Chapter 15
GRACE
I sprawl, arms back and an Old Harbor University t-shirt knotted at my ribs. It’s insanely hot, but I refuse to be inside on a day off. So instead, I lay here, sticky with sunscreen and soaking up the rays.
“Are you fried yet?” Charlotte asks from behind her arm, which she’s draped across her eyes dramatically.
“Nearly fully,” I say. “I think the sun’s zapped the last of my will to live. You can have my books.”
“I don’t want your books.” She peeks at me, brown eyes glinting in the sunlight. “I want your spot in line for the snack shack when you die. There’s at least thirty people waiting for fried dough and your protein bar isn’t fooling anyone.”
I throw the protein bar at her.
She laughs. “Missed me.”
“Don’t get cocky,” I tell her. “I’ve got another three in my bag, and all afternoon to dial it in.”
She flops onto her side and props her cheek on her hand. “You and Connor looked amazing last night. Looks like he’s really trying to be better for you, even if just for Reverie.”
The name is a gut-punch I pretend not to feel. “Yeah. I noticed that, too. But I don’t think it changes anything between us romantically.”
Charlotte considers this. “Could it, though?”
I make a face. “Not you, too. Briar said the same thing.”
“Your college friend?” she asks. “Briar sounds smart.”
I throw both of my arms over my face. “She is, but no amount of logic will heal the lack of trust. Only time can. So no, I have no idea if things could change, but…”
“But?”
I shrug. “Maybe I could want them to. They have changed some.”
Charlotte lays back down beside me. “Then let time decide.”
I nod. “Think that’s the best plan.”
We let the sun cook us in companionable silence for a while. The world is loud with shrieking toddlers and the bark of distant seagulls. Charlotte gnaws her protein bar and I sip lukewarm Gatorade, watching clouds boil over the skyline.
At some point, I must drift off, because I wake to a shadow blocking the sun and the acid tang of unfamiliar alpha close by.
Three men stand over us. The tallest has a beach ball biceps and a tank top that reads “TANNER — CHARLTON LACROSSE.” The shortest has an unsettling bright grin on his face. The third, a wiry alpha in sunglasses, hovers behind the other two.
Charlotte goes rigid next to me. “No,” she says flatly. “Absolutely not.”
The tank top guy—Tanner, I guess, from the stitched letters—smiles. “Hey, Charlotte. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Charlotte bristles in a way I’ve never seen her do before. “You didn’t. But you can leave now.”
She sits up. I do, too. A wave of overprotectiveness over Charlotte has me standing to meet these alphas eye-to-eye before she event stands.
The alpha with an unsettling smile inclines his head. “Come on, Charlotte. Don’t be like that.”
Charlotte doesn’t look at me, but her scent, usually faint and sweet, spikes with fear. I don’t like it.
“Back off,” I snap.
Charlotte touches a hand to my elbow. A warning.
The wiry alpha gives me a quick up-and-down. “We’re not here to cause trouble, just catching up with an old friend.”
Charlotte crosses her arms. “We’re not friends.”
“We’re your pack,” the unsettling one says.
She looks at her knees, jaw clenched. “We’re nothing, Evan.” Her gaze cuts to Wiry. “Christopher. You three need to leave.”
Christopher shifts his weight from foot to foot. “Just wanted to say hi, Charlotte. That’s it.”
I glance at her again, but she’s shrinking, the way prey does. “And now you’ve said it, so leave. We’re having a girls’ day.”
Evan scoffs. “Didn’t know we needed an appointment.”
Tanner’s eyes narrow down the bridge of his nose. “No need to get defensive, we’re not here to start something.”
Christopher flips his sunglasses down from his head over his eyes. “Actually, we saw you skating last night. You’re really good, Charlotte. Impressive stuff. We always knew you’d make it.”
She looks up. “Thanks. I work hard. Please leave.”
Oh, I don’t like this. I step between Charlotte and the alphas. “You heard her. Go find somewhere else to haunt.”
For a hot second, nobody moves. The world feels glassy and still. If they don’t leave, we’ll have to because there’s no way in hell I’m letting Charlotte stay this uncomfortable.
Then, from across the beach, a bellow thunders out. “GRACE! CHARLOTTE!”
It’s an unmistakable alpha sound, pitched to carry over stadium crowds and burning houses. My body reacts instantly. My inner omega makes me turn toward the sound and even smile for a moment before I pull away from the campfire scent.
Fowler Murphy jogs into view, hair spiking like he’s just run his head under a shower.
His firefighter T-shirt is dark with sweat.
Behind him, a posse of equally fit dudes trail like a well-hydrated wolf pack, with towels slung over shoulders and beer cans crushed into perfect little aluminum hockey pucks.
“Oh my god,” I mutter. “This is so not what I needed today.” But maybe it’ll be enough to scare off these alphas stalking Charlotte.
Charlotte regains composure. “I think it’s about to get interesting.”
