Page 7 of Chasing the Wolf (Dark Wing #7)

Chapter 7

Mackenzie

T here's a knock on my door. Colette's not back from the dinner shift yet. I really do owe her a lot. She's the best.

I uncover the peephole and... mother trucker . Xavier waves at me. A full finger wave. What the—? I open the door. "Get in here. You're going to get me in trouble. You can't be down here without a tour pass. Or being with a crew member."

“I’m with a crew member now.”

“Not the same,” I yell, then clamp a hand over my mouth.

“Whoa, you can still shoot imaginary lasers with your pretty eyes.”

I walk back until my thighs hit the back of my bed. I put my hand out. "Just stand right there. I've got to get you out of here and back up to the guest side." Pretty eyes? I shake it off.

"What are they going to do to you?" he growls.

"I just don't break rules, that's all. Okay, I'm having a hard time with all of this."

"All of what, Mac? All of what?" He cocks his head to the side.

"Won't Venus be upset with you being in another female's cabin?" This is so gross. He’s about to mate someone else, but he came to my cabin. Figures. I’m so much better off without him.

"Nope." He crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well, I know of some love matches, and they still become possessive of their mates. You better get used to it. You shouldn’t be in another female’s cabin, Xavier. It’s not a good look."

"I'm sure they do. But Venus and I don’t?—"

"You'll grow to love her. I mean, I don't know her well, but I met a friend of hers on a cruise a couple of years back, and she was nice enough. She said Venus was nice. The rational one of their friend group."

"That sounds like something her friends would say. It's true. But I'm not going to grow to love her any more than I already do, which is as a friend."

"Don't say that. Being mated is forever, love match or not."

"I'm not mating her."

"Of course you are. That's what you've been planning on doing for the last... forever. You've been going to mate her forever."

"No, Mac. I was supposed to date her since my?—"

"You need to get out of here. Like now. Just as soon as I can figure out how to get you out of here without anyone seeing you.”

"Mac, we're having a conversation here."

"We can have it somewhere you're allowed to be. Not here. Not now." I open the door and peer out into the corridor. It's empty. "Come on."

"Mac." Xavier touches my arm.

I fly backward and scream like someone has sucker-punched me in the ribs. "Don't touch me. What in the world are you thinking?"

"Did I hurt you?" His forehead is furrowed, and he looks at his hand like he's dipped it in sticky honey. Like a surgeon waiting for gloves. Like he’s touched me and is going to get the plague. I don’t know; the male makes it hard to think.

Someone pounds on my door. "Mackenzie, are you okay?" It's Zachary, another friend. He works in security.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say through the door. My eyes are like saucers.

"You didn't sound okay," Zach says.

"Was that Mackenzie?" Daniel, the mate to Colette's former cabinmate asks.

"Yeah," Zach says.

"Hey, open up, Mackenzie. We just want to make sure you're okay," Daniel says.

"I'm fine. I just saw a spider." I mouth to Xavier, " Get in the closet. "

"I'm not hiding, Mac."

"That spider has a deep voice. Mackenzie, open up."

Xavier reaches for the knob.

" No ," I mouth.

But just as I expected, Xavier opens the door. "Not a spider." He cocks his head at Daniel. "Xavier Wilder. Nice to meet you...?"

"Zachary."

"Daniel. Please tell me you have a guest pass."

Shoot, shoot. "I'm..." Like I told Xavier, I'm a rule follower, kind of. I smile at the guys. They're really good friends with Colette. But they both work on the bridge. "I'm hoping there's the possibility that?—"

First Officer Laurit turns the corner. "What was that scream?"

One of the best things about my cabin is that it's close to the crew bar. And one of the worst things is that it's close to the crew bar.

The FO takes one look at Xavier and then at me. "Do you know this male?"

"He's here with my brother."

"And you have the crew tour pass filled out for him?"

"No, sir."

"Right. And why did you scream?" the FO asks.

I glance at Xavier.

"Don't look at him." The FO fills the doorway.

Xavier didn't do anything but brush my arm. I only screamed because I was afraid the bonding would start. "I saw a spider."

There's a large crowd standing in the hall now. And there's no way I'm getting out of this without some sort of reprimand. If I tell the truth and say he snuck into a crew area on his own, he'll be put off at the next port. Wait... He'll be put off at the next port! It's the truth, and he did it. My head is crowded with the horrible things he said to me over the entirety of my childhood and the memories of him pounding my bullies into the ground. But I don't owe this male anything.

"Ms. Northwood, this is not my first year on the Dark Wing. When a crew member takes that long to answer, I find they're searching for the perfect lie. The perfect lie doesn't exist." The FO waves at Xavier's wrist and scans the purple band. "How did Mr. Wilder come to level two?"

