Chapter 33

33

T he door to the club closing shoved an extra burst of panic fueled adrenaline through my veins. I wrenched my body away from Preston, remembering a move Remy had taught when we first started sparring.

I hooked my leg behind his ankle, letting the momentum of my body twisting away from him send him off balance.

Preston let me go to catch himself on the brick of the wall.

It gave me enough time to put a couple feet between us. Enough time to look around and realize we were tucked behind the dumpsters. The small alley dead-ended a few feet to my right, and the opening with almost a hundred yards to my left. Even if I turned and ran, Preston was fast. He could catch me.

I could scream, but who knew what type of attention that would bring? The last thing I needed was a human stepping in the middle of a shifter fight.

Pale yellow light glowed from the lights on the side of the building as he glared at me, but for the first time in possibly my entire life, I wasn’t scared of Preston Loomis.

I was fucking furious.

“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, every muscle in my body drawing tight and readying for a brawl.

His eyes narrowed. “I told you. I wanted to talk. Without your shadow around.”

Remy .

He was going to lose his mind.

“There’s absolutely nothing left for you to say to me,” I spat, my wolf alert and begging to be unleashed.

“Oh, come on, Skye-baby.”

I hated that nickname. His dad had always used it when he saw me.

“Don’t,” I growled, my hands curling into fists.

“Or what?” His grin grew, his eyes lit with perverse joy as he taunted me.

My glare turned feral. “Why don’t you ask your brother or what ?”

He froze, shock glazing his eyes and slackening his jaw for a split second before the sparks of fury caught fire and ignited.

“You stupid little bitch,” he hissed. “I was going to offer you a chance to make this right.”

“Make what right?” I snapped.

He took a menacing step forward. “Take back your claims. Get your ass back to Long Mesa and maybe we’ll be lenient. Maybe we won’t eviscerate your boyfriend and his family before dragging your mom and the others back home where you belong.” Hate and lust churned in his eyes. “Maybe we won’t let the entire pack won’t run a train on the four of you.”

I choked on a laugh even as fear spiked in my gut. “Are you out of your mind? Not a chance in hell, Preston.” I lifted my chin a notch. “And I’m pretty sure my mate can take care of himself.”

“Don’t be stupid, Skye. A lot of people are going to get hurt if you don’t shut your mouth and act like a good little wolf.”

“A lot of people have already been hurt!” I retorted. “My mom? Bella? Maisie?”

He licked his lips. “And how is little Bella doing?”

I shrugged, not taking the bait. “Great. Loves her new pack. You know, less psychos and rapists in Blackwater.”

The cruelty in his smile was breathtaking. “I can’t wait to have her back. She was so pretty when she cried. Almost as pretty as you, but she broke too fast, too soon. I love a girl with fight. Still, it was a pity we had to let her go.”

“ Let her go?” I laughed, the sound caustic and bitter. “She escaped, same as me.”

He smirked at me. “Escaped? You think we didn’t lock shit down after you and your mommy ran? Bella and her cunt of a mother only got out because we said so.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, cautiously keeping a healthy distance between us.

He angled his head, his eyes almost glittering with energy. It rolled off of him in manic, cloying waves. “Your uncle was getting a little too full of himself. Dad had to remind of who was in charge. We knew fucking with Bella would set Zara off. She ran right up to her little sister... and you .”

“That’s why Cassian gave her that message,” I murmured. Remy had wondered why Bella had been relaying a message to me. There was no way she could have known she would see me.

Unless they planned it.

Something he said bugged me. “What do you mean my uncle was full of himself? He’s your Alpha, right? Isn’t being an entitled asshole part of the Long Mesa Alpha package?”

Another smirk. “God, you’re so fucking stupid it’s almost cute.”

I growled.

