“Alright Eva,” I say out loud, the sound of my voice grounding my panic-stricken brain. “Think through this. You’re wearing a life vest, good. You’re a strong swimmer, good. You have no idea where you are, bad. You’re going to die without water in three days, very bad.”
I kick myself because that kind of thinking is not going to help me in the slightest.“Alright think, think, think. What should I do?”Suddenly, I hear a cawing sound from the sky. Looking up, I spot a sea gull soaring lazily on the breeze. My heart leaps because a sea gull means there’s a shore somewhere, right? Even if it’s not the right one, at least it’s land.I begin to swim, following the bird towards the afternoon sun, obviously heading west. Keeping up with the seagull is difficult because of the waves, and soon, I feel like I’ve been swimming for hours. My arms and legs are shaking and I’m extremely thirsty, but I keep going, knowing that it’s life or death if I don’t.After a while, the sun begins to disappear, and panic rises once more. I don’t want to be out in the ocean alone while it’s dark. But at least I start seeing more sea gulls, which means that they likely nest somewhere nearby. Seagulls live on land, right? God, I hope I haven’t been wrong about this all along.Then, a thin strip of beach appears in the distance, and I feel tears come to my eyes. I’m saved! Swimming faster than I thought possible, I make my way towards it, desperately trying to reach shore before nightfall. The current is making it extremely difficult and I can feel a stitch forming in my side as I splash my way through the waves. It’s sheer determination keeping me going at this point because my arms and legs feel like dead weights.Finally, my feet touch sand and I manage to crawl out onto the beach. The waves grab at my hands and feet, as if trying to pull me back into the ocean, but using my last ounce of strength, I clamber onto the safety of the sandbar. Then, I collapse on the soft sand, crying with mixed exhaustion and adrenaline. God, did that just happen? Did I almost just lose my life? Where am I, anyways? But I’m too tired to care, and pass out, everything going dark at once.Jonathan“I’m not telling you when I’ll be back because I don’t know when I’ll be back,” I growl into the phone.My manager Raisa sighs heavily into my ear.“Jonathan, this is really bad for publicity. You realize that, right? You have a new movie coming out, and the trailer’s already been released. You have to make appearances, but where are you now? On some godforsaken island in the middle of the Caribbean. Fuck me.”“You didn’t seem to feel that way about my island when you were here two weeks ago. Especially since you brought those two girls with you.”Raisa falls silent because Minnie and Winnie were his excuse to get away from life in LA. He had an amazing time here, and I hear him sigh through the phone.“Alright,” he says, finally. “You got me. But let’s walk through this, shall we? Remember, you’re the movie star, and I’m just a humble agent. It’s my job to get you out there in front of the crowds.”I pull the phone away from my ear and put it on speaker. I know that when Rai
Peter looks doubtful, but he nods and leaves the house. “You got it boss.”Meanwhile, I pull a throw blanket gently over the woman’s sleeping form. She really is gorgeous, and we managed to get her life jacket off to reveal lush curves barely contained in a turquoise bikini. Forcing myself not to look, I pull out my cell again and begin to dial the American Embassy number. But before I get halfway through, the woman groans. Quickly, I sit down next to her.“Hey,” I say. “Can you hear me?”Her long, dark, eye lashes flutter open and I stare down into warm brown eyes. Her full lips open but no sound comes out.“Can you speak?” I ask gently. “Just try.” She swallows hard and nods her head. Then she manages to gasp, “Water.”Immediately, I bolt to my feet.“Oh, of course,” I say. “Sorry about that.”In the kitchen, I grab a glass, filling it with filtered water from the fridge. Then, I bring it to her and help her sit up before holding the glass to her lips. She takes a long, grateful sip
Eva I wake up slowly out of a heavy dreamless sleep. As I open my eyes to the brilliant sunshine streaming into the room, it takes me second to remember what happened to me. I sit bolt upright. I’m sitting on a couch in an airy living room, one that I’ve never seen before. Clutching the blanket that had fallen when I sat up, I swing my legs over the side of the sofa and stand up, my knees trembling. But then there’s a clatter in the kitchen. Whirling around I see the bare back of a man standing over a stove.“I hope you’re hungry,” he calls from the kitchen.I stumble backwards, my legs sorer and weaker than they have ever been. Then I remember the ocean and the dolphins and swimming to the island. What happened? I sink down onto the coffee table staring at the half naked form of the man.“Where am I?” I ask, my voice trembling.At the sound of my whisper, the man turns and walks towards me. My mouth falls open because this is the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. His back was a work
