“Trust me.” My voice deepens. “I will.”
“Let’s put that to the test.” She grins, putting down her glass and grabbing a volleyball laying close by. “Are you ready to have your ass handed to you?”
“What do I get if—no—whenI win?”
“That cocky, huh?” She arches an eyebrow. “What would you like to win?”
“You coming to my next game to cheer me on.” The words come out before my brain catches up. “Wearing your fox outfit.”
She doesn’t seem deterred. Instead, she holds out her hand for me to shake. “Deal.” When her fingers close around mine, her touch sends a shockwave jolting through me. “And what do I get?” She doesn’t loosen her firm hold. “When Iwin?”
“What do you want?”
“You coming along to cheer for me at my next volleyball game.” Her eyes twinkle as she lets me go, leaving my palm tingling. “In whatever outfit I choose.”
“Game on.”
I’m already imagining how good she’s going to look in the stands, calling my name…
“Oh, it’s on.” She jumps up. “Let’s see what you’re made of, hockey star.”
When I stand, I tower over her at 6′5′′. Usually, I feel like I own any space I’m standing in, but under her watchful gaze, I’m hyper aware of my every move. She’s about a foot shorter than me, yet I stagger when she shoves the volleyball into my chest with surprising force, nearly winding me. “I’ll let you serve first.”
She stomps through the sand with purpose, head held high, and yep… her perky, round ass that looks like it’s trying to escape her tiny shorts was worth the wait to see.
I’ve gotta win this game.
THREE
Drax
Anger pulsates so strongly through my limbs that my entire body feels like it’s thrumming with power. The beautiful beach houses almost seem to taunt me as I storm past, blood thundering through my ears. All of them are full of perfect packs—alphas and their omegas living their best lives, happily in love. Only the omega I’m head over heels in love with just wants to be friends. Fucking friends!
I stop walking, gripping the back of my neck as I kick a tree. A stupid choice because of the sharp pain, but it does help quell my frustration, if only for a few seconds. These explosive episodes have been getting worse lately. The smallest thing can set me off. Yesterday, I let rip at a bunch of betas for loitering for too long outside Club Knotty, and this morning, I yelled at a goose that wouldn’t budge out of the way of my golf cart. In the end, the goose won by simply staying put in silent protest until I gave up and decided to walk the rest of the way. The little fucker even had the gall to honk at me as I passed.
Not working hasn’t helped either. Orin, my boss, thought it was best that I take a break after my recent episode. Said episode entailed me punching an alpha for getting too handsy with an omega on Main Street after a night out. The only reason I wasn’tfired on the spot was because the omega made a statement saying that I acted in self-defense, and the alpha swung first. While true, I still should have known better. I’ve trained hard and shouldn’t have lost my cool like that.
So Orin’s put me on a temporary leave, which may be for the best if my recent mood swings persist.
I still haven’t told my dad about what happened. I can just imagine his disappointment—the way his bushy mustache will turn down as he shakes his head. Dad’s the main reason why I chose to study criminal justice in the first place. He’s Saltwave Bay’s sheriff, and it’s always been my dream to take over from him one day. He brought me up to respect the law, honor what’s right, and never meet anger with anger.
And look at me now… kicking the fuck out of an innocent tree.
Picturing Sabs’s face, I let out a frustrated roar, taking a brief pause to draw in a deep breath, my chest heaving. Despite Sabs trying to hide her feelings, I know her. Since we were kids, I’ve been able to read her. She was the wild child who would run rings around her brothers and never back down from a fight. She’s loud, bubbly, unapologetically herself, and competitive as hell, but she has a softer side that most don’t get to see. I saw that tonight when she tried to hide behind her smile while speaking about being lonely and how her face fell when I told her we couldn’t be friends anymore. Pain was clear in her eyes, even while she pretended not to care. Pain I only deepened by walking away.
“Fuck.” I drag a hand down my face, fighting the urge not to strike the tree again.
I know what Sabs does when she’s hurting. She distracts herself, throwing herself into a fun activity. The time she was upset because her brothers broke her volleyball trophy? She painted her initials on their favorite surfboards. The time shewas told she couldn’t go to see a band play? She snuck out of the window and hitchhiked to the concert. I have no doubt that she’s tearing up the sandy dance floor right now.
“Fuck!” I pull out my wallet to grab my strip of pills. I pop one into my mouth then dry-swallow, the grainy cylinder scratching my throat as it goes down.
I read that they should help temper some of my rage and help me get “control of my natural urges,” whatever that means. They better work soon before I tear this tree straight out of the ground.
“Drax?” I turn toward the familiar voice coming from behind me, groaning when I see Laz Maverick and his mop of auburn hair bounding toward me. Sabs’s older brother is the last person I want to see right now. “Are you good, man? You look a little…” His eyebrows knit together, creasing his freckled skin. “Stressed.”
I straighten up, taking a few deep breaths, just like those relaxing meditation tapes I’ve been listening to say to do. Although I don’t think they’ve helped much, they’ve given me something else to focus on. I haven’t told anyone else about my condition yet, and I don’t plan on it. Not until I know what it means for me.
I avert my gaze to the ground. “I’m fine.”
