Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1)

by Hannah McBride

  Ainsley gave a small smile. “A few hours ago. I took an earlier flight than the rest of the pack.”

  “That’s great,” Katy said sharply. “We have to go.” She grabbed our arms to turn us back towards the main building.

  “Katy!” Larkin hissed, jerking her arm away.

  “No, it’s cool,” Ainsley said stiffly. Her gaze flicked to Katy. “For what it’s worth? I’m sorry, Katy. What Sierra and I said wasn’t cool. She deserved the slap you gave her. I probably deserved it, too.”

  Katy folded her arms over her chest. “Oh, you definitely did.”

  “Katy,” I muttered, giving her a look.

  She exhaled loudly. “Thank you for the apology.”

  Ainsley nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

  “We should probably go. I have to pick up something,” Larkin said, knowing that this encounter should end on a good note.

  I turned to follow her, but Ainsley stopped me.

  “Actually, Skye? Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Katy gave her a suspicious look. “Why?”

  A hint of the old Ainsley flared to life. “Is your name Skye?”

  Katy snorted. “You know what? You can go-”

  “Stop,” I ordered, stepping between Katy and Ainsley. I looked at Katy. “Give me a second. I’ll meet you guys at the doors, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Larkin agreed, linking arms with Katy and pulling her away.

  “Sorry,” Ainsley apologized again with a grimace. “I made that worse, didn’t I?”

  “What do you need, Ainsley?” I was tired and not in the mood for games.

  She looked suddenly nervous and took a step towards me. “Listen, Sierra was over my house for Thanksgiving.”

  “My condolences,” I deadpanned.

  Ainsley smirked. “Yeah, well, our parents have been friends for years. We always spend the holidays together. Anyway, I overheard her on the phone after dinner talking to Trace.”

  That caught my attention. “Okay.”

  Her lips pressed together in a thin line. “Look, I didn’t hear much, but I think you need to watch your back, okay? You and Remy.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “It’s stupid, but Sierra always had it in her head that she would be with Remy, and it really messed her up when he rejected her last year,” Ainsley explained quickly. “That’s why she’s with Trace, but I think she’s in over her head. I only heard her say something about you and Remy not seeing whatever they have planned coming.”

  Panic started building in me, swelling and brimming over the edge.

  “I was going to tell Remy, but I saw you first.” Ainsley shrugged. “Just, be careful, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay,” I mumbled.

  She gave me a tight smile and walked back to the dorms. After a second I headed to meet Katy and Larkin at the doors.

  “Everything okay?” Katy demanded.

  “Um, yeah,” I muttered, still wrapping my head around it.

  “Are you sure?” Larkin pressed, touching my arm.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” Part of me wanted to tell them, but I needed to talk to Remy first.

  Larkin pulled open the heavy door for us, and we stepped into the hallway. "She left the assignment at the front office."

  With a nod, we started down the hallway, our shoes echoing off the walls of the silent hall. I could hear faint noises coming from the direction of the cafeteria as the staff started setting up for dinner. The bulk of students still seemed to be missing from campus, milking every last drop of our week off before classes started in the morning.

  We turned the corner for the office and I came up short, nearly slamming into a body.

  "Sorry-" The apology died on my lips when I realized it was Trace. He was leaning against the wall in front of the office. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn he was waiting for us.

  "Ladies," he said with a leering smile, his eyes slowly raking down all of us.

  "Douchebag," Katy returned with a cold smirk.

  Trace's eyes narrowed.

  "What are you doing here?" I demanded, not in the mood for his shit. Especially not after what Ainsley had told me.

  His lips turned up, revealing a row of even, white teeth. "Pack duty, sweetheart. Caleb's cousin is visiting. His pack is thinking about enrolling in GPA, so we're giving him the tour for a few days."

  Larkin was still quiet behind me, but I felt her shifting restlessly on her feet. We needed to move this along.

  "Good for you," I said with a grimace. "My sincerest apologies to the guy who has to hang out with you and your pack for a few days."

