Chapter 21 Corbin
Corbin
Riding into the social event of the season with my former pack and my new mate is a fucked-up kind of experience. The entire ride there, I watch Winnie leaning into Eli, and to my shock, Eli lets her. Encourages it, even.
Have things really changed that much since I left?
Yes, I can see they have. Not just this but other little adjustments I've noticed since they came back. Rafe is more in tune with Eli’s needs. Zeke, though still full of energy, is more carefree than before we lost Nick. More.
The thought twists guilt deep in my gut.
At the time, I truly believed I was doing the only thing I could.
That the pack would be better. I thought they'd split and find a new pack. Looking at them now, at what they’ve built and what happened with Zeke and Winnie, I can admit I might have been wrong.
A happy bark pulls me from my thoughts. I glance in my mirror.
Deputy is sprawled on the back of my bike in his custom harness, fully secured.
He wears his helmet and goggles, something that took a lot of patience and more treats than I care to admit.
His tongue lolls out, and he looks like the happiest creature alive.
We park at the edge of the beach lot. The sand is pale and soft beneath our boots.
Lake Michigan stretches out endlessly, wide enough to feel like an ocean.
Food trucks line the shore alongside games, beanbag toss, horseshoes, giant Connect Four and more.
The sun sinks lower, scattering color across the water like glitter.
I free Deputy and remove his harness and he jumps down and bounds to Eli's side. I feel a swell of pride at how much that mutt’s learned in such a short period of time.
“Winnie!” someone calls.
She’s already off Eli’s bike, handing him her helmet. She turns when she hears her name, and breaks into a smile so bright it cracks something open in my chest. I’d do anything to make sure she always looks that happy.
“Rose!” she squeals.
They hug like they didn’t see each other just yesterday. Rose’s alpha, Harlan, follows behind her. He and I lock eyes. Our alphas bristle, but we both keep them leashed. He nods in acknowledgement and I nod back.
“Did you hear?” Rose asks.
Winnie scrunches her brows. “Hear what?”
“Stella’s finally decided to bless Florida with her personality permanently. She’s moving.” Rose practically vibrates.
Winnie’s eyes widen. “Seriously? Is that safe? Her health hasn’t been great.”
Rose rolls her eyes, and Rafe gives her a skeptical look. He told me Stella nearly took him out with her oxygen tank at Dandy Stuff. But my chest warms anyway. This is who Winnie is. Her first instinct always bends toward care. I just wish she turned that kindness inward, too.
“She’ll be fine,” Rose says. “And we won’t have to hear her complain at every festival or grouse up and down mainstreet.”
“Hey!” Cali waddles up, very pregnant and very unimpressed. Connor supports her arm carefully. “That woman is a menace,” Cali huffs, clearly having heard what they were talking about.
“Oh come on,” Winnie says. “She’s not that bad.”
Everyone, myself included, stares at her.
“Come on,” Cali says. “The alphas claimed a bonfire spot and brought s’mores and food.”
I follow them down the beach and notice Eli hanging back, shoulders tight, hands shoved deep in his pockets. I slow until I’m beside him.
“You doing okay?” I ask.
He gives a stiff nod.
“If you need to dip,” I say quietly, “Winnie’ll understand.”
His brows knit. “Sure.”
“She will,” I tell him. “She’s safe like that.”
He considers it, then nods. The bonfire is loud. Flames crackle. Music blares. Laughter and shouting cut through the air. Eli’s mask is still on, snug over his ears. Noise-reducing. I leave him be. He knows his limits.
Winnie stops near a grill, eyeing the food. I step up beside her.
“Hungry, Sweetheart?” I ask, grabbing a plate and piling it with meat.
“I can serve myself,” she says, but there’s no bite to it. Just a crooked smile.
“I know you can. I like taking care of you.”
She rolls her eyes, smiling. “Okay, daddy.”
My body goes tight. I scan our surroundings, then lean close to her ear. “If you call me that again, I won’t care who’s watching. I’ll bend you over the nearest surface and remind you exactly who your daddy is.”
Her quiet gasp makes restraint much harder. I swat her ass lightly and carry her plate to the table, adjusting myself to keep things decent.
Across from us, Sunny sits beside Cole. He nods at me. We know each other. From calls to the hotel for when someone got a little too drunk or unruly. We saw each other the night Winnie met my pack at his hotel restaurant. The implication from all of her friends' alphas was a swift Hurt her and die.
Winnie settles beside me. I slide her plate toward her and drape an arm over her shoulders. Cole watches, gears turning, then smirks. Cocky bastard.
Zeke takes the seat on her other side, placing a plate of fruit and salad in front of her. She hums, happily sampling from both plates.
Her friends and their packs gather around.
Alphas sit on the sand when the table fills.
I recognize them all. Clara sits with her horror-writer alpha.
My stomach tightens at the memory of my former deputy.
He'd been delusional and harassed her. I did everything I could then, legally. Still wish I’d done more.
Cali looks miserable. Exhausted. Her alphas hover, helpless until that baby arrives.
Rose leans into Harlan while another alpha sits on his knee, his hand rubbing her back absently. The rest of their pack lounges close.
“How’s the wedding prep?” Sunny asks.
“It’s fine,” Winnie says. “Very glittery.”
Sunny grimaces.
“You know Winnie’s sister?” Zeke asks. "I thought they lived in Traverse City."
“They moved near Traverse City after I graduated. Sunny's grandma was a big part of the community, but we didn't really become friends until after high school," Winnie explains. Sunny smiles at the memory.
Gage sits behind us on the blanket. He watches Winnie from a distance. The space between them still yawns wide. She’s accepted me and Zeke. Rafe’s warming to her. Even Eli’s walls have shifted. But Gage still stands apart.
A voice crackles over the speakers. Mayor Liu. I tune it out. I'm not big on community events. Until she calls for dominant alphas.
A race.
Cole looks up. So do Bram, Harlan and Bax. Bram’s already standing.
"Whoever wins will receive a prize!" Mayor Liu says into the loudspeaker."
All of the omegas perk up.
“You can’t be serious,” Gage mutters.
“Oh, we are,” Sunny says. “And we’re going to beat the shit out of your pack.”
Harlan scoops Rose up with ease, settling her on his shoulders. Bram crouches so Clara can climb him like a monkey. Cole allows Sunny to get on his shoulders as well, though he looks fairly miserable about the idea.
“I’m opting out,” Cali says. “Connor’s racing for me.”
Connor looks terrified. One look from Cali and he caves. Bax crouches, and the image of a full-grown alpha scrambling onto another alphas shoulders will live rent-free in my mind forever.
I glance to Gage. Though he’s never been a dominant alpha he has technically been running the pack since I left. He smirks and shakes his head leaving this tradition firmly on my shoulders.
Winnie looks up at me, eyes wide. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay.”
Which tells me everything. She loves this town. She’d never want to miss an event no matter how silly.
I take her hand, guide her away, and kneel. Her delighted squeal sends her scent spiraling around us. She swings her leg over my shoulder. I skim my hand up her calf before offering it for balance. She hops, gripping both my hands. I stand, and she gasps, fingers tightening.
“You okay, Sweetheart?” I ask.
“You always ask that.”
“Because you’ll always be my first priority.”
Her scent blooms again, sweet and thick. I squeeze her hand and smirk. I’ve loved her longer than she knows.
And I think she’s starting to feel it too.