Prey (Blackwater Pack Book 2)

by Hannah McBride

  “He asked me to say hello to my mom,” I reminded him. “I might have asked if he wanted me to give his wife or daughter a message.”

  He let out a breath that was half sigh, half snort. “Jesus, Skye. You’re going to be the fucking death of me.”

  “Anything else we need to know about?” Gabe asked.

  “No,” I said quietly. “You were right. Preston is here, too. He was with Linden.”

  Thankfully I had told Remy about that after we came downstairs, so he wasn’t surprised at all.

  “Saw that smug little fucker in the lobby,” Luke muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Wanted to kick his ass even before I knew his name. That kid ain’t an alpha.”

  I had to agree. Preston, for all his crazy, had never had an alpha air about him. Cassian, for all his faults and flaws, knew where to draw the line, even if it was for his own purpose. He knew how to show control when he needed to.

  An Alpha needed control, and Preston Loomis was as out of control as a person could ever get.

  “I’d be willing to bet his father has something to do with it,” I said offhandedly.

  “What do you mean?” Remy asked, looking down at me curiously.

  “Preston’s dad is Linden’s beta,” I explained, “but honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t challenge Linden for Alpha. If anyone could beat my uncle, it would be Allan. He might’ve made some kind of deal where he agreed not to challenge Linden if Preston took Cassian’s place as his successor.”

  “I could snap that kid with one hand,” Luke replied, unimpressed.

  “Feel free to,” I said quickly.

  “Tate told me some of the boys from that pack hassled you when you lived there,” Luke said slowly, his voice dark and serious.

  Everything in me wanted to deflect that comment. “Yeah.”

  “Three of ‘em, right?” Luke went on, his steel gaze unrelenting. “The one you offed, the little shit crawling around here, and another?”

  “Marc,” I whispered, wanting like hell to bury my face against Remy and go back to shoving this part of my life into an iron box I could hurl in the deepest part of the ocean.

  I twisted my hands in my lap as Remy’s hand went from absently toying with my hair to massaging my neck, the pressure of his touch firm and grounding.

  Luke nodded slowly, his expression completely unreadable. “Three boys. Girl like you must’ve loved that.”

  My head snapped up, anger and humiliation burning through me like a forest fire under the blazing summer sun.

  “What did you say?”I growled the words as my wolf stirred.

  The pressure of Remy’s fingers on my skin increased slightly, but that was the only indication he had heard, or cared, about what Luke had said.

  Luke shrugged nonchalantly. “Girls love that kinda shit, right? The attention, I mean.”

  “I never once asked for this,” I hissed, my hands curling into fists. The bite of pain from the nails digging into my palms was the only way I could keep my wolf from attacking.

  She wanted Luke’s blood for insinuating we wanted any part of what he was suggesting.

  Luke leveled me with a smirk of pure arrogance. “Do girls like you even have to ask?”

  “No,” I spat vehemently. The only thing keeping me from getting up and slapping him—Alpha or not—was Remy’s hands holding me back. “Girls don’t have to ask. Call me crazy, but I would think saying ‘no’ is a pretty fucking adequate form of refusing someone. I never, ever asked for anything except to be left alone.”

  Luke blinked slowly before looking at Gabe and then Remy. “She’s ready to give her testimony.”

  It took a second to register his words. “Wh-what?”

  Luke flashed me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. We wanted to make sure you could handle a little unfounded accusation being thrown your way without losing your cool.”

  “This was a test?” I frowned at him and then Gabe.

  “Kind of, yeah,” Gabe told me unapologetically.

  “It was my idea,” Luke threw out. “Don’t blame them. The Council won’t take it easy on you, and neither will a lot of the Alphas here. With women in short supply, they tend to think women love having multiple males sniffin’ around her.”

  I looked at Remy. “And you knew?”

  His fingertips grazed the base of my skull, his hand once again running through my hair. “Yeah.”

  “That wasn’t nice,” I muttered.

