Trace chuckled. “Letting her make the decisions for you?”
“It’s her right as Alpha to make her own choice.”
Trace was still laughing, but Damien went utterly still and slightly ashen at the revelation.
Griffin’s jaw gaped open. “What?”
Skye was still and stiff at my side, waiting to see how others would react.
“It’s true,” I said quietly, my eyes on Damien’s. “Nikolai surrendered his pack to Skye days ago. Guess you didn’t hear about that?”
“Not just my pack,” Nikolai corrected, going in for the kill, “but a dozen or so European and Asian packs have also agreed to recognize her as their leader. It’s why Windale is currently being surrounded by an army of our combined packs.”
Trace had stopped laughing and panic was starting to set in. His eyes darted around like he expected the car to be ambushed by our pack at any second.
I loved watching him squirm like the snake he was.
“You’re lying,” Damien whispered.
“We’re not,” Skye replied firmly.
“Thanks for giving us those extra two days we needed to get our people in place,” I added, unable to keep the smugness from my tone.
Damien’s gaze shot to me. “This wasn’t the deal.”
“You wanted Skye here, and you’ve got her,” I responded evenly. “In all her Alpha glory and with the support of her people at her back.”
Damien’s gaze swung to her. “You said that you would marry me if your mate lost.”
“I did,” she agreed easily enough. Her green eyes glittered. “But I never said I wouldn’t stab you in your sleep before you could touch me, steal your pack and free all those people you’ve stolen.”
“Bitch,” Trace spat.
The growl that ripped from me was completely from my wolf. “Watch yourself,” I warned.
Skye smirked at him, her lips pulled back to reveal her teeth. “That’s Alpha bitch to you, bitch.”
I laughed softly, loving the way Trace’s face twisted with anger that he couldn’t do anything with. Not in this car with me, Nikolai, and Griffin in his way.
“It will only serve to make our packs stronger with our union,” Damien said, rolling his shoulders back. “Surely you can see that.”
“I can see that if anything happens to my true mate that I’ll rip your heart out the first chance I get,” she replied, almost happily.
“She gets the bloodthirsty side from me,” Nikolai added apologetically, shrugging a bit helplessly for effect. “Her eyes she gets from her mother.”
“She agreed to this arrangement,” Damien snapped, a little desperate. His eyes bounced around to each of us, like we would side with him. The very idea made me smile.
“I agreed to it, yes,” Skye said softly. “But I never said for how long. If you were too stupid to think I wouldn’t fight back, that’s on you.”
“So, this was all what? A trick? Some plot to get me here?” Damien leaned forward, baring his teeth. “If you want a fight, I’ll give you a fight. I’ll have my men destroy this pack before I let you have it.”
“All I want is what I called you for,” I said sharply, keeping this on point. “No games. Just the challenge. You win, you get Blackwater. I win? I get Norwood.”
“And this army your mate has brought with her?”
“My army is here to make sure you keep this a fair fight,” Skye answered.
“A fair fight.” Damien laughed, smirking at me. “Do you really think you can take my pack from me, boy?”
I stared back. “Guess we’ll see.”
Griffin cleared his throat. “We’re here.”
I looked out the window as the car stopped. Here was Griffin’s family home. I’d only been here a couple times when I’d visited his pack and knew he lived here with his mother and grandfather. His family had held the Alpha seat of the Windale pack for three generations.
The house was a sprawling estate that boasted the small fortune the pack had amassed. The small town nestled around the Alpha house was a sleepy, mid-America town that rarely attracted attention, unlike the larger city fifteen miles east.
“Where’s our people?” I asked.
“Hotel closer to the city. One of my deltas owns it. We reserved the hotels for all of our out of town guests.” Annoyance clung to Griffin’s words. “It has two towers so we can keep the packs in separate areas.”
“Worried for your pack?” Trace taunted.
I smirked slightly. “Something like that.”
