Monday had been when the weird started. The only thing people were more fascinated by than Trace's sudden bruises was the fact that Remy and I were clearly together.
Sometimes it felt like everything was the same, but then I realized that everything was different now.
When I arrived at breakfast Monday morning, I took the seat next to Remy without thinking. I usually sat across from Rhodes, who usually sat next to Remy.
My butt hit the seat, and Remy hooked a hand around one of the legs of the chair, pulling me close enough for our bodies to touch. He never stopped his conversation with Dante as he did it.
When I stood up to get something and had to walk around him, my hand naturally ran across his broad shoulders as I went.
We were constantly finding small ways to touch each other, but by last period I was tired of the curious looks and whispers we were getting. Remy had pulled our desks closer together in the back row, and I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder to wait for class to start.
Which was, of course, when Andy walked in the room.
He tripped on a backpack in the aisle when he saw me, and the hurt look he flashed my direction made me wince. I definitely owed him an apology and an explanation, but he came into the room seconds before class started and bolted for the door immediately after. Remy tried offering to talk to him for me, but I knew it was something I had to do.
Except Andy was really fast and had managed to avoid me all week.
By the time Friday afternoon came, I was restless and ready for the pack run later that night. I had wondered throughout the week if my wolf would get performance anxiety in front of the whole pack, but thankfully that didn’t seem to be the case.
I didn't bother going to my dorm after our last class ended. Instead I went with Remy to the cabin, going immediately to the fridge and pulling things out for us to snack on before the rest of the pack arrived.
As I reached for the cups in the cabinet, I realized how at home I had become in his space. Warmth spread in my chest as I paused.
"What are you thinking?" Remy asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He pulled my back against his chest, nipping at my neck.
I shivered in his arms, forgetting why I was standing in front of the cups.
Hell, if his teeth scraped that spot again, I probably wouldn't remember what a cup even was.
"I was thinking about how easy it is to be here," I admitted, giggling when his lips brushed a sensitive spot on my throat he liked to tickle. I reached a hand up behind me, my fingers tangling in his hair.
I felt his lips curved into a smile against my flesh. "Easy, huh?"
One of his hands slipped under the hem of my shirt, his fingers slowly grazing the skin he found there. I shivered once more, my hips canting back to press against him.
He groaned softly, his other hand stealing under my shirt and tracing the line where my jeans met my waist. His lips never stopped moving across my neck, feathering across the curve of my ear and towards my jaw.
A steady throb I was becoming familiar with started pulsing between my legs, and I fought the urge to clamp my thighs together to relieve the insistent pressure.
Remy and I hadn't done anything more than kiss, really, but every time we did, it seemed to edge a little closer to something more.
I was definitely ready for that elusive more he promised, even if the idea of it was slightly terrifying. My sexual experience was limited to what I had read in books and what I had witnessed or endured in my last pack.
It was a little embarrassing to admit how completely unsure I was about the physical aspect of our relationship. I knew what went where, but only clinically.
The fact that Remy seemed infinitely patient and content to let me set the pace eased a lot of my fear, but I was starting to get a little frustrated by the lack of progression despite my trepidation.
I squirmed against him, my ass rubbing against him and taking note I wasn't the only one affected by what he was doing.
Instead of the flash of pure fear I was used to when it came to teenage males and arousal, I was curious, and it was a curiosity that was becoming more and more insistent.
His hips rocked into me slowly.
Speaking of insistent.
With an audible sigh, Remy put some distance between us. He let out a frustrated growl that I damn near mimicked.
"The pack will be here any minute," he muttered, moving away from me.
I caught him adjusting his jeans with a grimace and tried not to smile. I turned away and pulled the cups from the cabinet before shutting the open door.
Clearing my throat, I tried to cool my body down. "What are we going to tell them?"
He frowned, leaning a hip against the counter and studying me. "The truth. We'll leave out the part about Larkin and why it happened, but they need to know about us bonding."
My shoulders slumped. "I know. I'm just already bracing for the questions and the staring. It's going to be awkward."
Remy snorted. "It would be more awkward if I attacked one of the males for sniffing around you once we shifted."
My eyes went wide, jaw dropping like it was on a hinge. "You wouldn't."
His eyes turned to liquid heat as he stalked closed to me, his long legs eating up the few feet of distance between us in seconds. He braced his hands on either side of me on the counter, caging me in.
"I would. I get jealous anytime any guy checks you out at school. But in wolf form? There's no way my wolf would let another male near you. Period." His gaze flicked to my mouth before coming back to my eyes.
I tried not to smile but failed miserably. "You realize if someone outside of the shifter world heard you talking, you'd probably be arrested, right? Crazed, possessive alpha male?"
He rolled his eyes but hooked a finger in one of my belt-loops, pulling me to him. "I don't care. No one touches you without permission."
Something about that rankled. "Without your permission?"
"Without yours," he corrected firmly. "I don't own you, Skye. Despite what my wolf thinks, you get to make your own choices." His lips curled into a smirk. "But that doesn't mean I can't kick someone's ass who touches you if you don't want them to."
I burst out laughing and threw my arms around his neck. "My hero."