  “But you did great,” he told me sweetly, leaning over to kiss the top of my head.

  “How did the meeting with Griffin go?” I asked, needing a change of topic.

  “Good,” Remy replied with a sharp nod. “He agrees with us and even offered the support of his pack.”

  “Windale is a big get,” Luke agreed, getting to his feet. “But we still have a lot more work to do. I’m going to head back and finish unpacking. I’ll drop Tate off over here and we can head to Nero’s in a bit.”

  “Yeah,” Gabe replied, nodding as he rubbed his jaw. “See you soon.”

  Gabe stood up once Luke had left. “I’m going to unpack and maybe go for a quick run. All this travel makes me antsy.”

  I knew how he felt. I could use a run myself, but glancing at Remy, I put my wolf back on the shelf in favor of having some alone time with him.

  “Did you pick a room?” Gabe asked me as he headed for his suitcase by the door.

  “I figured you would want the one down here?” I replied with a shrug. “There’s two bedrooms upstairs, but I can do whatever.”

  “No, down here is fine,” he answered. A dimple appeared in his cheek. “You guys use those two bedrooms.”

  Remy snorted next to me, his hand dipping inside the collar of my shirt to trace the delicate bones around my neck.

  Yeah, we all knew the odds of Remy and I staying in separate rooms was about as good as my uncle deciding to abdicate his Alpha position and rescind his complaint to the Council.

  “Sounds good,” I managed with a squeak, trying to keep my cheeks from bursting into flames.

  “I’ll be back in an hour or so,” he called over his shoulder before heading through the kitchen area towards the bedroom in the back.

  “So,” Remy started, amusement lacing his words, “want to show me which bedroom is mine?”

  I slapped his rock-hard stomach. “Shut up.”

  He caught my wrist with his free hand and pulled me around for a fast kiss that quickly grew into more when he tugged me onto his lap.

  I pulled back, looking over his shoulder towards the back of the cabin. “Your dad—”

  “—is leaving,” he finished for me, his teeth playfully nipping the side of my neck. “But if you’re that worried …” He stood up fluidly, and I almost toppled to the floor before he caught me.

  I tried slapping his arm, but he caught my hand.

  “Why don’t you show me which of those two rooms is mine?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

  I dropped my head back and groaned. “Okay, I get it.”

  “Get what?” He moved around me and grabbed both of our suitcases before starting up the stairs.

  I followed him with a huff, and when he paused at the landing, I nearly ran into him.

  “So?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at me with a grin. “Which room is mine?”

  A door opened and shut downstairs, probably Gabe leaving.

  Leaving us … alone.

  Remy dropped both bags in the middle of the loft.

  “What are you—” I ended with a squeak as he picked me up in his arms high enough that I had to wrap my legs around his waist as he picked a room and walked us into it.

  “Hi,” he murmured, his breath warm against my face.

  “Hi,” I repeated, breathless and spinning as I became hyper aware of every place my body was pressed against his.

  His golden eyes glittered, playful and happy in a way I hadn’t seen in awhile. “This okay?”

  My f
ingers tangled in his hair. “Could be better,” I admitted softly. Before I could overthink it, I dipped my head and kissed him. Moving my lips against his, I teased his mouth open, sighing quietly when his tongue stroked against mine.

  “Better,” I finally managed when I pulled back for air.

  He smiled, supporting my weight with one arm, he lifted a hand to my face. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.”

  His gaze heated a second before his lips collided with mine, this time the kiss edging into desperation and frenzy.

  He let me go, and I slid down his body, shuddering when parts of me came into contact with him. Both of his hands came up to hold my jaw, angling my head where he wanted for the best access. His tongue stroked, licked, and teased me until I was gasping, arching into him.

  One hand fell away from my face, the back of his hand brushing the tip of my breast before landing on my hip. His fingers curled around my hip, tugging me closer as he took possession of the kiss.

  As he took possession of me.

