Page 2 of Crushed By the Cruiser

I dodge just in time to avoid getting hit by a drunk beta male and turn the corner before he can yell at me.

The chaos on the stairs keeps me on high alert. An old man grabs my sleeve, but I slam my fist down on his arm and dart away. I duck my head and curl my shoulders, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, and rush up to the main deck.

Sunlight streaks off rusted, battered metal tables as shop keepers barter their wares. I turn away from the upper decks and skirt along the outer edge of the ship toward the bow.

An eerie sensation rolls over my flesh. I glance over my shoulder, but nothing looks out of place. As I turn forward, the glare off the control room’s windows—the only intact panes of glass on the entire ship—blind me. My heart pounds against my sternum.

Someone is watching me. I pull my cloak tighter around me and scurry deeper into the crowd.

Pickpocketing is easy. Taking items from a store’s table is trickier, but stealing from the deck’s only medicinal shop is certain death if I’m caught.

I’m willing to take the risk. Boon’s wound is infected. He’ll die if he doesn’t get antibiotics.

I move from one gaggle of people to another, blending in as best as I can until I find a bunch of beta females walking in the right direction. They talk so loud my ears ache, but I slide closer until I become part of their group. No one balks at the stench wafting off me, since they don’t smell much better.

As they stop in front of the medicine shop, I skirt around them and wait until the owner is busy talking to the lady in front before filching a vial from the back of the counter.

The hairs on my nape stand on end as I slip it into my pocket. Heat rushes through my body and I fight against panic as the feeling of being watched washes over me again. The women fall silent. I follow their shocked stares over my shoulder.

A massive alpha stands across the aisle. With a leather vest stretched across his broad shoulders and more muscles in one arm than I have in my entire body, he exudes raw, menacing power.

The men standing around him can mean only one thing: He’s someone important. Maybe the captain of the ship. Someone rich and powerful.

His deep brown eyes bore into mine.

He saw me steal the medicine.

His nostrils flare and a smirk tilts his lips.

He knows I’m not a beta.

I panic.

People shout as I dart through the crowd, but no one reaches for me. They rush to get out of the way before the giant alpha runs them over.

I don’t look to see if he sent his henchmen to chase me or if he’s after me himself. It doesn’t matter.

If I get caught, I’ll wish for death.

A large hand grabs my collar, choking me with my momentum before I snatch the medicine from the pocket and drop my weight to slip out of the cloak. Rolling to avoid him, I dart to my feet and vault down the stairs, knocking several people over in my haste.

I don’t want to lead them to Tan and Boon, but Boon needs the medicine. Now.

Without a choice, I dash through the maze, weave through the garbage, and slide into the vent, throwing it open at the last second and tossing the medicine into the dark.

Giant hands close over my ankles.

Chapter 2

Masst

She fights like a feral kitten, hissing, kicking, and scratching, but I pull her from the vent, wrap my hands around her petite waist, and lift her into the air. Her tiny fist slams into my jaw with surprising force before she rakes her nails across my face.

I crush her against the wall with my bulk and pin her wrists together above her head before yanking off her cap. Dirty, pitch-black curls fall around her face, framing her delicate features and brushing against my chest.

Even covered head to toe in filth, she tempts me. Her scent holds a sweetness I yearn to consume, and the curves hidden underneath her layers beg for me to take and claim.

She tries to knee my thigh, but I lean harder against her until she wheezes. Her pert breasts heave against my abdominals.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com