I'm going to have to lie again. If I tell the truth, that he snuck down to my cabin... "I brought him down here. I should have filled out the paperwork."

The FO scowls at me. And the real problem with my lie is that while our cabins don't have cameras, the hallways do. And if he wants to go to the trouble of tracing Xavier's steps, he can.

"I came down of my own accord,” says Xavier. “I'd like to talk to you privately with just Ms. Northwood present."

"Yes." The FO glances over his shoulder. "Tell my mate I'll be back for her in a little while. And that she's not to eat my fries."

"Good luck with that." I laugh.

"Everyone move along. The show’s over.”

The crowd moves away, but Xavier’s staring at the FO. “You can’t share fries with your mate?”

“She’s pregnant and doesn’t want to eat. Unless it’s off-limits.”

"Smart," Xavier says, and suddenly it's like the two of them are bonding and I'm the naughty schoolgirl, not Xavier, for coming down to the crew cabins without permission. Fudge trucks.

"May we use your cabin? Otherwise, we'll have to go up to the bridge to use my office and it will take me longer to get back to my mate." The FO gestures to my unmade bed with the stack of towering books at the foot of it.

"I wouldn't want to do that to you. Or leave Rama alone when you’re not on shift," I say.

“I’m always on call.” The FO laughs and closes the door to my cabin.

My cabin suddenly becomes a broom closet. Xavier is a big male, but the FO is the biggest person I've ever met. Somehow, Xavier isn't intimidated.

"Why were you down here?” the FO asks. “You look like a male who can read."

"Indeed. It's a convoluted story. . . ” He stops and crosses his arms over his chest. He stares at me with softening eyes. And mother trucker what is he going to say? His lips part and he leans toward me like he’s going to––wait, wait! I panic. But Xavier continues. “I believe that Mac—Mackenzie, here, is––"

I sneeze hard. Loudly. I don't sneeze often. In fact, I'm not sure when the last time I sneezed was.

"Gesundheit," the FO says.

"Thanks." I find a tissue from Colette's dresser and glare at Xavier.

"You were saying?" the FO asks.

"Mackenzie and I grew up in the same pack. Her brother is one of my best friends, and I just wanted to make sure she had proper living conditions. I know Mac; she would never complain about them. So I took it on myself to find her cabin."

"Mackenzie?" the FO asks.

"Yup, what he said." Lies, more lies. I'm racking them up like rewards points at Java Lava. Only this tally isn't going to get me anything good.

"I see. Well, you can't be down here without the proper paperwork. He's your friends and family guest?"

"He is."

"Well, you should spend some time together. You are responsible for his actions on the ship for the next two days. I want you to make sure he behaves."

"I see,” says Xavier. “So Mac should escort me around the ship?"

"No, you don't mean that, do you, FO?"

"You know there's a punishment for lying to me, don't you? I'm not a puma shifter—I can't taste lies in the air—but I'm mated to one and this isn't my first night on the Dark Wing.” The FO glares at me and Xavier. He takes in a deep breath, and I brace for questions on why I don’t have a scent. He shakes his head. “I will text you tomorrow, Ms. Northwood.” He turns to Xavier. “I don't sense that you have any ill intent toward Mackenzie, Mr. Wilder, but I want you to know that there are consequences for messing with one of my crew members. I'm sure I've made myself clear?"

"On that, we can agree. Anything that happens to Mac, I will be at your side, making them pay."

"Good. I need the two of you to work through whatever childish nonsense is going on here, but you'll be doing that in the morning. Understood? Say goodnight."

"Good night, Mac." Xavier leans in and, before I can dodge, block, or otherwise throw a fist up, he's kissed my cheek. There's nothing sexual about it. But his lip print is warm and wet when Luca escorts him out of my cabin. The door clicks heavily behind them.

Truck stop. I didn't need an officer to tell me I have to spend time with Xavier. I should have told him the truth.

I brush my teeth and get ready for bed a second time.

There's no way in hell I'm stepping out into the hall and having to explain who Xavier is to half the ship. But the internal app texts from my friends are already flowing in.

Hope: Did you have a passenger in your cabin for real?

Naomi: Who's the hot male in your cabin? Sorry, that's what Billy called him.

Colette: Should I find somewhere else to sleep?

Rama: I ate all Luca's fries. Keep him busy while I order him more.

"Ugh." I turn my phone off and crawl into my bunk. I’m staring at the underside of Colette's top bunk, wondering what I really should have done, when I have another sneezing fit. Does that mean I need more of my scent spritz? I’ll do it in the morning.

