Page 28 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

Kym's face twists with ugly jealousy. "What lies did you tell him about us?"

"Nothing he didn't figure out himself." I smile, sweet as poison. "You're not as clever as you think you are."

"Listen, bitch—" Kym starts forward, but Mia grabs her arm.

"Don't," she hisses. "Not here."

The door opens before Kym can respond, and Knox's presence fills the space. His gaze narrows on us as he strides toward us, something dangerous flickering in their depths.

"Everything okay here?" he asks, but his gaze is fixed on me.

"Perfect," I say, not breaking eye contact with Kym.

His jaw tightens. "Get your gear," he orders them. "We're heading down."

I move to gather my backpack, but he's suddenly there, close enough that I'm inhaling his scent, and my head spins.

"You good?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah, thanks." I nod, hyperaware of Kym and Mia's glares burning into my back.

His hand is on my lower back, and my body buzzes with adrenaline, with an excitement that startles me. When I glance up, we stare into each other's eyes, and he feels the connection, too.

I'm trembling slightly, more to do with what he's doing to me, with how heat burns between my legs so quickly, it scares me.

My mother's words come to mind, a memory from that night she came home with bruises across her neck, tears tracking through her makeup.

"Don't ever let them fool you, Ruby. An Alpha's magnetism is nature's cruelest trick. Your body betrays you first—the heat, the need, the way your mind goes fuzzy around the edges. By the time you realize what's happening, it's too late. They take everything—your choice, your dignity, your soul—and they make you think you wanted it."

The words twist in my gut, bitter as bile. I remember how she'd gripped my shoulders, fingers desperate, eyes wild with a fear I didn't understand then. I was twelve, watching my beautiful, strong mother shatter into pieces.

"Promise me you'll be smarter than I was. Promise me you'll never let an Alpha make you forget yourself."

But here I am, my body singing with want for a man I barely know. My skin burns when he's near me, and part of me wants to lean into that fire, let it consume everything—my fears, my doubts that keep me awake at night. It would be so easy to give in.

And that terrifies me more than Marcus ever could.

Maybe I'm not fighting for the bar at all. Maybe I'm sabotaging myself, pushing away help, choosing failure over the risk of letting someone in. Maybe I'm so broken that I'd rather lose everything than trust an Alpha who looks at me like I'm something precious instead of something to be owned.

Another memory surfaces—Mom coming home after that last terrible fight, her eye swollen shut, lip split. But she still went back to my dad the next day. "He needs me,"she'd whispered. "And when an Alpha needs you, it feels like breathing.Even when it's killing you."

"Hey, are you okay?" Knox's voice is gentle as he touches my hand, tenderness lacing his words. "We don't have to leave the cabin right away. We can wait here a bit longer." The softness behind his words lulls me toward him, but Mom's voice keeps echoing, keeps warning.

"I'm here for you, you know that." His thumb traces circles on my palm.

"That's what I'm scared of," I whisper, the truth slipping out before I can catch it.

"You don't have to be," he says softly, but I'm already pulling away.

"We better go." I push all those thoughts down, locking away the emotions threatening to break free. My spine straightens as Mia and Kym watch from across the room.

"All right, let's do this," Knox announces, taking the attention away from me, thank goodness.

Outside, the morning sun sparkles off fresh snow. I spot sets of footprints leading away from the cabin, James' and Sarah's trail to their rescue pickup. Strange how peaceful it looks now, this place that nearly killed me.

I adjust my backpack straps as Knox locks up the cabin. Mia and Kym are already moving down the slope. Who would have thought a simple day trek could turn into a night of hypothermia and ghost stories or me unable to stop staring at Knox?

Then we're off. Knox positions himself between me and the others like a shield, his broad shoulders blocking their view of me. The gesture shouldn't make me so happy, shouldn't make me want to press closer to his warmth.

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