Page 12 of Knot Your Pucking Mate
Shit, I’ve got it bad already. And honestly? I couldn’t be happier about it.
The only thing bothering me is that she hasn’t met Chase yet. But that will come in time. We’d planned to meet up after my date with Mandy tonight. Maybe she can tag along.
I browse her shelves and am pleasantly surprised by what I see. It’s hard to guess what someone else’s tastes are. I’ve heard of romance authors who read nothing but gory horror books andterrifying thrillers. Luckily, Mandy and I seem to have similar tastes in books. There’s quite a few here that are on my to-be-read list. I wonder if she’ll let me borrow some.
Nuzzling my neck against the blanket and rubbing more of my scent on it, I grab a novel from the shelf, reading the blurb as I wander to the couch and plop down.
I’ve almost finished chapter one ofSweet Heat by Ellie Extonwhen Mandy plops down beside me on the couch. She’s in a fresh outfit; her scent is much weaker than it was before. She hasn’t completely blocked her scent, and despite my desire to keep her safe—and keep her scent all for me—I like that she isn’t covered in metallic scented blockers.
“Mmmm,” she says, shifting her weight until she’s snuggled up against me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, bringing the blanket with me as I hold her close. She rests her head on my chest and closes her eyes. “That’s one of my favorite romances. There’s something oddly appealing about a stalker with good intentions. Read some to me?”
“I open my mouth, ready to eviscerate this weak little bitch. No one is going to intimidate me on my home turf… But an angry growl cracks through the air, turning into a roar that makes every hair on my body stand on end.”
I had a pretty typical first date planned for us tonight. A game of mini golf followed by dinner at one of the nicer restaurants nearby. But as I sit here reading to Mandy, her sweet scenttickling my nose and her breath warming my chest through my shirt, I realize there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Chapter Seven
Mandy
Iwake to Axel’s fading scent and the sound of a new message chiming on my mobile. The sun is warm on my face, a ray falling right across my bed from a gap between the curtains. I disentangle myself from my sheets as I roll over and reach for my nightstand, where I always keep my phone.
It’s not until I’ve sat up straight with my phone in hand, ready to unlock my screen, that I realize I don’t know how I ended up in my bed. I probably fell asleep while Axel read to me, and he must have carried me here.
I’m not sure whether to feel embarrassed by that or put it down in my notebook as a date idea for a future romance novel. It was the best freaking date I’ve ever been on—even though we didn’t actually go anywhere.
In the end, we ordered pizza and wine, and Axel read to me late into the night. A flush of heat runs through me at the memory. It had taken everything in me not to pounce on him and take back my words about taking it slow. Somehow, I held myself together. It was hairy, though. An omega has needs that aren’t easy to contain when her scent-matched alpha is right there.
Unlocking my phone screen, I take a second to glance at the messages sitting there. There’s one from Vae at about ten o’clock last night asking how the date had gone. The eggplant, knot and squirting water emojis make me laugh out loud.
Of course, my bestie wants to know all about the knot. She’s a touch reclusive with people she doesn’t know, but the two of us share everything.
Gods, I haven't been knotted outside a heat. Ever.
I’ve never found an alpha I wanted to see for longer than a date or two. Not since high school. And I’ve always used heat services to make sure I’m not alone. The same pack has helped me through the last few, but there wasn’t a connection beyond the physical. They went exclusive with their omega last month and broke off our arrangement. Which is fine, but has made me a little stressed.
It seems I might not need to worry. After the time we spent together last night, I’m confident Axel will be here when my next heat hits. Maybe his packmate Chase will join us too. I can’t help but wonder what he’s like and whether he and I will get along. Will we be scent-matched too?
A scent match with multiple members of the same pack isn’t as uncommon as you would think. It’s rarer than a single scent match, that’s for sure. But it happens.
The romantic in me likes to think of it as fate working hard to bring packs together who will produce the happiest omegas. But it’s probably more to do with the biology side of things and producing healthy, strong offspring.
The other messages are from Axel. The first was very early in the morning, letting me know he had to leave for practice, and that he’d enjoyed our night together and wanted to see me again soon. Next up was from a few minutes ago telling me to check my front door; there’s a surprise waiting for me.
Scrambling out of bed, I grab my purple knit blanket and throw it over my shoulders. It smells of Axel’s campfire scent, and I bring it to my nose and inhale deeply. I’ll never get enough of it.
I wander through my apartment, noting that the lounge has been tidied, and the empty pizza box, plates, and glasses of wine nowhere to be seen. As I pass the kitchen, I notice the dishwasher has finished a recent cycle.
So, Axel cleans up after himself. The thought brings a smile to my face. I’m enjoying learning new things about him and how he moves about his daily life. So far, each new thing I learn makes me feel like we’re well suited. Like the fact that we’re a scent-match isn’t the only thing that would bring us together. Like maybe if we both had anosmia like Posie in the novel we were reading last night, we’d still be perfect for each other.
Opening my door, I glance up and down the hallway before my eyes land on a paper bag on the floor. I pick it up and bring it inside, placing it carefully on my bench when I hear something sloshing around.
Has he had breakfast delivered to me?
Oh. My. God.
I tear the bag open and take a peek inside, curious about what he would have ordered for me.
The first thing I spot is the cup tray. There are two drinks sitting inside the cardboard. Pulling it out of the bag carefully, I place them on the bench. There’s a hot coffee and an iced coffee, both of them my favorite orders.
