Page 34 of Trick Knot Treat

“It's dawn. No one is on the beach.”

“We are.”

She only stands as high as my chin, and she has to tilt her head back to look up at me, but looking at her like this is one of my favourite views.

“You are vexing.”

“Vexing? Really? Were we born in the 1930s?”

“That’s a very specific date,” I murmur.

She reaches up and unbuttons my shirt. My mind falls sideways, but then she rebuttons it so the buttons are all matching their holes and smooths it out over my chest. I can’t breathe. Does she realise she’s just stopped my heart? Does she know how she affects me?

She looks up, and the light turns her hair gold, her teeth are white as her pink lips stretch into a wide smile, and I am so completely and utterly gone for this beta.

“Come on, let’s go get some muffins and talk about how we are going to prepare you to woo your omega tonight.”

I scowl, my smile instantly disappearing. “I don’t want to woo him.”

“You don’t?” she says, looking over her shoulder in surprise. “But he’s so pretty.”

“You’re prettier.”

She laughs. “Aw, Zaire Bear, you say the sweetest things.”

Spectre looks at me, and I look back. I know that he’s looking at me going ‘come on, dude, what are you doing?’ And I realise that I absolutely suck at interacting with people.

Why was running into a burning inferno so much easier than this?

“Now, back to your happy pack.”

“Happy pack? That’s a stretch.”

She spins, and for the first time, I notice that she’s wearing an orange dress. It flares out as she spins, it still hides her body, but it’s so feminine that it steals my ability to talk. Where are the baggy clothes and the hat, and how on Earth did I miss that?

I can’t take my eyes off her.

“Are you okay?”

“You…dress…clothes….hat?” I manage to stutter out.

She stops and tilts her head to the side. The sunlight hits the side of her face, turning that rich tan to gold.

“Thank you.”

She blushes. Actually blushes, and I promise myself I will remember this day forever.

Spectre barks and runs off. When I tear my eyes from her to check on the dog, I find Jace standing on the street, leaning against his car.

For a long moment, all I can do is watch him. He’s very attractive with his dark, mysterious strength and that megawatt smile, but it’s the lazy command in the way he’s leaning, the intense way he’s watching us.

He makes me nervous because he reminds me of all the things I wanted before everything went to hell. When I look at him, I see the alpha I used to be.

Khione spins around, drawing my attention away from the alpha. She dances up to me and hugs me. I’ve gotten used to her frequent touches. She is impulsive and as happy to dole them out as I am not to.

“I want to see you do so well tonight. I’ll help you plan what to wear and how to-”

“Come with me.”