Page 104 of In Deep

“Fuck,” Duncan mutters, “you really are ours.”

“Yes,” I say, “I am.”

And then I find myself in the middle of a group hug, a very potent, solid and muscular hug, in which I’m dwarfed. More words of love are muttered, and soon tears are streaming down my cheeks.

“Rosie’s right,” Seb growls. “We’ve got this. Screw everyone else and their crappy mind-fuckery. We’re going to smash them out of the water. Are you with me, pack?”

“Yes!” the others yell together, and then I’m being ushered away by some irritated official.

It’s time for the race to start.

Chapter 34

An eerie silence hangs in the air as the boats float out on the wide river, waiting for the starter’s gun.

My heart thumps so violently in my chest it shakes my whole body, and my palm is damp in Mrs Thomas’ hand.

The wind rushes through the leaves. Someone in the crowd coughs. A cloud moves across the sun.

And the gun explodes.

For a moment, the boats bob, unmoving, as oars are dragged through the water. Briefly, we hear the groans of men working with all their might and then the crowd comes to life, cheering and shouting around us.

The boats begin to move, slicing through the water, nudging forward with every pull on the oars.

I can’t drag my eyes from my alphas. They are something magnificent out there. Pure power, pure exertion, pure will. I urge them on with every rotation of their oars.

“Come on, come on,” I mutter, seeing how they nose ahead, gradually, gradually leaving the others behind.

Nearly all the others. Two boats down, I see the nose ofThe Sharks’boat, neck and neck withThe Crew.

Soon, both are pulling away, a whole boat-length ahead of the other competitors, the gap widening all the time.

It’s just the Sharks and my boys now.

I’m on my feet, Sophia and Mrs Thomas beside me.

“Oh God, it’s so close,” Sophia mutters. “I can’t watch.” She closes her eyes and rests her forehead on my shoulder.

Mrs Thomas yells, her language turning bluer and bluer by the second.

I’ve lost the ability to speak, to think. All my focus, my entire being, is locked on them. With everything I have, I will them on.

The finish line comes into view. It’s nail-biting to watch. One second, my boys nudge ahead. The next,The Sharks. There’s nothing between them, nothing at all.

Until suddenly, there is.The Crewseem to find a last blast of energy from somewhere. Ollie yells, and they heave with even more power, with even more muscle, hauling the boat onwards, smashing it through the water, pulling ahead, first the bow, then a quarter, then a half.

I bounce up and down on my toes, screaming each of their names with all my might.

The finish line is within touching distance. Right in front of them. Just there. Just there.

The front of the boat nudges against it, then streams through, the Sharks lost behind them. Zane crosses the line, then Duncan, then Seb and finally Ollie.

I punch my arms up into the air, jumping up and down, tears streaming from my eyes. Mrs Thomas sobs beside me and I hug her, then Sophia, then Mrs Thomas again.

Duncan, Zane and Ollie’s parents are hugging and crying too. All their earlier reserve vanished.

“They won,” I yell to nobody in particular, “they won.”