Chapter 16 Bonnie
Bonnie
The raft is anchored safely to the bank of the river, and we’re now on the correct side.
I glance back mentally, going over the damage I need to report to Dad.
All the helmets have been retrieved, but we lost three life vests and five paddles, plus my pack, the safety kit, the satellite phone, and the flares.
We still have everything I had in my pockets, which is a packet of disinfectant wipes, a compass, the fire starter, one of my more extreme safety measures; a syringe in a plastic container that will knock an alpha on his ass in under ten seconds, and a folded up map I keep in a sealed bag.
I’ve been out here with less but never with so many people.
I know that each person has a small first-aid bag made up, clothes, tent, sleeping bag, canteens, and a small supply of dried food.
But my tent is gone, as are my sleeping bag, clothes, and most of our food, plus the first-aid kit with my spare EpiPen.
I secured the line. I know I did.
I rub my chin, thinking about how I’m going to explain to Dad how all this happened. Cyn is right, Dad is going to rip stripes off me.
Justin is in the lead, following my directions with the map and compass I’ve given him to distract them all from my uneasy mood. I know the landscape well enough not to need a map, but still it gives them a taste of how to navigate.
Except I’m not sure about this. The feeling that something is going on has solidified.
I have proof. The safety lines in the boat were cut; they had to have been.
My back pack disappearing is suspicious.
The three almost fatal accidents have my temper simmering.
When I add the food poisoning, it’s just getting painfully obvious someone is fucking my trip up.
I walk beside Kevin and glance up at him, wondering if he, Nathan, and Rojer are okay. The alphas have been particularly sullen today. I hope Dad is going to be okay with awful reviews.
“You’re allergic to bees, right? Anything else?”
He turns his head, giving me a steely-eyed look that makes my skin crawl. The alpha pheromones are already rising to the surface. Tempers are sizzling, and the air seems almost electric this morning.
“I am. Bees and latex.”
Well, that’s a relief. No latex out here. I know one of the campers has a spare EpiPen, but I can’t remember who it is, and I’m not game to ask and cause a panic.
“Good to know. What’s working in an office like?”
“Much like this,” he snaps and then sighs.
“It’s boring when it’s boring, but when we have a project and it’s coming together, it's amazing. The thrill as hugely talented people work as a team, organising different parts of a project, is everything to me, and when it comes together, it’s amazing. I love it.”
“I feel like that when I’m out here. The moments when I see someone’s face light up, their curiosity and pride when they learn something new. Plus, I have the best view in the world.”
He makes a sound of agreement.
“So, whose idea was it to come out here on a company trip?” I ask, trying to fill the dead silence.
This alpha doesn’t speak much, and I can’t tell if it’s because he doesn’t like me or this is just who he is.
But pulling words from him is as hard as pulling nails from a block of wood with a pair of tweezers.
“Don’t look at me,” Kevin grumbles. “I would still be in my suit and office if it was up to me.”
“It was mine!” Quincy says with a laugh. “Sorry, everyone.”
“Oh, don’t be like that!” I respond with a smile. Quincy is so happy that it’s hard to be mad at him, but further, he, Kendall, and Justin are the only relief this ego-packed adventure gets.
“Well, the trip’s not going well, is it?” He pouts prettily.
“I doubt your work goes smoothly all the time either,” I say with a teasing defensiveness.
“That is true,” Kevin admits. “Business can get very bloody.”
I slow down and drop back to walk beside Kendall. “Hey, Kendall, how are your allergies going?”
“The air out here is full of toxins and pollen. I’m dying.” He sniffles dramatically; his nose is a little red. But just a little.
“Are you sure you’re dying and not just loving life?”
“Nope, I’m pretty sure it's imminent death. I will require you to take my body back to my parents before I get eaten by wildlife.” Kendall huffs. “How can you be out here with so many dangers?”
“Where’s the danger?” I say with a laugh, and then have to smother it when he trips over an exposed root.
“You see! Everywhere, you could trip over that log, break your leg, and lay here wondering about your life choices until you starve to death down the hill there because you have dragged yourself, but it's too far and too painful, and in your last moments, you wish you hadn’t worked so far from the city. Oh, god!”