M y alarm goes off at stupid o'clock. Mornings and me aren't a match. At least not for the first... Who am I kidding? Until noon. Or sometimes even one. But I love Java Lava, and I love making the best coffee I can. And that happens in the morning. But since the other half of Java Lava is ice cream, it stays open until two or three a.m. It's not odd to run into my night shift counterpart in the morning. So when I open the door and Brooke's there, it's not surprising.

"Good night, Brooke."

"Good morning, Mackenzie," she says, yawning.

"Tough one?"

"First night of a cruise, everyone stays up late. You know? But a group of thirty teenagers did a basketball tournament—until like an hour ago. So yeah. It was a long one."

"Anything I need to take care of?"

"Nah, I got it all. Have a good day. Oh, and who's your hunky mystery male?"

"I don't have a male. Hunky or otherwise."

"Okay, but that's not what I heard."

"Well, you heard wrong. Have a good night's sleep." I put my hand on her elbow and walk her to the door.

The morning flies by. And just like Brooke said, the first night is always a tough one. So is the first morning. Everyone's up early, even those who just went to bed. Hence the need for coffee and tea. There's three of us working the counter this morning, and we bustle around each other like ballet dancers. Ballet dancers who grind beans and steam milk. It's almost eleven when my Dark Wing app dings at me during a lull.

FO Luca: When I didn't get along with my cousins, my parents made me take a class with them. Please check in with Rebecca Vane and have the class instructor report back to me.

I groan. Loudly.

"What?" asks my co-worker, Molly.

“Nothing.” I haven't talked about what happened last night, and neither of them have brought it up.

"Is it about that Xavier Wilder? Billionaire owner of Raw Timberline Skincare products who was in your cabin last night?" Molly’s eyebrow shoots up.

My mouth hangs open until Molly closes it. "How did you know?"

"I know how to use the internet. Besides, some passenger uploaded his picture on ShifterChat at the spa yesterday, and it's gone everywhere. He's from your old pack, right?"

"Yup." I grab a rag and spend more care than is needed detailing the overflow grate of the big coffeemaker. I could leave. I was only scheduled until ten today, and it's almost eleven. But that would mean getting in touch with Rebecca and finding a class, and then figuring out where Xavier is. "He's my brother's best friend."

"Oh, brother's best friend? I love that trope."

"This isn't one of your romance books, Molly. This is my life. And he was an ass my entire childhood."

"Is he your mate?"

"No."

"You’re sure?"

"I'm . . . yeah, I'm sure."

"You are a shitty, shitty liar. And you also don't smell."

"Thanks?"

"You know what I mean," Molly says.

"You okay with me taking off?" I cock an eyebrow at Molly.

"You're good. You could have left a while back."

"I know, I just wanted to?—"

"Not hang out with the hot billionaire. We all have our personal problems." She laughs.

I hang up my apron on the hook marked Mackenzie and wave as I leave the shop.

Colette's lounging in bed with a stack of magazines when I come in. Her head cocks to the side, and she smirks at me. "You don't smell."

"Thanks. You don't either."

"No, when you come home from the Java Lava, you reek of coffee, and since my lion doesn't like coffee?—"

"Hold up. Since when has your lion not liked coffee?"

"Always."

"Then why do you help me out when we're short at Java?"

"Because you need help and you're my friend."

"Sweet Jessup. You really are going up for the best cabinmate of all time. That's crazy. If my wolf didn't like coffee, there's no way I'd be able to work there."

"I like helping—what can I say?"

"No?"

"Yeah, well, that wasn't my point. Why don't you reek of coffee?"

"Don't know?"

"Okay, and you don't know why your brother's best friend was in our cabin last night either?"

I openly grimace at her. "I need to shower. I have to do a thing."

"And that is?"

"Luca gave me a get-along-with-Xavier task. I have to take a class with him this afternoon. Can you do me a favor and see what classes are available while I get ready?"

"Sure."

I'm out of the shower in a few minutes, my wet, long dark hair flat down my back. I don't want to admit it, but I spend a few extra minutes and get myself a little more together than I normally would.

"Are you ready?"

"Shoot," I say.

"Well, there's a tango class."

"Hell no."

Colette laughs. "It's full anyway."

"Okay, next."

"Cheese and wine tasting."

"That could be good. We won't have to talk if our mouths are full of cheese."

"Full."

"Of course it is."

"Rock climbing: intro, beginner, and intermediate levels."

"If he's belaying me, we aren't talking."

"Full, full, and full. Basics of cage fighting."

"Ah, no."

"It's not full."

"Well, that's something. Still no."

"History of St. Bart’s."

"That's a no."

"Doesn't matter, it's also full."

"What's not full?"

"There's two slots for the mixology class at Bj?rn Bar."

"Someone must have cancelled. Grab them quickly."

"Got them," Colette says.