Page 47 of Knot Her Reality

“I’m awake. I’m awake.”

Snickering, I shake my head. “You might be now, but you definitely weren’t a moment ago.”

His face flushes as he shrugs. “I’ve always been able to sleep in weird places. Plus, power naps are the best.”

“At least you’re cute when you’re sleeping—not a drop of drool to be seen,” Natalie manages to get out between her laughter.

“Don’t be a brat, Natalie,” Ronan warns his beta. “Don’t think I won’t take you over my knee in front of everyone.”

Heat courses through me. “Yes, please.”

My eyes widen as I realize I’ve said that out loud, which is made worse by the fact that I’m also perfuming like crazy. I’m definitely glad I brought the scent-canceling spray.

I laugh nervously as I dig into my backpack. “Don’t mind me. It’s just a byproduct of being an omega. We’re not great at hiding when we’re aroused.”

“We never asked you to hide when you’re aroused, sweet omega,” Ronan says with a purr. “And I promise, we never will.”

“Sure won’t,” Conrad adds, and my eyes jerk up to meet his. The heat in his gaze has me forgetting all about the spray I was reaching for as it’s suddenly hard to breathe.

I feel movement on either side of me as my eyes flicker from Conrad to Ronan and back again. They both look like they want to devour me alive, and I kind of want to say yes. Getting ravished during a hike isn’t on my list, but maybe it should be. I think I’d quite enjoy being ravished right now.

“Omega,” Natalie sings-songs, and I turn my head to find her face right next to mine. “You smell so good.”

I gulp, eyes dropping to her lips before moving back to her eyes. A smile slides across her lips before she leans in and kisses me. My eyes immediately fall shut as I turn in the chair so I can pull her closely. Someone presses against my back moments before a nose drags along the scent gland on my neck. Not breaking the kiss, I take a deep breath and realize it’s Gavin.

His cinnamon and pumpkin scent mixes with Natalie’s birch and maple leaves with pomegranate, juniper berry, and orange blossom scent in an unexpected and extremely pleasant way. Add in Conrad’s pineapple with a citrus touch of cilantro and sweet coconut scent and Ronan’s rich, ripe black cherries, cinnamon, and almond scent, and I’m in heaven.

Gods above, I need to get laid.

Natalie deepens the kiss, her tongue snaking with mine as her hand finds its way under my shirt. Gavin’s tongue traces the lines of my neck and shoulders as he places open-mouthed kisses where he can reach. It doesn’t take long for my scent to overwhelm everyone else’s, and I know there’s a very high chance I’m going to end up sending the alphas into a rut if I don’t stop this now.

I might need to get laid, but I don’t need to sleep with these four the day after I met them. Not to mention, we just don’t have the time. Not if I want to make it back to meet my final four suitors—something I very much want.

I whine as I break away from Natalie’s kiss and shake my head. “As much as I’m loving this, we can’t.”

Natalie and Gavin sigh together, but both move away from me. I snake my hands into my bags and grab both bottles of spray before jumping up. I toss one bottle to Ronan, who catches it easily, before dousing myself in the spray with my back to the rest of them. Closing my eyes, I count to ten and remind myself that there’s more to me than my omega impulses. Just because I love being an omega doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes hate the way my body reacts to stimuli. Or at the least, the fact that it’s nearly impossible to ignore.

“Are you okay, Evangeline?” Natalie asks softly, sounding worried. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t—“

I snort, turning back to them. “You definitely should have. And I’m fine. Things just got heavy a little faster than usual. Is everyone else okay?”

I might be asking them all, but my eyes are on the alphas. While my scent can entice betas, it can cause alphas to go batshit crazy.

“We’re good, little omega,” Conrad assures me as he covers himself with the scent canceler.

“As much fun as that was, we should probably start back,” Ronan says as he stands. “We wouldn’t want to make you late for meeting your final suitors, now would we?”

I shoot him a grateful smile. “And I like to take my time getting ready.”

“Give me your water container and I’ll get it filled with cold water,” Gavin offers, and I bend over to grab it from my bag for him.

Within ten minutes, we’re stepping out of the tent, and it might be springtime, but it’s still hot as hell in the middle of the desert, with the sun beating down on us. I sigh, moving toward Lucas, who’s standing at the edge with a grin on his face.

“Have a good time?” He chuckles.

Rolling my eyes, I start pulling on my harness. “Obviously, you smelled how much of a good time I was having and how it was cut short. Don’t be a smug asshole or I’ll tell Tyler.”

“Dirty pool, Evangeline. Dirty pool.” He winces, shaking his head.

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