by Joyee Flynn
“The big deal is we don’t have what you say you miss,” Galvin answered. “I see a hot guy and I take notice. You see a hot woman, and focus so intently you forget what you were saying. That’s what you did to Vencentio and why he blew up. He was asking if you needed anything else for the trip or help loading and a hot chick walks by and you completely ignore your own mate to stare at her.”
“I’m sorry. She was practically naked,” he growled. “I was seriously wondering how she got that thing that wasn’t really a bikini to stay in place.”
“Un-fucking-believable,” Vencentio whispered from the top of the stairs. “Yeah, that’s more important than what I was saying. And you’re also lying, Marlow. You forget that I can see what you’re thinking. That’s not all you were wondering about.”
“Look, I can’t help what I think and it’s not fair that I always have it held over my head because you can see more than you should be able to,” he snapped.
“Like a freak.”
“Yes!” Marlow’s eyes went wide. “No! You’re not a freak. I just sometimes want my thoughts to be my own. I can’t help that I saw the woman and wondered if she was bare everywhere. But it always causes a fight because you heard it. I feel like I’m constantly living on eggshells.”
“Glad we’re not the only ones,” Blaine snickered as he drank some more. “Mating to someone who can see everything while you can’t is like pulling out your hair over and over again.”
“Yeah, you’re so abused,” Vencentio growled at him. “You have a wonderful man who would do anything for you. Anything at all. He loves you so much and you’re up here bitching? I’m sure you don’t bitch about the extra strength, power, hearing, and abilities being with one of us gives you, do you? No, but you have to deal with some extra quirks and poor, poor you guys.”
“Yeah, kinda like it’s always the poor, poor Omegas that we have to drop everything for, travel all around to raise money for, and constantly live in a place of bitching, abuse, and depression,” Hugo said with a slur. “I’m so tired of it. I’m not even really Alpha anymore, not that I ever wanted to be. I just wanted Lennox and now Blair and Falcon, but we don’t get what we want.”
“You bastard,” Vencentio whispered as he stared at Hugo. “You saw what they did to Lennox. How can you sit there and talk as if he’s just whining to get attention? I know he still has nightmares. We all do. So any day you want to trade, you just let any of us know.” He turned back to the stairs. “And to think I came to see why there was yelling and make sure everyone was okay. You all can go fucking drown for all I care.”
“We need to calm down, everyone,” I said when he was gone. “No more talking to our Omega mates while we’re drinking and let’s just take the night off.”
“No, because Carson’s the only one I’m not pissed at right now,” Ian snarled as he got to his feet. “You’re a douche and Taylor’s lying. We have a spectacular life together, better than I ever dreamed it could be, and you’re both unhappy.” He pointed at Taylor then. “His eye always twitches when he’s lying and I swear just about every time he opens his mouth he’s lying lately. So fuck you both. I’m going downstairs.”
“So am I,” Galvin agreed with a nod. “Marlow, you should jump off the boat and deal with the sharks in my opinion. Maybe that will give you some perspective. And Carter? Get over your shit with Sampson. I’m sorry things went wrong and this is the first time you’re seeing him again, but you act like he’s the one that got away and it’s tearing our mate apart with fear he’s going to lose you. Deal with your shit, both of you, or don’t come back home after this trip!”
I watched as Ian and Galvin stormed downstairs, my heart hurting as I felt this void between me and two of my mates growing. Then I glanced over at Taylor suspiciously. Could he really be cheating? I never thought it would be possible, but then again I never thought I could screw up so badly and hurt Carson. I hadn’t meant what I said. I was more asking Ian if I was the only one to wonder sometimes. I was angry and hurt.
This was the worst Valentine’s Day vacation ever, I thought as I pounded down another drink. And if I didn’t get my shit together, I was going to lose my mates.
* * * *
Taggart
“Anyone just wish they could run away for real?” I asked when the silence dragged on after Ian and Galvin left. “I just want to take my mates and run. Being with an Omega is hard, but Dewey’s worth some quirks or accidentally getting my ass zapped when he’s practicing. It’s all the pressure they’re under that leaks over to us that drives me insane.”