“So, here’s the problem. We get supplies shipped into St. Brigid on a regular basis, but the boat only comes once a month, and it just left last night. So …”My stomach drops into feet.“Wait, so the next time they’ll be back is…”“In a month,” he finishes for me.I can feel the color drain from my face.“Are you alright?” Jonathan asks, seeing my expression. “Are there medications you need or something like that? We can call them if it’s an emergency.”I shake my head.“No, I’m healthy but I mean, do you have a phone? I need to reach out to my friends and family because they’re going to think I’m dead!”“Sorry, no phone.”I go pale. This seems hard to believe.“Really? No phone?”Something flickers in his blue eyes but then it disappears.“Calm down,” Jonathan says, taking my hand. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t stress yourself out. I’m here all the time, and I’m surviving just fine. You’re going to be okay too.”I take a deep breath.“Yes, but how do you not have a phone?” I ask, try
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t know me so it’s a natural question and I could see you staring at my grays. They’re that obvious, huh?”I blush embarrassed.“No no! You’re very youthful looking,” I say quickly. He merely grins again, flashing even white teeth.“I don’t look old and decrepit?”“God no, you look amazing,” I say, without thinking. Then my mouth shuts with a snap and I blush again, even harder. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m usually cool to the point of standoffishness around men but Jonathan is making my brain stop working. I need to get a hold of myself. But Jonathan merely looks amused, his blue eyes glinting.“I’m glad you think so. I work hard to keep it that way,” he says. I rush with my words.“Oh yeah, that makes sense. Lots of yard work and the like right? St. Brigid doesn’t look overgrown.” Then my mouth snaps shut again because I’m being an idiot. Should islands look overgrown? Or is that the way they naturally are? God, I’m being so stupid in front of th
I smile.“Those dolphins are the reason I’m here. I was swimming with them and ended up in the middle of the ocean before I came to my senses.”He grins again.“Remind me to send them a thank you card then.”Looking up at the gorgeous man, I find his beautiful blue eyes smiling down into mine. He’s going to kiss me, I think. I shouldn’t want him to but I do so badly.Jonathan hesitates for a moment, searching my face, his blue eyes questioning. This man is gentle and sensitive, so instead, I take the reins. I go up on my toes and kiss him softly. His lips are soft and he gives me time to pull away, but I don’t want to. The kiss shoots through me and when he deepens it, I moan and lean towards him. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tightly against him. I feel the hard muscles of his chest and stomach pressing against my sensitive breasts, and nip gently on his lower lip. He takes a sharp breath before I feel his tongue opening my lips. Touching my tongue to his, I feel his hands
JonathanWhen we get back to the house, Eva decides she wants to take a shower. Trying to clear my head of images of the curvy girl naked, soapy, and wet, I let her go. I walk to the fridge and pull out a beer, taking a long gulp, but it hardly helps quell the ache in my pants. What’s wrong with me? I’m acting like a teenager in heat.“Jesus,” I mutter out loud. After all, I almost lost control on the beach. That’s never happened before. Yet I’ve just met this woman but I’m already more attracted to her than any woman I’ve ever dallied with.“Steady, old boy,” I warn myself. “Keep it on an even keel. Don’t freak her out by being a caveman.”Turning back to the fridge, I begin pulling out supplies for dinner. I find myself calming down while washing and then cutting vegetables. It’s a nice routine. I enjoy cooking but hardly ever get a moment to myself to do it and to be frank, there’s no one interested in eating my cooking either. The last few women barely ate, to be honest. They pic
