Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1)

by Hannah McBride

  He pressed his mouth to mine, slowly moving his lips against mine for a long moment, before barely pulling back an inch. "Deal."

  46

  The hot chocolate I held in my hands wasn't nearly as good as Remy's, but the one from the café was pretty good, too, and definitely warmed my body as the bitter December night air whipped around. I sipped at the drink and leaned back against Remy's chest. His hands rested on my hips casually as he kept talking to Rhodes.

  The center of town was packed with shifters waiting for the annual Christmas tree lighting to commence. Town tradition had the Alpha family turn on the lights three days before Christmas.

  The towering pine in the town square was dark, but the white lights strung between the downtown buildings gave a soft glow. Almost every storefront was decked out with some holiday theme, and all businesses were open to capitalize on the fact that so many shifters were milling around.

  Mom had made my hot chocolate between customers at the diner. I could still see her in the big windows of the restaurant as she moved easily, smiling and talking with customers. She really seemed to love her job.

  Zara had started working there as well, but Bella still kept to herself. She was supposed to return to GPA with us in a few weeks, but I wouldn't be surprised if she took the rest of the year off. She was doing better, but she was still fragile. Hearing about Cassian's death definitely seemed to help with the healing process, but she was still shaky. She and Zara had stayed in tonight. Crowds seemed to unnerve Bella.

  Remy, Rhodes, Katy, and I had staked out a spot a few yards away from the tree, opting to stand instead of using the folding chairs set out in front of where the tree would be lit.

  I craned my neck, looking at the top of the dark tree. I had only seen a couple of Christmas trees, but they were quickly becoming something I loved. I had even taken to reading in front of the small Christmas tree Mom and I had in our apartment.

  Katy's phone started to ring and she pulled it from her jacket pocket, fumbling with the buttons through her gloves. Turning on the screen, Maren's face appeared.

  "Hi, love!" Katy greeted.

  I leaned over her shoulder and gave Maren a wave of my own that she returned with a bright smile.

  "I'll be back," Katy told us, walking away to video chat with Maren. Katy was planning to go to Brooks Ridge the day after Christmas and visit with Maren and her family for the rest of winter break.

  I was going to miss her, not that I would have seen her much if she stayed.

  Remy and I had come back to Blackwater a few days after I had woken up, which was the start of winter break. Thanks to missing the last three weeks of school, GPA had allowed us to bring all our assignments home to catch up over the break. We had to take, and pass, our finals before we went back to school for the spring semester.

  Holding my cup in one hand, I slowly rotated my left wrist. I had mostly healed from the fall, but some of my joints were still stiff and recovering. The cold didn't seem to help.

  "Are you okay?" Rhodes demanded, his eyes watching me carefully.

  If it were possible, Rhodes was more protective of me than Remy was.

  Rhodes had come into my room the day after I woke up and repeatedly apologized for what happened even though it definitely wasn't his fault. I also learned that while Remy and I were shifted during my recovery, Rhodes set up a rotating series of pack members to guard our room, with him taking the bulk of the shifts.

  Even though the Norwood pack was gone and Cassian was dead, Rhodes wouldn't relent.

  While Remy and his dad had meetings about what I learned about the facility, Rhodes was often in my room playing cards or introducing me to all the Star Wars movies. He hung out with me just as much as Katy and Larkin did, sometimes more.

  "I'm fine," I assured him, feeling Remy chuckle at my back.

  He thought his best friend's sudden devotion to me was adorable.

  I thought Rhodes needed to devote more attention to another female.

  Rhodes didn't look convinced. "Are you still taking the pain meds?"

  "She's fine," Remy told him, still laughing. "She just needs to stretch her muscles sometimes or they get stiff."

  Rhodes huffed under his breath. "Fine."

  I reached out and touched his arm. "I'm good, really. Thanks, Rhodey." I adopted the nickname for him after an Avengers marathon he had me sit through.

  He smirked. "Anytime, Skywalker."

  He had finally got me to watch the original three Stars Wars movies.

  Remy shook his head with another sigh. "You two are a mess."

  I tilted my head up to look at him. "But you love us."

  His eyes went soft a second before his lips descended on mine. "Yeah, I do." His arms wrapped tighter around my waist, and I snuggled back into him.

  I heard Rhodes suck in a sharp breath and my head turned in his direction. "What?"

  He didn't say anything, but I followed his gaze to where Larkin was across the town square with Konnor and Kyle, laughing about something.

  I sighed, feeling Remy's chest rise and fall as he mirrored my sigh with one of his own.

  "Rhodes-"

  I cut myself off when one of the twins pointed to something above Larkin's head, hanging from the awning of a store.

  Mistletoe.

  I winced and checked Rhodes, who looked like he was ready to grind his teeth to dust. He still hadn't talked to Larkin, and Larkin had definitely decided she was done waiting for Rhodes to wake up.

  I hadn't told Larkin about what Rhodes confessed to me. Larkin was my best friend, but Rhodes was also my friend, and I knew he wasn't ready to take that step.

  But watching one twin and then the other kiss her as several adults smiled and cheered might be the kick in the ass he needed.

  "I'm leaving," Rhodes announced quietly.

