Page 5 of Lion's Crossing

While I was hungry, I could not eat right away with my anxiety-induced upset stomach. Until we started moving again, I refused to snack on anything. And the line to the bathroom was still longer than I cared to chance. With the edge of the cart barely visible, I leaned closer to Linc to see what was available for later.

“What do you mean the food costs money?” an alpha shouted from the seat in front of us. “It’s your fault we’re stuck here. The least you can do is give us food to compensate for the delay.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but—”

The attendant didn’t have time to finish his sentence before chaos broke out all around us. Packaged peanuts, bagels, and other unidentifiable food flew into the air around us while passengers dove over seats to grab it. Bottled water rolled down the aisles, while some were trampled in the turmoil, sending sprays of wetness all over the coach.

I leaned into my seat, trying not to get involved in any of the commotion. Suddenly, Linc reached for me and pulled me ontohim. With the movement, my glasses fell off into my lap. I went to reach for them, but another passenger dove headfirst into my seat. The man righted himself, his feet and arms seeming to be everywhere in the process before he left just as quickly as he’d arrived. But Linc wasn’t so fast to let go of me. He held my head against his chest, and I couldn’t help but catch his aroma. His scent blockers must have worn off during the trip because I would have noticed a smell like that earlier. Like maple syrup and brown sugar. The same as the oatmeal I liked to eat. A comfort food. While I’d tried to ignore my hunger, being so close to him aroused an appetite for something else. My deer twitched inside, attentive around an alpha for the first time in my entire life. I didn’t want to move, yearned to stay in his lap forever.

I made the mistake of nuzzling into him, and that’s when he let go of me. He didn’t toss me back into my seat, but gently helped me off his lap and handed me my glasses. “Are you okay?”

I nodded as I put my glasses back on, too scared of what would come out of my mouth if I tried to say anything.

“Sorry for grabbing you like that.” Linc rolled his shoulders. “But I caught his reflection in the window and didn’t want him to land on you.”

“Thank you.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down from being so close to him. “I…I appreciate it. He would have hurt me.”

Linc snorted. “Yes, he would have.” After rubbing his hands across his lap, he glanced up and down the aisle. “I have an idea. That is, if I can get to my bags.”

I had no clue what he meant, but I worried I’d done something wrong while in his lap with how quickly he seemed to want to leave.

Chapter Six

Linc

I had to get away. I needed to leave my seat and move far away from the omega. Having him in my lap and protecting him from the flying passenger had awakened feelings I tried hard to suppress for so long. As a rookie pop star, I’d fallen for too many of the omegas who claimed they loved me. Turned out, they wanted status or fifteen minutes of fame. NDAs usually took care of those people, but I had others who wanted to make me their baby’s daddy, promising me they were on blockers until they were tested for them. I was left jaded by all those omegas and the whole process of having to vet a lover before I could be intimate with them. But Knox was different. So different.

I’d talked to him first, and been the one to initiate such close contact, even if it was to protect him. Even when I told him I was famous, he didn’t seem impressed by it, instead choosing to talk about where we’d both grown up. My status meant nothing to him. I felt I could finally relax on the train. My lion wanted me to get closer to Knox. He yearned for me to take the omega into the bathroom and make him mine. I didn’t need a mate in my life, and he didn’t seem interested in one, either. Feelings for an omega would only cause me to lose focus in the studio when I was supposed to produce an album for other artists. Sure, lust and longing were great for the next time I decided to produce my own album, but probably not the message young omegas wanted to get across.

“I’ll be right back.” I had no idea whether Knox heard me, hadn’t even looked at him, but thought it rude if I left without saying anything.

As soon as the aisle cleared, I headed toward the baggage compartment. My dad had sent me home with all kinds of bakedgoods and snacks from the store, claiming I didn’t eat enough in the big city. The food would be perfect to hand out to those in the coach who didn’t get anything to munch on after the cart was raided. The attendant had yanked the empty cart back in the direction he’d come from, but only after losing most of its contents in the madness. I probably should have helped him, but at that time, my only focus had been ensuring Knox’s safety. I hadn’t even thought about anything else going on around me. Hadn’t been able to. My alpha instinct had concentrated solely on protecting the omega beside me. I tried to shake off thoughts of him, but for some reason, he remained stuck in my mind.

Since I’d been the last to board the coach, my bags remained accessible. I found the one my dad had packed for me and brought it back to my seat. With something to focus on, I hoped it would be easier to ignore Knox’s scent and my lion’s desire for him.

Once I sat down, I took a deep breath. Big mistake. More vanilla and raspberries. My lion chuffed, indicating his frustration with my refusal to woo Knox. If the train didn’t start moving, I would be on the entertainment news for having an anxiety attack on board.

I zipped open the bag and tossed some of the pre-packaged food on Knox’s lap. “Please, help me hand this stuff out. Try to avoid those who stole food from the cart.” Probably a big imposition for an omega in a train with a bunch of alphas, but I preferred to keep the tension inside under control so I didn’t have to risk pulling him into my arms again.

Taking the bag with me, I headed to the far end of the coach. I tried to sneak the food to the passengers without others noticing, but someone had to make a special request.

“Excuse me, do you have anything that is sugar-free? I’m on a diet.”

“Sorry, I don’t. Just handing out snacks I had in my luggage. I don’t work for the train.” The omega in the seat didn’t seem to need to be on a diet. If they didn’t want a snack, I could care less.

“Aww, aren’t you sweet.” He smiled, showing off his bleached-white teeth as he reached for my hand. “Hey, aren’t you Linc from FNL?”

I pulled back, anxious to move on. “Just a doppelganger. Trying to be nice by handing out food since we’ve all been on board for so long.”

The next few rows, I didn’t stop to chat with anyone, only caught a quick glance to ensure no one bothered Knox as he handed out food and to see if those in my section already had something to eat, then tossed a snack at anyone who didn’t. If they wanted to exchange food, they could switch with their neighbors. I didn’t need anyone to recognize me or message paparazzi that I was on board and handing out junk food. Or some worse accusation to make headlines. The entertainment media often found a way to twist kind acts into something sinister.

When I returned to my seat, Knox was already there, rubbing his hands across his lap.

“What’s wrong?” I hoped no one had hurt him somehow. My lion growled at the thought.

He chewed on the corner of his lip. “I didn’t keep anything for myself. I didn’t think I was hungry, but now I am.” With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat.

My lion calmed, and I opened my bag to reveal the snacks I still had. “Take whatever you want. And make sure you drink, too. Because if anything happens to you, I’ll have to smash open the doors and run you to the nearest hospital myself.”

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