“Yeah, I don’t get how they even function at times and aren’t crippled by fear,” Rowan Grant agreed with me. “I wanted Blaine and he was in charge of the pack so I offered to be his Beta. I never wanted to be an enforcer. I never wanted to lead or be a Beta. Hell, I don’t even see the need for them. Why do there need to be different laws than from humans’?”
“It’s stupid,” I answered, shaking my head. “If pack is supposed to be a family then why do they need to pay a tithe to keep an Alpha? It’s not like we are the police, that’s the Council and the guards. We break up bickering and squabbles that they should be able to handle themselves.”
“We protect them too,” Bay Edson said. “If something happens, we are in the position to protect our pack.”
“Wouldn’t you do that without the title of Alpha?” I countered.
“Of course but our part of our job is to protect them, make them feel safe,” he argued.
“Yeah, because if a pack of rabid wolves or shifters comes charging into town four of us will make the difference,” I scoffed. “Well, okay, Dewey could freeze them all, but then Azyle, Percy, and I would just fight the good fight and get dead most likely. Besides, when was the last time anyone invaded another pack and took it over?”
“1835, I looked it up once,” Carter mumbled as he held up the empty pitchers. “We’re out of booze.”
“Why did you look it up?” I asked as I stood to get the tray from him.
“Because I wondered what you did. I have a pack of fifteen. They just hit the required number of people to have an inner circle and they didn’t want us there. So when I said something about us needing to be there to protect them, one of them threw that fact in my face,” he explained. “I looked it up. We don’t really run our pack like ones I’ve been in. Hell, I won’t mediate squabbles. We’re just there if the shit hits the fan and to help just like we were normal pack.”
“That sounds nice to me,” I muttered as I headed towards the stairs. “I hate tithing them and picking who wins bitchfests like fucking Judge Judy. I never thought that’s what being an Alpha meant. I hate it. I miss having a job and feeling productive. I miss making swords.” I glanced around and realized I was down on the lower upper level and all the Omegas were staring at me.
“Tag, are you okay?” Dewey whispered as he stood up. I shook my head as my eyes burned. Wow. Apparently three strong mojitos and listening to the disaster everyone’s lives were becoming up there and I was ready to start bawling. I walked over to the bar and set down the tray.
“We were out of booze. Those were really good, Sampson.”
“I’ll make some more,” he said nervously and glanced upstairs. Yeah, I saw the looks he’d been giving Slate, and the man would have to be nuts not to want the little hottie who looked at him like a god.
“What’s wrong, Tag?” Dewey moved in front of me and ran his hands up my chest.
“If I wanted to run or stay at this island, would you run with me?” I asked as I covered my hands with his, ignoring the gasps behind him. “I don’t want to end up like some of the inner circles upstairs, all the drama, and constant fear tearing them apart. I don’t want to be Judge Judy anymore and tell some wolf to stay away from another’s daughter because the dad doesn’t like the guy’s family and there could be trouble. Why should I get to decide that? I don’t want to.”
“Would Azyle and Percy run with us?” he hed
ged, staring up into my eyes. “And what about the kids? I couldn’t leave them and have them end up in the same system I was. Would you want that for them? If we ran, we couldn’t keep control over who they ended up with and whether they stayed safe.”
I nodded, thinking about that. He was right. I couldn’t leave all those Omegas who lived with us. Brody was mated now but that left over a dozen.
“We take them with. I wouldn’t want to leave without Azyle and Percy. We love them. And I love the kids too. We could take them with and figure out how to find them three strong men to keep them grounded later. Who knows, maybe more Beta and Alpha potentials would want to run with us so they don’t have to be trapped like we are.”
“How do you feel trapped?” Edric asked carefully. “I thought every wolf growing up wants to be an Alpha?”
