Page 35 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

We end up on the arched bridge spanning the frozen river, snow-laden trees creating a winter wonderland around us. Fairy lights twine through the branches, and people wander around. It's not that busy; the temperature is dropping quickly.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why were you crying earlier?" he asks quietly.

I savor my last bite, letting the flavors ground me before reality crashes back.

"Family really sucks sometimes, and mine's the worst. They don't believe Omegas should have any rights. And I miss my aunt. She was my whole family after I got kicked out of my home at a young age." The words just flow out. I can so easily speak with Garrett.

He presses against my side, solid and warm. "It's okay to cut toxic people out of your life, even if they're family. You don't owe them anything."

"I know." I shrug, watching my breath cloud in the cold air. Part of me wants to tell him everything—about Marcus, the loan, my two weeks of freedom left—but I can't bear the thought of him offering to help, of seeming like I'm angling for rescue. I want to trust him, to let him in, but I need to do it slowly. "Sometimes, you're just tied up in things that aren't that easy."

His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining. The touch is gentle but possessive, sending warmth spiraling through my chest.

"You don't have to tell me everything," he says softly. "But I'm here when you're ready."

I look up at him, at the way the fairy lights catch in his green eyes, at how he's watching me like I'm something precious. For a moment, I let myself imagine a future where I'm not alone in this fight, where I have someone to lean on who won't use it against me.

But Mom's words whisper somewhere in the back of my mind. "That's how they get you, baby. With kindness. With understanding. Then, one day, you wake up and realize you've given them everything, and they've given you nothing but scars."

I squeeze his hand once before letting go. "We should head back. I need to check on Ash."

"Ruby." His voice stops me as I turn away. "Whatever's going on, whatever you're afraid of, you're stronger than you think."

Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them back. Two weeks. Two Alphas. And one terrified Omega trying to outrun her mother's ghosts.

I have time, I tell myself, but the lie tastes bitter on my tongue. Two weeks isn't any time at all.

The fair lights blur around us as we stroll together, my body humming with an awareness that's becoming harder to ignore. Every brush of Garrett's arm against mine has my skin covering in goosebumps. I'm burning up despite the winter chill, my Omega instincts going haywire every time he glances over at me.

Knox's forthcoming date flits through my mind, but it's getting harder to focus on anything except Garrett's mouth when he talks, the way his throat moves when he swallows, how his hands keep finding reasons to touch me on my elbow, my lower back, my shoulder.

"The haunted house is pretty impressive," he says, nodding toward a looming Victorian structure draped in fake cobwebs. There's a line to go into the fun house. "Want to check it out?"

I laugh, maybe a bit too sharply. "I have enough horror in my life." The words slip out too quickly, and I feel him tense beside me.

"Come on," I say quickly, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward a roped-off section to the far right of the fair that catches my attention. "Let's check this out instead."

A village spreads before us, a dozen tiny elf houses nestled among snow and twinkling lights. Each structure is like a tree house in size but on a small field of snow, each single home made of wood and painted in reds and greens, others like fairy tale cottages. It's whimsical and completely at odds with the darkness swimming in my head.

Garrett studies my face instead of the display, his expression intense. His thumb traces circles on my palm, and the simple touch makes my knees weak.

"If you're in danger," he says softly, "you would tell me, right? You can call me anytime, day or night. I'll be there."

I blink up at him, questions crowding my throat, but my body has other ideas. The heat that's been building all afternoon crashes over me in a wave. I'm up on my toes, pressing my mouth to his. I know I'm distracting him from peppering me with questions, but I don't stop.

Garrett responds instantly, one arm wrapping around my waist while his other hand tangles in my hair. My hands fist in his shirt, hauling him closer.

Suddenly, he breaks away, eyes wild. "Come here," he growls, ducking under the rope barrier and pulling me with him. I should protest—we definitely shouldn't be back here—but then he's leading me toward one of the larger elf houses, and all I can think about is getting my hands on him again.

A quick glance around and there's hardly anyone around this area, let alone anyone spotting us.

The door barely closes behind us before he has me pressed against it, his mouth hot on mine. He has to duck to avoid the ceiling, and the absurdity of this massive Alpha in a tiny elf room should be funny, but there's nothing humorous about the way he's kissing me. It's all lips and tongue and desperate hunger.

Fabric curtains cover the windows, but enough light filters through to illuminate his face when he pulls back to look at me. The small space feels electric.

"We shouldn't be here," I manage, but my hands are already sliding under his shirt, tracing the hard planes of his stomach, the thin line of hair traveling down those ridiculous abs.

"We shouldn't be doing a lot of things." His voice is rough as he nips at my neck. "Tell me to stop."

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