Page 38 of Hot Knot Summer
“I don’t stare,” Levi protests weakly.
“You absolutely do,” River shoots back. “Like you’re trying to solve a particularly challenging equation, and she’s the answer.”
Levi falls silent, which is as good as an admission from him.
“You can’t be serious,” I say, though I know he is. River doesn’t joke about pack matters, despite his generally lighthearted approach to life.
“Dead serious,” he confirms. “Look, the cops are swamped. You heard what the chief said tonight. They’ve got their hands full with three separate arson investigations plus that string of break-ins on the east side. They’re not going to resolve Emma’s case anytime soon.”
“So, she stays at the station a bit longer,” I counter. “It’s secure, comfortable enough?—”
“For a few days, sure,” River interrupts. “But we’re talking weeks, maybe months. You want her living in that spare room that long? With volunteers and shift workers coming and going at all hours? Especially when she’s a perfect match for us?”
Fuck, I hate that he has a point, but I’m not ready to concede it.
“She made it pretty clear she’s not interested inAlphas, River.AnyAlphas. Inviting her to live with three of us is hardly going to make her feel safer.”
“She said the same to me,” River admits, surprising me with his honesty. “But she’s afraid. Someone she trusted betrayed her. Of course, she’s wary.”
“All the more reason not to push,” Levi interjects, ever the voice of reason.
“I’m not saying we force her,” River argues, twisting in his seat to look at both of us. “I’m saying we offer a safer alternative. Where is she going to go otherwise when there are no accommodations left in town? At least at the cabin, we’d know she’s protected. I sure as fuck don’t want her at the station unless one of us is there all the time,” he continues, passion bleeding into his voice. “And we can’t guarantee that with our schedules. The cabin is isolated, secure, and we’d always know who’s coming and going.
“Plus,” he adds with a mischievous grin. “I could cook for her. You know my chili is better than whatever slop Hendricks is making tonight.”
“Your chili could be classified as a chemical weapon,” Levi mutters.
“You ate three bowls last time!” River exclaims, indignant.
“And regretted it for days afterward,” Levi replies.
“Lies and slander,” River sniffs.
I shake my head at their familiar bickering, but it doesn’t distract me from the real issue at hand. “We’re getting off topic.”
“Right,” River agrees, sobering. “Emma. Cabin.Protection. Scent match. All good reasons for her to stay with us instead of at the station. Plus, we were talking about taking a bit more time off… What better reason?”
A heavy silence falls in the truck as we consider his words. I hate to admit it, but River’s making sense. The thought of Emma alone at the station with just the volunteers for company unsettles something deep in my Alpha instincts. The thought of her somewhere else, somewhere I can’t be certain of her safety, is even worse.
“He makes a good argument,” Levi says quietly, surprising me. He’s usually the most cautious of us three.
“Hell, yeah, I do,” River says, satisfaction evident in his voice. “This is the most sense I’ve made all year. Mark the date.”
“It’s not a high bar to clear,” Levi deadpans.
“Ouch,” River clutches his chest. “Mr. Precise lands a direct hit. But seriously, Atlas, you know I’m right about this.”
I grind my teeth, thinking through the complications. “And what happens when she realizes we’re not just offering protection? That we’re all... reacting to her?”
“You don’t think she’s noticed already?” River scoffs. “She’s observant. She’s just choosing to ignore it because she’s scared.”
Levi makes a scoffing sound.
“You don’t think an Omega was goingto just be easy, do you?” River challenges. “Omegas are all afraid of us Alphas to some degree, especially if they’ve been hurt before. So, we have to show her she’s safe with us. That we’re angels.”
Levi bursts out laughing, the sound echoing in the confined space of the truck. “We are the farthest thing from angels, and you know it.”
“Then, for her, we try,” River states with such conviction that I find myself glancing over at him. “I mean, what’s more angelic than saving a damsel in distress from her burning tower? You’ve already got that part down, Chief,” River continues. “Levi can be the brainy angel with his calculations and safety protocols. I’ll be the charming, devastatingly handsome angel who makes her laugh and feeds her excellent food that definitely won’t cause intestinal distress, no matter what certain killjoys might claim.”
