He was easily six foot five, and had almost a foot in height on me. His biceps were the size of my thighs, his hands the size of my head. Everything about this guy was Alpha to the extreme.
“She named you after my mother,” he said softly, almost reverently. His eyes softened as he looked down at me.
That news caught me off guard and my brain struggled to play catch up. “Your mother?”
“Her name was Eskyla,” he replied. “I met your mother right after mine had passed away. I told her how I grieved the loss of my mother.”
Eskyla.
I swallowed down that information. “As much as I would love to take a trip down memory lane with you, I really need to call my pack. I don’t know what’s going on with them.”
He looked down, nodding slowly. “I understand your frustration, but right now I am awaiting answers myself. Answers that I should have soon. I have men looking into the explosion and trying to ascertain what happened to your friends and mate.”
“I need to at least call my mom,” I said, my hands balling into fists.
Another slow nod, but then he hesitated. “Until I know for certain what is going on back in your country, I must insist you wait a few more hours. It is what is safest for you.”
“I don’t give a damn about my safety,” I snapped. “I have friends and family that need to know I’m okay. And I need to know if they are okay.”
“You may not care about your safety, but I do, little wolf,” he told me softly. He turned and crossed the room, sitting back down and giving me an expectant look. “Why don’t you join me and we can wait together?”
I was going to scream. How could he not get it? I didn’t want to join him and wait. I wanted answers.
“I swear to you, as Alpha and your father, I will see you reunited with your pack,” he vowed. “But I need you to give me a bit more time before we decide the best course of action. While we wait, I might be able to give you a few answers to the many questions you have.”
God, I had a lifetime of questions.
But none of them mattered as much as finding out if Remy was okay.
“Please, sit down,” Nikolai said, almost gently. “I just found you. Protecting you is what I must do, but I would also like to know the daughter I never knew existed before two days ago.”
Something in his tone, in his words, tugged at a piece of my heart.
Taking a deep breath, I walked across the floor and sat down on the other end of the sofa, turning to face him with a heavy sigh. “Okay. What do you want to know?”
6
Remy
The slow, methodical beeping of the heart monitor was a sound that would haunt me as long as I lived. First, it had been Skye hooked up to that machine. It was the sound that chased me into a restless sleep at night and then dragged me awake each day for three weeks while she was in a coma.
And now, it was the sound that echoed in the room when I saw my father.
Leaning a shoulder against the open door frame, I watched his chest rise and fall under the simple cotton sheet. One arm was wrapped in a cast, and there were too many bruises and cuts to count.
Mom was curled into the chair that had been pulled up by his side, her chin tucked against her chest. One hand was tangled loosely in his as she slept.
She had barely left his side since we’d brought him in.
With a soft gasp, her eyes opened and zeroed in on me and narrowed.
“What happened?” She lowered her legs to the floor but didn’t get up. Her gaze flickered to Dad, looking for a change. Her mouth pressed into a thin line when she realized there was none.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I admitted regretfully. I knew sleep was hard for her, and I hated that I had disturbed it. But after the challenge Lodge had lobbed at me, I needed to see my dad.
I needed to remember why I was doing this instead of packing a bag and tearing the world apart to find Skye.
Her dark eyes, identical to mine, sharpened with intuition. “What happened at the council meeting?”
I dropped into the vacant chair on the other side of the bed. “Lodge challenged me for the pack.”
“Dammit,” she hissed, looking away. “I really hoped he might give this family a minute to breathe without being a prick.”
“He’s worried about the pack.” I shrugged indifferently, trying not to take it personally. Part of being an Alpha was being able to separate personal emotions from what was best for the whole pack, but I still felt the sting of his accusations. “They all are.”
“Lodge has always coveted the title of Alpha,” Mom told me with a frown, “but he has no idea what it is to lead. To sacrifice.”
My jaw clenched as I ground my molars.
Dad had definitely sacrificed.
“Any word?” Her words pulled me back to the moment. She didn’t have to elaborate. I knew who she was talking about.
And it killed me to shake my head.
“Honey, we’ll find her.” Mom gave me a tight smile full of grit and determination. “Skye is a fighter.”
“I know.”
I did know that.
It killed me that she had been forced to become that fighter; the hell she had endured as a kid was enough shit that it would have made any adult crack under the pressure.
But not Skye.
Which was why I knew my girl was out there, fighting just as hard to get to me as I was to get to her. It just didn’t make my current reality any better.
“When is the challenge?” Mom asked with a sigh.
“Tonight.”
I could have delayed it for a few days under the guise of giving us both time to prepare, but I wanted this over and behind me. I needed our pack all ready to do their part so I set up the challenge for tonight at sundown.
Mom nodded, her eyes moving again to Dad before turning back to me. “Any word on other survivors?”
I shook my head slowly. “No. They’ve found a few more bodies, but it’s a mess.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, unable to stop the memories of seeing body parts and dead eyes when I closed my eyes.
“How’s Dante?”
“Not great. Luke’s dead and Tate’s missing. At least Ryder is on his way here, so that’s something.” I felt for my friend. He was going through hell.
“You think Tate is with Skye?” she inquired softly.
