Page 62 of Knotting With A Stranger

James studies the exchange with hooded eyes, swirling the remains of his whiskey before draining the glass in one swallow. The tension in the room has become almost unbearable—unspoken lust hanging in the air between us.

“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night,” I say, trying for casual but hearing the slight tremor in my words. “Thanks for the game.”

“Running away, Lily?” James asks softly, and there’s something in his tone that makes me want to prove him wrong.

“Not running,” I counter, meeting his gaze steadily. “Just tired.”

“It is getting late,” Hunter agrees, though his expression tells a different story—one where sleep is the furthest thing from his mind.

I stand, gathering my sweater from where I’d tossed it earlier. “Goodnight, boys. Try not to get into too much trouble without me.”

Thor is instantly on my heels.

Forcing myself to walk—not run—to the stairs, I sense all three sets of eyes tracking my every movement. Only when I’m out of sight do I allow my composure to crack, hurrying down the hallway to my bedroom. Thor is in my room before I reach it, nudging the door open and scurrying inside. I find him already at the end of my bed, stretched out, ready to sleep.

I close the door behind me and lean against it, my heart thundering against my ribcage. What just happened downthere? What was I thinking, kissing Hunter like that in front of the others? And why did it feel so incredibly, addictively good?

I press my fingers to my bruised lips, still tingling from his kiss. I can still taste him, still feel the pressure of his hands on my body. And worse, I can’t stop picturing James and Archer looking at me afterward—like they were imagining themselves in Hunter’s place. But James… fuck, he was fuming.

Good.

He should suffer.

Low voices drift up from downstairs, too muffled to make out words. Are they talking about me? Laughing at how easily I melted for Hunter? Or making plans for who gets to try next?

The most terrifying part is that some small, reckless part of me wouldn’t mind if they were.

I slide down against the door until I’m sitting on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. A soft whine draws my attention as Thor, who pads across the room toward me. His blue eyes watch me with an intelligence that seems almost human as he nudges his head against my arm.

“At least someone’s checking on me,” I whisper, making room for him.

Thor doesn’t hesitate, pushing his large head into my lap with a soft huff. His fur is thick and soft beneath my fingers as I absently scratch behind his ears. He settles against me, a warm, solid presence that grounds me when everything else feels like it’s spinning out of control.

“You’re amazing for caring so much,” I tell him, burying my fingers in his ruff. “Is this your job? Comforting distressed Omegas after your master is done with them?”

Thor just blinks up at me, his weight a reassuring pressure against my legs.

This storm needs to break soon. A few more days trapped with these three Alpha men, and I might do something truly stupid.

The thought sends a delicious shiver through me that has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with a desire I didn't know I possessed until tonight. Thor seems to sense the change in me, nudging my hand when I stop petting him.

“Sorry, buddy. Just having an existential crisis over here.” I resume stroking his fur, finding comfort in the rhythmic motion. “Your owner has really complicated my life, you know that?”

I need to get a grip. They’re virtual strangers, and at least one of them has already lied to me. This isn’t a romance novel or a fantasy—it’s a precarious situation that could go very wrong, very quickly.

Thor rests his chin on my knee, his steady gaze somehow reassuring. He doesn’t judge me for my conflicted feelings, doesn’t expect me to be anything other than what I am in this moment.

“What would you do?” I ask him quietly. “If you were me?”

He gives a softwoofthat makes me smile despite everything.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you'd say.”

But as I push myself up from the floor and move to the bed, Thor padding faithfully beside me.

Thor jumps up onto the end of the bed, turning in a circle before settling down with a contented sigh, his watchful eyes never leaving me. Whatever comes next, at least I'm not facing it completely alone.

15

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