Page 9 of Knot A Chance

He turned away from us and grabbed his jacket off the back of the barstool, and without saying a word, walked out the front door of the bar.

“Is he always like that?” I asked, heart thumping loudly in my chest.

Ally looked me over curiously, clearly able to sense exactly how I was feeling. There was no way to cover up arousal around an alpha, and my heart probably sounded like drums to her ears. I just hoped she had as much control as her brother claimed to have. “No. No, I’ve never seen him like that.” She studied me for a moment longer while I fought the urge to crawl out of my skin.

Thankfully I’m past the constant cravings for drugs during stressful times because this is making me think about getting high to ease the discomfort.

“You did a great job tonight,” she said. “I hope Bennett didn’t scare you off. I could really use someone with your experience, and he’s harmless.”

“I’m not scared of Bennett,” I said, forcing a smile. My heart filled with unexpected affection. “He seems like a giant puppy. Tough on the outside, but really, he probably just wants love and cuddles.”

Ally snorted and shook her head at me. “Most people miss his gooey interior because they’re too hung up on his rough-and-tumble appearance. Whatever happens with you two, please don’t let it affect your job here. I like working with you.”

Why do I already have a clear impression of him? We hardly interacted.

“Wait, shouldn’t you be warning me away from him because of my past?”

Ally smirked. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Bennett can handle himself, and you seem pretty harmless too.”

“You’re not going to tell him that I’m a recovering addict?”

“I’m not going to tell him shit. That’s not my business. Are you going to be honest with him if anything happens?”

“Yes, of course, but nothing’s going to happen. I promise,” I said.

She smiled, clearly amused as she walked by me and squeezed my shoulder. “If I were you, I wouldn’t make promises about this one.”

Nothing was going to happen with Bennett. No way was I getting involved with my boss’s brother, especially with my complicated history—even if he was the most enticing person I’d ever met.

Chapter Three

Bennett

June

“Sir.” A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and I slowly opened my eyes. Apparently, I’d fallen asleep on Felix’s stomach last night with one arm wrapped tightly around him. My other arm tingled with pins and needles, still gripping his hand tightly in mine by his side. I turned to the figure standing next to me.

“I’m Julia. I’m Felix’s nurse for the day,” she said gently. “Is it safe to assume you’re his alpha?”

I blinked at her, trying to force my eyes to focus. They were blurry and sticky from dried tears, so I reluctantly let go of Felix and wiped them before grabbing his hand again.

The nurse had a petite frame with smooth brown skin and shoulder-length brown hair. She couldn’t have been much older than me, and the patient expression on her face gave me hope that she was kind.

I didn’t want to lie to her. But she hadn’t asked if I was his mate—that would have been a complicated answer, given Ryder’s reappearance. Regardless of Felix’s past, I was certainly his alpha now, and I was confident that he would say the same if he could speak.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m his partner and his alpha.”

Thousands of years ago, before wolf shifters and humans intermated, creating the species we know today, there had been laws to protect people who’d chosen to spend their lives together in the human world. Things had evolved a lot since then, but the laws weren’t dissimilar. Once upon a time they had marriage certificates. Now, we had bonding certificates. Most bonded pairs registered their relationship with the government for moments exactly like this so they could prove their relationship if necessary and be allowed certain rights, like designation as family in the hospital.

Some bonded pairs didn’t register their relationship, and some couples chose never to officially bond, making things a bit more tenuous when it came to legal rights. Ultimately, as long as no one challenged me openly, I’d be allowed the right to stay as his alpha unless Felix woke up and said otherwise.

If someone else showed up, claiming to be his alpha, things would get complicated quickly.

Getting arrested for murdering Ryder would certainly be a complication.

Because that’s what would happen before I’d walk out of this hospital room willingly. Either I’d leave in a body bag, or Ryder would.

Why did I never ask Felix if he and Ryder had registered their bond? That would be helpful information to have right now.