Chapter 3
Wells
Forrest sits uncomfortably at the bar, his back ramrod straight as he taps his pointer finger and middle finger against the bar top in patterns of three.
“What can I get for you?” the bartender says.
“I’ll have a mojito, he’ll have a vodka soda,” I tell her with a polite smile that she returns. I hold out my wristband and she scans it, and when she looks at Forrest, he begrudgingly holds out his wrist for her to scan.
“We could still get off the boat,” he grumbles.
“First off, it’s a ship, and no, we’ve been over this so many times,” I reply with an edge of irritation.
“I don’t need an Omega. Being with you is enough.”
I roll my eyes and just turn the tables. “You might not need one, but I do.”
Which is a fucking lie, this Alpha needs an Omega so goddamn bad and he just doesn’t seem to have the introspection to realize it. Luckily for him, he has me. Hence why we’re on this gorgeous ship where we’re going to find the most precious Omega to call our own.
He continues tapping his fingers, glancing around the bar. It’s mostly Alphas and other Betas about, though I’ve spotted an Omega or two.
None of the scents really phase me as a Beta, but they have Forrest on edge.
The bartender brings our drinks and I all but shove it into his hand and urge him to drink. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take him to settle down, but if he keeps up with this pouting bullshit, we definitely won’t be leaving this ship with what we came for.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Forrest with my whole heart, but he doesn’t realize how much an Omega would improve our lives.
Not only in the physical sense with knotting, but one who can help even out his moods.
He needs an Omega he can release all this Alpha energy on.
At times his possessiveness can become too overbearing for me.
I’m too independent for his liking, and I just know an Omega will help balance everything out.
An Omega for Forrest to nurture and for me, a partner in crime.
Maybe Forrest and I are a bit of an opposites attract situation, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We went into our relationship knowing that we would build a pack, he’s just extremely reluctant to change.
We tried dating back home, but the fact is that the local pool of Omegas is small or seasonal. Forrest also isn’t someone that naturally hits it off with people right away. He can be quiet, blunt, and at times intense. It’s fair to say, dating in our small New Hampshire town hasn't gone well.
In an effort to expand our dating pool I found the cruise and thought it was the perfect solution.
It would give us not only a wide variety of Omegas to meet, but also it would give Forrest more time to make connections.
He’s an incredible person, his heart too big for his chest at times.
I just know if he had the opportunity to take it slow and really connect with an Omega we’d find the one.
Our own romance was months in the making, me being the one who made the first move. I’ll more than likely be the one to take the lead in this situation too, but I don’t mind.
We need an Omega, and we’re going to find the one on this ship who needs us right back.
“I’ll find you the highest maintenance Omega, For, they’ll be needy, beautiful, and wonderful,” I joke and he arches a dark eyebrow at me like he likes the idea of it. No matter how stoic he may be to others, I can read him like a book.
A soft little Omega to spoil is his dream, he just doesn’t realize it yet.
“There’s just a lot of people,” he says, glancing around.
“Then let’s take our drinks and go somewhere quieter.”
“How about back to the room?” he suggests and I shake my head at him.
“No, we’re not hiding away in the suite. Come on.” I grab his arm and squeeze. He sighs, but gets up.
Forrest is a good six inches taller than me, which says something, considering I’m 5’11.
My build is that of an athlete who has put his body through hell, and though I’ve never regretted my passion or career choice, my body has paid the price.
Forrest, however, is all Alpha. His build is impressively and dauntingly large, even for an Alpha.
He doesn’t have rigid muscles from endless workouts but from cutting wood and doing work outside.
He runs a hand through his dark brown hair, there are a few grays around his ears and I can’t help but to be proud that I likely put them there. His hand lands on my shoulder and he squeezes as we head to the elevator and make our way to the upper decks to get some fresh air.
Music boasts on the top deck. There are people dancing by the pool and Forrest grimaces.
“Come on,” I say again, grabbing his hand and dragging him further away from the extroverts.
We lean against the railing, staring at the massive city surrounding us. We don’t come to New York often. We love our small little town, but something about it feels different, almost like a sense of big things to come.
“This is going to be good for us. This is what we need,” I tell him.
He rests his drink on the rail and looks down at me with his dark brown eyes.
“I just want to make sure this is truly what you want. It’s not something you feel you have to do to keep me happy,” he says, and I shake my head.
