by Gwen Knight
A gentle hand closed around my arm and held fast. “I swear, I’m not. Just…look at it. I don’t want you to join the dating site, I want you to go on the cruise.”
I froze, unsure if I’d heard her correctly. A cruise? What the hell was she talking about?
“The company is called Meet Your Alpha. Yes, they’re a dating site, but I swear, I wasn’t suggesting you use them for that. They run these cruises, ones that are designed specifically for the paranormal. No other cruising company out there does that. I’ve read the reviews and these guys are stellar. They’ve modified the ships to accommodate every species, even vampires. Blackout windows and night cruises. And for our kind, you can shift by the pool and laze in the sun. Some bird shifters wrote in their reviews that the ship has these massive perches on board for those with wings. They even have places for gargoyles to lounge while in stone. They’ve thought of everything. I thought maybe that would appeal to you? You don’t even need to talk to anyone. You can just lay by the pool as a wolf all day.”
The heat under my skin dissipated. I had to admit, what she was describing actually sounded wonderful.
“I will give you fair warning though. These are singles cruises. But honestly, you don’t need to attend any of the events or even talk to anyone. I mean, how would they know you don’t plan to meet someone? So long as you pay, you’re welcome aboard.”
God, this sounded tempting. For some reason, the thought of being surrounded by strangers comforted me. I wouldn’t be alone, but I also wouldn’t be surrounded by the people who had disappointed me the most. Brittany wanted me to return to the pack, but I knew I never would. Except, I hadn’t told her that yet. The pack had betrayed me and Daniel by allowing his murderer to become the alpha. No one way in hell I could look Benjamin in the eye without wanting to rip out his throat.
But this cruise…it sounded heavenly. Wolves weren’t meant to be loners. And right now, a ship full of strangers sounded appealing.
“You swear you won’t pressure me to talk to anyone?”
She drew an X over her chest.
“And if I sat by the pool as a wolf the entire time, you wouldn’t nag me?”
“Well, you’d have to shift back and eat sometime,” she said, chuckling.
“You know what I mean.”
“I promise, I won’t push you to meet anyone. But I want you to promise me something.”
“What?” I asked, tentative.
“I want you to have fun. We don’t have to meet any guys. But come with me on some excursions. Don’t hide on the ship all day.”
“But no men.”
“Well, there might be some men on the excursion, but we won’t talk to them, I swear.”
I eyed her suspiciously. Brittany didn’t quite understand that men were currently evil in my mind. The last thing I wanted was to be forced to socialize with them. Especially any man on a singles cruise.
“Look at this one.” She swept up the tablet and touched the screen. “Hawaii. And for Halloween! Doesn’t that sound fun? Apparently, there’s an actual Halloween parade in the promenade. You know you love Halloween.”
I cursed inwardly. Of course she’d chosen that particular cruise. She knew I adored Halloween and everything about it.
“We have a week to prepare. We can get buy new bathing suits, outfits, the works! Say yes.”
“You’re sure you want this?” I asked. “Trapped with me on a ship for…two weeks. Holy crap.”
“Yes, I’m sure I want this. Besides, if you start to annoy me, it’s a large ship. I can wander off somewhere else. Or push you overboard.”
My gaze lingered on the screen. They’d posted pictures of people touring lava fields and surfing in the ocean. Pictures of people laughing and living their lives. A life I used to have.
“All right,” I murmured, nodding more to myself than Brittany. “Let’s do this.”
She squealed and crushed the tablet to her chest. “You serious?”
“Better book it now before I change my mind.”
“Oh, my God!” She dropped her tablet back onto the table and started pushing things on the screen. I watched as her fingers flew across the electronic keyboard. “Okay, I signed up on the website. I had to sign you up too, but don’t worry about it, I didn’t put any personal information or even fill out the profile questionnaire.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, anxiety snaking through my stomach. The cruise sounded wonderful, but it was also a little nerve-wracking. I hadn’t done anything big like this in a long time.
“And…done. Okay, I put both tickets on my credit card. You can transfer me the money.”
I nodded and released a nervous breath. It was a done deal, no escaping now.
Brittany gave another little squeal and dragged me in for a hug. “Hawaii, here we come!”
5
Leo
“Oh, my God. It’s you!” a mousy voice squeaked in front of me.
Blinking, I glanced up from my phone to find a timid woman wrapped in far too many layers for the smothering Los Angeles heat. End of October, and still over ninety degrees. Even my button-down shirt and jeans were too much.
“It is you, isn’t it?” she continued, quietly nudging her way through the crowd toward me.
My brows shot upward. For a moment, I was tempted to shoot a glance backward. Maybe she was talking to the guy behind me? But those beady little eyes of her were dead set on me.
“Wow…” She clapped her hands over her mouth and giggled. Actually giggled. I hadn’t heard a woman make that kind of sound in…years. Mind you, lionesses tended to growl and roar more than giggle. “Leopold Clapak.”
My turn to growl. “Leo.”
“Leo,” she breathed, stars in her eyes.
I waited for her say something—anything. Like maybe introduce herself? Or, I don’t know, tell me what the hell she wanted? Instead, she stood there in all her open-mouthed glory, staring at me with what had to be the most awkward admiration I’d ever seen.
