Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1)

by Hannah McBride

  "Painless?" I echoed, starting to smile.

  He shrugged and blew out a breath. "Mostly painless."

  "Well if you promise it will only be mostly painless, I guess I'm in."

  Shaking his head with a grin, Remy stepped back. "So, it's a date then."

  "What's a date?" Katy asked, breezing into the kitchen. She headed for the coffee pot, refilling her mug. She finished pouring and stared at us. "Wait - a date as in you two? You're going on a date?"

  "Yes," Remy said with a long-suffering sigh, turning his attention to her.

  Katy set the mug down with a loud clack on the counter. "When?" she demanded.

  Remy narrowed his eyes. "Maybe now if it gets me away from you and your questions."

  Katy glared back at her brother. "No way. She can't go on a date looking like that." She motioned to me.

  My eyes went wide. "What's wrong with how I look?" I asked. My hair was down and I guess could be brushed, but I was wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt and my sneakers. It wasn't the dress from last night, but was a formal dress a requirement for dating?

  "The fact that you don't see what's wrong with your outfit is exactly why you need me," Katy deadpanned, planting a hand on her hip.

  "Be nice, Katherine," Remy warned. His tone was light but there was something in his eyes that clearly made the other girl pause. He would allow her to tease me as a friend but making me uncomfortable was a definite no-go.

  With a groan, Katy looked at me. "I'm sorry. But am I right in assuming this is your first date, Skye?"

  I nodded slowly.

  "First dates are a big deal," Katy pushed. "I'm talking hair, nails, makeup-"

  "Skye doesn't need that," Remy cut in firmly, shaking his head.

  "No girl needs it, Remington" Katy whined petulantly. "But it makes us feel pretty and dressing up makes it more special. Less like an everyday thing." She looked pointedly at him. "I am assuming you want this date to be special, right? Otherwise we can make pizzas and all hang out here like usual."

  Remy shook his head and looked at me, not wanting to admit Katy had a point. "It's completely up to you."

  A part of me wanted what Katy was saying - I wanted to get dressed up and let her do my hair, much like I had the night of the dance. Getting ready had been fun.

  But I also liked that there was zero pressure with Remy to be anything but me.

  What clinched it was Katy's begging puppy eyes. That, and I wanted a night where I felt special and ... pretty. Especially with Remy's full attention on me.

  I wanted him to look at me the way he had last night when he asked me to dance, but I wanted that feeling for an entire night.

  I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. "Fine," I agreed.

  Katy clapped her hands together and looked at Remy. "When is this date commencing?"

  "We said dinner, so I guess we'll leave at five?"

  Katy's eyes went huge and her jaw dropped. "Five?" she spluttered. "It's almost noon. That only gives us five hours, Rem."

  "What could you possibly need more than five hours to do?" he asked, throwing his hands up as Ryder and Rhodes entered the room.

  "Guy Survival Rule Number One, amigo," Ryder said as he stopped and took us all in before pointing at Remy, "never, ever ask girls why they take so long to get ready."

  I raised a slow hand. "Can I ask why it's going to take five hours?"

  "No," Katy said quickly. She arched a brow at me. "Go back to the dorms and shower."

  My nose wrinkled. "But I already-"

  She held up a hand. "Don't argue with my process. Go and shower. I'll get the girls and meet you back in your room." She glanced at the clock on the microwave. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit, less than five hours now. Hurry."

  “But-“

  With a loud grumble, Katy grabbed my wrist and physically pulled me to the door. I managed to give Remy a confused smile. His shoulders were shaking with silent laughter as I stumbled out the door after my friend.

  Katy's worst was assembling an army of people to get me ready that she must have called in when I was taking my second shower of the day.

  I had come back from my shower, hair wrapped up in a towel, to find Katy was already waiting with Larkin, Maren, and Tate. They all converged on me as soon as I closed the door.

  I was pushed into a chair, my hair pulled from the towel. I wasn't sure whose hands were where - someone was brushing my hair, someone else was examining my fingernails.

