Page 31 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

The events I was interested in seeing wouldn’t start for another hour, giving us plenty of time to sightsee, people watch, and spend money on things we didn’t need.

Like the white, felt hat Ax plopped down on my head.

“Ax…really?” I said as he pulled my hair over my shoulders and the rim of the hat down further.

“We are definitely getting you a horse. Especially if you’ll wear this and dresses while you ride,” he said, stepping back and letting his eyes roam me from head to toe.

“I actually agree with your alpha on this one. You look hot in that hat,” Amir said, smiling at Ax when he nudged him with his shoulder and raised a hand for a high five. “Look,” he said, nodding toward a mirror sitting among dozens and dozens of hats in different styles and colors.

Okay. It did look cute. But where and when would I wear a hat like this?

“Wait…did you just say you were getting me a horse?”

“You looked happy with, uh, Princess what’s-her-name and Snowball,” Enzo said.

“Princess Fancy Pants and Pearl,” Amir said with a chuckle.

“You can’t just buy me a horse. They don’t live in a yard like a squirrel. And I know literally nothing about keeping a horse other than they need food and water.”

“Oh,Habibi. I can teach you any and everything you need to know if these alphas want to get you a horse. The thought of seeing you on top of a beast, gripping it with your thighs…”

His pupils blew wide, his perfume lifted on the air, and he licked his bottom lip as though he wasn’t talking about me riding a horse…

But riding him.

My body grew warm as a cloud of heady alpha hormones mixed with Amir’s perfume. My nipples were pebbled under my dress, and I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak.

“I don’t need a horse. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m still getting you the hat,” Ax said as he handed cash over to the vendor.

I wasn’t sure what had happened from the moment Ax decided I needed a hat to when we started to head toward the main show, but I was now under Ax’s arm while Amir walked hand in hand with both Cyrus and Enzo.

No one had said a word, no one had decided it was time to swap partners.

Like we’d all spent our whole lives together we’d just naturally gravitated to different partners until we climbed the steps to search for seating with a clear view of the dirt oval circled with tall gates.

Time flew past entirely too quickly. We all cheered and clapped for the races, laughed at the rodeo clown.

And then…it was over. In a blink of an eye, our date was over.

Or at least this portion was over. Because I was far from ready to call it a night.

I’d gone from being afraid to leave the house, to dancing and drinking with Amir – among other things – and now I was reluctant to go back home.

I loved the pack house, I really did. For three bachelors, they’d made the home cozy and warm. It was mostly modern, but not overly masculine. And a part of me wanted to show it off to Amir.

Or maybe it was the fact I wanted his scent mingling with the alphas to hold me over until the next time we could see him.

“What’s wrong?” Cyrus asked, sidling up beside me and pulling my hand through the crook of his elbow as we descended the rickety metal stairs with the rest of the crowd.

“I’m having too much fun. I don’t want the night to end,” I admitted.

It had taken some time, but the three alphas never made me feel stupid for speaking my mind or asking for what I wanted.

Okay, I didn’talwayssay what I wanted. I hadn’t bothered mentioning the crazy crush I’d carried since I’d barreled into their lives.

But they hadn’t bothered mentioning they were attracted to me, either so I figured we were even.

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