“Going to LA, you think there’s a chance you’ll meet someone famous. You hope, you dream, but for it to actually happen…”
Hold up there, kitten. Famous?
I couldn’t help but blink dumbfoundedly at her. If she hadn’t spoken my name with such reverence I might have assumed she had the wrong person. Clearly not, though. Lucky me.
“I’m sorry, but do I know you?”
A smattering of chuckles surrounded us. And yet no one stepped forward to offer me any sort of assistance. Why should they, right? After standing in this dreadful line for the past hour and a half, they were probably grateful for a little excitement.
“Oh, gosh. No. I wish. But, it’s just… Wow, it’s really you.”
Okay, enough was enough. “Then is there something I can help you with?”
She blinked as though surprised I’d ask such a question. A slow smile stretched across her lips right before she said, “I saw you on the site. On Meet Your Alpha.”
Oh, sweet Lord.
“I didn’t know you’d be here, I swear. I just…saw you. I—I didn’t have the guts to reach out to you or message you. I mean what would an alpha lion shifter want to do with an otter shifter like me, but seeing you here…” She trailed off, her hands sliding down to press against her chest.
After clearing my throat, and taking a moment to process this entire bizarre situation, I shook my head. “I assure you, I’m not famous.”
“Well, not in the movie way, but definitely among shifters. Everyone knows about you and your family and The Pride of South Dakota.”
I almost burst out laughing. This woman had to be insane.
“I’ve never met an alpha before,” she continued, still trapped in a state of adoration. “We otters aren’t pack animals, and we keep to ourselves.”
Ah, so that was what this was about. Luckily for me, though, the line had started moving again. Not that little miss otter here showed any signs of moving along.
“It must be
nice to be an alpha,” she rambled. “All that power and strength…”
I ground my teeth to keep from sprouting claws. Power and strength that wasn’t enjoying the limelight and wanted this woman to bugger off.
“No one ever questions you, I bet. And—”
“Miss,” I pointed to the line. “People are waiting on us to move forward.”
“Oh!” She squealed—literally squealed, and hopped three steps forward. “We’re almost there! Only a few more people, and then us.”
And hopefully freedom for me.
She spun on her heel and peered up at me. “You wouldn’t want to get a coffee once we’re on board, would you? I heard we have to wait like two hours until we can access our rooms, and the bar won’t be open, but the coffee shops will be. I adore Frappuccinos and I’ve heard they make some really good ones on this ship. You don’t have to, of course! I figured I’d ask because, well, neither of us has anything better to do until the ship launches, and I thought, well, maybe—”
Holy hell. The woman knew how to ramble. I found myself staring at her mouth, wondering if she’d ever stop to take a breath. It wasn’t until her cheeks flushed red that I realized she might have gotten the wrong impression from my ill-timed stare.
“Well? Would you?”
I blinked and snapped to attention. “Would I what?”
“Like to get a coffee, silly.”
Oh, shit. That was a serious question? I bit back a disgruntled sigh and swallowed the real words that flew to my lips. Those surrounding me were listening, and alpha or not, I didn’t particularly care to break some woman’s heart on the first day of the cruise. What would a drink cost me? Other than some brain cells, apparently.
It took a few attempts, but finally, I nodded. “Sure, why not.”
“Seriously?” She rose up on her tiptoes and batted her long eyelashes at me.
Jesus, what was I getting myself into? “Yeah, we can go for a quick coffee.”
“Ohmigosh, that’s exciting! And look, it’s our turn to check in. I’ll wait for you in the next room, sound good?”
“Sounds…great.”
She bounced off toward an impatient guard and dropped her purse onto a black conveyor belt.
I groaned and raked a hand down my face all while listening to a series of sympathetic chuckles behind me. Glad everyone had enjoyed the show. Because me? I was wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
I’d come to the conclusion that otter shifters were stark raving lunatics. I’d never met one before this, but if Ms. Alisha here—as I’d learned earlier—was any indication, they were, as I’d said, stark raving lunatics.
Not only had I barely managed to get a word in edgewise, but I’d discovered she didn’t like coffee. Who invited someone for coffee when they didn’t like coffee? Turns out Frappuccinos were little more than frothy milk, flavored syrup, and ice. In the brief moment she’d paused for breath, I’d asked about her drink choice, and was then submitted to a half hour tirade about how coffee was responsible for all the evil in the world. Not even I could follow her train of thought. Something about beans and third-world countries, and mostly, I just sat and stared, flabbergasted.
Even now, her mouth continued to move, but fortunately, I’d long since tuned her out. Rude, I know. But the chatter was relentless, and her words had blurred into one droning noise. In a moment of pity, I’d agreed to have a drink with her. And now I was regretting all of my life decisions. Including attending this cruise. I only hoped that after this so-called ‘date’, she’d simply become another face in the crowd.
It wasn’t until her lips stopped moving and pursed together that I realized she’d stopped talking. And from the expectant look in her eyes, she’d asked me a question.
“I’m sorry, I missed that,” I said, hoping my response was polite.
