Page 43 of Knot Like Other Girls

Are his scars why he's so withdrawn? So reluctant to be around people? I've never met an alpha like him before. Most alphas I know are all swagger and bravado, always trying to be the center of attention. But Cole... he's like a shadow, always on the edges, never quite part of things. Shy, even.

I didn't know alphas could be shy.

I open my mouth, then close it again. I want to say something, to express more of my concern, but I'm not sure how. These alphas have already seen too much of me, peeled back layers I didn't even know I had. I'm not used to being so... exposed.

Troy breaks the silence, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "I'll go talk to him. See if I can get him to come back."

A slight frown creases Savva's brow. "No, I'll go. If anyone's going to find him, it'll be me."

Troy scoffs, a hint of his usual playfulness returning. "Come on, I'm great at finding shit. Remember that time in Dubai when?—"

"You couldn't find your own ass if it wasn't attached to your legs," Savva interrupts, his tone dry but fond.

I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. There's an easy camaraderie between them, a bond forged in experiences I can't even begin to imagine. It makes me ache for something I've never had.

Troy's eyebrows shoot up, a grin spreading across his face. "Is that a saying from Lithuania? Because that's a good one."

Savva blinks, looking genuinely confused for the first time since I've met him. "I'm... not from Lithuania."

"Oh." Troy's face falls for a moment before brightening again. "Sweden?"

Savva grimaces. "No, Troy. Not Sweden either."

"Hotter or colder?" Troy presses.

Savva stares at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

Troy groans dramatically. "I mean am I closer or further?"

"Oh. Further. Lithuania was closer."

As they banter back and forth on Savva's way to the elevator, the worry keeps gnawing at me, surprising in its intensity. I barely know him. But there's something about him that calls to me, that makes me want to... what?

Comfort him?

Protect him?

The very idea is absurd. He's an alpha, a trained soldier. He doesn't need my protection or comfort.

And yet...

"Wait," I say, standing up.

Savva turns to stare at me in surprise. "Yes?"

"I want to come with you."

Savva's eyes widen in surprise, and for a moment, I think he's going to refuse. But then his expression softens, just a fraction. "Bella, I appreciate your concern, but?—"

"Please," I interrupt, surprising myself with the intensity in my voice. "I... I need to know he's okay."

The alphas exchange a look, one of those silent conversations that I'm quickly becoming familiar with. I hold my breath, waiting for their verdict. Part of me can't believe I'm being so insistent.

Since when do I push back against anything?

But there's something about this strange pack of alphas that makes me want to be more than the quiet, agreeable omega I've trained myself to be.

"It isn't safe," Savva says with clear reluctance.

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