  Trace straightened, his smile grew even wider as he watched me, his dark eyes glittering with some unspoken promise that made my stomach clench. "I don't know that apologies are what he would like from you."

  I was about to tell him I didn't give a damn what his beta's cousin wanted when the door opened, and Caleb came out of the office. I hadn't talked to him since the bonfire when I first came to GPA, only seeing him mostly in passing. He held the door for his cousin to come out.

  My knees buckled and I almost went down, all the blood rushing from my body in a tsunami that left me seeing spots. I blindly reached out, my icy fingers clamping onto Katy's arm with bruising strength.

  Trace was still grinning as Caleb and his cousin stopped beside him. "You've met Caleb's cousin before, right? Rumor has it you and Cassian go way back, Skye."

  42

  I had never hyperventilated before, but I was pretty sure that was what was currently happening to me.

  My lungs struggled to pull in any sort of oxygen as I stared at the face of the boy who made my life a living hell for all but a couple months. The hallway was tilting, the whole world’s axis tipping precariously. Fear clawed at my throat, rendering me silent.

  "Skye." Larkin's hand gently touched the small of my back as she and Katy closed ranks around me.

  That only made Cassian smile even bigger, an amused chuckle coming from his mouth. "Skye, Skye, Skye. Did you get my message?"

  "Cassian said to tell you he'll see you soon."

  Bella's words swam up in my muddled thoughts, giving me something to focus on. Something to anchor to.

  Cassian’s bright blue eyes swept down my body, his grin deepening. "You look amazing."

  An all-too familiar rage started to swell in me as I remembered Bella's broken spirit, her used and discarded body. I could feel ice settling into my veins as I watched this boy who tried to break me.

  Tried and failed.

  I took a step forward, refusing to cower to him again.

  This wasn't Long Mesa. This wasn't his home. And I definitely wasn't the girl who was just trying to survive day by day now.

  I was the girl who was living.

  I had friends and family. I had a mate.

  Calm settled on me as I took a cleansing breath before letting my lips twist into a smile I directed at Cassian.

  “Cassian,” I said coolly, ignoring the gasps of my friends behind me.

  "How's Preston?" I continued, my tone conversational like I was asking about the weather.

  The sound of my voice startled him, making him blink in surprise. He had probably expected me to run away, tail tucked between my legs and crying.

  I made a soft clicking sound, flicking my tongue against my teeth as I shook my head. "Sorry I missed his brother's funeral. But I guess it would have been kind of mean to show up at the funeral of the guy I killed, right?"

  His teeth ground together so hard I was sure they would shatter, his hands balling into fists. "You stupid bitch," he spat, taking a step forward only to be retrained by his cousin.

  "Careful, man," Caleb warned, looking around.

  I wasn't sure why Caleb was calling him off until I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't bother looking away from Cassian, my eyes locked onto his in a battle of wills that had me shaking, but not from fear.

  "What's going on?"

  I was
flanked on either side by a McAllister twin. I wasn't sure if it was Kyle or Konnor that asked the question, but both looked lethal, and they weren't alone. At least seven other pack members were with them.

  My pack.

  The other twin glared at Trace. "You know the rules. You're supposed to stay away from us, especially the girls."

  Trace held up his hands innocently. "I was simply waiting for our friend to come out of the office so we could go to dinner. Your bitches were the ones who came up to us."

  Several low growls started behind me. As touched as I was by their anger on our behalf, I needed to diffuse this situation fast so I could get out of here and figure out what the hell to do next.

  I needed Remy.

  "We're good," I said, my voice clear and even. I lifted my chin, still not breaking eye contact with Cassian. "We were just leaving." I took a step back, slowly retreating.

  “So soon?” Cassian hissed, his hands curling and unfurling as he struggled to contain his hate.

  As soon as I stepped back, a wall of McAllister muscle blocked me from Cassian's view. Several other pack members stepped forward until Katy, Larkin, and I were at the back of the Blackwater pack.

  "We'll walk you back to the cabin," one of the twins announced. "Is Remy there?"

