After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 189

Elle's POV

The sound of a car horn outside made me look up from my coffee. Through the window, I could see Malcolm stepping out of a company van, wearing a bright smile and what looked like his best casual shirt.

"That's our ride," Susan said, checking her reflection in the hallway mirror one more time. She'd spent an unusual amount of time getting ready this morning, and I couldn't help but smile at how happy she looked.

Malcolm knocked on the door, and when Susan opened it, his face lit up completely. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek that made her blush.

"Malcolm," Susan said, trying to sound stern but failing completely, "we have company."

"Good morning, ladies," Malcolm called out to us. "Ready for the best food festival cruise of your lives?"

Sophia emerged from her room carrying a small overnight bag. "I've been looking forward to this since last night."

Abigail appeared behind her. "Same here. I needed something to take my mind off... well, everything."

I grabbed my own bag, which contained exactly two outfits because, honestly, what was the point of bringing more when nothing fit properly anymore? "Let's go before I change my mind."

The seven of us made our way to the van - me, Susan, Sophia, Abigail, Malcolm, and the two assistants Harper had insisted I bring. One of them, Sarah, immediately started fussing over my bag.

"Let me carry that for you, Miss West," she said.

"I can manage a small bag," I protested, but she was already taking it from me with a professional smile.

The company bus was much nicer than I'd expected. As I climbed aboard, I noticed something that made me pause - there was a special seat near the front with extra cushioning and what looked like a built-in footrest.

"Oh wow," I said, staring at it. "You guys really went all out. There's even a pregnancy seat?"

Malcolm beamed with pride. "The company insisted once they heard I was bringing a pregnant family member. They said safety and comfort are their top priorities."

I settled into the incredibly comfortable seat, feeling the cushions support my back in ways I hadn't experienced in months. "Your company is pretty amazing, Malcolm. This is better than first class."

"They're good people," Malcolm said, taking the seat across from me while Susan sat beside him. "The company might primarily serve werewolf clients, but they take care of their human employees' families too. No discrimination, you know?"

Sophia and Abigail exchanged a quick glance that I caught in my peripheral vision. There was something in their expressions - a mixture of understanding and concern that made me wonder what they were thinking.

As the bus started moving, I noticed a small refrigerator stocked with drinks and snacks near our seats.

Susan looked uncomfortable as she eyed the spread. "Malcolm, we're already getting this trip for free. I don't feel right about eating their food too."

"Susan, honey," Malcolm said gently, "relax. It's all included."

Abigail laughed from her seat behind us. "Susan, don't worry about it. Trust me, the cost of these snacks is probably a rounding error compared to what they're spending on this cruise."

Sophia nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! A single cruise ship like this costs tens of millions of dollars to charter. They're not going to stress about some crackers and juice."

"That's easy for you to say," Susan murmured, but she accepted the sparkling water Malcolm handed her.

Abigail leaned forward with a grin. "Besides, we all brought money. If they send us a bill for the pretzels, we'll split it."

That made me laugh for the first time in days. "Right. I'm sure they'll be devastated by our snack consumption."

I grabbed a bottle of juice and settled back into my seat, making a conscious decision. For the next few days, I was going to focus on having fun. The stress of the past weeks had been overwhelming, and I knew that staying in that dark headspace wasn't good for the baby. Good vibes, happy thoughts, healthy baby - that was going to be my mantra.

About an hour into the ride, we stopped to pick up more passengers. A group of engineers and their families climbed aboard, and the previously quiet bus suddenly filled with chatter and introductions.

Malcolm stood up, gesturing toward our group. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my family for this trip."

One of the engineers, a tall guy with graying hair, looked impressed. "Damn, Malcolm, you brought a whole crew."

"This is my girlfriend, Susan," Malcolm said, his hand resting protectively on Susan's shoulder.

"And this is..." Malcolm paused when he got to me, clearly trying to figure out how to explain my relationship to him. "This is my girlfriend's daughter, Elle."

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his awkward introduction. The poor man was trying so hard to make me feel included.

As people settled into their seats, I noticed something interesting. Several of the employees were clearly werewolves - I'd gotten better at recognizing the signs over the past few months. When these werewolf employees looked at Sophia, their posture immediately shifted to one of respectful attention. They recognized her Beta status and were showing appropriate deference.

But when they looked at me, I saw something different in their eyes. Confusion. Like they were sensing something they couldn't quite identify. One of the younger werewolf engineers actually tilted his head slightly, the way dogs do when they hear a high-pitched sound.

"So," one of the human engineers said, settling into conversation mode, "anyone been on one of these food festival cruises before?"