Page 12 of Knot Sharing the Ice

What am I going to do? How long can I stay locked in here before I have to face them—face this—again?

And what happens when I do?

The scent lingers, a constant reminder of what's waiting for me on the other side of that door.

Four alphas.

Myalphas?

The thought sends a shiver down my spine, equal parts terror and... something else.

Something I'm not ready to name.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.One problem at a time, Ember. First, figure out how to get out of this bathroom without having a complete meltdown. Then worry about the life-altering revelations.

But as I sit there, huddled on the cold tile floor, I can't shake the feeling that nothing will ever be the same again.

Chapter

Six

MASON

Ilean against the counter, arms crossed, trying to keep my expression neutral as Jayce paces back and forth, his agitation palpable in the small breakroom.

"Great, just great," he mutters, running a hand through his hair. "We're trapped in a cheap community center in Carter's hometown, and our omega has barricaded herself in the bathroom. Any other brilliant ideas?" He turns to Adder and Carter, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Since doing ityourway has turned out fucking fantastic so far."

I clench my jaw, feeling the tension in the room ratchet up another notch. "Lay off, Jayce," I growl. "We're all doing our best here. It's not like a manual exists for this kind of thing."

Jayce whirls on me, eyes flashing. "Oh, no? I'm pretty sure there's literally an entire fucking section of manuals at the library about how to woo and court and care for omegas, and her locking herself in a public bathroom is in none of them."

I blink, momentarily thrown off guard.

Did he just admit to...?

Adder's lips twitch, and I can see the same thought crossing his mind. "Wait a second," he says, a hint of amusementcreeping into his voice. "Are you saying you've actually read those guides, Jayce?"

Jayce's face flushes, and he sputters, "What? No, I... I mean, I've seen them. In passing. It's not like I..."

I can't help but join in, grateful for the momentary distraction from our predicament. "Holy shit. Mr. Smooth here has been studying up on his omega care techniques."

"Shut up," Jayce mutters, his usual cockiness replaced by flustered defensiveness. "Like you've never?—"

"Guys," Carter's low voice cuts through our banter. "Shut up."

There's something in his tone that makes us all fall silent. I look up, following his gaze, and my breath catches in my throat.

Ember stands in the doorway, looking small and unsure but still very guarded. She won't meet our eyes, but there's no doubt in my mind now that she knows.

She knows we're her scent matches.

And she isn't happy about it.

A pang of... something... twists in my chest. Disappointment? Hurt? I never really put a ton of thought into the idea of a scent match, rare as they are, but I didn't imagine it was something our match would be devastated by.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

I just know I want to protect her, and when she's standing there looking like that, I'm ready to turn the world upside down to do it.

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