Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1)

by Hannah McBride

  “The guys are really worried. So is my dad."

  "Your dad?" I shot her a stunned look over the rim of my mug.

  "Her dad is the Brooks Ridge Alpha," Larkin explained. "What do you want to eat?"

  I shrugged. "Food?"

  Rolling her eyes, Larkin went to the fridge and started pulling things out.

  "So, your dad is the Alpha?" I looked back at Tate.

  She nodded. "Technically he's my adopted father, but he raised me."

  "I had no idea you were adopted," I said, surprised.

  She grimaced slightly, her nose wrinkling. "I didn't have the most ... conventional childhood."

  "I'm sorry," I said again automatically, knowing all-too-well how unconventional childhoods could royally suck.

  "Thanks," she murmured, tracing the bottom of her mug. "My parents ... They actually never wanted kids. They were mostly lone wolves, but oddly enough were mates. Like you and Remy are. They just didn't like being tethered to a pack, conforming to pack laws. I was an accident, but one they realized pretty quick they could cash in on."

  A tendril of dread curled low in my stomach.

  She flashed me a weak smile. "I don't remember them much, to be honest. From what I gathered, they kind of sucked as parents. And as people. When they had a daughter, they saw me as a winning lottery ticket or something."

  "Shit," I murmured, wincing on her behalf.

  "They spent the early part of my life trying to arrange a marriage for me. They would get a family on the hook, get the family to send them ... a down payment. Like some twisted dowry or something. Anyway, they would get the money, and then disappear. They did this for years, before they finally got sick of running around the world with a kid." She shrugged one shoulder. "I was six when they decided to just marry me off for good and be done with it."

  "They sold you?" I whispered, horrified.

  "Yeah," she replied simply, then smiled. "But it backfired. They sold me to my dad. They only told him he would be getting a future mate - they didn't bother telling him I was a little kid. When he went to the meeting, he was so pissed off, he threatened to drag them in front of the Council and have them executed. They took off but let me behind. He adopted me."

  "But your dad was still willing to buy a mate," I said after a second.

  She shook her head. "He wasn't. My dad was part of a network of shifters trying to eradicate the trafficking of females. The goal was to buy the female and set her free or offer sanctuary. My dad already had a mate who was back in Brooks Ridge."

  "And she adopted you, too?"

  A sad look crossed Tate's face and she sighed. "She would have. She was actually pregnant when he brought me home. There was a complication in the last month of her pregnancy. She and the baby died. I only knew her for a few weeks. After that it was Dad and me."

  "That’s unreal," I said, amazed. I glanced up at Larkin, who was making something on the stove. She gave me a terse nod. She knew this story already.

  "My dad raised me by himself for the most part. But he did get help from Dante and Ryder's parents. They were all really close, so the three of us grew up together."

  "What happened to your biological parents?"

  Another shrug. "They're still out there, I guess. Still being miserable excuses for shifters. No way did they bother to come after me once my dad got involved." Her lips curved into a wicked smile. "They literally pissed their pants when he started yelling. I remember the smell of it as they ran away."

  "I'm glad," I said with a grin.

  "Me, too," Larkin agreed, sliding an omelet in front of me. She pointed at me with the spatula. "Eat the whole thing or I'm telling Remy."

  I picked up the fork and took a huge bite, chewing loudly for her benefit. After I swallowed the chunk of egg and cheese down, I pointed my fork at her. "How did the movie go last night?"

  Tate's eyes lit up as she looked at Larkin. "Movie night? You and Rhodes?”

  Lifting her cup of coffee, Larkin gave a delicate sniff. "There’s nothing to tell. All we did was watch a movie."

  I arched a brow. "Is that all?"

  Larkin set her cup down, bending at the waist suddenly and dropping her forehead to the counter. "No," she whined. "I might have fallen asleep on him and woken up when he carried me to bed."

  Tate and I started cracking up.

  "Why don't you just tell him you like him?" I asked through my giggles.

  Larkin lifted her head, her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Because I have been pining after Rhodes DeWitt for years, and I'll be damned if I have to spell it out for the idiot."