More like worried someone would lose their temper and kick start a war before the challenge began.
“Home sweet home,” Damien started, opening the door and getting out of the car.
Griffin’s frown deepened and he turned to me when Trace got out.
“We can kill them in their sleep,” he muttered, running a hand through his blond hair. “Fuck, I’ll burn the hotel to the ground tonight.”
Nikolai’s eyes grew big as he started to grin. “I rather like this fellow. Griffin was it?”
“We’re doing this the right way,” I said, ignoring Nikolai. “If I win the pack in a challenge, that ends it. If we murder their Alpha, it’ll just start a new war.”
“Not if we kill them all,” Nikolai suggested, still on board with Griffin’s idea.
“Not helping, Nikolai,” Skye murmured.
His eyes narrowed. “What happened to Dad?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “Fine. Not helping, Dad.”
Nikolai sighed and leaned back. “If you say so.”
“Remy’s got this,” she went on, her eyes finding mine. The complete faith and trust in her gaze was humbling. “We’re doing this his way.”
“Fine,” Nikolai huffed. “But mine and Griffin’s way would be decidedly more fun.”
“Right,” Griffin said wryly, rolling his eyes. “I was kidding. Let’s not turn my pack into a warzone.” He slid out of the car, followed by Nikolai.
I turned to face Skye now that we were alone. “You okay?”
She nodded, her green eyes wide and alert in the dim interior of the car. “Yeah. You think Damien will play nice now?”
“No,” I replied with a small laugh, “but at least he knows we’re on pretty even footing.”
“Think it’ll be enough?” She whispered the question, and I wanted like hell to tell her it would be.
“I hope so,” was the only answer I could offer.
“Guess we should go in?” Her gaze flickered to the open door.
“Yeah.” I started to move and then turned, reaching for her and pulling her against me so I could kiss her without anyone watching.
She blinked up at me, slightly dazed. “What was that for?”
“I wanted to,” I replied, licking her taste off my lips and wishing I had time for more than a fast, hard kiss that left both of us wanting more.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car with me, angling her body away from Damien and Trace. One accidental brush against her from one of them and the small control I had over my wolf would snap.
“My mom arranged dinner,” Griffin said softly, looking up at the house, “but I can tell her that you’re tired.”
“How is she?” I asked quietly, keeping my voice low so Damien and Trace, who were headed toward the front door like they owned the place, wouldn’t hear.
“More good days than bad now,” he replied. “I haven’t clued her in on how bad things are. She thinks we’re all here to talk about some type of memorial for what happened at the Summit.”
Skye’s brows lifted. “The bombing?”
“She thinks it was what the media said. A faulty gas line and a big accident,” Griffin answered, shaking his head. “She’s been so fragile that I didn’t want to tell her the truth.”
I nodded in understanding.
Griffin looked at Skye and Nikolai. “My dad died last year. It’s been hard on Mom.”
“My condolences,” Nikola
i murmured.
“And your grandfather?” I questioned.
Griffin’s smile was quick but faint. “He’s up at the cabin a few hours north. Damien showed up and Grandpa about had another stroke. I figured it was safer to keep him out of the way while Damien was using my house like he was our fucking guest of honor.”
I snorted. “He’s good at that.”
Griffin rounded on me, his crystal blue eyes narrowed. “Can you beat him?”
“I think so,” I replied.
“Be sure, Remy. If you can’t … I can challenge him,” Griffin offered.
“That would serve little purpose,” Nikolai scoffed. “The only way it would matter would be for Remy to withdraw from the challenge and therefore surrender his pack.”
“Unless I push for the challenge to be first,” Griffin snapped.
“Can you beat him?” I demanded. “Because unless you’re sure, then there’s a chance he could win. He wins, he gets your pack which is the very reason I challenged him.”
Griffin met my eyes. He was older than me by seven years, but his forte wasn’t challenges but mental manipulation. He was lean and had muscles, but he wasn’t an outright fighter. If Brooks Ridge had been the pack filled with the most brawn, Windale was the pack with the most brains.
