Page 110 of Knotting With A Stranger

“The roads opened faster than expected,” Hannah explains, returning my hug. “They had extra plows out because of all the people stranded by the storm.” She pulls back, examining mewith that big-sister scrutiny that hasn’t changed since we were kids. “Are you okay? You look... different.”

I feel my cheeks warm, knowing exactly how I look—like a woman who’s been thoroughly kissed and adored.

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “Better than fine, actually.”

Pulling back, I take in my sister’s appearance. Despite having just driven through post-blizzard mountain roads, she looks immaculate as always. Her dark-chocolate brown hair falls in perfect waves around her face, not a strand out of place. The French twist she normally wears for work has been let down, but she still looks like she just stepped out of a salon. Her makeup is flawless, her clothes—designer jeans and that ridiculously expensive cashmere sweater she splurged on last Christmas—unwrinkled. The only hint of her journey is the slight flush on her cheeks from the cold.

“I’ve been so worried about you,” she says, her eyes traveling over my face. “Your message was so vague, and then nothing! I thought you’d been murdered by mountain men or something.” Her gaze flicks over my shoulder, widening slightly as she takes in the three very large, very real mountain men standing behind me. “Oh,” she breathes. “You didn’t mention they were... um...”

“Alphas?” I supply, unable to contain a small smile at her reaction.

“I was going to say enormous, but yes, that, too,” she murmurs. Her attention darts between the three men, her cheeks blushing slightly.

“Come in.” I tug her inside, out of the cold entryway. “I’ll introduce you properly.”

Hannah follows me into the warmth of the cabin. She’s always been the detail-oriented one between us, noticing everything, so I spot her taking in the gorgeous home.

Thor approaches her, nudging her hand with his nose. Like me, Hannah loves animals, so she bends to pat his head, her perfectly manicured nails disappearing into his thick fur.

“Well, hello there,” she coos. “Aren’t you handsome? Yes, you are.”

I smile, watching her usual composure dissolve in the face of canine charm. Some things never change—Hannah may count her steps between tasks at the bakery and organize sprinkles by color, but put a dog in front of her, and she turns into a puddle.

“That’s Thor,” I tell her. “He’s Hunter’s, but I think he’s decided I’m his new favorite person.”

“Smart dog,” James murmurs behind me, just loud enough for me to hear.

I make the introductions quickly, gesturing to each man in turn. “Hannah, these are Hunter, James, and Archer. Guys, this is my sister, Hannah.”

She straightens, smoothing her sweater with a nervous gesture. “Thank you for taking care of my sister,” she says, adopting the slightly bossy big-sister tone she uses when she’s feeling protective. “I owe you so much for doing that.”

“You owe us nothing,” Hunter replies, closing the door firmly behind her.

Hannah glances back at the closed door, a flicker of unease crossing her face. For all her poise, my sister has always been slightly claustrophobic, a childhood fear that never fully dissipated.

“Well, we won’t stay long,” she states quickly. “I came to get her out of your hair. I’m sure you’re ready to get back to your normal lives.”

The atmosphere in the room instantly shifts, like the pressure drop before a storm. All three men go utterly still, their expressions transforming from polite welcome to something darker, more intense.

“You think you’re leaving us?” Hunter asks in my direction. “Is that why your sister is here to pick you up? You don’t want this? Us?”

“What’s going on?” Hannah looks between us, confusion evident in the furrow between her perfectly shaped eyebrows. “What are they talking about?”

I pinch my lips, my stomach twisting madly, slightly confused. My throat tightens with emotion as I struggle to find words.

“I just thought... after helping me and stuff... then things go back to normal, you know?” I manage, my voice small and uncertain. I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “You have your lives and don’t need someone like me and?—”

“Lily, stop,” James interrupts, moving closer. His gray eyes are wide, stormy with emotion. “Don’t even say what you’re saying.”

Within moments, all three men surround me, creating a circle of warmth and masculine energy that makes my knees weak. Thor sits at Hannah’s feet, watching the proceedings with bright, curious eyes.

“We can’t allow that,” Archer says, his hand finding mine. His fingers lace through mine, warm and steady. “When we, as Alphas, claim you, you are ours forever. When we help you through your heat?—”

“You had your heat?” Hannah gasps. “With them? All three?” She looks them up and down again, taking in their size, their obvious strength, in a new light. “God, they’re so huge.”

“You have no idea,” I choke out, half laughing, half on the verge of tears. The emotional whiplash of the past few minutes has left me raw and vulnerable. “It was... full on.”

“That’s an understatement,” Archer mutters with a grin.

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