  Tate smirked. "You could always do what I did - just kiss him and see what happens."

  I turned to her quickly. "Is that what happened?"

  "Something like that," Tate said with a giggle.

  Shaking my head, I looked at Larkin. "You know he's like a lost puppy when you're ignoring him, right?"

  "Serves him right," she grumbled, but I could see the smile she was hiding.

  "I still think you should talk to him," I argued, eating another bite.

  Larkin threw her hands up with a sigh. "Not everyone can have an instant bond with their mate, Skye!"

  "Oh, so he's your mate now?" I asked innocently.

  With a growl, Larkin dropped her head back to the counter. "I hate you," she muttered.

  Tate and I were still laughing when the door to the study opened. Four teenage males all paused outside the door looking at us.

  "Are you okay, Larkin?" Rhodes asked.

  Tate and I exchanged a look and started laughing even harder. My fork fell against the plate with a loud clatter.

  Larkin lifted her head, glaring at us. "You guys suck."

  36

  The next several days were beyond intense around school. There wasn't a single pack unaffected by what had happened between our pack and the Norwood pack. Tensions on both sides were insanely high and everyone was on edge.

  Battle lines had been drawn, but the battle had yet to actually start, which meant a lot of tense shifters in a confined space.

  Remy had wanted me to stay with him in the cabin after spending a second night there. Hell, I had wanted me to stay. I fell asleep breathing in his scent, slept deeper when I was in his arms, and I definitely woke up happier seeing him lying next to me.

  But I wasn't ready to go from mates to dating to living together in a week. I still needed my space. The fact that I got so comfortable so quickly had my head spinning a bit, so I was glad when Larkin agreed we should go back to the dorms.

  Katy's leg was starting to heal, slower than she would have liked, but still faster than it would have had she not been a shifter. She adamantly refused to move in with Remy, raising hell when he mentioned it. Something about letting the terrorists win if she moved out of her room. Instead, Larkin and I checked in on her constantly, and Maren essentially moved into her room at the dorms. Between the three of us and Tate, Katy was covered when Remy couldn’t see her, but we were all under orders not to go anywhere alone.

  There was a brutal tension that lingered in the air all the time. Like someone playing with a lighter next to a puddle of gasoline. The explosion was inevitable, but no one knew when it would come. Even the teachers seemed more on edge, snapping at us one minute and then babying us the next.

  All week there had been scuffles and fights between the packs. I lost count of how many I had seen Remy step into the middle of.

  The biggest change that rocked our pack was when Ainsley and Sierra had a massive falling out at the beginning of classes on Monday. Since then Ainsley stuck closer to the pack, and Sierra ignored her at every turn. It got to the point that Ainsley moved out of the room she and Sierra shared, opting to move in with one of the younger girls from our pack on a different floor.

  Remy and I barely found time to hang out, and a date with just the two of us wasn't even mentioned. Neither of us were comfortable leaving the pack alone for hours at a time. We mainly hung out in the cabin
in the evenings, but there were usually several people with us at any given moment. All of the pack seemed more at ease when we were together, so it wasn't uncommon for a dozen or so shifters to be piled into the living room together.

  I loved my pack, but I was getting tired of Remy's lips finding mine for a second before someone walked in on us.

  The only saving grace was Thanksgiving break.

  I had been looking forward to the week of Thanksgiving for a while. Classes were suspended for a week, giving everyone time to go home and reconnect with their pack before making the final push to the end of the semester.

  I was excited to spend a week with my mom, and more excited to be able to have some alone time with Remy. I wanted to run through the Blackwater territory, letting my wolf out on our home turf. We were all a little testy having not shifted more than a handful of times the last couple of weeks, but wolves were more volatile than our human sides, so shifting had been limited and all pack runs canceled.

  Most of the pack was heading for the airport in a bus where they would board a plane for the quick two hour trip back to Washington. With Katy's leg, traveling by plane wasn't an option. Remy decided he would drive her back to their house. No one even asked me if I wanted to come - it was a forgone conclusion, but I wasn't surprised when Larkin and Rhodes also got into the SUV with us.

