“We have to find them.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to accidentally inflict myself on you. I have control of my omega nature,” she says loftily.
I stare at her because she has no idea how bad this is going to get. Should I tell her?
No, that would panic her.
We didn’t bring any patches with us either. We have trained hard to suppress our scents.
But not around our scent match.
And not when she’s around three people that we consider to be extremely dangerous.
I growl, and she stabs a finger into my chest. “Don’t you growl at me.”
“I wasn’t growling at you. It’s the situation, it’s fucked.”
“I am aware of that, Cyn. To be honest, I’ve been sitting here thinking this trip has been sunshine and roses flying out of my ass.” She drops the sarcasm and glares up at me. “I don’t need you to make things worse.”
“I would never want to make things worse for you. I just…I think you underestimate how bad this is going to be.”
She barks a laugh, looking all kinds of feral and untouchable.
“Would you go on a date with me?”
I snap my mouth shut, but it’s too late; her laughter has faded, and she’s staring up at me like I’m insane.
“No. Of course, not. On every planet, no.”
Disappointing but not unexpected.
I smile at her adamance.
“We would make such a cute couple.”
She scowls at me, and when I reach out to touch her cheek, she slaps my hand away.
I laugh, I can’t help it. How is this my life? How did we run into her here, and she’s suddenly so wildly perfect?
She swings back to the river and groans. “This entire trip has been messed up.”
I don’t deny it. I just watch her carefully.
“Come on, let’s get back. It will be dark soon, and we need to get your clothes dry.” I let the soothing alpha notes out, my chest aching with the need to purr.
She snaps a glare in my direction like she knows what I’m about and hurries off, keeping an enormous distance between us.
On the way back, I find another paddle and a small first-aid kit that is normally on the raft.
She turns suddenly, and because she’s standing on a half-buried boulder, our faces are at the same level. The sun is down behind the trees, so we’re standing in shadow, and I’m losing the ability to see her clearly, but with the water rushing, the wild all around us, we could be alone. Just Bonnie and I.
I wish we were.
“You let that pack of yours know that I am accomplished in self-defense, I can and will kick your asses.”
I grin and lean in closer to her so I can taste her breath. “You just made a huge mistake, Bonnie.”
“Oh?”
