Knot Broken (Hiddenverse)

8. Miles

CHAPTER 8

Miles

“My musk?” I hedge, while attempting not to inhale too visibly.

She nods, a cute little crease appearing between her eyebrows. “You know what, never mind.” She waves a hand around on a floppy wrist, laughing at herself. “That was an invasive question.”

When she turns away from me, I have an insane urge to draw her back. Physically, if need be. Curling my fingers into my palms, I back away in the other direction. I wouldn’t even be in the house yet if my cell phone hadn't fallen out of my pocket last night. I’m breaking all kinds of rules. First one is having my cell at all, and the second is being in this house right now.

This run-in is complete serendipity, as Elliott would say. And fuck, her just woken up look makes something stir unexpectedly inside of me. So much so, it makes me realize I haven’t taken my blocker pill this morning, when the slightest scent of almond and coconut bloomed between us.

That’s all I need, screwing this up before it even begins. I shake off my dark thoughts that are more the sound of my father’s voice in my head telling me all I do is screw shit up. It’s been years since that man died, and still, he’s inside my head like a living, breathing monster. I can thank him for the obsession of having everything be just right.

Pushing all of it firmly away, I head out to the pool deck in search of my missing phone. I can replace it if I have to. I'd just feel better with it in my hands. My OCD is riding me hard. As soon as I realized it was missing, I wanted to come over here. That was at two in the morning. Rafe talked me out of it. An alpha creeping around a house full of sleeping omegas is not a good look.

I find it easily enough. It fell down a crack in the chair I sat in last night. The phone’s dead but firmly in my pocket. Walking around the outside of the house to the front steps where I left the car, I make a quick escape. We aren’t supposed to be here yet. Thomas wants to get our arrival on camera. I bet he would have had a field day if he caught the run-in with Lilah on cameras.

Honestly, he probably did, since they are all over the house.

Driving the short distance to the carriage house where they have us staying, I make a beeline to the kitchen and grab my pills for the musk blocking. Having a bunch of omegas, instead of just one, smell me would be way against contract.

Rafe enters the room, absently scratching a new tattoo on his bare chest. This one is a feather that appears to be slowly flying away into tiny pieces.

“Did you find it?” he asks. He disappears into the fridge for a moment before reappearing with an apple.

“It’s dead, but yeah.”

He chuckles, taking in my appearance. “Shit. Did you get mobbed?”

I shake my head, pressing my lips together, and reach for a glass for some water to take the pill. He sniffs, coming closer.

“Don’t ask.” I hold up my hand to stop the words I know are going to come out of his mouth.

“You are going to need a shower,” he says, instead.

“Well, we have to be there in a half hour, so I guess I should make it quick.”

“A half hour?” he says, through a bite of his apple. “I thought it wasn’t until noon.”

“We don’t get to the orchard until noon, but they want to film every step, which will probably take them until then.”

He glances down at the apple. “I guess I could have eaten something else. I wasn’t thinking.” He shrugs and tosses the fruit into the trash. “It’s probably a good thing we are the stars of the show. They need us to film.”

I roll my eyes. “Eli is going to kick your ass if you ruin this for him. At least let him try to find someone. We have a deal, remember?”

With a sigh, he leans against the counter, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. “Yeah. He was the only one out of the three of us that thought there was a chance at finding a soulmate on this show.” He pauses and gives me a look that says he isn’t convinced anymore. “Don’t worry, I’ll go along with it if he thinks he finds a match. The public will think we are just a happy in love pack. I can sell it.”

I don’t say anything, because what else is there to say? Unlike Elliott, I don’t think our pack’s on the verge of breaking apart, but if it will help him feel secure, we’ll do it for him. I have my issues from an abusive and craptastic father, but he has a whole different level of emotional damage. Being abandoned on the doorstep of a random stranger by the people that should care for you most, ensured that abandonment issues are a hot spot for him .

“But you fucking musking, that isn’t part of the plan, Miles. Which one got to you?”

I force a laugh. “What if it was the house full of omegas that did it?”

He scoffs. “Right. Don’t tell me. I can read you, I’ll know as soon as we are around them today.”

“Whatever, I’m going to get a shower.” I leave him in the kitchen, intent on washing off the proof of my desire for the girl that was splashed all over the tabloids with Rafe.

Film crews greet our limo as it drives down the long driveway. Rafe groans and flops back on the seat.

“This is the last thing I want to do with my time,” he says.

Elliott shifts, drawing my attention. He rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Life isn't about the party scene. You'll see that soon, if you let yourself.”

Rafe snorts, turning to stare out the window. “If you say so,” he mumbles under his breath, still sulking.

“Don't worry, Eli, we will go with whoever you pick.” I wish my words were as reassuring as they sound.

Lilah's pale blue eyes, pink plump lips, and pert nose flash in my mind's eye, and it's my turn to look away. Of course one of the omegas would tempt me. I haven't found a single one in months, but now…when it matters the most to Elliott, my hormones betray us both.

Our conversation is cut short as the limo comes to a stop in front of the sprawling mansion. Three sleek buses line the other side of the round drive. And I know, without Thomas telling us, that the plan’s for each one of us to travel separately with the omegas.

Rafe sighs and pushes curls away from his forehead. “ Let's get this done. If we get to pick, I want the omega that thinks he's too good for us on my bus.”

“And I want the one that thinks omegas climb me like a tree,” Elliott adds.

A low growl unexpectedly rumbles in my chest at his words, and he laughs, delighted at the possessive sound.

“No,” Rafe says, looking between us. “Not her.”

“What's wrong with her? Does she make you feel things?” Elliott taunts him with a smirk. “You're not made of the stone you thought you were, are you?”

He rolls his eyes and pushes the door open. “Never mind, take who you want. Just don't leave me with Hailey.”

Rafe has a wide smile pulling at his lips as he strides to the front steps, using all of his acting skills to appear for the crew as the picture of a willing and eager bachelor.

“That went well,” I say.

I push open my door to trail after him, a slight feeling of excitement buzzing in my veins.

Elliott laughs again, sliding across the seat to climb out. “He needs to stop lying to himself.”