  I saw the spark of interest flare in Cassian's eyes at the mention of Remy. My wolf roared inside of me, and it was all I could do not to hurl myself at him as I sensed the unspoken threat to my mate. My teeth clicked as I clenched my jaw.

  "Yeah," Katy lied easily. "He and Rhodes are waiting for us, so we better get back."

  As a unit, like we were in some kind of shifter militia, we backed around the corner of the hallway and headed back the way we came. I held my breath the entire time, only breathing once we made it outside.

  "What the hell was that?" one of the twins demanded, touching Larkin's arm with concern.

  I didn't stop for her answer, instead lengthening my strides to stalk down the path. The crunching behind me let me know that the others were behind me.

  I jerked when I felt a hand touch my arm.

  "Sorry," Katy apologized before reached down to hold my hand. "Are you okay?"

  I gave a stiff nod, but I wasn't. My adrenaline rush was crashing, and the stark reality that Cassian was here was sinking in. It didn't matter that I had a pack of wolves around me for protection. Granite Peak was supposed to be safe. Blackwater was supposed to be safe.

  Nothing felt safe now.

  Ainsley’s warning had come too late.

  I broke into a run, my stomach cramping as the cabin came into view. I thundered up the stairs, throwing open the door, barely registering Rhodes and Remy were standing in the kitchen unpacking groceries. Both of them looked shocked to see us bursting through the door.

  Remy stepped forward. "Skye-"

  I ran across the room to the bathroom, barely making it to the powder room and hitting my knees before I started throwing up in the toilet. All the anxiety and fear, along with my rapidly dropping adrenaline levels was a recipe for vomit soup.

  "What the fuck happened?" Remy demanded, his tone dangerous even as his hand gently stroked my back.

  "She ran into Trace and Caleb in the hallway," I could hear one of the twins start to explain. I really needed to learn how to tell them apart.

  I blindly reached up, flushing the toilet and swallowing back another gag. I braced my forearm across the back of the seat, resting my forehead on them.

  "They had a new guy with them-"

  "Cassian," I muttered. I grabbed a handful of toilet paper, wiping my mouth and throwing it in the toilet, flushing again.

  "What?"

  I lifted my head enough to see Remy's eyes. "Cassian is here."

  Remy went still. It looked like he was frozen in time, but I could see the tick of a muscle in his jaw and felt the way his hand shook against my back. It was a small tremor, but I felt it.

  A dark look passed between Remy and Rhodes, and I glanced back to see Katy, Larkin, and the twins crowding in the doorway. The rest of the pack that escorted us was talking in the main room, their voices pitching higher and higher as their agitation grew.

  "Everyone out!" The sudden booming voice from Rhodes made me jump. He pulled the bathroom door shut, closing us off from everyone else. I could still hear him herding everyone away from the bathroom.

  Bracing my hands on the toilet, I pushed myself up, closing the lid. Remy's hand was still on my back as if he couldn't stand to not touch me in some way.

  Silently I washed my hands and rinsed my mouth, not caring how unladylike it may be when I spit into the sink basin.

  Remy opened a drawer next to me and pulled out a travel size bottle of mouthwash.

  I grabbed it from him, twisting the cap to break the seal before I poured a mouthful past my lips. The alcohol in it burned as I swished it in my mouth. I rinsed the sink out when I was done and turned around, my eyes on the wall behind Remy.

  "Skye," he started softly.

  "I'm sorry," I said abruptly. "I'm so sorry."

  A frown pulled at his mouth as a wrinkle formed between his brows. "You don't have to apologize, baby."

  His words barely registered in my brain. I was already thinking ahead, trying to plan this whole mess out. "If I leave, he'll probably follow me."

  His entire back went ramrod stiff, his dark eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

  "If I leave, Cassian will follow me. I never wanted any of this to blow back on the pack-"

  With a growl, Remy's hands found my waist and lifted me up until I was sitting on the counter. He stepped between my legs before I could think to close them and braced his hands on the counter on either side of my legs. The move put him at eye level with me.

