Page 33 of Knot Giving Up 2

The dog gives a cute little sneeze from the scent neutralizers I doused myself in and moves on.

“Weren’t you in another room?” The beta says, his eyes narrowing on my best friend. “What are you doing here?”

Em freezes. She hates being put on the spot, so I answer for her. “We were just going for a run.” I give him my sweetest smile. “We like to run together in the mornings. Helps clear the anxiety about competition, you know?”

I don’t think Em and I have ever run together in our lives. We’d rather be in the water than dripping sweat as we slam our feet into the pavement. Hopefully, we won’t have to carry out the rouse and follow through with going for a jog.

The beta nods and leaves to check the other rooms. But the alpha with the dog tilts his head and studies Em more closely. “Where are your shoes?”

“Um… I, well… forgot them?”

“You forgot shoes?” His brow furrows.

“Diver.” She points to herself, laughing awkwardly. “Not used to wearing them much.”

“Sometimes we run barefoot,” I add. “It’s supposed to be good for your arches.”

I think I read that somewhere. Right?

His frown deepens. “You shouldn’t run barefoot in the city. You could get hurt.”

“Oh, well, yeah, of course, I’ll just…” She juts her thumb towards the door and steps in that direction, but he blocks her path. It looks like he’s about to say more, but then his partner hollers from the next room. “Nothing in here.”

“All clean here too,” another voice answers. I didn’t realize there were three of them.

Em and the alpha are in some kind of standoff in the doorway, and I can’t tell if it’s sparks I’m seeing or if he’s got something against her for some reason.

Ellis gives me a look and mouths, what the hell? I shrug. She hasn’t mentioned anything about a military man to me, but it sure seems like something’s going on between them. I just can’t decide if it’s good or bad.

After a beat, he steps back enough for her to squeeze past, but not enough for her to avoid brushing against him. He follows after her.

I don’t let myself relax until they’re all finally out of the apartment. I squeeze Em tight before she goes, the officers behind her knocking on the door across the hall. Harrison does a visual sweep of the living room before starting to close the front door, but then a voice from in the hall stops my blood cold.

“Come on in. I’ve got nothing to hide.” Daniel frickin' Teague. I knew all of Team USA was in the same building but—

I step toward the door, looking around Harrison’s broad frame and, sure enough, there’s Daniel standing in the open doorway across the hall and staring back at me.

“Mornin’, Meggie. Pack Hart.” He gives us a little wave and a smile that’s way too cheery. Then he turns and closes the door behind him.

Daniel has been across the hall this whole time. Why does Em have to be two floors away but Daniel gets the apartment right across from me?!

I’m stuck to the spot in shock. Harrison nudges me out of the way so he can close the door and lock it.

With a sigh that takes all the air from my lungs, I slump against the wall.

“Pack meeting,” Harrison says. “Now. All of you.”

We follow our pack alpha into the little sitting room. He’s the only one who stays standing, and he seems almost as imposing as he did last night when he manhandled me out of the party.

“That was too close.” His stoney gaze sweeps over us.

“It got my blood pumping for sure,” Oz quips. “Just need to direct the blood to the right area now. A little naked morning cardio, anyone?”

Harrison glares at him. “Do you all want to get caught?”

There’s a chorus of no and nah and course not as we all respond at once.

“Good. Then things need to change. No more nest.”

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