  "Where are you going?" Tate asked, the door to my closet open. She was flipping through the hangers.

  "Remy said into town?" I winced as the brush caught on a tangle.

  Katy clucked her tongue. "Skye, you need a haircut, and I really need to introduce your dead ends to a hair mask."

  I arched a brow, looking up at her. "A hair mask?"

  Her fingers prodded my cheeks. "And a face mask. Your skin is seriously dry."

  I reached up, touching my face. "It doesn't feel dry."

  "Trust me," Katy said with certainty. She glanced at Larkin. "Do you still have that-"

  Larkin was already pulling a jar of cream from a drawer in her dresser. She passed it to Katy and looked at me, her nose wrinkled. "It actually does make your skin softer."

  “Okay, if you're going into town, that means the diner," Tate murmured to herself. She glanced over. "And this is your first date?"

  "Yeah."

  "First date ever," Katy clarified, slapping cold goop on my face that smelled slightly floral.

  "Seriously?" Maren asked, incredulous as she worked some product into the ends of my hair. "How have you never been on a date? You're hot, girl."

  "That's what I said!" Katy chirped, rubbing the stuff across my nose and almost making me sneeze.

  I hesitated, not sure how to answer. Katy and Larkin knew the details, but I wasn't ready to share with everyone just yet.

  "She was kind of sheltered," Larkin said calmly, meeting my gaze. "Her mom kept her close."

  "Probably for the best," Tate said, pulling out a deep blue sweater dress. She eyed it critically for a second before putting it back. "Dating can be a clusterfuck."

  "Says the girl with two boyfriends," Maren added, parting my hair with a comb.

  Tate rolled her eyes. "Which means I'm a total expert since I have double the experience."

  "How does that work?" I asked, genuinely curious. I knew it wasn't uncommon for males to share a single female but seeing the dynamic up close between the three of them made me inquisitive.

  With a sigh, Tate turned and leaned against the wall. "It just kind of ... happened."

  Katy snorted, handing the closed jar back to Larkin. "Pimples just happen. Falling into bed with two guys takes a bit more planning and finesse, I would imagine."

  Licking her lips, Tate's cheeks warmed. "You'd be surprised. There was some falling and definitely a bed involved."

  I choked on my laugh as everyone cracked up.

  Waving a hand, Tate turned back to the closet. "Ryder, Dante and I have known each other since we were little. We've always been inseparable. Last year we just sort of transitioned into being more."

  "So, it's serious?" I asked.

  She gave a firm nod. "It's the three of us for the long haul."

  "I do have a question," Katy said slowly, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "I've seriously been dying to ask this."

  Tate sighed and waited with raised brows.

  "Are Dante and Ryder ... you know? Together, too?" Katy lowered her voice. "Because something about the way they look at each other sometimes, I could swear-"

  Larkin gasped. "Katy! That's none of your business."

  "I know it isn't, but I still want to know," the redhead answered with a shrug.

  Tate blew out a long breath, looking up at the ceiling. "Dante and Ryder are best friends. More than best friends. All I'm saying is that the three of us share everything with each other."

  "Everything?" Katy pressed with big eyes.


  "Everything," Tate said finally. She pulled a black skirt with silver zippers out of the closet. "This is cute."

  "It would show off her legs," Larkin agreed, going to the closet as well. She reached in and pulled out an off-the-shoulder cream sweater. "This would be pretty with it."

  "I'm thinking a French braid," Maren said behind me, pulling my hair back from my face.

  "Love it," Katy agreed. "Maybe a subtle smokey eye? Something berry-toned to bring out the green in her eyes."

  "It's like you're talking a different language," I grumbled, trying not to wince as Maren's fingers started twisting my hair.

  "That's how I felt, too," Larkin admitted with a shrug and a smile. She laid the clothes she and Tate had selected on her bed. "Katy will have you speaking the language in no time."

  Whatever language it was, by the time they were done - nearly five hours later - I was a believer.

