Page 71 of Hot Knot Summer
I blink at him, surprised by the force in his voice.
“I know,” River adds, “that you have the best laugh I’ve ever heard. And that you’re smart enough to keep up with Levi’s nerd talk, which is frankly impressive.”
“And I know,” Levi says quietly. “That your scent is the most perfectly balanced combination of components I’ve ever encountered. The precise ratio of honey to vanilla to paper creates an olfactory harmony that’s mathematically elegant. You’re perfect.”
I stare at them, speechless. They all seem so sincere, so earnest in their defense of me. It would be easier if they were just being polite, offering empty reassurances. This genuine belief in me is harder to dismiss, harder to protect myself against.
“God,” I say, forcing a laugh that sounds brittle, even to my own ears. “You must think I’m such a loser. See? Told you, Atlas. Something’s wrong with me that everyone eventually sees.” I shove the last of my s’moreinto my mouth, needing something to do. It’s sweet and delicious.
“Emma—” Atlas begins.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” River interrupts, leaning forward intently.
“Those Alphas were the problem,” Levi states. “Not you.”
Atlas shifts beside me, moving closer, but I can’t handle whatever comfort he’s about to offer. Not when my heart is hammering so painfully against my ribs, not when I feel like I might shatter if anyone speaks too loudly.
“It’s okay,” I say quickly, cutting them off before they can continue with their well-intentioned reassurances. “You don’t need to say anything. I’m saving you all from me, from future yous feeling like you’re stuck with me.”
My face burns with humiliation. Why did I say all that? Why did I lay myself bare to three men I barely know, men who’ve shown me nothing but kindness and are now witnessing me at my most pathetic?
“Anyway,” I say, standing abruptly, “I just need some fresh air.”
I set my empty mug on the small table and head for the balcony door, desperate to escape the weight of their gazes. The night air hits me like a blessing, cool against my flushed skin. I move to the darkest part of the wraparound balcony, where the shadows are thickest, and lean against the railing.
Behind me, I can hear the murmur of male voices,too low to make out words. Probably discussing what a disaster I am and how they can politely ask me to find other accommodation now that they’ve seen the emotional wreckage beneath my attempts at normalcy.
Great job, Emma. You couldn’t hold it back just a bit longer while stuck in this town?I scrub a hand across my eyes, angry at the wetness I find there. And the pity is, I really like it here. The tower, the town, and yes, the three men who are growing on me in ways that terrify me to my core.
Which is dangerous. So dangerous. The path to getting hurt again is paved with thoughts exactly like these.
I stare out at the dark forest stretching before me. In the distance, a wolf howls, the sound echoed by others further away. It’s haunting and beautiful and somehow perfectly matches the ache in my chest.
A floorboard creaks behind me, and I stiffen, quickly wiping my eyes. Be cool, Emma. Remember what Jason said—Alphas don’t like emotional Omegas. Too needy. Too much work.
I hear my grandmother’s voice in my head, gentle but firm as always. “A true Alpha will want all sides of you, firefly. The laughter and the tears, the strength and the vulnerability. Don’t settle for less.”
Well, I clearly haven’t met those Alphas in my past.
I turn, expecting to find all three, but it’s only Atlas. Through the glass walls of the tower, I can see theliving area is empty now. Levi and River must have gone downstairs.
Atlas joins me at the railing, standing close but not touching, his gaze fixed on the forest below us. He says nothing for a long moment, and surprisingly, the silence isn’t uncomfortable. The breeze ruffles his dark hair, carrying the scent of pine and something wilder from the woods.
“Did you know,” he finally says, voice low and steady, “that there are three wolf packs living in these woods? In winter, when food is scarce, they sometimes come quite close to town. We’ve had to scare them away a few times.”
I appreciate the neutral topic, the chance to gather myself. “Are they dangerous?”
“Not usually to humans. They’re more interested in easier prey. But they’re territorial with each other. Each pack has its own section of the forest, and they defend their boundaries fiercely.” He points to the north. “The largest pack lives that way, near the ridge line. Sometimes at night, you can hear them calling to each other.”
As if on cue, another howl rises from the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine.
“They mate for life, you know,” he continues, still not looking at me. “Once they choose, that’s it. Even if something happens to their mate, some never choose another.”
I’m not sure why he’s telling me this, but I find myself oddly captivated by the low rumbleof his voice, the way it seems to blend with the night sounds around us.
He turns to face me. “It’s okay to be scared if you’ve been hurt.”
The abrupt shift in topic catches me off guard.
