Leif
The dockhands’ laughter cuts through the Harbor Café’s morning chatter, their hunched shoulders and glowing phone screens pulling my attention away from the chalkboard menu.
One of them jabs a finger at whatever they’re watching, and the other throws his head back with a snort. The way they huddle together in shared mockery gives me flashbacks to my days as a public school teacher catching students passing notes in class.
I shift my weight from one foot to another, tallying how many people stand between me and my much-needed caffeine fix. Maybe I should have grabbed a cup from the hotel lounge, but it’s not as good.
With three customers ahead of me, plus whatever complicated order the woman at the counter is rattling off, I should still be out of here in the next ten minutes.
As the line inches forward, the dockhands’ voices rise.
“Play it again.” The taller one wipes tears from his eyes. “Man, what a predator.”
The word catches in my ear like fingernails on a blackboard. Predator. Not a term thrown around lightly.
My ears prick up, stretching to catch more of their conversation while pretending to study the pastry case.
The shorter dockhand holds the phone at an angle that gives me a clear view of the shaky video on screen, shot from the Pinecrest dock. My pulse quickens as I catch the Misty Pines Resort logo on the side of the water taxi, where there appears to be a scuffle on board.
“Fucking Alphas,” the taller one says, his finger tracing the movement of someone on screen. “Can’t control themselves around an Omega in Heat.”
“Did you see how the poor girl shrank back?” his companion adds with a whistle. “Poor thing had nowhere to run. Trapped on a boat with that animal.”
The video replays, and this time I recognize the figure at the center of the frame stumbling toward the woman, arms outstretched. Despite the poor quality, I recognize Jared Masterson’s profile as he grabs for her.
My stomach twists. I’ve only had a few brief interactions with Jared since I started working at the resort. He seemed... gentle. Awkward, yes. Clumsy, definitely. But predatory? The contrast between my impression and what I’m seeing doesn’t align.
The line moves off to the side, and the barista catches my eye. “The usual, Leif?”
“Yes, thank you.” I slide my card across the counter, my attention still snagged by the video playing on repeat.
The angle makes it impossible to see what happened before Jared moved toward the woman. Did she stumble? Was he trying to help? Or was he really lunging at her the way it appears?
The phone switches to another clip, this one showing Jared being led away in handcuffs, his face bloody.
“Ten bucks says he’s fired by the end of the day,” the shorter dockhand says.
“No bet. Wright Pack won’t want this kind of trouble.”
The barista slides my latte across the counter. “Cream’s on the side bar.”
I thank her and move to the condiment station, uncapping the cardboard cup. Steam rises in a curling plume as I reach for the cream pitcher. From this position, I can still see the dockhands, now reading comments on what must be a social media post.
“Two hundred thousand views already,” one whistles. “Dude’s life is over.”
The cream swirls into my coffee, creating a cloudy spiral, and I stir it with more force than necessary, sending a few drops splashing onto the counter.
If what they’re saying is true, if Jared attacked an Omega in Heat, then yes, his life at Misty Pines Resort is over. The Wright Pack is small and family-oriented. They’d never tolerate predatory behavior from any Alpha in their employ.
But the nagging feeling won’t leave me. What if the video doesn’t show the whole story?
I secure the lid on my cup and head to an empty table near the window, close enough to the dockhands to still catch snippets of their conversation.
“...says he got kicked out of the Fairwind Hotel last night.”
“Good. Who knows what he might’ve done to the Omegas staying there?”
I cradle my coffee between my palms, the warmth seeping into my skin. If the resort dismisses Jared, they’ll need a replacement water taxi operator. Kyle can’t handle the schedule alone, not with the summer season ramping up.