I nodded. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. But Mom,” I swallowed hard, “Skye’s uncle wasn’t found either. If she’s with him …”
“You can’t think like that,” she told me fiercely, her dark eyes flashing. “You’ll go crazy wondering what if, sweetheart. Focus on what you can control here and now. You said Damien made it out before the explosion?”
“Yeah.”
“And Linden is aligned with Norwood?” she pressed.
I nodded once more.
“Then there’s a chance Skye is with Norwood, or that they know where she is,” Mom mused thoughtfully. “Damien is an asshole, but he isn’t an idiot. He knows what she means to you, to us. She’s too valuable for him to hurt.”
A sick feeling slithered into my gut. “What if he asks for something I can’t give?”
Mom’s gaze sharpened, her chin lifted a notch. “Skye is one of us. Remember you have an entire pack behind you, Remy, and so does she. There isn’t a person in our pack that won’t follow you into hell to bring her back.”
“Guess it helps that Dante agreed to join us,” I said, trying to move past the sudden lump of emotion strangling me.
“He’s giving up his pack?” Mom blinked in surprise.
“The best thing for us is to join forces. We’re going to approach other packs about joining us, too. If Damien Valois is building an army, then we are, too.”
Mom released a long breath. “I always knew one day this feud between our packs would turn into a war. So did your father. But we never expected it to fall on your shoulders, honey.”
A small smile crossed my lips. “Then
I guess it’s a good thing I have an entire pack behind me, isn’t it?”
Our dining room had turned into a war room by the time I came home.
Katy and Larkin were huddled over a map of the pack lands, sharpies in hand as they circled and crossed off spots.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I stepped into the room.
Larkin looked up. “We’re planning where to put the new pack members.”
“How’s Mom?” Katy grilled me as soon as she realized I was back.
“She’s good. Addie’s with her now.”
I had run into Skye’s mom on my way out of the medical center. Since dad had been brought in, she had been by Mom’s side in support. I was glad they were relying on each other, and I was happy Addie wasn’t pacing the floors alone in her apartment, waiting for news about Skye.
“Where are the twins?” I asked, settling my hands on the back of a chair as I glanced down at the map.
“Making dinner to take to Mom,” Katy replied with a nervous frown. Her eyes darted towards the kitchen. “They wanted to help.”
“It’s spaghetti,” Larkin said quickly. “They’re making noodles and heating up some of the sauce my mom had saved from the last time she made it. It’s fairly idiot proof.”
Clearly Larkin didn’t know that my brothers had inherited my dad’s cooking gene. They could burn water.
I made a mental note to check in on them so they wouldn’t set the house on fire before we had to leave to meet Ryder at the airport in a bit.
I glanced at my watch. “Where’s Dante and Rhodes? We need to get going to the airstrip.”
“Outside with Michael,” Katy answered, jerking her head towards the rear of the house.
I heard the back door to the deck open and close. A second later the three of them were walking into the room.
Watching Rhodes cross the room to Larkin and pull her into his arms was like being sucker punched in the balls. I had to look away and noticed Dante did the same.
I was happy that my best friend had his mate, but I was barely controlling the jealous fury that ripped through my chest. I took a couple of deep breaths, pointedly ignoring the way my wolf was ready to take control and run across the country until we found our girl.
Once I could look at my friends without wanting to put a hole in the wall, I caught Katy giving me a supportive, sad smile.
“How are we looking?” Rhodes asked her, kissing the side of Larkin’s neck. He leaned around her to look at the map.
She smiled softly at him, probably not even noticing the way her body completely relaxed when he touched her. “Good. We have enough places to put people. Also, I gave up your house.”
Rhodes frowned, clearly confused by the eviction notice. “You did what?”
Larkin rolled her eyes and pulled away from him, patting his chest. “You’re moving in with me. That frees up your house for a family who needs it until we finish building them a permanent house.”
“Did I agree to this?” Rhodes asked, his head tilted to the side.
Katy shrugged, turning back to the map. “Fine. Stay in your house by yourself. Larkin’s parents offered to host a family.” With a wicked smile she looked over her shoulder. “Dante, was it Brett who wanted to date Larkin last year? We can put him and his parents with them.”
“Yup,” he agreed easily, latching onto the idea of giving Rhodes shit. “Wanted to take her to the Spring formal, I think.”
“Excuse me?” Rhodes’ expression darkened, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Brett was a year younger than us and had made the mistake of asking for my permission to date Larkin last year. Unfortunately for him, Rhodes had been with me at the time and even though he still had his head in his ass where Larkin was concerned then, he had still managed to scare Brett into never speaking to Larkin again.
“Brett wanted to date me?” Larkin narrowed her eyes at Katy before turning her suspicious gaze on her mate.
Katy grinned. “Oh, yeah. He asked Remy if he could date you last spring, but Rhodes had a hissy fit.”
Larkin glared at Rhodes, hands on her hips as her tiny nose wrinkled in annoyance. She looked like a pissed off puppy. “Is that why Brett stopped talking to me?”
Rhodes gave her a hard look, not giving an inch. “You’re mine. Then, now, and in another fifty years, baby girl. Get used to it.”
