Page 25 of A Heart in Knots

A new dusting of pink blossomed on her fair cheeks. “I feel better,” she said.

A white car pulled up and my phone buzzed. “That’s your ride.”

Skye rose from her seat. “Thank you for everything, Rowan. I really appreciate it.” She ruffled Tracker’s marbled scruff in farewell, spending way more time on his goodbye than mine. I couldn’t blame her, Tracker was the best boy.

She walked toward the car, then spun to face me. “Oh.” Realizing that she was still hugging my jacket, she held it out to me.

“Give it back to me tomorrow,” I said.

Skye gifted me a shy smile and nodded, pressing the jacket to her chest. She got in the car, and I watched through the rear passenger window, how she lowered her face to my jacket, and inhaled my scent as the car drove off.

Chapter 17

HALO

WhenIgothomefrom the gym, I sensed a tension in the house, the same recurring ambiance that had been lingering for the last few weeks. I did my best to ignore it as I walked to my room. Passing Severen’s office, I noticed the door was closed. He had been doing that more often, too.

I passed Skye’s nest room on the way to my own and she immediately jumped up and grabbed my wrist, practically taking me hostage and dragging me to my bedroom.

“I have to tell you about my day.” She let the sentence out almost as one long, hurried word.

“Are you okay?” I asked as Skye closed my bedroom door. “Did you and Severen have a fight?”

“Yes, technically, but that’s not what I need to talk to you about.” My omega brought me onto my bed and we sat side by side.

“Okay, well, I tried to initiate sex with Severen, and he…” Skye faltered. “He said the bond felt different. And then he pulled back his side of the connection. Does it feel different?”

“Is that what you fought about?” I asked. “Do I have to give him some words?”

“It was, and you don’t.” She continued with her story. “On impulse, I left the house on my own and ended up at the boardwalk. But I passed out because, well,” Skye put her palm to her chest. “Obvious reasons. I woke up sitting next to this nice alpha named Rowan. He’s a barista at Fair Grounds. He made sure I was alright, and called me a ride home.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, taking it all in. “Where is this going?”

Skye looked at her knees and fiddled with the hem of her sweater. “He was nice. And I think I’d like to get to know him. But look.” She picked up her phone and held it out so I could see the screen. “He’s not on Packspace.”

Sure enough, the screen showed a notification that the user Rowan Waters had deactivated his account and that he had 60 days to reinstate it before it would be permanently deleted.

“I wonder why he deactivated it,” she pondered, looking at the screen.

“Skye, is this a way of getting back at Severen? Of making him jealous?”

Her head shot up and she looked directly at me. “No. He was just nice to me. And, I feel a little stifled. The three of you, and aunt Charisma are the only people I see or talk to. I think it’s time for me to go back out into the world and meet people. Wasn’t that part of the reason we moved to Port Haven? A new adventure?”

She took a moment to worry her lower lip between her teeth. “There’s something else, something I feel I can only tell you. Crux will get suspicious and Severen and I aren’t really speaking right now.” Skye took a breath. “I felt… drawn to Rowan. Like… Like he belongs with us.”

“We’re already a pack, Skye,” I said.

“Packs grow and gain new members all the time,” she pointed out. She wasn’t wrong and she knew it.

“Do you want an open relationship?” I asked.

“No!” Her soft cheeks pinkened. “I would never step out on the pack or our bonds. I know I was a late bloomer omega, and I’m still learning, but I trust this. It’s instinctual. It’s under my skin.”

Skye took my hands. “But, I also don’t want to get hurt, or tricked. I agreed to meet Rowan for lunch tomorrow, and I want you to come with me. Please.”

“A luncheon date with a coffee jockey,” I mused. “That’s practically slumming it for me,” I teased. “Alright. I’ll come with you.”

“Thanks, Halo,” Skye said. “It means a lot to me.”

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