Page 24 of Knot So Fast
As we walk, I try not to think about how natural this feels, having her beside me again. Try not to remember all the morning runs we used to take together, the way she used to challenge me to races and then celebrate her victories with that infectious laugh.
Try not to hope that maybe, somehow, some part of her remembers too.
Because hope is a dangerous thing when you've already lost everything once.
And despite what I just told that government prick, Auren isn't under anyone's protection anymore.
She's free to make her own choices, even if those choices don't include the pack that used to be her whole world.
Even if those choices are slowly killing all of us.
UNWELCOME TRUTHS OF AN UNCERTAIN PAST
~AUREN~
Walkingbetween Kieran ahead of me and Luke behind me feels like being caught in some kind of invisible force field.
The tension radiating from both men is so thick I could practically cut it with a knife, creating this weird bubble of authority and protection that I've never experienced before.
But I have to admit, it's working.
No guards have even attempted to step near us during our walk back to my building. Even the building security guards—who normally won't even make eye contact with me when I'm solo or with Luke—are suddenly going out of their way to avoid getting close enough to open the doors for us.
It's like Kieran's presence has created some kind of invisible "do not approach" sign that everyone can read except me.
The contrast is jarring.
Usually, Luke and I have to deal with suspicious looks, occasional harassment, and the general attitude that an unmated Omega and her Beta companion are somehowinherently problematic. Today, we might as well be walking with royalty for all the deference we're receiving.
When we reach the private elevator that leads to the luxury apartment I somehow managed to afford after the accident—though I'm still fuzzy on those details—I fumble for my access card. Before I can even pull it out of my pocket, Kieran is already pressing his palm to the scanner.
The automated voice that responds makes my jaw drop: "Welcome, Mr. Cross. Access to Mrs. Vale's suite loading."
Mrs. Vale?!!
I gawk at the scanner, then at Kieran, then at Luke, who just shrugs with the kind of expression that says he's not even surprised by this development.
"This is one of those 'ask questions later' situations," Luke says with resigned amusement. "And to forewarn you, the two of you fight like cats and dogs, so I'm not getting into whatever this is about to become."
I groan and roll my eyes toward the ceiling of the elevator.
"Why am I never in simple relationships? Why can't I just have normal, uncomplicated interactions with people?"
"You're not a 'simple' girl," Kieran mutters, his voice carrying that same amused tone that Luke gets when he's pointing out something he considers obvious. "You're too chaotic to even manage an average Alpha. Look at your Beta—he's basically a grenade ready to explode half the time."
"Fuck off," Luke snaps, his protective hackles rising immediately. "And I haven't forgotten what you all did in Budapest, so fuck you too."
Kieran simply smirks at this response, and that's when I really take him in for the first time since this whole encounter started.
Jesus Christ, he's actually hot.
Like, stupidly attractive in a way that makes my brain go a little fuzzy around the edges.
I'd thought his hair was black from a distance, but now I can see it's actually a dark blue shade when the elevator lighting hits it just right. His eyes are what really mesmerize me though—dark with various hints of brown that shift and change like expensive whiskey in candlelight. There's an intensity to his gaze that makes me feel like he's seeing straight through every defense I've ever built.
The elevator begins its ascent to my floor, and I find myself needing to break the silence before the tension suffocates all of us.
"Shouldn't you be at work right now?" I ask, genuinely curious about why he was at the track this early in the morning.
