it into the bed with me. Clicking the power button, I smiled when I saw five text messages, one from Remy and one from Mom, the other three were unnamed contacts. It wasn’t hard to guess who they were when I scrolled through the text.
MESSAGE (UNKNOWN NUMBER): Larkin and I are going to see if Ainsley wants to be our new bestie if we don’t hear from you today.
I rolled my eyes at Katy’s message. Such a drama queen, but I totally owed both of my best friends a call.
MESSAGE (UNKNOWN NUMBER): I know you’re probably super busy, but I just wanted to let you know we love you and miss you. And Rhodes wants me to remind you that you need to get your butt back here at the end of the week.
Of course Rhodes would make Larkin relay a message, and I didn’t doubt the beta who had become like a brother to me would follow Remy straight to Russia to get me if I wasn’t home when they wanted.
MESSAGE (UNKNOWN NUMBER): It’s Dimitri. Just realized you didn’t have my number. Text when you wake up if you want a personal escort to breakfast.
Yeah, an escort would be needed since odds were I would get lost trying to find my way back. Maybe after I got done talking to Elias, I could poke around this palatial estate and see what I could find out about my—
About Nikolai.
I brushed a lock of hair off my cheek and read the next message.
MOM: I love you, Skye.
That message warmed my heart. I missed my mom. Yeah, there was a lot currently hanging unsaid between us, but she was my mom and the only source of support I’d had most of my life. I didn’t stop loving her just because she omitted a few crucial details.
The last message made my heart pound.
REMY: Call me when you wake up, babe. I need to talk to you.
Anxiety tangled with the always present longing that coursed in my blood as I opened his contact info, selecting the video chat option. I could have called, but I needed to see him.
I winced as my face filled the screen while waiting for him to pick up. I should’ve at least brushed my hair or something because I looked freaking exhausted and my hair was a wreck. I frantically smoothed it down as best as I could before he answered.
It only took the span of a few heartbeats before he picked up.
“What’s wrong?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before he could say anything.
Remy’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Hi, babe. I miss you, too.”
I sighed and back-tracked. “Hi, babe. I miss you, I love you. What’s wrong?”
“Hang on,” he said, the phone’s screen darkened as he walked through a barely lit hall. A second later, the light came on and he sank into a chair.
“Are you in your dad’s office?” My nose wrinkled as I looked around behind him. I had only been in his dad’s office a few times in the days leading up to the Summit. Gabe and Remy had wanted to prepare me for what was to come.
Oddly enough, a bombing wasn’t something we covered.
“Yeah.” His eyes looked around the room, a small frown pulling down the delectable corners of his mouth. “I’ve been using it for meetings.”
“Wow,” I replied, a little stunned. “But seriously, what’s going on? Your text was pretty cryptic.”
“Couple things,” he said, his tone firming as he settled into Alpha-mode. “I spoke with the Alpha of Stone Valley. They’re planning to join us. We also have six other packs who plan to do the same, including Windale.”
“Griffin’s pack?” That surprised me. After Blackwater and Norwood, Windale had the largest pack in the United States.
“Norwood has done a really good job of isolating them in Illinois,” he replied bitterly. “If they waited much longer, they would be completely on their own. Stone Valley felt the same way.”
“I just can’t believe Stone Valley agreed,” I murmured. “I figured they would be dead set against us after what happened with Mom.”
“They were at first,” Remy agreed, breathing deeply, “but the enemy of my enemy and all.”
“Right.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “Did you tell my mom about it?”
He nodded, his expression shifting into something I couldn’t quite read.
“What?” I pressed curiously, feeling the sudden tension in him.
“Your mom said something,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t even know what it meant, but it’s been bothering me