“And how can my pack help with that?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.
“I already told you. A marriage contract is the easiest way to secure a lasting alliance.”
My brows lifted as shock rippled through my system. “And who the hell am I supposed to marry off?”
“You have a sister about my grandson’s age, don’t you?” There was no denying the sudden glimmer in his eyes.
“Not happening,” I snapped immediately, ice water flushing through my veins. I would never need anyone enough to use Katy as a bargaining chip. My temples started to throb. This call was pointless.
Kincade’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you might say that.”
“Then why even bring it up?” I ground out.
“I wanted to see if your family meant more to you than a grudge against Norwood.”
I leaned back in the chair. “If all you want to do is play games, I’m not interested. People are dying, and I’m doing my best to minimize the body count. A body count that includes your son.”
It was a low blow, but it landed where it needed to.
Kincade leaned back and exhaled hard. “Perhaps you are right. But I would demand a formal apology from Ms. Markham for reneging on our contract.”
“No,” I answered firmly. “I won’t have someone from my pack apologizing for bonding with their mate ever. The past is the past. Let’s leave it there.”
He studied me for several moments before his shoulders slumped and he visibly backed down.
“Very well,” he agreed reluctantly. “What would you have us do?”
This was the tricky part.
“Norwood has been acquiring packs,” I explained slowly. “They started in New York, but now they’re moving towards the middle of the country. Their pack is bigger than any one of ours.”
“They’ve moved into Louisiana,” he replied tersely. “I was notified late last night. There is only one small pack between us and the border between states.”
“Join us.” Maybe my invitation was a little blunt, but I was done dancing around the subject.
He scrutinized me for a moment before clarity dawned on his face. “You want me to give up my position and become part of your pack? Why would I do this?”
“Because your options are us or Norwood. We’ve already been joined by other packs.”
“Even still,” he sighed loudly, “I’ve seen the reports. Norwood controls the eastern packs this side of the Mississippi and then some. They’re moving into Canada. They’re allied with Long Mesa in the south. You can’t compete with those numbers. You may be on the losing side of a very short war.”
“Maybe,” I allowed, shoving down the fears he was giving voice to. “But I have to try. And if you choose us, I’ll relinquish your pack back to you, or your heir, when this whole thing is settled.”
“Why would you do that?” he asked suspiciously.
“Because I have zero desire to control every pack in North America,” I replied honestly. “I do think changes need to be made in the packs, but that needs to be handled by a new Shifter Council that the packs elect.”
He was silent for a moment. “You know, I only met your father a handful of times at Summit meetings, but you remind me of him. He was an honorable man. Many hold him in high esteem and are hoping for his full recovery.”
I swallowed around the tangle of emotional knots that strangled my throat. “Thank you.”
“Stone Valley will align with you,” he said softly after a beat, lowering his eyes in defeat. His shoulders sagged as he exhaled.
This man had led his pack for almost sixty years. His mate and son were dead. The gravity of his situation wasn’t lost on me. I stayed quiet, letting him come to terms with what was happening.
“I will need a few days,” he added, clearing his throat as he lifted his gaze.
“A few days?” I repeated.
“To set my affairs in order. I would like to select my heir prior to merging so that you know who he is. Travel is a bit trickier now that Norwood and Long Mesa are on either side of me. I’ll need to ensure my pack borders are secure before leaving and coming to you to formally abjure my Alpha status and cede it to you.”
“Thank you, Alpha.” I hadn’t expected him to offer to come here, but it was the formal way to transfer one pack to another outside a challenge.
He nodded. “I do not envy you the fight that is coming,” he said grimly, shaking his head. “I hope you’re prepared for what comes next.”
“If there’s anything we can do to help, let me know.” I almost offered to let him bring his pack here if any members wanted, but stopped myself. James Kincade was a proud man. In a few days he might not be an Alpha, but he would still protect his people.
Which were now my people.
We just might win this war yet.
17
Remy
“Damn.”
It was the only thing I could say as I looked around the busy construction site. Dozens of men and women worked simultaneously on three houses at the opening of the new neighborhood. By the looks of things, these houses would be complete by the end of tomorrow, not next week.
Katy grinned at me. “Pretty cool, right?”
“I can’t believe you did this,” I admitted, taking in the two-story single family homes. The houses were slightly different variations of the same model.
“We did it,” she corrected, waving a hand at Ryder and Larkin. “Ryder got us double the help.”
“Addie had the cafe bring food up for everyone,” Larkin added, pointing to Skye’s mom.
I glanced over at the empty lot where a makeshift tent had been erected. Addie stood in the middle of it, making sure the food and drinks were ready for anyone who wanted them. She smiled at us and gave a small wave before turning back to the staff she had brought and giving them more orders.
“How are we handling the housing situation?” I asked Katy, giving her my attention again.
