Carnage Island (Reject Island)(53)

That just makes me frown harder. “This time, meaning there’s been another bet?”

“They’re always making bets,” Tieran puts in. “Caius usually wins, which makes Volt try that much harder.”

“I won the last one,” Volt points out.

“You did,” Caius concedes. “I’ll win the next dozen or so.”

Volt snorts, but doesn’t disagree. “My prize last time was worth a million losses.” He looks at me and winks. “Ready to eat, sweetling?”

I really want to ask what he won, but I’m almost afraid to find out. So I just nod instead, the alluring scent of pizza calling my name.

The boat is apparently full of boxes, all of them protected by warming bags.

Groans of approval rent the air, the wolves all appeased with this development.

It’s a bit early for dinner, but the sun is already starting to set since it’s winter here and we’re much further north than the Nantahala Pack region.

Tieran pulls me onto a blanket a little way down the beach, something I didn’t realize was set up until my ass hits the fabric. Several other shifters have blankets as well, some of them choosing to sit closer to the water than others.

It’s cold, yet most of the males are shirtless, their shifter heat keeping them warm despite the wintry temperatures. Tieran, Volt, and Caius are all just in jeans, but they added boots for this afternoon’s event.

So I feel a bit overdressed in my sweater, jeans, and boots.

However, feeling Alpha Dirk’s eyes on me again, I’m glad to have a fabric shield.

Being naked doesn’t usually bother me. I grew up around nudity. But something about his Clan unnerves me.

That scent is irritating my senses again.

Tieran joins me on the blanket, sitting behind me and bracketing me with his legs, momentarily distracting me from the other Alpha.

I shiver, the warmth of his touch calling my animal to the surface and causing her fur to brush beneath my skin.

He wraps his arms around me and guides my back to his chest, his lips caressing my ear. “What’s wrong?” he asks in a whisper I’m certain no one else can hear as it’s extremely low.

“A familiar scent,” I reply, turning so our lips are near each other. “I’m wondering if it’s from the other day…” I trail off, and understanding blossoms in his blue eyes.

“The Alphas who attacked the den,” he says.

I nod.

“Several of them are here,” he admits. “But they were caught in the rut, something Omegas inspire in unmated Alphas. We all have an instinct to claim and to protect.” He nuzzles my cheek. “Which is why I’m struggling to keep my hands off of you.”

That makes me grin. “I don’t mind.”

“Good,” he whispers, nipping my ear as I settle once more against his chest. “Because I’m going to hold you like this all night to ensure everyone knows we intend to claim you.”

Assuming I go into heat again, I think, swallowing.

It’s a constant thought in my head, swimming around and flirting with the doubt hiding in the corner of my mind.

I ignore it, allowing myself to enjoy the moment as Tieran holds me.

Caius and Volt join us with two boxes in their hands.

The pizza has my favorite toppings—pepperoni and sausage—proving Volt more than listened to me the other day. He may kill for a living, but there’s a deep and thoughtful soul in there. One I’m going to enjoy exploring.

I want to know what makes him enjoy pain, why he possesses a lethal edge.

Just like I want to know more about Caius and his penchant for blackmail. What made him choose that profession? How is he so skilled at reading people? Is it a natural trait or a learned one?

With Tieran, I want to know more about his visions for leadership, what it means to be an Omega in his clan, and what really happened with Alpha Bryson’s daughter. I’ve not possessed the confidence to ask.

Maybe I will tonight.

Definitely not here.

He picks up a slice and brings it to my lips, then takes his own bite out of the same piece. We share our meal like that, with him feeding me before himself, his purr a low hum against my back.

It’s peaceful.

The Carnage wolves are all relaxed as well, indulging in the pizza on the beach as the moon lifts into the sky. Several end up shifting soon after, frolicking in the waves and running through the frigid water.

The boat also disappears, going to some secret alcove in the island where they keep the proper dock—something Caius tells me about while we lounge in the sand.

This life is far different from the one I left behind.

It’s definitely not what I ever considered possible.

More like a dream than a reality.

A dream I hope to never wake up from.

But I fear a nightmare lurks in my future.

One involving my Nantahala Wolf heritage.

A nightmare to consider later, I tell myself, drunk on life. Just enjoy the dream. Live in the moment. And breathe.





21





VOLT





“I want Alpha Dirk and Alpha Kin monitored,” Tieran says softly from the foot of the bed.

This has become our nightly routine—Caius and I wear out our little wolf, then Tieran joins us for a chat after she falls asleep.