Page 44 of Hard Knot

"What are you going to eat for dinner?"

Elizabeth pauses, considering.

"Oh. I forgot to grab something from the cafe." She waves off his concerned look. "I'll just get something in the morning."

"You're going to starve yourself?" Carter's tone is carefully neutral, but I can hear the tension underneath. "Hard to maintain that dancer's physique without fuel."

"It's just for tonight," she laughs, but it sounds forced. "Sometimes I do fasts anyway. It's fine."

Carter seems to realize he's fighting a losing battle.

"At least take my number."

"Really?" Something flickers across her face – surprise, maybe hope. "No one's asked for my number since I first got to Knot Academy. Funny how that works."

Carter's frown deepens, but he stays quiet as they exchange numbers. Elizabeth walks him to the door, her movements betraying a reluctance that matches his.

"See you tomorrow?" she says, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah," Carter nods, but he only makes it to the stairs before letting out a frustrated groan. In three long strides, he's back at her door before she can close it. Without a second delay, he already has her in his grasp — lips claiming hers in a heartbeat.

The kiss catches her off guard – I can see it in the way she freezes for a split second before melting into him. It's not gentle either. This one carries a desperate need to make things right.

They’re fighting for breath when they pull apart.

"I'm only letting you stay here tonight," he murmurs against her lips, "because I need to talk to my pack. But after that?" His voice hardens. "You're not staying in this hellhole another night."

A smirk plays at her lips as she pulls back slightly.

"Don't make big promises you can't keep." She winks, then rises on her tiptoes to press a light kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, though. For giving me probably the best evening icebreaker stroll I've ever experienced."

Her voice drops lower, more vulnerable.

"You made me feel like I'm not a broken Omega after all."

The smile she gives him then is different from any I've seen on her face – soft, genuine, transforming her entire expression from sharp edges to something almost luminous.

Even from my position, I can smell her scent shifting, becoming warmer, and sweeter.

It's... captivating.

Well, shit. Now I see what Carter means. What’s pulling him in like a moth to a flame…

"Goodnight," Carter says roughly, but he doesn't move until she closes and locks all four deadbolts on her door. Even then, he stands there for another twenty minutes, hand pressed against the rotting doorframe as if he can somehow protect her through sheer force of will.

The look on his face when he finally turns away makes me reach for my phone.

Guess I should start making arrangements.

Blind Ambition

~HOLMES~

"Let me begin by outlining the geographical divisions of Knot Academy," the administrator says, spreading a map across my blackwood desk. This must be a distinct habit of his when it comes to laying out this hellhole of a dump because he’s obviously forgetting my predicament. "Each wing has its distinct...characteristics that must be respected."

I lean back in my custom leather chair, a masterpiece of craftsmanship that cost more than this man's house.

My office is a careful study in power projection — walls lined with first editions behind bulletproof glass, Persian rugs in deep crimson and gold, modern art pieces worth millions strategically placed to demonstrate both wealth and taste.

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