Page 47 of Knot Your Sugar

"Most newcomers don’t stumble upon it right away." He sits beside me, close enough that I can feel the reassuring warmth radiating from his arm. "Locals tend to keep their favorite spots a bit… guarded. It usually takes about five years of good behavior before they start sharing therealgoods."

"And I qualify for an early reveal after only three?" I tease, looking up at him.

His smile is soft, private, and it makes my heart do a silly, fluttery dance again. "Let's just say you’re… special, Elena. And since you looked so contemplative earlier, this seemed like the perfect spot."

We sit in a gentle hush for a while, the only sounds the gentle lapping of water against the dock and the distant chirp of crickets tuning up for their evening performance. The sun, beginning its slow descent, paints the water with shifting patterns of light. It’s incredibly peaceful.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Cole asks softly, his voice pulling me from my reverie. His shoulder brushes mine, a casual contact that feels anything but.

"Just… processing today," I admit, leaning back against the bench, letting our shoulders maintain contact. "It was a rollercoaster. And that feedback session with Dorian? Intense doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Good intense, or ‘I need to go home and bake my feelings into a chocolate cake’ intense?" he asks, his eyes kind.

"Revealing intense," I say, turning to look at him, feeling a sudden urge to share the jumble of emotions churning inside me. "Dorian said something… about being fearlessly myself in my baking. And it just… it got me thinking."

Cole’s hand, large and warm, finds mine where it rests on the bench between us. His thumb begins to trace slow, soothing circles on my palm, and the simple, unexpected touch sends a wave of warmth through me. "Thinking about what?"

"About how I’ve spent so long being afraid," I confess, the words tumbling out. It feels safe to say them here, with him. "Afraid of what people would think, afraid of failing, afraid of losing my independence if I let anyone get too close. So I’ve been… hiding. Playing it small. Not just in my baking, but… well, in pretty much everything." I take a shaky breath, the admission hanging in the still air. "Which definitely includes my love life. Making connections… particularly with alphas."

His fingers still their gentle movement on my skin for a heartbeat. "What do you mean?" His voice is soft, encouraging.

"I used to think that being with an alpha, or a pack for that matter, meant losing a part of myself. I’ve been courted by both, even as a beta, and it always felt like I’d have to shrink to fit. To become… less." I meet his steady, unwavering gaze. "But I’m starting to seriously doubt that theory."

And I mean it. Being with him… with James, even Dorian… None of them make me feel smaller. If anything, they’re showing me different pieces of who I could be if I’d just stop being so damn afraid.

Cole’s free hand comes up, his calloused fingertips impossibly gentle as they cup my cheek, tilting my face toward his. "Elena…" The way he says my name… I lean into his touch, letting myself be vulnerable in a way that would have sent me running for the hills just a week ago.

"I’m scared," I whisper, the admission a raw ache in my chest, but also a strange sort of relief.

"Of what?" he murmurs, his thumb stroking softly along my cheekbone, his eyes searching mine.

"Of… of wanting this," I confess, my voice barely audible. "Of finally discovering that maybe, I don’t have to choose between my independence and having… connection. Real connection.

His thumb brushes my lower lip, a feather-light touch that makes my breath catch in my throat. "You don’t have to figure it all out today, you know," he says, his voice a low, husky rumble.

"No," I agree, my voice equally breathless. "But I think… I think I’m finally ready to stop running away from possibilities."

He leans in then, slowly, deliberately, giving me every opportunity to pull away, to stop him.

I don’t.

When his lips meet mine, it’s deep, intentional… a slow-burning kiss that speaks of promise, of understanding, of desire. There’s heat, god yes, but it’s not the kind that scorches. It’s steady. Grounding. A warmth that reaches all the way in and says: you’re safe here.

It’s… perfect.

His hand slides into my hair, fingers threading gently as he tilts my head to deepen the kiss. I sink into him. Into the quiet strength of his body, into this moment of breathtaking clarity by the hidden pond, painted in the first strokes of sunset. When we finally, reluctantly pull apart, we’re both a little breathless.

"I should probably get you home," he murmurs, his lips still brushing mine. "Before I completely forget I have responsibilities."

"Responsibilities are highly overrated," I tease, my voice still husky, but I let him help me to my feet—even as my legs wobble like over-proofed dough.

The walk back to my apartment building is different. The air is now filled with a new, vibrant energy, a palpable sense of possibility that hums between us.

At my building’s entrance, Cole turns to me. Before I can find the words to say anything, he kisses me again. Just once. Soft, sweet, and so full of tender promise it makes my heart take flight.

"See you tomorrow?" His eyes search mine, a hopeful smile playing on his lips.

"Tomorrow," I confirm, my voice barely a whisper, but my smile says everything else.

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