“And you feel it too, don’t you?” I glance at him, holding his gaze. “This isn’t just attraction. This scent match. It’s real. I’d stake everything on it.”
“I know.” His expression hardens with the same conviction. “Mason and Dylan are already gone. They’re orbiting her without even realizing it. And me?” He exhales, shaking his head once. “I was done the second she kissed me.”
A slow, grim smile pulls at my mouth. I cut the engines completely, the sudden quiet settling around us like a held breath.
“We don’t rush her,” I say, already thinking ten steps ahead. Already planning. Already claiming. “But we don’t let her walk away either.”
“So what’s the move?”
“Time,” I answer. “Presence. We give her no reason to doubt us. No reason to run. She needs to see exactly what it means to have four Alphas at her back.” I engage the anchor, the electric windlass humming as the chain feeds down into the dark water below. “We make it impossible for her to imagine a life that doesn’t include us.”
Jasper lets out a low whistle, then grins. “There he is. I was wondering when you’d show up again.”
I don’t look at him. My focus stays on the horizon, on the invisible line where the town waits. Where she waits.
“It’s been a long time,” he adds, clapping a hand down on my shoulder. “Too damn long since you’ve wanted something like this.”
My jaw tightens.
“She’s not something,” I say quietly. “She’s ours.”
And for the first time in years, I mean it with absolute certainty.
Because the last time I was really interested in someone was with my first pack. And that ended in disaster.
Just thinking about it squeezes my chest.
I didn’t do right by our Omega. Didn’t protect her from the toxic dynamics that eventually tore everything apart.
After that pack imploded, I promised myself I wouldn’t take an Omega again. No more putting someone through that, and for too long, I didn’t trust myself not to fuck it up a second time.
But then the universe had other plans.
It gave me Mason first. Sweet, protective Mason, who needed a second chance as badly as I did. Then Dylan, with his loud laugh and loyal heart. And finally Jasper, who fought against being part of any pack until we wore him down with persistence and genuine care.
They became my family, my brothers, the people I trust more than anyone in this world. And now it looks like the universe is up to its old tricks again, pairing us with an Omega who makes my entire body vibrate with recognition.
I never felt a scent match with my first Omega. I adored her, cared for her deeply, but it wasn’t this brutal ache to be near someone. This magnetic pull that makes being away from her feel physically painful.
Last night, listening to her pleasure with Mason and Dylan through the walls, I nearly lost my fucking mind.
I stare down at my knuckles. They’re still bruised and scabbed from where I punched the wall in my room. Actually put a hole clean through the drywall because I was dealing with such feral desire that I didn’t know what else to do with it. Had to get up at four this morning to patch the damn thing before anyone saw.
“Yeah,” I finally say to Jasper. “Feels like fucking eternity since I’ve let myself want something this much.”
I finish deploying the anchor and double-check that we’re secure. “Anyway, let’s get this done. Give those assholes downthere an amazing fishing day so they leave good reviews and never come back.”
Jasper laughs. “I had no idea it was Reed coming in today. I’ve listened to some of his radio show episodes. He’s a real fucker with his prehistoric thoughts on how Omegas should be treated.”
“Yeah, well, hopefully he falls overboard,” I mutter. “Because I don’t buy into that bullshit either.”
“Wouldn’t that be convenient?” Jasper heads for the stairs. “Tragic boating accident. Happens all the time.”
“Let’s keep it professional,” I call after him, but I’m grinning.
With everything set and the boat stable, I head downstairs to join the team. I plaster on my professional smile, the one I use for clients I don’t particularly like but who are paying premium rates for premium service.
Down on the aft deck, Jasper is already giving them the rundown. He’s handing out life jackets—mandatory safety equipment even though most people hate wearing them. Easy to fall overboard when you’re focused on fighting a fish, and I’m not about to have someone drown on my watch. As much as I might enjoy it with these two.
