“Not a problem,” he says as he cuts into his steak.
The first bite of food hits my bloodstream like I injected it through my jugular. With every bite of hot food I take, my shoulders drop a bit more. Their scents swirl around me, grapes and oranges and a nice spring rain.
The faint sheen of sweat along my spine cools. My breathing evens out. The tightness behind my eyes that I chose to ignore all day slowly fades.
The constant buzzing under my skin softens, like someone turned down the volume. My nostrils flare just as greedily as my throat swallows, and I tell myself it’s the food. I’m just feeling better because my blood sugar isn’t plummeting any longer. My instincts know the truth, though.
It’s them steadying me.
It’s their scents that have me so grounded.
For the first time all day, my instincts have faded in a way that feels almost reverent. It’s like a holy moment, the four of us sitting there, enjoying a meal prepared by Walker’s dexterous hands. I take a bite of my steak, and it practically melts in my mouth. I can’t help the hum that rushes up my throat with each bite.
They’re all very quiet.
I glance up, my fork paused halfway to my mouth with some broccolini on it, and I see Walker watching me. I look over at Eli and his gaze quickly darts down to his food, and when I look over at Knox I find him flagrantly staring at me with that stereotypical grin on his face.
His expression softens when our eyes lock. I can’t help the sheepish little smile that crosses my lips before I look back down at my food.
Eli’s voice pulls my attention back to him, however. “So. What were you working on in the kitchen that had you forgetting breakfast?”
I smile at the thought of my baking. “A round of cherry rhubarb cinnamon rolls. A bakery out of Rocky Creek wants to start doing seasonal flavors of cinnamon rolls. Figured cherry and rhubarb would be good flavors for spring, so I’m working on that order today.”
“I didn’t know cinnamon rolls came in different flavors,” Knox says.
I nod. “It’s a very versatile recipe. You can do just about any combination. If the cherry-rhubarb ones sell well, I’ve got my eyes set on a lemon-blueberry-poppyseed one for summer.”
“Now that I want to try,” Eli says as he points his fork at me.
“The ovens treating you well?” Walker asks, not looking up from his food.
“They’re running and heating perfectly,” I say.
“Good,” Walker says as he casts Knox a look.
But then his gaze travels to mine.
For a moment, time is completely suspended. The world fades away as their intermingled scents rush me, and my instincts attempt to tug to the surface. The beating of my heart rushes blood through my ears that I can hear roaring through my body.
I have to force myself to look down at my plate before I do something stupid.
Like throw myself at him from across the table.
“So. Friday night,” Eli says as he takes another bite from his plate. “Are we all going Twinkle Bowling?”
Walker’s attention is still on me. I can feel those brown eyes of his burning a hole into the profile of my face.
“Is that want you want, Lia?”
All eyes are on me, and it makes me want to shrink away. The last time I was under the scrutiny of Alphas like this, it didn’t end well. It changed my entire life, leaving me with medical issues I have to dance my entire life around.
My prior pack didn’t care to ask me my opinion on anything.
These guys are different, though.
Or so I’m finding.
“I mean, I’m up for it if you guys are,” I say as I take another bite of food.
