Page 5 of Knot For Keeps

“Well it’s just your luck you ended up messaging the omega who would distract you with gore-filled true crime, your productivity will never be the same!”

Was he only talking to me? I had been thinking about that an increasing amount. He never mentioned talking to others, and he seemed so busy I doubted he had time for anyone else, but I still wanted to know. Usually it was omegas who spoke to multiple packs, although it was generally all pack members, rather than packs talking to multiple omegas or a singular pack member talking to an omega.

“I’m not complaining,” he said warmly; I liked the tone of his voice a little too much.

“I can’t say I’m complaining either. Did you try that cheese popcorn yet?” I asked. I’d told him about the best brand they stocked at the Haven which I adored, and insisted he try it during our last video call. He had messaged me earlier in the day to say he had grabbed some from the grocery store and would try it that night while on camera because he wanted me to see his reaction.

“No! I said I would wait, let me go grab it. I left it in the kitchen.” He stood up, and I took a moment to appreciate the lean muscles of his torso and arms. The dark grey T-shirt he was wearing was tight, and moulded to every muscle, making it easy for me to salivate over.

I shook myself out of the haze. “You know if you don’t love it, I’ll have to block you and never speak with you again!” I called as he retreated.

“That’s rich coming from the woman who hates orange soda!” he called as he left the camera’s view.

“It’s too citrusy!” I told him loudly as he stepped away, leaving me with a view of the sofa and windows while he made his way to the kitchen. I doubted he’d heard me, but we’d had the orange soda discussion several times before. In the past I tried to crane my neck and see any identifying details as to Archer’s home, but unfortunately his space, while well curated and masculine, was pretty nondescript.

Popping a few gummy bears in my mouth, I pulled out my cell phone and started scrolling through my notifications. There was an app where all the girls in the Haven tended to share pictures, and Fawn had uploaded a picture of her latest expensive bag. That omega had a closet that probably cost more than a mansion but it brought her great joy, so who was I to judge?

Another girl, Dalia, had posted about meeting a pack. My stomach flip flopped. I had subtly asked Archer once about meeting but he had just said his pack was drowning in work right now.

I wasn’t daft. We had been talking for months, yet there wasn’t even a hint of a meeting on the horizon. He had told me a few details about his packmates, their jobs and funny stories—like when Theo accidentally let a feral cat loose in their pack house and then they had to spend days trying to catch the grumpy baby.

Why would Archer tell me all these things if he had no intention of ever meeting me? Perhaps he was just taking my lead? I had made it clear early on that I liked to take my time, but several months in, it would have been nice to actually have spoken to or seen one of his packmates on a video chat, let alone discuss the possibility of meeting one day in the future. They would have paid a lot to join the Haven for the ability to talk to and court omegas, so why weren’t they eager to meet?

I didn’t want to rock the boat, though. I was enjoying what we had now, and I’d do everything to avoid endangering that. I looked forward to our chats more than anything, they were practically the highlight of my week.

A muffled, off screen conversation caught my attention, pulling me away from my phone. ‘Was Archer talking with someone else? I didn’t think so, even though I couldn’t distinguish what either person was saying neither of them sounded like Archer, I knew the tone of his voice pretty well.

Minutes passed, and the muffled voices continued. I felt rude, listening in, even if I couldn’t understand a single word they were saying. After another minute of weighing my options, I decided to say something.

“Arch?” I called out. The mumbling in the background stopped abruptly at that. A large man stumbled onto the screen, throwing himself gracefully into Archer’s vacated chair, glaring at me. His blond hair was cropped short, he wore a dark grey shirt with the top button open and slacks. He was even larger than Archer, which I struggled to comprehend. Even in my startled state, I noticed that he was beautiful, in the handsome rugged way.

Heat pooled in my stomach for a brief moment and I thought about what it would be like to kiss under such a sharp jaw.

“Who are you?” he demanded with a growl. I froze, the anger in his voice enough to raise my heart rate. This was one of Archer’s packmates, I recognised him from the profile photo. I think he has said this was Gage.

“Uh, Lavender?” I said my name like it was a question. “I was just chatting with Archer; but he went to fetch snacks. Sorry, if he’s busy with other things I’ll just log—”

“What did you hear?” he barked, glaring at me. Even through a screen, he was intimidating. Power oozed out of the man’s every pore. His eyes were hard and I couldn't look at him for too long without feeling that instinctual panic a prey animal experienced when faced with a predator.

I flushed, scared, but something in me also bristled at his tone. “N-Nothing! You’re being quite rude.” I stumbled over the words, my indignation the only reason I could get them out in the first place. That, and the fact I was safe behind a computer screen. In person I would have most likely cowered: damn omega biology.

“Tell me!” he barked again. The hair on my arms stood up and any courage I had failed me. My heart rate skyrocketed as tears welled up. With shaking hands I quickly tapped on the screen, ending the conversation.

I took a few deep, gasping breaths, running my hands through my hair making it undoubtedly messier. Yes he was desirable, but a lot of alphas were, and that didn’t give them the right to act like brutish assholes towards anyone. I couldn’t even think of a time an alpha had spoken to me so angrily, occasionally there were snide comments and insinuated insults, but never outright anger. The guards would toss an alpha out on his ass if he ever spoke to us like that.

Gage was the head of Pack Rowe and he definitely fit the archetype of bossy, angry leader. Just the sheer power of his voice had me shaking like a leaf even though I was safe in my nest.

I knew there were questionable alphas out there; I wasn’t naïve. Only a few weeks prior Sage had stayed with me briefly at the Haven after she had escaped from some bad alphas, seeking sanctuary with us until they could reunite her with her own pack. Stowing my laptop away, I took several deep breaths. A hot bath, some fresh pyjamas, and my nest would calm me down.

* * *

I couldn’t sleep.

My skin itched with restlessness as I tossed and turned. The alpha’s face was stuck in my mind, his strong bone structure, slicked back blonde hair cropped in almost a military style. His eyes had been the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen.

Why couldn’t I get him out of my mind? It had only been an hour or so since the disastrous call, but this unsettling sensation felt like it wasn’t going away anytime soon. He looked so much more imposing on camera then he had in the singular, humorous photo I had seen on their profile.

Even in my brief moment of panic I had noticed the defined muscles in his arms and neck. His neck was muscular, for god's sake. Archer was adorable, and I knew I was highly attracted to him both emotionally and physically. But Gage, with that low gravelly voice.Fuck. He had such a presence of power and, frankly, was a grumpy asshole. I was calling it, he was a Leo.

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