Page 112 of Why Cruise

“The VIP pool does.”

“You have your own pool?” Mackenzie leaned towards me.

“So we don’t have to associate with the riffraff.” I winked and sipped my coffee.

She gasped and put her hand to her chest. “Are we riffraff?”

“No, you are gold, baby.”

We decided on mini golf over cabanas. They went back to their room to change before meeting me up on the Games Deck.

I stood there in the shade, back to the wall, using every ounce of willpower I had not to throw an alpha overboard as Daryl and his pack strutted around schmoozing.

“How’s Mackenzie?” I felt Ren before he even spoke. He settled in next to me. His posture was much more relaxed than mine.

I knew he wasn’t talking about the morning after glow. This was about the spa. She had whispered it, but I knew he had heard it too by how his aura had gone all… spikey.

“It wasn’t a panic attack like I…” I cracked my neck. I could barely say the words “panic attack” without having one. “It’s like she doesn’t know how to deal with complex emotions.”

“We could kill him. I know a guy.”

I snorted. He probably did.

“CEOs don’t murder ex-alphas.”

“Oh, they most certainly do, Mr. Twill.”

“Shit.” I nodded across the deck. Mackenzie and Theo stepped out of the stairwell. She had on the hat I got her and Theo’s sunglasses. They had their heads together, whispering. I had said to meet by the rock wall, which would put them on a collision course with that pack.

“Knocking off the whole pack might be tricky, but I doubt they’d be missed.”

We both pushed off the wall at the same time, walking closer to the rock wall. Hopefully, the pack would continue over to the batting cages and they’d do the two ships passing thing.

Nope. That would not be our luck today. Daryl headed right for her. Ren and I walked faster, but we still had to watch his sad attempt at a hug. She had her arms folded across her chest and did not hug back.

“C’mon baby girl, make a different choice.” Ren whispered.

And that was the thing. Shit didn’t tend to go well when an alpha influenced a major life choice for an omega. Mackenzie was living that out right now.

We got close enough to hear her say, “I’m still mad at you, Daryl.”

“Not ideal, but we can work with it.” Ren muttered.

It wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes, either.

“Are you trying to ruin our vacation?” Daryle cajoled.

“We can talk later.” That’s when she saw us. She brought her attention back to Daryl, real fear on her face. He saw us too.

“Keep your money and your knot off my omega!” He made a show of lunging so his pack lead could hold him back.

“Too late for that,” Ren said under his breath.

“Did you get your banter as well as your swagger from a porno?” All eyes swung to Theo. It took their wee alpha brains a couple heartbeats to register that the insult came from an omega. Daryl rounded on Theo.

“Justice! Did you say we’d climb the rock wall?” Mackenzie said with false brightness and tugged Theo with her to join us.

“Now, that is the funniest shit I’ve heard all day.” Daryl cackled. “You wouldn’t make it two feet without breaking a nail and crying.”

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