Page 46 of Welcome to Seaman's Cove: Part One
“Damn,” Phoenix pouts, “and here I thought I did it.” He steps toward the new opening.
“Nix,” I growl. “Be careful.”
“I’m always careful,” he sings. He’s a liar, he’s nearly never careful. “Wow, you never would have seen the split in the rock for this door since it’s camouflaged in the?—”
He cuts off when we hear more splashes from the pool behind us. Three heads pop out of the water, one right after the other. Branson, Carter, and Rodrick Prescott. Three grad school chumps who never fail to get on my nerves. What the fuck kind of name is Rodrick, anyway?
“What the hell are you doing here?” I say before I can curb my aggression into professionalism. These boys have always rubbed me wrong. It’s not just because I know they dated Madison. It’s also the entitled way they approach the world. The first time I had Branson in a class, he made a point of introducing himself as Theodore Prescott the Third’s grandson—the man who donated the current library—and the son of Gregory Prescott, who’s a well-known board member at the University. He then proceeded to correct my lecture with facts from an AI article that were entirely ungrounded and false.
“We’re gonna find the lost city of Ocearus,” Branson says casually as he pulls himself out of the water.
“Like hell you will.” Madi stomps over to him and stabs her finger into Branson’s chest. “This is my thesis. My dig. My discovery. You’re not gonna take credit for it.”
“Sure we will,” Carter says, still doggy paddling pathetically toward us, breathing hard after the tunnel. Did I look that winded when I came up for air? I hope not.
“Carter, Rodrick and I are taking over this expedition.” Branson crosses his arms over his chest and glares back at Madi, though his dripping clothes take some of the intimidation out of the posture.
Phoenix moves to her side, angling slightly in front of her, but letting her keep the lead. Caspian still hasn’t lifted out of the water, clearly not wanting these boys to see his tail. Thankfully the pool is deep and dark. His worried gaze flicks to me, and I give him a subtle nod, letting him know he’s made the right choice and should stay right where he is.
I sigh and step forward. “There’s no way you’re claiming this discovery, Branson.”
His packmates finally climb out of the water to stand on either side of their leader like watchdogs.
“Well, the way I see it,” Branson says, stepping closer to me. “You’re gonna back us up and say we found this first.” He points toward the open door in the wall.
“And why would I do that?” I counter.
“Because if you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you took advantage of sweet little Madi here.” His glare burns through me. “Didn’t you?”
“Fuck you.” Madi puts her hands on her hips.
But I can’t muster her same anger. I’m frozen in shock. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say slowly.
“Oh, I think you do. And I believe my dads would be very interested to learn about what I heard andscentedfrom your office yesterday.”
My heartbeat falters, hands curling into fists. Branson’s dads have had it out for me since I passed the kid up for a spot on a dig last summer. With his father’s position on the school board, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to ruin my reputation and my career, taking down Madi in the process.
“Ah, that’s no fun.” Phoenix steps away from Madison and grins at Branson with a smile I know well. It’s the sameone he gets when he’s about to destroy me at poker. “Let’s make this more interesting.”
Branson narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“If this is really Ocearus,” he gestures around us, then at the door, “the real treasure is in the library. Everyone knows that’s what historians really covet. So, let’s make a little wager.”
I stare daggers at my oldest friend, hoping he can feel the intensity of the ire I currently hold for him. Why the fuck would he entertain a bet with these pompous alphaholes, and even more importantly, why would he gamble with Madi’s future? This discovery could make her a known name in the archeological world. It could change the trajectory of her life. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let Branson Prescott take that away from her, even if it does cost me my career.
Nix clearly can’t sense my wrath because he continues, “Whoever finds the library first gets to claim first discovery.”
“Why would I take that bet when I can just claim it for myself? We all know the naughty professor over here won’t want to risk his tenure.”
Fuck. This little weasel. Little does he know I’d risk anything for Madi. I just don’t want her getting wrapped up in the scandal.
“Because,” Madi jumps in, “if you find the library first, you can finally prove you’re better than me.”
“Iambetter than you,” he snarls. “Omegas have no place in the field.”
“Except, I found this first. Well, we did,” she corrects herself, looking at Caspian. “Butyoudidn’t. If you blackmail us into saying you made the discovery, you’ll alwaysknow you lied. That I beat you to it, even if no one else knows. You won’t have really earned it.” She’s goading him, and it’s clear she knows exactly how to push his buttons. “If we do what Phoenix suggests, you can prove yourself.”
“I don’t need to prove myself to you,” he says, but the way his posture has changed, the shift in his expression, all of it says he does. He wants to be the big man who beat the little omega. And that’s his weakness.
