Page 132 of Why Cruise

"That's up to you... Alpha."

I felt the word ring through his aura. Something flashed in his eyes. Something hard and dangerous. I smiled. He nodded.

"We're going to be okay," he said to convince himself.

He pushed on my shoulder, laying me flat and wrapped himself around my chest, burying his head in my neck. Our legs tangled.

"I'm so tired," he mumbled.

I traced lazy circles on his lower back. I could feel him drift off. Feel him. His aura went from prickly to silk.

"Mine," he whispered into my neck.

I listened to Justice's breathing even out, feeling his chest rise and fall against mine. His trust felt like a gift I hadn't earned, not yet. I would have given anything for this moment. Now that I had it, the weight of it threatened to crush me.

The pack bond burned between us. It was… freaky. I could always figure out what Justice was feeling but now… Ifeltit. Concern and confusion had swirled around him, messy like tie-dye. Now, I could sense his exhaustion easing, and beneath it? Contentment maybe? Hope? It had been a lifetime since I felt that myself, it was hard to recognize.

In my weak and pathetic moments, I’d allow myself to imagine a reunion. I’d beg on my knees and he would always walk away. I had no dreams or hopes a happily ever after, and now it was here. Nothing had prepared me for this—Justice wrapped around me like I was his anchor, not his betrayer.

The waves lapped gently against the yacht. I adjusted my position slightly to make Justice more comfortable. He murmured something unintelligible. This was familiar territory—me staying awake while he slept, keeping watch over him like when we were kids.

Tomorrow, we'd have to deal with Gaston and Catherine. Gaston was too dumb to realize he was beaten. Tomorrow, we'd have to figure out what was wrong with Theo's heat. Tomorrow, we'd have to discuss what Justice wants to do about Daryl.

But tonight? Tonight is mine, and this is all I want.

Theo

I was staring up at the ceiling when the clouds parted. That was the only way to describe it. When heat ended, all of a sudden the fog lifted and you got your brain back again. That deep aching well of need was finally satisfied.

Mackenzie stirred against me. She picked up her head and rested it on her arm. I kissed her forehead.

“Better?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think it’s over. Maybe a few more heat spikes.”

I stretched and every single cell in my body shared the tiny orgasm that rippled through me. Mackenzie sat up, placed her hands to either side of my head. I panted and looked down my chest. “Am I inside you still?” I asked.

“Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“I’ve never been on this side of cockwarming before,” I said, stroking my fingertips up the sides of her body.

A wicked smile spread across her face. “We can wake up every morning like this if we want to.”

I turned her face to the side and ran a finger down her bite mark.

“You really did it,” I said.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said, sitting all the way up. I moaned. “I got you your pack, Theo Evergreen. I, however, miscalculated slightly and did not think I would get bitten first.”

I laughed and hugged her and then looked around the room. “Where are they?”

“They’re sleeping up on the deck.” She sighed and snuggled into my chest.

“Oh, isn’t there another bedroom or something?” I asked, my eyes taking in the room and seeing it for real for the first time.

“So,” she said casually, picking her head up and resting it on her palm again, “it seems as if our drop dead sexy and illustrious pack lead is a little claustrophobic.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” I said, something tickling the back of my brain that just wouldn’t come together in the post-heat fuzziness.

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