  The trip took almost seven hours. We only stopped a few times for breaks, and we were all seriously antsy when we arrived in Blackwater territory. Our wolves hated being confined in the cab of the truck.

  Larkin had been listening to music, ignoring us for the last hour. Katy and Rhodes had been bickering for the last hundred miles. I could tell Remy was even getting annoyed with everyone the way his hand kept tightening around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as the leather creaked in protest.

  He dropped off Rhodes and Larkin at their houses first since they were neighbors, and then headed up the mountain to his home. Gabe and Mallory had invited my mom and I to have dinner at their house, then Mom and I would go back to our apartment.

  I was kind of giddy to see the space. Mom had been talking about it every time we spoke the last couple of weeks. I knew she was excited for me to see it, and I was seriously proud of her for making this work. She seemed to really love Blackwater.

  Which was good, since I had no plans of ever leaving this pack.

  Remy parked the car in front of his parents' house and looked at me with a grin. Katy was already scrambling out of the backseat awkwardly and limping across the yard to climb up the stairs. At this point her leg was mostly healed and she only needed a brace, but I knew standing or walking too long really tired her out.

  "Ready to meet the parents?" Remy joked, unbuckling his seatbelt.

  I opened my door. "I've already met your parents."

  "As a new pack member," he said with a smile. "Not as my girlfriend."

  My smile slipped. Shit, he was right.

  Remy closed his door and laughed. "Relax, okay? My parents love you."

  "They barely know me," I reminded him as we started for the stairs. I winced inwardly. They knew a lot about my former pack and what mom and I had gone through.

  In some ways they knew more about me than Remy did.

  Anxiety churned in my gut as I wondered how they would react to Remy and I being together. Yes, we were true mates, but that didn't mean his parents would be excited that the future Alpha of Blackwater was bonded to a girl with the history I had.

  Katy had left the front door wide open and we could hear shouting and laughing already from inside.

  I froze on the top step when my mom appeared in the doorway.

  Sudden emotion choked me, my eyes filling with tears as I ran to her. The second her arms closed around me, we both lost it. We both were crying and speaking mostly in squeals and sighs.

  I pulled back, sniffling as I touched the ends of her hair. "You cut your hair!"

  "You got taller!" she accused, pulling me in for another hug.

  After a minute I pulled back, wiping my eyes and remembering we weren't alone. Gabe and Mallory had come to the front door now and were watching our reunion with smiles.

  "Mom, this is Remy," I said, turning and reaching for him.

  Remy grabbed my hand with one of his, extending the other to my mom. "It's great to finally meet you, Ms. Markham."

  "Addie, please," she said with a watery smile. I had told her before we arrived that I told Remy who we were and about the Long Mesa pack. Mom had cried then, glad I had found someone to trust.

  I still hadn't told her about bonding with Remy. Something told me that talk needed to be done in person.

  Mallory came out onto the porch, and any worries I had about her accepting me were smashed when she pulled me into her arms and squeezed tight. "How have you gotten even prettier?"

  "That's what I keep saying," Remy said with a smirk, his dark eyes dancing with laughter as I tried not to blush.

  Gabe pointed at him with a grin. "That's because I raised you right."

  Mallory turned and gave him a pointed look, eyebrows raised.

  "We raised you right," Gabe amended quickly. "It was mostly your mother, though." His blue eyes smiled at me. "It's good to see you, Skye."

  "Come inside, all of you," Mallory encouraged. She slapped Gabe's chest as she walked by and he chuckled warmly, grabbing for her waist. She danced out of his reach and headed into the house.

  A slow smile spread across my face as I realized that could be Remy and I in a few years.

  Happy and together.

  Mates.

  With a swallow, I looked back to see Remy watching me curiously.

  I gave him a weak smile, suddenly a little lightheaded by the idea of a future with this guy. I needed a new subject to focus on. "So, where are these brothers of yours?"

  "Careful," he warned. "If you say their names enough, it's like Beetlejuice."

  I frowned. "Like what?"

