Page 4 of Believe it or Knot

“No!” she bursts out. “No, no. Of course not, it’s just…” She waves her hand at me. “You’re Liam Cordova. You have to be used to staying in places a lot nicer than my tiny cabin.”

I glance around the cozy space. “You know I’m an omega, right?” The couch under me groans as I settle more fully against it. “I love tiny cozy spaces. Makes me feel safe.” I give her a little smile. “Having you here makes me feel safe, too.”

Her cheeks flare red as she looks away from me, shaking her head slightly. I don’t know if it’s at me or her own thoughts. “If we didn’t want to be here, Sorrel,” I drawl. “We wouldn’t be. You know that, right?”

Her pretty aqua eyes widen as she considers my words, like it hadn’t occurred to her that although a mishap brought us here, we are happy to stay. More than happy. She’s just so lovely. Why would we want to go anywhere else?

Sorrel glances up at the loft, her teeth in her lip again. This time Rafe reaches out to tug it free. “What’s wrong, conejita?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “I only have one bed.”

I can’t help the grin that spreads over my face. “Perfect. That’s my favorite fucking trope.”

Track 3: Crush

He can’t mean what I think he does. It doesn’t make any sense. There’s no reason Liam Cordova would have any interest in me. None. I’m nothing but a beta from literal buttfuck nowhere.

I shake my head again and force a smile to my lips. “I’ll sleep on the couch. You can take the bed.”

“Absolutely not,” Rafe says, his alpha bristling. “This is your home.”

I swear I hear Liam mutter under his breath, “for now” but can’t concentrate because Rafe has his fingers on my chin making me look at him, and I feel a little lightheaded and giddy as he bends toward me until our noses brush. Dark brown eyes pierce me, pin me in place. “You’ll sleep in your own goddamn bed. And we’ll sleep with you.”

Dazed and dazzled, I nod, agreeing before I even have the chance to really argue. “Good girl,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against mine, barely a brush, barely a kiss, but it’s enough to make my knees go weak.

Rafe Cordova just freaking kissed me. Sort of.

That’s… crazy. Absolutely fucking bonkers.

I have the sudden urge to grab my phone and bury myself under blankets and call Sadie and Sylvie and ask them if this is a normal reaction to a half kiss. Probably an accidental kiss.

He steps away from me, leaving me blinking after him and wondering what the hell just happened, because Rafe Cordova didn’t just almost kiss me. See: the reasons why Liam Cordova doesn’t actually want to sleep with me.

They’re just trying to be polite. Giving me what they think I want. Maybe they’re this way with all the fans they come across, or something.

But little do they know they’re dealing with the queen of polite. I’ll humor them for now, but when it comes time to actually go to bed, I’ll politely tell them I’m more comfortable sleeping on the couch. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just wait them out.

Thankfully, I don’t have to continue the argument because there’s a knock on my door at that very moment. I start toward it, knowing that it’s likely Tommy with my food and I have the very faintest hint of embarrassment that they’re going to see that I ordered two large pizzas and a chocolate chip cookie pizza for myself.

Though I suppose it’s a good thing, because apparently I’m going to be feeding the two of them, and the only things I have in my fridge are expired condiments and some moldy cheese. Not exactly the gourmet meal the Cordova pack is used to eating.

I’m halfway to the door when Rafe curls his hand around my elbow and pulls me back. “I’ll answer it.”

I open my mouth to argue, because well it’s my house. Also, Tommy is a high school kid, likely a beta, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be terrified of the menacing alpha, but Liam wraps an arm around my waist and guides me over to the couch. “Better just let him do it. It’s his protective alpha instincts.”

“Oh, right,” I say, letting the omega tug me onto the center cushion of the couch. It makes sense. Rafe is Liam’s alpha and his bodyguard. He’d want to verify that there is no threat to his omega.

The front door opens and I hear Tommy’s startled yelp. Liam picks up a blanket and drapes it over both of us before he grabs the remote and flicks on the TV, right to the screen that has his movie pulled up. The one I was watching when he knocked on my door.

My cheeks heat, but I don’t comment since I can hear Tommy spluttering out, “Is Sorrel here? Is she okay?”

A warm spot blooms in my chest. I used to babysit him when I was in high school to make extra cash, back when I thought I’d have a bigger life than the Snack Shack and I was saving up for college.

“She’s fine,” Rafe grumbles at the same time I call out, “I’m fine, Tommy.”

I look over my shoulder to the door in time to see him lean around Rafe’s considerable bulk. His shoulders relax somewhat when he sees me, but then his eyes widen and he goes tense again. “Is that…”

Next to me, Liam gives a little wiggle of his fingers. “Hey, there.”

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