Chapter 28 Bonnie
Bonnie
Iexplode out of the tent like it’s just another day and clap my hands.
“Right, sorry about yesterday, everyone. I want to thank you for taking care of me, but it was just a minor bump, and I’m okay now.”
“You are?” Kevin asks sceptically.
“Absolutely. I’ve had much worse injuries.”
He grunts and turns away, but Rojer is still watching me. Too intent. Too hostile.
My skin crawls, but I force myself to ignore him and focus on everyone else. To my surprise, everyone is packed up and ready to go. Only a couple more hours; it will be all over.
I can’t wait.
I can’t wait.
If I tell myself over and over, I will believe it.
My gaze lands on Rory, who is leaning on a tree, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me. He looks tired, but I don’t think anyone else would notice.
Did he stay up all night making sure nothing happened?
I lift my hand and press it over my chest that feels suddenly too tight. Why am I getting butterflies? Why am I unable to look away from him? It’s over. They might not know it yet, but our time together is done. Today is the last day; we are hours from the cabin.
After today, I won’t see them again.
Don’t cry, please, don’t cry.
He pushes off the tree and advances on me slowly. Giving me plenty of time to get away. I don’t even try. Maybe the fall scrambled my brain, but he’s just so damn beautiful.
How can I walk away from them?
They need to walk away from me. That’s the trick to my survival.
He touches his knuckle to just under my chin and adds just the smallest amount of pressure. I tilt my chin up, looking into his incredibly green eyes.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“I am. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank us.”
“I do, though, you-” I cut off because we’re drawing attention.
“I was worried.”
“You were?” That surprises me. He surprises me.
“Of course.”
This is the strangest conversation I’ve ever had with him. It’s like we’re back to awkward acquaintances again, and we can’t say what we really want to say.
He inhales, catches sight of something over my shoulder, and reluctantly drops his hand and backs off.
I shake it off and go and take care of business, finding the hidden spring, where I fill up my water bottle before bringing everyone over to fill up theirs.
Rojer growls.
“Where’s your pack?” I ask him.
“Missing!” he snaps.
I stare at him, wondering how much closer to the edge we need to push him before he does something really unforgivable. Did he grab my wrist on purpose, or was it a reflex?
Does it really matter? He almost killed me.
I go back into my tent and pack up the belongings I’ve borrowed from other members.
But under the sleeping bag, my hand touches paper.
I fish around and stare when I find an envelope.
I don’t know what it is, but I don’t have time, so I put it in my pocket and roll up Cyn’s sleeping bag.
It takes me a couple of minutes to get everything packed back up into the pack.
I crawl out of the tent, and Cyn takes me by the upper arms, moving me out of the way while Rory and Vale take the tent down in a remarkably short amount of time.
The day passes with a tension between the eleven of us that makes my skin crawl. Rojer, Nathan, and Kevin are outright hostile and rude, and I think if I wasn’t defusing the situation, they and the Prince pack might have come to blows already.
Worse still is the way they are watching me now. Like I’m something they want to break, like I’m weak.
Their eyes are an itchy feeling that follows me wherever I go. I don’t like it. My scent comes out a little more burnt as my irritation and fear merge.
Which just makes me a bigger target.
All the alphas are riled, and the situation is getting precarious. I’m close enough to the cabin now that if I take off, I’d be able to get out of here, but I can’t guarantee everyone would be alive at the end of it. And…I don’t know how my injured body would affect things.
I rub my head, feeling the lump.
I’m not at a hundred percent; that fall took more out of me that I expected, and the cabin is at least a few more hours away. Can I survive with seven alphas chasing me through the forest?
Probably not. My headache is throbbing, and I feel like I just want to sleep for a week.
Despite my cheerful narration and smiles, the alphas can sense weakness like blood in the water. Or smell it in the air.
“Let’s call for a break. Ten minutes, everyone,” I say with a smile that feels brittle.
Before anyone can stop me, I melt away, putting extra space as I quickly take care of business and right my clothes.
I’ve just done up my fly when I hear the sound of someone coming towards me. I expect one of the Prince pack, so I turn with a snarky comment, only to find Nathan bearing down on me, his eyes aglow, expression fierce.
“Omega, come here.”
The bark is sudden and intense.
I gasp, fighting, but my willpower is snapped under the alpha's power. Tears of pure frustration and fear well in my eyes, but I walk towards him on stiff legs.
“Nath..an, please, stop.”
He doesn’t seem to hear me; he doesn’t seem to hear anything. As soon as I get close, he grabs the back of my neck and drags me up against him, his mouth moving over the spot on my neck where the scent is strongest. His scent hits me hard, and I gag, desperate to get him away from me.
A sob bursts from me, and I tremble in his arms. I work my hand into my pocket, past that envelope, and into the emergency box I keep in there.
I flick the lid off and pull the syringe out of my pocket. I act quickly, depressing the sedative into the alpha before he can think. One second, two. He stumbles back, his eyes unfocused, the pupils huge black pools. Strands of saliva run from his mouth down to his chin, and then he drops.
I don’t even try to help him; I just stand there and glare. In all my years, no alpha has ever tried such an unscrupulous attempt at taking me by force.
He drops to his knees, and my lip curls. His scent is all over me, and my neck is wet.