  The cream sweater slipped off one shoulder, showing skin that was still kissed by the New Mexico sun I grew up in. My green eyes looked almost otherworldly, ringed with dark kohl and several generous layers of mascara. The black skirt definitely did show off my legs, and coupled with a pair of black ankle boots with a heel, and my legs looked impossibly long.

  "Here," Katy said suddenly, reaching behind her neck and unclasping her necklace. She came up behind me in the mirror that hung on the back of our door. Her arms looped around me as she draped the silver chain across my neck before locking the clasp.

  My fingers lifted gently, touching the silver crescent moon with a connected diamond chip that hung from the simple chain. "It's beautiful." The diamond chip caught the light, glinting like a star behind the moon.

  Katy rested her chin on my bare shoulder, smiling at me in the mirror. "You'll have one of your own soon."

  “Remy has this tattooed on his back,” I said absently, remembering the flash of the image I saw the night before.

  "It's a family thing," she explained. "All the women in my family have this necklace, most of the guys have it tattooed. Kind of a Holt family tradition. It's the symbol of the Blackwater pack." She smiled softly at me, her dimples flashing. "Since you and Remy are bonded ... Odds are you'll be part of that family one day."

  I waited for the flash of panic to come at her words, but it never manifested. Instead, there was only a deep settling peace. A sense of rightness that was becoming more and more frequent the longer I stayed here.

  I was part of a pack. Part of a family.

  Tears, hot and sharp, pricked the backs on my eyes and I blinked quickly. "Thanks, Katy," I said thickly.

  Her eyes flared wide. "Don't you dare cry and mess up all our hard work."

  I barked out a laugh, shaking my head. I turned and threw my arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you."

  Pulling back, I looked at the three girls on Larkin's bed, watching us with smiles.

  "Thank you, all of you," I whispered, my heart almost full to bursting because of these girls. My friends.

  Tate grinned. "Make sure he treats you right," she said, wagging a finger. "He better get you home on time."

  "Maybe they need a chaperone," Maren said. Her tone was serious, but the glimmer in her eyes gave away the tease.

  Larkin agreed with a serious nod. "We can sit at the table next to you and make sure he behaves himself."

  A slow shiver worked down my spine and I drew in a long, shaky breath.

  "He'll behave himself," Katy said quickly, seeing me shiver and mistaking my emotions for fear. Her expression turned fierce. "You know Remy would never hurt you, right? I mean, I've never seen him like this with a girl, but even before you, he would never-"

  "I know," I cut her off gently. I bit my lower lip to hide a smile. "Maybe I'm hoping he won't behave himself?"

  Katy's jaw dropped as the girls on the bed cracked up, their cackling giggles filling the room.

  I shrugged at her with a smirk.

  I did trust Remy. Implicitly. And not just because of the true mate bond that seemed to be stronger with every minute I spent around him. I trusted the guy who was horrified for what I let slip the first time we talked in his study. The guy who sat next to me in class and teased me. The guy who was the heart and soul of the pack here at GPA.

  I had started crushing on Remy when I first met him, but the bond seemed to bring a whole new sort of awareness to my feelings.

  Even now, as I glanced at the clock and realized he would be here any minute, my wolf started pacing. She was anxious to be with him again, not liking the distance stretching between us.

  My phone chimed from where I had left it on the desk and all our eyes went to it.

  With a nervous laugh, I crossed the room and picked it up, my heart pounding so loud everyone in the room had to hear it.

  I turned it on to read the message.

  REMY: Ready?

  Hell, yes. I was definitely ready.

  27

  The truck swerved on the road for the fifth time in as many miles. Remy's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he tried to keep his attention on the road.

  "Should I be worried you're going get us killed?" I teased, looking over at him.

  He smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "Sorry."

  I tried not to smirk as his gaze drifted to me again, his gaze lingering on the exposed skin of my thighs for a second.

  The truck jerked again, and I laughed, tipping my head back.