  "You're not going anywhere," he said emphatically. "Not now, not ever."

  "Remy-"

  "No, Skye!" he snapped, eyes flashing. "I don't give a shit if your entire old pack shows up here. No way would I ever let you go. Would any of us let you go. You're part of our pack now." He reached over, grabbing my hand and pressing it to his chest. "You're part of me now."

  "I can't ask you to put yourselves in danger because of me," I whispered back, feeling the steady thump of his heart under my fingers.

  "You didn't ask," he countered, lifting a brow.

  "If something happens to you..." I trailed off, my heart seizing in my chest at the thought of something happening to him.

  "Exactly," he retorted, nearly brushing my nose with his. "If I left you to protect you, how would that feel?"

  It felt like a physical punch to the stomach. The air rushed out of me leaving me dizzy.

  Remy gave me a knowing look, his expression softening. "We're in this together, babe."

  I nodded slowly, accepting that I had dragged him into this mess and now we were all stuck. But at least we were stuck together.

  Sliding off the countertop, I held his hand in mine, waiting until he opened the bathroom door and we walked out.

  Rhodes had cleared the pack away from the bathroom, but they all still lingered. I flinched as almost a dozen sets of eyes landed on me, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. They had to know this was about more than Trace.

  "Are you okay?" Larkin asked softly, her doe brown eyes huge and somber. She stepped around Rhodes but stopped short of touching me.

  I gave her a short nod, not trusting my voice to say anything quite yet. I leaned against Remy, needing his strength. My body felt like an overcooked noodle, weak and limp, now that my adrenaline rush had fully crashed.

  "I'm going to keep this short," Remy started, giving my hand a squeeze as he addressed the pack. "Stay away from the Norwood pack. The ... guest they brought here is someone from Skye's former pack. He is not to be trusted. None of them are. From here on out, no one is to be alone. Until all this is sorted out, stay alert. Everyone moves in pairs, even to the damn bathroom."

  Several nods and murmured agreements met his mandate.


  Remy's hand went tight around mine again, a small tremor rippling down his arm. "Thank you for protecting my mate tonight. For protecting your pack."

  My head drooped, resting on his shoulder as I watched the male chests in the room puff up a bit at his praise. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Katy roll her eyes to the ceiling, clearly not happy to need any male protection or the testosterone wave currently invading the room.

  One of the twins cleared his throat and stepped forward, his somber gaze going to Larkin where she stood by Rhodes. "We can walk you back to the dorms, Larkin." His gaze moved to Katy. "Both of you."

  Rhodes bristled, his lips pressed into a thin line and his nostrils flared.

  "We're going to stay here for now," Larkin said softly, giving him a kind smile. "Thanks, Kyle."

  Her answer seemed to make Rhodes relax. That, or the hand I noticed she placed against the small of his back.

  Kyle gave her a nod in return, and I mentally tried to find a way to tell him apart from Konnor. Konnor had a small scar on his chin. That was something.

  "Thank you," I echoed, my voice raspy. I cleared my throat. "You guys-"

  "We're your pack," Will cut me off, catching my attention. "Whatever you need, we're here for you."

  I was stunned silent as something warm crept into my chest. The pack all cleared out until I was left with Remy, Katy, Rhodes, and Larkin.

  Remy blew out a long breath, wrapping an arm around me. He glanced at the others. "Why don't the three of you head to the dorms and get a change of clothes? I'd feel better if you guys were here tonight."

  Larkin and Katy both nodded, not fighting him, which made me feel relieved. I needed to know they were both safe tonight, too. The idea of me going back to the dorms tonight never even crossed my mind. No surprise that Remy was on the same page.

  "Want me to bring the other girls back here?" Rhodes offered, shrugging on his jacket.

  Remy shook his head. "They all room together. Just make sure they know to stay together. If they want to come back, they're welcome to."

  Katy had her own room, and with me here, Larkin would be on her own. They could technically room together, but I wanted them close by. Larkin and Katy had both already been hurt by Trace. Now with Cassian wandering around…