Page 95 of Knot Like Other Girls

The raw honesty in his voice makes my breath catch. For a moment, I think he might kiss me, and I want him to. But then he sighs, resting his forehead against mine briefly before pulling away.

"You're right," he says, sounding as reluctant as I feel. "We should go out there before Troy wears a hole in the million-dollar carpeting."

As if on cue, there's another muffled thump from the hallway, followed by what sounds suspiciously like a string of creativecurses. I can't help but laugh again, feeling lighter than I ever have.

"I think that's our cue." I sigh, slowly disentangling myself from Cole's embrace.

The moment I pull away, I feel the loss of his warmth like a physical thing. It takes actual effort not to immediately crawl back into his arms. Instead, I drag my fingers through my hair, trying to restore some semblance of order to the tangled mess.

"How bad do I look?" I ask, half-joking.

Cole's eyes roam over my face, his expression softening. "Beautiful," he says simply.

The word steals the air from my lungs. There's no artifice in his tone, no agenda behind the compliment. Just stark, unvarnished truth as he sees it.

When was the last time someone looked at me—really looked at me—and saw beauty beyond the carefully curated image? When was the last time a compliment didn't feel like it came with strings attached?

I can't remember.

"Cole..." I start, not even sure what I want to say.

"We should go," he interrupts gently, as if sensing my sudden emotional overload. "Before they break down the door."

I nod, grateful for the momentary reprieve. There's too much to process, too many revelations and emotions swirling through me. I need time to sort through it all.

Cole slides off the bed first, and I can't help but notice the careful way he moves, like he's trying not to startle me. It's so different from how he was when we first met, all harsh and abrupt movements. With me, he's nothing but gentle.

He hesitantly extends his scarred hand to help me up, and I take it without hesitation. I'm struck by the realization that I've touched Cole more in the past few hours than in all the timesince he arrived. That something important has shifted between us. A door has opened that I'm not sure can ever be closed again.

And I don't want it to be.

CHAPTER 28

SAVVA

The hallway outside the guest room has become our impromptu battleground. Not against external threats, but against our own instincts. Four alphas, each fighting his own private war while our omega in the beginning throes of heat rests behind closed doors with the fifth member of our pack.

I lean against the wall, my posture deliberately relaxed even as every muscle in my body remains coiled tight. Control has always been my specialty. My greatest asset in the field. The ability to appear utterly composed while calculating sixteen different ways to complete a mission is what kept me alive during years of infiltration work.

But this…

This is testing even my legendary self-control.

Roman paces the length of the hallway, five steps in each direction. His movements are precise, measured, the only outward sign of his inner turmoil. I can see the tension in the set of his shoulders, the slight tick in his jaw. Our leader, always bearing the weight of responsibility, now carrying something far heavier than mission parameters or tactical decisions.

Liam sits on the floor, back against the wall, one knee drawn up to his chest. His fingers drum restlessly against his thigh, each tap creating small bursts of vibrant orange in my vision. His scent is sharper than usual, the whiskey notes more pronounced as his patience wears thin.

Troy can't seem to stay still at all. He alternates between leaning against the wall, checking his watch, and raking his hand through his hair. But beneath the nervous energy, I detect something else. A sense of contentment.

Interesting.

"He's been in there for a while," Liam mutters, his voice thickening with frustration. "Shouldn't we check on them?"

"She chose Cole," Roman replies, not breaking his pacing rhythm. "We need to respect that."

Troy's lips quirk into a half-smile. "Gotta admit, I didn't see that coming. But maybe we should have."

I raise an eyebrow. "How so?"

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