Page 39 of Hot Knot Summer
He shoots a pointed look at Levi, who rolls his eyes but doesn’t hide his smile.
“You’ve already named yourself the handsome one? That’s a bit presumptuous,” Levi remarks.
“I didn’t hear you volunteering for the position,” River shoots back. “Besides, we all know you’re the brainy one with those intense eyes and that whole ‘I could dismantle and rebuild this entire truck while explaining fluid dynamics’ vibeyou’ve got going on.”
“I don’t have a vibe,” Levi protests.
“You absolutely do,” River insists. “A very specific, very strong vibe that some people find extremely appealing.Right, Atlas?”
“Leave me out of this,” I mutter, but I can’t help the amusement that creeps into my voice. These two idiots are my pack, my family, and despite the seriousness of the situation, they still manage to make me feel lighter.
“The point,” I redirect, “is that we need to consider Emma’s feelings in all this. Not just our own instincts or preferences.”
“Absolutely,” River agrees, too quickly. “Her comfort, her safety, her happiness… all priorities.”
I eye him suspiciously. “You’re being very accommodating.”
“That’s me,” River murmurs innocently. “Just ask that family we rescued from the mudslide last spring. I carried their Yorkie five miles while telling it bedtime stories.”
“You told that dog dirty jokes,” Levi corrects. “I heard you.”
“It was an adult dog,” River shrugs. “And it laughed.”
“It was whimpering in terror,” Levi sighs.
“Agree to disagree,” River waves dismissively. “The point is, I can be sensitive to others’ needs. And Emma needs us, whether she’s ready to admit it or not.”
I’ve known River for years, seen him through countless fires, pack formation, the worst and best of times. He’s always been passionate, but there’s something different in his voice now—a certainty, a determination I’ve rarely heard from him.
“You’re serious about this,” I say quietly, realizationdawning. “This isn’t just about protection for you.”
River meets my gaze steadily, no trace of his usual flippant manner. “No, it’s not. There’s something about her, Atlas. Something that calls to me. To all of us, if you’d just admit it.”
I focus back on the road, unwilling to confirm or deny his assertion, but the truth is, he’s right. From the moment I sat next to Emma on the plane, something clicked into place, a recognition that went beyond simple attraction or protective instinct. I just hadn’t expected River to feel it so strongly, too. Or to act on it so quickly.
“Even if I agreed,” I say carefully. “How would we approach this? We can’t just say,‘Hey, come live with three Alphas you barely know in an isolated cabin in the woods’.That sounds like the setup for a horror movie, not a safety plan.”
“Or the beginning of a very different kind of movie,” River suggests with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“River,” I warn.
“Sorry, sorry,” he backpedals, though he doesn’t look sorry at all. “It doesn’t have to be creepy. We just present it as a practical solution. Better security, more comfortable living arrangements, home-cooked meals… who could resist?”
“We tell her it’s a temporary situation,” Levi suggests, always thinking three steps ahead. “Until we can find her alternative accommodation that’s secure. Frame it as practical, not personal.”
“Exactly!” River points at Levi triumphantly.
“We’d need to set boundaries,” I continue, finding myself oddly engaged with the logistics now that we’re discussing it as a real possibility. “Clear rules. Her own space that’s completely private.”
“The east bedroom has that small sitting area attached. It would be perfect, like a mini-suite. We could clear our stuff out of there in an hour.”
I shoot him a suspicious look. “You’ve thought about this in detail already, haven’t you?”
“Maybe,” he admits with a shameless grin. “What can I say? I’m a planner.”
“Since when?” Levi snorts.
“Since about six hours ago,” River replies cheerfully. “I think fast. Especially when beautiful Omegas with book scents and honey eyes are involved.”
