Page 185 of Knot So Lucky
But I don’t want to.
For the first time in years, maybe ever, I want to be selfish.
I want to stay here—in the cocoon of his arms, in a shirt that smells like him and me and sex and trust. I want to let someone else take the wheel, just for a few minutes, and see what it’s like to be cherished instead of merely functional.
The internal war is brutal.
Duty screaming in one ear, desire whispering in the other.
Desire wins.
I press back into Elias, nestle my head under his chin, and let my body go limp. No more tension. No more panic. Just the slow, perfect rhythm of two heartbeats forced into the same pace.
I fall asleep again.
And this time, the smile on my face is real.
I’ve never felt more at peace for being a rebel.
CHAPTER 36
Apex And Ashes
~AURORA~
Dawn comes too fucking early.
The alarm screams at 5:00 AM, dragging me from dreams that were significantly more pleasant than consciousness. My body protests—muscles still sore from the other day’s race, exhaustion sitting heavy in my bones despite a full night's sleep.
But pack training waits for no one.
I roll out of bed with a groan, stumbling toward the bathroom while Shadow meows indignantly from her spot on my pillow. Apparently, early morning workouts don't align with kitten schedules.
Twenty minutes later, I'm dressed in running gear—compression shorts under loose athletic pants, sports bra reinforced with my usual binding, oversized hoodie to complete the masculine silhouette. My short hair is still damp from the quick shower, and I've forgone makeup entirely because who the fuck wears makeup to run at dawn?
The Thorne compound's training facility is lit up like a beacon against the pre-dawn darkness. I can see figures already assembled near the track—my pack, gathered and waiting with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Luca stands at the front, looking disgustingly alert for this ungodly hour. His dark hair is pulled back in a small knot, and he's wearing professional running gear that probably costs more than my first car. His scent—dark chocolate and gunpowder—is sharp with anticipation.
Cale leans against the fence, mid-stretch, looking equally awake. Burnt cedar and coffee mixing with the morning air, creating a scent profile that makes my Omega instincts purr despite my exhaustion.
Adrian stands slightly apart, wearing designer athletic wear that somehow makes him look like he's ready for a photo shoot rather than actual exercise. But the way he's stretching suggests he's more than capable of keeping up, privileged billionaire aesthetic aside.
And Elias is doing warm-up laps already, his sandalwood-and-steel scent trailing behind him as he circles the track with easy efficiency.
"Morning, sunshine," Cale calls when he spots me approaching. "Ready to suffer?"
"Fuck off," I respond eloquently, my voice still rough with sleep. "It's inhumane to expect coherent conversation before sunrise."
Luca turns at my arrival, his expression somewhere between amused and approving.
"Lane. Vance. You two are running an extra lap today."
I blink, processing the words through my foggy brain.
"What? Why?"
"You skipped work yesterday," Luca says simply, like this explains everything. "For your absence. So that's your punishment—one extra lap to make up for the absence."
