“What? No!”
“Not up for discussion, Bonbon.”
“Firstly, don’t call me that, and-”
I press a finger to her lips. “I’m going to need to stop you before you get carried away, and I lose the last of my restraint and kiss you.”
“Don’t you dare!” she snarls in outrage.
I dip in, and she squeaks and jerks several feet away from me, staring at me with huge eyes.
“Enjoy your tent, my queen.”
She growls, but I know I’ve won, so I happily walk away, leaving her to stew in her failure.
Bonnie
The raft is anchored safely to the bank of the river, and we’re now on the correct side. I glance back mentally, going over the damage I need to report to Dad. All the helmets have been retrieved, but we lost three life vests and five paddles, plus my pack, the safety kit, the satellite phone, and the flares. We still have everything I had in my pockets, which is a packet of disinfectant wipes, a compass, the fire starter, one of my more extreme safety measures; a syringe in a plastic container that will knock an alpha on his ass in under ten seconds, and a folded up map I keep in a sealed bag.
I’ve been out here with less but never with so many people. I know that each person has a small first-aid bag made up, clothes, tent, sleeping bag, canteens, and a small supply of dried food. But my tent is gone, as are my sleeping bag, clothes, and most of our food, plus the first-aid kit with my spare EpiPen.
I secured the line. I know I did.
I rub my chin, thinking about how I’m going to explain to Dad how all this happened. Cyn is right, Dad is going to rip stripes off me.
Justin is in the lead, following my directions with the map and compass I’ve given him to distract them all from my uneasy mood. I know the landscape well enough not to need a map, but still it gives them a taste of how to navigate.
Except I’m not sure about this. The feeling that something is going on has solidified. I have proof. The safety lines in the boat were cut; they had to have been. My back pack disappearing is suspicious. The three almost fatal accidents have my temper simmering. When I add the food poisoning, it’s just getting painfully obvious someone is fucking my trip up.
I walk beside Kevin and glance up at him, wondering if he, Nathan, and Rojer are okay. The alphas have been particularly sullen today. I hope Dad is going to be okay with awful reviews.
“You’re allergic to bees, right? Anything else?”
He turns his head, giving me a steely-eyed look that makes my skin crawl. The alpha pheromones are already rising to the surface. Tempers are sizzling, and the air seems almost electric this morning.
“I am. Bees and latex.”
Well, that’s a relief. No latex out here. I know one of the campers has a spare EpiPen, but I can’t remember who it is, and I’m not game to ask and cause a panic.
“Good to know. What’s working in an office like?”
“Much like this,” he snaps and then sighs. “It’s boring when it’s boring, but when we have a project and it’s coming together, it's amazing. The thrill as hugely talented people work as a team, organising different parts of a project, is everything to me, and when it comes together, it’s amazing. I love it.”
“I feel like that when I’m out here. The moments when I see someone’s face light up, their curiosity and pride when they learn something new. Plus, I have the best view in the world.”
He makes a sound of agreement.
“So, whose idea was it to come out here on a company trip?” I ask, trying to fill the dead silence. This alpha doesn’t speak much, and I can’t tell if it’s because he doesn’t like me or this is just who he is. But pulling words from him is as hard as pulling nails from a block of wood with a pair of tweezers.
“Don’t look at me,” Kevin grumbles. “I would still be in my suit and office if it was up to me.”
“It was mine!” Quincy says with a laugh. “Sorry, everyone.”
“Oh, don’t be like that!” I respond with a smile. Quincy is so happy that it’s hard to be mad at him, but further, he, Kendall, and Justin are the only relief this ego-packed adventure gets.
“Well, the trip’s not going well, is it?” He pouts prettily.
“I doubt your work goes smoothly all the time either,” I say with a teasing defensiveness.