His smile widened as he watched me. “You really think the Markham’s are in charge of Long Mesa? My dad has been handling everything for years. Your uncle is just a puppet. Jesus, even your grandpa contracted out your mom to be married to that prick from Stone Valley because everyone knew Linden Markham was too weak and short-sighted to be an Alpha. When that didn’t work? He started relying on my father to get shit done. Linden was too weak to handle.”

“I never saw your dad challenge him for the pack,” I shot back.

Another amused snort escaped him. “My dad has zero interest in being controlled by the Council. A bunch of geriatric, impotent Alphas who lost their packs. Dad’s vision is a little too... hedonistic for their limited minds.” His teeth flashed as he smiled cruelly. “Dad and I are simply waiting for our time.”

“You’re disgusting,” I seethed, shaking my head. “I’m going to enjoy telling the Council every single thing you did to me.”

His teeth flashed as he sucked in a sharp breath. “And I’m really going to enjoy watching every single person in the pack welcome you and your whore of a mother home.” He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully as his gaze swept down me.

I resisted the urge to shiver as it felt like bugs crawled across every inch of me he studied.

Preston licked his lips. “I like the weight you’ve put on. You were always too skinny.”

Oh, and whose fault was that? Starving hadn’t been something I signed up for.

“You’ve filled in a lot of places I can’t wait to put my teeth on.”

I would die before he put anything of his on me.

“Even Dad might give me some competition for you now that you look like your mom. My dad definitely misses her.”

The small control I had snapped. I stepped forward, my right arm swinging before I could think.

With a grin, Preston grabbed my wrist, anticipating the blow with a dark laugh.

He didn’t see my left hook coming.

I barely felt the pain as my knuckles collided with his jaw, snapping his head to the side.

Remy would’ve been proud.

With a roar, he spun me around, bending my wrist and hurling me against the brick. My back hit the unforgiving wall first, my head cracking against the brick hard enough that light flashes burst across my vision.

Any momentary joy I felt at landing a solid blow to his face was immediately replaced by terror when he raised a fist. I closed my eyes, bracing for the punch and praying I wouldn’t lose consciousness.

The blow never came.

I opened my eyes, gasping and blinking against blurry vision.

Preston was on the ground several feet from me, and someone was standing between us. His growl echoed in the alley.

I squinted, trying to focus my unsteady gaze on the newcomer as Preston started picking himself up off the ground. He swayed on his feet a second before spitting out a mouthful of blood between him and my savior.

“Get the fuck out of here,” a deep voice snarled.

Preston grinned, holding his hands up in surrender. Blood stained his teeth. “It’s all good, man. I was just catching up with a packmate. You know how it is.”

Another warning growl rumbled out of his chest.

Still smiling, Preston turned and sauntered away, whistling as he went.

“Are you okay?” The guy in front of me turned.

My eyes narrowed.

“Daniel?” I tested his name on my lips, my head still ringing.

“Yeah,” he said, grabbing my forearms and lowering his head to look me in the eye. “Jesus, Skye. What the hell happened?”

My thoughts were scrambled. “I don’t... What are you doing here?”

“Remy said you guys were heading here tonight, so I decided to come at the last minute. Where the hell is he?” Daniel looked around.

“Inside,” I muttered, reaching up to rub the back of my head. I winced when I felt the knot already forming at the base of my skull. “Ouch.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Okay, we need to get you insi—”

The side door slammed open before he could finish his sentence. Daniel was shoved aside and Remy was standing in front of me a second later, pulling me into his arms.

The small corner of the alley got even more crowded when Kace, Griffin, and Dante joined him.

Remy’s body vibrated with anger as he held me against him. “What the hell happened?”

My adrenaline started crashing, my entire body trembling. I could barely wrap my arms around Remy. “I... Preston was h-here.”

Why were my teeth chattering? It wasn’t even that cold.

“Shit, I think she’s going into shock,” Griffin murmured behind Remy.

Kace raked a hand through his hair, pale eyes wild. “I’m sorry, man. He shouldn’t have been able to get into the club at all.”

