"You really don’t have to play the caring, gentle husband. We are nowhere near that," Salt mutters.
"I’m not playing anything. I know we have a long road ahead, but this is basic hygiene and common sense. Supposedly that’s what betas are all about. Logic and reason. Unlike us, emotional alpha animals."
He rolls his eyes but says nothing, or at least I think he’ll stay silent, until suddenly he doesn’t.
"Maybe other betas are like that. I’m just me," he says with sudden honesty, and I have no answer to that.
There’s this one moment when I clean a small cut near the corner of his lip, when his eyes meet mine from such close proximity, and it’s strangely intense.
Then he quickly averts his gaze.
I finish tending to his wounds, then clean my own cut at the temple and slide the kit back under the bench.
Suddenly Salt mutters, "That silly sound you made. The… purring."
"What about it?"
"My brother did it sometimes. He could do it, but not on such a low tone," he says in a weirdly hostile tone mixed with something else. It’s a wild guess, but I’d say he wants me to purr! But he feels deeply uncomfortable asking for it.
With a small smile, I start my ‘purring engine’ sound again.
Salt rolls his eyes, but… doesn’t protest!
Yep, bingo.
The calming, vibrating deep sound brings about a more relaxed silence.
The rest of the drive passes in quiet. Neither of us talks. The adrenaline is slowly wearing off.
Finally, about forty minutes later, we pull into the Hallwell port and head toward the ferry checkpoint.
I take the luggage. Salt is much more at ease now, maybe thanks to the purr?
Soon we enter the quay and see a small ferry waiting there, clearly intended only for transport to Calsing Island. A single, short beta stands by the ramp, smoking a cigarette and obviously waiting for us.
As soon as we get out, he approaches with concern on his face, introducing himself as Gomez.
The warden steps up and briefly explains what happened.
"We are very sorry this occurred!" Gomez exclaims. "Those alphas are not employed by Beta Activation, but still, please accept my apologies for the entire situation!"
"It’s fine," Salt says tersely. "Fortunately, my alpha hubby showed up and saved my ass. Metaphorically and literally."
I do not take his sour tone to heart. He has the right to his reaction.
Mr. Gomez shakes my hand with a smile. "I’m very glad you were there and saved the situation! Thanks Fate for that!"
"I’m sure from now on we’ll be much safer, Mr. Gomez," I reply politely.
"Of course, of course! Let me invite you aboard, the ferry is waiting just for you."
"But first, the formalities," the warden says curtly, removing the cuffs from Salt’s wrists and ankles.
For a brief moment Salt looks slightly startled, then glances around almost as if he is considering making a run for it, this very second, though of course he does nothing of the sort.
"These are all the transfer documents," the warden adds, handing Salt’s paperwork to Gomez.
Soon the two of us step aboard, with Mr. Gomez following close behind.
