“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,” Nikolai 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.”