Prey (Blackwater Pack Book 2)

by Hannah McBride

  “I need to get out there,” I said as Vincent moved on to the next order of business.

  Daniel nodded, getting up behind me. I grabbed the small purse Tate had left in her seat and stood. We moved silently through the rows of people until we made it to the back doors.

  “This way,” Daniel said, jerking his head to the side.

  We hurried out the side door to see Dante shove Nero to the ground as Tate kept walking away between Grant and Karen, Linden and Damien walking slower behind them towards the opposite side of the resort our cabins were.

  “Get off me!” he roared, moving to charge through the line of Alphas. “Tate!”

  Tate hesitated, yards away, and turned. Damien reached out and grabbed her wrist to physically pull her along. Tate tried jerking out of his hold, but Damien held fast.

  Which made Dante even crazier.

  “Shit,” Daniel muttered, jogging away from me to help Remy and Gabe hold Dante back.

  I glanced down at the purse in my hand.

  “Wait!” I yelled, taking off for Tate and the others.

  “Skye!”

  Remy’s sharp voice stopped me. I turned and looked at him, begging him to trust me.

  “Give me a sec,” I said softly.

  He winced as Dante tried to jerk away before giving me a short nod.

  I had to run to catch up to Tate and the others.

  “You left this,” I said when I caught up, thrusting the purse at Tate.

  Her hazel eyes were glazed with tears as she took the purse. “Skye—”

  “We need to go,” Damien said. I followed the line of his arm down to where his fist was curled around Tate’s wrist. That was going to bruise.

  “Give my niece a moment,” Linden ordered quietly.

  Damien glared at him, but didn’t stop me from moving closer.

  “Stop him before he gets arrested, too,” Tate pleaded, her voice breaking. “I’m fine. I’ll be okay until this gets sorted out.”

  “We’ll keep Dante with us,” I promised, reaching out to hug Tate.

  Damien jerked her away from me at the last second.

  Tate hissed a sharp breath, flinching at the sudden pain. Her parents didn’t seem to give a single shit that their daughter was being manhandled. If anything, they looked completely disinterested in what was happening.

  “If you wish to visit Tate, you can,” Linden told me, his voice smooth and cold as ice. “Of course you will have to come to our cabins to do so. And you’ll need to do so alone.”

  “No,” Tate argued, but she broke off, nearly going to her knees as Damien tightened his already brutal hold.

  “Don’t hurt her,” I snapped, barely restraining my wolf.

  Damien smiled coldly, and it was easy to see where Trace got his cruelty from. His grip tightened once more in defiance of my order, and Tate let out a soft whimper that made my chest ache.

  “I’m taking my new charge to our cabin,” he announced. “Trace is looking forward to meeting his new packmate.”

  “I told you,” Linden said, grinning, as he walked backwards away from me, “you have no idea what the rules of this game are, sweetheart. If you want to see your friend, you’re welcome at our cabins any time, as long as you come alone.”

  41

  Dante nearly ripped the front door off its hinges as he was forced inside. I was the last one in and closed the door behind us. I leaned against it, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened and stay out of the way.

  “Calm down!” Gabe ordered, shoving Dante into a chair.

  The chair rocked back, and I thought it would topple over, before Dante swung forward, planting his feet on the ground as he started to get back up.

  “Listen to him, man,” Nero urged, clapping a hand on Dante’s shoulder. Daniel and Griffin hovered behind him, ready to jump in again if Dante made a break for it.

  Remy stood in front of him. “This isn’t helping Tate or Luke. Get yourself together so we can make a plan.”

  I hovered by the door, not sure if I should say anything. Then again, I was with Dante; I wanted Tate away from those people now.

  “Would you be so fucking calm if Skye was there?” Dante seethed through clenched teeth. “You saw a fucking memory and took off ready to kill someone. Imagine seeing her hauled out of a room by her uncle.”

  Remy sighed and shook his head. “I would probably do the same thing you are, but you would stop me from making a mistake the same way you stopped me in the woods. You need to be smart about this.”

