He went over the edge of the dock with a spectacular splash.
For one horrible moment, the world seemed to freeze. Remy in the water. Gumbo on his rock, head lifted, eyes fixed on the thrashing Alpha. Harper surging forward, his massive body moving faster than should have been possible. Silas a blur of motion at the edge of my vision.
Then Gumbo hissed.
It was a sound like nothing else—a deep, guttural rush of air from somewhere primal and prehistoric, a warning that resonated in the bones rather than the ears. His massive bodyslid off the rock with terrifying speed, hitting the water with barely a ripple.
"REMY!" I was running before I consciously decided to move, my heart in my throat, my bare feet pounding against the dock.
But Harper was faster. The big Alpha didn't hesitate—he dove off the dock in a controlled arc, his massive body cutting through the water toward where Remy was flailing in panic, his curls plastered to his face, his amber eyes wild with terror.
"Get him out!" I called out to the other two, searching the water for Gumbo's telltale bulk, finding it—oh god—gliding toward the splashing figure with that horrible, patient speed.
Harper's arm wrapped around Remy's chest, hauling him toward the dock with powerful strokes. Silas was there, lying flat on the boards, his scarred hands reaching down to grab Remy's arms and pull.
Gumbo surfaced five feet from where Remy had been flailing, his amber eyes fixed on the chaos with something that looked almost like... satisfaction?
"Out." Silas grunted, hauling Remy onto the dock with a strength that belied his lean frame, depositing the soaking Alpha like a landed fish. "You're out." He reported, straightening and offering Harper a hand up.
Remy lay on his back, chest heaving, water streaming from his clothes and hair, his amber eyes staring at the sky with the shell-shocked expression of a man who had just seen his life flash before his eyes.
"I'm alive." He gasped, one hand pressed to his chest like he was checking for a heartbeat. "I'm alive. Holy shit. I'm alive." He turned his head to look at Gumbo, who had returned to his rock and was currently sunning himself like nothing had happened. "That thing tried to kill me." He said, his voice wavering between outrage and hysteria.
"He didn't try to kill you." I said, my own heart still pounding, adrenaline making my voice sharper than I intended. "If he'd tried to kill you, you'd be dead." I pointed out, dropping to my knees beside him, my hands running over his arms and chest, checking for injuries that weren't there.
"He hissed at me." Remy protested weakly, his amber eyes meeting mine with wounded indignation. "He swam toward me. With intent." He shuddered, water droplets flying from his soaked curls.
"He was investigating." I said, though I wasn't entirely sure that was true. Gumbo had definitely been moving with more purpose than simple curiosity. "You startled him. The sneeze, the falling—" I shook my head, unable to suppress a slightly hysterical laugh. "You did exactly what I told you not to do." I said, pressing my palm flat against his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath the wet fabric.
"I didn't mean to sneeze." Remy said plaintively, his lower lip pushing out in a pout that should have been ridiculous on a grown man but somehow made me want to kiss him. "It just happened. Allergies. Pollen. The bayou is trying to kill me almost as much as your murder lizard." He complained.
"He's not a murder lizard." I said, sitting back on my heels, the adrenaline slowly fading into tired amusement. "He's a discerning reptile with high standards." I glanced over at Gumbo, who had resumed his sunbathing with the serene disinterest of a creature who had ruled these waters for fifteen years and would rule them for fifteen more.
"His standards involve not eating me." Remy pointed out, struggling into a sitting position, water pooling beneath him on the dock. "I'd like him to have those standards. Firm, non-negotiable, not-eating-Remy standards." He looked around, his gaze landing on Harper, who was standing nearby, equallysoaked but significantly calmer. "You saved my life." Remy said, something shifting in his expression.
Harper shrugged, the motion sending droplets flying from his massive shoulders, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. "Pack protects pack." He said simply, like it was nothing, like he hadn't just dove into gator-infested waters without a moment's hesitation, his dark eyes steady on Remy's face.
"Still." Remy reached out and grabbed Harper's hand, his own fingers trembling slightly from residual adrenaline, squeezing once before letting go. "Thank you. I mean it." His voice was rough with sincerity, stripped of its usual charm, his amber eyes holding Harper's with naked gratitude.
Harper nodded, something passing between them—a moment of understanding, of connection—that hadn't existed before. "Anytime, Thibodaux." He rumbled, his deep voice carrying a warmth that surprised them both, his dark eyes holding Remy's for a moment longer than necessary.
"Silas too." Remy turned to the pale-eyed Alpha, who was standing slightly apart, his wet clothes clinging to his lean frame. "You pulled me out. Thank you." He said, his amber eyes warm with genuine gratitude.
Silas inclined his head, his expression unreadable beneath his dripping hair, water running down his sharp cheekbones. "You would've done the same." He said, though his voice carried the slightest hint of uncertainty, like he wasn't entirely sure that was true, his pale eyes studying Remy with something like curiosity.
"I would've." Remy said firmly, struggling to his feet, his wet clothes squelching. "I definitely would've. Probably with more screaming and less efficiency, but I would've." He offered a crooked grin, his usual humor creeping back despite the near-death experience.
"Alright." I stood, brushing off my knees, looking between the three soaking wet Alphas and the thoroughly unrepentant alligator. "I think that's enough bonding for one day." I declared, fighting back a smile at the absurdity of it all.
"Silas didn't have his turn." Remy pointed out, gesturing toward the pale-eyed Alpha with a wet hand. "Shouldn't he have to face the murder lizard too? In the interest of fairness?" He asked hopefully, clearly wanting company in his misery.
"Silas already passed." I said, watching Gumbo's tail flick lazily on the rock, his amber eyes cracked open just enough to track the movement on the dock. "During the bayou tour. Predator recognizes predator, remember?" I glanced at Silas, finding his pale eyes already fixed on Gumbo with something like kinship.
"That's not fair." Remy complained, wringing water from his shirt with more force than necessary, his amber eyes darting between Silas and Gumbo with obvious indignation. "He didn't even have to do anything. He just existed menacingly and got a pass." He pouted, his lower lip pushing out in a way that should have been ridiculous but somehow wasn't.
"Life isn't fair." Silas said, his voice carrying that bone-dry humor, his pale eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. "Some of us are just naturally more intimidating than others." He added, and I could have sworn Gumbo's tail flicked in agreement.
"I'm intimidating." Remy protested weakly, drawing himself up to his full height, but even he didn't sound convinced, his golden curls hanging limp and bedraggled around his face, water dripping from his nose.
