That eases my mind a little, the clench in my stomach loosening some. But I’m still wary. What does he mean by hang-ups? What if this Sebastian guy doesn’t want to be with us, with me? I could never make Phoenix choose oneor the other, but how can I live without my scent match? If I lose him now, it’ll always feel like a part of our pack is missing.
And I didn’t miss his comment about Hunter. “You love Hunter, too, don’t you?” My tone comes out a little more accusatory than I intended, and I wince. “I mean… that’s not, like, a bad thing. I’m just trying to figure out where I fit into all this. Well, where Caspian and I fit since we’re a package deal now.”
He laughs mirthlessly. “Yeah. I love Hunter, too. Which he knows now, by the way, thanks to our little heat spike adventure.” The look he gives me is full of something akin to gratitude, but when I smile back at him, his expression turns darker, hungrier. I think of the way he held me, sucked on my neck, squeezing my breasts as he came. The energy in the room shifts. The scent of my arousal spikes the air, and he groans.
“You’re trying to kill me, omega.”
Trying to change the subject to less lustful territory, I decide to ask more about his beta. “So, tell me about Sebastian. What’s he do? What’s he like?” I pause before I tack on, “What are his hang-ups?”
Phoenix sighs and walks to the stone bench that’s carved into the wall, patting the area next to him as he sits. I oblige and join him, tucking one leg under my butt so I can face him.
“His hang-ups are not my story to tell,” he says. “I know once he meets all of you he’ll get over them, though.”
“All of us? He’s met Hunt, I assume. Right?” It would be weird if he hadn’t, considering how close Hunter and Phoenix are and how long they’ve known each other.
“Actually, no,” Phoenix confesses. “Hunter, uh,doesn’t think he’s real.” That last bit comes out all as one word, like he’s embarrassed to admit it.
I open my mouth to ask him to explain, but he beats me to it.
“Like I said, Seb’s hang-ups aren’t really something I feel comfortable telling you without him here or without his permission. But I can tell you more about him.”
“Okay.” I nod, settling back against the wall to listen.
“First of all, he’s hot.” Phoenix smirks, and I roll my eyes. “He is! I’m just sayin’. He’s also rich.”
The look I give him this time is one of exasperation laced with disappointment. I hope that isn’t why he’s with the poor guy.
“Okay, okay. He is those things, but he’s so much more.” Phoenix’s tone takes on a warm quality. “He’s a little bit of a recluse, prefers quality over quantity when it comes to his friends. It’s hard when you’re a billionaire to determine who wants to be near you because of you, versus because of your money. I met him before he sold his first tech company, and I’ve seen how his success has changed the people around him. Even his parents. It’s probably why he puts so much money into ocean conservation efforts and research expeditions."
I furrow my brows in thought. “How did he go from tech entrepreneur to ocean conservationist?”
“Oh, he’s still in tech. For as quiet as he is in his personal life, he can take charge of even the alphaiest alphas in the boardroom.” Phoenix chuckles. “The ocean stuff is my fault. I’m a marine biologist, and I’ve always had an interest in the unknown thanks to Hunt. It rubbed off on Sebby, and now I think he maybe more obsessed with it than I am. You should see him in his online forums, he’s so into it all.”
That sounds an awful lot like my Fishybillionaire47, and it makes my heart hurt a little. It might be nice to meet Sebastian. Not that he could ever replace my online friend, but hearing Phoenix talk about his passion makes me think we’d get along just fine.
Looking to the canal, I realize it’s been quite a while since Caspian and Hunter have been gone. “Do you think they’re okay? I didn’t think they’d be gone this long. This waterway has got to open up to the air again at some point, right?”
“What, am I boring you?” Phoenix teases, bumping his shoulder against mine.
I huff, recognizing his distraction tactic. “No, I just hate this waiting game. Makes my anxiety ratchet up.”
“Well, we can explore this room some more, see if there’s anything else interesting.” The way his voice lifts at the end of his statement makes me think he has something else on his mind. “Or, I can think of some other, less clothed ways to pass the time.”
Well then.
I laugh, then backhand his chest. “Save it, Casanova. We’ve got a library to find.”
40
My head is pounding, even before I open my eyes. A warm body is pressed against my back, an arm slung over my stomach, though I’m unsure who’s. Memories come rushing back to me and I wrench my eyes open, breathing heavily.
“You’re awake.” Caspian’s smooth voice comes from behind me as he shifts, his arm leaving my torso so he can sit up to look down at me. It was him who was spooning me, I guess. But why?
“Wha—” My voice is strangled, like it hasn’t been used in months. I clear my throat and try again. “What happened?”
Caspian’s gaze is solemn as he looks me over. He holds out something thin and sharp to show me. “You were stung by an agual. It’s a type of predator fish that knocks out its prey to drag it back to its den. I was able to pull you from its grasp, but it made away with your bag.”
Glancing around, I don’t see my backpack, verifyinghis words. “How did we end up…” I look at our surroundings but I can’t tell where we are, “...here?”
