Page 49 of Knot Like Other Girls

I'll take it as a win.

We change direction, heading towards the park. As we walk, I can't help but notice how the alphas position themselves around me. Troy and Savva flank me on either side, while Cole shadows us. It should feel stifling, being surrounded by these massive, dangerous men.

Instead, I feel... safe.

Protected.

It's a novel sensation.

The park, when we reach it, is just as beautiful and deserted as I remembered. The lake stretches out before us, its surface like glass in the late morning sun. A family of ducks paddles by, the yellow ducklings trailing behind their mother in a neat line.

"Aren't they cute?" I ask, trying to get them to talk.

Cole just gives a low grunt in response. But his hard expression softens fractionally as he watches them pass.

"This way," I say softly, leading them to a secluded spot I discovered on one of my many escape attempts from Braxley's suffocating presence. It's a small clearing, partially hidden by a cluster of large rocks. The perfect place to hide from the world for a while.

We settle in, the alphas arranging themselves in what I'm starting to recognize as a protective formation. Cole takes the spot furthest from me, still angling his scarred side away from my line of sight. He presses his back to a large boulder, his eyes flicking over our surroundings. Savva and Troy sit closer to me, forming a loose semicircle. I can feel Troy's warmth a few inches away.

For a long time, nobody speaks. The only sounds are the gentle lapping of the lake and the occasional quack of a duck. It's peaceful. More peaceful than I've felt in... I can't even remember how long.

I sneak a glance at Cole, relieved to see some of the tension has left his shoulders. He's still on high alert, but he no longer looks like he's about to explode at any moment. As I watch, he takes a deep breath, his eyes closing briefly. When he opens them again, some of the wildness has faded from his gaze.

"So," Troy says, breaking the silence. "This is nice. Good call, Bella."

I feel my cheeks warm at the praise. "I'm glad you like it. I come here often. My own personal sanctuary from..." I trail off, not wanting to bring up Braxley and ruin the moment.

Savva picks up on my discomfort and smoothly changes the subject. "It's a beautiful spot. Reminds me of a place I used to visit as a child, back home."

"Where is home for you?" I ask, genuinely curious. I can't place his accent, and there's so much I don't know about these men.

A slight enigmatic smile plays at the corners of Savva's full lips. "That's a complicated question. I've called many places home over the years."

"Ooh, mysterious," Troy teases, nudging Savva with his elbow. "Come on, man. Give us something. At least tell us what continent you're from."

Savva raises an eyebrow. "What continent, Troy? Really?"

As they trade jabs, I find myself relaxing. And while Cole doesn't join in the conversation, but I notice the way his flinty gaze softens slightly as he watches his packmates.

I lean back on my hands, tilting my face up to catch the warmth of the sun. As I do, a breeze carries the alphas' scents to me. It's... odd. I can smell them, sure, but it's muted. Like there's a blanket dampening their natural alpha musk. I breathe deeply, trying to parse out the individual scents. It’s still easier than when we’re surrounded by Braxley’s cornucopia of terrible smells.

Troy smells like summer fireworks and warm sand. Savva's scent is more complex—old books and expensive cologne with an underlying note of something sharp and metallic. Cole's scent has subtle undertones of gunpowder beneath the wild mountain air and stone.

The scents call to something deep inside me, stirring strange feelings I'm not ready to examine too closely. I shake my head,trying to clear it. Braxley’s bullshit aside, I shouldn't be sitting here sniffing other alphas.

But I can't help it. There's something about their scents that calls to me on a primal level in a way I've never experienced before.

An even more dangerous thought occurs to me. Could they be my scent matches? They don’t seem interested enough—obsessed enough—for that to be the case. But then again, I have no experience with alphas like these. Strong, battle-hardened military alphas who are serving as my bodyguards.

And Braxley’s, too.

A flash of movement catches my eye, pulling me from my thoughts. A small group of ducks has waddled up from the lake, eyeing us curiously. They're close enough that I can see the iridescent sheen of their feathers, the way the sunlight plays off the vibrant green of the males' heads.

Troy's face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Oh man, look at these little guys!" he exclaims, his voice pitched low as if he's afraid of scaring them off. He shifts forward slowly, extending his hand palm-up toward the nearest duck. "Here, ducky ducky," he coos, wiggling his fingers enticingly.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. The duck, however, seems less than impressed by Troy's charms. It eyes his outstretched hand warily, cocking its head to the side as if considering its options.

"Troy," Savva warns, amusement coloring his tone, "I don't think that's a good?—"

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