Fowler covers the distance in seconds, slowing only to appraise the three men standing over us. He flashes his teeth and plants himself between them and us, arms crossed, stance pure intimidation.
“Problem here?” he asks.
Tanner stares him down. “No problem. We’re just talking to Charlotte.”
Fowler raises his eyebrows, all faux-politeness. “Cool. Because it looked like you were making her uncomfortable.”
“Is this your business?” asks Evan. I smile when I notice his voice and entire presence is smaller now.
Much as I didn’t want to see Fowler today, I can’t say I’m not happy he was here to diffuse this situation.
Fowler shrugs. “I’m not really a fan of creeps stalking my friends, what can I say.” He turns to Grace and me. “They are creeps, right?”
Charlotte nods. “Yes.”
Fowler holds my gaze a moment longer. I nod, too.
Christopher is already backing away.
Tanner’s jaw locks tight. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
Oh. Does he think Fowler is Charlotte’s actual alpha? I almost laugh.
Fowler’s smile grows lethal. “I’m with them. And it’s clear they don’t want you here. So, why don’t you guys run along?”
Evan holds his hands up, palms out. “Relax, man. We’re leaving.”
Tanner lingers, but Fowler doesn’t move. A full beat passes as they stare at each other. Then Tanner turns, shoulders squared, and stalks off. The rest of his alpha pack trails behind.
As soon as they’re gone, Charlotte exhales loudly. “Thanks.”
He shrugs again, like it’s nothing. “Are you good? Those guys feel like bastards.”
“Yeah,” she says, voice small. “And they are bastards. I appreciate you stepping in.” She turns to me. “And you, too, Grace.”
I hug her quickly then gather our stuff. “Of course. But maybe we should go and get food or something. In case they come back.”
“Want me to hang around for a bit instead?” Fowler glances between us. “I know…” he trails off. “Maybe I’m not an alpha you want around either, but I don’t mind keeping an eye out for them.”
I smile gratefully up at him. “No, it’s okay. We were getting quite fried out here anyway. Thank you, though.”
Charlotte nods. “Yeah. Thanks, Fowler.”
He grins at me. “Anytime, Grace.” There’s a fondness in his voice that I’ve never heard before. I’m not sure what to make of it. He didn’t need to step in at all, but I’m so happy he did.
We haul our things up toward the parking lot. I don’t look back. I don’t have to—Fowler’s presence lingers, a shield and a warning both. His campfire scent cocoons me long after he’s out of sight.
In the back of my throat, a phantom heat flickers, old and stupid and unwelcome.
But I’m grateful.
We leave Pleasure Bay behind us.
We eat cross-legged on my living room floor with paper plates balanced on knees. The local news plays soundlessly on the television in the corner. I’ve made up the couch for Charlotte who will stay over tonight just in case those alphas get any more shitty ideas.
Charlotte fumbles a slice of pizza before getting it successfully onto a plate. “You want to know something funny?”
I nod, mouth full.
“I bet Charlton Pack planned that whole thing. Like, obviously me being in Reverie isn’t a secret with the cast posters.
But tracked me somehow.” She rolls her eyes, but there’s no humor in it.
“Or maybe not tracked, I don’t know. But as soon as they saw me they swooped in.
They don’t even like the beach. Chris is allergic to seagulls. ”
Come to think of it, I now sort of remember men who looked like those three bastards on the T on the way to Castle Island. It was probably a complete accident we ran into them in the first place.
“How do you even know them?” I ask.
“High school.” Charlotte takes a bite of her pizza. “As soon as we all presented, we realized the scent-match. My body craves them when my suppressants aren’t working and I actually hate it. And them.”
I can sort of understand. “Were you ever an official pack?”
Charlotte shakes her head. “Not really. We went to prom together, but they wanted the whole pack life situation, kids and all, far too quickly. I had my heart set on college and performance figure-skating. But they clearly didn’t take no as an answer.
But it’s only been a few months since high school graduation. Hopefully they’ll go away soon.”
I set down my paper plate. “I’m sorry, that’s a lot to deal with.”
“At least Fowler was there to scare them off,” Charlotte says.
Yeah. That. I fold my hands in my lap. “It was a nice gesture for sure.”
Charlotte doesn’t say it, but I know what’s on her mind. That maybe that was enough of a nice gesture to give Fowler a second chance. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
We let the conversation drift for a while. Eventually, Charlotte claims the couch, burrows in, and starts scrolling through her phone. I go to brush my teeth and end up just standing in the bathroom, staring at my reflection.
There’s nothing remarkable about me except the fact that every cell in my body remembers how it felt to be chosen, and then dropped, by the alphas I was supposed to want most in the world.
I think about Fowler. The way he didn’t hesitate today—didn’t even ask if we wanted backup, just appeared and gave Charlotte the space to breathe. I didn’t thank him properly. I should.
But that might mean first tearing down the walls these alphas forced me to build.