Blackwater and Norwood seemed to straddle the lines of both, and I hoped it was enough to keep us even going into the challenge.
“You have the better chance,” he admitted quietly, looking away with a frown. “We both know you’re the better fighter. I’ve seen you spar and practice with the others. Hell, I even watched you pin Luke once.”
A small smile twitched on my lips at the bittersweet memory. It had been almost two years ago and I didn’t bother adding that the sparring he’d stumbled into one night at the Summit had been my dad and I goofing off with Luke and Dante. Or that Luke had been drunk and stumbled, and that was the only reason I was able to pin him.
Luke told me to take the win. If he was too drunk to handle himself, that was on him and not a reflection on my own skills.
Luke had been the best fighter I’d ever met as a man and a wolf. He invited Rhodes and me up to Brooks Ridge every year to hang out with Dante and Ryder, but also to train with them. My favorite memories were when he had taught us how to fight. If I won tomorrow a lot of it would be because of Luke Davis.
Pretty fucking ironic that he wasn’t here because of the man I needed to kill tomorrow to save us all.
“There’s no fault in knowing your limits as an Alpha,” Nikolai said quietly, clapping a firm hand on Griffin’s shoulder. It sounded like something my dad would’ve said.
I felt Griffin’s wince, though. Admitting I was the stronger Alpha couldn’t have been easy.
“We should go in,” Griffin said, turning away and heading for the front door.
53
Skye
Dinner was a quiet affair. Griffin’s mother, Bernie, had been a gracious host, but Griffin was right; she was completely ignorant of what was happening under her own roof. She ate up Damien’s smiles and compliments, even going as far to reprimand Griffin like he was a kid when he didn’t act the part of a gracious Alpha host.
Griffin had nearly broken his wine glass when Bernie commented that his father had never been so disrespectful to visiting Alphas.
Oddly enough, my dad was the person who made everything bearable, easily deflecting comments and navigating the vicious undertow of the conversation. He charmed Bernie and even tempered Damien and Trace a few times before things could spiral into becoming ugly.
I tried to follow his lead, focusing on complimenting Bernie and outright ignoring Damien and Trace as they sat across from me. I even managed not to react when Bernie asked Damien about his mate and he casually dropped that he had already filed for divorce.
Damien and Trace had taken up the empty guest rooms in the Alpha house, which was fine. Griffin tossed his car keys to Remy when we were finished so Remy could drive us to the hotel where our pack was.
Nikolai hesitated at the front doors of the hotel after Remy parked the car.
“I’m going to head out and make sure the pack is all right,” he told me.
“Is that safe?” We were still deep in Windale territory, and I didn’t know how they would feel about a lone wolf running through their lands.
He held up his arm, the copper band Lulu had fashioned catching in the light. “They won’t even know I’m here. I want to make sure Alexei is ready in case we need him tomorrow.” His gray eyes shifted between us. “I trust you two can manage your way inside without incident?”
Remy nodded. “Yeah. Looks like Griffin’s guys are in the lobby, keeping our packs separate.”
I looked through the glass doors leading to the lobby and realized there were a dozen or so men hanging out in the seating area by the front desk.
“Very well. I will see you both in the morning.” He started to turn away.
“Dad?” I said hesitantly, stepping away from Remy’s side.
My father looked back at me with a strange smile on his face. “Yes, little wolf?”
“Thank you,” I told him. “For … everything. I don’t think we could have done this without you.”
He smiled down at me, his gaze soft. “Of course you could have. But I’ll admit I’m enjoying watching you own your power. Anything of mine you desire, you need only ask.”
I sucked in a breath and closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms around him. He hugged me back, his powerful arms wrapping around me like steel bands that would shelter me from the coming storm.
He released me after a second. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I replied quietly, moving back as he turned and jogged away. I watched until his frame melted into the shadows.