We’ve been over this so many times as we were planning this trip.
“I grew up in pack life. This is what I’ve always known I wanted. When I had to retire from the pro route, I knew this was what I wanted for us. We’re going to give some Omega the best life and they’ll bring us so much happiness. I just need you to try,” I tell him.
He knows I’m being genuine, he’s just trying to use me as a scapegoat for how uncomfortable he feels in this setting.
The horn of the ship blares three times as the engines start and, ever so slowly, the ship moves away from the dock.
“Well, it looks like there’s no turning back now. So, are you going to actually try?”
“Yes, I’ll try,” he says, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss against my lips.
My phone buzzes. It’s the ship’s Heat Haven app.
“Beta mixer is in twenty minutes. Are you going to survive on your own?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Don’t scare anyone away,” I say, patting his chest twice before heading off.
Forrest is the kind of person who comes to terms with things in his own time. I know he recognizes this is what we need. His Alpha driven need for an Omega will hopefully push him to putting himself out there, but I’ll give him time to settle in.
I leave him on his own, hoping that he doesn’t just go and hide in the room, but if that’s what he needs, that’s what he needs. I, on the other hand, know that we’re going to be on this ship for a good bit of time and the more people I meet, the better our chances of building a pack will be.
Plus, I’m going to need Beta friends to stay sane on this ship.
With so many Alphas and Omegas on this boat, there’s no doubt going to be drama on board. Why not get a front seat to the shit show?
The Beta mixer is small, unlike the real world, where we’re the most common designation.
We are far outnumbered on the ship. I introduce myself to a few different people, quickly gathering that most of the Betas are here with an Omega or an Alpha looking to build a bigger pack.
Only two Betas on the entire cruise have come here solo, and I can appreciate the level of self-confidence that takes.
A few Betas proudly show off their bonding marks, and it sends a sense of longing through me. Forrest and I haven’t bonded, not because we don’t want to, but because I’ve been holding out.
He can be stubborn as shit and well, I didn’t know how an Omega would feel about being bonded second. I want to start this pack off on the right foot, even if that means waiting for something I desperately want.
“God, my Alpha was so cheap, saying we wouldn’t be spending any time in the room, anyway. He booked the lowest tier interior cabin. I don’t know if we’re going to survive,” a Beta with russet hair and freckles says.
Another Beta grimaces and I take a sip of my drink in an effort to not make a face.
“Mine already ditched me to sniff around the ship,” a sad woman in her early twenties says.
“What the fuck?” I blurt out.
Her cheeks heat, and she clears her throat.
“I mean, of course, that’s what he wants to do. We came on this boat to find an Omega,” she says meekly, and I shake my head.
“What about you? Do you want an Omega in your pack?” I ask her and she shrugs.
“I mean, it’s what he needs.”
At this point, there are now a group of six of us together. Another Beta looks at the woman like she’s making complete sense while the rest of us are absolutely mortified by her statement.
“You know this is the rest of your life right? If you don’t want this, you can leave. We’re stopping in Florida to pick up more passengers. You can get off this boat and live the life you want,” I say to her.
She blinks at me like she never even considered the possibility.
“I’ll think about it.”
She walks away, leaving the mixer.
“Was that too harsh?” I ask the guy next to me; he seems relatively normal and is equally uncomfortable with the way her Alpha is treating her.
“No, I don’t think anyone’s given her that reality check before. I’m Moses,” he says, holding out his hand and shaking mine.
I grin at his name. “Well now I already feel safer with you on the ship. I’m Wells. Who are you here with?”
“My Alphas, who are probably hiding at the bar waiting for me to get back,” he says with a laugh.
“This trip is going to be something.”
“That’s for fucking sure. How long after the cruise is over do you think they’ll have a docu-series about the world’s first ever heat cruise and all the drama that ensued?”
“As long as it doesn’t wind up being a poop cruise or like the Titanic, I’ll be happy.”
We laugh and I meet other Betas who seem like they’re here for the right reasons and it’s later than I realize when I get back to the suite.
There’s a note on the bed.
Couldn’t sleep, went for a run.
At least he isn’t sulking in the room; he’s probably the only person running at this time of night.
Knowing he can fully take care of himself, I shower and wait for him for a while, but eventually, sleep takes over.