Her mouth slipped to the side and a slight frown marred her forehead. But instead of cussing me out, she repeated her question. “I asked what it’s like to be a lion.”
I managed to hide my laughter behind the rim of my cup. My instinctive response was who the hell knows, because seriously, I wasn’t an actual lion. Much like how she wasn’t an actual otter. We weren’t animals. I didn’t roam the savannah on the hunt for prey—or, at least, not always. And I didn’t laze around on giant rocks, basking in the sun—though, that did sound fantastic.
“I’d imagine quite the same as shifting into an otter,” I told her, respectfully. “Although, less water, I suppose.”
Laughter rolled past her lips—and not the subtle kind. It came out in a loud burst that made me flinch, then wince when coffee spilled over my hand.
“Don’t be silly,” she said, oblivious to my reaction. “Lions are powerful and massive! You grow in size when you shift, we shrink.”
“Well, sure. But you can swim a hell of a lot better than we can. Every shifter has their own advantages.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, sure. Ask anyone and they’d choose to be a lion over an otter in a heartbeat.”
Fair point. Probably because of the whole…webbed foot thing. But it didn’t seem polite to mention that bit.
“So, tell me!” She leaned forward, arms draped across the table, and her hands dangerously close to mine—as though she expected me to reach out and take one. If her actions hadn’t been clear enough, there was also the faint scent of arousal in the air.
Oh, God, no. I needed to shut this down, and fast. She seemed nice enough, but nothing about her appealed to me. In fact, her entire star-struck attitude annoyed me. I had a feeling she was the sort of girl who would do whatever I said whenever I said it. And that wasn’t something I wanted in a mate. I wanted someone who would challenge me. Someone who excited me. Not someone who made me stare at the clock in anticipation of escape.
Whatever her intentions were, mine didn’t match. Body language went a long way among shifters, as did our scents. So, instead of leaning forward to match her posture, I leaned back, my hands encircling the warm ceramic mug.
I caught a flash of disappointment in her eyes, but she quickly blinked it away and drew her hands back toward her chest.
Honestly, I had no idea what she wanted me to say. What kind of question was that anyway? She already knew how it felt to shift forms. The only thing I could think to say was, “Powerful. Dominant. I’ve always been an alpha, so protective.”
She nodded. “I feel more…agile when I shift. Graceful.”
Graceful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself when in lion form. But agile, sure. Quick like a cat, right? Too bad I hadn’t been agile enough to talk my way out of this date.
“I’ve always been fascinated by pack dynamics,” she continued. “It isn’t something I’ve ever experienced. But I imagine it must have been nice growing up in one. Knowing there were others like you.”
This time, I frowned. “You didn’t?”
She gave a half-shrug and a shadow passed over her face. “I was abandoned as a baby. Usual story. Shunted around between homes until a foster home took me in, but imagine their surprise when I turned seven and shifted for the first time. They didn’t want anything to do with me after that. They wanted a perfect child—not, well, me.”
Jesus. “I’m sorry,” I said, because what else could I say?
The shadow cleared, and she threw me a wide grin. “Doesn’t matter. Ancient history. Look, I know we just met, but do you want to have dinner—”
A series of chimes echoed over the intercom system, effectively interrupting her. Saved by the bell, literally.
I hurried to my feet and left my coffee mug on the table. “Time for the safety demonstration. I’m in the amphitheater.”
“Oh.” Her expression shuttered. “My group is outside on deck five.”
At least something had gone my way. I mustered a gentle smile, careful not to show too many teeth, and gestured in my direction. “I should get going. It was really nice meeting you, Alisha. I hope you enjoy the rest of the cr
uise.”
“Right,” she murmured, the disappointment heavy in her voice. “Uh, you too, Leo.”
Before she could say anything else and suggest that dinner date, I bobbed my head, then strode off. I waited an appropriate distance before releasing the breath I swear I’d been holding the entire conversation.
Hopefully nothing like that happened again.
6
Kendra
Insanity. Pure, mindless insanity, with a twist of stupidity and a dash of foolishness.
Me. Right now. Because I had to have been insane to think this was a good idea! And, yes, I intended to blame every second of this on my sister. I would hold every blasted moment over her head until we were old and gray little biddies who clung to their walkers and cursed at the neighboring children.
A cruise? Seriously?
Right this moment, I was surrounded by what felt like an entire city of shifters, walled in together on a ship I honestly thought would be bigger. I mean, as far as boats went, I was sure the Crimson Jewel had it going on with more junk in the trunk than most. But when they crammed what felt like thousands of people together on a mere fourteen decks, I had to question their logic. And not just people, shifters. We weren’t exactly a friendly sort. At least, not when people stepped on our toes—which had happened twice already.
Add in our delicate shifter temperaments, and pretty soon, the fur was going to start flying. While boarding, Brittany and I had had the unfortunate luck of watching a massive bear shifter be escorted off. I thought wolves were testy, but we had nothing on this guy. Full on fangs, claws, and a growly attitude to match. It’d taken three of the security team to control the situation. Honestly, I was surprised they hadn’t tossed him overboard. Kudos to them for remaining so calm in such a stressful situation. They had to be used to it. I imagined they dealt with this crap on a daily basis.