Page 37 of Knot a Chance in Hell

Ezekiel refueled his chainsaw and climbed back up the naked tree. He tied rope around the top and tossed the end to the ground. Silas and I would hold the rope, and when Ezekiel made the final cut, we’d pull it to ensure the log fell in the proper direction. Even the best of wedges couldn’t guarantee the timber would fall how you wanted it.

The first twenty feet came down easily. Silas and I rolled it down the slope out of the way. Even though it would be the narrowest of the logs, it was still twice as thick as I was wide.

As Ezekiel got into position to cut the next section, I kept pushing the log down to the path where the backhoe log grapple was parked.

“Hey,” Silas snapped and stepped back. “We don’t leave anyone alone in a tree. The log isn’t going anywhere. Come on.”

“Ezekiel’s fine.” I huffed and gave the log another shove. Gravity helped, but we’d need a few levers to get it closer to the grapple.

“Just because you’re wanting to get back to fucking the Omega doesn’t mean we don’t follow protocol. If he falls, it’ll be on you.” Silas marched back to the tree where Ezekiel had climbed down to the next marked section and was fastening the ropes.

I gritted my teeth and stomped up the slope after him. “Eze won’t fall. He’s a fucking monkey, and you know it. You need to stop being a bastard about Nicolette because of some chick who screwed you over years ago.”

“If you took your head out from between her thighs for just a second, you’d see how similar the situations are, and you’d be more fucking suspicious too.” Silas positioned himself on a large flat rock and surveyed the slope around us. “We need tohave it come down the other side this time. It’ll do less damage to the saplings there.”

What the fuck was he talking about? “They’re nothing alike! Nicolette is actually a real Omega. Sarah was not. Don’t you dare compare her to that bitch.” I motioned to where the other log fell. “Steeper slope this side. Easier to get it moving that way.”

Silas groaned. “I wasn’t comparing the fucking females. I said the situations. Omega comes in, hooks one of us, and tries to break up the pack. Except this time, Nicolette will do what Sarah couldn’t.” He folded his arms. “I say this side.”

“You don’t know shit. Nicolette doesn’t want to break the pack. She hates that we’re fighting. It’s you who up and left.” I caught the rope as Ezekiel dropped the end and wrapped it around my hands. “We’re going this way.”

“I left to keep what little peace we have left intact. If I stayed, we’d rip out each other’s throats.”

“If you would just stop being such a rude fuck to her,” I growled, ready to tackle him to the ground and pound his face in again.

“I’m keeping her away from me, so we aren’t going to war to win her over.”

“Then don’t—”

“Guys!” Ezekiel shouted from the tree. “I’m ready to start cutting!”

“Go on.” I gave him the thumb’s up, and he revved the saw’s engine to life.

Thank fucking God for that. I couldn’t believe Silas was going to start something here on the worksite. Nicolette was a blessing to our pack, and if he couldn’t see it, then screw him. I was determined to make her mine. She wasn’t going anywhere.

Sarah’s plan had been to lure Silas away, encouraging him to design houses for big bucks, and then live large offthe money he was making. Silas had no interest in being an architect, no matter his natural talent for it. He preferred to be out in the woods, not wearing a suit in an office. Same with Ezekiel and me. The forest was where we worked and played. Growing up, my dad had called us the Wild Boys of the Tongass.

Nicolette didn’t want to take any of us away from each other, and I loved her even more for it. She was trying to keep us away from each other’s throats. Three Alphas butting heads was hard to deal with though.

What would happen if she chose one of us? Could I be happy for Ezekiel if it was him? Would the guys be happy for me if I were her choice? I didn’t know. Everything in me still roared she was mine, and no way was I going to let another Alpha take her away from me. As much as I wanted her to be my mate, would I be happy if I lost my pack doing so?

Shit. This was a whole fucking emotional mess I never expected it to be.

“Look out!”

The log was coming down. I hadn’t even realized it was ready to fall. Fuck me.

I dove to one side, pulling on the rope, but it was already aiming to hammer me into the ground. Silas cried out, pulling his rope, and bellowing for me to move.

Slamming into the rocky slope, the log missed me by a foot, but it started to roll.

I dropped the rope and ran. My heart pounded. Never had I feared anything about the work we did. Accidents happened, but this… Fuck. I’d screwed myself.

There was no way to outrun the log. It was twenty feet long and weighed about a thousand pounds. If I could slow it, maybe give Silas some time to redirect it. It was going to roll no matter what we did, but if he could turn it….

I turned, dug in my heels, and pushed at the spruce with my shoulder. It slammed into me, and I swear I heard a bone crack. The ground was slick from ferns and foliage, and my feet slid as I tried to hold it back.

“Kodiak!” Ezekiel cried from the tree. The chainsaw thunked to the ground, and then Ezekiel followed. He scrambled up the slope to help Silas who was pulling with all his might to change the angle of the log’s roll.

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