Page 3 of The Twelve Knots of Christmas
CHAPTER TWO - Balthazar
When Stan radioed for a sled to bring in a fir from sector eighteen, I jumped right on it. We had extra staff to do this sort of work during the holiday season, but I preferred to be out among the trees rather than stuck in the barn. Today was too fucking pretty to waste inside.
I’d given the snow machine a little more gas than I would closer to the barns. The wind whipped at me, and I reveled in the sting of the cold on my nose. No one ever walked this far out for a tree, so I wasn’t worried about customers on the road.
Until I saw her.
She’d covered her face as she was blasted by a twisting swirl of snow. A white beanie covered her caramel colored hair, and her long coat hugged her hips just right. She stood in the snow which was nearly up to her knees. If something about her didn’t scream woman, I might have thought she was a kid with how short she was.
Beside her, a dog with a dark fawn coat and a black mask sat straight and alert. Its eyes locked on me before it leaned closer to the girl.
I managed to pull to a stop without kicking up any snow and switched off the engine. She wasn’t carrying a flag to mark a tree nor was she decked out in any holiday attire like most folks that came out in December. Who was this girl?
“Hey, you good? Are you lost?”
She dropped her hands from her face, and my world flipped on its head. Fuck, her shining amber eyes, her pouty full lips, and snow sprinkled rosy cheeks. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
Stepping backward, a pine bough brushed against her back as she tightened her hold on the dog’s leash with both hands. “I’m fine.”
The dog hadn’t barked or growled, but its stance told me it was in full protective mode. Good thing too, because the way the girl nipped her lower lip and ran her gaze over me had me harder than hickory.
“Where are you headed? I can give you a ride.” I patted the seat behind me, already imagining her sweet little body pressed up against me.
“No, it’s okay. I like to walk.” She swallowed hard, her breaths coming quicker.
Not afraid of a little cold weather. A girl after my own heart. I turned, leaning on one knee, and the wind swept up just right for me to catch her scent. Rich creamy vanilla with the hint of something spicy.
The delicious sensation went right to my dick.
Omega.
My Omega.
Oh fuck. What the hell was that? I straightened and turned my head, as if that could clear her alluring scent from my nose. Every one of my senses switched to hyper-aware. The world around me was clearer, more present, than it had ever been before, and at the center of it all was her.
I suppressed a growl and the urge to pull her to me and claim her as mine. It came on me so fast and savage, I had to bite the side of my tongue to yank myself out of it. I didn’t know if she was claimed or not. Plus, it was an unwritten rule of the farm not to pick up customers. This was our home and place of business. We treated it and our customers with respect. If any of us in the pack wanted a little fun, we went into town to look for it.
Yet I couldn’t stop myself.
“I’m Balthazar Cole. My family owns and operates the farm.” I didn’t hold out my hand for her to shake as I would anyone else I introduced myself to. Not just because an Alpha shouldn’t touch an unescorted Omega, but because I knew if I did, I might not let go.
Wait. She was unescorted. Did that mean she was not claimed?
Her eyes widened slightly before she wet her lips. “Mariska Belmont. And this,” she said as she patted her dog. “This is Artemis. My loyal escort.”
Mariska.The name was magic, and it suited the Omega who would name her dog after a goddess. I breathed in her scent again and smelled no Alpha’s mark on her. Fuck, she was unclaimed. “Nice to meet you both.”
Artemis continued to keep me pinned on the snow machine with her intense gaze. She’d been introduced in a way that said she’d tear me to pieces if Mariska gave her the command. Artemis was no doubt a smart one. My mom had a pair of Saint Bernards, and while they were gentle and loving, they weren’t bright. They slobbered on family and strangers equally.
“I should let you be on your way.” Mariska’s voice sounded a bit strained. She had to be feeling it too. No way could she not breathe in my scent and know we weren’t compatible.
“I wouldn’t feel right leaving you out here on your own. It’s easy to get lost. Where are you headed?” I could barely think beyond the fact she was not only unescorted but unclaimed.
Mariska bristled, lifting her chin. Fire flickered in her gorgeous eyes. “I have an excellent sense of direction, so it won’t be any trouble for me at all. We’re meeting our friends at the Fraser Fir section.”
Oh yeah. No docile Omega was this one. I had to shift a little on the seat as my erection twitched. “Sector eighteen. Right where I’m going. Hop on.”
“No, I can walk. I won’t get lost if I follow the tracks you leave.”