  My hands slipped over his shoulders, pushing away the flannel shirt. He let me go to rip the shirt off and drop it before his hands found my body once more, magnets being drawn to the opposite.

  I traced the feel of his muscles over his shirt. The dips and ridges, the hard planes and chiseled ridges of his shoulders. Sliding my hands down the front of his t-shirt, I slipped my fingers under the hem, my nails scraping against his skin.

  He groaned into my mouth, his body shuddered as he leaned into my touch.

  The realization that he was turned on by what I was doing was a whole new kind of headiness.

  With a growl, he reached between us for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. He reached for me immediately, but my brain was still short circuiting from the amount of skin I could now touch and taste.

  Damn, my boy was gorgeous.

  He moved us back a few steps until I felt the edge of the bed at the back of my thighs. With a soft push, I fell away from him and onto the mattress.

  He nudged my thighs open, standing above me, his dark eyes consuming and almost feral as he licked his lips.

  From this angle I could see the sharp cut lines of his Adonis belt, the way each ab rippled and moved under his skin, the way his chest heaved as he tried to steady himself.

  Fire licked through my blood as arousal and want and need swept through me in a dizzying torrent.

  “Still good?” He arched a brow.

  I gave him a pointed look, hooking a foot behind his leg with a grin. “Still could be better.”

  Laughter danced in his eyes as he leaned down over me, bracing a hand on either side of me before slowly lowering his head and giving me a small kiss. His lips moved from my mouth across my jaw and down my throat, his mouth and teeth suckling and nipping alternately, his tongue dragging across the spot where my pulse raced.

  He slid a hand down my side, his fingers toying with the bottom of my shirt. They barely dipped inside, stroking the soft skin of my stomach and then tracing the waistband of my jeans before going back to skin. Each pass, he dragged his fingers higher; his fingertips teased my navel, feathered across my ribcage, and when they traced the underside of my bra, I lifted myself up enough to tug my shirt over my head.

  An uneasy wave of vulnerability threatened to unmoor me when I laid back against the bed, now with just the pink lacy bra covering the top half of me. This was barely charted territory for me, and having his intense stare focused solely on me was enough to cause butterflies.

  I forced myself to look at Remy, and any nerves I felt vanished like smoke in the wind.

  His gaze was a beautiful mix of awe and hunger as he looked at me. The hand that had been mapping my torso moved to trace the edge of my bra. His large, calloused finger looked strangely erotic as it was dragged against the lacy edges of my underwear.

  After a second of exploring, he covered one breast with his whole hand.

  The shock of it left me reeling, and I gasped so hard I worried I sucked up all the air in the room.

  His eyes immediately went to mine. “Still good?” His voice was thick and low. Something in his tone called to me, pulled me in for more.

  I arched into him. “More.”

  The corners of his mouth tilted as he added pressure, massaging and tormenting my breast in his hand.

  It still wasn’t enough. The slight amount of friction was driving me crazy.

  “Remy.” His name fell from my lips in a pleading prayer. It was the only word I could manage, unsure I could actually say what I wanted.

  But I didn’t need to.

  Remy’s hand slid behind my back, easily unhooking my bra with ease. The cups sagged against me, and neither of us moved for a second.

  I waited for him to rip the garment away, but he didn’t. His hand moved back to the bed and he … waited for me.

  Remy would give me whatever I wanted, but I had to meet him halfway.

  Taking a deep breath, I pulled the bra away, baring myself to him.

  His eyes glittered with pride as he gazed at me. “You’re gorgeous,” he said reverently, laying a hand flat between my breasts.

  I couldn’t help the smugness in my smile as I looked at him. “And you’re taking too long.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m savoring the moment.”

  I barely had time to register his head lowering before he sucked one nipple into his greedy mouth in a long pull that woke up every nerve ending in me, zipping a sharp line down to my core. With a throaty moan, I arched my back, practically offering myself to him as I tangled my hand in his hair.