Remy’s arms came around me from behind, pulling me back against his chest. I melted under his touch, letting my shoulders relax as his lips pressed against my claiming mark.
“I’m proud of you,” he murmured against my skin.
I scoffed lightly and turned in his arms so I could see his eyes. “What for?”
“I know what it took for you to open up and let him in,” he answered, lifting a hand to smooth the hair from my face. His fingertip traced my jaw and then my lips. “I’m proud of you for giving him a chance. For giving yourself a chance to have him in your life.”
“I’ve only known him for a week,” I replied, shaking my head. “But I trust him.”
“He’s your dad.”
I smiled. “Yeah. He is.”
“Let’s go figure out where our room is, and then I need to talk to Rhodes.” He kissed the tip of my nose and claimed my hand with his, pulling me inside.
We checked in with the front desk and headed up to our room. Remy let me inside, and I waited, an odd combination of amused and concerned, as he checked the room to make sure no one was in there.
“I’ll be back in a bit,” he told me, kissing me soundly before he left.
I headed for the suitcase that had been brought up and took out a pair of comfortable pajamas before heading into the bathroom and taking the world’s longest shower. I let the hot water rain down on my neck and shoulders, easing some of the tension coiling my muscles into knots.
By the time I exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam, Remy was back and waiting for me on the edge of the bed, talking on the phone. He glanced up at me with a tired smile as I pulled the knot on my towel tighter against my chest.
“No, we’re good, Dad,” Remy said, watching as I came closer.
“Tell him I said hi,” I whispered.
“Skye says hey,” he relayed into the phone. He listened for a few more minutes. “I will. I love you, too. Bye.”
He hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed. “Dad says hi back.”
I stepped between his spread legs, my fingers running through his dark hair. “Everything okay with Rhodes?”
He nodded, his eyelids drooping as my nails
scratched his scalp. “Yeah. We’re all good.”
“Ten in the morning, right?” I asked, glancing at the clock on one of the bedside tables. It was after 9 p.m. now. That only gave us a little over twelve hours before the challenge.
Remy nodded. His knuckles dragged up the backs of my legs until they reached the towel. He fingered the edge of the material.
“You need to get some rest,” I whispered, wanting him to be as ready as possible.
He made a sound in the back of his throat. “I’m too wired to sleep. So much is riding on tomorrow.”
I grabbed his hair a little harder and forced him to look up at me. His dark eyes were tight with worry.
My head tipped to the side as I studied him. “Guess I’ll have to wear you out a little first then.”
The exhaustion in his gaze slowly burned away, replaced by hunger as he looked at my mouth. His hands reached for the front of my towel, and his grin turned wolfish when I didn’t stop him from easily pulling the material from my body.
“I love the way you think,” he murmured roughly, leaning forward to kiss my hip as he dragged a hand up the inside of my thigh.
With a sigh, I stepped out of reach. “No.”
He blinked at me and then frowned. “No?”
“I said you needed to be worn out,” I elaborated with a saucy grin.
“Oh, do I?”
“You do,” I said firmly, my eyes raking over his form. I licked my lips, my breath catching as I squeezed my thighs together, the sudden surge of arousal making me clench around nothing.
I swallowed roughly. “Strip.”
His eyes flared with heat a second before he stood up, his body brushing against mine intentionally. His shirt was first, revealing a playground meant only for me that made my mouth water.
I resisted the urge to touch him, to map the ridges and planes and muscles I knew so well.
His pants went next, simultaneously with his boxers. He kicked them off, grinning as I devoured him with my eyes. The thickening length aimed directly at me was making my brain fritz out.
With a low chuckle, Remy reached for me.
I planted my hands on his chest—God, I loved his chest—and shoved. He fell back into the bed with a laugh that abruptly ended when I sank to my knees in front of him.
Legacy (Blackwater Pack Book 3) Page 45
