I stay to ensure no one else tries to stop him. The sun hits his hair, bringing out hints of violet in the brown, and I wonder what his natural scent might be, beneath the blockers he wears all the time.
Not that it matters. I have no business wondering.
A vibration from my pocket signals a text, most likely from Clint, letting me know he’ll keep the crew from getting too rowdy tonight.
I should head out. There’s laundry to start, and bread sponge to prep, and if I’m fast enough, I can crochet ten rows on the blanket before bed.
Yet I linger, watching until Leif reaches his car, climbs in, and pulls away, his taillights disappearing around the corner, reassuring myself that nothing bad happened on my watch.
The encounter with the other Alphas leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth and a tightness in my chest. Not because of what I did, but because nothing really changed. Leif will face the same garbage come Monday, and the day after, and I can’t stare down every idiot who thinks an Omega’s value lies in how fast they can be broken.
But I can try.
Pulling out my phone, I thumb out a quick note to the dock office.
Two men harassing Omegas again by the containers tonight.
Short and to the point. I don’t add names. Leif doesn’t need to be dragged into paperwork that will only complicate his life. But at least I’ve filed a report, so if things escalate, there’s a paper trail.
As I start walking again, a flurry of movement at the far end of the dock catches my attention. Jared stands beside the water taxi, muscles straining under his work shirt as he hoists a wooden crate from the dock into the boat. Sweat darkens the fabric clinging to his back, despite the cool evening breeze coming off the water. Exertion flushes his face, hair sticking to his forehead as he adjusts his grip on the heavy load.
The young Alpha works with the determined focus of someone trying to prove their worth. Hebraces his feet on the dock’s edge, balancing the crate before lowering it into place. No wasted motion, no showing off. The efficiency surprises me, given his clumsiness.
His head lifts, whipping toward me. The instant he spots me, his entire body goes on alert, and the crate wobbles in his hands.
Emotions flicker across his face, recognition followed by the unmistakable heat of interest that Alphas broadcast when they spot someone they’re attracted to. His pheromones don’t reach me from this distance, but I don’t need them to read the story his body tells.
Jared snaps his focus back to his task, a flush creeping up his neck and spreading to the tips of his ears. He adjusts the crate with more force than necessary, his movements becoming jerky as awareness of me throws off his rhythm.
He straightens his posture, broadening his shoulders in a universal Alpha display I’ve seen a thousand times. It’s almost endearing, this attempt to appear more confident, more capable. More mature. Young Alphas all do it, preening like peacocks when they want to catch someone’s eye.
Hell, I used to do it, until I caught Auren’s eye and thought I’d won the lottery.
The bitterness of that betrayal still returnswhenever someone shows interest. But with Jared, there’s no calculation behind the display, no agenda I can detect. The rawness of it feels almost innocent.
A month ago, I would have walked right past without a second thought. Now, I find my feet rooted to the dock, caught by the steady flex of his forearms as he reaches for another crate.
I drag my eyes away. He can’t be more than twenty-three, a whole lifetime of experiences away from my thirty-five years. A kid with a crush, nothing more. And I’ve got no business encouraging it.
Nope. Not happening. Not with someone so young, not with someone connected to the job site, and certainly not with someone who might want more than I’m capable of giving.
Kyle appears beside Jared, clapping him on the shoulder and pointing toward another stack of supplies. His cousin says something that draws a laugh from Jared, the bright, unguarded sound carrying across the water, and it stirs an ache in my chest I thought had calcified months ago.
I twist my keys in my hand, the metal biting into my palm as a reminder to stay grounded. Jared lifts his head again, catching me still watching, and this time, instead of turning away, he raises a hand in a wave.
The gesture is so simple, so hopeful. My hand rises before I can think better of it, returning the wave.
Jared’s face breaks into a grin that transforms him from awkward kid to an adult with depth I’ve been resisting seeing.
I turn toward my truck, cursing myself for the small encouragement. The last thing I need is a workplace complication. The resort project is going well after the fire setbacks. I can’t afford distractions, especially ones with sea-glass eyes and a smile that makes my stomach flip as if I’m twenty again.
Pebbles crunch under my boots with every step, widening the space between us. I’m too old, too scarred, and too focused on rebuilding my career to entertain this. Young Alphas catch fixations all the time. He’ll find someone nearer his age without all the baggage I bring.
A splash comes from the dock, and despite everything I just told myself, I turn back again. Jared has dropped something in the water and leans over the edge to retrieve it. Kyle shouts a warning, but Jared stretches farther, arm submerged to the shoulder.
I pause, hand on my truck door, watching as he fishes out a tool belt, holding it up in triumphdespite being soaked to the skin. He grins at his cousin, shaking water from his hair like a puppy.
The comparison brings an unwilling smile to my lips. Maybe his interest will pass on its own. Maybe it won’t. Either way, I can’t deny the way it warms a cold spot inside me, even as I recognize the danger.