Page 16 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

RUBY

Ishouldn't be here in the mountains.

The thought pounds through my head with each step up the snow-covered trail, as persistent as the memories of Garrett's second kiss the other night—from my panties missing when I went back down to the basement to collect them to him sending me more flowers but not returning to visit me himself. I contemplated going to his brewery, but I worried it made me seem desperate. So, here I am, about to scale a local mountain often used for treks.

My body still tingles when I think about him bringing me to orgasm, which is another reason why I'm here—to stop thinking about him and clear my thoughts. Yet, in my mind, I keep seeing him smiling at me and heading out of the bar the other night, and I haven't been able to get him out of my head since. Then, there was his scent, which made me practically purr.

When do I purr?

So, I took a day off from the bar, unable to face anyone there, let alone Marcus if he returned. Not to mention Ash, with his smug teasing, well aware of what was happening in the basement.

The problem is, I want Garrett to come back.

Of course, I've thought about him being the one to help me with my Marcus problems, yet something inside of me stiffens when I remind myself of the commitment to mate and marry someone I barely know. What if he turns out to be exactly like my dad? An abusive Alpha?

Us Omegas, we're made to be at the mercy of Alphas, and that terrifies me.

I feel torn, broken, confused.

Nope, I need a break, and it helps that this morning, I found a flyer for Pine Peak Adventures stuffed under my bar's door. It seemed like divine intervention.

First Trip Free - Discover Your Mountain Spirit!

The walk to their office earlier today, across town, wasn't grueling. Now, here I am in the fresh mountain air, surrounded by snow and a small group of attendees in the group, along with our teacher, Knox Anderson. I've heard of him running ski tours from the town, but I've never had the time to explore the mountain area.

The air is crisp and clean, cutting through the fog of confusion that's never left my thoughts since I fell hard for Garrett in the basement. Later that night, I googledOmega suppressantson my phone out of curiosity, so I had a clear head when making decisions, rather than my hormones controlling me. The ads had promised freedom, control, and a way to silence these traitorous instincts that make me weak. To avoid being like my mother.

"Everyone keeping up okay?" Knox Anderson's deep voice carries easily over the group in a lazy drawl that somehow manages to be both commanding and comforting, seeing it drew me from my thoughts. Our tour guide looks like he just stepped off the Australian beach—all sun-bleached hair sticking out from under his hat, tanned, and ice-blue eyes so bright, I can't stop staring.

Of course, it doesn't help that the man is drop-dead gorgeous.

I adjust the straps of my borrowed backpack, glancing around at the rest of the group trudging through snow. Knox is leading us up an open, worn trail in the low snow, Mrs. Peterson keeps offering her homemade trail mix from a Ziploc bag, and Sarah and James can't keep their hands off each other. It would be cute if it didn't remind me of everything I'm worried about.

Then there's Mia and Kym, Omegas I've never seen in town, but that doesn't mean they don't live there. Whispering Grove is enormous.

I've been watching them hover around Knox all morning, giggling at his every word, finding excuses to need his help. He handles it professionally, but I catch their predatory glances, the way they position themselves to accidentally brush against him.

"And then last summer," Kym gushes. "I tried rock climbing for the first time. Maybe you could give me some private lessons?"

Knox's polite smile seems forced. "The guide office offers group courses?—"

"But you're the best instructor," Mia interrupts, batting her lashes. "Everyone says so."

I roll my eyes hard. Their desperation reeks stronger than their perfume, which is saying something. Who wears perfume on a mountain trek?

I glance over at Knox.

There is something about him that makes blending in impossible. Maybe it's the way he moves—silent and graceful despite his height. Maybe it's how his gaze finds mine, staring a bit too long, lowering his gaze to my lips. I'm confused about what's going on and why I can't look away. Or maybe it's his scent...

God, his scent. It's nothing like Garrett's, but equally intoxicating—chocolate and crisp snow and something wild that reminds me of thunderstorms. My Omega side perks up every time the wind shifts, bringing his scent to me in teasing waves. It makes my skin tingle, my body too warm despite the mountain chill.

Knox pauses at a switchback, pointing out a distant peak. The midday sun catches his profile, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw, the slight scruff that would feel rough against my skin if I?—

You're no better than other Omegas,my father's voice sneers in my memory.AnotherOmega slut, always begging for it.

The memory comes at me fast—my mother cowering in the kitchen, my father's alcohol-soaked rage filling the house with bitter pheromones. I was twelve, watching through the crack in my bedroom door as he grabbed her arm, leaving bruises.

"It's not his fault," she'd told me later, covering the marks with makeup. "Alphas can't help their instincts, baby. And we Omegas, we provoke them. It's our nature."

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