I get the giggles. “First, if I break my leg, you should know I never go out here alone.” This is a lie, but I wouldn’t tell them that. “Second, I’d use the branches to splint my leg, and I’d set up a fire and wait while whoever I’m with went and got help.”
“That sounds ridiculous; what about predators? Won’t you die on your own?”
“What’s going to attack me? Butterflies, blue skies, and sunlight.”
“Germs, rodents, and storms.”
“I’ll have you know that spring storms out here are some of the most beautiful-”
“-Dangerous.”
“-events to witness.”
He side-eyes me and shakes his head. “I feel like you are a walking danger magnet. I’m sure you’ve shortened your life by a half a dozen years.”
“If you had aerosol disinfectant right now, would you be spraying me?” I ask curiously.
His cheeks turn red.
I slap his arm, laughing. “Cheer up, Kendall. It’s a gorgeous day.”
With that, I finally let myself acknowledge that I’ve been aware of them the whole time, that they are right there, and it’s been burning inside me, a flickering flame of awareness.
Vale passes me, not stopping, though he does give me one heated look that has me fighting the urge to fan myself.
Instead, it’s Cyn that walks shoulder to shoulder with me.
“What is your work like?”
“Honestly? Boring. There is something to be said for inheriting a business that is a well-oiled machine. The reason we’re all out here is because our companies are looking at a potential merger. And our intention was to step back to pursue our own interests.”
“What are those?”
“Well,” Cyn looks off thoughtfully. “I’m not exactly sure. We do like being outdoors and away from the cameras and press.”
I mock gasp. “Are you serious?”
“Haha, you are very funny, aren’t you?” he teases, and seeing Cyn light up with mirth is like seeing the sun for the first time in days.
My mocking smile eases into a more natural one. “I can’t help it; you guys bring out the worst in me.”
“Is it the worst?” he says low and intimately.
I glance at him sharply. “I don’t know anymore,” I admit. “You aren’t who I thought you were.”
“Well, isn’t that something, all of us here in this mixed-up world, not sure of the way we should be or do. Confused. Uncertain.”
“I can picture you staring out of a window, thinking deep and confusing thoughts.”
Cyn snorts a laugh. “Oh, you’ve got my number. And while I’m thinking deep and uncertain thoughts, what are you doing?” His voice drops low and husky, and without thinking, he holds out a hand to help me over a fallen tree.
I’m hesitant, but I take it, feeling the roughness, the size of his hand dwarfing mine. My skin tingles at the contact. I look away from our joined hands, step over quickly, and let him go.
“I’m outside in the rain, climbing a tree. No thoughts, just living, existing in the present,” I say, pretending he doesn’t affect me.
“You’ll have to teach me how to do that,” he murmurs, his voice still low and intense, and I know he knows I’m losing my mind over that small touch. And we both know that was his intention.
“We don’t have enough time,” I say lightly.
That sobers him, making the smile disappear. “You should know that walking away is not something I’m capable of doing.”
You’ve done it once, you can do it again.
I don’t say the words.
Cyn drops his arm over my shoulders; it happens so quickly I don’t have a chance to duck.
The warmth and strength are what I immediately notice, followed by the rum scent that is distinct, then the dark, sweet scent I can’t identify.
It’s a scent from my dark dreams, from being huddled up on rainy nights in my room, safe and warm but longing for something more.
Cyn’s scent is temptation.
Heat unfurls inside me. I have a visceral reaction to this alpha’s touch and scent. My thoughts scatter, and I turn into him, leaning in, drawing that scent into me so I can memorize it and keep it forever.
“Bonnie, stop. I won’t be responsible for taking you off and having my wicked way with you if you continue stroking my abs like that.” His husky words take too long to wake me up.
I look down, and, sure enough, my hand is on his stomach, and I’m stroking. I snatch it back and try to step back, but his arm tightens around me.
I stare up at him, my head is filled with smokey warmth, this feeling of absolute contentment that I have never felt before.
So, this is what they say when they talk about being scent-struck.
I duck and dip away from him, staring at him with wide eyes. When he takes a step towards me, I hold up a hand.
“Nope.”
Self-preservation requires distance. Lots and lots of distance.
“No? Are you sure?”
