Page 36 of Hot Knot Summer
Her hands come up to rest on my chest, and I can’t tell if she’s about to push me away or pull me closer. The scent of her surrounds me, honey and books, and a part of me has already decided she belongs to me… to us.
“You should,” she says but makes no move to increase the distance between us. “I told you I’m not looking for an Alpha.”
“And I’m not asking you to look,” I murmur, thumb brushing the line of her jaw. “Just to see what’s already in front of you.”
Her breath catches, a small sound that shoots straight through me. I lean in closer, drawn by an instinct more powerful than reason or propriety. I want to taste her, to claim her, to make her forget every Alpha who came before me.
“What the hell’s happening here?” Levi’s words cuts through the moment like a bucket of ice water.
Emma jerks back as if burned, nearly slipping on the sudsy floor. I catch her elbow to steady her, and the brief contact sends another jolt of electricity up my arm.
“Laundry disaster,” I explain, letting go of her reluctantly and gesturing vaguely at the foam still seeping across the floor. “Minor setback.”
Atlas appears behind Levi, taking in the situation with a single sweep of his gaze. His eyes narrow when they land on me, and I know he’s reading the scene. “Seriously, River?”
“Hey, this was a team effort,” I protest, shooting a conspiratorial look at Emma.
“Entirely my fault,” Emma jumps in, wringing out a soaked towel over a bucket. Her cheeks are flushed, and she won’t meet Atlas’s eyes. “I told you I was cursed. Everything I touch somehow breaks.”
“Not your fault,” I counter. “I wasn’t paying attention to how much detergent went in.”
“Because you were too busy flirting,” Levi mutters, rolling up his sleeves and joining the cleanup effort.
“I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations,” I say loftily, though my insides are craving this Omega. The want. The possessiveness. The soul-deep certainty that just slammed into me moments ago.
Emma, looking mortified, addresses Atlas directly, “I’m so sorry about this mess. I should have been more careful.”
“It’s fine,” Atlas says, his expression softening as he looks at her. “Not the first disaster this place has seen. Won’t be the last.”
The radio on Atlas’s belt crackles to life, and the four of us freeze instinctively. Dispatch’s voice comes through, calling all available units to a fire downtown.
“Duty calls,” Atlas states grimly. “Emma, get yourself dry and comfortable. The volunteers will be in soon so they can help finish cleaning this up.”
“I can handle it,” she insists.
“That address is the old Miller warehouse—lots of chemicals stored there,” Levi states, staring at his phone.
Atlas nods, all business now. “Gear up. We roll in two minutes.”
I hesitate for a split second, glancing back at Emma. She’s standing amid the chaos of bubbles, looking small in our oversized station clothes yet somehow not out of place. As though she belongs here, with us.
“Go,” she urges. “I’ve got this. Save the day, wildfire guy.”
I give her a quick salute, then sprint after my packmates. As I’m pulling on my gear, I catch Atlas watching me with that penetrating gaze that always feels like he’s reading my mind.
“What?” I challenge, securing my helmet.
“You know what,” he rumbles softly. “I saw that little scene with Emma. What happened to taking it slow?”
“Wasn’t exactly planned,” I mutter, checking my equipment. “There’s something about her, Atlas. Something that just...” I trail off, not having the words to explain the magnetic pull I felt toward her.
“I know,” he admits quietly, surprising me. “I feel it, too.”
I look up sharply, meeting his midnight-blue eyes. There’s an understanding there, a shared recognition of something none of us expected to find.
“We all do,” Levi adds from behind us. “But that doesn’t mean we get to claim her.”
“But what if she’s—” I start.
