Page 26 of Why Cruise

A rough hand grabbed my arm, yanking me right out of my chair and into a pudgy chest. The sliver-haired alpha from the pool deck swayed over me. Drunk still or again. And he had no control over his aura, it practically swallowed me, making my legs numb.

“Time for that drink, sweetheart. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

The playful atmosphere at our table evaporated. Justice’s spring morning scent went sharp as pine needles. Ren’s spice turned acrid. But it was Theo who reached me first, his coconut scent wrapping around me like armor.

“I think,” I said, my voice shaking only a little, “you should invest in some impulse control classes.” The words came out wobbly, but I lifted my chin. “Very discreet these days, I hear.”I cringed at failing to pull off Theo’s classy verbal defense. He squeezed my hand hard.

The alpha’s face twisted. “Listen here, you little…”

“Take your hand off of what’s not yours.” Justice’s voice was winter frost.

“Before I remove it from your arm.” Ren’s growl wasn’t playful anymore.

Their combined auras pressed down like a thunderstorm. The drunk alpha’s grip loosened. I stumbled back into Theo’s steady embrace.

“Just trying to be friendly.” The alpha’s bravado crumbled as Justice and Ren both rose from their chairs. “No need to…”

“Leave.” One word from Justice, backed by Ren’s deadly smile, and the alpha practically tripped over himself, retreating. Every head in the dining room turned toward us. I glimpsed Rose and her mean girls whispering behind their hands.

I was trembling, but not from fear. Anger bubbled up, foreign and fierce.How dare he? How dare he try to…

“Well,” Justice said, his voice gentle again. He gathered a selection of plates in his giant hands. “I think dessert would be better on deck.” He nodded at the bottle of Chrysanthemum Moon. “Bring that. And glasses.”

Theo jumped, like he’d gotten an electric shock, and tucked the wine under his arm and threaded wine glass stems through his fingers.

“Bob, it’s been… educational.” Ren said as a stand in for a goodby.

“You did good.” Theo whispered in my ear, as he swept by to fall in with Justice. I followed and turned back for Ren.

He twirled the ring on his thumb. When his eyes met mine, there was deep pain and guilt that made my throat tight.

“Coming?” I held a hand out to him. He took it, his eyelids fluttering for a second.

“You lead, I’ll follow,” he said, the playful teasing back in his voice but seeming somehow hollow.

Ren held my fingertips lightly, tracing circles with his thumb. He dropped my hand once we made it onto the deck. I shivered from the chill. The chill from the ocean breeze. And absolutely not from losing contact with this alpha.

Theo

The wine made everything soft around the edges. It was delicious. I didn’t know much about wine. I lived alone, ate alone. Wine always seemed like a waste when you only needed a half cup for cooking.

Mackenzie passed out forks, and busied herself with the plate of chocolate lava cake, making sure we each got a forkful. I took a bite to be polite. No, to be included.

I watched Ren’s shoulders tense as someone caught his eye across the deck. It wasn’t the tall alpha woman from this afternoon. It was a scruffy-looking kid. Well, not a kid, but he was younger than me. Ren muttered something under his breath that sounded like a curse.

“I need to…” He gestured vaguely. “I’m sorry, excuse me.” He trailed fingers down the back of Mackenzie’s arm before stepping away.

Justice’s eyes followed Ren’s retreat, his face darkening for a moment before he turned to lean against the rail. The line of his back was rigid as he took a long drink of wine.

“So.” Mackenzie nudged me with her elbow. “Justice Twill, huh?”

“Shhhh.” I felt my face heat. Hopefully, our whispers would be swept away by the wind.

“Oh please. I bet you were Googling him under the table.”

“I was not.” I absolutely was.

She grinned. “You know, I think this cake needs whipped cream. We left it at the table.” She stood with exaggerated casualness, her voice louder than it needed to be. “I’m just going to pop back to the dining room. To get whipped cream. For the cake.”

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