  Or maybe not.

  "Rhodes, come on, man," Remy tried.

  "Hang out with us," I added, giving him my best puppy eyes.

  Rhodes shrugged, ducking his head as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. "I just can't deal with that right now. Besides, I should check on my dad. This time of year always sucks for him."

  "You can always stay with us," Remy offered sincerely. I knew it bugged him that Rhodes was basically on his own all the time.

  "I know," Rhodes told him with a small smile. He took several steps backwards. "I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

  "Yeah," I said sadly, watching as he left. I took another sip of my drink and offered Remy some. "Do you think he'll ever tell her how he feels?"

  "I don't know," he answered, passing the drink back to me. "Rhodes is complicated. He really thinks he's doing the right thing."

  My gaze drifted to where Larkin was still joking with the twins, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling as she giggled. She looked happy.

  "Our best friends are idiots," I muttered.

  He barked out a laugh, pressing his forehead to the top of my head. "They really are."

  "Should make next semester interesting," I commented.

  "Speaking of next semester," he started slowly, "what would you think of moving into the cabin?"

  I turned in his arms, surprised. "With you?"

  He rolled his eyes. "Yes, with me."

  I gave him an incredulous look. "We can't."

  "Why can't we?" he countered.

  "Because the school had rules," I reminded him. Rules we definitely had broken, but sleeping over once or twice in the midst of trouble was one thing. Teenage shifters shacking up on school grounds was a whole different thing.

  "They do," he agreed, "but we're mates. That makes things a little different."

  I went quiet for a moment, thinking it over. Part of me was all in. I loved Remy, and I loved spending time with him.

  But part of me was a little scared. Since Thanksgiving, we had done barely more than kiss since I was recovering and now, we were trying to cram a months' work of school into two weeks. What kind of expectation
s went along with moving in?

  "Hey." His hand came up to cradle my jaw, his warm breath smelled like peppermint and chocolate as it fanned my face. "There's no wrong answer here. It's just an option we can consider. And you moving in doesn't mean you have to sleep in my room. You can have your own room."

  "What about Rhodes?" I asked. I finished my drink and tossed it in the trash can a few feet away.

  Remy shrugged. "He can stay or go to the dorms. If you're more comfortable without him there-"

  I shook my head. "No. I don't want to kick Rhodes out. He needs his friends around."

  He nodded, his expression slightly relieved. We both knew Rhodes got zero support at home, so at school Remy tried to compensate for that.

  "Can I think about it?" I gave him a small, hopeful smile.

  He grinned in response, kissing the tip of my cold nose and then my lips. He coaxed my mouth open, his tongue sliding languidly against mine. After several seconds, he lifted his head. "Of course you can."

  Smiling, I pressed my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around his narrow waist. The feel of his arms banding around me made me sigh, completely content in that moment.

  “How did I get so lucky?” I asked softly.

  “It helps that you're gorgeous,” he replied seriously.

  I jerked back to see him grinning down at me. A second later he kissed me, his touch and taste engulfing my senses.

  I pulled away with a laugh as Mallory moved to the edge of the platform. After a second of searching, her eyes found Remy and me, and she waved him over.

  "Time to go do your thing," I told him with a grin, pulling away.

  He gave me a funny look. "You're coming with me."

  I blinked. "I thought this was an Alpha family thing."

  "And you're family," he reminded me, taking my hand and pulling me to the stage with him.

  Dax and Sam were already there with their parents as we climbed up the stairs. Katy joined them a second later.

  "Everyone ready?" Gabe asked, looking over his family with bright eyes.

  Mallory slipped between Katy and me, wrapping an arm around each of us. "We're all ready."

  My heart warmed at that. Looking up, I saw Mom and Zoe come out of the café, joined by Michael. The crowd slowly quieted, drawing closer as Gabe went to the center and lifted a microphone.

  "Good evening, friends," he greeted warmly, looking out at his pack.

  Our pack.

  Mallory let me go and went to join him. I smiled when Gabe reached out and tucked her into his side as Remy did the same to me.

  "This has been a year of change for our pack, and for my family," Gabe went on, his voice rich and smooth as he spoke. "Next year will likely prove challenging, but I know that as a pack, we can face anything together."

  A cheer rose up in the crowd.

  "Happy holidays, friends. Here's to another incredible year." Gabe put the microphone back in its stand and stepped back. Mallory handed him a small box with a switch.

  Seconds later, the Christmas tree lit up in a brilliant explosion of color that had the crowd gasping and then clapping loudly.

  My eyes were riveted to the tree until I felt something cool against my throat.

  My hand flew to the base of my neck and I felt something there. I pulled it away from my chest, blinking back tears when I saw a necklace that was identical to the ones Katy and Mallory had. The moon with a diamond chip for a star nestled into the crescent.

  The Blackwater symbol.

  Remy finished closing the clasp at the nape of my neck. "I thought you needed one of these, too."

  I turned, throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you. I love it."

  His arms went around my waist, lifting my feet from the stage as fat snowflakes started falling from the night sky. "I love you."

  Moving my head back, I looked at his eyes. Those warm brown eyes that looked like melted chocolate. "I love you, too."