“There’s not a whole to know. I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes down to it,” I mumble while taking a few bites of stew.Eva smiles sunnily.“I don’t know, but something tells me there’s more to you than you’re letting on. I don’t know what it is yet but I’ll figure it out.”“Well, what about you?” I ask, trying to change the conversation.She looks up from her stew, startled.“Me?”“Yes, I mean all I know about you is that you’re a photographer, a glutton for punishment, and apparently a really good swimmer.”Smiling, Eva sits back sipping her beer.“There’s not a whole lot to tell to be honest. My parents live in Florida, which is where I keep an apartment for when I’m not traveling. I was on vacation for the first time in two years, but you see how that’s turned out. I love my job and my family. The end.”I go along with her, grateful for the change in subject, but also genuinely curious.“But you’re brave. Where did that come from?” She gives me a look and I laugh. “I’m serious
“Không, nhưng tôi nghĩ tối nay anh ấy sẽ cầu hôn,” Liam nói. “Nó chỉ hợp lý thôi. Hôm qua, tôi tình cờ nghe được cuộc trò chuyện qua điện thoại của anh ấy với ai đó - tôi nghĩ là một nhân viên PR nào đó. Westcliff nói rằng nhà vua sẽ đưa ra thông báo sau vài ngày nữa - ý tôi là về Hoàng tử Haydn. Westcliff cũng muốn thông báo về việc đính hôn của chúng tôi vào khoảng thời gian đó. Nó có ý nghĩa. ”Jules đã nghiên cứu kỹ lưỡng về anh trai mình.Khuôn mặt đáng yêu của Liam rất khó đọc, nhưng đôi mắt của anh ấy không hẳn là ánh lên hạnh phúc.“You don’t have to say yes,” Jules said, feeling painfully uncomfortable. He was so damn torn about the subject he didn’t know what advice to give. He didn’t want Liam to marry an alpha he didn’t love for the sake of their family, but… He was scared that if he told Liam not to marry Westcliff, it would be selfish advice.To make things more confusing, there was a small, horrible part of him that did want Westcliff as the alpha of their family. That
Except even that fantasy wasn’t enough. Thinking about the Xeus just made his broken bond ache. Ache and hurt like an old wound that was starting to bleed again. The pain somehow amplified the desire, and soon Jules was half-sobbing into his pillow, his hips pushing greedily onto the dildo. Need him, need him, can’t need him, need him. Gone, need him, gone. I need—I need—I need. It was fucking horrible. Jules had never felt worse in his life, his muscles trembling, his cock sore, his body oversensitive and needy, and his bond aching.So he tried not to think about his Xeus. He made himself think of other alphas, trying to tell himself that any alpha would do. Any alpha with a thick, hard cock would do. He was desperate enough to almost believe it.He imagined going to a ball, his cock stiff and his slick dribbling down his leg. He imagined alphas turning toward him, their nostrils flaring and their cocks straining their pants. He would be attractive to alphas for once. They would want
Julian flushed. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, after…”After sex.Devlin gave a clipped nod, clasping his hands behind his back. His fingers and his jawline itched, as they did when he was on the verge of transforming. Through sheer willpower, he managed to keep his claws in.It was a normal enough reaction, to feel protective of a young omega he cared about.It was.“But the bond took?” he said, his voice very neutral.Julian nodded, not looking at him. “We were naturally compatible.”Devlin’s claws dug into his palm. He turned away and walked to the window.He took a deep breath, staring at Dainiri’s nearly full disk, and then another, until he had his claws under control.“I see,” he heard himself say. “The risk still exists, then. Medical intervention might be needed.”“What do you mean?” Julian said. “More suppressants?”“Increasing the dose again might do more harm than good,” Devlin said stiffly. “I’m hardly a doctor, but even I know that you can’t keep changing yo
Ignoring the question, Devlin studied him carefully. “Do you feel better?”“What?” Julian said, his brows knitting together.Devlin looked at him sharply. “Your brother said you didn’t feel well.”Julian averted his gaze. “Right! Of course. I feel better now. Much better—”“You didn’t want to go with us.”The omega winced, but he didn’t even try to deny it. So it was true.It shouldn’t have bothered him. It really was none of his business.“Why?” Devlin said.Julian shrugged. “It’s not exactly fun being a third wheel.” He still wouldn’t meet Devlin’s eyes.“You’re not telling the truth,” Devlin said, becoming more certain of it the longer Julian avoided looking at him. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him.It shut with a click.“What are you doing?” Julian said. “And I’m not lying. You think it’s fun—”“Julian,” Devlin said quietly. “Look at me.”After a moment, the omega finally did as he was told. There was a half-scowl on his face but some other emotion in his eyes
