Page 112 of Knot What She Seems
Slightly offended that he thinks I’m unaware of our own history, I rattle off information. “Noths took this city and held it for eight months straight three years back. Used fifteen drones, twelve tanks, and forty fighter jets to take it over. It had been evacuated due to bombings, but only about half of our citizens heeded the evac warnings. The other half…were herded into detention centers.” My blood simmers as I speak, anger bubbling up and making everything from my chest to my cheeks flush.
“Good girl,” Ridge praises, both proud and impressed. A purr erupts from his chest then, a low rumble that seems to surprise us both before it quickly has an effect on me.
Praise plus an alpha’s purr are like opium to omegas.
I give him a soft smile as my thoughts grow hazy and slick starts to collect in my panties. All that heat that was fury toward the Noths starts to convert to steam instead as I inhale deeply and my nipples grow hard.
“No.” Ridge’s face suddenly stiffens and his tone becomes solemn as he roughly sets me down in a spot clear of rubble. He blows out a solemn breath and turns away from me for a second. “I don’t want… I want you to be ready for that. Sorry. Didn’t mean to let that purr slip out. I’ve just never met another omega who follows current events so closely that she can rattle off stats.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say I was just tested on it…before I remember that I was just tested on it at Eros and not Darling.
I clear my throat, feeling both disappointed and relieved that Ridge stepped back, because I was definitely not about to, and there’s no way anything can happen. I’m way too attracted to him for anything to ever happen. It’s far too dangerous.
Wringing my hands, I also turn to the side, trying to get a breath of fresh air, one that’s not tainted by his delirium-inducing scent. Sucking in the smell of old gasoline, I say, “No problem. Um. Thanks for stopping.” Fuck. I want to leave now and never see Ridge’s sculpted face again.
Silence settles around us, and it’s just graduated from uncomfortable to comfortable when Ridge finally speaks. His back is still to me, his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather coat as he says, “We got orders to take this town back. My team was supposed to take out the drones first because they’re the biggest issue. A plane, you can hide from, but a drone can follow you anywhere.”
His voice seems to stir up ghosts, because the room suddenly feels colder and ice travels down my spine.
“We found the drone operator’s base camp. They’d set up in an old hardware store, so we rigged it to blow. Except, it turned out that our info was bad. The explosion went off without a hitch, but it didn’t knock a single drone out of the sky. But it did give us away.”
The weight of his silence has the gravitational force of a planet, and I sink beneath it, already anticipating what comes next. Already terrified and full of pity.
Tears start to form in the corner of my eyes as I imagine Alpha Team X all decked out in their military gear, the blaze of an explosion roaring behind them. Victorious shouts on the tip of their tongues before they glance up and see buzzing black drones overhead.
“They were like vultures. Just fucking everywhere. We had to take cover quick. Ended up here.” His arms spread wide, and he gestures at the empty room. After a long, tense moment where I can see memory has taken hold of him, he turns. Regret etches lines in his face as he frowns for a second before he wipes his expression flat. His tone matches that emptiness as he confesses, “We got lucky. The guy here rebuilt engines, and I guess he loved classics. Hiding behind those fuckers gave us our chance. But it was a close thing. Machines don’t stop. Don’t care. Seventy-two hours. The entire time, I was sure I was going to die. Worse, Kylian got hurt. And Colter…”
His teeth grind together, and I can tell that this memory is replaying behind his eyes. Instinctively, I know I have to comfort him. Not need to but have to. It’s physically painful for me not to. So I step forward and reach for his hand, sliding my own into his firm grip and squeezing.
“Sometimes surviving doesn’t feel like winning. Sometimes it feels like a loss,” he whispers.
I don’t say anything because there’s nothing to say. He’s right. Some days that’s exactly what it feels like for me.
He glances over, and the understanding and acceptance in his eyes feels as infinite as the universe itself. I swallow hard as my stomach levitates under his gaze. The pure and utter understanding and acceptance of the truth: the world is cruel and brutal, and we all have scars.
But the fact that Ridge was willing to show me his…
I don’t know if he knows this, but there’s nothing else he could have done to make this ache to belong to him hurt more.
Because now I’m pining for it.
Pining after my own destruction.
40
COLTER
I slidea hand down the front of my scratchy, uncomfortable white button-down as I wait for Brylee outside her dorm building.
Been waiting for over an hour, trying to ignore the stares of giggling omegas as they eye me speculatively before climbing the steps.
A part of me wonders if she decided to go back on her deal with Luka, but a second later, my doubts are assuaged when the back door opens and Brylee steps outside.
My heart…stops. Can’t breathe. Can’t think. Can’t do anything but gape.
My mate looks like a goddess made flesh. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look more beautiful.
She’s wearing a fitted, deep blue dress that hugs her figure just enough to highlight her silhouette. The dress has delicate lace detailing along the neckline and sleeves, adding a touch of elegance without being overdone. Her blonde hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders, so shiny it seems to reflect the moonlight itself. A pair of black heels click on the pavement as she walks toward me, carrying a small silver clutch. Her makeup is natural yet flawless, with a soft blush and a hint of pink lipstick. She looks effortlessly beautiful, and I can’t help the smile that curves my lips.