“Then how did he?” Dante demanded, his voice hard.

“The guy I had watching the security cameras is gone,” Kace snapped, jaw clenched. “He must have let him in. I don’t fucking know. Skye, I’m so sorry.”

“What the hell are you doing out here?” Griffin asked, stepping around Kace and glaring at Daniel.

“He helped me,” I said, my voice still wobbly. I cleared my throat and looked at Daniel. “Did I say thank you?”

“No need,” he replied, his brow creased with worry.

Remy leaned back, smoothing my hair away from my face so he could see my eyes. “Skye—”

“I’m okay,” I said softly, hating the spotlight on me. “He didn’t... I’m fine.”

“You might want to have her head checked,” Daniel added.

I tried to muster the energy to glare at him.

“He hit you?” Remy roared, eyes murderous.

“No,” I said, starting to shake my head. I stopped when pain lanced through my head. “I hit my head on the wall.”

“Yeah, that the asshole threw you into,” Daniel supplied with a snort.

“Not helping,” I snapped.

“Not trying to,” he retorted, green eyes flashing. “The only reason I didn’t rip him apart was there’s a line full of normals around the corner, and I don’t know the area well enough to bury a body.”

Remy’s eyes closed, and I got the distinct feeling he was a second from losing it.

I placed my hand on his cheek. “I’m really okay. I swear.”

His dark eyes opened, churning with intensity. Rage, fear, hate... He was a volatile molotov cocktail of emotions ready to explode.

“Can we just go?” I asked quietly. “Please? I’ll tell you everything that happened, but right now? I just want to go.”

His eyes searched mine before he gave a short nod.

“I’ll grab Tate and the car,” Dante said, waiting until Remy handed over the keys.

I dropped my head against Remy’s chest, my hand throbbing in time with my head. I flexed my finger, unable to stop a small hiss of pain from escaping my lips.

Remy caught my distress instantly, his eyes narrowing when he saw the way I was awkwardly holding my hand to my side. I was pretty sure it wasn’t broken, but I might have sprained it when I punched Preston’s stupid face.

Remy lifted my hand in his, his touch infinitely gentle.

“I punched Preston,” I admitted.

His gaze met mine, something that looked a lot like pride shining through.

Kace appeared over Remy’s shoulder, his expression grave. “I’m sorry, guys. More than you know.”

Remy could only nod, the arm around me tightening.

“Dante’s here,” Griffin said, jerking his head.

I lifted my head to see our SUV parked at the front entrance of the alley.

“Do you need a ride?” Remy asked Daniel.

Daniel shook his head. “No, I drove here. I’ll follow you guys back.”

Remy nodded once, tucking me into his side and heading for the car. He opened the back door for me. I climbed into the back seat, not surprised when he slid in next to me, wrapping his arms around me. Griffin sat in the middle, pulling the door closed.

Tate turned around from the passenger seat as Dante pulled the car away from the curb. She looked at me with big eyes, passing my jacket back to me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, taking the leather coat from Griffin and draping it over my lap like a blanket.. “I’m fine. Is Allie all right?”

“Yeah. She’s fine. Nero is with her,” Tate replied, biting her lower lip. “She said she’ll see you tomorrow if you’re up for it.”

I smiled weakly at her, settling in against Remy’s side as the car fell silent.

The drive back took slightly over an hour. No one spoke. The radio wasn’t turned on. At one point, Griffin pulled out his phone and sent off a few text messages, the glow from the phone illuminating the back of the SUV for a few moments.

Remy’s jaw was made of granite as we drove, his body cut from diamond, hard and impenetrable.

I touched his thigh, smoothed my palm down the soft denim of his jeans, my wolf driving my need to comfort our mate.

He blamed himself. It was written all over his face, and I hated that he was currently using himself as a mental punching bag.

Dante parked the car when we arrived back at the resort, cutting the ignition. No one moved to get out.

After a second, Dante opened his door. Tate and Griffin followed suit, opening their doors and getting out.

