Page 119 of Knot Their Soldier: Part One
And definitely not think about that sinful tongue ring.
I shift my attention away from my own wandering fantasies and expand my awareness to the world around me, creating a distance from my turbulent emotions.
Rays of orange streak through the gaps in the canopy, and the pillowy clouds passing overhead are tinged a soft pink. Sunset is not far off, and the temperature has begun to drop. My skin is still damp with sweat and my inner thighs sticky from my arousal, the cooling air prickling like icy needles.
Once I feel like the lapping waves of my feelings are contained, I roll my shoulders back in determination.
I scurry after the retreating Beta Specialist, the rocks under my boots slipping and scattering down the steep incline, heralding my arrival.
“Shade,” I call, following his shadow as it delves deeper into the darkening forest. He doesn’t slow down, if anything he speeds up.
I huff in annoyance and shout, “What is this? Dine and dash? Quit running from me.”
He halts, and I can’t stop my momentum fast enough. I careen into him, my cheek smacking into his bare back. I don’t allow my inner Omega to take control, cause she’s itching to scent mark all of his exposed tanned skin with her cheek.
“Dine and dash?” He spins and looks down at me with incredulity and amusement. “Really?”
I shrug as he helps me steady myself on the uneven hillside. The moment I have my footing again, he takes a step back and crosses his arms.
“It’s almost dark. You need to get back to camp, Omega Sparks.”
I blink twice.
Omega Sparks?
What happened to baby girl?
“What do you want?”
‘For you to tell me the truth and put that wicked tongue back where it belongs—my aching pussy,’is what I want to say. Instead, I take a steadying breath.
“Seriously, you need to go back to camp. I have some things to finish up out here, but our Prime Alpha wanted you back before dark.” His eastern accent is obvious now that I know to look for it. The way his vowels are clipped and his sentences abruptly end gives his speech a unique rhythm.
And there it is. That constant need to obey or be obeyed. I straighten my spine and ask the question I should have asked weeks ago and not stopped asking until they gave me an answer.
“I want you to tell me about the results of the O-space experiment.” I try to sound strong, but a quiver of desperation slips into my tone.
“Halley,” Shade sighs and looks at the sky. “I can’t.”
“Why not? I don’t understand how it went from us figuring it out together, as a team, to me being frozen out.”
He runs a hand over his face.
I press harder. “Did I do something wrong?”
He whips his hand from his face to look at me.
“No, Halley. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not your fault.”
“Please, Shade, you’ve got to give me something. Anything. I’m going mad dealing with this on my own.”
I see the conflict in his eyes. He wants to tell me.
“I can’t, Halley. If Knox found out…” he trails off and looks down at his feet. I can see his mind spinning, thinking of a way out of the conversation. He looks back up, his eyes pleading with me. “Just trust me, please, it’s for your own good.”
I’m done trusting others to know what’s for my own good.
“You must have a theory. I know you do. Can’t we just hypothetically discuss possibilities?” I implore, desperate to glean anything from this frustrating man.
