“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “My grandmother arranged to have my mom raped by the guy who spawned one of the kids who made my life hell so that it would break her bond to Nikolai. And then my uncle thought she should live that whore lifestyle she clearly wanted and started passing her around like a party favor to the pack and people who visited.”
They both stared at me, stunned and horrified, for several moments.
“Yeah, that’s worse than what I thought,” Larkin murmured after a second, biting her lower lip.
Katy looked deeply disturbed, her jaw still hanging open. “Her mother did that?”
I nodded mutely.
“What a sweaty-ball licking cuntbag,” Katy hissed, looking as pissed off as I felt.
I cracked a smile. “Yeah.”
“You’re uncle is here, right?” Her brown eyes gleamed with sudden interest. “I say we tie him up and let your Mom and aunt go all apeshit on his ass. Literally.”
“You and Nikolai need to curb your homicidal tendencies,” I muttered, still smiling. “Linden may still be valuable.”
“Maybe as a piñata,” she retorted archly.
Larkin snorted. “I’m with Katy. The guy’s an asshole, and we’ll all feel safer when he’s a dead asshole.”
“But right now he’s still a potentially useful asshole,” I remarked, shaking my head. “He’s friends with Damien. And my uncle is slimy enough to sell him out and give up his secrets to save his own ass.”
“Secrets like where Maren is,” Katy said grimly, flinching.
I nodded reluctantly. “Yeah. Katy, I wish there was a way to get her back today.”
“No, I get it,” Katy replied, forcing a tight smile. “But at least I know she isn’t … suffering. Or being hurt. Not like you or Bella or your mom, I mean.”
“Shit,” I muttered. “Bella. I didn’t even think to tell her that her dad is here.”
“You think she’ll want to see him?” Larkin asked incredulously.
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. Bella and I had left things in a pretty good place when I left for the Summit, but I also knew she struggled a lot with growing up a Daddy’s girl and then ultimately being cast aside like garbage when Cassian and his friends attacked her.
Maybe she would want closure, or maybe she would rather never see him again. Either way, she deserved to know and get answers from him if that’s what she wanted.
If she also wanted to walk right up and slap him across the face, I was good with that, too.
“How’s your mom?” Larkin asked gently, changing the subject away from my uncle and imminent bloodshed.
I shrugged helplessly. “Sort of a wreck and sort of relieved? She asked to talk to Nikolai alone for a few minutes.”
“And how are you?” Leave it to Larkin to approach my mental well-being with the utmost grace and kindness.
“Glad to be home,” I answered honestly.
Her lips curled into a grin. “We missed you. So much.”
“Yeah, can you retire from the whole being kidnapped thing? It’s really stressful on the rest of us,” Katy chimed in.
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. I’ll make sure to stop being kidnapped. For you.”
“Thanks, girl,” Katy said, ignoring my sarcasm.
Chuckling, I leaned against the wall. “So, Remy wouldn’t tell me exactly what I need to do today. Anything special with all these people coming here to join us?”
Katy snorted. “More like swear fealty or some other medieval bullshit.”
“You don’t approve?” I blinked, surprised.
“Oh, no,” she said quickly, “I absolutely approve. We need all the help we can get to stop Norwood and everyone who thinks and acts like them. Starting with your piece of shit uncle. If these people joining us will help stamp them out, then I’m one hundred percent on board. It’s just likely going to be a lot of posturing and pageantry. These guys are old school.”
“Which means?” My brow knitted together in confusion.
“Which means you’ll basically stand at Remy’s side like a pretty little trophy while the men handle the business end of things,” she finished wryly.
“That sounds positively demeaning.”
I whirled at the new voice, stunned to see Nikolai had approached silently and was watching us intently.
“Um,” I stammered, looking from my friends back to him. “This is Katy and Larkin.”
Nikolai stepped into the dining room with a smile. “Skye speaks highly of both of you.”
“And we think the world of her,” Katy said sharply. “So try not to take her from us again, okay?”
“I didn’t take her at all,” Nikolai replied, almost amused.
Katy’s smile turned glacial. “You sent your heir to do it. Same thing.”
“I think what Katy means,” Larkin started, stepping forward and keeping her tone soft and peaceful, “is thank you for protecting Skye and bringing her back home.”
Nikolai inclined his head towards her. “You must be Larkin. The peacemaker, I believe is how my daughter referred to you.”
And there went that happy little spark of warmth seeping into my heart at being called his daughter.
He turned to Katy. “Which would make you Katy. The most ferociously loyal person my daughter has ever met.”
Even Katy preened at that, the ice melting from her features.
“I appreciate you both for what you’ve done for Skye.” His sharp gaze turned to me. “But you are my daughter. You should never be viewed as a simple trophy at your mate’s side.”
There was no missing the slight disgust he tacked onto the word mate.
My back stiffened, my wolf immediately offended that he would insinuate anything bad about Remy.
“She’s not my trophy,” Remy said, speaking before I could. He glared at Nikolai as he and Rhodes entered the room. He came and stood at my side, his hand settling on the small of my back.
“No, she isn’t,” Nikolai agreed, eyeing Remy curiously.
Rhodes moved in, standing in front of Larkin, instincts driving him to protect her.
“This is Rhodes,” I said, nodding to my friend. “He’s Remy’s beta. One of my best friends.”
“Charmed,” Nikolai greeted coolly.
“I’ll just bet you are,” Rhodes muttered darkly.
“Is there something you needed, Nikolai?” Remy asked, folding his arms across his chest.
I tried to ignore the way the soft cotton of his shirt pulled tight around the muscles in his arms and back.
Tried, and failed.
A single night wasn’t enough for me. Maybe a lifetime with those arms wrapped around me would start to satiate the intense need I had for him.
“Yes, I wanted to let you know I plan on joining your festivities tonight.” He smiled at Remy, his gray eyes holding a secret that made me suspicious.
Remy scoffed under his breath. “You want to join us? Why? I mean, I get that you’re here for Skye. You’ve brought people for Skye. I appreciate that, I do. But what’s happening tonight is Alphas and representatives giving up their packs to join us.”
A small smile toyed on Nikolai’s lips. “I’m well aware of that, Alpha.”