Page 16 of Omega for the Pack

“Now you have a date for tomorrow’s wedding ceremony,” said Lori. “I talked with the hot captain while I ate lunch upstairs.”

“That’s good,” I said, lost in my hazy thoughts.

“Look at us finally getting out of our shells,” she said. “So what’s your man like?”

“He’s not my man,” I protested. “But I agree he’s hot. I don’t know if he thinks this is serious or just a little fling.”

“Just have fun on the trip,” said Lori. “No expectations. Flirt and have fun. That’s what I’m doing.”

“What are you wearing for the wedding tomorrow?”

“I don’t know,” said Lori, and I chuckled.

We laughed and talked about her cousin. The wedding. And her cousin again, and how much Lori disliked her. I munched on potato chips since I was starting to feel a little sick from the ship rocking on the waters.

“I think I should call my mom,” I said, throwing the empty bag of chips into the bin. I looked out the little window above us, seeing the twinkling stars. I felt like I missed my parents a little, and they were probably freaking out since I had never spent the night away from home.

“Maybe you should,” said Lori. “I cut my mom off years ago, but I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“Alright then,” I said, grabbing my phone.

I dialed my mom’s number, my heart pounding.

“Please leave a message after the tone,” greeted the voicemail.

“Hey, Mom,” I said. “I’m on the cruise now, and I just wanted to say that I’m safe. Okay, bye.”

I hung up. I had never defied my parents like this—well, not to this extreme. I wondered for a second if my mom ignored thecall on purpose, but I dismissed the negative thoughts. I didn’t want to feel down right now after my high with Grant.

“At least you called,” said Lori. “No need for you to feel guilty anymore, knowing you.”

“Haha, very funny,” I said, grabbing a towel and heading to the bathroom.

I needed to shower and get clean. I felt guilty in other ways. Letting a man touch me for the first time was one of those.

I scrubbed my body with the white loofah, covering my body with bubbly soap. I was aching again between my legs as the loofah brushed over my skin. My skin was warm down there and sensitive to any touch. I was a horny mess right now. Grant had relieved some of it, but I could feel an emptiness that needed to be filled.

Like a hollow feeling in my belly.

I quickly rinsed all the soap off, trying to think of other things instead. He said he was an alpha and that I was naturally inclined to him. It seemed a little weird, but it had me once again turned on at the thought. It felt nice to have someone understand me, and I didn’t feel so alone in my struggle to figure out what I was. I was determined to find out more about what I was and where our people truly came from.

After my shower,I decided to stroll above deck and enjoy this vacation a little bit. I wasn’t prepared for the crisp breeze outside as I only wore a pink tank top and shorts. Probably not the wisest choice of clothes.

I had left Lori asleep in the cabin. The stars littered the night sky, and the dark waves of the ocean sparkled. Exploring the deck of the ship, I admired wedding decorations and thegrand pillars erected in every corner. There were still quite a few people out at night having a good time. I held onto the railing as I looked out at the peaceful waters. I gazed into the oblivion of the water, imagining sharks swimming underneath us.

“Enjoying the view?” asked a voice from my left.

Startled, I turned my head and saw Grant. He was also leaning against the railing, but his eyes were on me.

“You scared me,” I said softly.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked, his attention completely zeroed in on me. Every time I was in his presence, the energy was super intense. It was never light.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Are you enjoying the trip?”

“Apart from breaking up fights and dealing with crazy people- everything’s dandy,” he joked, and I smiled. “How are you enjoying your trip so far?”

“Well, it just started,” I said, turning my attention back to the water. The ship suddenly rocked, and I stumbled. His arm snaked around my waist, holding me snugly against his warm body.“You’re warm.”