Page 26 of Knot Your Romeo

“I don’t want to bother you,” I say quietly, still wondering why I came.

“You’re not bothering me.” His smile is warm and genuine. “And the beautiful company would be welcome.”

He called me beautiful. Against my better judgment, I nod. “Okay. Thank you.”

The inside of Eli’s cottage is a revelation. Where my place feels like a carefully maintained rental property, this feels like a home. Books line every available wall, plants cascade from windowsills, and the furniture is comfortable, pieces that invite you to curl up and stay awhile.

The scent that fills the space is uniquely Eli—he smells like the outside and sunshine. I know he’s not my scent match, but his scent is calming in a way that makes my shoulders relax for the first time all day.

“Sit wherever you’re comfortable,” he says, moving toward a small kitchen area. “Chamomile okay? It’s good for settling nerves.”

I settle into a corner of his oversized couch, tucking my legs beneath me. “How did you know I was upset?”

Eli glances back at me while he fills a kettle. “Call it intuition. Plus, you’ve been crying.”

I smile as I touch my cheek.

“Bad day?” he asks gently, not pushing for details.

“The worst,” I say.

“And how has Romeo been with you?” Eli’s tone is carefully neutral, but I catch the slight tightening around his eyes.

“He’s left me alone for a few days.” The lie tastes bitter, but I’m not about to dump too many of my problems on a stranger, no matter how kind he seems.

Eli brings over two steaming mugs, handing me one before settling on the opposite end of the couch. He’s careful to leave plenty of space between us, I notice, respecting my boundaries in a way that feels foreign after Romeo’s aggressive invasion of my personal space.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened,” he says quietly. “But if you need to talk, I’m a good listener. And I promise, nothing you say will leave this room.”

The tea is perfect and soothing, chamomile with hints of honey and lavender. I wrap my hands around the mug, letting the heat seep into my fingers.

“Can I ask you something?” I say after a few moments of comfortable silence.

“Of course.”

“Have you never had an Omega since Kate?”

He’s quiet for so long that I think he might not answer. When he finally speaks, his voice carries a weight that suggests old pain. “I loved her very much. We were together for three years, planning to bond formally.” He stares into his tea as if it holds answers. “But she wasn’t my scent match. And when she met hers...”

“She left,” I finish softly.

“She left,” he confirms. “Couldn’t fight the biology, couldn’t deny what her Omega recognized as her true mate. I understood, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was a few years ago.” He looks up at me, and I can see the old sadness in his green eyes. “But it taught me something important about the difference between love and biology, between choosing someone and being chosen by your instincts.”

The parallel to my situation with Romeo is so obvious it makes my chest tight. “Do you think...do you think scent matches are really that powerful? That they can override everything else?”

Eli studies my face carefully. “Are we talking hypothetically, or is there something specific you’re dealing with?”

Heat rises in my cheeks. “Hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically,” he says with a small smile that suggests he doesn’t believe me, “I think scent matches create a powerfulbiological pull. But I also think we’re more than our biology. We have choices, even when those choices are difficult.”

“But what if the Alpha doesn’t want to choose? What if they want to have it both ways?”

Something shifts in Eli’s expression, a sharpening that reminds me he’s an Alpha too, despite his gentleness. “Then they’re a coward and a fool. Any Alpha who would string along an Omega. Especially his supposed match, rather than making a real commitment, doesn’t deserve either woman.”

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