“Piece of shit,” I hiss.
I reach into my pockets and pull out a packet of disinfectant wipes. I’d prefer to use anything else, but beggars can’t be choosers.
“What did you do?” he slurs.
“What did you do?” I growl.
I put the wipes back, and my fingers touch the envelope. I pull it out and open it. There are ten photos.
Ten very incriminating photos.
The omega is crying and screaming.
I still when I get to a photo where Nathan is poised, cock deep, smiling at the camera.
“I see.” My voice is crystal.
I put the photos back in my pocket and stare at the now unconscious alpha.
“What am I going to do about this, then?”
“Bonnie?”
I turn in the direction of the anxious voice. “I’m here.”
Kota breaks through and sees me standing there with Nathan passed out. His frown deepens, and he grabs my upper arm and pulls me away from the helpless alpha.
“What happened?
“I’m not sure. He was asking me about my camping experience and how to become a guide, and he just hit the deck.”
Kota hisses and carefully pulls me away. “We should leave him.”
I laugh softly and pat his chest. “We can’t do that. This is my business.”
The big alpha grumbles and kicks Nathan. I can’t even find it in me to care.
“Help me get him up. We can’t leave him here.”
Kota growls and hoists him up; together, we walk back to camp. But as Kota passes me, he stiffens and drops Nathan, while shoving me up against the closest tree.
“Every time you guys do that, it hurts,” I point out.
Kota doesn’t answer in words; he lets out a growl that makes my thighs weak and my pussy throb.
“Did he lay his mouth on you?” he whispers urgently. His voice dripping with the threat of death.
“Absolutely not,” I whisper.
“Liar,” he croons in a way that promises agony. Except, when he reaches out and brushes his thumb over the spot, he’s so gentle I could cry.
“Not lying, it’s clean.”
“Yes, disinfected, the only spot that doesn’t smell like you. Why would you clean just this one spot?”
I stare at him; he looks so dangerous right now. “Because it was dirty.”
He growls, leans forward, and just the slightest touch of his nose on my skin has me shivering in need. The difference between the two alphas is night and day.
This is why I’d never be happy with anyone else.
He inhales, and when he exhales, his hot breath warms the spot, and I forget all about Nathan.
“Kota,” I murmur.
He presses his lips to the spot. A chaste kiss, a powerful kiss, one that leaves his scent all over the disinfectant, a kiss that breaks the wall I’ve had up around me.
He backs off and, without a word, picks up Nathan and walks off, leaving me alone to try desperately to find all the reasons why I’m not trusting these alphas.
Fuck. Damn these alphas and their sense of smell.
I get back into camp to find a fight waging.
“What did you do to him?” Rojer shouts.
“He passed out.”
“Bullshit, that wasn’t what he was going to do-”
I snap my eyes toward Kevin. They knew what he was going to do. I think of the pictures I saw of him in the envelope.
“Has he been drinking enough water?” I ask, cutting across the volume of noise.
“What?” Rojer turns to me.
“Has he been drinking enough water?” I ask. “Because he was slurring his words when we were speaking, and then he just dropped.”
“He just dropped?” Rojer shouts. “BULLSHIT!”
Everyone just stares at him.
“Did he consume any drugs?” I ask quietly.
Rojer snarls. “No, you stupid bitch. He did not.”
“Well, then, maybe he touched one of the many toxic plants in the forest or got bit by one of the bugs.”
Rojer glares at me; he advances on me until we’re nose-to-nose. Vale and Dakota reach out, stopping him from getting closer.
“I know you had something to do with this.” Rojer points at me, his hand shaking.
“Me?” I say in a helpless tone. “But I’m just an omega, dumb tour guide. What could I have possibly done?”
“Rojer, come on, look at her, and look how big he is. She couldn’t have done anything to him; you’re being irrational,” Quincy says.
Rojer glares at the beta. “Mind your business.”
“This is my business. I want to get home, and I’m never going anywhere with you again. All you’ve done this trip is whine and be angry. You have made it a nightmare.”
Rojer snarls, but Kendall and Justin nod.
“We’ve actually been learning and enjoying ourselves, but you three are acting like everyone and everything is out to get you.”
“THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL ME!” Rojer howls.
“Good grief, dude, get a grip. No one is trying to kill you. Although, if you keep going, you can add me to your suspect list.”
“You’re paranoid, and I’m over it. Beta Inc is pulling out of the merger. I’ll be having my lawyer come speak to yours as soon as we are back in the office,” Kendall snaps.
Rojer turns around, looking at everyone in disbelief.
“She’s trying to kill me!”
“You never met her before; what could she possibly have to do with you? What’s her motive?” Cyn snaps. “Has the fresh air given you an aneurysm?”
“But-”
“Rojer, enough. You have damaged the company beyond repair. Beta Inc won’t work with you; Alpha Wise will be pulling out as well. I think this relationship would be a disaster,” Vale says casually.
Rojer looks at me and throws himself at me, only to be stopped by Dakota, who rears back and punches him in the face.
He goes down, holding his face, staring up at us all in shock.
“She’s trying to kill me.”
I stare at him. “I haven’t tried to hurt you, Rojer. I promise.”
He stares at me.
He doesn’t believe me, but I don’t have any other words to convince him.