Page 97 of Hot Knot Summer
The scent hits us the moment we enter, sweet vanilla and honey, intensified tenfold and laced with distress pheromones that trigger every protective instinct I possess. River actually growls beside me, the sound low and primal in his throat.
“Emma?” I call out, already moving through the main living area, following the concentrated trail of her scent.
A faint whimper answers me, coming from the direction of River’s room. We cross the space in long strides, pushing open the door to find her curled on his bed.
The sight has me pausing. Emma lies naked and shivering despite the obvious fever flushing her skin, her face streaked with tears, her body curled protectively around itself. The sheets beneath her are soaked with sweat and slick, evidence of how long she’s been suffering alone. My heart shudders.
“Emma,” I breathe, moving to her side immediately.
Her eyes flutter open, glassy with fever but focusing on me with visible effort. “You came back,” she whispers, her voice cracked and raw. “I called... no one answered...”
“We’re here now,” I assure her, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. Her skin burns against my palm, the fever dangerously high. “We’re so sorry, sweetheart. There’s no excuse for making you suffer.”
“Had our phones in the truck,” River adds, kneeling beside the bed, taking one of her hands in his. “Couldn’t hear them ring.”
“We came as soon as we got your messages,” Levi completes. “How long have you been like this?”
“Feel like forever,” she manages, another shiver wracking her frame despite the heat pouring off her skin. “It hit so fast... never been this bad before...”
My jaw clenches at the thought of her sufferingalone for hours while we were unreachable. “We need to get her temperature down,” I say, making the decision quickly. “She’s burning up.”
“Cool shower. I’ll get it started,” Levi agrees, already moving toward the bathroom.
“Can you stand, sugar cube?” River asks gently, his nickname for her softer than I’ve ever heard from him.
Emma tries to sit up, only to collapse back with a whimper of pain. “Hurts,” she whispers. “Everything does. I just need you three.”
“We’re here now. Let’s cool you down, then we are yours for however long you need us. We’re not going anywhere.” Without hesitation, I gather her into my arms, lifting her effortlessly against my chest. She feels smaller than she should, fragile in a way that contradicts the fierce, independent woman I’ve come to know. Her arms loop weakly around my neck, her face pressing into my shoulder as if seeking comfort in my scent.
“I’ve got you,” I murmur, carrying her toward the bathroom where Levi has the shower running. “We’ve got you now.”
River follows close behind, already stripping off his clothes, ready for what needs to happen next. Levi tests the water temperature with his hand, adjusting it to lukewarm—cool enough to bring down her fever but not so cold as to shock her system.
“All of you,” Emma mumbles against my neck, her words slurring slightly with fever. “Need all of you.”
“You have us,” I assure her, setting her carefully onher feet but keeping an arm around her waist to support her. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Levi is already undressing. His eyes are glossing over. The heat from Omegas impacts Alphas just as much, putting them into a wild, feral state with the urgency to rut, to knot. But beneath it all also comes with care, helping an Omega in distress.OurOmega.
I keep one arm around Emma while removing my own clothes with my free hand, not willing to let her go even for a moment. She sways against me, weak from fighting the heat alone. That thought is torture to know she suffered.
Once we’re all naked, I guide her under the spray, stepping in behind her while River and Levi join us. Our shower is oversized, designed to accommodate multiple people.
The water sluices over her feverish skin, drawing a gasp from her lips that transforms into a moan of relief. We surround her, our hands moving over her in gentle, soothing patterns, helping the water cool her overheated body.
“I tried to call,” she whispers again, breathing heavily, holding onto us, her voice stronger now as the water cools her down somewhat. “No one answered. I even called the station.”
“Claire answered?” Levi asks, his clever fingers massaging shampoo into her hair, careful to keep the suds from her eyes.
Emma nods weakly, then breaks out into a moan, her body shuddering. She grasps more for Levi andRiver, drawing them closer. I press up against her back, my cock already painfully hard from her ass, her against me, her perfume drowning me.
“We’re here,” River purrs, his hands sliding soap across her shoulders, down her chest, and cupping her breasts. “You’re so fucking beautiful..”
Her eyes flutter closed as our hands work over her gorgeous, soft body, washing away the hours of suffering, replacing pain with something gentler, slower, barely contained tenderness beneath the heat.
“Emma,” Levi murmurs. “How are you feeling now?”
She leans into him, her cheek pressed to his chest, and for a moment, I think she’s too far gone to answer.