  With a low growl, his fingers flexed around the wheel, his knuckles turning white against the black leather. "You're not making this easy."

  "Sorry?" I parroted back his apology.

  I wasn't sorry at all.

  It had been thrilling to have his eyes on me since I met him in front of the girls' dorm, knowing full well that all four of my friends were crowded around a window watching us.

  He held my hand as we walked to the SUV in the parking lot, and I barely even noticed the stares we got as we walked across campus. I was too busy focusing on the way his rough hand felt curved around mine, the strength of his fingers as they flexed gently, reassuringly, around my hand.

  I walked closely beside him, my shoulder pressed against his arm, stealing some of the heat his body radiated in the late fall night. Inhaling deeply, I was completely surrounded by his scent. I ridiculously missed him for the three seconds it took for him to close my car door and walk around to the driver's side.

  Less than twenty-four hours into this bond, and I was falling hard and fast.

  I smiled ruefully to myself, thinking of all the books I read where I complained about the couple falling into an all-consuming love super fast. Insta-love, I found the internet mockingly called it. Because how was it logical or rational to fall completely in love with someone in the span of a day or a week?

  But there were no bonded mates in those stories. No magical shifter fate intervening to determine the course of the couple's lives.

  And definitely no Remy Holt in those books.

  "What's so funny?" Remy asked curiously, turning onto the road that took us into town.

  I looked over at him, letting my head relax against the leather headrest. "I was thinking about how if this was a book, we would get horrible reviews."

  His gaze swung to me for a second, surprise in his eyes, before going back to the road. "Oh, really?"

  Giggling, I crossed my legs. "We barely know each other. The bond happened less than a day ago. And yet ..."

  "And yet?" he prompted, a smile playing on his full lips.

  I blushed. "It just seems like this is happening really fast."

  "This?" he teased, pushing for me to admit to more. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about. Care to explain?”

  I swung out to slap his shoulder, but he caught my hand in one of his. He brought it to his lips and kissed the back of my hand.

  Yeah, I was definitely swooning a little bit at that point.

  "We can slow down, you know," he said after a second, our hands still connected
but resting on the console between us. "There's no pressure at all. This is whatever we want it to be."

  "It's not that," I admitted honestly. "It's more like ... I guess I feel like I should want things to go slower. For us to take it easy. But the truth is, it all feels right. I feel like I've known you forever. Does that make sense?"

  "Yeah," he replied softly, turning down the main street of town. "I know exactly what you mean. I know, rationally, that a good part of it is because of the bond, but honestly I liked you before that happened."

  "You did?" The note of hope in my voice caught me by surprise.

  “Why do you think I asked you to dance?”

  “Because you’re a nice guy?” I said weakly, my brain short-circuiting.

  He gave me a weird look. “I asked you because I liked you.”

  “Seriously?”

  He smiled as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the diner, putting the car in park and turning to look at me fully. "Yes, Skye. Why is that so hard to believe?"

  "Because you're you," I spluttered stupidly. "And I'm me."

  His eyes narrowed. "What the hell does that mean?"

  I exhaled a long breath, fighting the urge to lower my eyes from his pressing gaze. "Remy, my whole life I was raised to believe that I was worthless. That there was only ... one thing I was good for." I swallowed hard, noting the way his hand tightened around mine and his jaw clenched. "It's going to take more than two weeks being here to make me feel like I can breathe. My heart is telling me all of this is real. You and I are real. My head is having a hard time catching up."

  His eyes lowered for a second, dark lashes fanning across his tan cheeks before lifting and piercing me with a serious gaze. "This is real, Skye. I'm not going anywhere. I know this is fast, and I know on paper it looks completely crazy."

  I chuckled softly, nodding.

  "But it doesn't change the way I feel when I'm with you," he went on. "I've been raised to be a leader. To be strong and think of the pack first and above all else. When I'm with you ... It's like everything is clearer. You ground me, and not just because of the bond. I liked being with you before last night happened. You make me laugh. Watching you experience things for the first time is absolutely amazing."