The grocery bag crinkles as I grip its edge. “And Jared?”
“He left the wheel to break up the fight. When the boat rocked, the woman almost fell. He reached out to steady her.” Grady taps his cane in irritation. “The boyfriend thought Jared was attacking her and punched him. That’s the moment everyone’s sharing. Jared, with his arms out, the woman shrinking back, and the boyfriend’s fist connecting with his face. I hope his jaw and nose are okay. The other guy was huge.”
The story contradicts the narrative I’ve been hearing all morning. “How do you know this?”
Grady hesitates before he leans in to whisper, “Kyle told me he’s scent-blind. Can’t pick up pheromones at all. That’s why he looked so lost in the video. Everyone else on that boat knew she was in Heat except him.”
The revelation hits me like a slap, bringing back the sense of shame from earlier, only with double the self-recrimination.
“The whole mainland is condemning him for something he couldn’t even perceive,” I murmur, shame washing over me as I recall my own thoughts at the Harbor Café.
Grady’s expression turns grim. “Kyle’s trying to get the full footage released, but by then the damage might already be done. Social media doesn’t care about facts.”
I think about how quickly I’d doubted Jared this morning, filing him away as another predatory Alpha based on a clip that showed only a fragment of the truth. “Does the resort know?”
“Emily, that’s the construction crew superintendent, have you met?” When I nod, he continues. “Well, she picked him up from security last night. She called Kyle to let him know what happened. He came to pick up the taxi as soon as there was light in the sky.”
Grady rubs his knee absently. “The Wright Pack will have the facts by now.”
The café patrons continue their conversation, words drifting across the street in fragments. “...should lock him up... Can’t trust Alphas like that...”
My fingers tighten around my coffee cup. “But releasing the full footage will prove his innocence, right?”
Grady lifts one shoulder. “People are falsely accused of crimes all the time. What people remember is the accusation, not the innocent verdict.”
“I understand being misjudged.” The words come out quieter than I intend. “Being told you can’t be what you are because you don’t match the part.”
Understanding flickers in Grady’s gaze as it drifts to my hands, large enough to palm a basketball, then to my shoulders, which strain the seams of my button-up shirt.
“It’s not fair. Neither for you nor Jared,” Grady says. “I’d like to think things will change someday, but…”
“A reason to keep pushing,” I agree, finishing off my coffee. “Thank you for telling me about the full footage.”
A smile touches the corners of Grady’s mouth. “Sometimes the truth needs a little help getting around.” He gestures to the grocery bag. “And sometimes, so do I.”
I return his smile, feeling the first genuine connection I’ve had with someone since arrivinghere. “Let me carry these to wherever you’re headed. It’s the least I can do after almost destroying your eggs.”
“Thank you.” Grady struggles to his feet. “I should have let Chloe come with me, but she would have grumbled at me the entire time until I gave up and went back to the island.”
I stand, toss my empty cup into the nearby trash can, and tuck his grocery bag under my arm. “You don’t live on the island?”
“No.” He squints toward the water. “Chloe was angling for it, but after the fire… I’m taking up space in Kyle’s cabin that Jared could be using instead of freeloading off Emily right now.”
My head whips toward him. “Wait, he’sstayingwith her?”
I don’t know why the revelation bothers me when I’ve avoided the female Alpha, but a sharp, uncomfortable tug comes from my chest.
“Emily might come across as gruff, but she’s actually quite kind.” A blush rises to Grady’s cheeks. “She’s the kind of person who will share her lunch with a stranger so they don’t go hungry.”
I study the slender Beta. “She doesn’t intimidate you?”
He lets out a bark of laughter. “Have you seenher? The woman is gorgeous. She’s also confident and taller than I am. Of course, I’m intimidated.”
The awe in his voice leaves no doubt we’re talking about two very different kinds of intimidation.
“She’s protective,” I allow. “Some of the Alphas who work at the docks were giving me a hard time, and she scared them off.”
Grady whistles in appreciation. “Would have loved to see that.”