Page 23 of Knot Sharing the Ice

"Shit! I'm sorry, we thought—" I stammer, but Ember's eyes fly open, and the look of mortified horror on her face snaps me out of my daze.

"GET OUT!" she screams, and I turn to flee, nearly bowling over Jayce who's barely peeked around the corner in curious concern. Something flies past my head—a shampoo bottle, I realize—and connects solidly with Jayce's forehead.

"OW! What the fu?—"

"OUT!" Ember shrieks again, and we don't need to be told a third time. We practically fall over each other in our haste to escape, slamming the door behind us.

Mason stares at us, wide-eyed. "What the hell happened? What did I miss?"

We exchange awkward glances, no one quite sure how to explain. Finally, Carter clears his throat. "Ember was, uh... taking care of things. In the shower."

Mason's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh. OH. Shit."

"Yeah," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. I'm trying desperately to think about anything other than what I just saw, but it's seared into my brain. Ember, wet and naked and touching herself... fuck.

I shift uncomfortably, acutely aware of how hard I am.

"So, uh... breakroom?" Jayce suggests, rubbing the red mark on his forehead where the shampoo bottle connected.

We all nod, eager for an escape. As we settle into the worn couches, an awkward silence falls over us. I can smell the arousal coming off all of us in waves, mingling with embarrassment and guilt.

"Look," I finally say, "when Ember comes out, we need to apologize. Profusely. Make it clear that we thought she was hurt, and that we never meant to invade her privacy like that."

The others nod in agreement. We sit in tense silence for what feels like an eternity before we hear the locker room door open. My heart races as Ember's footsteps approach.

She appears in the doorway, and I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Her hair is wrapped in a towel, but that's not what catches my eye. She's wearing my shirt—the one I'd offered her earlier when we realized she didn't have a change of clothes. It hangs on her like a dress, the hem hitting mid-thigh. The sight of her in my clothes, my scent all over her... it does things to me. Primal, possessive things that I have to forcibly tamp down.

A low growl fills the room, and I whip my head around to glare at whoever let it slip. To my surprise, it's Carter, who's usually the most controlled of us all. His eyes widen as he realizes what he's done.

"Sorry," he mutters, looking away. "I didn't mean to?—"

"You're all assholes," Ember cuts him off, her voice tight with anger and humiliation. Her cheeks are flushed bright red, but whether from lingering heat or embarrassment, I can't tell. "What the hell were you thinking, bursting in like that?"

I stand, holding my hands up in a placating gesture. "Ember, I'm so, so sorry. It's my fault—I heard what sounded like moaning, and I thought you were hurt. We panicked."

Her eyes narrow, but some of the tension leaves her shoulders. "You... thought I was hurt?"

I nod emphatically. "We would never intentionally invade your privacy like that. I feel fucking terrible."

"We all do," Mason adds quietly.

Ember's gaze sweeps over us, and I can see the conflict in her eyes. Finally, she sighs, some of the fight leaving her. "This is fucking humiliating," she mutters, running a hand down her flushed face.

"It was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life," Jayce blurts out.

We all turn to stare at him in horror. He blinks, then has the grace to look sheepish. "What? It was!"

I'm about to throttle him when, to my utter shock, Ember laughs. It's a small thing, more of a surprised giggle really, but it breaks the tension in the room.

"Fucking alphas," she mumbles, but there's no real heat behind it. If anything, there's a hint of affection there.

I take a cautious step toward her. "Ember, I know this is... a lot. And I know you're not thrilled about any of this. But I want you to know that we're here for you, whatever you need. If that means giving you space, we'll do that. If it means helping you through your heat, we can do that, too," I say carefully, pushing away the image of her in the shower. Or trying to, at least. "But only if and when you want it."

She studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she speaks, her voice slightly husky. I find myself wondering if she was calling out any of our names while she was touching herself. Wondering what my name would sound like on those full, rosy lips.

I hold my breath, waiting for Ember's response. Her scent, sweet and alluring, fills my nostrils, making it hard to think straight. I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms, to bury my face in her neck and breathe her in. But I force myself to remain still, giving her the space she needs to make her decision.

Ember bites her lower lip, a gesture so innocently seductive it makes my heart race. "I... I don't love the idea of being stuck in heat and snowed in for possibly days on end," she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper. "But if we do this, there are conditions."

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