Page 55 of Knot Going Down (OlympicVerse #3)

LUCAS

T he last three days have been everything I’ve ever wanted, and nothing I ever expected to have.

We’ve had this unspoken agreement between the five of us not to talk about what happens after we dock.

Don’t ask what comes next. Just live in the now.

Pretend we’re already a pack, keep the act up, and let fantasy stretch as long as it can. It’s my fantasy, anyway.

Even Declan and Knox have managed to get along. Sort of. They’re still circling each other like two wolves who aren’t sure if they’re going to share a den or rip each other apart, but they’ve played nice. No punches, no yelling, no arrests. Progress.

We’ve all been sleeping in the big bed upstairs, crammed in like we’re afraid to break the spell.

No more stiff necks from the couch, no more throwing blankets on the floor.

We’ve talked late into the night—laughing, roasting each other, sharing the kind of stories you only tell in the dark when you're half-sure they’ll disappear by morning.

Whether on purpose or not, we’ve avoided anything too serious. We’ve spent all day in the pool, played shuffleboard, and danced at the club until our feet gave out. Ava won the limbo competition against Knox and made him wear Declan’s swim trunks like a crown. It suited him, honestly.

And it wasn’t only fun. There were touches.

Connections. Declan kissed me lazy and slow in the pool.

Knox fingered Ava in the elevator while the rest of us ran interference.

I went down on Emily out on the balcony with the ocean wind in our hair.

Ava got Declan off under the dinner table with all of us pretending not to notice.

We’ve fucked in every combination, on every surface of the suite even without Ava’s heat driving us.

It’s been heaven. Every part of it.

And now, it’s ending.

The ship’s docked. We’re on the main deck, bags packed, wristbands tucked away, standing in the half-shade of an awning while disembarking groups get called.

The wind smells like land—warm and grassy and not at all like the salt and sunscreen and coconut rum I’ve grown accustomed to.

Gunner nuzzles his wet nose into my palm as if he knows I need the comfort.

Any second now, they’re going to say, ‘ That was fun. Have a good life. This was just for the cruise.’

And I don’t think I’ll survive hearing it. Because this time won’t be like it was with my teammates. This time, it’ll hurt. It’ll destroy me.

Knox shifts beside me, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag. “I hate this part.”

“What part?” Emily asks, leaning her head against Ava’s shoulder.

“The end,” he says simply. “The part where everyone pretends they’re not bummed.”

Ava lets out a soft laugh, but it sounds forced. “We could not end it.” The words come out a little strangled, as if some old part of her is trying to keep them in.

Gunner lifts his head, sniffs, and trots over to Ava.

He can probably smell her distress, though I’m not close enough to pick up on it myself, especially since she’s slathered a full bottle of scent neutralizers over herself.

She declined Declan’s offer for drugs, but also doesn’t seem ready to just walk around as a proud omega yet.

Emily lifts her head, blinking. “What do you mean?”

Ava shrugs one shoulder, suddenly looking shy in a way that doesn’t match her usual fire. “We don’t have to go back to how things were before. We could… I don’t know. Try?”

Declan makes a quiet sound that might be agreement or caution. Hard to tell with him.

I take a breath, then plow ahead with the obvious. “Logistically? I live in Brazil.”

Emily lets out a dejected sigh. “Yeah. And Declan’s hours away. Knox is on the far end of town. Ava and I are the only two who live near each other.”

Ava snorts, wrapping her arm around Emily’s waist and pulling her into her side. “Right, because thirty minutes away is so close.”

Emily looks at Declan. “I know you said you wanted to make this work, but how? We can’t cram five people into my two-bedroom.” She glances at Ava. “Not that all five of us—I mean…” Her words catch and trail off, like carrying the whole weight of what that means is almost too much to say aloud.

“How will I survive without my Disaster Buddy?” I nudge Ava with my hip.

“You could stay,” she whispers. “With me.”

My heart flutters, hope swaying like a tree in the breeze. “Really?”

Ava shrugs, a half-smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t get your hopes up. I live in a tiny one-bedroom studio. It’s half the size of the bedroom we had this week.” She bites her lip. “But I don’t want you to leave. So…”

“Are you asking me to move in with you, benzinho ?” I tease, grinning as I reach out and twist a lock of her hair around my finger.

She huffs, trying to pull away, but there’s a spark in her eyes. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous.”

“I like being ridiculous.” I kiss her cheek.

“So you’ll cancel your flight and stay?” Emily asks with hope in her eyes. “You could both… I, um, still have an empty bedroom from when Meggie moved out.”

“Is that too fast for you, docinho ?” I ask Emily.

She wrinkles her nose while shaking her head, hand reflexively digging into Gunner’s fur. The dog has been watching the conversation, gaze bouncing from person to person almost as if he understands.

“I don’t know,” Emily says slowly. “I don’t think so. I mean…” She looks at Declan and Knox. “I’m not ready to say goodbye. I want you to stay with me, both of you. I mean, for a bit. If you want. Until we figure out what this is. If it’s even anything…”

“It’s something.” Ava steps into Emily’s space and kisses her.

“So it is settled. Ava and I will go home with Emily. And…” I look to our alphas, waiting for them to volunteer how they propose continuing.

“We need to deal with Glenn,” Declan looks toward the shore, offering no reassurance, pointedly turning away from Knox.

It seems our pretend play is over.

Knox’s lips thin as he offers the girls an apologetic look. He wants this, but I don’t think he’ll fight Declan.

Until things are settled between them, everything will remain uncertain.

“When will we see you?” Emily asks Declan.

“After the wedding.” He gives her a kiss to soften the blow. “But I’ll call, alright?”

Emily nods, but there are tears in her eyes.

“Could you take Gunner for us?” Knox asks.

Declan glares at Knox, clearly outraged that the other alpha would make arrangements for his dog.

Knox puts his hands on his hips. “We can’t take him to the wedding. Do you really want to leave him alone for hours? It’ll be better if he’s with our?—”

Declan growls before Knox can finish the sentence. Knox bites his tongue. Emily looks about ready to cry. Ava crosses her arms protectively and turns away, walls going back up right before my eyes.

“Would you be okay with that, Emily?” Declan asks, almost formal in the request.

“We’d love to have him.” She scratches behind the dog’s ears and tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

I have my work cut out for me if I’m going to keep this pack together. For now, I’ll be satisfied to stay with my beautiful women and my alpha’s pup.