I get up and run back up the river. “Rojer, Nathan, Kevin’s down there on the bank. Go sit with him.”
As soon as I get to where the raft is, I dive back into the river, swimming hard until I get to it. I pull myself up, grunting at the burn in my muscles.
I can’t do this alone.
“Vale, I need you.”
“Finally,” he says.
I scowl in his direction, but he and Rory swim out to me and climb up on the raft.
“Attach these lines to the sides.” I show them where and then grab mine.
“Now, what do we do?” Vale asks.
“Lean back.”
“Mm, you look so fucking hot right now,” Rory says in a voice that makes my skin prickle with awareness.
“Stop being a creeper,” I snap back. “Now lean.”
I throw my weight back and the raft lifts, slowly. Vale and Rory strain back, leaning harder. And it flips, dumping us all back in the water. I pull myself up and into it. The paddles are gone; the packs are gone. They should have been attached. I secured it all. I double and triple checked.
Who is sabotaging my tour?
I grit my teeth, frustrated.
Rory lifts himself out of the water just using his arm strength. The vulnerable omega part of myself I’ve been trying to subdue all these years pricks up and takes notice.
The way his biceps bulge, the water dripping from his black hair, as his eyes flash and land on me, almost seeming to darken, to focus when he looks straight at me like he’s scenting my weakness in the air.
“Where is your life vest?” I snap.
Rory looks up at me. “You threw yours off and swam away.”
“Yes,” I growl. “But I know what I’m doing!”
“Kota and Cyn nearly lost their minds. They ran down the river bank.”
Oh.
Vale shoves our raft out, throws three paddles into the boat and a wet pack, then jumps in.
“Shall we?”
Yeah, I think we shall.
We handle the rapids easily between the three of us and then guide the boat to where the others are sitting on the side of the bank.
Cyn sees me and scowls, but it’s Kota who grabs me by the upper arm and almost drags me out of the raft.
I snatch my arm back, but he grabs my hand and drags me up into the forest. Ignoring my hissed protests.
No one stops him, but Cyn follows, looking unhappy.
I’m slammed up against another tree.
“This is getting old,” I snap at him.
