Page 73 of Knot Her Cowboys
“Never too busy for you, honey bun. What’s up?”
“Could we have a cuddle inside?” She steadfastly refused to look at me. “I feel steadier, but not steady enough to just go about my day, you know?”
“If you think I’m ever going to say no to a cuddle sesh, you’re out of your mind. You go on inside and I’ll get someone to cover the front desk for a bit.”
Her cheeks were a beautiful pink when I stepped away and she glanced over her shoulder to Dakota. “Can you come too?”
She might as well have handed him a winning lottery ticket with how big his smile got at her request. “I definitely can. I don’t have a therapy session booked until this evening.”
I sent the two of them into the big house and snagged one of our young staffers to take over for me. With that handled, I booked it straight inside. Riley was already curled up in my bed with Dakota at her back.
“You think you’re ever going to sleep inyourroom?” I asked playfully.
“That room doesn’t smell like you.”
I tried not to feeltoosmug about her wanting to sleep wrapped up in my scent, but I failed miserably. I stripped off my outer layers and rocket-launched myself onto the bed, making her laugh as I landed next to them.
Her purr started up as I cocooned her between Dakota and me.
“Is my omega happy?”
“What gave you that idea?” she said with a sweet laugh.
“It’s a mystery,” I replied. “You’re so subtle.”
She tucked deeper beneath the blankets, her purr a barely disguised roar. Dakota trailed his fingertips over the Riley lump, looking like he had no idea what he had done to deserve her. Ididn’t know what I had done either, but I was just happy she was here. It would’ve been so easy for her to panic and flee, and I’d have gone with her. The fact that she was remotely willing to trust us to protect her was kind of humbling. I hadn’t been able to do much for her growing up. My parents had always been willing to offer a safe space, but she’d always stuck with Cooper, and he was never allowed to take advantage of my parents’ generosity without getting his ass handed to him for skipping chores.
Now it was a different story. I was a grown man with a home of my own, a pack I loved, and a mate I was willing to commit various crimes for. If I had to take Darlene Fletcher into the woods to free Riley from her, I was willing to do that to protect my pack.
Cooper’s family, excluding Morgan—’cause she was the best—had the good sense to fuck off most of the time so Cooper actually got a modicum of peace, but Riley’s family had never been that accommodating. If it came down to it, we’d move to protect her. Hopefully that wasn’t what happened, but I was ready for the possibility.
“She’s so cute,” Dakota whispered.
“I can still hear you,” Riley piped up from beneath the blankets.
“You don’t want to hear that you’re cute?” Dakota asked.
Her head popped out. “It’s already weirding me out how much of a squishy baby being around you guys is making me. I wasnotlike this with my last alphas.”
“Did you feel safe with them, though?” I asked.
“Mostly. Bryan was a lot more indulgent with this kind of stuff than Bruce was. He didn’t mind when I needed to be cozy and comforted. Bruce preferred when I was a ‘proper’ adult.”
“Kind of fucked up he doesn’t think proper adults ever need coziness or comfort,” Dakota said. “It’s not a need that disappears with childhood. We just learn to suppress it.”
“Bruce had a stick up his ass about a lot of things. He was thoughtful when he wanted to be, and free with his money, but Bryan definitely took on the lion’s share of the emotional care. I don’t think Oskar and Karl would’ve been very good at that part. Pretty sure they would’ve been the German versions of Bruce.” She rotated, tugging me closer and wedging her head beneath Dakota’s chin. “This is much better.”
“I’m glad you think so, honey bun.”
She deserved some emotionally competent partners. Cooper might be a little more neurotic than was ideal, but she had always been good about balancing that in him. He loved her a whole fucking lot, and the rest of us were a lot more chill comparatively. Riley wouldn’t be wanting for affection in our pack.
“How long do you think it’ll take Cooper to stop running away?”
“Who the fuck knows? If I need to, I’ll lasso his ass so he can’t get far. He works through things in his own time, but we won’t let it go on forever.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Dakota promised. “If I get him up on horseback, he tends to open up easier.”
“Thank you,” Riley murmured. “I know I’m a wrench thrown into everyone’s lives and you don’t have to do these nice things for me, but I appreciate it.”
