Page 1 of Welcome to Seaman’s Cove: Part Two

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Being a billionaire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but there are some benefits. A personal jet is one of them. I just have to decide if it’s a total stalker move to use it to surprise my boyfriend. He’s been gone for weeks, and after our last phone conversation, I’m worried. A quick jaunt down to Woodhurst University wouldn’t be the worst idea, right?

We could make up in person, spend the night together, and I could still be back here by tomorrow evening’s panel on sustainable development and resource equity. My only hesitation is Dr. Hunter Anderson, Phoenix’s best friend, the alpha he’s visiting, the man I’ll never be able to compete with, and the reason for our earlier spat.

I’m still debating what I’ll do when my phone rings. My heart does a little skip when I see it’s Phoenix. Is he calling to apologize or restart the fight we never finished because I hung up on him? Do I want to do this over the phone, or would it be better in person? If I show up in person, I’ll have to meet Hunter. There’s no way around that. Am I ready?

I stare at the picture of Phoenix on my screen a little too long, unsure if I should answer. The phone stops buzzing as the call is sent to voicemail. Not that he’ll leave one. He never does.

Phoenix and I don’t fight often. Only when he brings up bonding. It’s not that I don’t want to bond with him. He’s my alpha. I’m as sure of that as I am of my next breath. But bonding is a commitment I never thought I’d make. As a beta, it would require being in the presence of an omega in heat, and there’s only one omega I’ve ever considered helping through her estrus. When she asked me to, I was too chicken to say yes, and I missed my chance. I’m not sure I could have gone through with it, anyway.

What if Phoenix decides he prefers being with an omega and doesn't want me anymore? I know how it is with alphas and omegas, especially during a heat. I also know first hand the dangers of bonding.

And then there’s Hunter.

I don’t do well meeting new people. I can mask with the best of them, but alphas intimidate the hell out of me. No one would know that, seeing as I’m at the helm of a multibillion-dollar company and have to command the attention of alphas on the regular. But I only manage it with meds, therapy, and a lot of downtime to hide and recover. Meeting Hunter Anderson scares the shit out of me even more than meeting other alphas, because he’s so important to Phoenix.

The phone rings again. I sigh and answer. “Hello, firebird.”

“Seb,” Phoenix’s voice sounds tight on the other end of the line. “I need you.”

A million fears choke out every thought, every argument. All my former anxiety morphing into something new.

“Are you safe?” My chest feels tight, blood filling my ears. “Was it Hunter? Did he hurt you?” I growl into the phone, sounding more alpha than beta. If Hunter Anderson did anything to hurt my alpha, he’ll pay.

“No.” There’s a firmness in Phoenix’s voice that wasn’t there a minute ago. “It’s nothing like… it’s… they… she…” He’s breathing hard, like he can’t suck in enough oxygen. My laid-back, fun-loving alpha is hyperventilating.

I know exactly how terrifying that feels.

“Hey, slow down.” I stand up from my desk and pace my office. This isn’t like Phoenix. I want to ask him what’s going on, but he needs to calm down first. “Take a breath.”

He does, but it’s shaky. Wherever he is, someone is talking to him. They sound frantic, desperate, but I can’t make out what they’re saying.

“One more,” I demand, ignoring the background noise. “In and out.”

Phoenix breathes with me. There’s still someone else with him, ambient noise coming through the line. People fighting maybe? Where the hell is he?

“Are you safe?” I repeat my first question, needing to know he’s okay before anything else.

“Yes.” I can hear him swallow thickly. “But she’s not. Seb, I can’t explain everything right now. I’m not sure you’ll even believe me. But someone important to Hunter—to me—is in danger. And I need you.”

My heart pounds in my chest. She? What does he mean by someone important to him? Is this it, the day I’ve been dreading? I swore I’d never date an alpha for this very reason, but Phoenix broke past all my defenses. He has this way of wiggling into people’s hearts. Even without a bond, his soul is stitched with mine. The idea of losing him feels like ripping off a limb.

“Now, you’re the one who’s spiraling,” Phoenix says with a broken laugh.

I must have been quiet for too long.

“You know me.” I shrug even though he can’t see it.

“I do.” There’s a beat of silence, then someone yelling at Phoenix in the background. “I am doing something,” Phoenix snaps. It’s clear he’s not talking to me, but to whoever’s with him.

I hear something like waves crashing, getting louder before Phoenix speaks again. “I love you, Sebby,” he says softly. “Nothing is going to change that.”

I try to believe him. He’s never lied to me before, and I need to have faith in my firebird. “Are you still at Woodhurst?”

Phoenix always runs to the university where Hunter teaches when we fight or I’m out of town and he’s feeling lonely. I wish our home was his safe place, but it’s not. It’s always been there.

“Yeah,” he says.