Even Dante couldn’t hide his smirk.
Rhodes might have taken his time claiming Larkin, but he was making up for it in spades now.
“He still won’t even say hi to me!” Larkin snapped, throwing her hands in the air.
“Then I guess he got the message, didn’t he?” Rhodes grinned at her unabashedly. He turned his attention to Katy. “Fine. I’ll stay with Larkin. They can have my house.”
“Actually?” I cut in. “Why don’t you guys stay here? It’d be good to have you nearby.”
“My parents would give my room to someone who needs it,” Larkin agreed sweetly, smiling at the idea.
Rhodes shrugged. “Works for me. Now we don’t have to worry about being loud at night and Lark’s parents hearing.”
“Rhodes!” Katy groaned as Larkin let out a squeak and turned crimson.
Dante shook his head. “Dude. Come on.”
“I’m being honest,” Rhodes insisted, rubbing his side when Larkin elbowed his ribs.
Michael snorted. “God, I don’t miss being a teenager.” His eyes found mine. “We have a couple of buses that will meet you at the airstrip. They’ll transport people to their new homes.”
“I’ll send you the list of who is going where,” Katy told him as she scrawled another name on the map.
Michael nodded. “Sounds good.” Again, he looked at me. “I’ll see you tonight before the challenge starts, okay?”
I nodded. “Thanks, Michael.”
He gave me a steady look. “Your dad is my best friend. It’s the least I can do. And for what it’s worth, most of the betas are pulling for you tonight, too. Lodge never should have issued this challenge. It’s not what the pack needs.”
“Thanks,” I repeated, genuinely meaning it. It did mean a lot that I had their support. We would need it moving forward.
Michael left the room and a few minutes later, the front door shut as the fire alarm started blaring in the kitchen.
“Ugh,” Katy groaned loudly, her head falling back. “I told you they couldn’t be trusted with cooking anything outside a microwave.”
“I’m on it,” Larkin said quickly, moving from the room. A few seconds later, the alarm went silent.
Dax appeared in the doorway after a pause. He winced as he leaned against the wall, scuffing a toe into the floor and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. The front of his white shirt was stained bright red with tomato sauce.
“So, Sam and I are going to pick up a pizza for Mom. Anyone else want anything?”
The plane taxied to a stop on the tarmac at the small airstrip on the edge of the pack property. I glanced at Dante next to me. He was practically vibrating with energy, his dark gaze locked hard on the side door of the plane.
One of the guys who worked at the airstrip wheeled a large staircase to the door and locked it into place as a crew member opened the door. Once the stairs were secure, the first person was out and heading down the stairs.
Dante stepped away from me, breaking into a light jog to meet Ryder as his feet hit the ground. They reached for each other at the same time, crushing each other in a jarring hug that made Ryder rock back on his heels.
Katy leaned her head against my bicep. “I’m happy for them,” she said softly.
I nodded. I was, too, but I was also jealous as hell as Dante grabbed Ryder and kissed him hard.
“We’ll find her,” Rhodes said from my other side.
“Damn right,” Larkin agreed from where she was tucked against his side.
Dante let Ryder go to talk to his pack as they slowly came down the stairs, their eyes wide as they looked ar
ound. Most of them had never left Alaska before now. Brooks Ridge was an isolated area and the pack was extremely tight-knit.
The plane was only big enough to transport a third of their pack. The flight crew would refuel and switch out to retrieve another group. The last ones were coming on a cargo flight we had chartered with the majority of the pack belongings. A few had declined coming to Blackwater, mostly older shifters who had lived, and would die, on their pack lands.
The people headed towards me only carried backpacks and small carry ons with necessary items. They had only been given hours to pack their belongings. They were tired and exhausted, and the kids looked terrified.
Dante and Ryder stepped away from their pack as they approached us, coming to stand with me. Ryder gave me a quick hug and whispered, “Sorry, man,” as he fell in with our friends.
“Welcome to Blackwater,” I said to the rest of the group, hating the formality in my tone, but not sure exactly how to address these people who had agreed to follow me. I had visited Brooks Ridge a few times, and I knew a lot of these people, but this whole situation was new.
It had been decades since a pack absorbed another, and usually it was because one pack was about to die out.
Not because a war was coming and people were picking sides.
“We have your temporary housing assignments,” I continued, making eye contact with as many people as I could before their gazes dropped in submission. I wanted to offer them reassurance and hope, even if I was running on fumes of those emotions myself.
“Take your time to get settled. If you have any questions or concerns, please bring them to Dante, Ryder, or Katy.”
I glanced back at Dante in case he wanted to say anything to his pack.
Squaring his shoulders, Dante stepped forward. “I know this is hard on all of us. We’ve lost our Alpha. We’ve lost friends. People we know and … love.”
Several heads lowered and a few sniffles carried on the air.
“Our pack can’t continue as it was,” Dante said solemnly as he moved between his pack and me. “We have to evolve, which is why I’ve decided to cede my Alpha position. I recognize Remington Holt as my Alpha.”
Legacy (Blackwater Pack Book 3) Page 5