“Are we getting out, too?” I asked after he made no move to let me go.

Remy blinked and glanced down at me before slowly nodding once. His hold on me loosened enough for me to get out. Tate hugged me as I got out.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, letting me go as Remy got out and slammed the door hard enough to shake the car.

“Thanks,” I whispered, stepping away from her as Remy grabbed my hand and pulled me against him.

“Dante, can you go back? Tell my dad and Luke what happened. Tell them we’ll be there in a bit?” Remy’s voice was oddly calm, almost detached as he spoke.

“Yeah, of course,” Dante said, wrapping an arm around Tate and pulling her in the direction of our cabins.

Griffin shuffled back a step, holding up his phone. “I’ll call if I hear back from my guy with any info.”

Remy nodded, and we both watched as Griffin headed back to the lodge.

“Remy?”

“I need you to trust me,” he said softly, not looking at me.

Something in his tone jarred me.

“Of course I trust you.”

“Okay. Come with me.” Still holding my hand, he led us into the darkness towards the line of trees behind the cabins.

Our feet moved quietly, almost silently, through the grass as we walked.

The night sky was clear, the waning crescent moon casting a pale, hazy glow over the ground as we headed away from the lights of the cabins and the lodge. Only a few people were out, mostly Alphas talking by the lodge. Their voices grew softer the more distance we put between us and them.

Remy stopped just past the first row of trees.

“I need you to shift,” he told me quietly, letting my hand go.

I frowned. “What?”

He turned and looked at me. “I need you to show me exactly what happened tonight.”

Closing my eyes, I nodded and stepped back. I stripped off my jacket, dropping it onto the carpet of pine needles under my feet. Once I started taking off my boots, he joined me in silently undressing.

My heart was heavy as I finished taking my clothes off and surrendered my body to the change.

My wolf took over for us, letting me take a backseat to the events of the night. I waited until Remy’s wolf stood before me.

I don’t know how to let you see what happened, I admitted. I hadn’t ever meant for him to see the first memory I had shared.

Try . He leaned his forehead against mine, aligning the stars on our heads.

Two sides of the same coin.

I closed my eyes, dragging up the memory of the alley. I let it all in.

The panic at seeing Preston. The fear when he pulled me outside. The hate, the arguing.

I smiled, reliving the moment my fist made contact with his jaw, reveling in the snap of his neck and the shock in his eyes.

My head throbbed as I recalled my skull kissing the bricks, the confusion as Daniel appeared in front of me.

I let it all in. It must have worked, because Remy’s breathing changed. A low rumble started deep in his chest, turning into a full snarl by the time my memory saw him bursting through the side door.

The crushing relief of knowing Remy had found me was just as staggering in my memory as it had been in real time. I stepped forward, moving my head from his so I could wrap my neck around his, resting my chin on his shoulders.

See? I’m fine , I tried to reassure him.

Silence lingered in our bond for a heavy moment, and then...

Then I was in the club, panic a dagger slicing my chest as Kace told me... No, told Remy , that I was missing.

This was Remy’s memory playing out like a movie in my head.

The moment he realized I was gone. Running down the stairs so fast he completely jumped the last eight steps, landing deftly on his feet to the shock of the humans near the landing. Shoving through a crowd of dancers hard enough to knock two of them down.

Pushing through the side door and seeing me doubled over, Daniel holding me up. My face, ashen and drawn in the yellow alley light as my gaze connected to his.

Relief so potent it almost sent him to his knees.

I whimpered against him, pressing my body as close as I could. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to seek or offer comfort.

I thought I lost you again , his voice whispered in my head.

My wolf resisted me changing back at first, wanting the nearness of her mate, but we both wanted to comfort Remy and that was better done with human arms I could wrap around him.

Crouched in the dry leaves and dead pine needles, I wrapped my arms around him.

“I’m right here,” I whispered against his soft fur, burying my face in his neck.