Page 21 of Knot So Fast
In two hours, I have to head into work to train another set of rich fucker's children—spoiled brats who are all going through premature puberty, seeking some kind of thrill by thinking they're worthy of riding anything above a fucking Corolla.
They strut around the track like they own the world, daddy's money padding their egos while they have zero respect for the machines they're piloting or the sport they're pretending to master.
I hate my job.
Have for a while now, and yet it's all I can do anymore. The alternative would be working with these newfound racing teams filled with a bunch of soft, overly testosterone-fueled junkieswho think they're hot shit while they pump themselves full of steroids and whatever other synthetic garbage they can get their hands on. They think it makes them appear healthy and elite enough to compete in the field of racing, but all it does is create artificial athletes with no real skill.
What they don't know is that this year is going to get a whole lot stricter.
There's an announcement hopefully happening at three PM this afternoon that's going to change everything. New drug testing protocols, enhanced screening procedures, and zero tolerance policies that will finally separate the real drivers from the pharmaceutical experiments.
I smirk at the thought of watching half these roided-up Alphas get kicked out of the sport when they can't pass a clean drug test.
It should give me more satisfaction than it does, but knowing I won't be participating in the cleanup takes most of the enjoyment out of it.
The only team I'd ever consider riding with is Wolfe's.Senior, that is.Not the train wreck of a fucker that is Junior.
My mood darkens as I think about the twin brothers who've been such a complicated part of my life for far too many years.
Lachlan—my best friend, my pack mate, the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. Four-time world champion, calculating and precise, everything a professional racer should be.Then there's Lucius,the fucking disaster on two legs who I try to pretend doesn't exist most of the time.
We don't rub well together, Lucius and I. But then again, that's pretty much the case with everyone who crosses his path. We have history—bad history that led to all of us becoming this lost bunch of fuckers who can't get what we want because we lost her once, and her parents would have our heads if we tried a second time.
Even if it means we're all miserable.
Including their only daughter.
I sigh and lift my water bottle to finish the remainder, my eyes drifting over to the track field out of habit more than any real interest.
That's when I catch a glimpse of something that makes my heart stop entirely.
Her.
Seeing Auren is completely unexpected, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm hallucinating from dehydration or some kind of heat-induced mirage.
But there she is, laughing up a storm with that menacing cackle that I swear would be perfect for haunting houses. It's wild and unhinged and absolutely captivating, sending a blaze of heat through my chest as my pupils dilate to take in every detail of her.
She's dripping in sweat, her jet-black hair catching the morning sunlight to reveal those hints of magenta that she added after the accident—little touches of rebellion that somehow make her even more beautiful. Her eyes are wide and bright, showing that unique sapphire-lavender mix that's haunted my dreams for months.
She's wearing a pink matching set from that Alo brand she's obsessed with—whether she remembers that obsession or not. It's one of the few companies that stood by her after the accident, paying for her medical expenses in full since she was a brand ambassador. The crop top and shorts combo fits her perfectly, highlighting her athletic build with just enough curves to make my mouth go dry.
My cock grows hard in seconds, pressing uncomfortably against my running shorts as memories flood back unbidden. The way she used to look at me with those same bright eyes, full of challenge and desire. The way she tasted when I finallyworked up the courage to kiss her. The way it all fell apart, because I was too stubborn to admit how I felt, and maybe because our pack wasn't ready to accept the idea of having an Omega in our court.
And then, just like that, she was no longer an option.
She's laughing with that Beta—Luke, I think his name is.
The sight makes me frown deeper than it should. I know about him, as do Dex and Caspian, but I'm pretty sure the twins don't know about her living situation. If they did, they'd lose their possessive shit completely. Lucius especially would probably burn down half of Monaco trying to eliminate what he'd see as competition.
I watch as Luke walks up to her, the two of them falling into what looks like an animated discussion. Then he reaches out and grabs her ponytail, tilting her head back so he can tower over her smaller frame.
I have to grab the tree next to me to force myself not to charge forward, every Alpha instinct I possess screaming at me to intervene.
I wait what feels like an eternity to see what's about to happen, my jaw clenched so tight it aches.
His lips are just inches from hers, the two of them sharing an intense look while he says something I'm too far away to hear. She looks confused, while his expression shows a glimpse of disappointment and annoyance that I recognize all too well.
The look of someone who's in love with a person who can't see what's right in front of them.
