Thorn (Werewolf) ✔

Chapter Fifty-One

"So let me get this straight, you were almost their queen?"

I nod my head, the conversation has drawn attention from everyone around us. Balan wanted to know more about me, which is fine, but I'm very cautious that everything I say is being overheard. Although this boat is massive, their superhuman bodies take up most of it.

We're days into the journey and although Nadia has assured Thorn that she can still navigate the ocean, he's spent half of the time up there overseeing her directions. None of us know how the English government are going to react to a boat this size entering their jurisdiction, I'm hoping that Marvin and his friends took the boat out enough times for us to be accepted without question. If not, then we're prepared for it.

In the day, interactions are often spent like this. Sitting around and drinking leftover alcohol from the camps, guessing where we are and how long it will be until we see land again. Nadia often plays music through the speakers and some of them hate it while others drag each other into dances. Everyone is taking the cure daily. Thorn has banned all of them from transitioning—even if they want to—because of the children. There are only ten beds available on the boat and the children get first priority while the rest of us sleep on the deck. They're tucked away from the rest of us which has raised some arguments, but he's still paranoid of them leaving the cabin in the night and stumbling upon a transitioning werewolf which would activate their gene.

I don't see Thorn often in the day. He's alpha focused, making it his mission to get us all across the ocean safely. If he's not overshadowing Nadia then he's reading instruction manuals and experimenting with controls to check that they're functioning. But at night, he comes back to me. He always finds me, wherever I may be, and we've spent the last five nights curled up under the stars at the front of the boat. We have our own designated sleeping area which the others are terrified of violating. It gives us some privacy for at least a few minutes until we're forced to sleep because the others start moaning that they can hear each other.

Sky has made friends with a boy called Jed and they've been inseparable for the last few days. Having her with me has made this so much easier because every time someone looks at me, I know what they really want to ask. Shadow has informed them that the first-borns have a mystery power and they all saw Crasuel use it. None of them have been brave enough to bring it up. . . yet.

"That's insane," Balan says, holding a hand to her eye as the sun shines into them. "Why would you give up being a queen for a voyage with us boring bunch?"

I shrug. "It was overrated."

"Pal, are you listening?" Balan clicks her fingers at the serious-faced man next to her who is glaring at the spot next to me.

"It's staring at me again," Pal says, shuffling back in discomfort.

I glance down to the male spaniel sitting beside me, that we named Beta, to find him giving Pal a very suspicious and funny glare. We also named the female dog Luna. Thorn thought it was hilarious. They adapted to their new names quickly, it made me question if they even had one. Pal shows the dog his teeth and Beta growls, charging forwards to bark. I manage to distract him and he jumps into my lap, turning to growl again at Pal.

"What the hell did I do?" Pal says. "Do I smell differently from every other werewolf or something?" He starts sniffing himself, making the rest of us laugh.

"He just doesn't like you," Kiara says as she sits sharpening a blade against the railing of the boat. "You have that aura."

"I want a different aura."

"Beta!" a child screams. "Beta, come play."

The dog leaps from my lap and runs across the boat, making Pal flinch. I watch as Balan laughs and rubs Pal's hand tenderly.