I couldn’t help it. I threw back my head and laughed. “Not the ones who aren’t power hungry. I never wanted to lead or be an Alpha. It was the only way to be with Dewey and when I was going through all the tests, it felt right. I was good at it, strong, and a leader, but it’s not like I ever thought it would be either. I bet at least one of each of your inner circles wishes they didn’t have to be in charge or doesn’t want to lead anymore. You guys have a lot of pressure and crap dumped on you being Omegas but we’ve got it too. I’ve got a whole pack whose safety is up to me and I hate that.
“I hate telling one wolf that he has to do something that shouldn’t be any of my business. You don’t want to talk to someone you don’t like. Fine, don’t. But oh no, it’s a pack and we all have to play nice in the sandbox or some shit. Yeah, right. We’re wolves, and that gives us a bond in a way, but that doesn’t make us all family. It’s a stupid system.”
“You’re really not happy?” Dewey whispered as he stared up at me with fear in his eyes. “I wasn’t worth putting you through being Alpha, was I?”
“Yes, baby,” I answered firmly as I leaned down and touched my forehead to his. “You were worth it. I just don’t like my job. That doesn’t mean I’m not happy overall in life. I love you and Percy and Azyle and the kids. You make my life wonderful. I just don’t like being Alpha and sometimes it blows up inside of me and I need to get it out. All this shit with going to the Council and what Wesley did makes me scared.
“There will be repercussions from that either from packs or other members and I don’t want to be here when the shit goes down. I don’t want to risk you or the kids. We have friends who don’t want to be Betas or trapped into leading and being micromanagers too. Let’s take them all and build a massive house on this island.”
“Tag, we don’t have the money for that,” he reminded me gently as he brushed his lips over mine.
“If I could get back into making swords we could. That asshole stole all the money I made from them and that’s why I had to cage fight on the side. My swords went for eight thousand each easy.”
“What kind of swords? I always wanted a sword,” Tristan slurred and I wondered if anyone on this boat was still sober besides the one driving it.
“Tag made all kinds of swords,” Dewey boasted for me. “He made broadswords, and European types of all kinds. Angel swords that had handles that wrapped around your hand and recreations of old warrior swords that collectors love.”
“I want a sword,” Brody whispered in awe. “I’d pay that for a real pirate sword. I had pirate ancestors!”
“I bet we could take the money we have and with the talented people we have in our lives be able to make gobs of money and just ship our wares every so often from Puerto Rico or something,” Wesley mumbled into his drink. “But I can’t go. I started all the shit and my men love their lake. They would never want to leave and I couldn’t ask them to. If we ran what would become of the other Omegas? Who would protect them then?”
“Take the ones who want to leave and let the others stay. Some are happy where they are,” Tristan answered with a shrug. “We’d just have to worry about any new Omegas born. Or set up packs that could let us know and we could grab them before they’re bought.”
“What do you mean bought?” I asked as I hugged Dewey to me.
“If we ran how long do you think it would take the Council to go back to selling Omegas as slaves?” Wesley asked with a drunken giggle. “I bet thirty seconds.”
“We’ve got witch friends now through Edric,” I answered with a shrug. “See if they can do a tracking spell for Omegas. We check it out every five years or so and make sure that everyone’s being treated well. If they’re not, we go in, get them, and adopt them like the others.”
“That’s actually a really good idea,” Edric said quietly. “I bet we could get that to work. Helen, my witch friend, would be all about it. It seems every other supernatural group hates how wolves do things in this country. I’d run too if my inner circle didn’t love their home pack. Of course, half of our problems are that they always think I’m going to run. Like I didn’t have a reason not to last time. Assholes.”
“We cannot end up unhappy and fighting like they all are,” I breathed in Dewey’s ear so only he could hear me. “Please. I won’t let all this drama tear us apart. I love you. I don’t hover or hound you. We’re a team.”
“Yes, yes, we are,” he agreed as he stroked my cheek. “I’d run as long as we aren’t leaving anyone behind. I’d run forever with you, Tag.”
“Good. I’ll see if we can make this happen after we check out the island,” I sighed as I buried my face in his hair. “I love you so much, baby.”
“Love you too, Tag. We’ll get through this and get you out of the job you hate.”
