Page 37 of Hot Knot Summer
“Later,” Atlas cuts me off, all chief again. “Our help is needed first. Omega complications second.”
He’s right, of course. But as we climb into the truck, my mind keeps circling back to that moment in the laundry room, to the way Emma felt close to me, to the look in her eyes that suggested she felt this inexplicable connection, too.
Mine, that primal part of me growls again.Ours.
And this time, I don’t try to silence it. Because for the first time in my life, I’m absolutely certain of something, Emma belongs with us. And I’m going to make damn sure she knows it, whether she’s ready to admit it or not.
As the sirens wail and we speed toward the fire, I can’t help the dangerous smile that spreads across my face. I’ve always loved a challenge, and Emma is the most enticing one I’ve ever encountered. She thinks she’s not looking for an Alpha? Fine. But she’s about todiscover that sometimes what you need finds you, whether you’re looking or not.
And once I decide something is mine, I don’t let go. Ever.
7
ATLAS
Igrip the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary as we head to yet another crisis point. The day has been non-stop. First, the fire caused by the downed power line at the old Miller warehouse. We contained it quickly, but not before it took out electricity to half the town. Then, straight to the main intersection where the traffic lights went dark—directing angry drivers and keeping pedestrians from wandering into danger zones. Now, dispatch is sending us to the other end of town, where some kind of crowd situation is developing during the festival. The police are stretched thin with multiple incidents, so once again, we’re stepping in. My shoulders ache from the tension of the day, but there’s no time to rest. Not yet.
“That woman in the red Subaru was about to run you over, Levi,” River declares from the passenger seat, still buzzing with the restless energy that never seemsto leave him. “I swear she gunned the engine when you turned your back.”
“I noticed,” Levi replies dryly from the back seat. “That’s why I moved.”
“Should’ve written down her license plate,” River continues, drumming his fingers on his thigh. “Could look her up, leave some flaming dog shit on her porch?—”
“We’re not doing that,” I cut in, though the corner of my mouth twitches despite myself. “That’s called arson, and we’re supposed to prevent that, not cause it.”
“Spoilsport,” River grumbles, but I catch his grin in my peripheral vision. “I was thinking of it more as a public service. A little warning to the community about a menace on the roads.”
“Your civic dedication is touching,” Levi deadpans.
“Speaking of touching,” River pivots, and I immediately tense, sensing where this is going, “I had an interesting moment with our guest before we left.”
“Is that what we’re calling the soap explosion?” I ask, trying to divert what I know is coming.
“A minor mishap,” River waves dismissively. “But before that... Atlas, I’m telling you, she’s my scent match.”
I nearly miss the turn onto Main Street, my hands tightening on the wheel. “River?—”
“Don’t,” he snaps, suddenly serious. “You felt it too… I know you did. When you carried her out of that house last night? Your scent changed. You’re usually all toasted sugar, maple, and woodsmoke. She’s vanilla and honey. But together?” He exhales sharply. “You smelled like the perfect toasted marshmallow. Like you blended. I noticed. Levi noticed. Hell, she noticed, too. She’s just too scared to admit it.”
“We barely know her,” I counter, but even to my own ears, it sounds weak.
“You don’t need to know someone to recognize a scent match,” River argues. “That’s the whole point. It’s biological. Primal.” He turns to look at Levi in the back seat. “Back me up here, Mr. Science.”
Levi shifts uncomfortably. “Scent compatibility is a documented phenomenon. The research suggests it relates to genetic diversity and complementary immune systems.”
“See?” River points triumphantly. “Levi agrees with me.”
“I didn’t say I do,” Levi corrects. “I simply stated biological facts.”
“Your scent changed, too, when you shook her hand,” River counters. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that little inhale you did, the way your pupils dilated. Classic Alpha response to a compatible Omega.”
“Are you done with your little biology lesson?” I interject, annoyed at how accurately River has pinpointed what I’ve been trying to ignore.
“Not even close,” River grins, undeterred. “Because here’s my proposal… we ask her to move in with us at the cabin.”
I nearly swerve the truck. “What?”
“In the woods,” he clarifies, as if that was the part I found confusing. “She should move in with us at the cabin. She’s my scent match, almost certainly yours too, and probably Levi’s by the way he’s been pretending not to stare at her all day.”
