Page 25 of Knot a Chance in Hell

“Not every Alpha wants to share,” Aubrielle stated in her soft tone.

“Callista?” I gripped the phone, waiting for our one friend who has been claimed by multiple Alphas to chime in.

“I agree that not all Alphas are good at sharing, but you would be surprised at what a bonded mate will do for you,” Callista replied. “The—”

“Like your Alphas worship the ground you walk on.” Kienna interrupted with a giggle. “Your pack never had trouble sharing you—”

“Not had trouble?” Callista snorted. “While they tried to hide it from me, they most certainly did and sometimes still do. It’s an Alpha’s nature to be territorial, especially when their Omega is in heat.”

That wasn’t helpful at all. “I don’t want to destroy their pack.”

“That’s not your responsibility, Nic.” Callista’s words were firm. “I realize these things happen fast, and you’ve only known them for just under a week, but is there one you like more than the other? Kodiak is the one you were sent there to see if you were compatible with, and he really wants it to work out.”

“Ezekiel sounds so sweet,” Aubrielle said.

“What you need to do is have good ole hate sex with Silas. All that built up tension must be because he wants a piece of your cute butt too.” Kienna would say that. Of course. The more trouble she could cause, the better.

“Silas wants me gone, not in his bed.” Even as I said it, I bit my lip. Some of my lusty dreams featured him, and while I wouldn’t describe it as hate sex, the energy between us in those dreams was fiery. “I like both Kodiak and Ezekiel. They both treat me well, and each of them are smoking hot.”

“Oh, we’ve seen the pictures.” Kienna whistled her appreciation. I laughed, needing that to help cope with my Alpha struggle. That I had to make a choice was eating me up inside. More so, what my presence here was doing to the pack. It churned in my gut, and no matter how I replayed different scenarios in my head, I couldn’t think of how to make it right other than to leave.

Which I internally screamed just thinking about.

“I think you need to give everything more time. Give it a month past your heat. Then you’ll see how you are with each of them while not being driven crazy with hormones.” Callista was the one with the most common sense out of us. She was right, but would the pack last a month?

“I second that,” Aubrielle chimed in.

“Sex is the better answer, but yeah, maybe my cousin might know a thing or two about Alphas.” Kienna teased, and we all giggled about it.

I caught up on all their news and ended the call feeling less stressed. Nothing like a chat with my besties to lift my spirit. I wished they were here with me, or even my sisters. I would settle for my mom and dad too.

Thinking of fathers, there was one person I haven’t asked about the pack yet. I jumped up and did a spin. The dogs stared at me with cocked heads. I threw my arms up and grinned. “Let’s go visit Savva, darlings.”

Whether they knew his name or that we were going for a walk, they raced to the door. Atka whined for me to put on my winter clothes faster. I thought about taking one of the snow machines over, but it was a warmer day, and a walk would do me good.

When I arrived at Savva’s cabin, I spotted him fitting a door for the greenhouse. I hurried over behind the huskies. “Hi Savva. Need a hand?”

“Afternoon, girl. Yeah.” He bobbed his head and motioned to the opposite edge. “Hold it up for me while I get these hinges drilled in. Let me know if it gets too heavy for you.”

I raised my brows. The door was flush with the ground. All I had to do was hold it straight. All of the time we’ve spent together, he’s treated me as if I was fragile. Very similar to Kodiak. Ezekiel was a little better, but he still wanted to do everything for me.

Savva was fast with the drill. He had the holes already marked out and the one side of the hinges on the door. Once it was done, he stepped back and nodded. “Thanks. Good work. I think that’s enough for the day.”

I peered inside of the greenhouse to see it was still a mess in there. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to help you with this. I can clean up inside and get the beds ready to plant seeds. I’ve been watching a few videos online about how to grow vegetables and herbs in greenhouses. I want to try to grow some back at the house too. With all those big windows, there’s enough light. As long as the dogs don’t get into them.”

Savva’s brow furrowed and his jaw worked from side to side. I thought he was going to tell me it was too much work. I wanted to show them all that I was strong, that I could survive in Alaska. Finally, he heaved a sigh and opened the door to walk in. “Yeah, your help is appreciated. My back and legs aren’t what they use to be. I never really tended to the greenhouse myself. My wife did that.” He swallowed as he walked around the dried up beds, emotion shimmering in his eyes. “I would lend a hand, but… yeah.”

“We’ll learn together then.” I gave him a smile, wondering what Savva was like in his younger years. I followed him inside and started to pick up sticks, rocks, and broken pieces of ceramic pots from the floor, setting them on the cracked soil of the beds. The beds themselves looked sturdy, but all the soil would haveto be replaced. “What was your wife like, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He picked up some pieces and ran his hands through the dirt, breaking up the clumps. After a minute, he wet his lips. “My Clementine was everything to me. My sunshine. I was more a wild thing than any of those boys were, but she smiled at me and I was hers. We were both born and raised in Alaska. She could make anything grow. Talked about getting fruit trees. Trees in a greenhouse!” He snorted, but his mouth lifted with a soft smile. “If anyone could do it, it would have been her.”

My heart ached for him. Savva clearly still missed her so much. That was the kind of love I wanted. Was Ezekiel or Kodiak the one? “She sounds like she was amazing. I hope I can do her greenhouse justice and grow something.”

“I think you’ll do just fine, girl. Clementine would have liked you. You’re a good match for Kodiak. He was becoming too hard and cold like the mountain before you came along.”

Picking up some more broken pot pieces, I worried my lower lip. I didn’t want to ruin this bonding moment, but I’d come here to ask about the pack. “So, they did tell you I’m compatible with both Kodiak and Ezekiel?”

“Yeah, it’ll work itself out.” Savva fetched a broom from a corner and started to sweep the debris on the floor toward the door.

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