Page 73 of Break Me Knot

Cole slams a solid fist into the bag. The muscles in his bicep bulge. Sweat pours from his forehead to splatter on the mat. God, he's gorgeous when he lets his control slip. When he's not trying to maintain that careful distance, when he's just... himself. Raw and powerful and haunted by whatever ghosts drive him to punish this bag night after night. I want to see him when he’s not haunted. I want to see those hard lines relaxed. I want his scent to infuse my nest and even that wouldn’t be enough. Not when I want all of him in my nest.

No. I'm here for photos.

Just photos.

Nothing more.

I can't let myself want more than that because what I feel is not a reality I’ll ever have.

A wave of sadness washes over me. I'll never know what it's like to have Cole look at me with the tenderness Adrian and Zane have shown. Never experience him touch me in the gentle way they do, never see that softness in Cole's eyes that might be present if he looked at me for longer than three seconds.

I won't be the omega who breaks up their pack. Cole keeps his distance from me for a reason. If he knew the risk having me here entails, he’d throw me out without a moment's hesitation. And I’d agree with every action. They've taken enough chances, shown enough kindness to last me a lifetime.

I raise the phone again, desperate to capture one last perfect shot of him. I want to showcase the sweat on his shoulders. The way the fluorescent light catches the stark, powerful lines of his body. I want to remember the intensity of his expression, the power he keeps contained. I center the shot, lost in the perfection filling the screen.

Something makes him pause mid-strike. His head snaps up and his eyes lock into mine. I'm imprisoned by pure alpha focus. I can’t move from my spot even if my life depended on it. His chest heaves with exertion, sweat dripping down his temples, following the dips and ridges of hard muscle. His eyes bore into mine, something wild and wanting and afraid all at once. His scent spikes, the deliciousness flooding my senses and making slick pool in my core.

“What are you doing here, Little Mouse?”

I clench the phone and lower it, trying to ignore how his voice sends shivers down my spine. “I'm not a little mouse.”

Not the best comeback, but hell, it's all I can think of when my entire being drinks up the picture he presents. When his scent makes me want to beg for his knot.

“It's better than calling you little voyeur,” he says, and there's something almost playful beneath his gruff tone that catches me off guard.

“I'm not a voyeur, either.” Although what I was doing totally was. Heat floods my cheeks at being caught.

“What else do you call someone who hides and takes photos of people without their consent?” he says. This is the most he's ever spoken to me, and the novelty of it makes my omega preen despite the circumstances.

I'm thrown by this sudden communication, by him actually engaging with me instead of maintaining careful distance. I can't tell him the truth and admit I'm collecting memories for when I have to run, or why I need these photos of him specifically.

Instead, I grasp at the first excuse that comes to mind, one that might serve a dual purpose. “Could you...” I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his intense gaze. “Could you teach me how to throw a punch? I want to be able to defend myself.”

He stares at me, his expression unreadable, and my heart sinks. Of course. He doesn't want to be near me. That's been clear from the start. I'm an idiot for even asking. “It’s okay, I’ll just…”

I turn to leave, cheeks burning with embarrassment, when his voice stops me. “Grab a pair of gloves first, Little Mouse. You’ll need to protect those hands.”

I spot the container of gloves and select a pair that might fit. As I set my phone on the counter, my fingers trembling slightly, I realize what I've just gotten myself into. Close proximity to Cole. To his raw power, his intoxicating scent. To everything I've been trying not to want.

Walking toward him is like moving through honey. Every step onto the mat strengthens his scent. That itchy heat simmers under my skin. Slick pools in my core, and panic flares. He'll smell it, how much I want him. Because Gods, I do want him. As much as I want Adrian's steady strength and Zane's playful tenderness.

But Cole... Cole is untouchable. Off limits. The alpha who keeps his distance for reasons I should respect. Who looks at me with something like fear behind his desire.

This was a terrible idea. Being this close to him is too much.

This will only end in heartbreak… mine, when I have to leave. But it's too late to back out now. He's watching me approach with those intense eyes, and my body moves of its own accord, drawn to him in a command I can’t resist.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Cole

Ishould have sent her away the moment I caught her watching. Should have maintained the distance that keeps us both safe. But her scent had been filling the gym, sugared lilac and vetiver wrapped around me like stolen promises, and I couldn't stop from speaking. From engaging. From letting her closer than I should. Her scent has been driving me crazy all morning, teasing at the edges of my consciousness as she moved through the penthouse withthat damn phone.

If Adrian or Zane were here, I would have escaped to my office, which is what I’ve done every day she’s been here. Adrian thinks it's cowardice. I call it self-preservation. Especially after the shower where she’d been getting herself off and her aroused scent almost drove me into rut.

She affects every fucking cell in my body. My skin prickles with awareness of her presence, every instinct screaming to mark her. Still, the guilt over Lily sits heavy in my chest. That pain will never fade, but when Mira asks so sweetly for help, something in me switches. It’s impossible to deny her. Especially in this.

If she wants to learn how to defend herself, then I’m all fucking for it.

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