“I have no idea right now, but because I’m so fuzzy, the answer is yes, I am sure. You keep your distance with that ridiculous scent.”
“You like my scent?” Cyn looks ridiculously pleased.
I groan as it gets stronger.
“Everyone would like your scent; don’t be so cocky.” I snap at him and rub the bridge of my nose. “Geez, this is going to be a bad couple of days.”
He bites his lower lip and looks completely, effortlessly fuckable. My core clenches, and I have to ignore the feeling of my panties getting wet and the tremble in my legs. My skin is too sensitive, and I’m thrumming with low-key arousal that only needs a puff of air to explode into an inferno.
“Right, enough eye-flirting, the rest of the group is leaving us behind,” Kota says from right behind me. “Though I will say, watching you fall apart over a whiff of Cyn is the highlight of the day so far.”
“Don’t flatter yourself; it was his BO that knocked me off my feet.”
Dakota throws his head back, laughing.
I stomp away, pretending to be furious, but inside, I’m freaking the hell out. I react more strongly to them than I have to anything I’ve ever encountered. Stronger than when I was eighteen.
And the patches will still be working a little; the worst is yet to come. Internally, I am screaming.
“Hey, tour guide person!” Nathan snaps.
I grind my teeth and catch up with him. “Bonnie. My name is Bonnie. How can I help you?”
“Are you sure you know we’re going in the right direction?”
I study the landmarks. “Yep, he’s pretty much dead on.”
“Well, when are we going to get there?”
Get where? I’m not sure what he’s asking, but I’m frustrated with his continued aggression.
“We cover a lot of ground, but we’ll get to where we need to get in the right time.”
Nathan growls and stomps off, leaving me walking alone, but not for long. Rojer catches me and slows down. He’s been watching me for a few hours, but now he stares at me, and I recognise another hunter.
Wary, that’s how I feel around him.
“When were you going to announce to the group that you’re an omega?” He doesn’t ask quietly. He says it in ringing tones that let the entire park know what I am.
Everyone stops walking and turns towards us, though I’m relieved to see that the Prince pack is cautiously protective.
They won’t let the other alphas hurt me.
The fact that I am worried about that only cements my certainty that there is something wrong with this group.
“You’re a fucking omega? Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Can this expedition to hell get any worse?
Of all the fucked-up things, a bloody fucking omega.
” Nathan’s furious face freezes before it collapses in an expression of outrage.
“You don’t have a suppressant patch!” he accuses, pointing a furious finger at me.
I glare back at him. “Being an omega is a part of who I am, not a handicap.”
“It may as well be, flooding the air with pheromones that mess everyone’s minds up and turn alphas into puppets.”
I narrow my eyes and wait for him to run out of steam. I’ve discovered there is no point arguing with a hysterical alpha; they can’t hear anything.
“You’re really an omega?” Quincy asks.
He’s mildly impressed, I can see it, but I hope it’s for non-nefarious reasons.
“So, I’m an omega. So what? You think omegas can’t work?”
“Omegas shouldn’t work,” Kevin says coldly.
I roll my eyes. I’ve heard of alphas like this one; they are so backward in their beliefs that they can’t imagine an omega would even be able to exist without an alpha.
Rojer, who opened this can of worms, just stands with his arms crossed, watching Nathan implode.
Kevin isn’t happy, and Kendall looks like I’ve blown his puny, little beta mind.
Justin grumbles. “So what if she’s an omega? We still need to get home, so let’s go, or do you guys want to add another week to this disaster of a trip?”
His words hit the group hard, and they shift uncomfortably. It’s the truth, as much as they want to throw blame and carry on, I am the only one who can get them out.
The group of alphas and betas reluctantly start walking, but I can feel that the air around us is charged now; the tension which I’d begun to ease is back threefold.
I study Rojer’s back, wondering why exactly he did that. Is he the one who is sabotaging this trip?
I shake my head. The questions remain, and I have no answers. I knew the alphas would be unhappy with an omega here, but the outright hostility surprises me.
Cyn walks past me, and for a second, his finger grazes along the outside of my hand. I whip my head towards him and watch as he silently slides past.
Was that comfort?
I’m not sure what’s worse: the hostile camp or the alphas who have suddenly changed their minds.
For the first time ever, I wish I were home.