  I stepped up beside Remy, lightly touching the inside of his wrist as I spoke to Dante. “She said to tell you she’s fine. She’s okay while you get things sorted out. So, let’s sort it out.”

  He bowed his head and released a long breath. Jaw tight, he gave a short nod.

  “You said there were witnesses who were part of the group that rescued Tate, right?” Griffin asked Gabe.

  “Yeah.” Gabe nodded.

  “We need to call them. Hell, I’ll send my plane to get them here if we need to,” Griffin replied.

  “You good if we go make some arrangements?” Gabe stared hard at Dante.

  Dante nodded, jaw clenched.

  Gabe headed to the back of the house with Nero and Griffin.

  “Did she say anything else?” Dante asked, the pain in his eyes almost too much to bear. This was wrecking him.

  I slowly sat down on the coffee table across from him. “No, but …” I sighed. “There might be a way to get in to see her.”

  “How?” Dante leaned forward.

  I kept my gaze on Dante, and definitely not on Remy, as I spoke. “My uncle said I could come visit her.”

  “Absolutely not,” Remy snapped, his hand landing on my shoulder.

  Daniel frowned behind Dante. “That seems like a monumentally bad idea.”

  I turned and looked up at Remy. “Tate’s on her own. I can go to her—”

  “Not fucking happening,” he cut me off, eyes flashing dangerously.

  Dante heaved out a long sigh. “He’s right, Skye. Sending you into the lion’s den to join Tate is a bad plan.”

  “We can’t leave her there alone,” I said softly, knowing in my heart it was the right call. “Besides, I’m only going on the other side of the lake where their cabins are, not another state.”

  Remy’s jaw clenched. “Can I talk to you? Outside?”

  “Remy—”

  “Now, Skye,” he bit off, turning and stalking towards the front door and throwing it open.

  I winced as the door slammed against the wall, and wondered if Gabe would be billed for a new door before the day was done.

  “Think he’s mad?” Daniel asked, rubbing his jaw with a sigh. “He’s probably mad.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Shut up.”

  “Whatever,” Daniel muttered. “I’m assuming the wet bar isn’t for show? I need a drink. Hell, you definitely need a drink, man,” he said to Dante as he walked by.

  I left Daniel to pour himself and Dante something alcoholic while I followed Remy outside and closed the door gently.

  His back was to me as I stepped off the small front porch and into the blinding sunlight. “Okay, hear me out.”

  He turned, his expression arctic as he watched me.

  I exhaled and pressed my lips together. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” he replied, ice dripping from his words.

  “Like I’m crazy,” I replied helplessly, spreading my arms wide.

  His eyes narrowed. “Except that I’m sort of wondering if you are crazy. Because it’s really crazy for you to willingly want to go to your uncle’s cabin, the same place the guy who attacked you a couple of nights ago is.”

  “Okay, first, it’s the Norwood cabin,” I started.

  Remy nodded. “Got it. So, the place of the guy who sexually assaulted Larkin and broke Katy’s leg a few months ago before arranging to help have you kidnapped. That sounds so much better.”
/>   My jaw dropped open. “Tate’s alone, Remy. I can’t just leave her there by herself!”

  “And I can’t just let you walk over there,” he roared, his anger finally boiling over.

  “Let me?” I echoed. “I’m sorry, but since when do you ‘let me’ do anything?”

  He winced, his features tightening. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “It’s what you said,” I retorted.

  “Are we really having an argument about this right now?” he demanded. “Luke has been taken into custody, Tate has just been taken, and Dante is about to go off the rails.”

  I stepped forward, grabbing his hand. “I can’t do anything about Luke, but I might be able to help Tate and Dante. Tate needs to know she isn’t alone, Rem.”

  His fingers curled around mine, but he didn’t reply.

  “If the situation were reversed,” I said softly, “and Tate could see me, wouldn’t you want her to?”

  “I would never ask her to do that,” he said stubbornly.

