Page 79 of Knot Your Business

I’m wearing scent blockers and am nowhere near my heat starting. It’s more than safe for me to be here alone. She’s just making a point. I breathe through my nose, holding onto my control by a hair.

Jasper clears his throat. “The others are on their way and should be here soon. They had other prior commitments.”

I squeeze his hand. “Mom, you remember Jasper, right? He’s part of Pack Montegue.”

She doesn’t react to my question, her lips pursed. A man I don’t recognize comes up to my right, standing too close for my comfort. I lean into Jasper.

It’s like a switch flips in my mom. Gone is the cynical, critical judge, and in her place is Elle fucking Woods or some shit. She smiles brightly, her eyes crinkling as she turns to the man.

“Jack, how lovely to see you,” she says, her voice warming and softening. She angles her body until she essentially leaves Jasper out of the conversation. “I hope everything has been going well.”

The man smiles, though it doesn’t touch his eyes. I take a couple sips of the wine to keep my expression blank. I’ve mostly tuned out the conversation, staring at the fading sun over the ocean, when another man joins the conversation, his dark brown hair trimmed shorter than when I last saw him. My stomach clenches, and I have to breathe carefully to keep from panicking.

What the fuck is Eric doing here?

Jack rests a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve met my son, haven’t you?”

Oh no.

He’s already part of this fucking network of assholes? I force a swallow and try to calm my racing heart. Then he wasn’t pestering me to get in with my dad. He was pestering to get in me. I feel sick at just the thought, not to mention the memory of his floral scent. I take a larger gulp of the wine and squeeze Jasper’s hand. He murmurs something and then pulls me away from the trio, his gaze focused on the far corner of the roof.

“How upset will your dad be if we interrupt whatever conversation is happening right now?” he asks, dropping his lips until they brush my ear. A shiver races down my spine.

I follow his gaze. The person Dad’s chatting with is vaguely familiar. It takes me too long to realize it’s the president of one of the charities. I shake my head.

“He won’t.” Is my voice breathless? I can’t tell.

Fuck, it’s hot up here.

Jasper leads us over to him, a saccharine smile plastered to his face. I take another drink of the wine, though I’m not entirely sure why.

Dad smiles as we approach, holding out his hand until I set my palm against his. He pulls me into his side and kisses the top of my head.

“Lena, let me introduce you to my daughter, Violet.”

The woman smiles. Her black hair is pulled back in a low, decorative ponytail, and her brown eyes are warm. Her pale skin glows against the charcoal gray of her pencil skirt.

“Lovely to meet you,” she says. “I’ve heard wonderful things from Johnathan.”

I smile, not trusting my voice. My body is hot, and not in the way that means the room is too warm. It’s the way my body feels when I’m going into heat.

But that’s not possible.

Dad squeezes my hand as the woman walks away.

“You all right, Vi?” he asks, kissing the crown of my head again.

A shiver runs down my spine, and Jasper palms my waist.

“Let me take the wine,” he says, extracting the glass from my clenched hand. The small brush of his fingers against mine has my legs fucking clenching. “We should get you something to eat. We didn’t manage to have time to grab something on our way here.”

“I think I just need a second in the restroom,” I mutter. Both men look at me with worry in their eyes, identical frowns on their lips. It’d be hilarious if I weren’t freaking the fuck out right now.

How the hell am I feeling like I’m on the verge of my heat when it’s not supposed to happen for another three months? I offer a small smile and cross the space, opening one of the doors that leads back into the hotel hallway, cutting a quick line to the bathroom.

I drop my clutch on the counter before running my hands under the cold water, trying to get my body temperature lower. My heart races, my breath sawing out of me.

There’s no way. There’s absolutely no way this is fucking happening right now.

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