  His hand slid up my ribcage to my other breast, taunting and teasing the nipple into a tight peak before he pinched it lightly.

  My entire body shuddered at the delicious sensation.

  He alternated his hand and mouth between both peaks, taking his time exploring the valley between them with each pass until I was a shaking, writhing mess under him. My hips jerked, searching for something just out of reach.

  “Remy.” His name came out half-groan, half-whimper as his teeth scraped across a nipple. My hips jerked again, one of my hands still twisted in his hair and the other gouging marks into his back as my nails scoured over the flesh.

  His hand abandoned my breast, blazing a winding path down, down, down.

  He hesitated when he reached the waistband of my jeans. With an audible pop, he released my nipple from his mouth and looked in my eyes.

  Slowly, he undid the button of my jeans.

  I swallowed hard, my throat impossibly dry. My gaze flickered down my body to where he was starting to slide the zipper open.

  “Still with me?” he whispered.

  I nodded slowly, not sure if I could find the words.

  “Hey.”

  He waited until my eyes were on his again. “We can stop—”

  “Don’t you dare!” The words flew out of my mouth before I could censor them or come up with something that sounded remotely sexy.

  No, I sounded like a desperate, crazy person.

  With a chuckle, Remy nodded. “Got it.” He kissed me again, his mouth gentle and soft against mine as he eased his large hand into the opening of my jeans. “I’ve got you.”

  The first whisper of his hand feathering across my center felt like a dream. I wasn’t even sure it was real.

  The next touch had more pressure, a single finger being swept insistently against me through the rough lace of my panties.

  The pressure that had been building inside of me ramped up all over. I loved what he was doing, but it wasn’t enough.

  “More,” I begged before I could stop myself.

  Smiling to himself, Remy kissed me again. His mouth coaxed mine open as he slid his hand down the inside of my underwear.

  With a sharp gasp, I rocked my hips into his touch. The feel of his skin touching mine was incredible and unsa
tisfying at the same time.

  His tongue came out to lick against mine as he slid a finger inside of me, the heel of his hand pressed down on the bundle of nerves at my center that made my entire body jerk like I had been electrocuted.

  With a gasp, I pulled my mouth from his, rolling my hips to meet the shallow thrust of his finger inside me. The heel of his hand ground against my clit, and I saw stars. Actual stars bursting behind my lids as I squeezed them shut.

  He added a second finger, stretching me as pleasure arced through me.

  My hand latched onto his wrist, but I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t know if I wanted him to go faster or stop or slow down. Maybe all three at the same time.

  He kept moving in me, against me, with me until finally he curled his fingers inside of me while pressing the base of his palm against my clit, and I detonated.

  With a sharp cry, I came, the pleasure so strong it bordered on painful. My core clamped down on his fingers, using his hand to ride out the aftershocks of my orgasm.

  Panting, I tried to bring myself back to the present, but my mind and body were on another plane of existence altogether.

  I was vaguely aware that Remy had pulled his hand away, but when he grinned down at me a second before licking his fingers clean, my eyes went huge at the blatantly erotic sight.

  “You taste fucking amazing,” he told me, his eyes dark with want.

  I wasn’t sure if I should be embarrassed or turned on until he kissed me again. His hand wrapped around my hip possessively, pulling me against the hard bulge in his jeans.

  I wanted more.

  I needed more.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him with everything I had. He lifted off of me, stepping back as his hands went to the button on his jeans.

  Finally.

  Everything in me was ready for this. I lifted myself up onto my elbows to watch him undo the button and reach for the zipper.

  But he hesitated, his eyes going to the end table beside me.

  I turned and looked.

  Shit.

  Over an hour had passed since Gabe left.

  I sighed, flopping back on the bed. “Your meeting.”

  Remy gave me a wry smile. “To be continued?” He glanced around the room. “I should probably take a shower.”

  I bit my lower lip. Indecision warred in me for an eternity of seconds.