  The kiss he gave me had my toes curling and my mind spinning until I realized the clapping and cheering was no longer about the Christmas tree, but about us.

  With a laugh, I broke our kiss, ducking my head into his chest as the pack kept going, adding whistles and shouts to the cheers. Apparently, the pack approved.

  My pack approved.

  Epilogue

  Another female was dead.

  Sighing, the doctor removed his glasses, setting them on the workspace beside the bed. Looking over the female's body, the doctor bowed his head. This was the thirteenth dead female in a row.

  They only had a few females left, but all signs pointed to the same outcome.

  They would all die, and all of this would be for nothing.

  "Doctor?"

  Turning, the doctor saw the orderly standing in the doorway to the operating room, likely coming to dispose of the body.

  He was so tired of the bodies. Of the failures.

  "I was sent to get her," the young man stammered, looking entirely too young for the task of lifting the female into the basement incinerator. "Get the body."

  Always the body.

  He had quickly drilled into the heads of his staff that these women were not females or persons. They were subjects, vessels to be used in the name of science. It was the only way to stomach the work that needed to be done.

  It was easy to explain in theory. Infinitely harder to implement in practice.

  Stepping aside, the doctor picked up his glasses, waving the boy forward. "Go ahead. We've extracted all the samples we need from this one."

  He left the room, heading for his office a few doors down. He wasn't surprised to find the man waiting for him inside.

  He wasn't happy, but then, the benefactor was never happy.

  "Another dead?" His deep voice rang with disappointment.

  Nodding, the doctor moved to his seat. He reached for the stack of charts on the glass desk, flipping open the top one. Taking a stamp out of his desk, he slapped the 'DECEASED' mark across her image before closing the file.

  The man stood by the window, looking down at the world beneath his feet. "I expected better results."

  "Then get me better candidates!" the doctor finally snapped. The sudden surge of frustration ebbed as quickly as it rose, leaving him pale when he realized the tone he had used with the man before him.

  "You're saying I'm not providing adequate samples?" The benefactor never turned or showed his displeasure, but his tone was arctic. He rarely showed any sort of emotion aside from annoyed indifference.

  "We've exhausted every human option to solving the problem. We need to start exploring the wolf aspect," the doctor explained, his voice small and tired. "Lone wolves and unmated pack members are not giving us the results we expected. The results we need. Age may also play a part in the degradation of the cells for the procedure, but I think it's their pack connection."

  The man turned, his eyes hard. "What do you need?"

  The doctor leaned forward. "Find me younger females, preferably those who have an established mate."

  "How young? Thirties? Twenties?" The man looked intrigued by this new prospect. A new option.

  "The younger the better," the doctor sighed, rubbing his forehead. "But they need to have an established mate or potential mate. No more single, lone wolves."

  "You're asking me to have my men remove a young female ... from her mate?" The benefactor snorted at the audacity of the suggestion.

  With a sigh, the doctor rubbed his temples. "Unless you're prepared to witness the extinction of our species, yes. The time for quietly stealing inconsequential, uncommitted females is over. I understand it will bring a new level of scrutiny and outrage in the community, but we need this. We need something to turn the tide. We need a proverbial white whale."

  The benefactor smirked, looking back at the window. "I think you mean a white wolf, doctor."

  Coming Soon

  BROKEN

  Rhodes & Larkin’s novella will be available

  Octob
er 30, 2020.

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost, thank you to God from whom all things are possible. This book is literally proof of that. Thank You for gifting me with a love of words and writing, and a lifetime of hearing voices in my head with stories to be told.

  Considering I never, ever expected this book to ever see the light of day, there are a few people who made this book possible, and to who I owe all the things:

  Krista Davis - my bestie and my sister in every way but blood. Thank you for listening to me bounce ideas off of you, for reading the very beginnings of this book (and countless others), and for pushing me to be the best version of myself. I love you more than all my makeup. And glitter. And … everything. Thank you for holding my hand when I need it, kicking my butt when I need it, and always loving me.

  Jessica Baker - the smallest girl with the biggest personality and heart. Thank you for your friendship and support and for all of the horror movie recs. I am so insanely blessed to have you in my life. #HellHouse4Eva

  Valerie Fink - the woman who pushed me to follow my gut and be true to my characters. Every time I think about a scene or get stuck, I hear you reminding me to “always be true to your character.” Your feedback and support and love made this book what it is. I owe you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

  Vonetta Young - the person who has championed this book the hardest. Without you, this book would be buried in a well where not even Uncle No-Neck could pull it out. Your passion and beauty are awe-inspiring. Also, you totally owe Alyna (my girl!!!) a trip to Disney or a trip to the well. Depends on the day.

  Jen Fisher - Thank you for all the Panera dates and insanely long conversations; the brain-storming sessions and for also never making me walk home (seriously, thank you). There’s a permanent spot being held on my shelf for your book.

  Massive thanks to my family, who has dealt with all my crazy; the years of me hoarding books and daydreaming about characters that existed in my head.

  My amazing Mom and Dad, who have stood by me way more than 70x7. Thank you for always being there for me and for being such an amazing example of the very best a person can be.