Page 20 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

"Sorry." His voice brings me back. "Got philosophical there. Want to hear a really bad joke instead?"

"Hit me." I recline, adoring the way he smiles at me.

"What did the buffalo say to his kid when he dropped him off at school?"

I frown. "I'm afraid to ask."

"Bison!" His grin is ridiculous and perfect.

I groan but can't help laughing. "That's terrible."

"I've got worse. What do you call a bear with no teeth?"

"Please, no."

"A gummy bear!"

"Stop!" I'm giggling now, and the way he looks at me makes my heart stutter.

This is dangerous. I shouldn't feel this pull toward him, not when Garrett's kiss still burns on my lips. Not when my body responds to both of them in ways I've never experienced with other Alphas.

"Knox?" Mia appears beside us suddenly, frowning. "Could you check the weather updates? I'm worried about my family back in town with this storm…"

He sighs. "Sure. Ruby, stay put. I've got more terrible jokes when I get back."

The moment he leaves and heads to the back of the room with Mia, Kym materializes at my side. "Having fun?"

"Loads." I sip my cocoa. "Your splinter feeling better?"

"Listen carefully," she hisses. "We've been working on Knox for weeks. He's ours. Back off, or you'll regret it."

I laugh, which clearly isn't the response she expected. "He's not a project towork on. He's a person."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Her sweet smile is crooked. "We've seen how he looks at you. It stops now."

"Everything okay here?" Sarah asks, joining us.

"Just explaining to Ruby how things work," Kym says brightly. "About respect and territory."

"And I was just leaving." I stand, but Mia blocks my path.

"You know what happens to homewreckers in these mountains?" she asks. "Such dangerous terrain. Accidents happen all the time."

Her threat sits heavily on me.

Before I can respond, Knox returns. "Storm's getting worse. Looks like we're here for the night. Settle in and get cozy."

Through the window, the storm intensifies. Snow whips past in white sheets, and the wind sounds almost alive. Something about it raises the hair on my neck.

Or maybe that's just the knowledge that I'm trapped in a cabin with two Omegas who stare at me like I'm their arch-enemy.

This should be fun.

7

RUBY

Mac and cheese never tasted so much like tension.

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