Page 131 of Knot Their Starlet

And then the flashes are blocked off.

Blocked off by a big, massive back.

“Back off!” Eli growls, his blood orange scent filling my lungs until it’s the only thing I can smell.

Beck squeezes my hand, bringing me back into my body. My gaze, which was probably a little frozen with panic, turns to him.

He flashes a reassuring smile at me, and I do the same, the tension in my shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.

More flashes explode, but with Eli clearing a path and Beck’s eyes on me, the three of us make it to the car without me having a full mental breakdown.

“Good job,” Eli whispers, right before he shuts the door for me.

His lingering words send a shiver running down my spine.

I curl into Beck’s side, trying to breathe through the lingering panic. His burnt caramel scent is like a balm for my frayed nerves.

Maybe Leo did have a point when he said omegas need physical touch, because this is fantastic.

“Okay, now talk,” Eli grunts as Leo starts driving.

“Being blackmailed sucks,” I slur, nuzzling my face into the crook of Beck’s neck. “Sorry for doing it to you guys.”

“You didn’t blackmail us, Starlight,” he murmurs.

“But I kinda did.”

“That’s not what’s important right now,” Eli grunts. “You went down to check on her when she didn’t come back. What did you see?”

“There was... an alpha cornering her in the hallway,” Leo says slowly. “Press.”

“A journalist, specifically,” I say, holding up a finger.

I’m not sure why I make the distinction.

It was obviously important to Cameron when he made it, but why am I here defending him?

I shouldn’t be nice to a guy just because he didn’t hurt me when he had the opportunity to.

But also, I’ve been nice to lots of people who have hurt me before, so maybe offering him some sort of grace isn’t a bad idea.

“What the fuck did he want and why did he corner Andi?” Eli growls, his voice low.

“He wanted an interview with Beck.”

“Me?” Beck’s hold on me tightens as he tucks me closer to his side. “Shit, Starlight, I’m so sorry. You got cornered ‘cause of me.”

“No, you don’t apologize,” I say with a shake of my head.

Whoa. Okay, turns out that ice water didn’t sober me up as much as I thought, because that movement is making the streetlights shining in through the windows spin.

“The guy... he saw Andi and I kiss in the stairwell. Threatened to tell you,” Leo says, looking at Beck through the rearview mirror. “He accused Andi of cheating on you.”

“I’m not a cheater!” I say, pointing my finger up to the ceiling again.

“We know you aren’t, Starlight,” Beck soothes.

“What happened next?” Eli grunts. “Who the hell does he work for?”