“Will and Michael have been going over the financials,” she answered. “These three houses were already purchased by people who lived in town but wanted to upgrade. They’ve agreed to let us rent their current houses for new pack members once they move into these houses. The pack has plenty of money to cover the costs of the rentals until a more permanent arrangement can be made.”
“Some people still want to go back to Brooks Ridge after this is over,” Ryder commented, folding his tattooed arms across his chest. The silver of his lip ring glinted in the late afternoon sun. “It’s mostly the older generation who spent their lives on the ridge. It’s where they want to be to finish their lives.”
“I won’t force anyone to stay here,” I told him. “As soon as it’s safe, we’ll help anyone who wants to relocate back to their former pack lands.”
“Dante is planning on talking to Luke’s beta when he arrives later tonight with the last group. They’ll have an idea of what we can contribute financially to the pack to offset costs while we’re here.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
I wasn’t. Michael had already explained the pack’s finances. Thanks to a lot of solid investments coupled with the long history of the pack, our accounts were heavily in the black. We could handle building another five neighborhood developments, including furnishing and providing the essential utilities for several years before the pack felt any kind of financial strain.
The Blackwater pack had been established almost two hundred years earlier, when the land was still fresh and untapped. The pack lands had several working gold, silver, and copper mines that provided ample money to this day.
“There’s one more thing,” Katy said quietly, jerking her head towards the table to her right. She moved towards it, waiting for me.
I glanced down at the map of the planned neighborhood. There was space for a hundred new houses and a couple of parks for kids.
Katy tapped a blank spot that looked like a cul-de-sac. “This.”
“Okay,” I said,
not getting her point.
She exchanged a look with Larkin that made me slightly nervous.
“We think it’s time to build a new Alpha house,” Katy said, biting her lip.
I blinked. “You what?”
“Not just that,” Larkin added, coming up beside me, “but a space for you and Skye.”
“We talked about moving into the cabin,” I admitted. “But that was before all of this shit happened.”
“Which is great, but … Remy, the fact is, this pack is getting bigger,” she went on, twisting her hands nervously in front of her.
Ryder stepped up next to Katy, clearly already on board with their plan. “Even if some people go back to the ridge, a lot of people won’t. Most of the people like being down here where we have more access to things like a regular supply at the grocery store or medical care.”
“And,” Katy jumped in, “when Dad recovers, our house is going to be too small. If Dad is Alpha another, what? Twenty years? You and Skye will have a family at that point, and you’ll need a house.”
The idea of Skye and me having kids almost made me dizzy. There was a part of me that was excited as hell by the idea. Probably my wolf, because the teenager in me wanted a few years of Skye to myself before I had to share her any more than I already did.
“So you guys think we should build another house here? For me and Skye?” I frowned, staring at the map.
“Actually, we want to build a few houses in that piece of property. Five, probably.” Katy gave me a big smile.
“Five? Why the hell do I need five houses?” I looked at her like she was crazy, which she damn well could’ve been.
“Maybe like 3 houses and two buildings,” Ryder added, rubbing his jaw as he looked down at the map.
Katy whirled, her red hair flying as she turned to him. “Oh! Like a separate building for—”
“—Exactly,” he cut her off with a nod.
“And we could still do the tunnel,” Larkin added, leaning in.
“Time out,” I called over them, slapping a hand in the middle of the map.
They all looked up, almost surprised I was still standing there.
I barely held in a laugh at their confused expressions. “What the hell are you guys talking about?”
“We think it might be a good idea to create a building just for pack officers,” Katy explained. “Like a town council or something.”
I frowned. “And you want to do that with tunnels?”
Larkin took a deep breath, her excitement obvious. “We thought it would be a good idea to connect the Alpha house to the building for the council with a tunnel. Some kind of passage so you can move easily between buildings.”
“But not in the house,” Katy pointed out. “We think moving the Alpha’s office outside of the house is a good idea. Plus, we can add offices for multiple betas.”
“Which you would have,” Ryder chimed in.
“What he said.” Katy nodded affirmatively at him. “You’ll have a council of betas, like Dad. Each can have their own space to come to work. We can also set up a conference room so meetings are held in the basement of your residence, and even an industrial kitchen so meals could be catered if we have outside packs visiting.”
“It makes sense to have your beta close.” Ryder grabbed a pencil and marked an ‘X’. “If your house is here,” he said, pointing to the mark, “we can build a house next to it for your beta.” He drew another ‘X’ beside it.
“Or not,” Larkin said quickly, stepping back. “This isn’t me angling for a new house or something.”
I hid a smile by ducking my head. Larkin was the most selfless person I knew, but it was adorable watching her simultaneously tell us she would live wherever Rhodes was while still trying to be sweet and giving.
Skye would love having Larkin next door.
“We could build a couple houses,” Katy said, meeting my eyes across the table hesitantly.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “If I’m there, I want you there, Katy.” I met her gaze and held it. “You and Maren.”
Her lips thinned and her hands trembled before she splayed them flat on the table. I watched the tears fill in her eyes for a second before she blinked them back.