  God, I loved him. I loved how he wanted to protect me from everything, but right now I needed him to trust me.

  “She didn’t ask. I’m offering.”

  He opened his mouth, but I placed my fingers on his lips.

  “I won’t do it unless you’re okay with it,” I promised, meaning it. As much as I wanted to help Tate, I wouldn’t do it at Remy’s expense. The last thing anyone needed was Remy losing it the way Dante was.

  “I’m not okay with it,” he replied with a low growl. His hand reached up and toyed with the end of my braid before wrapping it in his fist. He angled my head to the side and gently pressed his lips over the claiming mark.

  “I don’t trust Norwood or your uncle,” he muttered, relaxing his hold on my hair.

  I slid my arms around his waist. “I know. But I need you to trust me. Linden said I could come and visit her. It sounded like an invitation.”

  “It sounds like a trap,” he replied, shaking his head.

  I leaned my forehead against the center of his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart beating. “Tate’s alone in a house with Damien, Trace, and two people who tried to sell her as a little kid. I can’t just let her sit in there by herself, Remy.”

  “Would it kill you to be a little more selfish?” he grumbled.

  I hid a smile against him, letting the feel of his chest rise and fall with every breath sink into my bones.

  “Sorry,” I said softly. I lifted my eyes to look up at him with a sad smile. “I’m sure you never planned on getting a mess like me as your mate.”

  His knuckles brushed across my jaw. “No,” he admitted. “I always hoped I would find a mate one day. I wanted what my parents have. I grew up watching them, and wanting that. I wanted someone to share my life with.”

  A rueful smile spread across my mouth as my heart kicked in my chest. “Instead you got me.”

  “You’re definitely not what I expected,” he replied, his eyes soft as he watched me. “You’re better.”

  I couldn’t help the snort that escaped me. “I’m a mess. A total, complete mess that has complicated your life since I walked into it.”

  “You’re worth every complication.”

  I dropped my gaze, the chaos and pain of the day settled around my shoulders like a heavy blanket. “Everything is a fight for us, Remy. Nothing is ever just easy. It’s exhausting.”

  He dragged a finger under my chin, lifting my eyes until I was staring into his. My breath caught at the wonder and love reflected there.

  “Anything worth everything requires a fight.”

  “So, I’m worth the fight?” Some stupid part of me needed to hear him say it.

  His hand cradled my jaw, infinitely gentle. “You’re worth a million wars. I’ll fight for you every day for the rest of our lives.”

  His mouth lowered to mine, coaxing my lips open so his tongue could slide against mine slowly, languidly. He took his time, exploring gently but fiercely, letting me know in every way I was his, and I was worth it.

  He licked his lips when he lifted his head. “I really don’t like this, but okay. Go see Tate.”

  My heart soared. “I’ll be careful, I swear.”

  “I know,” he replied, resting his forehead against mine. “Two conditions, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “One, you keep your phone on you the whole time,” he said. “I want you to call me right before you go inside. Put your phone in your pocket, keep it on speaker phone. Lower the volume so they can’t hear, but I need to know if you’re in trouble.”

  I actually kind of liked the idea. It was reassuring that Remy would know if things went sideways.

  “Two, you can’t go alone.”

  I pulled back, shaking my head. “I can’t. Linden said to come alone.”

  “Take Daniel,” he said. “He’s technically neutral in this.”

  “Daniel pulled Preston off of me at the club,” I reminded him.

  “But he’s Elias’s mentee,” Remy countered. “He may not be able to go inside, but they’ll let him closer than they would me or Dad or anyone in our alliance. Or we can see if Elias will go with you, but I feel like Daniel would stand a better chance at helping you if you need it.”

  “You trust him?”

  Remy nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think so. As much as I can, anyway. He’s better than no back up at all.”

  “A ringing endorsement,” I deadpanned, smirking.

  “I’m working with what I’ve got.” Remy shrugged with a humorless laugh. “And since what I’ve got is a mate that seems to love throwing herself into dangerous situations, I’m doing the best I can.”

