Page 19 of Knot Going Down
I’m supposed to start at a new job in three weeks. Declan and Knox have been vague about what kind of deal they struck, but they made it clear there’s something Knox needs to be at in a little over a week. We can’t stay here.
I glance around, and it hits me, every person here has somewhere they need to be.
“It’s all gonna be fine. It’ll work out.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or them.
Declan doesn’t say anything. He’s already pulling out his phone, texting, as he tugs Knox and me through the crowd with Gunner right on our heels. Declan’s a big guy, bigger even than Knox, and he’s got the kind of presence about him that has people jumping out of his path, but my shoulder still bumps someone’s. I look just in time to see a woman teeter on her heels and fall.
“Ava?” I pull my hand out of Declan’s, stopping to help her up. “Are you okay?”
“Oh em gee.” The moment Ava’s on her feet, she flings her arms around me. She smells like she’s dumped an entire bottle of perfume on herself, and I cough into her shoulder as she squeezes me tight. A loud, clumsy sneeze bursts out of Gunner, followed by a big tail wag as if to show how proud of himself he is for the noise.
“I thought your flight went out early this morning,” I say.
She looks down at her hand clutching her little rolling suitcase. “I… um… was late and missed the flight.” Weird. She left our place freakishly early. “I’ve been trying to get on another one all morning, but no luck. And now this!” She waves a hand dramatically and almost smacks a man walking past.
I grab her and pull her off to the side where Declan and Knox are waiting. Her gaze immediately drops to the handcuffs.
“Um, Ava, this is Knox.” Explaining the restrained man first seems like a good idea, until I get to the part where I have to say why he’s in handcuffs. “He’s… he’s…”
“A convict, caught selling illegal scent blockers and heat suppressants to omegas,” Declan says, direct as always.
“A hero,” Knox corrects with a smirk, “helping omegas take control of their bodies.”
Ava’s eyebrows lift with something like interest. “You have suppressants?”
“Not anymore,” Knox says. “The big mean DEA agent took ‘em.”
Ava gives Declan an assessing once over, almost like she’s fully noticing him for the first time, fully taking in that handsome assuredness that drew me so quickly. He gives her the same slow perusal, a scowl firmly planted on his face.
A slew of feelings I can’t understand attack me. Ava is a beautiful woman, and she’s always gravitated toward alphas. Declan and Knox are both irresistible in their own way. Declan with his calm power. Knox with his bad boy attitude. But the possessiveness I feel is more confusing than just not wanting her to steal them from me—which is ridiculous. They don’t belong to me.
Knox… well, that’s in the past. And I’ve made it clear to Declan that this doesn’t last once we’re back in the States. I refuse to get attached to a man who could so easily leave me if some sweet-smelling omega comes along. But the sensation in my chest feels more like protectiveness than jealousy.
I pull Ava closer to my side, suddenly realizing I’m still holding her hand.
“And you are?” Ava’s voice is colder than normal. It’s the one she used to use with Meggie and me. I’m starting to think it’s the one she uses when she feels threatened.
Declan takes a step toward me, snakes his arm possessively around my waist and tugs me flush against his body, keeping his eyes on Ava the whole time. “I’m Emily’s alpha.”
“What?! No.” My voice is so high I sound like a mouse. I push against Declan’s chest. “I mean, we’ve been kinda seeing each other. He’s the one I told you about. This is Declan. But, um, it’s?—”
He kisses me so soundly it steals all the fight out of me. A rumbling growl comes from Knox. Ava gasps and, for some reason, grabs my hand again even while my lips are locked with Declan’s. My eyes are still open, and I see Declan’s gaze slide behind me to her. What the hell is going on? While I love kissing Declan, there’s something in this kiss that feels like it’s not for me as much as for them.
Stupid possessive alphas.
“On second thought, let’s keep the cuffs on.” Knox’s eyes are locked on my lips. “I’ll share.”
The territorial sound from Declan is unholy.
I push him away, gasping for breath.
“Great, okay, yes.” I try to sound more chipper than I feel. No one wants a Debbie Downer around, as my dad used to say. “Maybe we should figure out what we’re doing now that flights are canceled. Can we drive to another airport or something?”
“I’ve still got the… um, rental for one more night.” Ava wrinkles her nose. The rental house. The place my brother and his packmates just knotted my best friend during her surprise heat. I’d rather eat vomit. The place is probably disgusting, since I doubt any of them had time to clean it up or air it out. They barely made it back for their last water polo match after Meggie’s heat.
“We could all stay there while we figure something out.” Ava looks at me as she makes the suggestion.
“Perfect,” I say, even though that’s far from what I think. “It’s all working out already.”