I smiled. If anyone could figure it all out and make sure I was blissfully happy it was my Dewey. I hadn’t even realized all this had been building until I heard everyone on the Sun Deck. I wouldn’t wait until things got so complicated and heavy that they could rip us apart. I would get us out now and take the ones we loved with us.
Chapter 4
Tristan
“I miss working with websites too,” I said with a pout. “I feel like all we do is slap a bandage on everything by getting people out and placing them with new inner circles. We shouldn’t have to live in these sets of rules if we don’t want to.” I flopped down onto my chair and stared up at the Sun Deck where my men were. “And I hate Denver but I can’t ever tell them that because it’s their home pack and they love it.”
“Why do you hate it?” Kiefer asked me as he glanced over to Vencentio, who was sitting on Galvin’s lap as they talked quietly. “You think they’re going to be okay? Galvin’s a good guy. He tried to save me when I was at my old pack. I know he loves Vencentio but I don’t like that they’re upset.”
“Welcome to being an Omega,” I chuckled dryly as I stared at the bottom of my glass. Sampson was there seconds later to fill it back up and I thanked him before sighing and glancing back at Kiefer. “I don’t know. I hope so. I like everyone here and want them to be happy but I don’t get what I want.” I nodded over to my best friend, Carson, crying against his mate Ian as they stood over by the railing talking quietly.
“So why do you hate Denver?” Edric asked again.
“It’s always going to be the seventy people who saw me lose my virginity in a cold ceremony. They think I’m a freak because we still don’t have answers as to why I grew over a foot besides some old writings in the archives about when a person knows their mate is in need or some stupid shit,” I answered before tossing down my drink again.
Wow. Mojitos were not meant to be chugged, but apparently I was planning to all night. I chuckled as I wondered how much booze we’d all drank already with how high our tolerance was. I glanced at Sampson and opened my shield so he could see my thoughts.
“I’ve made eleven pitchers. We don’t have much mint left up here. I’ll see if Asher has more,” he answered before setting a full pitcher down by me and leaving.
“Well that answers that question,” I chuckled, refilling my glass. “And I’m getting answers
.” I stood and headed to the stairs, not able to take the stress my friend was under. When I got to the top I saw the Alphas and Betas were about in the same depressed and wounded mood we all were downstairs.
“Babe, what’s up?” Jared asked me as I walked in his direction, but I wasn’t coming for him. I quickly emptied my drink and handed him the glass to hold for me. Then I focused on Taylor.
“Don’t get involved in this, Tristan,” he warned me. “My thoughts are my own and you have no right to them.”
“You’re absolutely right,” I agreed and leaned in closer. “But since you’re a fucking coward and won’t tell your mates what’s going on I won’t stand by and do nothing when he’s dying inside. I’d butt in to stop a fight and I’ll butt in now.”
“Don’t—” he growled and went to push me away but I was faster and had powers. I held him still as I moved my hands to his head.
“No, you haven’t cheated but you really want to,” I mumbled as I searched his memories. “What’s the guy’s name?” Then I saw it in his mind. “Gabe, okay. So you miss the spark and have been considering Gabe because he’d be new and exciting again.”
“Let me go,” Taylor snarled, sounding funny because he couldn’t move his lips. I did what he wanted, getting the answers I needed.
“Carson, don’t do this,” Ian pleaded and seconds later I saw my friend’s blond head come up the stairs.
“He’s not cheating,” I informed him when he got closer.
“No, but I saw what you did,” he whispered before glancing at Taylor and Declan. “I release you from our contract. Wesley already said he’d nullify it when we get back so the bond will be broken without hurting any of us.” Then he turned to Ian. “I love you and I’m sorry this hurts you but I can’t stay with them when this is how they feel. I won’t live like this. I’ll find another way or run.”
“No, I won’t accept this,” Declan growled as he jumped to his feet. “I made a mistake and spoke out of anger to my mate about something that was upsetting me. I’m sorry you walked in on it but the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I love you. I’m sorry I assumed the worst about what was going on but we can fix this. We can talk this out.”