  "Like-" he cut himself off with a laugh. "It's a movie, Skye. Basically, if you say the guy's name three times, he appears."

  "And his name is Beetlejuice?" The look on my face only made him laugh harder.

  "Yeah."

  "That's a stupid name," I muttered.

  "What's a stupid name?"

  I jumped and spun around to see a set of miniature Remy's looking up at me. Whoa.

  "Skye, this is Dax and Sam," Remy said, coming up behind me. He pointed them out as he said their names. The one with the shorter hair and black shirt was Dax, the one with the longer hair and button up was Sam. Both had Remy's dark brown hair and similar bone structure, but they had their father's bright blue eyes.

  "The girlfriend, right?" Dax asked, his eyes lighting up as he looked at me.

  "Be nice," Remy warned.

  "We're always nice," Sam added.

  "Nice to meet you," I said with a laugh. Remy had said they were thirteen and would be starting GPA next year. They must have hit a growth spurt this year, because they were only a few inches shorter than Remy and a couple inches taller than me. In the family picture he had framed in the cabin, they were a solid foot shorter. They weren't as muscular as Remy, but the frame was there. In a few years they would likely be as big as their brother, and just as good looking.

  Dax grinned, sidling up beside me and slinging an arm over my shoulders. I blinked in surprise.

  "So, Skye," he started.

  Remy ripped his arm off of me with a warning growl that vibrated low in his chest.

  I turned, expecting to see Dax and Sam laughing at Remy's possessive streak, but they both looked stunned, eyes downcast.

  "Sorry," Dax said, his tone genuinely apologetic. "I was just playing, dude."

  Remy huffed out a breath, his eyes rolling to the ceiling as he reigned his wolf in. "It's fine. I'm sorry, too. It was a reaction."

  "You're mates," Sam said simply, shrugging.

  Dax and Remy turned and stared at him.

  "Dad told you?"
Remy demanded, his wide eyes looking at me.

  Sam shook his head, waving a hand between us. "It's pretty freaking obvious. I've never seen you get all growly over anyone else."

  "Dude, you're mated? Like bonded?" Dax made a face. "But you're not even out of high school. Isn't that a little soon to sign up for a lifetime commitment?" He gave me a sheepish look. "No offense."

  "None taken?" I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not.

  Sam slapped Dax's shoulder. "That's not how it works, numb nuts."

  Dax glared at his twin. "Call me that one more time and I'll give you numb nuts."

  "Daxton!" Mallory's sharp voice cut like a whip through the foyer.

  Cringing, Dax turned to his mom.

  "We have guests," she snapped, jaw set firmly as she gave him the stare every mother had perfected. "Do I need to remind you to act appropriately?"

  "No, ma'am," Dax said softly, the picture of innocence. The hard line of Mallory's mouth softened slightly.

  These boys were definitely hell on wheels.

  "Finish setting the table, please," Mallory instructed the twins before turning back down the hallway.

  As the twins headed for the formal dining room, Remy and I went down the hall into the kitchen where more people waited.

  "Skye!" Zoe immediately grabbed me in a big hug.

  "Hey!" My arms quickly went around her, squeezing tight. "I didn't know you were going to be here. Hi, Michael."

  He lifted his wine glass at me and smiled. "Hey, Skye. Remy."

  "Michael." Remy did that universal nod thing back at him that they must teach guys in a special elective class or something.

  Zoe grinned at me, taking a sip from her glass of water. "When your mom said you were coming home, I begged Mallory to let us come, too. How do you like school?"

  "It's been ... great," I said, not entirely sure how to answer. As a whole, it had been. The last week or so, not so much.

  Zoe frowned, lines cutting deep into her pretty face. She dropped her voice. "We've all heard about what's happening at the school. How are you doing? I'm sure it's probably triggered some old memories."

  I shrugged. "It has, but I'm dealing with it. It's nice having actual friends now. Larkin and Katy are the best." Katy was currently chatting up my mom while they cut up vegetables for a salad. She picked up a carrot from the cutting board and popped it into her mouth.