“You, too,” I added, looking at Ryder.
“Thanks, man,” he replied. He shifted on his feet. “Honestly, it’s something Dante, Tate, and I will have to work out. Tate loves the ridge, but without Luke there, who knows? My parents want to stay here. Dante’s parents are undecided.”
“You guys have a home here as long as you want, whenever you want,” I told him, meaning every damn word. “And a place on my council.”
“Thanks.” He gave me a small smile and then turned back to the map. “I can talk to the foreman about drawing up plans.”
“I like the idea,” I admitted, my eyes dropping to the ‘X’ that might be my house. “But I’m not doing anything without Skye’s input first.”
“Have you heard from her any more?” Larkin questioned, her big eyes round with concern.
I shook my head. “No, but it’s really early morning where she is, so I won’t hear anything until she wakes up.”
“Remind her that a one minute video chat this morning doesn’t count as enough time,” Katy ordered me sternly. “I better see her face soon or I’m going to put out open interviews for a new best friend.”
“You got to talk to her today?” Larkin demanded, her worry vanishing as she spun to glare at Katy. “We agreed to share phone time with her no matter when she called. Equal bestie time, remember?”
“Technically she called Remy,” Katy quickly clarified. “I was just a means to an end since she wasn’t here to slap Remy in person. Basically I was her extended arm and hand.”
Ryder snorted. “What’d you do?”
“Something stupid,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.
“Sounds about right,” he agreed with a chuckle.
Katy reached across the table and poked my shoulder. “Don’t do it again.”
“Do you guys need anything else from me?” I asked, stepping back. “I want to swing by the med center to check on Dad before I head back home.”
“Tell Mom I’ll be by later,” Katy said, her shoulders dropping. It was easy to forget for a second that Dad’s life was literally hanging in the balance, especially with so much going on around us. “I think Addie is planning on bringing her dinner, but I’m hoping I can convince her to come home. Spend one night in her own bed.”
I nodded, but knew there was zero chance of Mom leaving Dad’s side. I didn’t leave Skye for three weeks.
“I’ll catch you guys at home,” I said, the words easily rolling off my tongue even though technically it was only home to Katy and me. It didn’t matter; Larkin and Ryder were as much my family as Katy, Dax, and Sam.
They were already debating different things on the map as I walked away, veering towards the food tent on my way to my truck.
Addie smiled at me as I entered. “How are you doing, Remy?”
“Okay, I guess,” I responded with a shrug, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I watched as she stiffened, almost like waiting for a blow.
“Is Skye okay?” Her voice shook as she forced the words out. “Did Nikolai—”
“She’s fine,” I assured her quickly, but my mind tripped over her almost-question. “What did you think Nikolai would do?”
Addie wiped her hands on her apron and stepped around me, going outside the tent until I had to follow.
“He wouldn’t hurt her,” she promised me. “But I do wonder if he’ll be able to charm her. I often thought about the life she might have had if I had been able to get into contact with him. If he had raised her outside of Long Mesa.”
“Probably would have saved her a lot of pain and heartache,” I admitted quietly. “But then you guys never would have come here, and I wouldn’t have her. Any choice that didn’t end with her and me together is
n’t something I’m willing to think about.”
She smiled, nodding slowly. “She loves you, Remy. So much. And you know, she once said the same thing to me. Any road that didn’t end end you wasn’t one she wanted to travel.”
Pain flared in my chest, so sharp it rocked me back a step. The absence of the girl I loved was like a hole being carved in my heart by a rusty spoon laced with acid.
God, I missed her. I needed her back.
I cleared my throat, refocusing my mind. “I spoke with Paul Warren today.”
Her eyes went wide. “The Stone Valley Alpha?”
I nodded. “He’s agreed to join us.”
She blinked in surprise, her hand rubbing absently at the spot where her neck sloped into her shoulder. “I never thought … wow. He knows I’m here, right? Because the way things ended the last time I saw him weren’t good.”
“He knows,” I said. “I also reminded him that his pack and his son never had any claim to you since you were bonded. That means more than any pack treaty or marriage agreement.”
“But I wasn’t bonded when the marriage was supposed to happen,” she admitted quietly, the pain in her tone undeniable.
“Because you broke the bond,” I finished for her. I still didn’t understand how anyone could break their bond. It just seemed untenable.
Something must have shown on my face because her shoulders hunched and she seemed to curl into herself.
A shudder rippled through her before she looked at me. “I didn’t break my bond, Remy. It was broken for me.”
“What?” I whispered the word, trying to figure that out.
Addie lifted a shaking hand and waved me off. “I can’t talk about this right now, Remy.”
My jaw dropped. “Addie—”
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly and walked away.
18
Skye
My hand was already blindly reaching for the phone I had left on my bedside table before my eyes even finished opening. Weak sunlight spilled through the narrow gap between the ornate drapes of the windows across the room, indicating it was early morning.
Legacy (Blackwater Pack Book 3) Page 14