  “I don’t love it,” I sighed. “I just can’t sit here and do nothing.”

  “I know,” he replied, pulling me against his chest. “It’s why I love you so damn much.”

  “So, how’d you do it?” Daniel asked when we were halfway around the lake.

  “Do what?” I frowned at him, my fingers curled tightly around the metal and glass of my cell phone. I would call Remy, as planned, when we rounded the next corner.

  “Convince Remy to let you go on this one-woman, suicide mission?”

  “It’s not a suicide mission,” I replied archly.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong,” he started, “but you came to the Summit to get away from your uncle? A man who, as far as I can tell, is psychotic with a side of sadistic?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay,” he drawled, “and now we’re walking up to his front door, asking to be invited inside.”

  “We’re not going to his front door,” I muttered. “We’re going to the Norwood cabin.”

  I looked ahead, narrowing my eyes at the mentioned cabin, if you could call it that.

  The Norwood cabin was easily the largest cabin around the lake. It had a private dock to access the giant lake in the center of the property. It made all the other cabins look rustic and tiny in comparison.

  I wasn’t sure how Trace’s father had managed to secure the biggest place at the Summit, but it was clearly some kind of statement to the other Alphas.

  “So, we aren’t going to see the Devil, just his second-in-command,” Daniel said under his breath. “That sounds better.”

  “You sound like Remy.”

  “Then maybe you should listen to us,” he retorted sharply. “This is a bad idea. Trust me. I’ve been part of a lot of bad ideas, and even I wouldn’t do something this stupid.”

  “She’s my friend,” I said evenly. “I won’t leave her alone.”

  “Your loyalty is cute,” he replied offhandedly. “I’ll make sure to mention it during the eulogy I give.”

  I jerked to a stop. “You can leave if you’re so against this. I’ll do it myself.”

  Daniel's pale green eyes narrowed. “And have your boyfriend—sorry, your mate—rip me apart? No, thanks. I’m too pretty to be ripped to pieces.”

  Sighing, I unlocked my phone and called Remy. He answered on the
first ring.

  “Be safe,” he ordered by way of greeting.

  “I will,” I promised. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he replied. “If you’re not back here in an hour, I’m coming after you. If the call ends, I’m coming after you. If you get into trouble—”

  “—you’ll come after me,” I finished with a smile.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I know,” I said, biting my lip. It definitely didn’t suck to be the center of someone’s world. To be loved so completely and wholly.

  “I’ll talk to you as soon as I’m done,” I said, switching the phone to speaker mode and turning the volume all the way down before sliding the phone into my back pocket.

  Daniel and I started walking again, no talking this time until we rounded the last part of the lake, the Norwood house looming several yards ahead, set on a hill that overlooked the entire lake. It was bracketed by two smaller cabins on either side, and I had a feeling my uncle was lurking in one of them.

  “Are you ready for this?” Daniel asked, taking a deep breath.

  No.

  “Yeah,” I said, starting forward.

  42

  I’m not sure what I expected when I walked up the steep stairs to the front door of the Norwood house, but it wasn’t Trace leaning against the railing with a cigarette.

  My nose wrinkled at the acrid scent of burning tobacco, and I wondered when he had picked up a smoking habit.

  “Come to see my new packmate?” he asked, leaning his head back and blowing a ring of smoke into the air.

  I squared my shoulders, refusing to show a single chink in my armor. “I’m here to see Tate. My uncle said—”

  “I know what he said,” Trace said coolly, his gaze disdainfully assessing me. “Gotta admit, I’m surprised you showed up here. Maybe even a little impressed.”

  His gaze slid past me to Daniel, who hovered at the base of the stairs. Trace scowled. “Pretty sure your instructions were to come alone. Who the hell are you?”

  “Just walking a friend over to her own version of hell,” Daniel finished with a mocking smile. “Besides, Elias wanted me to ask your dad a few things.”