m going to hang out here. I need to call Mom.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t get up until after I heard them leave for their meetings. I took a shower, ordered breakfast and grabbed my phone, munching on a piece of bacon while I waited for Mom to answer the video chat.
Her face filled the screen a second later, her emerald green eyes swimming in tears. “You did it, baby.”
Emotion immediately swelled my throat closed, a new wave of tears threatening.
“Gabe called last night,” she added. The phone jostled as she sat down, and I recognized the backdrop of the wall in our living room. “I’m so proud of you, Skye.”
“Did he tell you the Council is going to investigate Linden and Long Mesa? He may lose the pack.” If the Council saw even a fourth of what we had been through, they would have no choice but to strip him of his Alpha title.
Mom nodded, a smile wobbling on her full lips. “I spoke to Mallory yesterday, too. She told me … She told me that you and Remy completed your bond. I’m happy for you.”
I frowned at her words. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me that the bond wasn’t complete until we … You know.”
A sad smile drifted across her face. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured, honey. You have already been through so much … Remy and I-”
“You and Remy talked about this?” My jaw dropped open.
She grimaced, realizing her mistake. “Not in detail. I wanted to make sure he was being patient with you. Skye, after everything you went through, I didn’t want you to feel pressured in any way.”
&nbs
p; I groaned, nearly dropping my phone. “I can’t believe you discussed my sex life with my boyfriend.”
Mate, my wolf reminded me, a bit smugly.
Mom sighed again, shaking her head. “Honey-”
“Did you know it was Linden who told me we weren’t bonded in the eyes of Pack Law?” I asked, betrayal a sharp sting in my chest.
She looked down, absently rubbing the scar on her throat the way she always did when she was upset or anxious.
“Skye,” she whispered my name, exhaling hard. “Honey, you have to believe me that I never thought Linden would bring that up. That he would be so manipulative-”
“You are aware who we’re talking about, right?” I cut in sharply. “Your brother? My uncle? The guy who routinely lent you out to his buddies?”
She winced and sucked in a sharp breath.
Okay, that was a little below the belt. “I’m sorry,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Her hand closed over the scar on her neck, and she leaned her cheek against her forearm. “No, I deserved that.” Her green eyes found mine. “I’ve been so busy trying to protect you that I haven’t let you live your life.”
“I wish you would have told me,” I admitted.
“I should have,” she replied gently. “I’m so sorry I put you in a position that gave Linden any more power over you. A mate bond is sacred. Watching you and Remy together, there’s no denying you’re mates. Consummating it seemed … what’s the word Katy always uses? Archaic?”
My lips pulled into a smirk. “Yeah. That’s definitely a Katy-word.”
Letting out a heavy breath, she rubbed her neck again absently. “A mate bond … It transcends every other law packs are bound to, Skye. I’m happy you and Remy have each other.”
A warm feeling lit me from within, but a second later, I narrowed my eyes, focusing on her hand as it traced the scar. “Mom?”
Another heavy sigh. “Baby, I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be.”
“Mom.”
She looked at me curiously, her hand still pressed to her neck.
Prey (Blackwater Pack Book 2) Page 42