“All ri—” Liam started saying, but Devlin cut him off.“Your brother can’t leave the ball with me,” he said, looking at Julian. “You don’t want any nasty rumors to start flying around, do you?”He could actually hear Julian grind his teeth.“Fine,” he said, still sounding a mix of annoyed and bewildered.The helicopter ride to the Blake house was a strange one. Liam was the only one talking, chattering non-stop about the perfection that was Viscount Nasr while Julian determinedly didn’t look at Devlin.Devlin bored his eyes into him, his fingertips tingling, his claws itching to come out. He curled his hands into fists and breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the way Julian smelled. It was impossible. Julian fucking reeked. He reeked of another alpha. Devlin wanted to fix it, run his hands all over the brat, until he smelled right.It was probably a good thing that Julian was the first to jump out of the helicopter when they arrived, because Devlin didn’t trust himself.Tearing his ga
Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. “That was a dick move,” he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle of the dance floor.“He’s much too old for you,” Devlin said, stroking his thumb against Julian’s wrist.“Stop scent-marking me,” Julian gritted out, his color heightening. “And he isn’t too old. He’s half Korf’s age.”“That shouldn’t be your measuring stick,” Devlin said. “I told you I wouldn’t allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.”Julian chuckled. “Better? Who?”Devlin’s lips thinned. “Someone better than Nasr.”“There’s nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. He’s perfectly nice and pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. I’ve known him forever—he has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.”“That hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.”Julian stomped on his right foot. “You’re being an ass,” he said, his voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. “I do
Their date that day was unexpectedly tedious.Devlin found it difficult to keep his attention on his date, his mood sour and distracted. He was aware that he was acting like a dick, his attitude probably too cold and unapproachable. Liam seemed to have given up on trying to strike up a conversation with him after a few hesitant attempts and focused his attention entirely on the aircar race. When Liam spoke, he spoke only to the beta chaperone who had accompanied them to the race.By the time the race was over, Devlin had a headache once again, his body brimming with tension and anxiety, the source of which he couldn’t pinpoint. He barely had the patience to smile for the paparazzi as they left the track, and his smile was probably very strained. Hopefully he didn’t actually look like he wanted to punch someone.He dropped Liam off, and then he hesitated, looking at the Blake house. It would be only polite to inquire how Julian was feeling.Devlin pulled his phone out of his pocket and
Several weeks passed like that. Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearances’ sake—officially. Unofficially, he kind of… he went because he wanted to be around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way Westcliff made him feel, but he couldn’t help himself. It felt so good, especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent gland—the euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward, Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didn’t make fun of him and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior. “Better?” he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.
Jules ôm lại anh trai mình, nhưng cảm giác lo lắng, bất an dưới da anh không thể biến mất. Ngược lại với ý muốn của mình, anh thấy mình đang nghĩ đến cảm giác an toàn như thế nào trong vòng tay của Westcliff ngày hôm qua, như thể không gì có thể chạm vào anh hay làm anh bị thương. Có lẽ có Westcliff làm alpha của họ sẽ không phải là một điều tồi tệ. Có lẽ anh nên cho anh ta một cơ hội. *** Quyết tâm của Jules để cho Westcliff một cơ hội kéo dài chính xác cho đến khi Westcliff gọi điện cho họ - trên Liam - vào buổi chiều. Anh không biết điều gì ở người đàn ông này đã khiến anh nổi gai ốc, tự ý thức và chỉ trích thái quá. Đó là một sự kết hợp kỳ lạ giữa các cảm xúc, nhưng anh không thể không nhìn Westcliff bằng ánh mắt dò xét, hoài nghi khi công tước đang nói chuyện nhỏ với Liam và chú Wayne. Thằng khốn thậm chí còn chưa liếc nhìn anh một lần kể từ khi bước vào phòng. Jules khoanh tay trước ngực, sau đó không bắt chéo chúng. Nhặt chiếc máy tính bảng trên chiếc bàn trong góc, anh n