Page 153 of Knot So Social

I touch my lips to his. Heat blooms as Joel wraps one hand behind my head, pulling me closer so our mouths mesh together. Lips colliding, we bask in the glory of a scent-match kiss, the aching longing that’s been with us for twenty-four hours finally sated.

Billowing hot-stone and Jasmine scents bloom so thick the haze whispers across my damp skin. Pure joy erupts in my soul, coupled with a sensation of coming home. The tingles, and the newness of it all, makes it seem as if my younger self is bursting out, waking for another chance at first love.

Joel deepens the kiss, searching for a taste. I settle back in the beanbag and wrap my arms around him, feeling the strength in his shoulders, the lines of his back. This handsome, strong, vulnerable alpha is all mine.

I whimper at the powerful feelings flowing through me.

Joel draws back, gazing down at me with admiration in his eyes as we catch our breaths.

Heat peppers my cheeks. In the space of a day I’ve discovered a scent match and made him mine.

“Um.” I suck on my cheeks. “Jeremy might have mentioned you like being bossed around?”

“Ugh! He’s a brat. I don’t even know what I like anymore.” He groans and shakes his head. Then his expression turns mischievous. “But for you, darling? You can be my princess. You wag a finger, I come. You flick it, I go.”

I snort. “That sounds more like the dogs.”

“Oh, no,” Joel assures me, eyes sparkling. “Jock’s not that well trained.”

I can’t help laughing.

“Just . . . don’t try to change me?”

The pain in his voice, oh so familiar, tugs at my heart strings. I shake my head. “I won’t. And the same goes for me. Let’s just be gentle with each other, yeah? And tell each other how we’re feeling.”

He nods. “That would be nice. And that’s what a pack is for, right?”

I stiffen. A pack of my own? I had a pack once, but that was a dictatorship. I squeeze my eyes shut and breathe deep. This is different. The three men in my life have been respectful, and honest, and vulnerable with me at every turn.

“Pack,” I whisper, rolling the word around on my tongue. It sounds better now, no longer hollow. “You, me, Alessandro, and Jeremy.”

A pack huh. Three alphas, again. A small voice in the back of my head asks if I’m moving too fast, if I’m giving up too much of what’s mine. I’ve always sworn I wanted my independence, but the last few weeks taught me just how much I craved touch and company. I was never designed to be a loner.

The problem was, I used to have people in my life that I couldn’t trust.

That’s not the case anymore. Now that I’ve met my scent match and two alphas who make me feel extraordinarily safe, I can recognize the difference. These men are gentle, invested in me as a person, and making sure I’m comfortable with every step. And they’ve been so vulnerable with me; I never even knew alphas could be like that.

Joel hums. “Speaking of my brother, where is he? He’ll want a piece of this news.”

He digs his phone out of a pocket.

“Oh, he rang an hour ago.” He dials and leans back, shoving Jock aside when the dog tries to paw at his face. His relaxed posture vanishes as Jeremy answers with a long babble.

“What happened?” I thrash upright, my pulse racing again.

Did something happen to Jeremy?

Chapter forty-eight

Willow

“Shit. Starter motor, you think?” Joel’s gaze flicks my way, and he reaches for my hand. “He’s okay, Willow,” he whispers. “Just had car trouble.”

I sigh and slump back into the bean bag. Looks like I’m already highly invested in these alphas’ wellbeing.

Joel strokes my fingers as he returns to the conversation. “Nah, don’t worry about that. Call a tow truck and catch an Uber. We need you at Willow’s house.”

Warmth spreads through me at the idea of all of us gathering in one space to share meals and chat, to play with the dogs and do all the stupid little stuff together that I always dreamed a family might. Thinking about a combined future sure is moving fast, but somehow it feels right, like destiny brought us together.