Page 9 of Knot For A Moment

Like stepping forward had pushed his scent through the room, it hit me. I didn’t need anything to tell me it was his scent. Itwas. The sharp yet deep sweetness of tobacco and the subtler warmth of vanilla. The combination was intoxicating. Like the best drink you’d ever tasted, and you’d happily drink it until you were blackout drunk and not give a shit about the hangover.

Fuck.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. It’s an honor to be here, and I hope we can continue the incredible success of this company. You might not see me day to day, but my door is open if you need anything. Quickly, I want to address something. Along with me, two members of my pack are also employees of SCB. Asher West,” he nodded to where Asher sat on the other side of the room, his gaze still firmly fixed on me like it was impossible for him to look at anything else. “And Jace McKenna, who will be working as one of your physios. I just wanted to be clear that having pack members in the company will not mean they have special treatment, and I don’t intend for our pack bonds to affect SCB business.”

I stared at him. He was Asher’s packmate. And another scent match. Oh god, I wassofucked.

As I watched, Gabriel’s body stiffened. If you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t notice. But I did. His eyes snapped directly to mine. Both Claire and Dion noticed. But Gabriel didn’t say anything. He just smiled and looked at the rest of the company. “I look forward to an excellent season.”

“I just have one more thing to say.” Mark stepped forward again. “Working with this company has been the greatest honor of my life. You’ll see me around, because I could never stay away from seeing you perform, but each of you has a place in my heart. Thank you.”

Applause erupted, and Ian took center stage. “We’re going to get to know each other quickly during the next few weeks,” he said. “The design staff have been working diligently, and so the sets and costumes are coming along well. You’ll receive emails about when your costume fittings will be.

“Tomorrow we’ll start with choreography. Thank you in advance for the work you’ve agreed to, and the training you’ve been doing.”

When we found out we were doing a fast production ofGiselle, everyone in the company began to brush up. We’d put on Giselle two seasons ago, and bringing it up again was lovely. Still, it would be difficult. I’d learned the role as an understudy, but I hadn’t danced it before.

Ian kept talking about role assignments, but Dion placed his hand over mine where it rested on my leg. He kept his voice low enough only I could hear. “You’re scent-sympathetic with Asher?”

Pressing my lips together, I nodded once.

“And Gabriel?”

Another nod.

He curled his fingers around mine. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

God, I wanted it to be. But I had no idea if Asher would ever forgive me, and I didn’t know what his other packmates thought of me. There was too much up in the air.

“There’s been a bit of a change in the schedule. The performance ofGiselleneeds to be moved up. It will be intense, but I believe we can do it. We’ll be putting up the show with the first cohort a week from tomorrow.”

What?I looked over at Claire and Dion, who had equal looks of shock on their faces. We knew the rehearsal period would be shorter. It was the new temporary contract we’d signed. But a week? That was insane, even with us brushing up and us being familiar with the show.

Ian didn’t seem phased. “Once the show is up and running, we’ll begin work onSwan Lake.” Ian smiled. “For the first bit of my tenure, I want to work on familiar classics while we all learn a new style of working. Roles will be posted. I look forward to working with you. I know it won’t be easy, but you are the best. You’ll rise to the occasion.”

It was short and to the point. People murmured to themselves, and they had every right. It wasn’t what anyone expected. But I had bigger problems. Now that people were moving, I needed to get the hell out of here.

“You have plans, Lo?” Claire asked.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I’m going to have lunch with Petra and then given tomorrow,” I thought about our new reality. “I’m going to brush up on some stuff. I need to go downstairs and grab some shoes so I have some prepped.”

Across the room, Asher and Madame Hubert were conversing. Gabriel was speaking with Mark and Ian.

“I’m going to meet Addison and do the same,” she said. “Need some interference getting out?”

“You don’t think I’m crazy?”

The corners of Claire’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “I might not be a scent match with Addie, but I’ve seen plenty. If it’s meant to work out, it will. But you’re my friend, and you’re my first priority.”

I blew out a breath in relief. “Then, yes. That would be great.”

“Done.”

Hugging Dion briefly, I hefted my bag over my shoulder and waited for Claire to make her move. She stepped into the conversation with Asher and Madam Hubert, and as soon as she held out her hand to him, I bolted. Out the door and around the corner to the stairs and down to the shoe room.

I loved the shoe room. There was something comforting about the rows of shelves crammed with every kind of shoe imaginable—pointe, ballet, character, jazz—and the gentle silence of a room filled with so many soft things.

My heart rate eased, and I breathed in the familiar dusty smell before going down one of the aisles and finding my cubby.

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