His expression sobered. "You don't need a hero, Skye. You're the strongest person I've ever met. The things you survived ... You went through hell, and you're still standing. You didn't let your old pack break you. I've watched the way you are with Larkin and even Katy. The way you protect them."
I dropped my gaze, blushing under his praise and scrutiny. "I'm just me."
With a sigh, he hugged me to his chest. "One of these days, I'm going to make you see just how extraordinary you are, Skye Parker."
I stiffened then, the false name I had adopted a lie between us.
"Markham," I corrected quietly.
Remy pulled back, but still kept his arms around me as he looked down. "What?"
I cleared my throat, meeting his gaze. "My last name. It's not Parker. It's Markham. Your dad suggested we use a different last name in case my uncle was trying to find us."
Understanding cleared his eyes. "Linden Markham is your uncle? You came from the Long Mesa pack?"
I nodded slowly. It wasn't a surprise that he had heard of the Markham name. We were one of the most notorious packs in the south and that was before what happened with my mom. Of course, Remy would have heard of us.
Remy pressed his lips together. "That explains a lot."
"It does?"
"The Long Mesa pack has a bit of a reputation," he admitted ruefully. "I've seen your grandfather and your uncle at the Summit meetings. They're pretty vocal about packs adopting their way of life."
I laughed bitterly. "Of course they are."
"I always thought they were assholes," he went on mildly, "and now I know I was right."
"My grandfather's dead now," I reminded him, knowing he
would have heard about the death of an Alpha.
"Can't say that makes me sad to hear." A muscle ticked in his jaw. "As far as everyone here is concerned, you're still Skye Parker. If my dad thinks it's safer, then that's what we'll do. I'm not risking your safety, or your Mom’s."
I reached up, cradling his jaw in my hand. "Every time I tell you something about my past, you surprise the hell out of me, Remy Holt. What will it take for me to make you run?"
I hadn't meant to actually voice that question out loud, but I couldn't take it back now.
His eyes cut to mine seriously. "Dressing up like a clown."
It took a second for his comment to register. A stunned giggle escaped me. "What?"
"If you dress up like a clown, I'm out," he said firmly.
I pulled away, bending at the waist as laughter ripped through me. "Are you serious?"
“Hundred percent,” he answered. “You show up with a big red nose, giant ass shoes, and some freaky ass giant smile, and I’m reevaluating this whole bond.”
My sides ached. “You’re afraid of clowns? The big, bad alpha is afraid of something that entertains children?” I giggled so hard I snorted, which sent me into a new wave of laughter.
"Coulrophobia is a clinically diagnosable condition," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
I slid to my knees, my hands slapping against the floor as I collapsed into a fit of giggles. "Does Katy know?" I wheezed out.
His eyes narrowed. "No. And you better not tell her."
I was still dying of laughter when the front door opened and Rhodes came in. He paused in the doorway, his eyes flying to Remy.
"Dude, what the hell is with your girl?"
Remy shrugged innocently, barely sparing me a glance. "No clue. Might need to get her checked out."
That only made me laugh harder, tears streaming down my face.
Rhodes looked at us like we were crazy. "Well, get it together. The pack is coming down the path now. I ran ahead to make sure you two were decent." He gave Remy a pointed look. "FYI, bro? It's not a good sign when a girl laughs like that when you're having alone time.”
Remy flipped up his middle finger while using the other hand to help pull me into a semi-standing position.
"Are you done?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
I slapped a hand over my mouth, still giggling even as I noticed pack members starting to come in through the open front door. My sides hurt from laughing.
"It's not that funny," he grumbled with a small smile, turning to go to his pack as they started finding seats. I was still grinning when Katy and Larkin came in, both of them shooting me questioning looks that only made me want to laugh again.
I snagged an apple from the snacks I had pulled out of the fridge and headed for the living room. I moved to sit with Larkin and Katy, but Remy's hand caught my wrist. He gave a subtle nod to the empty armchair directly to his left. Rhodes sat in the one to his right already.
It wasn't butterflies in my stomach, but a flock of birds that took flight. I sank into the chair, waiting until everyone came in. Sierra and Ainsley were the last ones in and kept to the back, looks of complete boredom on their faces.
"Thanks for showing up on time," Remy started, grinning at his pack. "I'll keep this short since I know we're all anxious to get out and run."
A chorus of agreement met his statement and I smiled, looking at the excited faces of my pack mates.
Remy rubbed the back of his neck, glancing back at me for a second. I stiffened, knowing now was the time.
"This is a little ... strange," he began, clearing his throat. The room fell completely silent, everyone's attention on him. "Something happened last week. Most of you know Skye and I are dating-"
One of the wolves gave a sharp whistle of approval that made me blush and had everyone laughing.
Remy gave him a reproachful look, but there was no heat behind the warning. "Thank you, Will. What you don't know is that when Skye and I were out on a run last weekend … our wolves bonded."
Gasps rose up in the room. There was no need to explain the type of bond he was talking about. There was only one that would warrant this kind of announcement.
"That's impossible," Sierra hissed, her expression livid as she glared at me.
I met her glare, matching it with my own. "I can assure you, it's not. Remy and I are bonded."
