Page 14 of Knot Sharing the Ice

Down, boy.

"I'm not interested inanyalphas," she says pointedly, arms still folded, a physical barrier between us.

There's something else in her scent, beneath the building pheromones that signal an impending heat. A natural consequence of an omega being trapped in a confined space with four alphas. Four alphas who just so happen to be biologically engineered to want to fuck her brains out and lay the world at her feet.

But it's the very presence of that something else that keeps my hunger in check.

It's fear.

Of course she's afraid.

It's only logical.

She doesn't know us. Any of us. For all she knows, we could be a bunch of psychos she's now biochemically tethered to, and stuck with for the night at the very least.

For an alpha, the only real risk of giving in to the biological chaos their kind unleashes on us is the possibility of getting saddled with a responsibility he's not ready for, but for an omega?

The stakes are a hell of a lot higher.

That's why Adder and Carter were against telling her right away. That's why I was for it. But either way, it looks like we ended up in the same position.

"Why?" Jayce asks, like the bonehead he is. Always cutting right through the fat to get straight to the heart of the matter.

I admire it, in a way.

"What do you have against alphas?" he tacks on.

Ember gives a short, indignant laugh. "Are you kidding me? We'd have to be snowed in all winter before I could get through that list."

"We've got time," he says, taking a step toward her, his usual swagger back in place. "And FYI, there are at least as many pros as cons. Wanna find out what they are?"

"Take another step and you're gonna find out just how fast an ice skate can remove a few of those 'pros' from your body," she says flatly, gesturing to the gear bag on her hip.

"Jayce, enough," Adder barks, glowering at our youngest packmate.

"It was just a friendly offer," Jayce says, holding up his hands and backing off.

"Keep your fucking 'offers' to yourself, numbskull," I mutter, shoulder checking him on my way past. "I'm gonna go grab us all some coffee and see what I can find in the vending machine. Gonna be a long night."

Judging from the fact that our omega's scent is already blooming, and she definitely has no interest in us doing anything to help her through her impending heat, it just might be the longest night of our lives.

Chapter

Seven

EMBER

Icurl up tighter in the window seat, pulling the scratchy blanket closer around my shoulders. The coffee Mason brought me has gone cold, but I sip it anyway, grateful for the bittersweetness on my tongue. Outside, the snow continues to fall in thick, heavy flakes, blanketing the world in white.

It's beautiful, in a terrifying sort of way.

My phone buzzes and I fumble to unlock it with fingers that feel clumsy and too warm. Taylor's name flashes on the screen. This is the only place in the building I get decent signal, but the guys have been content to let me hog it so far. That, I'm grateful for.

All roads in and out of town are closed ugh.

:(

They've declared a state of emergency. Looks like you're stuck for at least a day or two.

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