Page 65 of Knot Only For One Night

“Test time!” Asher all but claps his hands with glee as he flips through the pages. I laugh, a nervous giggle as Neven mouths “you’ll pay for that.” My face can’t flush any more, and I hold back the whimper that’s trying to crawl its way from my throat.

I’ve never been so… excited.

“What’s the difference between CYM—Wait, what is this?” Asher leans closer to the page. “Hold on, I got it, it’s CMYK.What’s the difference between that and RGB?”

Thankfully he stayed at the beginning of the book so I can actually answer.

“One is for print, the other is for digital,” I answer, keeping my answer simple so he can tell whether I was right or wrong.

“One point for Esper!”

“Oh, this is a game now?” Soren says, scooting that tiny inch closer to me. His thighs press against mine, his jeans against my leggings. Cinnamon wafts over me and I smile as he wraps his arm around the back of our booth. Technically around me.

“Catch up, losers,” I say, nodding towards Asher to ask the next question. He stares at the book. His gaze is focused and his eyes squint a bit.

He’s really a drop-dead-beautiful man. They all are. In their own ways and, gosh, I get the obsession. I feel it, like a butterfly breaking out its wings. A million of them in my stomach, but instead of the nervous feeling that’s usually associated with them, a sense of calm washes over me.

“Who got the cheeseburger?”

The waitress looms behind Soren at the end of our table, a huge tray with half a dozen plates propped on her shoulder. I smile and raise my hand quickly. Neven is closing my laptop and sliding it out of the way for me, as I completely focus on the plate with my food on it. She nods and I reach for my plate, but Soren grabs it from her hands. My face drops, why is he…

Oh. He slides the plate in front of me and is already turning to the waitress to grab the next one before I can say thank you. Everyone gets their food, ranging from burgers, chicken, and seafood, all paired with my favorite fat, fluffy golden French fried potatoes. I stare at each plate, my gaze landing on my own and, wow, I cannot wait to dig in. Moments before goodness touches my tongue, I smile, loving, towards my food. All I need is⁠—

“Can you pass the ketchup?” Neven asks, holding his hand out. I watch as Reed passes it and Neven shakes the bottle. The crisp click of the lid opening and his arm reaches out and squirts a bit on my plate.

My perfect alpha.

“If you stared at me like you did that ketchup bottle—” Asher breaks off laughing, unable to even finish the joke.

I giggle as I dip my first fry into my shiny red dip. The coolness of the sauce and heat of the fry satisfy something deep in my soul.

“How’s your food?” I ask Reed, turning to face him a bit. He’s a bit quiet. Something definitely shifted in him since our first date, but I’m trying to be patient. Not everyone dreamed for a Pack like I did.

“Good,” he hums, biting into his burger.

“Good,” I say, picking mine up and taking a bite.

It’s quiet for a moment as we all dig into our food. Then Reed finally looks at me, and his dull eyes light a bit as the smallest, tiniest smile ticks his lips.

“You have something…” He trails off before reaching over and wiping the ketchup off the side of my face with his thumb. He doesn’t even hesitate before bringing it straight to his mouth and closing his eyes for a moment.

I’m breathless. The omega in me waits for every reaction he’s willing to give me.

“I think I like ketchup better off your skin,” he chuckles, quietly talking to me, as if we’re in a bubble. I can hear the other guys talking, but this moment is just Reed and me.

“I think I’d like ketchup better off your⁠—”

The air shifts. My men all tense. I snap my mouth shut. Reed’s eyes break away from me and I don’t like that… at all. I force the frown wanting to take over my face away as I turn toward the source of everyone’s displeasure.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little bro?” Two men walk up to our table, slapping Soren’s shoulder. He immediately gets up to face them. The previously vague sense that I should be scared solidifies in my gut. My hand instinctively reaches out for Reed’s. It takes him a second to realize, his eyes pinned on the two newcomers, but he wraps one hand around mine while his other arm drops from the back of the booth to clasp on my shoulder.

“What are you doing on Wolves territory?” Soren snips. Reed’s chest starts to rise and fall a bit faster, and I wish I knew what he was thinking.

Soren takes a single step closer to me. That step blocks my view of the newcomers, but it also draws their attention, their eyes dragging to me. The one with all the tattoos leans over and gives me a finger wave with a grimy smile.

I can’t tell if it’s rude not to wave back. I can’t tell why I want to be rude. I give the man a quick nod and cuddle back into Reed’s hold.

“Since when do you have an omega? Or are you imposing on this little Pack? We told you⁠—”