"It’s true," Rhodes spoke up, his tone firm. Looking at him, I could see the reason he was Remy's beta. He was calm and cool, unfazed. "Once we all shift, you'll notice the way their scents are different. Mixed."
"But that never happens to people this young," another wolf chimed in, his blue eyes big.
"We know," Remy agreed. “It’s not the norm.”
"So, are you guys, like, engaged?" A younger female asked from the back. She was sitting with two other girls, all of them fourteen or thirteen and part of the freshman class. All three of them looked completely enthralled. I could practically see the hearts and stars in their eyes.
I tried to keep my features neutral even though I wanted to roll my eyes.
Remy laughed. "No. We're still getting to know each other. But we knew that you all needed to be aware before we went out on the run."
"Stay away from Skye," Will piped up, holding up his hands. "Message received."
"Exactly." Remy was smiling, but there was an underlying steel to his tone.
Now I did roll my eyes, catching Rhodes winking at me with a one-shouldered shrug.
"Any other pack business?" Remy asked.
Sierra lifted a hand. "I don't see why we need to be part of Blackwater pack runs when we're planning to leave this pack." She spat the last two words.
My wolf rankled in my chest, growling at the insult to our pack. I rubbed my sternum absently, trying to calm her down.
Remy's expression was unreadable as he stared at her. "You're right, Sierra."
I caught Katy's surprised look out of the corner of my eye, but I was still watching Remy.
"If you don't want to be part of this pack, then you absolutely shouldn't be here." His tone was cold, hard. "Feel free to leave."
With a smug look, Sierra started for the door. She paused when she noticed Ainsley wasn't with her. "Ainsley!" she snapped.
Ainsley sighed and took a step backwards, shaking her head. "I'm not ready to say I'm leaving my pack."
"Fucking bitch," Sierra snarled, whirling and storming out the door. She slammed it loudly behind her.
Remy raised both brows. "Let's go, guys."
He led us outside, the males heading around one side of the house and the females the other. We would all strip and get dressed separately.
There were only eight females in the Blackwater pack that attended Granite Peak. Larkin, Katy, and myself, the three younger girls, and Sierra and Ainsley.
Well, now seven since Sierra was denouncing the pack.
The younger girls scurried over to a dark corner, whispering as they started taking off their clothes.
Katy gave me a knowing look. "Was that as bad as you thought?"
I shook my head, pulling off the flannel shirt I had over my t-shirt and folding it up. There were benches with cubbies under the seats for us to stash our clothes in. I sat on the bench and started pulling off my shoes.
"It wasn't that bad," I admitted. Larkin sat beside me, taking off her boots.
Ainsley stood off to the side, painfully on her own and looking a little lost.
Unashamed, Katy pulled off her shirt in front of all of us before shimmying out of her jeans.
"So, you and Remy are really true mates?" one of the younger girls called over in the dark.
I really needed to try to remember their names.
"Yes, Lea," Katy called over, exasperated. She gave me an annoyed look.
Someone - presumably Lea - giggled. "That's so romantic."
I raised my brows. Romance wasn't the emotion I was feeling that night.
I finished stripping and stood u
p, rolling my shoulders and neck to loosen my muscles. Closing my eyes, I stepped aside and let my wolf take over.
The snapping of bones took less and less time each time I did it. A second later, I stood with the other girls, a couple feet shorter than them. My wolf eyes picked up everything in the darkness.
A scent carried over on the breeze and I whined, pawing impatiently at the ground.
Remy.
I knew the smell of my mate. The fact that he was so close and I was still here was annoying both my wolf and I.
"Easy, girl," Katy teased, taking off her last layer and shifting herself. A minute later, all of the girls had shifted and were following me to the back of the cabin.
I broke into a loping run when I saw Remy standing with the rest of the pack at the edge of the property. I all but crashed into him, nuzzling his side as he playfully nipped at my mouth.
There you are.
My head jerked back as I heard his voice in my head. I blinked, but he sat down as he looked at me inquisitively. I was going crazy.
You're not crazy. He huffed out an annoyed breath.
The bond. Zoe had mentioned some sort of telepathy came with it. The first night I had heard him in my head, but it was only for a second and I had a million things going through my mind so I hadn’t thought about it.
We'll get used to it.
I backed up a few steps, suddenly nervous that he could read my mind. My wolf, however, was pissed that I was letting things like human embarrassment keep her away from her mate. I could feel her tugging at my mind, pushing me to let her take over.
With a huff, I surrendered control to her.
Satisfied, she took us back to Remy's side, nudging him.
With a deep bark, Remy took off into the woods, the rest of us chasing after him. A chorus of yips and high-pitched barks rang out as the pack ran across the ground, heading up the side of a mountain through the trees.
I felt teeth on my back legs and glanced back to see Katy pressing hot on my heels. I put on an extra burst of speed, darting away from her as she chased me.
She was fast, almost as fast as Remy. She caught up to me in no time, running at my side until Remy brought us all to a clearing after running for several miles.
The pack fanned out, all breathing hard. A few dropped to their bellies, laying down to rest.
Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1) Page 26
